Scriptures that SEEM to contradict one another

[distracted]

There are scripture passages in the Bible that SEEM to contradict one another & nonChristians use this to “prove” that the Bible is not the Word of God…

I am going through this dilemma lately… trying to figure out what is the best, most Christian thing to do in this personal situation… so maybe someone out there can help me with this one example in particular of sciptures that seem to contradict… although i know they do NOT contradict… it’s just that… obviously God’s truth is not always simple for us mere humans to comprehend… or comprehend fully…

anyway, here is one example:

In 1 John it says that if we do not love our fellow man, we can’t say we love God, whom we cannot see…

Yet

Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword. For I have come to turn "‘a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law–a man’s enemies will be the members of his own household.’ Anyone who loves his father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; anyone who loves his son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me.

Matthew 10:34-37

and

If anyone comes to me and does not hate his father and mother, his wife and children, his brothers and sisters–yes, even his own life–he cannot be my disciple.

Luke 14:26

hmmm…

then there’s the passage about not being unequally yoked w/ unbelivers… so this would indicate we are not to “love”… at least not in an intimae kind of way… unbelievers, even if those unbelievers express a desire to have some kind of relationship…

hmmmmm…

 

[distracted]

***actually, i think just posting this has given me my answer…

but still… would like stories of others who have faced the same thing… ***

 

[TimothyH]

I’m not sure I can offer a story similar to what you are going through but will throw a few thoughts out there for what its worth.

Many of what appear to be biblical contradictions can in fact, be resolved by understanding the social, economic and political context under which the authors and their intended audience operated. Still more can be resolved by looking at the literary style, which in many cases, is dissimilar to what we are used to in the modern age.

One example of this is the contradiction between the creation accounts in Genesis 1 and Genesis 2. Genesis 1 says that man was created last, on the sixth day, after everything else had been created. Genesis 2 however, states that man was created first, from the clay by the stream of water and only then did God create the animals,

A bible literalist has a problem right here, as there seems to be a contradiction. Was man created before the animals as in Genesis 2 or after the animals as in Genesis 1? Catholics on the other hand, should ask several questions including:

• Who were the authors and who were their intended audience?
• What message was the author trying to convey? Is the author trying to teach a lesson, glorify God through poetry, give an account of history, etc?
• What type of writing is it? Poetry? History? Apocalyptic?
• What were common literary practices in those days? As an example, authors in biblical times less interested in exact numbers but often used orders of magnitude - 7 was a lot, seven times seventy was a whole lot, etc.
• Was the author referencing historical customs of the day - political, social or economic practices to which we have few points of reference such as living under kings and prime ministers, oaths of allegiance, covenants, how debtors prisons operated, etc?

I’m not sure I have helped you in your particular struggle but the computer engineer in me would ask what context Jesus was speaking in, to whome was he speaking (disciple, pharasee?), what does “Equally yolked” mean in the context of an agricultural society and that sort of thing.

Given your citations of scripture, I would look into the true meaning of love, possible the theological virtue of Charity.

Can divorcing your wife who refuses to be faithful be true love? Can throwing your drug addicted son out of the house in order to protect your other children be true love? At what point does one shake the dust off their sandals and walk away, knowing that their own mother might not get into heaven? Is it OK to tell a lifelong friend that you no longer want to be around a person who has ongoing sexual relationships with “Old friends” every weekend?

IDK?

-Tim-

 

[Neil_Anthony]

This one is only a contradiction when you take Jesus’ words too literally. He doesn’t want us to hate anyone, but uses that strong word to emphasize how the love of God must completely overwhelm all of our other attachments and loves in this world. We have to be willing even to be cast out of our families if that’s what it takes to follow God.

 

[distracted]

I’m not sure I have helped you in your particular struggle but the computer engineer in me would ask what context Jesus was speaking in, to whome was he speaking (disciple, pharasee?), what does “Equally yolked” mean in the context of an agricultural society and that sort of thing.

Given your citations of scripture, I would look into the true meaning of love, possible the theological virtue of Charity.

Can divorcing your wife who refuses to be faithful be true love? Can throwing your drug addicted son out of the house in order to protect your other children be true love? At what point does one shake the dust off their sandals and walk away, knowing that their own mother might not get into heaven? Is it OK to tell a lifelong friend that you no longer want to be around a person who has ongoing sexual relationships with “Old friends” every weekend?

IDK?

-Tim-

i never noticed 2 different versions of man’s creation, but if you say so… I will look in my Douay Rheims Bible tonight…

can you give an example of the stories you allude to… and how someone tried to deal w/ them in a christian way… and the results???

it seems there are many times in life when we are very unsure which psgs we are to pay attn to & which to “ignore” or overlook…

 

[distracted]

This one is only a contradiction when you take Jesus’ words too literally. He doesn’t want us to hate anyone, but uses that strong word to emphasize how the love of God must completely overwhelm all of our other attachments and loves in this world. We have to be willing even to be cast out of our families if that’s what it takes to follow God.

i have always interpreted that psg as … what you say here…

but when there is someone in your life whom you don’t consider a believer (which reminds me, we also need to define terms)… what do you do when the person wants to keep in touch but … uh… shall we say Isn’t doing much for you?? and you don’t want to be subjected to the person’s MO… which involves childish tactics and other… things…

i think i know the answer but i still have doubts about what God would really, truly want me to do… so easy to just do what you think is best… to choose which psg you want to believe… (apply)

 

[TimothyH]

what do you do when the person wants to keep in touch but … uh… shall we say Isn’t doing much for you?? and you don’t want to be subjected to the person’s MO… which involves childish tactics and other… things…

Be patient. Suffer for Christ and thank God for the work he has sent you - that he has sent you this person who is so difficult to convert. Set an example and be their friend. Alway seek peace and one day they might come around.

But if you think that doing so will have consequences for your own salvation, beat a hasty retreat.

It does take someone who is spiritually mature, strong in their faith, who can persevere and endure for Christ’s sake. Not easy, no, not easy at all and it is not a sin to back off if you must for the sake of your own soul.

 

[distracted]

Be patient. Suffer for Christ and thank God for the work he has sent you - that he has sent you this person who is so difficult to convert. Set an example and be their friend. Alway seek peace and one day they might come around.

But if you think that doing so will have consequences for your own salvation, beat a hasty retreat.

It does take someone who is spiritually mature, strong in their faith, who can persevere and endure for Christ’s sake. Not easy, no, not easy at all and it is not a sin to back off if you must for the sake of your own soul.

thanks… sounds good… & i have had similar thoughts…

but its not so much that it would affect my soul / salvation as it would my mental stability (assuming i have any of that :whacky::banghead:uch

and then when i go into temporary insanity (assuming i ever leave that state )… i am less productive for God…

kinda hard to think about doing what God wants when you are busy, say… cussing someone out and wishing to H- you would learn your lesson about not bothering with him/her… and things like that…

 

[Crumpy]

One example of this is the contradiction between the creation accounts in Genesis 1 and Genesis 2. Genesis 1 says that man was created last, on the sixth day, after everything else had been created. Genesis 2 however, states that man was created first, from the clay by the stream of water and only then did God create the animals,

There are many examples of events in the OT which follow that pattern. I’ve been reading Jewish commentaries and they say something to the effect that there is no ordinary “time” in the Bible, one thing after another.

This mixup of the timing of events can happen, perhaps as in this example of Genesis, that the two genesis accounts represent different creation accounts, different scribal traditions. And, what happens, is that they were both included in the final document, without any attempt to reconcile the problem – perhaps because there was no way to reconcile them or the two sources were so revered as to neither be doubted.

It can result from a later redaction (editing) of the texts. There are some events that are described in Exodus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy which don’t all agree from a time perspective.

The Jews revere the scrolls as sacred and they don’t judge them in ordinary ways of criticism, as this thread would suggest.

I just finished a 539 page commentary on Deuteronomy and quite a bit of discussion surrounds this sort of topic, of chronological discrepancies.

Beyond that, there are the higher order discrepancies. The role of the Levitical priesthood is understood differently in Deuteronomy than it is in Ex and Lev. In Dt, any Levites may serve a turn as priest and high priest, whereas in the other books, the highest priestly functions are reserved to Aaron and his male descendents. There, the Levites are like sacristans, in charge of moving and protecting the “sancta” the holy things – the Tabernacle, ark, menorah, etc, but they do not offer sacrifices.

Another large discrepancy is described as two traditions regards the Tent of Meeting, whether it is in the center of the Israelit camp, or whether it is outside the camp. Both traditions are written in Numbers.

Location of God: God is present in the Exodus-Leviticus-Numbers account of the wilderness camp, and He comes down in a cloud to the Tent of Meeting, and speaks to Moses from His location on the ark, the mercy seat. In Deuteronomy, God is always described as being “in heaven” and only His voice is heard by Moses in the Tent of Meeting.

So…there’s no easy way out of this, in fact, there is no way out of these problems.

If I might say, these problems aren’t problems like a critic would like to make them out to be. It’s more like, yeah, OK, so what? (the Jewish rabbis and sages spent a lot of time trying to reconcile the texts, but their rationalizations may make the problems go away or maybe not.)

 

[RichP]

…
but when there is someone in your life whom you don’t consider a believer (which reminds me, we also need to define terms)… what do you do when the person wants to keep in touch but … uh… shall we say Isn’t doing much for you?? and you don’t want to be subjected to the person’s MO… which involves childish tactics and other… things…

i think i know the answer but i still have doubts about what God would really, truly want me to do… so easy to just do what you think is best… to choose which psg you want to believe… (apply)

One consistant theme throughout the Bible is that we are all made in the image and likeness of God and that each one of us are children of God. Each and every person needs to be given dignity and respect because of this. This doesn’t mean that we are now all going to hold hands and sing “Kum-by-a”… It means that our actions towards others should respect the dignity of that person given to him by God.

Also, have you ever noticed that we seem to get into trouble when we “just do what you think is best”? I know I do! God will reveal what he wants you to do when you stop trying to out-think him and start wanting what he wants…