How can the Bible be inspired by God when it has so many contradictions?

Question

1. God is satisfied with his works
Gen 1:31
God is dissatisfied with his works.
Gen 6:6
2. God dwells in chosen temples
2 Chron 7:12,16
God dwells not in temples
Acts 7:48
3. God dwells in light
Tim 6:16
God dwells in darkness
1 Kings 8:12/ Ps 18:11/ Ps 97:2
4 God is unchangeable
James 1:17/ Mal 3:6/ Ezek 24:14/ Num 23:19
God is changeable
Gen 6:6/ Jonah 3:10/ 1 Sam 2:30,31/ 2 Kings 20:1,4,5,6/
Ex 33:1,3,17,14

just to name a few.....

Answer 1

In Genesis 1:31 God created everything good. This was BEFORE the fall of man. In Genesis 6:6 we see God's opinion of man, AFTER the fall. There is no contradiction - here or in any of the other of your so-called references.

Answer 2

I really dislike long answers and realize they are rarely read, but a long question demands a long response.
What you see as contradictions are not at all contradictions. The Holy Scriptures say"See and ye shall find" If you look for evil, you will find it, if you look for good, you will find it as well. Christians who study their Bibles know that contratidtions do not exist, and it is easy for me to understand why you, as a non-Christian would not have the power of The Holy Spirit to give you the wisdom you need to actually see and understand what you are reading:
Genesis 1:31 God had created everything, including man in His own image and He was pleased.
Genesis 6:6 God was displeased with what man had become. God had given man free will to do as he pleased, and what he did , did not please God. Even today, God loves sinful man, but hates his sin.

2 Chronicles 7:12-16 This was an Old Testament promise to King Solomon
Acts 7:48 "The most high dwelleth not in temples made of hands" This means that God lives not in buildings, but the hearts of His believers.

Timothy 6:16 This letter from Paul to Timothy, uses the analogy that Jesus was the light of the world.
1 Kings 8:12 The darkness spoken of in this Old Testament scripture means that in our worst of times, our darkest moments, God is there to help us.

Psalms 18:11 Another Old Testament scripture telling us that God overcomes "darkness" or sin. You omitted verse 9 which will help you to better understand. God rules over darkness..
Psalms 97:2 "clouds and darkkness are round about Him" means that as God of this world, He still rules over all situations, Light and Darkness.

James 1:17 The "no variation" in this passage means that God is always the giver of good gifts and of love.
Ezekiel24:14 meant that God would not go back on his promise.
Genesis 6:16 God was unhappy with mans sin, and He will always be.
Jonah 3:10 God changed His mind, not His will for mankind. This goes to show that God is merciful, and we praise Him for His mercy.

1 Samuel 2:30 God blessed those who honored Him and did not esteem those who despised Him.
2 Kings 20: 1,4,5,6. I wonder why you left out verse 3, did it not support your argument? The prayer Hezekiah prayed in verse 3 is the reason God had mercy and did not kill him. God as always answered the prayers of His believers.
Ezekiel 33:1,3,14,17. There you go again, leaving out scripture that does not support your argument. If you use some of it, be fair, and use all of it. God does not vary. He said the Good will live and the evil will perish.

Just to name a few. You have not even named one my brother, but feel free to try again.

To Corpse:What you call "fiction" can save your soul.
To Zap: we are not fighting, we Glory in His Love.
To Johnnye: we need the input of non-believers, how else can
we win the world to Christ.
To Upside 66: What a wonderful crutch, needed by a ;world
crippled by sin.
To Skep Doc, Thousands more? I am still looking for one.
To Cindy H. My child, it was all inspired by God and nothing in
the New Testament contridicts anything in the Old
Testament.
2 Timothy 2:15 Study to show yourselves approved under God, workmen that needth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the Worth of Truth.

My seeking friends, God loves you and wants you to come home.

Answer 3

1- Many alleged contradictions are from passages taken out of context.
2- Many other alleged contradictions are apparent because of weak english translation.

If I had the time right now, I would show you that each of these passages likely fits into one of the two explanations, quite likely the first. Alleged contradictions are usually pointed out by people who don't understand the context of each passage.

For example, envy is noted as a sin, yet God is said to be a jealous God. Well, if one examines the difference between jealousy and envy, they would see there is actually no contradiction. Once again, I have no time to explain right now, so this is a very brief synopsis.

Answer 4

If you'd read the entire chapters instead of just a sentence, you'd understand what was really being said. However, I suspect you HAVE read them and you know better. You'd have to be actively opposed to God to have such a dishonest agenda. I won't waste my time disproving all of these, I'll just do the first set. I'll let your readers use their own brains and look them up for themselves.

In context, you'd see that Genesis 1:31 shows that God was satisfied with what he'd made -- with the work he had accomplished.

In Genesis 6:6, God BECAME angry and was sorry that He had created mankind because of their sin. It does not say that He was dissatisfied with His work.

The two passages are unrelated.

Be careful, friend, that you don't run out of time and pay the price for your rebellious attitude. The bible says the wages of sin is death, and that's no contradiction!!!

Answer 5

Genesis 6:5 answers your first accusation. He saw what His creation had becomce, and was saddened. This is not a contradiciton, but rather a different feeling in a different circumstance. As far as all the others, I don't have time to look them all up right now, but I can tell you that most of those are probably taken out of context. Simply understanding the context of the verse is paramount to differentiating betweeen what you percieve to be a conflict. Did you read those references for yourself, or were they spoonfed to you?

Answer 6

This is an easy one. Most of your references are Old Testement. Only the first five books of that are considered "written by God" the rest is history and commentary. It was written by men - perhaps divinely inspired, but it's more a primer on early Judism. It talks about law and historic events. New Testament references will contradict Old Testament because Jesus "established a New Covenant" He Changed the rules.

Answer 7

God saw all that he hadd made was good. And there was evening, and there was morning the sixth day. Gen. 1:31
Man had not yet sinned and therefore God had nothing to be sorrowful about.

The Lord was grieved that he had made man on the earth, and his heart was filled with pain. Gen. 6:6
Man had commited sin against God and so he has pain from that sin.

the lord appeared to him at night and said, :I have heard your prayer and have chosen thi place for myself as a temple for sacrifices...." 2Chron:12
I have chosen and consecrated this temple so that my Name may be there forever. My eyes and heart will always be there. 2Chron:16

Jesus had not yet came to fulfill prophecy or to redeem us so our bodies cannot be a living temple at this time since we are unclean.

However, the Most High does not live in houses made by men.As the prophet says: Heaven is my throne, and the earth my footstool.What kind of house will you build for me? says the Lord. Or where will my resting place be? Has not my hand made all these things? Acts 7:48-50

Jesus has come and now washed away our sins so our bodies can now be a living temple for him to reside within. Also a reminder that all creation is the temple that God himself had made. God builds his own temples. God did not build or consecrate these temples that the people were trying to call temples as he had done in the earlier passages in 2 Chron.

I do not fully understand 1 Tim 6:16 who alone is immortal and who lives in unapproachable light whom no one has seen or can see. To him be the honor and might forever. Amen
This is a description of God and not making the statement that he only dwells in the light.

I do not understand 1 Kings 8:12 and will study it further to answer this question.

The 2 passages in Ps 18:11 and Ps 97:2 are talking about literal darkness and not spiritual darkness. God never says he cannot dwell among a literal dark place, such would be saying he can't be with us in the night. He cannot dwell among darkness as in the sin that soils our souls. We have to ask for forgiveness and accept Jesus as savior so he can cleanse us so He can dwell within us.

Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows. James 1:17

I the Lord do not change, so you O descendants of Jacob, are not destroyed. Mal 3;6

"I the Lord have spoken. The time has come for me to act. I will not hold back: I will not have pity, nor will I relent. You will be judged according to your conduct and your actions, declares the Sovereign Lord. " Ezek 24:14

Does not talk about God being changeable or unchangebale. This scripture talks about the people refusing to let him cleanse them and therefore will be judged by God.

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? Num 23:19

This speaks to the integrity of his word that he will do as he says, whether it be to judge or to pour out mercy if one decides to follow.

Gen 6:6 does not say anything about God changing, only that his heart is grieved over the sin man has committed.

When God saw what they did and how they turned from their evil ways, he had compassion and did not bring upon them the destruction he had threatened. Jonah 3:10

He had only threatened this not made it a commandment or law. God is merciful to all who turn from evil and sin. He did not "change". He has always been merciful when we turn from sin.

1 Sam2:30-31
The promise of the priesthood to Aaron's house has not been annulled, but Eli and hishouse are to be excluded from the participation of this priviledge becasue of their sin. Do not start taking the bible out of context as you are trying to do. God's law is we love and obey him, only then do we receive his blessings as his children.

2 Kings 20:1-6 This proves the power of prayer. We all have the ability to petition God, whether he answers us in the way we want is up to him ultimately. The Lord will graciously favors those that seek and serve him earnestly.

Exodus 33:1-17 Another great example of God granting grace and favor among Moses who followed him earnestly. We cannot change God, only he can change what he requests and demands from us. The law has not changed, we are still to love God and others no matter what! Those are the ultimate commandments!

I do thank you for making me search my bible and myself for answers. I do not see these as conflicting or contradictory stories only stories filled with compassion, compassion that I will require for the many sins I commit against him daily even thought I know the law. God bless you and your search!

Answer 8

Have you ever changed your mind or done things differently than you have done them before? Of course you have, we all have. The bible was a series of writings by different people compiled into a book. These people observed and wrote over time. If we are made in the image of God and we change our minds or do things differently over time, than that means that God does too. You can't expect him to be one particular way and not change. He's not a figurine.

Answer 9

You are mislead by the prince of this world! there are know
contradiction in the bible. Would you like me to refute some
these so called contradictions and give you the correct answer you are seeking?

Answer 10

The Bible was inspired by man trying to understand God, hence its many contradictions. It isn't a "how to manual" penned by God for mankind. It was penned by mankind for mankind, and as such, must be handled very carefully.

I lot of blood was spilled over the years because of this book.