I've started reading the bible everyday and came across abraham and his affair with the maid slave and the dismissal of the illigitimate son afterwards. How can God find favor in a man like this? Is the Bible a true account? I am starting to have serious doubts. There are so many different interpretations. how do I know what is true?
2006-08-07 13:26:35 · 37 answers · asked by als_granny 1 in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
Yeah I know what you mean, I've been there....
Hey, I too am a Christian who has had many doubts in the past about God and about the Bible... but God gave me direction and by studying the Bible correctly, I have come to an understanding....
Me being a sinner, I wondered how God could ever find favor in and honor me... I don't deserve jack... actually I deserved Hell.... but Jesus took upon Himself the punishment for my sins... And I realiaed that God looks at me in a forgiven way... not in a condemning way... so that He can and will use me- even though there is nothing special about me at all... I'm just 1 in 6 billion....
As I said I have studied the Bible... and I did so correctly.... there is a wrong way to do it...
1st- you have to realize that the Bible is a story of God's promises... there is the old way and the new way... the old way of sin and death are gone and the new way of redemption through Christ is here....
2nd- you do not try to interpret you own meaning to the Bible, and you do not pick and choose certan scripture to suit your own mindset... then it would be your word and not God's
3rd- when reading the Bible you cannot invent your own version of God to suit your ideology... such as "my god is love and He would never punish evil" that god cannot exist and niether can anyone elses "view of God" because then it is not the real God...
4th- realize that the Bible is the word of God... unlike what the davinci code says... the Nostic gospels were not written in agreement with or anywhere near the time that the Bible was finished... the New Testament says to beware of hollow and deseptive philosophy that is based upon the basic traditions of this world... and it warned early Christians of the decievers and anti Christs... which was probably the Nostics
If you have ever compared the different versions of the Bible, you will see that they say the exact same message... but they usually change in the way the language is used such as " Thee's and Thou's" turn into "You"
Now if you realy want a very accurate and original version of the Bible, I reccomend the New American Standard Study Bible....
It is the closest to the original Greek language of the New Testament, and the Hebrew and Aramaic of the Old Testament, that the English language can come to...
Both Hebrew and Greek are extremly descriptive languages, capable of being translated into many languages withpout loss of original meaning...
There are several different words for love in the Greek language alone... like love your friend, love your family, love your dog, love your spouse, love your possessions... very very descriptive....
Before the New Testament was written Alexander the Great, of Greece, had conquered the known world and had spread the Greek language so much that it was spoken everywhere... setting the stage for millions to come to know God's Word...
I am trying to warn you of the unseen dangers of finding your own path, your own belief and version of God....
Jesus answered," I am the Way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me."-John 14:6, th Bible
Jesus is the path He provided the only way to God...
God is God- as the heavens( outerspace, universe) are high so are His ways and thoughts higher than ours..
So to create our own version of God to suit our way of life or sinfull lifestyle.... or to allow our emotions to change our prespective of God.... make our god not the real and true God, how can the god of our invention be the one and only God?
You can think that your mom hates you because she told you that you are grounded... but that is not true, your mom loves you and she is trying to improve your character...
the same can be said about God....
But it requires faith but not blind faith, you have to open your eyes first- God cannot be pleased without faith because He is not a magic genie.... He will not preform tricks and write your name in the sky, because then it would not be God... because God doesn't do that....
It all comes down to the Facts as they are verses the Truth as one may see it.... which is the Truth?
The Facts are... and the Fact is, that the Bible is God's word.... will you take the word of libral men such as believers of the Da Vinci code over historical and biblical facts? No I hope not, then you would choose to be blind and pick your own version of truth....
And you know that versions of the Truth are not truth... they are fallacies....
The fact is- doubting is a completly natural function in a Christian's life... it along with otherthings are of the "old man".... you have to put your trust in something... and what a sad thing it would be if you trusted men's words over God's... because then the foundation of your trust would be a lie...
God cannot lie, the Bible is God's word written by the Holy Spirit in the hands of men...
when you doubt God the very core of your faith suffers... you doubt one thing about Him and then another, then you doubt His promises then you doubt His existance...
I've done it all... what a fool I've been... I did it until I had to choose between giving up all hope, or trusting God and His Word... I trusted Him... and He saved me from death, literaly...
So do not doubt or give up your faith- again it is not blind faith- the facts and the evidence are all around you and they are in the Bible...
Here are some words from the Bible....
"Faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see."- Hebrews 11:1, the Bible
"That a man should not think that he will recieve anything from the Lord, he is a double-minded man, unstable in all he does."- James 1:7-8, the Bible
"For it is by grace that you have been saved, through faith- and this is not of yourselves- it is the gift of God, not by works so that no one can boast."- Ephesians 2:8-9, the Bible
So when in doubt, pray and ask God to give you disernment and wisdom... I did and He gave it to me...
I hope that this helps... God be with you...
May God bless you and yours...
Brothers in Christ of similar trials...
2006-08-07 14:28:59 · answer #1 · answered by Mr. Agappae 5 · 2⤊ 0⤋
I think part of the point is that God found favor in a man like Abraham. Keep reading, and see what you think about David, a man after God's own heart, once you have read all that the Bible says about him. The point is not that God chose the rightous to do his will, rather he just chose who he chose. Moses committed murder. David committed adultury. Jacob was a liar. But, the point is, if God can use those people, he can certainly use you.
As for your question of whether or not the Bible is a true account, I think some of what we read in the Bible are stories that are similar to the parables that Jesus told. So, the point there is not whether it not the story being told actually happened or not. The point is what we can learn from the story.
2006-08-08 05:42:57 · answer #2 · answered by MacDeac 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The story of Abraham is a very good example of the amount of love God has fo us. No matter how far down we get, if we turn our lives around and put our trust in God, He is more than willing to take us back. Gods love is unconditional, much like a parents love for their child. No matter how bad a child gets their parents still love them, even though they may be the one to send them to jail.
There are several good interpretations of the Bible out there that were written in modern English that are much easier to read and more accurate than the KJV.
I knew one of the men on the board that retranslated both the Old and New Testements. The old Testement was easy according to Dr. Charles Van Cleave. The Hewbrew versions used for centuries were exactly perfect in relation to the copies found at Chum Ran. All 24,633 copies of the New Testement parts were found to vary less than 1/10th of 1% from the KJV. The inaccuracies found were all along the lines of was Jesus called Christ, Jesus Christ or Christ Jesus in a few verses.
The translation that Dr. Van Cleave was part of became the New International Version(NIV). Extremely accurate and in modern English. Other versions like the New King James are just as good.
2006-08-07 13:37:50 · answer #3 · answered by David T 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Try researching other religions.Maybe Buddhism is the right path for you,or Wicca/Paganism.If these aren't your cup of tea,I suggest acknowledging the fact that the Bible was written by humans, not God, and use the book to press flowers or plants, and declare yourself non denominational.You don't need a book to believe in God.The Universalist Unitarian Church also sounds like it could be right up your alley.The truth is relative.For 1 person the sky is blue.For another, the sky is cerulean.But are right, but only 1 is right for that person.
2006-08-07 13:33:57 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋
I would take comparative religion class, see what scholars have to say about the history of the bible. And be ready to have your world shaken up. If you truly value logic, then you might want to start reading up some science to make up the void that religion will leave. Or maybe philosophy.
If you understand that the 1st five books of the bible were written in completey different literary styles and therefore could not have been written by one man, you are on the right path.
2006-08-07 13:30:53 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
God finds favor in all of His creation.
It is a reality that man perverts everything - probably even the word of God - to use to their own profit.
I have been severly hurt by "Christians", just as others have been severely hurt by Muslims, or Athiests, or Jews, or whatever.
There has been so much damage done in the name of all religions.
I believe that is because of the nature of man, cruel, self-serving, perverted.
Build your relationship with God in your heart. Only you and God have a right to judge the relationship - no one else does.
Any religion that sets arbitrary rules of deportment - like what clothes are 'acceptable', or if you should be allowed to speak to a person of the opposite sex without being condemned, is a product of man-made rules, not true faith in a Higher Power.
I, for one, have had enough of such practices, and do not associate with churches or groups that believe they have a 'God-given right' to condemn others for not believing the same way they do.
2006-08-07 13:37:02 · answer #6 · answered by None 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Don't force yourself to believe it. If it doesn't sit right with you, it doesn't sit right with you. That logical, free-thinking part of you is speaking out; don't shut it back up.
And, no, it's not a true account, no matter what anyone says. Maybe if it didn't have 900-year-old men in it, it'd be a little more believable, but the book is obviously meant to be taken as a metaphor or something. It's good that you use the Bible to find comfort in your life, but don't get so caught up about whether or not the events listed in the book actually happened, because quite frankly, not many of them really did.
2006-08-07 13:32:53 · answer #7 · answered by . 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
James 1:5-6
2006-08-07 13:34:17 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
God did not turn to Hagar, Sarah did. Everything you say is true, but it was man that did it- not God. You know this.
And Abraham believed God- He had faith.
Just like King David- a liar, adulterer, murderer. Yet God loved David.
Look at the Bible as the history of mankind- good and bad. Mistakes, repentance and growth and realize Abraham, David, all of the people in the Bible were just people.
But, people like Abraham and David, believed God and loved Him.
Don't lose your belief in God and His mercy, love and forgiveness-
2006-08-07 13:33:20 · answer #9 · answered by IN Atlanta 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
God dictated that story to Moses, so it is true if God said it.
Having children by concubines was common practice back then, and it was Sarah's idea not God's. God's idea was for an 80 year old woman to become pregnant and have a child. Both Abraham and Sarah thaough that was impossible because of menopause. They went behing of God's back and sined by doing that.
Everyone sins bt God still shows favor that's the way he is.
2006-08-07 13:32:27 · answer #10 · answered by isoar4jc 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It took you 39 years to start reading your Bible? You should have been building your faith this whole time. How can God find favor in Abraham? Why don't you read about the faith of Abraham? God has a habit of using imperfect people to carry out His plan. Weird, huh? People are imperfect. Who would'a thunk it?
2006-08-07 13:35:05 · answer #11 · answered by Cybeq 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋