Does the Bible undermine itself within the first two chapters?

Question

Right off the bat, you have two contradicting creation myths. In one of them, man and woman are created at the same time after the animals. In the other one, Adam is created first from dirt, then animals are created for him to han out with, and finally woman is made from his rib.
Likewise, there are two contradicting stories of Noah: one in Chptr. 6 and one in Chptr. 7.
It's really that simple people. The book defeats itself and makes no sense.

Answer 1

It contradicts reality more than itself.

Answer 2

The first chapter of Genesis gives an overview of the creation. It gives a brief mention of the creation of mankind.

Chapter 2 give a more detailed explanation of the SAME event. They are not two different events.

These "arguments" have been used for years to attempt to disprove the Bible and show that it has contradictions. In every case of "contradictions" it has come down to the fact that the person who has supposedly found these "contradictions" has not taken the time to study the Bible. Each and every time, the accuser has been proven wrong.

The Bible is the inspired word of God and does not contain contradictions.

Answer 3

I and many christians don't take the stuff in the early Genesis account literally.

Actually I've always found all that human precursor species development interesting - I was reading about it before I was 10, and before I was a christian.

It is interesting though, that even if not literally true, many of the ideas have great significance later on. Like 'Babel' is like an image of human attempts at religion, in contrast to God's revelation. The Cain and Abel story is pretty true to life and demonstrates how man's passions such as jealousy and envy have wrecked the world. The 'serpent' is used metaphorically to speak of devils in Old and new Testaments. The fall of man idea is picked up a lot in the New Testament.
The 'ark' is a symbol of salvation. Most people ignoring God's warnings, but those who have faith and make the preparations escaping.

Biblical experts have suggested that two accounts were melded together for early Genesis.

Answer 4

No contradictions. Genesis 1 tells the story. Genesis 2 just gives more details to the story of the creation of man and woman. Same with Genesis 6 and 7.

Answer 5

Amazing how you -- who plainly have not read the Bible properly -- can come to the opposite conclusion of the thousands of scientists, including biologists, biochemists, geologists, MD's, etc. who had to study it from a hostile position (the theory of evolution) and have submitted thousands of pages of work showing how trustworthy and reliable the Bible is. but to deal with your points:

Gen. 1:1-2:3, & 2:4-25 are the same event told from different viewpoints; chapter 1 is God's and gives the ORDER of Creation: the second account is the CREATING OF ADAM, the NAMING of animals, & the FASHIONING OF EVE -- all on day 6.
Chapter 2 showed what happened when Adam was placed in the garden that God had planted; 2:19 is a RECAP of how God created the animals. He now brings the animals He had ALREADY formed to Adam for him to NAME. The intention was for Adam to recognise that these were not 'meet' (KJV), or suitable, for Adam as a mate (already we see that bestiality was unacceptable, and Adam recognised it as such). God then makes Eve from Adam's side, or rib. Here at last WAS a suitable mate.

Far from being contradictory, chapters 6 & 7 (Noah and the flood) are one continuous narrative, with chapter 6 depicting the evil of mankind and the command to Noah to build the ark (MINIMUM size being 450 feet by 75 feet wide by 45 feet high: quite a barge for a local flood, don't you think? Incidentally those ratios make it exceptionally stable, and barges use a similar ratio today. The cube of the Gilgamesh epic, however, would cause serious problems for sea-keeping), while chapters 7 & 8 portray the flood itself. Now, with these facts in mind, either you're taking someone else's
word for the Bible's account, or you've just scanned the words expecting to see a contradiction. But why let a little thing like WORDS AND SENTENCES get in the way of your nice little theory, eh? See:

http://christiananswers.net/creation/menu-catastrophe.html

http://www.answersingenesis.org/

http://www.answersingenesis.org/home/area/faq/noah.asp

http://www.answersingenesis.org/home/area/faq/noah.asp

for answers to your questions. These sites are written/refereed by scientists, all of whom have had to work with evolutionist colleagues, and are frequently in debates with them.
P.S. Richard Dawkins refuses to debate publicly with creationist scientists, as he has seen so many of his evolutionist colleagues beaten by them: he prefers to publish his diatribes in book form and let that be the source of information for people. Likewise David Attenborough, WHO PROBABLY LIED ON TV ABOUT THE LIFECYCLE OF A BUG 'THAT CAN ONLY LIVE BY CAUSING BLINDNESS IN CHILD'. Actually, if the bug gets into a human and ends up in the eye then it doesn't reach maturity, it dies without reproducing. End of species in one generation, if that were its lifecycle.
If Mr Attenborough knew this, he ignored it and lied. If he didn't, then his opinion is wrong , and he doesn't deserve the praise lavished on him anyway.

You have few years in life, and you're a long time in eternity. Don't you think where you'll spend it deserves AT LEAST as much time investigaing it from both sides as you would spend considering which house to buy?
May God bless you if you look for Him.

Answer 6

Wow I can't believe you are saying this..We have two pictures one says man will be created an the other details his creation it is not a contradiction. A contradiction says two different things.syn·op·sis /sɪˈnɒpsɪs/ 1. a brief or condensed statement giving a general view of some subject.
2. a compendium of heads or short paragraphs giving a view of the whole.
3. a brief summary of the plot of a novel, motion picture, play, etc.

Answer 7

People who come up with this stuff scan over the Bible for 5 minutes and pick lines here or there to make it sound like a contradiction. If you read the whole story, it always makes sense.

Answer 8

You are correct. But, not only are there two separate stories of creation, there are two separate sets of god(s) involved. You have to be able to go back to the original Hebrew to fully realize this, though.

In the first story, it says "let US make them, men and women, in OUR image". The word used for these creators is a masculine noun with a plural feminine ending - clearly indicating more than one being as well as duality of gender.

In the second story, an entirely different word is used - not only being a singular masculine noun, but entire unrelated linguistically.

If you read the Bible with an open mind it's easy to see that the Hebrew/Christian god created his own, separate group of people. Hence the numerous references to "the other people" [and yes, starting with Cain's wife]. The Bible is the story & history of, and rules for, these Hebrew-based people. Not those of us who are descended from "the other people".

The Bible itself does NOT contradict this. The Hebrew/Christian god's first law states "I am your god and you shall have no other gods before me." Firstly, he's talking to his people ONLY. And it never says that there are no other gods or that they can't be worshipped too. Just that, for his OWN people, he should be #1.

I'm sure this will upset a lot of Christians, but if they actually read the words of their Bible WITHOUT bias or fear to blind them, it's quite clear. Unfortunately, fear and ignorance are powerfuls things.

Answer 9

Chapter 1 = outline
Chapter 2 = detailed storyline
How tough is THAT!?

Answer 10

One is an overview and the second is a more detailed look ...geez...that's one of the oldest in the complaint book.What's your next question "Where'd Cain get his wife if there was only Cain and Abel?"

Answer 11

No....

The creation is outlined in chapters 1 & 2
The order is not important....the story however, is.

And how exactly is the flood account of Noah contradictory?

You're nit-picking here....trying to make a point, I presume?
Scripture is 100% God-breathed (which is the Greek translation of the word "inspired" by the way)