Bible contradictions or selective following?

Question

Okay, so I often see the arguement that the new testament supercedes the old testaments vengeful and angry god... the laws of eye for an eye (revenge) and rules such as stoning non-believers and disobedient children. But why do christians still maintain anti-gay beliefs? It is an old testement value, and the new testement says to embrace thy neighbor, value them for who they are... so how can you maintain that you do not pick and choose what to follow out of the bible, if you obviously pick and choose what to follow? If you are not picking and choosing, then obviously contradictions are present. Turn the other cheek or eye for an eye... both bible principles.

Also, the 10 commandments are only outlined in the OT... does this devalidate them? Technically it should, its either all truth (word of god) or none of it is (after all... how could god be wrong, or even change its mind since it already knew the future?)

Answer 1

1Corinthians 6:9 Don’t you know that evil people will not receive God’s kingdom? Don’t be fooled. Those who commit sexual sins will not receive the kingdom. Neither will those who worship statues of gods or commit adultery. Neither will men who are prostitutes or who commit homosexual acts. 10 Neither will thieves or those who always want more and more. Neither will those who are often drunk or tell lies or cheat. People who live like that will not receive God’s kingdom. 11 SOME OF YOU USED TO DO THOSE THINGS. But your sins were washed away. You were made holy. You were made right with God. All of that was done in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.

SOME OF YOU USED TO DO THOSE THINGS…


And...

Ephesians 2:15 Through his body on the cross, Christ put an END to the LAW WITH ALL ITS COMMANDS AND RULES. He wanted to create one new group of people out of the two. He wanted to make peace between them.

Colossians 2:14 He wiped out the written Law with its rules. The Law was against us. It opposed us. He took it away and nailed it to the cross.

Galatians 2:16 ...No one can be made right with God by obeying the law.

Galatians 2:21 ...What if a person could become right with God by obeying the law? Then Christ died for nothing!

Galatians 5:4 Some of you are trying to be made right with God by obeying the law. You have been separated from Christ. You have fallen away from God’s grace... The ONLY verse that talks about falling from grace, and they did it by trying to follow the law!

Jesus said he didn’t come to destroy the law, but to fulfill it. (Matt 5:17) The effect was the same. Once fulfilled it was no longer in effect. The very next verse, Matthew 5:18, looks forward to the time when the law would be set aside. "...Not even the smallest stroke of a pen will disappear from the Law UNTIL EVERYTHING IS COMPLETED." IF the law were intended to be permanent, the "UNTIL..." clause would be meaningless.

On the cross, Jesus' last recorded saying, "It is finished," is an important milestone. Because of Jesus life, Satan had been defeated. The law was finished and would no longer stand between God and mankind.

The 10 commandments along with the rest of the law ("commands and rules" from Ephesians 2:15) were "set aside" when they were fulfilled or completed at Jesus' resurrection. We are no longer bound by that law.

Answer 2

The real answer for this question is VEEEERRY LONG.

I won't take that long, I promise!

The God of the OT and the God of the NT are still the same person. God has not changed. He still loves humans, but cannot abide sin. Sin creates separation between God and humans. The only thing that can bring reconciliation between God and Humanity is BLOOD. There has to be a death for sin, in order to bring reconciliation. The debt must be paid.

In the OT we see God doing several things, but here are the big 2:
1. Establishing the nation of Isreal.
2. Giving the Law.

1. He established the nation of Isreal so He could bring a perfect redeemer to the Earth, to take care of the sin/redemption problem once and for all. That redeemer was Jesus Christ.

2. God gave the Law because we, as human beings, had no clue what was "right" and what was "wrong". The law delivers one from IGNORANCE, nothing more. Knowing what is "right" and "wrong" makes a person responsible for their choices. It doesn't give them any more power over their bad desires. In fact, giving knowledge to a person (bent on rebellion) can actually make the problem worse. Just ask any alcoholic in recovery.

Back to the Book...

The New Testament does NOT supercede the Old Testament. It fulfills it! There is a difference.

From the OT, we learned exactly how many ways humans could screw up their lives. In fact, it becomes apparant that not one single human being on earth (excepting Jesus Christ) is capable of going even one day without sinning in some small way. While a relationship with God is DESIREABLE, it is UNATTAINABLE, due to the presence of sinful desire. We needed help.

The New Testament show exactly when HELP came to humanity. God knew EXACTLY how weak we have been, are, will be. He knows how often we screw things up, EVEN WHEN WE MEAN WELL. And God knew that the system of sacrificing animals as substitutes would never do the FULL job of restoration.

So Jesus Christ came, through the nation of Isreal, born into a royal house. He gave His life as a sacrifice, offering a way to have a relationship with God. This relationship DOES come with rules! All relationships do.

With His sacrifice the ONLY THING abolished was the need for a daily animal sacrifice. The MORAL LAW was not abolished: sin still remains sin. It remains lethal. God, however, provides (in our relationship with Him through Jesus) the ability to overcome the sinful desires the Law stirs up.

Cultural values (circumcision, Jewish holidays, etc.) and legal codes (execution for various crimes, etc.), while connected to the Moral Code, are not INCLUDED in the moral code. There is a difference.

That is the short version.

ABOUT THE GAY QUESTION....

If by "why do christians still maintain anti-gay beliefs", you mean, "why do christians still maintain that homosexual intercourse is wrong", then the answer is: God dictated that in His moral code. He said IT is wrong. It is sin. Sin has never changed. Christians should not engage in homosexual intercourse or behaviour.

NOW, does this mean that Christians should treat homosexuals in a disrespectful, hateful way, because the gay/lesbian/bi person is gay/lesbian/bi?

NO!!!

All sin is equally bad, and we cannot expect a non-believer to have the same moral code that we possess and understand. This is mentioned in many places in the NT. This is not a contradiction, it is a spiritual principle of differences between cultures. Jews of the 1st year CE did not expect Non-Jews to have the same cultural mores. Why should they? They were different religious cultures. The same thing applies today. Christians should not expect non-christians to have the same understanding of God and morality, the same practices, and they themselves do.

I think the proper name for that is "spiritual common sense".

Answer 3

Good point, BUT homosexuality IS mentioned as a sin in the New Testament. I don't have my Bible in front of me at the moment, but I know in Romans somewhere it's written that men give up normal relations with women and sin with other men.....that's my version of the verses of course.
Also mentioned many times is sexual immorality in general. The writers didn't go into details of what's immoral and what's not, because what God considers "sexually immoral" was already covered in the Old Testament, and people of that time (unlike today) knew what was immoral.
As for "turn the other cheek" vs. "eye for an eye." The individual who has had the injustice committed against them should "turn the other cheek," but the proper legal punishment is "an eye for an eye." That means that the old retribution idea should be used by authorities, not the individual who has been wronged. The individual should always react with love and forgiveness. That's not to say we all are able to act that way though. : ) That's why there's God's grace to cover us.

Answer 4

If you read the New Testament you would find it there too. I know some one will supply you with verses, so I will go on and say Yes we are supposed to embrace our neighbor and show love no matter their sin. Just as Jesus did for us so long ago he will do for them if we do a good enough job. But, remember that Christ would say go and sin no more. If some one comes up and asks is this wrong or am I wrong because of this we have to say truthfully yes.

So while you are wrong on one part you are wrong the other however you are quite right Christians need to spend more time in the Bible learning how to behave as we should so to help others by example.

Answer 5

Christian object to homosexual practices because it is forbidden in the New Testament. 2 Corinthians 6:9,10 says that no homosexual will enter the kingdom of heaven. Romans 1:28-30 condemn it as an unnatural action and a sin.

It is on that basis, not Old Testament laws, the Christians teach that homosexuality is a sin. But like any sin, it can be repented of, and the person delivered from the desire for it.

So in the New Testament salvation is offered to them, the same as to any other sinner.

Answer 6

The Bible is a artwork of fiction. The passages that depict Jesus Christ to were the "Son of God" and a holy guy with divine powers are thoroughly unfounded and is basically not shown. the human beings who have self assurance this stuff are hallucinating and conflict through from a mass delusion. Agnosticism and Atheism are turning out to be speedier than ever and Catholicism and Christianity are deteriorating in attractiveness, a useless ringer for the thousands of alternative now defunct religions that no individual believes in anymore and laughs off as mere fairytales. a similar will ensue with each of the favourite religions including Islam and Christianity and Judaism. I actually have a PhD in evolution and anthropology and replaced into raised a strict Catholic. I actually have come to have self assurance that the Bible is only a artwork of fiction created to regulate the inhabitants and save human beings in line. Use some undemanding experience...that's actually embarrassing to stay in a rustic the position any such vast volume of human beings have self assurance such nonsense that has been shown to be pretend time and time back by ability of technology and historic previous.

Answer 7

You will find the 10 Commandments in Matthew 22: 37-40. The first 4 are toward God the last 6 are toward mankind. Also you will find the sin on homosexuality in Romans 1:18-32. Read, open up your heart and listen

Answer 8

I want to start by saying that I am not anti-gay. I am a Christ follower and I live by the Bible. I live how Jesus taught us to live, by loving people. Loving everyone, regardless of what i think about them, regardless of the past, their beliefs and regardless of their sexual orientation. Now just because I love somebody doesn't mean that I approve of everything that they do, as I'm sure that everyone who loves me wouldn't approve of everything I do. We all have sin in our lives and no sin is greater than another.
As for where the new testament talks about homosexuality, Paul talks about it in Romans 1. Also Christ said that He did not come here to abolish the old laws. He said that everything in the law still stands. Eye for an eye is an example of being responsible for your actions. Turn the other cheek is about grace. Two different concepts that are both consistent throughout the Bible.

Answer 9

"Christians" don't maintain anti-gay beliefs.

SOME Christians might, but not all. I personally don't. I think all sin is equal, and all people are equal, and it's not my place to judge.

I belive that everyone has different interpretations of the scripture, and what it means to them on a personal level, which is why each person has their own individual relationship with God, which is very cool. I believe in conviction. What's ok for you might not be ok for others, but again, it's not now, or ever my place to judge another person or their actions.

I may believe that homosexuality is a sin, buy lying is a sin too, and will suffer the same consequence, IMO.

I completely believe in the New Testament, and in your turn the other cheek principle.

I wish more Christians would come forward with what they know to be the truth, and regardless of their PERSONAL convictions, let go of the fear and judgement of others.

Answer 10

The God of the New Testament is the same as that of the Old Testament. Homosexuality (not homosexuals) is condemned in the New as well as the Old Testament. As a Christian, I do not hate gays. If I say that homosexuality is wrong, as the Bible states, that does not make me a "gay basher."

Your question reveals an ignorance of the Bible.