Christian Scholars find Contradictions in the Bible..?

Question

Dr. W Graham Scroggie of the Moody Bible Institute, Chicago, a prestigious Christian evangelical mission, says:

“..Yes, the Bible is human, although some out of zeal which is not according to knowledge, have denied this. Those books have passed through the minds of men, are written in the language of men, were penned by the hands of men and bear in their style the characteristics of men….It is Human, Yet Divine,”

Another Christian scholar, Kenneth Cragg, the Anglican Bishop of Jerusalem, says:

“...Not so the New Testament...There is condensation and editing; there is choice reproduction and witness. The Gospels have come through the mind of the church behind the authors. They represent experience and history...”

After listing many examples of contradictory statements in the Bible, Dr. Frederic Kenyon says:

“Besides the larger discrepancies, such as these, there is scarcely a verse in which there is not some variation of phrase in some copies [of the ancient manuscripts from which the Bible has been collected]. No one can say that these additions or omissions or alterations are matters of mere indifference

SO just wondering what the Christians out there have to say about this.. comments, opinions.

And no rudeness.. thanks

Answer 1

Actually, I've gone through three lists I found of contradictions in the Bible. So far I've discovered the "contradictions" are not actually contradictions. Most of the time they are verses or phrases pulled out of the context of the text because of the numbering system. Some seem to think the number system was deliberately done to begin and end thoughts when in reality it was arbitrary and done only to give us a reference system.

Other time those to consider them contradictions are not looking at God as a relationship or interactive God but a tyrant or despot. Since a relationship is opposite to the actions of a tyrant they don't understand how God would require us to interact with Him rather than order us.

Some times the "contradictions" are nothing more than translational errors. Hebrew, Greek and Chaldean (sorry can't remember how to spell that) are all languages that create mental pictures with their words. For example, the word translated mountain would create the mental image of strong, sky high, strength or it could create the mental image of grassy slopes and gentle breezes depending on the word used. When translators try to reduce the idea of the text to one or two English words there appear to be contradictions that actually do not exist.

Answer 2

Bible difficulties, or apparent Bible contradictions, exist. The opponents of Christianity often use them in their attempts to discredit Christianity. Sometimes these attacks undermine the faith of Christians who either don't understand the issues or don't have the resources to deal with them.

Opponents of Christianity will cite what they consider a Bible contradiction or difficulty by comparing one verse to another (or more) that seems to disagree with the first. In doing this, several verses are often referenced as being contradictory or problematic. Therefore, to make this section of CARM easy to use, it is arranged by verse for easy lookup. Since many of the same "difficulties" deal with one verse in opposition to another or even several others, I have listed all the verses addressed in the same answer. This makes the initial list look larger than it really is. For example, how many animals did Noah bring into the ark? Genesis 6:19-20 says two while Gen. 7:2-3 mentions seven. Therefore, both verses are listed and both links point to the same answer.

http://carm.org/introduction-bible-difficulties-and-bible-contradictions

If we read the Bible at face value, without a preconceived bias for finding errors, we will find it to be a coherent, consistent, and relatively easy-to-understand book. Yes, there are difficult passages. Yes, there are verses that appear to contradict each other. We must remember that the Bible was written by approximately 40 different authors over a period of around 1500 years. Each writer wrote with a different style, from a different perspective, to a different audience, for a different purpose. We should expect some minor differences. However, a difference is not a contradiction. It is only an error if there is absolutely no conceivable way the verses or passages can be reconciled. Even if an answer is not available right now, that does not mean an answer does not exist. Many have found a supposed error in the Bible in relation to history or geography only to find out that the Bible is correct once further archaeological evidence is discovered.

http://www.gotquestions.org/Bible-errors.html

The Big Book of Bible Difficulties: Clear and Concise Answers from Genesis to Revelation
By: Norman L. Geisler, Thomas Howe
http://www.christianbook.com/difficulties-clear-concise-answers-genesis-revelation/norman-geisler/9780801071584/pd/071584?event=AFF&p=1011693&

Answer 3

The Bible is told from the perspective of people who wrote it. Is it divinely inspired? Yes. However differences will happen because different people based on their background will see the same event different ways. If the four Gospels all said exactly the same thing that would be more false than the way they are now because then they would have been corroborated between the authors. It works the same way in court, if two people tell exactly the same story with no differences then it will not be believed because that shows that they came up with an edited story and so it is unreliable. The question does not come in the fact that the stories differ, but what the differences mean. Do any of the differences change a theological point made in the Bible? No, and so the Bible can be relied upon because the core points all match up and in it's key aspects it does not contradict itself.

Answer 4

The Bible isn't a historic previous e book. it incredibly is a compilation of information of nuanced legends and recommendations. so which you get different variations of a narrative one after the different. you do no longer think of the Upanishads additionally are packed with "contradictions" too? The e book have been written with the help of many different human beings over the path of centuries--a similar with the OT and NT and the apocryphal books that weren't lined interior the Bible yet nevertheless performs a stable place specifically Jewish and Christian human beings custom and mysticism. you could call the nuanced passages contradictions or your can call them changes of a topic matter. takes place a lot in mythology. the element is to work out previous the literalism and hair splitting and discover meaning interior the allegories (or no longer--existence is going on).

Answer 5

I am not sure if either of the latter two scholars where Christians. Claiming that they are members of a Christian denomination does not make them to be Christian.

The things I have read about each of them on the Internet in the last few minutes leads to believe the latter two were not in fact, Christians.

Pastor Art

Answer 6

I'd like to see the examples that are written by him. Just because he works at a Christian institution doesnt make him a Christian. I think that its his boasting that makes him believe that he knows everything about the Bible.

Answer 7

Yes the bible was wrote and translated by faithful men of God........That is what they are saying. You are reading in to it..Except the last one and I would check his credentials. The bible explains things in so many ways some people read it as discrepancy

Answer 8

Some people think that there is and some don't. I mean there are Christian Scholars that seem to explain the contradictions so it is a matter of what one thinks. I mean my pastor answered everyone of the contradictions that i brought up to him, so....

Answer 9

Bible versions have been changed...one: a sin to worship trees laden with silver and gold..." that's been deleted in the new version

Answer 10

Christians have always argued with Christians. That's why there are so many different sects.