Bible Contradictions

[lightMe]

So many contradiction can be found in the bible, why is that?

See the contradiction

[greatkraw]

simply not true

i defy you to show me even one that isnt just an example of you not doing any research

Originally Posted by lightMe

So many contradiction can be found in the bible, why is that?

See the contradiction

LightMe--

Just like the author or compiler of those verses, these are FUNDAMENTALIST views of the Bible. The Bible is our handbook, our roadmap. It is the WORD of GOD, yet think about it. Not only is it up for us to decipher the meanings in our own way,these words that we read have been translated over and over, by HUMANS for centuries. I tend to get myself wrapped up too, in doctrines and what happened and when...but I am slowly, SLOWLY coming to realize ,or at least believe, that it all doesnt really matter. What matters is what is in your heart. It all boils down to how you treat people, and how you treat yourself. Concentrate on putting God first, and the rest will follow.

Another thought, on the actual discrepancies....instead of just reading that site you posted, get out your bible and read it all for yourself. Taken out of context, some of these are actual contradictions. Dont let this run away with you though. In the End...Jesus is the Word come to life...He, our Love for Him, and our services in His name and for Him are, in my opinion, the most important. God Bless!

[lightMe]

Originally Posted by whatchair1219

LightMe--

Just like the author or compiler of those verses, these are FUNDAMENTALIST views of the Bible. The Bible is our handbook, our roadmap. It is the WORD of GOD, yet think about it. Not only is it up for us to decipher the meanings in our own way,these words that we read have been translated over and over, by HUMANS for centuries. I tend to get myself wrapped up too, in doctrines and what happened and when...but I am slowly, SLOWLY coming to realize ,or at least believe, that it all doesnt really matter. What matters is what is in your heart. It all boils down to how you treat people, and how you treat yourself. Concentrate on putting God first, and the rest will follow.

Another thought, on the actual discrepancies....instead of just reading that site you posted, get out your bible and read it all for yourself. Taken out of context, some of these are actual contradictions. Dont let this run away with you though. In the End...Jesus is the Word come to life...He, our Love for Him, and our services in His name and for Him are, in my opinion, the most important. God Bless!

So, the book have been edited so many time.. hmm.. it's corrupted for sure then..

[greatkraw]

Originally Posted by lightMe

So, the book have been edited so many time.. hmm.. it's corrupted for sure then..

so what have you got to offer?

a contradictory message that is only available in arabic?

or your enlightened opinion?

your assertion about the Bible being edited shows you have doen no research

[lightMe]

Originally Posted by greatkraw

so what have you got to offer?

a contradictory message that is only available in arabic?

or your enlightened opinion?

your assertion about the Bible being edited shows you have doen no research

it's not in Arabic

Click to See the contradiction

[giantone]

Originally Posted by lightMe

So many contradiction can be found in the bible, why is that?

See the contradiction

many of the so-called contradictions like the creation account God made light God didn't make the sun, God made light light, and the sun are two different things,

Then you got the 2 creation accounts from different viewpoints and both are valid.

I'm lazy this morning so much of the rest of it looks like a bunch of opinions that they contradict each other.

and lets say all of that website you shared and more was right (which is wasn't) which religion do you say we should follow?

[lightMe]

Originally Posted by giantone

many of the so-called contradictions like the creation account God made light God didn't make the sun, God made light light, and the sun are two different things,

Then you got the 2 creation accounts from different viewpoints and both are valid.

I'm lazy this morning so much of the rest of it looks like a bunch of opinions that they contradict each other.

and lets say all of that website you shared and more was right (which is wasn't) which religion do you say we should follow?

which religion do you say we should follow? find it your self, if u sincere to find the truth God will help u.

by understanding other religion, you might lose faith or will gain more faith in your religion.

i do research on religion to increase my faith. u guys should do it too, nothing wrong by finding the truth.

[superdave5221]

Originally Posted by greatkraw

simply not true

i defy you to show me even one that isnt just an example of you not doing any research

I'm totally with you on this one brother. Most seeming contradictions will, with further research, show themselves to be complementary, not contradictory.

[giantone]

Originally Posted by superdave5221

I'm totally with you on this one brother. Most seeming contradictions will, with further research, show themselves to be complementary, not contradictory.

I agree completely, lightme is also right, when others question what you believe it will either get stronger or if you are not grounded in it you will get uprooted.

WHY do Muslims believe the text of the Bible has been corrupted?


1. The Quran declares the Bible to be a true revelation of
God and demands faith in the Bible.

Sura 2:40-42,126,136,285; 3:3,71,93; 4:47,136; 5:47-51,
69,71-72; 6:91; 10:37,94; 21:7; 29:45,46; 35:31; 46:11

a. All these above texts presuppose the availability of the
true revelation of God to the people of Muhammad's day.
Sura 3:71,93; 10:94; 21:71
b. A true Muslim is obliged to believe in all the
revelations of God. Sura 2:136; 4:136; 29:46
c. The Quran makes no distinction between God's revelations
Sura 2:136

2. The Quran claims that NO ONE can change the Word of God.
Sura 6:34; 10:34

BUT,

3. The Bible and the Quran do not agree.

The Bible and the Quran differ widely on fundamental concepts
of faith and practice.

BUT,

4. Since the Bible existed before the Quran the burden of proof
is upon the Muslim to prove that the Bible is incorrect AND
that the Quran is correct.

a. The Bible was completed 500 years before the Quran was
revealed to Muhammad. If someone today wrote a book that
contradicts a historical document written at the time of
an event that took place in 1497 the person who wrote the
second book would have to be able to prove the older
document was false AND also prove its facts were true.
b. The document written at the time of the event would not
have to prove itself against a latter document. This is
neither logical, rational or true to the principles of
the science of history.
c. Merely proving that the older document was not accurate
also does not by default mean the newer document is true.
It must stand on its own and prove itself.

SO

WHY DO MUSLIMS BELIEVE THE BIBLE IS CORRUPTED?

5. In 1064, Ibn-Khazem, FIRST charged that the Bible had been
corrupted and the Bible falsified. This charge was to defend
Islam against Christianity because Ibn-Khazem come upon
differences and contradiction between the Bible and the
Quran. Believing, by faith that the Quran was true, the Bible
must then be false. He said, "Since the Quran must be true it
must be the conflicting Gospel texts that are false. But
Muhammad tells us to respect the Gospel. Therefore, the
present text must have been falsified by the Christians after
the time of Muhammad."
His argument was not based on any evidence or historical facts
but only on his personal faith, reasoning and desire to
safeguard the Quran.
This led him to teach that, "The Christians lost the revealed
Gospel except for a few traces which God has left intact as
argument against them."

BUT,

6. Many great MUSLIM teachers DO NOT believe the Bible has been
corrupted and ACCEPT the authenticity of our PRESENT New
Testament texts.

a. Ali al-Tabari (died 855) accepted the Gospel texts
b. Amr al-Ghakhiz (869) " " " "
c. BUKHARI (810-870) " " " "
(he gathered some of the earliest tradition of Islam
quoted the Quran itself to support his belief in the text
of the Bible Sura 3:72,78)
d. Al-Mas'udi (956) " " " "
e. Abu Ali Husain Bin Sina (1037)" " "
f. AL-GHAZZALI (1111) " " " "
(probably the greatest Muslim scholar he lived after Ibn-
Khazem but did not accept his teachings)
g. Ibn-Khaldun (1406) " " " " " "
(he lived after Ibn-Khazem but did not accept his
teachings but rather believed the earlier Islamic
teachers.)
h. Sir Sayyid Ahmad Khan, founder of the Aligarh College
"In the opinion of us Mohammedans it is not proved that
corruption (tahrif-i-lafzi)...was practiced."
i. Fakhruddin Razi, on the authority of Ibn Abbas, a nephew
of Muhammed, "The Jews and early Christians were
suspected of altering the text of the Taurat and Injil;
but in the opinion of eminent doctors and theologians it
was not practicable thus to corrupt the text, because
those Scriptures were generally known and widely
circulated, having been handed down from generation to
generation."

SO,

WHY do YOU believe the Bible text has been corrupted?
WHY do you believe Ibn-Khazem rather then the witness of the Quran,
the word of Muhammad, and these 10 great Muslim scholars who
all believed the Bible texts to be truthful?


Sources:
Christians Answer Muslims, Gerhard Nehls, 1992
Can We Trust the Bible?, J Wijngaard
Quran, A. Yusuf Ali
Kitab al-Asnam, Ibn al-Kalbi, 1952
Sahih al Bukhari, 6th ed. 1986
The Islamic Christian Controversy, LCA 1996

On the alleged corruption of the Bible

[giantone]

Originally Posted by Shwagga

WHY do Muslims believe the text of the Bible has been corrupted?


1. The Quran declares the Bible to be a true revelation of
God and demands faith in the Bible.

Sura 2:40-42,126,136,285; 3:3,71,93; 4:47,136; 5:47-51,
69,71-72; 6:91; 10:37,94; 21:7; 29:45,46; 35:31; 46:11

a. All these above texts presuppose the availability of the
true revelation of God to the people of Muhammad's day.
Sura 3:71,93; 10:94; 21:71
b. A true Muslim is obliged to believe in all the
revelations of God. Sura 2:136; 4:136; 29:46
c. The Quran makes no distinction between God's revelations
Sura 2:136

2. The Quran claims that NO ONE can change the Word of God.
Sura 6:34; 10:34

BUT,

3. The Bible and the Quran do not agree.

The Bible and the Quran differ widely on fundamental concepts
of faith and practice.

BUT,

4. Since the Bible existed before the Quran the burden of proof
is upon the Muslim to prove that the Bible is incorrect AND
that the Quran is correct.

a. The Bible was completed 500 years before the Quran was
revealed to Muhammad. If someone today wrote a book that
contradicts a historical document written at the time of
an event that took place in 1497 the person who wrote the
second book would have to be able to prove the older
document was false AND also prove its facts were true.
b. The document written at the time of the event would not
have to prove itself against a latter document. This is
neither logical, rational or true to the principles of
the science of history.
c. Merely proving that the older document was not accurate
also does not by default mean the newer document is true.
It must stand on its own and prove itself.

SO

WHY DO MUSLIMS BELIEVE THE BIBLE IS CORRUPTED?

5. In 1064, Ibn-Khazem, FIRST charged that the Bible had been
corrupted and the Bible falsified. This charge was to defend
Islam against Christianity because Ibn-Khazem come upon
differences and contradiction between the Bible and the
Quran. Believing, by faith that the Quran was true, the Bible
must then be false. He said, "Since the Quran must be true it
must be the conflicting Gospel texts that are false. But
Muhammad tells us to respect the Gospel. Therefore, the
present text must have been falsified by the Christians after
the time of Muhammad."
His argument was not based on any evidence or historical facts
but only on his personal faith, reasoning and desire to
safeguard the Quran.
This led him to teach that, "The Christians lost the revealed
Gospel except for a few traces which God has left intact as
argument against them."

BUT,

6. Many great MUSLIM teachers DO NOT believe the Bible has been
corrupted and ACCEPT the authenticity of our PRESENT New
Testament texts.

a. Ali al-Tabari (died 855) accepted the Gospel texts
b. Amr al-Ghakhiz (869) " " " "
c. BUKHARI (810-870) " " " "
(he gathered some of the earliest tradition of Islam
quoted the Quran itself to support his belief in the text
of the Bible Sura 3:72,78)
d. Al-Mas'udi (956) " " " "
e. Abu Ali Husain Bin Sina (1037)" " "
f. AL-GHAZZALI (1111) " " " "
(probably the greatest Muslim scholar he lived after Ibn-
Khazem but did not accept his teachings)
g. Ibn-Khaldun (1406) " " " " " "
(he lived after Ibn-Khazem but did not accept his
teachings but rather believed the earlier Islamic
teachers.)
h. Sir Sayyid Ahmad Khan, founder of the Aligarh College
"In the opinion of us Mohammedans it is not proved that
corruption (tahrif-i-lafzi)...was practiced."
i. Fakhruddin Razi, on the authority of Ibn Abbas, a nephew
of Muhammed, "The Jews and early Christians were
suspected of altering the text of the Taurat and Injil;
but in the opinion of eminent doctors and theologians it
was not practicable thus to corrupt the text, because
those Scriptures were generally known and widely
circulated, having been handed down from generation to
generation."

SO,

WHY do YOU believe the Bible text has been corrupted?
WHY do you believe Ibn-Khazem rather then the witness of the Quran,
the word of Muhammad, and these 10 great Muslim scholars who
all believed the Bible texts to be truthful?


Sources:
Christians Answer Muslims, Gerhard Nehls, 1992
Can We Trust the Bible?, J Wijngaard
Quran, A. Yusuf Ali
Kitab al-Asnam, Ibn al-Kalbi, 1952
Sahih al Bukhari, 6th ed. 1986
The Islamic Christian Controversy, LCA 1996

On the alleged corruption of the Bible

This was one of the best posts I've read.

[Rissa77]

This article I found in my Bible, HCSB Apologetics, may help this first few "contradictions''.

The link you posted gives these examples:

GE 1:3-5 On the first day, God created light, then separated light and darkness.
GE 1:14-19 The sun (which separates night and day) wasn't created until the fourth day.
GE 1:11-12, 26-27 Trees were created before man was created.
GE 2:4-9 Man was created before trees were created.
GE 1:20-21, 26-27 Birds were created before man was created.
GE 2:7, 19 Man was created before birds were created.
GE 1:24-27 Animals were created before man was created.
GE 2:7, 19 Man was created before animals were created.
GE 1:26-27 Man and woman were created at the same time.
GE 2:7, 21-22 Man was created first, woman sometime later.

Here is the article.

On verses 2:4-26
Chapter 2 is a second creation account only in the sense that it gives a more detailed accounting, not a contradictory one. While chapter 1 provides a general description, chapter 2 is specific. Twofold accounts were common in ancient theories of creation (e. g., the Babylonian story of Atrahasis). The differences in the order of the creation events are due to the narratives' respective purposes. The first gives a loosely chronological account, gathering creation events into a discernible pattern to show the symmetry of creation's day by expanding on the creation and the relationship of the man and the woman. Gen 2 presupposes chapter 1 and does not duplicate all the creation events.

Another article:

On verse 2:19
The verb rendered "formed" can also be "had formed" (NIV), which would alleviate the alleged contradiction with the order of animals created before man (1:24-26). Moreover, chapter 2 may be understood as a topical telling, setting the creation of the animals in contrast to the creation of the woman so as to highlight her dignity as fully human.

Another "contradiction" listed:

GE 1:28 God encourages reproduction.
LE 12:1-8 God requires purification rites following childbirth which, in effect, makes childbirth a sin. (Note: The period for purification following the birth of a daughter is twice that for a son.)

The answer:

On Lev 12:1-5
Some have suggested that the longer waiting period of uncleanness upon the birth of a daughter reflects and Israelite view of the inferiority of women. Alternatively, the longer period of impurity after the birth of a daughter may reflect apprehension and anticipation about the infant daughter's ability to eventually become a mother in her own right. Ancient Near Eastern polytheism, related to the cycles of nature, placed great emphasis on fertility; the Israelite regulations governing a new mother may represent a reaction to this emphasis. It was the discharge of blood following birth that rendered a new mother unclean for or two weeks, similar to the time of uncleanness for a woman during her menstrual period.
On Lev 12:4-5
A longer period of defilement should not be construed as an indication of inferior social worth. For example, a human corpse defiles more than a dead pig. The sacrifices a mother was to offer were the same for either a girl or a boy, indicating that both genders were considered equal before God.

My words: Childbirth was not the sin. Blood flow was not the sin. Touching corpses was not the sin. Approaching God with uncleanness was the sin. This went for literal uncleanness of the body and uncleanness of sin. Anyone approaching the temple with such would in turn defile the temple. It was also in disrespect before God. He needs clean hearts to worship Him.


Another "contradiction" listed:

GE 1:31 God was pleased with his creation.
GE 6:5-6 God was not pleased with his creation.
(Note: That God should be displeased is inconsistent with the concept of omniscience.)

The answer:

On Gen 6:6-7
Although "regret" is the customary translation of the Hebrew verb is verse 6, its basic meaning is to "be pained." This is the snese here, as suggested by the parallel "be grieved." As it hurts a loving parent to see the disobedience of his children, so it pained God to see how wicked men had become. Human regret arises from one's inability to foresee or alter the effects of one's actions. But because of God's perfect knowledge and unlimited power He is not subject to these human limitations. The correspondence between human emotions and the heart of God provides insight into the mystery of God's nature. Although the Bible describes God as responding with human emotions, correspondence is not exact. People often act out of sinful, irrational, or uncontrolled emotion, but God's emotion is always consistent with His righteous character and eternal purposes (cp. 2 Th 2:13). A close reading of the passage shows that God's disappointment was not with human creation but with human sin. God is not indifferent to sin's effects, but His grief is not a feeling of helplessness. Coupled with His pained heart is the just recompense of His anger (cp. Ps 78:40-41; Is 63:10).

Another "contradiction" listed:

GE 2:4, 4:26, 12:8, 22:14-16, 26:25 God was already known as "the Lord" (Jahveh or Jehovah) much earlier than the time of Moses.
EX 6:2-3 God was first known as "the Lord" (Jahveh or Jehovah) at the time of the Egyptian Bondage, during the life of Moses.

The answer:

On Ex 6:3
People began calling on the name of Yahweh during Seth's lifetime (Gn 4:26), and Abraham and Sarah (Gn 14:22; 16:2), Isaac (Gn 26:22), and Jacob (Gn 27:20) explicitly used the name. Yet here the Lord seems to suggest that he had not previously been known by that name. Two possible reasons may exist for this. First, God may be saying that He is revealing Himseld to Moses more fully than anyone before him (which, if you have read the entire Bible, you would see this to be very possible. Moses had a relationship with God that was unheard of to people before him, and countless after him. Only few people mentioned in the Bible have ever come to such intimacy). Thus Moses and the generations to follow would have a more complete knowledge of who Yahweh is. Second, the Lord's statement may be translated from the Hebrew as a rhetorical question: "And did I not make My name Yahweh known to them?" In this case, the Lord was affirming the continuity of relationship that had existed between Himself and His people over a period of time.

I knew this one would be in there somewhere. It's a popular one, and easy proved wrong:

GE 2:17 Adam was to die the very day that he ate the forbidden fruit.
GE 5:5 Adam lived 930 years.

The answer:

On Gen 3:4
The couple did not immediately die physically (cp. 2:17). By God's grace, their death was postponed till a later time. But this expulsion from the garden (vv. 23-24) shows that the word of God was indeed fulfilled as the immediate consequence of their disobedience. They were cut off from access to the tree of life, which symbolized the source of life (2:9; Rev 2:7; 22:2, 14, 19). In Israel expulsion from the tabernacle in the camp, such as quarantine (e.g. Lv. 13:46), meant that the person was ceremonially dead until he was declared fit again. The human couple's expulsion signaled their spiritual death (see Eph 2:1). That their physical death occurred is confirmed by the refrain "then he died" in Adam's genealogy (Gn 5:5). Physical death for humans was the result of disobedience in the garden (Rm 5:12-21; 6:23).

I will return with more answers if you so desire. This is fun for me! ^_^
I pray you're able to see past these people's narrow views. Satan loves to make mountains out of mole hills, when he doesn't even know it's just a pea under the mattress that's already been squished. HAHA!!!

Originally Posted by giantone

This was one of the best posts I've read.

The "On the alleged corruption of the Bible" part, you can actually click that and it brings you to the article I posted. The website Answering-Islam.org has a lot of great resources like that!

Highly recommended.

[Mich223]

The bible does not hold contradictions. The bible is the word of God.

Originally Posted by lightMe

So many contradiction can be found in the bible, why is that?

See the contradiction

So, why don't you point out one so-called contradictions that you would like to discuss.

[Rissa77]

TO continue...

Another "contradiction" listed:

GE 2:15-17, 3:4-6 It is wrong to want to be able to tell good from evil.
HE 5:13-14 It is immature to be unable to tell good from evil.

The answer:
Adam and Eve were perfect before the fall. There was no death, no sickness, no sin. They did not need to know the difference between good and evil because they were perfect. It was not wrong for them to know the difference. The sin was in wanting to be like God. That is what the serpent tempted them with. They weren't satisfied with being servants and friends, given authority over the earth. They wanted more (just like satan did when he tried to be like God and got cast out of heaven - Ezek 28). The first sin for humankind was the same as Satan - pride. Then the second sin was disobedience; they broke the only restriction God gave them. Now humankind knows the difference b/t good and evil. We are born with it (babysit a 2-yr old for an hour and you'll see this to be true lol). We are accountable for our actions.



Another "contradiction" listed:

GE 4:4-5 God prefers Abel's offering and has no regard for Cain's.
2CH 19:7, AC 10:34, RO 2:11 God shows no partiality. He treats all alike.

The answer:

On Gn 4:4-5
God preferred Abel's offering not because He liked meat more than vegetable or shepherds more than farmers, but because Abel's offering was made in faith (Heb 11:4). He offered the best of his flock ("the firstborn"), and Cain offered only "some" of his produce (Gn 4:3; cp. Ex 23:19; Lv 2:14 - see these for clarification of God's desires in sacrifice and worship. His sin was a heart issue. He wasn't trusting God with his produce, and in turn his wealth.)

Now in the person's note about "He treats all alike" on the Bible contradictions page, that is not correct. The Bible does not say that. God is JUST. And JUSTICE does not mean God treats everyone the same. If God treated everyone the same, then we would all pay the same consequences for the same sins. Grace would not pay a factor and neither would repentance. The world is not fair. And as much as people want things to be fair, it never will be. But God is JUST and GRACEFUL and MERCIFUL and I wouldn't have it any other way.



Another "contradiction" listed. This is a popular one as well:

GE 4:9 God asks Cain where his brother Able is.
PR 15:3, JE 16:17, 23:24-25, HE 4:13 God is everywhere. He sees everything. Nothing is hidden from his view.

The answer:

My Bible does not address this exact instance because it already addressed the same issue in Gn 3:9-11.
THe Bible is full of affirmations of God's unlimited knowledge (see 16:13; Ex 3:7; Jb 12:13; 28:23-24; 36:4; Ps 33:13-15; 139:1-4; Jr 23:24; Mt 10:29; Ac 15:8; Heb 4:13). Therefore God's questions here are rhetorical; He is not unaware of the couple's location and what had transpired in the garden. he passage describes God as a parent who instructs His children with restoration as His purpose. He did not question the serpent, because He had no plan to redeem the tempter.


The "contradiction" listed:

GE 4:15, DT 32:19-27, IS 34:8 God is a vengeful god.
EX 15:3, IS 42:13, HE 12:29 God is a warrior. God is a consuming fire.
EX 20:5, 34:14, DT 4:24, 5:9, 6:15, 29:20, 32:21 God is a jealous god.
LE 26:7-8, NU 31:17-18, DT 20:16-17, JS 10:40, JG 14:19, EZ 9:5-7 The Spirit of God is (sometimes) murder and killing.
NU 25:3-4, DT 6:15, 9:7-8, 29:20, 32:21, PS 7:11, 78:49, JE 4:8, 17:4, 32:30-31, ZP 2:2 God is angry. His anger is sometimes fierce.
2SA 22:7-8 (KJV) "I called to the Lord; ... he heard my voice; ... The earth trembled and quaked, ... because he was angry. Smoke came from his nostrils. Consuming fire came from his mouth, burning coals blazed out of it."
EZ 6:12, NA 1:2, 6 God is jealous and furious. He reserves wrath for, and takes revenge on, his enemies. "... who can abide in the fierceness of his anger? His fury is poured out like fire, and rocks are thrown down by him."
2CO 13:11, 14, 1JN 4:8, 16 God is love.
GA 5:22-23 The fruit of the Spirit of God is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.

The asnwer:

On Deut 32:22
The description of anger this intense raises questions in the minds of some as to the nature of God. How can He be a God of love, mercy, and grace and yet pour out His wrath in such harsh and devastating ways? The answer lies in a full understanding of the character of God, central to which is His holiness. For God to tolerate wickedness would contradict His separation from all that is profane, degenerate and unjust. It would, therefore, cheapen His other attributes, such as dependability and compassion, that are more palatable to the modern mind.

On Deut 4:24
God is jealous in the sense that he tolerates no rival claims to deity and sovereignty. He alone is God, and all else is His creation. To worship the creature, rather than the Creator, is to rob of His uniqueness and incomparability (vv. 35, 39; Ac 17:22-28; Rom 1:25). The Hebrew word translated "jealous" (qanna') also means "zealous." God's jealousy is an expression of His intense love and care for His people and His demand that they honor His unique and incomparable nature.

On Numbers 31:13-24
The purpose of holy war was the eradication of impure elements, whether persons of property, from a given geographic region. This passage harks back to the idolatrous activity of Baal-peor (chap. 25), and sets the stage for the instructions in 33:50-56 for occupying the promised land by dispossessing the Canaanites and eradicating the marks of their false religion. Hence it is integral to the main these developed in the book of Nm: the dangers of rebellion and idolatry. Critics who suggest this holy-war mentality was a crude feature of ancient cultures and not in keeping with God's purpose for humanity have ignored the fact that these instructions were applicable at the critical point in the formation of the theocracy of Israel. Their very survival as the holy community of faith was at stake. Chapter 31 is consistent with the directives given in other pentateuchal passages, including Dt 7:5, 24-25; 12:1-12; and 20:16-20 (purging of idolatry) and Dt 21:10-14 (female captives). However, the law of Christ, the law of love, supersides the instructions for Israel in the era of Moses and Joshua. While God still abhors ever kind of evil in society, and the people of God must diligently oppose its every expression, "holy way" of the kind recorded here is not the proper response.

On the justification for Canaan's extermination in Josh 10:40, see note on 6:17:
The words "set apart" translate the Hebrew cherem, which refers to "devoted things" belonging exclusively to the Lord (often called the "ban"). Jericho was the first city the Israelites took in their conquest of Canaan. As such, it and all its inhabitants were cherem to the Lord. Everyone except Rahab and her family were to be slain, and everything in the city was to be destroyed except the gold, silver, and articles of bronze and iron.
The concept of cherem can be difficult to understand today. How can the destruction of a city and the killing of its inhabitants be justified, and how can one believe it was the Lord who specifically ordered these things? Part of the answer lies in recognizing the holiness of God and the sinfulness of the Canaanites. God is holy, and He created Ixrael to be a people totally consecrated to Him (Ex 20:3; Lv 18:1-5; 19:1-2). The persistent sins od the Canaanites, which were an affront to the holiness of God, finally demanded that His judgment be executed through their complete removal from the land (Lv 18:24-28; 20:22-24). God wouls bless those who loved Him and kept His commands but He would punish those who hated Him (Dt. 7:9-10).
The sins of the Canaanites are catalogued in Lv 18:1-20:27, and Dt 9:1-6 gives the theological rationale for their extermination. The Canaanites were arrogant and proud because of their strength, and the Lord had determined bring about their destruction, driving them out ahead of Israel (Dt. 9:2-5). The concept of cherem demonstrates the utter seriousness of sin and its consequences - and points to the ultimate need for a Savior to rescue the human race.

To add, Romans 12:19
Dear friends, never take revenge. Leave that to the righteous anger of God. For the Scriptures say,“I will take revenge;I will pay them back,” says the Lord.
and
Romans 2:5
But because you are stubborn and refuse to turn from your sin, you are storing up terrible punishment for yourself. For a day of anger is coming, when God’s righteous judgment will be revealed.

His anger is not like ours. That's where the error comes in when talking about God's anger. His anger is due to His holiness and He does not sin in His anger like we do. But He also grieves over us as well, as noted above.




I hope this helps... the ones I addressed in this post are very common and it aches my heart to think of all the people who are truly confused by the lies that website spreads. I meet college-age kids all the time that are soooo beyond confused because someone told them half of the story and they accept that as truth. Most don't bother to seek it out for themselves. The Bible is only full of contradictions if you don't know the full story.

Here's a life-applicable, true example.

I told you my friend Tracy was pregnant.

If that's all I told you, that's all you would know.
If I continued the story, you would have known that she had a miscarriage.
You most likely would not have caught the "was" part of the first sentence and would still believe that she is going to have a baby.
I didn't lie to you.
She was pregnant.
Just not anymore.

[mpaper345]

What contradictions.

I read through the Bible and it has the same theme from beginning to end.

Matt

Originally Posted by lightMe

So many contradiction can be found in the bible, why is that?

See the contradiction

Such lists, presented in a shotgun style, are useless. As the website states "Some of the selections may be resolvable on certain interpretations...Please keep in mind that by 'inconsistencies' I do not necessarily mean 'contradictions.'"

So basically we have to wade through a ridiculously long list and explain how each one might be harmonized (in order to avoid contradiction all you have to do is show a possible resolution, not an actual one). If we leave any out, then the skeptic can just claim that those are the genuine contradictions.

It's a common debate tactic. One debater quickly fires off a number of objections that he knows his opponent won't have time to answer and then claims victory on the basis of all those objections which went unanswered. In fact, Bart Erhman has tried this on a few occasions.

And one gets an idea at the quality of this list simply by looking at his first two examples:

GE 1:3-5 On the first day, God created light, then separated light and darkness.
GE 1:14-19 The sun (which separates night and day) wasn't created until the fourth day.

GE 1:11-12, 26-27 Trees were created before man was created.
GE 2:4-9 Man was created before trees were created.

These are about as poor examples of "contradictions" or "inconsistencies" as an atheist might try to capitalize on.

But there is no point in any of us trying to go through the list and provide an answer on the internet. Books have already been devoted to answering most, if not all, of them (cf. Hard Sayings of the Bible). If your pointing us to some list of contradictions on the internet is sufficient to raise doubt, then my referring you to a book that addresses those contradictions should be sufficient enough as a response.

[Lifelike]

Originally Posted by Shwagga

SO,

WHY do YOU believe the Bible text has been corrupted?
WHY do you believe Ibn-Khazem rather then the witness of the Quran,
the word of Muhammad, and these 10 great Muslim scholars who
all believed the Bible texts to be truthful?

Silence was the stern reply.