Why does the bible contradict itself?

Question

It says an eye for an eye in one part, but it also says to turn the other cheek.... And it says that God has never-ending love for us, but then why does He send people to Hell? It is His choice.... I want to believe in Him, but the bible has so many contradictions...

Answer 1

You want to call differences in text 'contradictions,' ok . . . but if there were no 'contradictions, would you then claim it was edited and written so perfectly that it can't be true?

The Bible is a collection of 66 different books, some history, some poetry, some songs, some letters, as well as the rules of an ancient religion . . . written over the span of thousands of years. Problems arise when people can't tell one from another, and confuse them into each other.

Taking one sentence written 2,200 years before another sentence and puting them together is as silly as taking what you said yesterday, and comparing it to what you said when you were two years-old.

People tend to focus on the words in the Bible, and miss the message behind the story. The creation story of Genesis 1 and 2, for example, are poetry, the message is that God is powerful, neither of which is a history lesson.

Adam and Eve is a metaphor -- not literal history. It's poetic parable -- not the literal story of two people, for example.

The Bible is a fantastic collection of stories written by, about, and for the followers of the God of Abraham, and the followers of Christ.

Of course the Bible isn’t THE WORD OF GOD . . . it’s translated into a language we can understand – Jesus didn’t speak English, for example.

But the Bible is God’s Word . . . meaning the message, not the medium or the method, is what God tries to tell us.

Being a follower of Christ is about having a personal relationship with a risen Savior, not about a book. The Bible is important, but God speak to us in many different ways, not just through the Bible.

And God doesn't 'send people to Hell,' you'll not find that in the Bible at all.

Godspeed.

Answer 2

Stacy

The apparent contradictions are from your lack of knowledge about the scripture. All scripture must be taken in the context it was given and one must remember that the New Testiment writers make the assumption that you understand the Old Testiment because because its really just a fullfilling of the faith they already had, Its not a New Covenanent is a Renewed Covenanent by a price far superior to the blood of bulls and goats.

I'll address you two points as an example.

Eye for and eye, in the context of the scripture is not a "commandment" but a judgement or a statute. It was a legal ruling to basically say when you cause another person to suffer loss you must repay them in kind. If you look at the context you will find its talking about monitary recompense and so a judgement would be made... How much was the eye worth? Or the hand? or whatever? What was the loss of income from the loss? It is a judgement.

What Yahshua was saying when he said turn the other cheek is that yes even in the New Testiment times the courts were being used to fleece people with unjust lawsuits where they would sue for more than the eye for eye due recompence but would sue for far more. He in no way abolished the idea that there should be just recompence for injury or loss he was just saying be willing to suffer loss from the evil person who would take advantage of the system.

God loves us with a never ending love. A question for you? Would God grant to a person who constantly causes themselves and those around the grief by the evil they commit eternal life so they could be forever unhappy and make other unhappy? Is that love? Maybe its a worldly definition of love but its not a biblical one.

As far as sending people to hell, Hell is a myth that the Church father's borrowed from Greek Mythology to scare the bejebbers out of people so they would behave. God does not send people to a place where they are tormented forever. The wages of sin is death and after the final judgement it is said in the closing chapters of Revealation that those who are wicked will suffer the second death, cast into the lake of fire, and they won't even be remembered but will be ashes under the feet of the saints.

True love does not accept bad behavior from others and say "thats okay dear". That God actually gives us an oppourtunity to repent and turn to Him and is patient with us when we mess up is proof of His unending Love.

It may say that He is not willing that any should perish, but it does not say that He will just wink at sin and let it go, because it also says Many are called but FEW are choosen.

Stop focusing in on a single verse comparison and decide the scripture contridicts itself but instead actually read your scripture and make sure you pay attention to the context and the time (in History) that the things are said.

Answer 3

There is an old covenant and a new covenant, before Jesus came it was an eye for an eye. Sin is the problem. In the OT they offered animals as sacrifice for sins, the Bible says that the blood of bulls and goats is no remission for sins. In the NT Jesus came to make a new Covenant, born of a Virgin, Jesus was Perfect, without sin, and when He died on the Cross as a Perfect Sacrifice He washed away our sins. His perfect Blood sacrifice atoned for the Sins of all man past,present and future, Because he was Perfect. When He arose from the Grave the third day He forever opened the door to Salvation to all. Now we no longer live under the old covenant because a Perfect Sacrifice has been given. Jesus paid the Price, our sins can be forgiven, the Bibles says that revenge is mine saith the Lord I will repay. Now we have no right to harm someone unless of course we are defending ourselves or someone else. We are to live peaceably with all men if possible the Bible says. There are no contridictions in the Bible. Now that Jesus is our Lord we must believe in Him to go to Heaven, Jesus said in John 3:3 that except a man be born again he cannot see the kingdom of God. Unless you are a believer in Jesus down in your heart you will not go to Heaven. Unless you have a Personal Relationship with Jesus Christ you will spend eternity with the devil, the Bible is very clear on that. I encourage you to read the Gospel of John, and start atttending church, it is the most important decision you will ever make, eternity is a long time. make sure you spend it in Paradise, not somewhere's else, if you have any questions just send me an email, Good luck and May God Bless You!

Answer 4

First of all, The Bible does not Contradict itself.
Secondly, God does not send people to Hell, It is called Free Will. Everyone has it and those that chose to believe in God and Jesus Christ will go to Heaven and those that don't will go to Hell, it is that simple! All you have to do is believe that Jesus died on the Cross to save you of your sins and believe that he is the Son of God. You must also be truly repentant.

The reason the Bible says "an eye for an eye" (in the Old Testament) and then "...Turn the other cheek.." (in the New Testament) is because God was a vengeful God in the Old Testament and in the New Testament, it shows us how he has changed into a forgiving and loving God. I truly hope that you can accept this answer and the Truth!
God Bless! If you have any more questions and want to talk you can email me. I will be happy to answer any questions you may have that I can. I may not be able to answer them all, but I can pray to God, who has all answers and I know that he will guide me to show you the way!

Answer 5

Stacy:

To adress what you said here:

1. An eye for an eye is a metaphor-not meant to be taken literally. It means that there must be retribution for a wrong done to another. But Jesus taught us to love each other, & NOT seek revenge-ergo-turn the other cheek, jsut as He did before He was crucified.

2. God does HAVE a never ending love for us, as we see here:


John 3:16-17 (New International Version)
New International Version (NIV)
Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society



16"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son,[a] that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. 17For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.

God doesn't send ANYONE to hell. People do it to themselves, by their rejection of Christ.

Search the Bible, & you will find that there ARE no contradictions, after all!

Answer 6

I've been studying this for years and I do not believe that there is any contradictions in scripture. As for the eye for an eye part. The Law of Moses states that in order to say the punishment should fit the crime in order for a society to have law. Jesus was referring to a personal relationship to each other that we shouldn't seek that revenge or justice but rather try to love each other.

The part of God's love. That is also true, but we ourselves choose to live the way we want to. We can choose to obey God and go to Heaven or we can ignore what He requests and go to Hell. It is our choice and we in a sense force God's hand to send us to hell by our actions.

Answer 7

The Bible never contradicts itself.

An eye for eye is part of the law when we sin,but now that we are not under the law we no longer are supressed by it.The law was perfect that's why we unperfect people can never obey it fully.To turn the other cheek shows how patient the Bible teaches us to be,the Bible is a gospel of love.

Indeed God has never-ending love for us,but Hell has never meant for us but for the Devil and the rest of the fallen Angels.
We are walking away from the path of Heaven to the road to Hell by rejecting Jesus whose death was to save us.

Please believe in Jesus today.
God bless ya.

Answer 8

Matt 24:25, Mark 13:30, Luke 24:32 ". . . this era shall no longer bypass till ultimately a selection of of those issues be completed." Jesus replaced into telling his disciples that "temple could be destroyed, wars, calamities, fake prophets, and then he could look above the cloud in triumph for the period of the tip days, earlier the loss of life of his disciples." a selection of of those have been reiterated in each and all the three gospels. yet his disciples died 2000 years in the past. end days did no longer take place, and Jesus lied approximately it or the gospel writers lied approximately it. in spite of the case, this is the main suitable contradiction of all. using fact Jesus isn't a god otherwise how ought to a god be incorrect approximately his very own prophecy? Or the bible is in basic terms a e book of lies! EDIT: do no longer attempt to apply sophistry on on line communicate board. THIS era noted the era of his disciples, and there is not any different meaning. Such denials as quickly as lower back proves that Christians lie just to justify their god.

Answer 9

You want to believe in Jesus??? But since you are confused you are doubting?
First of all you must actually READ that Chapter....there is no contradiction Jesus mentions eye for an eye then states how it should really be.. Read Matthew 5--don't just Hear bits & pieces and assume it is a contradiction- be proactive & read it for yourself.
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As for people burning in hell......... it is THEIR choice- If they reject salvation... then they will burn- If they accept it- then they will have eternal life John 3:16
THERE WILL BE NO SIN IN HEAVEN --IT WILL BE DESTROYED.
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How about you get a newer version of the Bible--maybe you will be less confused.

Answer 10

Old testament vs. New testament is where your cited 'contradictions' take place. Jesus fulfilled the OT prophecies and replaced the law of Moses with two commandments to Love.
G-d does not condemn people to Hell - they push the gates open themselves.