Does the Bible contradict itself?

  • Christian Chat is a moderated online Christian community allowing Christians around the world to fellowship with each other in real time chat via webcam, voice, and text, with the Christian Chat app. You can also start or participate in a Bible-based discussion here in the Christian Chat Forums, where members can also share with each other their own videos, pictures, or favorite Christian music.

    If you are a Christian and need encouragement and fellowship, we're here for you! If you are not a Christian but interested in knowing more about Jesus our Lord, you're also welcome! Want to know what the Bible says, and how you can apply it to your life? Join us!

    To make new Christian friends now around the world, click here to join Christian Chat.
F

FreeNChrist

Guest
#21
#21
snowbird285 said:
In some parts of the Bible, you read that God is merciful to all ~The Lord is good to all; he has compassion on all he has made.
Psalm 145:9 and some parts you read that God is warlike and unmerciful ~I will smash them one against the other, parents and children alike, declares the Lord. I will allow no pity or mercy or compassion to keep me from destroying them. Jeremiah 13:14 how can this be? I really want to believe God is real, but how can i believe if there are two opposite accounts of what God is like? I dont believe that in Genesis 1 & 2 God fixed thing up as he went (ie Adam being lonely with the aninals and no Eve). I believe God wanted to show Adam what it was like to be lonely and God wanted Adam to be totally dependant on him. I just dont get how there can be two opposite accounts of what God is like.
Click to expand...
Good questions. Hard questions. I think there are things in the Bible that appear to be contradictions, but only because we cannot reconcile them in our own minds. The problem not being with the Bible but with gaps in our own understanding. I encourage you to keep seeking those answers until you get those gaps filled. :)
 
M

mrdesire

Guest
#22
#22
snowbird285 said:
In some parts of the Bible, you read that God is merciful to all ~The Lord is good to all; he has compassion on all he has made.
Psalm 145:9 and some parts you read that God is warlike and unmerciful ~I will smash them one against the other, parents and children alike, declares the Lord. I will allow no pity or mercy or compassion to keep me from destroying them. Jeremiah 13:14 how can this be? I really want to believe God is real, but how can i believe if there are two opposite accounts of what God is like? I dont believe that in Genesis 1 & 2 God fixed thing up as he went (ie Adam being lonely with the aninals and no Eve). I believe God wanted to show Adam what it was like to be lonely and God wanted Adam to be totally dependant on him. I just dont get how there can be two opposite accounts of what God is like.
Click to expand...
God can only talk and act through a fall, it's like talking to someone and taking actions while their falling of a roof into a pile of broken bottles.
 
T

Tintin

Guest
#23
#23
resurrection33 said:
People get hung up on whether or not the Bible contradicts itself. What matters is whether or not the Lord contradicts himself.
Click to expand...
And since the Bible is God's Word and the only way we can know anything about the Lord and whether He contradicts Himself (in order to test the spirits) I think it's hugely important that we understand why there aren't any contradictions in the Bible.
 
M

mrdesire

Guest
#24
#24
mrdesire said:
God can only talk and act through a fall, it's like talking to someone and taking actions while their falling of a roof into a pile of broken bottles.
Click to expand...
Note: Lets say the bible does contradict itself, what are you going to primarily put belief into (Fully in God or Fully in the bible)
 
resurrection33

resurrection33

Banned
#25
Dec 19, 2009
27,513
128
0
71
#25
Tintin said:
And since the Bible is God's Word and the only way we can know anything about the Lord and whether He contradicts Himself (in order to test the spirits) I think it's hugely important that we understand why there aren't any contradictions in the Bible.
Click to expand...
In our personal relationships with the Lord, we learn a great deal about him. The purpose of the Bible is to introduce us to him and tell us important things about him.
 
T

Tintin

Guest
#26
#26
resurrection33 said:
In our personal relationships with the Lord, we learn a great deal about him. The purpose of the Bible is to introduce us to him and tell us important things about him.
Click to expand...
Right. But we can't learn anything about God without His Word and Holy Spirit's leading.
 
JosephsDreams

JosephsDreams

Senior Member
#30
Dec 31, 2015
4,313
467
83
#30
I have never seen the bible contradict itself. There were times when I thought it did, but my understanding was dim. If it seems that way, then the problem is probably with us, not God.
 
T

Tintin

Guest
#33
#33
resurrection33 said:
The Holy Spirit is God when he talks to you.
Click to expand...
The Holy Spirit remains God all of the time, from before Jesus spoke everything into being to beyond eternity. God doesn't fluctuate between three identities - Father, Son, Spirit. He's one God in three persons.
 
resurrection33

resurrection33

Banned
#34
Dec 19, 2009
27,513
128
0
71
#34
Tintin said:
The Holy Spirit remains God all of the time, from before Jesus spoke everything into being to beyond eternity. God doesn't fluctuate between three identities - Father, Son, Spirit. He's one God in three persons.
Click to expand...
God is who he is.
 
resurrection33

resurrection33

Banned
#35
Dec 19, 2009
27,513
128
0
71
#35
Tintin said:
The Holy Spirit remains God all of the time, from before Jesus spoke everything into being to beyond eternity. God doesn't fluctuate between three identities - Father, Son, Spirit. He's one God in three persons.
Click to expand...
We read about the Lord in the Bible, but then we get to know him personally.
 
T

Tintin

Guest
#36
#36
resurrection33 said:
God is who he is.
Click to expand...
Your answers are so vague, it's frustrating. They could mean almost anything. You keep downplaying God's Word. It seems to me that you're afraid to admit that God's Word is incredibly necessary to help a person mature in their walk with Jesus.
 
T

Tintin

Guest
#37
#37
resurrection33 said:
We read about the Lord in the Bible, but then we get to know him personally.
Click to expand...
Yes, but it doesn't mean we should stop reading the Bible. We get to know Him better and better by reading His Word regularly and being obedient to Him. That's a big part of developing a relationship with Jesus.
 
resurrection33

resurrection33

Banned
#38
Dec 19, 2009
27,513
128
0
71
#38
Tintin said:
Yes, but it doesn't mean we should stop reading the Bible. We get to know Him better and better by reading His Word regularly and being obedient to Him. That's a big part of developing a relationship with Jesus.
Click to expand...
The Bible is the beginning. Then you get to know the Lord personally. The Bible is a tool he uses to teach us.
 
Blain

Blain

The Word Weaver
#39
Aug 28, 2012
19,215
2,551
113
#39
resurrection33 said:
The Bible is the beginning. Then you get to know the Lord personally. The Bible is a tool he uses to teach us.
Click to expand...
It's not quite like that for everyone, I read the bible when I first became saved but it wasn't until I really got to know God his personality his nature his way of seeing ways of thinking that I really understood what I was reading. And the closer he and I became as our love for each other deepened and became richer he showed and taught me deep and hidden secrets revealed truths to me in the bible and about the bible.

If everyone reads the bible with the holy spirit then why are there so many vast doctrines views and interpretations? It seems many of us believe we are reading and truly understanding it however the fact that so many will attack each other because of difference of interpretations makes me disagree. I don't claim to be able to truly read and understand the bible in fact when I read it I don't truly understand what I am reading it isn't until later on when I am not reading it and spend time with God just being with him does the understanding of his word come to me.
 
J

jaybird88

Guest
#40
#40
snowbird285 said:
In some parts of the Bible, you read that God is merciful to all ~The Lord is good to all; he has compassion on all he has made.
Psalm 145:9 and some parts you read that God is warlike and unmerciful ~I will smash them one against the other, parents and children alike, declares the Lord. I will allow no pity or mercy or compassion to keep me from destroying them. Jeremiah 13:14 how can this be? I really want to believe God is real, but how can i believe if there are two opposite accounts of what God is like? I dont believe that in Genesis 1 & 2 God fixed thing up as he went (ie Adam being lonely with the aninals and no Eve). I believe God wanted to show Adam what it was like to be lonely and God wanted Adam to be totally dependant on him. I just dont get how there can be two opposite accounts of what God is like.
Click to expand...
the Lord gives mercy to those that make mistakes, sin and turn to the Lord for forgiveness.

the sins spoken of in Jeremiah are bit different than your avg everyday sin. these people very much knew of the Lord of Israel, rejected Him and chose to bow down and worship false gods. the Lord is not bringing down judgment on people turning to Him and crying out for forgiveness, He is judging those that have rejected Him, walked away and want nothing to do with Him.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.