apparent contradictions.

[candyfloss28]

Can anyone please please tell me why there are apparent contradictions in the bible? If you could please tell me, I would like to maybe consider being a christian again.

[Albalida]

Originally Posted by candyfloss28

Can anyone please please tell me why there are apparent contradictions in the bible? If you could please tell me, I would like to maybe consider being a christian again.

It could just be that they appear to be contradictions because the are two isolated points in a larger and more sophisticated picture, where they do not contradict. For example: Given a uniform medium, light travels in a straight line. A light is a wave. So, does light travel in a wavy shape like a wave should or in a straight line?? Both are correct, but a more sophisticated knowledge of physics is needed to understand how they can both be true, and how apparent contradiction is misunderstanding.

So, every time you see apparent contradictions, you can look up an Apologism for it. Apologism doesn't sound like a pretty word, but it's what believers give to other believers to fill in the gap between contradictions.

The Bible might have had a lot of writers, fallible human writers, and it seems a not-very-thorough continuity editor.

Originally Posted by Albalida

The Bible might have had a lot of writers, fallible human writers, and it seems a not-very-thorough continuity editor.

Ditto that ...

[Morpheus]

Originally Posted by candyfloss28

Can anyone please please tell me why there are apparent contradictions in the bible? If you could please tell me, I would like to maybe consider being a christian again.

The Christian becomes so because of the revelation of the Holy Spirit communicated through the Gospels, and by the Words of the Living God.


They are not convinced by comparing ancient writings with modern perspective and findings.

It is the Good News and the Gospel which convicts the individual of their failings and sin, and which leads them to Faith. Which countless many through the ages have availed themselves of, with great attending joy.
Which cannot be overcome by the struggles and tribulations of the world, which passes away.
www.persecution.com

Nor by the inte4llectual reasonings of the faithless.


Intellectual reasoning follows. The convicting impetus is the Love of God towards mankind.

The topic heading is accurate with respect to the word, "Apparent".

Hi Candyfloss

The contradictions, even in the gospels, are what finally put me off Christianity. If the writers cannot even agree on small points how can they expect you to believe them on more serious issues?

Who visited the infant Jesus? Shepherds as in Luke, or wise men as in Matthew? If it was both then why do the books only mention one and not the other? Or was it made up to satisfy old prophecies, like the messiah being born in Bethlehem, when it was common knowledge that Jesus was from Nazareth.

How I see the bible is as man's search for God, and men make mistakes. It is still a spiritual book and I get a lot from it; but I don't believe most of it as factual history.

I believe the story of the shepherds is an account of happenings the night Christ was born whereas the "wise men" arrived searching for the Christ child when Jesus was probably two years old. It appears that his parents had decided to stay in Bethlehem (where they had gone for the census ordered by Ceasar) at least for a while and maybe intending to locate there permanently until the angel warned them to flee and they went to Egypt for a while and when the Herod who sought to kill Jesus had died they came back but not to Bethlehem because the new Herod was a danger, they went on north to Nazareth which had been Joseph's previous home. Joseph could probably find employment as a carpenter wherever he lived.
People today do not always live in the same place their whole life and probably did not then.

However, being a Christian does not depend on these on things but on one's acceptance of the teachings of Christ.

His basic teaching is in Matthew 22:36-40

Love is the touchstone.

He acted in love towards the woman taken in adultery.
He said he came to seek and save that which was lost and associated with "publicans and sinners" because he said the sick have need of a physician, not those who are well.

He said we must be born again of the Spirit and if we allow him, he can give us spiritual birth and make us "new creations in Christ."

Originally Posted by candyfloss28

Can anyone please please tell me why there are apparent contradictions in the bible? If you could please tell me, I would like to maybe consider being a christian again.

The Bible was written by many different people over a large time span (upwards of 1000 years). They didn't all see God in exactly the same light, or have the same perspective on events, and some books used different oral traditions in their composition. So there's going to be "contradictions". But that isn't really a massive issue, unless you insist on believing that everything written in the Bible is 100% factual, historical, and scientific. I think it's important to remember that the bulk of the Bible is narrative, in other words, a story; not a textbook or manual. Nor a list of dogma and doctrine. It's a narrative work that is inspired by people's search for God, and their relationship to Him - thus. for Christianity, it's an invaluable tool for guidance and encouragement. But it's not the foundation of Christianity. The keystone of Christianity is Jesus Christ, who isn't contained in a book, or anything else, but dwells within all things.

[Seawolf]

Originally Posted by Animus27

The Bible was written by many different people over a large time span (upwards of 1000 years). They didn't all see God in exactly the same light, or have the same perspective on events, and some books used different oral traditions in their composition. So there's going to be "contradictions". But that isn't really a massive issue, unless you insist on believing that everything written in the Bible is 100% factual, historical, and scientific. I think it's important to remember that the bulk of the Bible is narrative, in other words, a story; not a textbook or manual. Nor a list of dogma and doctrine. It's a narrative work that is inspired by people's search for God, and their relationship to Him - thus. for Christianity, it's an invaluable tool for guidance and encouragement. But it's not the foundation of Christianity. The keystone of Christianity is Jesus Christ, who isn't contained in a book, or anything else, but dwells within all things.

Amazing what a little schooling can do to clear the cobwebs. I would think a person's Christian faith would be stronger by not being involved in extreme biblical literalist views.

[Amilius777]

Animus answer was perfect on point.

All that man was searching for was made seen in the perfect life of Jesus- the way he taught, the way he healed, his attitude, his way of being with God and others etc

Like I said in another thread the things on the virgin birth, the shepherds/magi, the birth locations, the exact words or sequence events are not important.

They al contradict one another
Their deeper meanings are more important. They are narratives to shape our lives and not dogmas.

For me Jesus virgin conception simply means that Mary and Joseph were the ideal parents and Mary passed down her pure virginal consciousness to her Son. And that the soul of Jesus was directly sent by God via incarnation with a divine mission. All simplified poetically as the virgin conception story.

As for the Wise Men it means that Jesus would receive wisdom teachings from the East to pass them to his people. The shepherds mean that the poor and lower classes are the first to receive his message. The poor in spirit who have no physical attachments to materialism.

Johns opening gospel of the Word is pure inspiration. The Word is the universal Christ which becomes visible in the universal order. That a part of the Godhead had become a living physical being and not just a cosmic abstraction.