Bible believing Christians: may I please ask you this question about the Bible itself?

Question

Do you ever find any real contradictions in the Holy Bible?

In reading the Bible, I certainly run into things (whether they be passages or thematic concepts) that appear to contradict one another.

I am no expert. But I do consider myself a Christian.

Do you find contradictions in the Bible? If so, which ones are the most outstanding?

Answer 1

There are some areas that do cause some confusion, but I have yet to find one that after doing some studying surrounding chapters to get the "big picture" that couldn't be explained.
I do not believe there are contradictions in the Bible.

People decide there are when they are confused by a passage and refuse to search further into what they are reading

Answer 2

Well if you are reading the king james version of the Bible you get a lot more contradictions, because it was translated four times changing the basic meaning of the original book. The Old tesiment is the Torah which was a historical book that had the linage of the masiah and the geneology 12 tribes of Juda. The books of the Bible had to be verifed three times before it was put into the bible. I read the Jewish Bible which is translated from the hebrew to english and it makes more sense you can see the difference if you cross reference the two books.

What you need to understand a lot of the knowlege that was passed down was from the original 316 Jewish Laws, The gentiles only had to follow the basic ten comandments, because the original laws were put in place for health and religious reasons at the time. Jesus was a teacher of the people. He was put in as an example of how to live a Godly life free from making bad choices for our lives. The books of the Bible were never ment to be taken out of contex. It is a great resource for learning if you understand the history behind it. Not all the people in the Bible you can really consider as saintly men. Paul killed tons of christians before he became a follower of Christ. These were real flesh and blood people with real stories of overcomeing great odds. Where you can find wisdom is in the stories how the people were able to overcome there difficult situations. A lot of people we Christians included do not always know what it means to be christian. We have to study to show ourselves aproved. It is always wise to question something that way when you do believe you can beleive with your whole heart.

Answer 3

That would depend on what you consider to be contradiction. For example, we have some laws and moral standards today that would absolutely be against some of the things that are done in the Bible and the opposite is also true.

I have never found anything to be in total contradiction with something else said earlier as long as I read it keeping in mind the morals and traditions of the day. We also see a radical difference between what Jesus preached and what was the standard in the Old Testament. Some people feel that this is contradictory but my personal take on it is that God was using Jesus to make a change in the "how to live and how to die" concepts that man had reached at that point.

Organized religions have not changed a great deal in the 6000 years or so of Biblical history. Man still has his finger in the pie and usually comes up with something that was not in God's purpose. I think this is one of the biggest reasons in our society today that many are moving away from the concept of God/Jesus. If the organized religions can't agree, then what good is it etc?

Answer 4

If you find contradictions it's usually just your own understanding that is lacking (no offense, been there myself)

You will find certain contradictions as a result of poor translation...usually comparing to another translation will help...always keep in mind that you are not reading the "HOLY SCRIPTURES", you are reading a translation of the Holy Scriptures...the only scriptures that are Holy are the originals...since most of us don't read Hebrew, Aramaic and Greek..it makes it a little harder.

Here's one contradiction (appears to be) in translation in the KJV..one says the Lord was hung on a "tree" the other says "cross"... by looking up the original Greek texts we find the words used for cross and tree both actually mean a pole or a stake not a cross or a tree...verses follow

Act 5:30 The God of our fathers raised up Jesus, whom ye slew and hanged on a tree.

Joh 19:19 And Pilate wrote a title, and put it on the cross. And the writing was, JESUS OF NAZARETH THE KING OF THE JEWS.


If you would like an excellent, free, study guide..as well as multiple Bible translations and Strong's Greek and Hebrew dictionaries...go here:
http://www.e-sword.net

Answer 5

Admitting something is the alternative of deny-- A least provide him that-- Their theology is to no longer be haughty or prideful-- the Bubble bible of the inquisitions isn't sparkling from a logistic fee-- no one saved archives so its historic previous can basically be oral custom-- while William Tyndale tried to translate the vulgate --That exchange right into a homicide over concept =+++ the different what number claims are basically like the Claims of St Paul -- CLAIMS -- valid without validity-- no remember who's the believer or what number the place killed over a non secular concept-- the subject is that if even ONE man or woman exchange into denied a concept or freedom of speech --it particularly is the place the subject exist ++ Be grateful that those issues befell -( historic previous isn't replaced by employing wishing besides ) because of the fact this is the main reason human beings are in united statesa. right this moment --to flee the chief Nuts -- The Pope has unfastened speech too

Answer 6

I can't think of an example right now but as I study more and more in depth and really start to understand the meanings of passages I find that it does not contradict itself.

Answer 7

The only place the Bible contradicts itself, is in the mind of readers who don't understand the context & circumstance behind whatever passage...

Why You Can Trust the Bible :
- Does It Contradict Itself? No...
http://watchtower.org/library/t13/why_trust.htm

Answer 8

There are many troublesome texts in the Bible. On the surface many appear to be contradictory.
But upon closer inspection, and comparison with other passages, the Bible itself explains problematic areas of the text. Many can be attributed to the human error of the scribes in transposing letters and "jots and tittles."
God alone is perfect; man is fallible.
His Word is holy and perfect; mankind falls short.

Answer 9

There are some... interesting... passages, but most are simply misunderstood. Some passages, like a phrase that appears several times in the New Testament "...an evil spirit, which was from God.." I believe to be mistakes in translation/transcription.

Answer 10

No. I don't find any that can't be explained or reasoned. The Bible is singularly the most perfect book in it's original versioning. The current translations are close to perfect but mistranslations and word meanings have caused much confusion.