Jon 3:10 says HE DID, but Num 23:19 says HE NEVER DOES. who is the author of all this confusion?! I cant take much more of these contradictions I tell you.
2006-09-04 04:24:15 · 8 answers · asked by billy t 1 in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
Quickly...
...John 3:10 must be the wrong reference -- the NIV says, "You are Israel's teacher," said Jesus, "and do you not understand these things?" which isn't dealing with the topic you've brought up. Not sure which verse you were talking about, I tried a few others (1 John 3:10, etc.) and didn't find anything appropriate.
Part of the problem with the Numbers ref is that that language is loaded. In our western culture, both conservative Christians and the culture are very literal and don't aware of how language is normally used.
The situation is Numbers is that Balaam is being asked to perform a curse against Israel, whom God has already decided to bless. Instead, Balaam has to bless Israel just as God has.
When asked to explain his reasoning, he says, "God is not a man, that he should lie, nor a son of man, that he should change his mind. Does he speak and then not act? Does he promise and not fulfill?"
We're not talking a rigid scientific piece of evidence here -- some sort of factoid we can use to construct a theology of GOd, as you are reading it -- Balaam is clarifying for this guy that God's already made a commitment to Israel, and his commitments are true and enduring, not prone to vascillation.
Human beings don't know all the information and aren't sure of their loyalties; God makes his decision knowing the knowledge ahead of time and thus isn't just going to be wishy-washy or capricious.
This "not changing of one's mind" is not the same sort of "mind-changing" you're generalizing to. God can be firm with his commitments, yet still make room to honor requests for mercy (such as when Abraham asks God to spare Gamorrah if he finds at least ten good men there).
I'm sure you know human beings (parents, whomever) who are firm with their commitments and known to be faithful, yet allow themselves to change course depending on what their children or friends would ask of them, as part of caring about that person -- yet they would still be considered "faithful" and not as "mind-changers."
Again, language is loaded. We have to really consider what is being said and not take it as more than it was intended to be.
2006-09-04 04:41:23 · answer #1 · answered by Jennywocky 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Much can be lost in translation... that accounts for some of the contradictions but not all. If you believe God is without sin, then He would have no need to repent.
2006-09-04 11:30:32 · answer #2 · answered by Mike S 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Numbers is in the OT, God had not sent His son to Earth at that time, so in the OT He was not the son of man.
John Jesus had already came to Earth as the son of man, He came so that we could repent of our sins believe on Him and be saved. God is not the master of confusion, but Satan is.
2006-09-04 11:30:46 · answer #3 · answered by pooh bear 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
i didn't see that in John 3:10.
2006-09-04 11:34:31 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
You know, it's much easier to 'take' all of the contradictions if you just give it up and accept it all to be rubbish...
Just a suggestion.
2006-09-04 11:26:59 · answer #5 · answered by XYZ 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
God does what He wants. Get over it. No one is forcing you to believe anything...straining at the trivial, and missing the essential won't help you.
2006-09-04 11:35:48 · answer #6 · answered by Namaste 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
lol....man wrote the bible not god. Seems quite obvious to me but it makes people happy to believe they are going to have eternal joy for simply believing something so why do I bother....??
2006-09-04 11:29:00 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
There are numerous inconsistencies in the Bible. That is because it is full of lies. Which is why I am a Deist.
2006-09-04 11:28:08 · answer #8 · answered by AuroraDawn 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋