Major issues in reading the Bible.

Peace and understanding of life, and of God. So far; reading the Bible brings neither; it only causes more confusion and and creates more questions.

let's start with peace


from the op,

'...I decided to make an honest attempt to give my life to Him.

I have to admit that this has been an extremely hard thing to do; attempting it has caused me a lot of stress, a lot of guilt, a lot of anger and sleepless nights.'



do you believe that God made Jesus alive again after Jesus died?

I had a pastor explain this phenomenon once to me. If four people look at a parade, do you think you would get four exact accounts of the parade? Highly doubtful. People may remember some of the same things, but not everyone will remember or choose to report all of what they have seen.

Nothing contradicts, however.

God is good, yes, but more importantly, God is JUST. The people who died in the Bible, did they deserve to die? From God's perspective, I would argue, yes. Let's face it, we ALL deserve to die. This is not because God is evil and made up a bunch of rules that we can't follow. It's because God is HOLY and cannot tolerate sin in His presence. This is fundamental to your understanding of God.

Please pray for understanding. The Bible and the Word of God is a great mystery. It is spiritually discerned. Pray that the Lord give you an eye to see, ear to hear, and heart to understand his word while you're reading it. I promise you when the Lord opens it up to you it is a great joy, comfort, and peace.

Shortly after I got saved, I went through a great spiritual battle. I don't want to talk about it on here, but all I could do was cry and pray about it for months. When I made it through that trial and the Lord finally moved for me, I found great joy, comfort, and peace. It's amazing when the word of God opens up to you. I can find all that I need in the Bible and the Lord talks to me, teaches me, strengthens me, and comforts me in his Word.

Just sincerely ask the Lord to help you with it and pray and believe that he will. When the devil comes to try and refute the scriptures do as Jesus done when he was tempted and rebuke him and the Lord will come by and open his word up to you. If you seek him you shall find him, if you ask then you shall receive.

Thank you for your response.

Have you ever ask yourself the question WHY we deserve to die? Really think about it before going into auto-Christian-answer mode and start rambling about Adam and Eve and their disobedience at the deception of the serpent.

What did YOU do PERSONLLY that was SO bad that you deserve death? Sin? Was it YOUR choice to be born with a sinful nature? Did you choose to be born a sinner, in a sinful world overflowing with sinful influence? If you did...then maybe yes you DO deserve death. But a glaring fact that people seem to fail to realize is that our ALL POWERFULL LORD is the author of everything. Everything. Everything! Yes...everything.

It is an extremely hard pill for a lot of people to swallow.

God is very rightfully given credit for all of the good things and beauty in life. But somehow all of the negative aspects...well...us far lesser, rediculously limited beings are completely responcible for that.

1. Humans and animals were vegetarians before the flood.

2. It's more about "kinds" of animals than scientific species

3. God is not referred to in the Bible as She, ever.

4. Human flesh isn't evil, that is Gnostic belief. God created the world as good, which included humans. We are told that our bodies are temples to God, but that will take more explaining to not be misunderstood and influenced by unchristian ideas.

5. God had a salvation plan. his name is Jesus. He had a purpose for all events, some He tells us.others he doesn't. Like the book of Job.

If your body develops cancer, do those cancer cells deserve to be cut out and allowed to die?

God chastenment aren't what most people claim they are. He is more loving than most parents when they correct or punish their kids.

A loving parent will tell the child not to touch the hot pan.

An overprotective parent will make sure the child never gets the chance to touch the pan. Taking away any choice the kid has.

A negligent parent will leave a pot of boiling water unattended. Then condemn the child when he gets hurt, blaming the child for their own shortcomings.

God empties the pot of boiling waters and allows the,pot to cool so that if we do touch it, it will hurt but not cause 3rd degree burns. Then he allows us the choice to touch the pan or not.

If we chose to disobey he bandages us up and tells us He still loves us, but reminds us of how it would be better next time to listen instead of have the consequences of our bad decisions.

I think God reveals His truth through the Bible slowly for each of us individually because we can't handle having all of it at once.

It's like pouring too water on a plant will drown it, but as the plant grows, we can have more and more water.


When I first accepted Jesus into my life, I had a hard time reading and understanding the Bible (though I too read it cover to cover often) and lots of doubts would surface too.

But slowly with prayer and study I have learned what God is telling me about various passages and how it all points to Jesus and God's salvation plan.

God's holy spirit will guide and renew your mind if you keep seeking His wisdom and truth.

Don't let the lies the world whispers cloud the Truth God shines.

I'll give an example of contradiction for you. I'm guessing one that you came across was the title that was on the cross? Matthew has "This is Jesus the King of the Jews". Mark says "The King of the Jews." Luke says "This is the King of the Jews." And John says "Jesus of Nazareth."

So which of these gospels is true? Well all of them are. The title probably said "This is Jesus of Nazareth, the King of the Jews." So technically all the gospels are correct.

Amen...I love the way you explained that. Like I said I went through that trial before and I was too ashamed to even talk to anyone about it...The enemy made me feel like something was wrong with me and tried to make me doubt. I wasn't even able to talk to anyone about it until the Lord moved, but when I did, I talked to my aunt. She told me that I should always talk to an elder when I was facing something like that because most people had went through the same or very similar trials.

It's the devils job to try and steal our faith and victory. He had me to where I was almost afraid to read the word of God. I know now that the word of God is our sword and the enemy was trying to steal that from me so that I would have no way to fight back. But thank God he walked with me through that trial and gave me the victory through Jesus and his word.

oops My last post was in reply to Ariel82's post #32. I forgot to hit reply with quote...LOL

Anyhow, I really did like your explanation there Ariel. I wish I had, had someone to explain it like that to me when I was going through that trial.

God bless you all and have a good day everyone.

to the op
First let me say i am not any kind of biblical scholar, at all. Yes i've read the Bible front to back and i read it daily, no i do not understand everything. But, i realize i'm not supposed to. The only person to walk the planet in human form that had complete understanding of all scriptures, was Jesus. What i have come to understand is, each time i reread a passage, i gain a lil bit different perspective. I love how God opens up a wee bit more the more i put into it. Here's the major point i want to make. The ultimate goal of the entire book is actually quite simple. SALVATION! Gods entire plan is for people to get SAVED, PERIOD! Everything after that is just icing on the cake, or as scripture would put it, standing firm in faith while in the midst of a trial. God Bless!

jb1616,

Thank you so much, I really love the way that you explained that. But I have to disagree with the last part; I do not feel that God's entire plan was for people to get saved. If He had not created the completely unnecessary tree of the knowledge of good and evil, then conveniently placed it in the garden where anyone could get easy access...we would not need to be saved. If he had not given us life at all...we would not need to be saved.

It is like me shooting you in the arm, then immediately bandaging the womb so that you do not bleed to death. Did I save you? But would I have had to save if you had I not shot you in the first place?

For those who have said that God created us so that we may have a "relationship" with Him; I feel that they are the closest to getting it right. It is a servant/master type of relationship, and...many times God seems to be silent. But it is a relationship.

I am not being pessimistic, though it might seem that I am; I just have a different perspective.

-The tree of the knowledge of good and evil-

I completely agree with you!

Matt 7v7-11: "7 Keep on asking and it will be given you; keep on seeking and you will find; keep on knocking [reverently] and [the door] will be opened to you. For everyone who keeps on asking receives; and he who keeps on seeking finds; and to him who keeps on knocking, [the door] will be opened. Or what man is there of you, if his son asks him for a loaf of bread, will hand him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will hand him a serpent? If you then, evil as you are, know how to give good and advantageous gifts to your children, how much more will your Father Who is in heaven [perfect as He is] give good and advantageous things to those who keep on asking Him!" [AMPLIFIED]

Truth is only found by seekers!

When you read the Bible, pray for the Lord Jesus to show you truth and the One Who IS Truth, will show you truth! John 14v6

Pray, pray, and then pray again!

(this entire post meant with all friendliness and camaraderie)

sounds like you're looking for explanations. you may want to consider this
ECCLESIASTES 3:11 ...he has put eternity into man's heart, yet so that he cannot find out what God has done from the beginning to the end.





what's your take on this
MARK 16:6 And he said to them, Do not be troubled: you are looking for Jesus, the Nazarene, who has been put to death on the cross; he has come back from the dead; he is not here: see, the place where they put him!