I see heart's post has not been addressed yet.
Originally posted by heart
Okay, I can understand how that can happen. However, there are many many obvious contradictions in the bible. I'll give you 3 simple examples.
What were the last words Jesus spoke according to Matthew, Luke, and John?
Matt: 27:46
"And about the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani? that is to say, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?"
Luke 23:46
"And when Jesus had cried with a loud voice, he said, Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit: and having said thus, he gave up the ghost."
John 19:30
"When Jesus therefore had received the vinegar, he said, It is finished: and he bowed his head, and gave up the ghost."
Are these really contradictions, or are they just different accounts?
If only one is genuine, and the others are traditions, or derived from different hearers, how does it change the report that Jesus died? You might reach different conclusions from each one, and learn something from it. We have three incomplete accounts giving one complete picture.
If they were really contradictions, you would have been able to reach different conclusions from each of them...
What did Jesus do after being baptized?
Mark 1:12,13
"And immediately the spirit driveth him into the wilderness. And he was there in the wilderness forty days, tempted of Satan."
John 1:35, 43; 2:1
"(1:35)Again the next day after John stood, and two of his disciples. (1:43)The day following Jesus would go forth into Galilee, and findeth Philip, and saith unto him, Follow me. (2:1)And the third day there was a marriage in Cana of Galilee."
So either he was tempted in the wilderness for 40 days by Satan or he and his disciples attended a wedding :bugeye:
Once again, their is no conflict in what is being said. Matthew, Mark and Luke mention the temptation, and say that Jesus left for Galilee after John (the baptist) was imprisoned.
So we have: baptism->temptation->John imprisoned->Galilee->first disciples->miracles
No contradiction - just different perspectives. John includes the otherwise insignificant Cana miracle (nobody's life was saved, and the guests did not even know about the miracle) for a reason: it indicates the nature of Jesus' ministry and God's work. Something mundane became something of great worth. Even today, something that seems miraculous is still sometimes referred to as "turning water into wine".
Is all scripture inspired by God?
2 Timothy 3:16
"All scripture is given by inspiration of God...."
1 Cor.7:12.:
"But to the rest speak I, not the Lord."
1 Cor.7:25
"Now concerning virgins I have no commandment of the Lord: yet I give my judgment...."
The only "Scripture" available at Timothy's time was the Hebrew Bible - probably the Septuagint (70 books). The New Testament was not regarded as scripture at the time. Paul's epistles are inspired by Jesus, and at the same time testify about Jesus, whose life is the "Scripture come alive". We can safely say "all Scripture is God's work, and Jesus did God's work, so both are God's work". The Holy Spirit extends that qualification to all people who believe in Him: insofar we do God's work, we are also "inspired by God", working in the "Spirit of God", etc.
My point is there are contradictions- whether the Bible was inspired totally by God or not- it was handwritten by men- and according to 1 Cor 7:25 -they did give their opinion. With that in mind ..The Bible was written in greek and hebrew, a language that is not ours...it couldn't have been translated 100% correctly...on top of that...those that did translate it for our reading had the ability to interject their own beliefs.
A contradiction is where one thing makes another impossible - i.e.when they are mutually exclusive. Discrepancies are not contradictions, and they do not automatically make the accounts invalid - but they
do invite further study.
I'm sorry that God cannot be simplified in one word, one sentence, or even one book. Unfortunately that is the nature of the God we are dealing with in the Bible. People's opinions are important, but it is more important that the
subjected their opinions to God's will. God made quite a few concessions in the Bible, but that does not mean He compromised his integrity. Paul also makes a few concessions, such as divorce, but it is in the Spirit of love and good relations. Remember, he was ministring mostly to gentiles, not Jews who were familiar with God's laws.
As for the translations: There are resources at
www.searchgodsword.com where you can look up the original Hebrew/Greek texts along with translations. I use it frequently. Accuracy of translation is not such a problem as accuracy of interpretation, and that is why study is important. There was also no opportunity to "inject" any "own beliefs", because we still have the untranslated documents in the languages the authors used themselves. (
Manuscript reliability)
"Interpretation" is also not so self-evident. The main message of the Bible is simple: Love for God and love your neighbour. That requires no interpretation. What flows from this is God's love for us, and the form of that love. Things move out from the central message in concentric circles that become harder and harder to understand the further you go. Why it
seems so complicated is that you approach it backwards, from the most complicated philosophical, critical and scientific positions, back to God. You might as well close your eyes to God, since there is no knowledge that will put you on equal footing with God - that will bring
you to
Him by your own powers. If you don't believe in God, or that He
wants to reach you, you are effectively shutting your ears to Him.
Listen to what Paul wrote to the Hebrews:
Hebrews 6
1Therefore let us leave the elementary teachings about Christ and go on to maturity, not laying again the foundation of repentance from acts that lead to death, and of faith in God, 2instruction about baptisms, the laying on of hands, the resurrection of the dead, and eternal judgment. 3And God permitting, we will do so.
These "foundations" were established by Christ himself, by God's authority. You can't get to them without listening to Jesus and believing that he was who he claimed to be.