The Bible confuses/scares me?!?

Question

This is for all those who say ('read the Bible - it's all explained there') or whatever in their answers.

I am not dissing the Bible at all - in fact I am very spiritual and respect it a great deal. However there are certain parts of it that confuse, and even terrify me - and I want to try and make sense of it all.

Let me ask you something. Whether you are married or not, have you ever looked at a woman lustfully? Even just once? Well then you have committed adultery. Do you know what the Bible says you must do?

"If your right eye causes you to sin, GOUGE IT OUT AND THROW IT AWAY. It is better for you to lose a part of your body than to have all of it thrown into hell." Matthew 5:29

Those are the words of Jesus Himself. If you commit the sin of lust with your eyes, you are to gouge out your eye.

How many people have actually done this? Or are we 'not to take this literally'? And if so, how do we know what other parts are 'not to be taken literally'?

(continues below)

I mean, I could go on and on (but the word limit stops me from doing that)

I don't want to hear answers from atheists.. I know what you believe already. I want to get some answers from real Christians who can attempt to explain this sort of thing to me.

Seriously, I really want to read and trust in the Bible but some of it is frankly so outlandish that I have difficulty.

Another example: In Luke 6:27 we are told to 'love our enemies', which is certainly a decent command.

But then later on we are told in Isaiah 42:13 that "Like a warrior, God will stir up His zeal. With a shout, He will raise the battle cry, and will triumph over His enemies"

So God is going to punish and defeat His enemies, but we must love ours?

And then, even stranger: 'If any man come to me, and hate not his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters, yea, and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple" are Jesus' words.. so we are to hate our families but love our enemy

? It just doesn't make sense. I would like to know if real Christians have read this stuff and can either understand it or at least admit that, at times, they have struggled with some of it.

I mean most of it is very uplifting and there are many great 'pearls of wisdom' in there, but it is stuff like this that really shakes my belief in the whole thing.

Anyone want to shed some light?

Anthony B - then why did He not just say that?! He could have quite easily just said 'if you right eye causes you to sin, cut the sin out of your life' right?! But the words are quite clear - 'GOUGE YOUR EYE OUT'!

Answer 1

--ALERT,WHEN READING the accounts that you referred to please keep in mind , that Jesus never practiced or taught unreasonableness!

--THUS AS STRONG and drastic as some of the texts you referred sounded, please keep in mind that Jesus never taught WITHOUT using an illustration to emphasize his teachings:

UPDATE # 1
***PLEASE NOTE he used the ongoing expression "keeps on"(some translations do not make that distinction, thus leading to confusion)
***(Matthew 5:27-28) “27 “YOU heard that it was said, ‘You must not commit adultery.’ 28 But I say to YOU that everyone that KEEPS ON LOOKING (my caps) at a woman so as to have a passion for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart. . .”

--TO QUALIFY what Jesus meant by plucking out ones eye etc. , please note what his half-brother said about sins that can develope in our personage, AND the control we wish to or DO NOT wish to exercise:

(James 1:14-15) “. . .But each one is tried by being drawn out and enticed by his own desire. 15 Then the desire, when it has become fertile, gives birth to sin; in turn, sin, when it has been accomplished, brings forth death.”
***TO ILLUSTRATE:
--When King David saw the beautiful Bathsheba bathing , he had a choice to make , and he made a very selfish one and allowed his DESIRE to take over ,
--SO THEN would it not have been good if he FIGUATIVELY cut his eyes out , so that he would not let his desires to take over?

--WHAT COULD HE HAVE DONE?
---1.He could have turned away & stayed away from his view!
---2. Gone to his wife and if he was aroused by his view , change it over to having sex with her rather than stealing another man's wife and murdering him!
---3. Prayed for God to help him with self control!
---4. etc
---OR OTHER drastic action to stop the developing desire for Bathsheba!

UPDATE # 2
---------THE HATE ISSUE, the idea of hate has the meaning of loving less , not always in the sense of being vindictive!

*** it-1 pp. 1042-1043 Hate ***
--In the Scriptures the word “hate” has several shades of meaning. It may denote intense hostility, sustained ill will often accompanied by malice. Such hate may become a consuming emotion seeking to bring harm to its object. “Hate” may also signify a strong dislike but without any intent to bring harm to the object, seeking instead to avoid it because of a feeling of loathing toward it. The Bible also employs the word “hate” to mean loving to a lesser degree. (Ge 29:31, 33; De 21:15, 16) For example, Jesus Christ said: “If anyone comes to me and does not hate his father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own soul, he cannot be my disciple.” (Lu 14:26) Obviously Jesus did not mean that his followers were to feel hostility or loathing toward their families and toward themselves, as this would not be in agreement with the rest of the Scriptures.—Compare Mr 12:29-31; Eph 5:28, 29, 33.

****JESUS USED VIVID illustrations to make his points unforgettable:

(Matthew 13:34-35) “34 All these things Jesus spoke to the crowds by illustrations. Indeed, WITHOUT AN ILLUSTRATION (my caps) he would not speak to them; 35 that there might be fulfilled what was spoken through the prophet who said: “I will open my mouth with illustrations, I will publish things hidden since the founding.””

--FOR INSTANCE to qualify his reason note what he said to his faithful disciples when he said :
(John 6:54-56) “54 He that feeds on my flesh and drinks my blood has everlasting life, and I shall resurrect him at the last day; 55 for my flesh is true food, and my blood is true drink. 56 He that feeds on my flesh and drinks my blood remains in union with me, and I in union with him.”

--DID HE ACTUALLY have his disciples do the above --NO!
--GOING ON he said:
Therefore many of his disciples, when they heard this, said: “This speech is shocking; who can listen to it?” 61 But Jesus, knowing in himself that his disciples were murmuring about this, said to them: “Does this stumble YOU?"
--THUS the affect it had was to separate those who lacked appreaciation for him & his true teachings left prematurely without really wanting to know WHAT HE MEANT!
--HIS SIMPLE meaning was that his disciples would need to decide whether to be fully involved in Jesus example, teachings, worship of his father etc. that many in his day refused to do because of false religious ideas as to who & what the true messiah was and would do!

***PLEASE NOTE WHAT one well known historian said about Jesus's teachings and the affect it would have , above anyone elses teachings in all of history:

*** gt The Greatest Man Who Ever Lived ***

The historian H. G. Wells said that a man’s greatness can be measured by ‘what he leaves to grow, and whether he started others to think along fresh lines with a vigor that persisted after him.’ Wells, although not claiming to be a Christian, acknowledged: “By this test JESUS STANDS FIRST" (my caps)

--CONSIDER THIS ALSO, that if every detail about what Jesus did, taught & explanation was made , note what size a book it would have to be IN ORDER to contain everything
(John 21:25) “. . .There are, in fact, many other things also which Jesus did, which, if ever they were written in full detail, I suppose, the world itself could not contain the scrolls written.”

Answer 2

Some Catholic bibles altered the ten commandments taking out the bit about not worshiping statues. Mostly the differences are more mundane just using different words to give the same original meaning. The JWs use their own translation their scholars translated. As far as I know they kept true to original meaning, but it doesn't stop them from having strange ideas. Read on for a more Academic answer. -------------------- Modal logic suggests that for every individual mind there is unique understanding of truth that they alone can know if explained to them in a singular way. This suggests that no one book can describe the fullness of the attributes of a hypothetical God, and God would indeed need to have a holy spirit to reveal the truth to each heart. The greek idea of a Logos, such as Jesus, to personify God in an humanly understandable fashion arises from this idea from modal logic. Another aspect of this idea is the idea that each person will find different truths in the one text. But all this is really off topic. We have different versions of the Bible because the Bible was not written originally in English. Different people tried to translate it at different times. E.g. The King James Bible was written in a gutter (common)form of old english. In those days only the elite used "you" and "yours". The good news bible was written in the 20th century in you and yours form when Thee and Though became formal talk. There are still some errors in today's translations. E.g. The commandment "Do not kill" should have been translated "do not murder" because the word used literally meant do not illegally kill. In the Bible God told the Israelites to commit genocide. Killing was obviously sometimes condoned. The Bible as we know it was a collection of stuff chosen by a bunch of priests in Nicaea long after the time the events supposedly took place. They claim God inspired them what to choose but God knows if they were telling the truth. Also there have been suspected transcription mistakes over the years such that today's Bible may not be quite the same as originally written. Many historians believe the Bible is mostly a bunch of fairy tales anyway.

Answer 3

You are right to be scared by the Bible, for it will reveal your sin.

As you have picked on the look of lust, who is there that is not convicted by such?

That is an easy one to apply, but in fact all of God's law will apply though at first it might not be so immediately clear.

All sin is an offence against God, a breach of His Law.

Just as criminals in earthly courts must be punished and are not just let off so much the more in God's perfect justice must all sin be punished.

Of course there will be a final judgement of all but yet there are judgements even in this life which you have picked up on in the poetic language of God's triumph over His enemies. It may also have a reference to darker forces behind the human personality.

People do not like the Bible because it reminds them and convicts them of their sin and gross falling short of God's glory.

The gouging out of an eye is language to show the very serious steps you must take to avoid sin. After all you have two eyes, so gouging out one would be insufficient if you were to take it literally. With a little thought you should be able to understand what is literal and what is descriptive.

You will surely find that you will not be able to stop sinning and obey God in your own strength alone, you will find that you do not even want to. It is all there in the Bible.

Read Romans especially.

You will need, as all others, to seek God, both for His forgiveness and for strength to live as you should, and also for understanding of those things you don't.

The Bible shows you and it is a personal journey. Don't be hindered by any, not by men nor churches but seek God for yourself, for that is what He would have and He is well able to provide in absolutely everything.

But first you have a problem, as many before have also had. The problem of your sin and accountability to God.

Until you close with Him about that, you will remain outside and the Bible likely continue a scary, confusing and threatening Book. It remains God's word and though now you may not be able to understand parts of it, those that you can are probably the ones that are relevant to you in your position and if you are faithful in your response more will be given.

Read Romans and also John.

Answer 4

First of all the Bible is the revealed word of God and this has to be the very basis for the believer, it is also a fact that the English language is a bastard language i.e made up from many others and therefore is unable to give us the exact meaning of ancient languages like Hebrew ,Aramaic and even Greek.
The truth is that God gave us common sense and we must use this if we are to understand scripture as it is presented to us today, it is better though for the church to explain scripture than for a lay-person as it has the wisdom and understanding to do so.
Jesus really did not expect us to gouge out our eyes for example but this was said for us to realize the importance of staying pure in thought and deed, in the other passage Christ is telling us that no-one should be elevated to the place that God should hold in our lives, or if you like put it this way,,
God is first,Family second,Friends third and Me last.

Answer 5

It confounds me too but I love it big time. On the matter of loving your enemies, I believe what it means is that you should not avenge. Then God takes care of that. You might never know, but once you forgive someone, God takes note of that and goes ahead to rebuke them though you might never know that he has done it. About leaving your family I believe a paraphrase would be, "If called upon to forsake your family for the sake of the gospel you should be ready to do it". Just like Abraham was ready to sacrifice his only son because he loved God unreservedly.
As a conclusion, the bible says that we now know in part but one day we will know as we are known. There is little one can do except wait for the day of that great revelation.

Answer 6

Here's the verse:
Mat 5:27-28
27. "You have heard that it was said, `You shall not commit adultery';
28. but I say to you, that everyone who looks on a woman to lust for her has committed adultery with her already in his heart.

So, in other words, don't look at a woman "to" lust for her (i.e., for *the purpose* of lusting for her). If you do, you can repent of your sin and not buy any more playboys or visit any more shaker shacks. You don't have to take your eye out unless you are literally unable to restrain yourself. In that case (the case where removing your own eye is the only way you can stop pursuing your visual lust for women), I don't think removing your eye would actually help.

Jim, http://www.jimpettis.com/wheel/

Answer 7

The old testament is contradicted by the new testament, which has been changed over the years to be a bit more leniant. Everything in the old testament is confirmed by the scriptures in the Qu'ran. Read Leviticus 11:8 - in the new testament, in the book of John, Jesus is alleged to have condoned what God then condemned... Why?...

Answer 8

You need the Holy Spirit to give you the meaning of Scrpture. Jesus simply meant that the if you love your sin more than Him you will be thrown into hell. If it is looking at a woman lustfully that makes you reject Jesus then cut that out of your life. Give up doing that thing that makes you sin for Jesus.

Answer 9

The bible says it is better to remove you eye then to enter into hell fire. If your saved you cannot go to hell so you need to lean on Jesus to help you with your sin. He will change it. No one is without sin and the lust of the eyes 1Jn 2:15-16. It is of the world, draw nearer to God thru his word and prayer and you will have victory over your flesh and sin.

Answer 10

Remember this parts of the old testament are allegorical and are not meant to be taken literally. Much of the original meaning has been lost I feel due to translation.

Answer 11

unfortunately YESHUA did say that and HE meant it.
what our problem is , is in HIS time it was a rare thing.
now a days, you know the problem, porn is everywhere.
you see our time is unique. never before was sin so
rampant. now we can't get away from it and it Is A
Major problem. that is why so many believe it is the end
times. this is Not what ADONAI wanted. sin is way out
of control.