Question:
Why does Gods word seem to contradict itself?
Saved By Grace
2008-01-02 22:35:08 UTC
I'm a believer in Jesus and I have been on here enjoying other people,(especially believers), but I'm hurt because Gods word seems to contradict itself. I deliberately stay away from some verses, Like He who endures to the end will be saved. because I know I am saved no matter what, because of other verses like He that believe in the Son has everlasting life and will not come into judgment.
One verse I ignore is , if your hand causes you to sin, cut it off because you will be in danger of hell fire,it is better to go to heaven with out a hand, then not go at all.
These verses that seem to contradict, can not be for believers, can they?
I just simply believe that they mean something else. I would rather believe in the grace of the Lord Jesus, who seals me unto the day of redemption them pay a lot of attention to verses that seem to contradict that.
I can't help it, when I believed those verses, I had constant fear of hell @ I forgot I was cleansed @ I couldn't grow .
42 answers:
jojo
2008-01-02 22:40:46 UTC
because you are not fully understanding what you are reading.
Joyful Noise
2008-01-02 22:53:26 UTC
Sweetheart, you have no reason to fear. That's a lie from Satan where the spirit of fear comes from. I'll see if I can shed some light on those scriptures.



He who endures to the end will be saved.........you have to read the complete section. You don't give reference, but I suspect this is speaking of those left behind and come to know Christ in the tribulation period, after the rapture takes place. If you are saved now, it doesn't even apply to you. In any case it is actually saying ...because you are saved, you will endure to the end.



If your hand causes you to sin, etc...........This scripture is just trying to make a point of how serious sin is to the Father. In no way does it mean to literally cut off your hand.....it's just saying to do whatever you need to do to keep from sinning. (ex. if you lust after someone who is not your spouse in your workplace and can't seem to get it under control, maybe you should change jobs, if that's what it takes, so you don't work with that person).



You never have to avoid any verses in the Bible. You can always trust all of God's Word and should seek help when you don't understand it, or if it seems to contradict itself. God's Word doesn't contradict itself, ever. But, there is more to understanding it than just reading verses out of context. It helps to know the culture of the times, the history of the people involved, even their personality, the reason and circumstances under which a particular scripture was written, the translation of languages, and on and on. I would suggest you get under the wing of a seasoned Christian or join an in depth Bible study group. Continue to study and always trust that God has your best interest at heart.....if you don't understand something, ask someone. God bless you.
eternal_satyr
2008-01-03 00:46:02 UTC
The Bible contradicts itself in thousands of ways. It was written over the course of centuries by countless people. Of course there will be contradictions.



The truest test of your belief is this: Raise the dead. Cure the sick. Give sight to the blind. Walk on water. Perform the "miracles" "Jesus" allegedly performed. If you can do these things, and there's no good reason why you (as a "true Christian") could not, then you will have your answer.



"Jesus" said, Ask and it shall be given unto you. Knock and the door will be opened. If you ask for the ability to heal the sick and God does not give you that power, then you have your answer.



Good luck with that.
anonymous
2008-01-02 23:02:41 UTC
heres how I would figure it.

different scriptures have different degrees of reliability. if a "less reliable" scripture contradicts a "more reliable" scripture, then it is wrong.



now, heres the additional problem. inteperetation!



an entirely accurate text can be interpereted wrongly and appear to contradict, when its really the understanding of it that is contradictory/flawed.



like in Jewish text, the torah(the 5 books of moses) are the most reliable of all, the most definitive.

other books of the old testament are secondary, still very reliable, but not *quite* as definitive as the torah (though, some most likely disagree or split hairs on this)

the talmud would be signifigantly less definitive, but still more signifigant than just regular books.



now, of course theres a question of how signifigant the NT is. personally I don't see it as all that reliable at all. of course as a christian you see it more signifigantly.



but its something for you to consider.



did you know that in the old testament, there WAS no eternal hell? the concept of eternal torment was not in abrahamic belief whatsoever until christianity came around.



perhaps the belief in Jesus as you describe, is what is contradictory.



for me, your belief in Jesus is in direct contradiction to the first few lines of the 10 commandments.



from MY perspective it is your belief that you are cleansed like that, that is holding you from growing.



cleansed from what? original sin? read the original genesis again, in its simple form. ... it doesn't really give the impression of original sin as many believe it.



could God not forgive without jesus, simply by wishing it so?
anonymous
2008-01-03 01:28:06 UTC
do you believe in hell? if you are saved as you say then the answer is yes, right. knowing what hell is would you agree that it would be better to lose a hand than go to hell? try to understand, the lord doesn't want us to go around cutting off body parts, but rather he wants us to know the difference between living for him or living in sin. and what a small price a hand would be compared to eternity in hell. hope this helps, and just because you don't understand a verse doesn't mean to ignore it.
anonymous
2008-01-02 22:58:25 UTC
I have also wondered sometimes when I find passages of scripture that seem to directly contradict each other. However, I know that there can only be one truth. When Jesus's disciples asked him how they should know the way after he was gone he told them that the Father would send them a Comforter or the Holy Ghost. (See John 14, especially verses 5-6, 16, and 26.)



Heavenly Father will send you the comforter too, if you diligently seek the truth and pray for guidance. God wants us to know the truth and not fear. He will guide you in your sincere efforts to understand His words.
Love Exists?
2008-01-02 22:53:32 UTC
You don't think its funny that you have to ignore verses in your holy book to believe it? Either you believe it or not. You can't believe some of it and not other. It contradicts its self because it was written by power hungry men trying to push their own dogma. If these verses are the only ones that bother you then I am not sure you are reading your bible right because there are countless other verses that contradict each other. Not to mention the old testament is full of violence. New testament is not any better.



I really suggest you read the " God Delusion" by RD to put things in perspective and raise religious concisenesses.



To people who say that we have to take some verses symbolically how do you decide which ones to take literally and which ones to take symbolically. Does your bible come with a readers manual?





to the OP, Are you sure thats what that happened? Because some times when we go through traumatic events we repressed bad memories and make up new ones in that place. If you truly believe that "God" saved you that day then why just you? Does not sound like you are any more religious then thousands of other people who die everyday. Why not them? Why you, so you can later doubt the verses? Why not the starving kids in Darfur? Why not people in developing countries? Do you really think that if there is a deity out there some where he has nothing better to do then save one's life while other die of starvation?
tracy211968
2008-01-02 22:53:41 UTC
The Bible doesn't contradict. What other verses are you going to ignore?! That is the thing with people today, they don't like what the Bible says when it's pointing out what kind of lifestyle they're living or anything else they may have to give up. The Bible is the Word of God and you ignore certain verses because you don't like what it says?!! What's next that you want to ignore?! The Ten Commandaments??!!! Grow up!!
super Bobo
2008-01-02 22:45:21 UTC
'...Like He who endures to the end will be saved. because I know I am saved no matter what, because of other verses like He that believe in the Son has everlasting life and will not come into judgment.'



I have the following verse in response to the quote above:

“I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. 2 He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful.' John 15:1-2



I've seen some 'believers' fall away, and not return. They're all over R&S as well. Maybe in the end, they'll return, or be returned, I don't know.



Some of the problems we have is with our understanding of the original text. There are verses which aren't clean, or straight forward, when translated into English. Another problem we have is that we don't spend the time to delve into these areas of 'conflict'.



Spend some time delving into the verses you're not comfortable with. There are plenty of great sources on the web, and pray about it.
Ozark Hunt Kennel
2008-01-02 22:52:52 UTC
Without waisting a lot of your time. I too struggled with many of these verses until I studied the culture and time period in which these scriptures were written and was overwhelmed by how many wonderful truths we miss out on because of our ignorance of the culture during this period. There are no contradictions, only bad translations and a lack of knowledge being taught from behind the pulpits of America.
Mikelley
2008-01-02 23:33:31 UTC
God being perfect and thus his words too cannot contradict himself only humans do that or they imagine contradictions due to not understanding the various literary forms God uses in his revelations.The only contradiction is in the manner you interpret his word in scripture.



First of all the lies or errors in your belief foundation is causing what seems to be contradictions. It is a calvinist lie that you are saved no matter what. Jesus never said that. Rather he conditions it to persevering to the end.

May the curse of God be upon his work in the Last Judgement for all the false ideas that false prophet and others like him taught.



Jesus said its not enough to accept him as savior. He said its not those who say Lord,Lord,(implying a socalled self saving faith) but only those who do the will of his Father in heaven enter his kingdom. No one is literally in fact saved, past tense, until they are in heaven. Until then we can have a reasonable hope, confidence and faith we will be saved if we live in union with God's will made known by Jesus. But no one with self centered pride, especially in being saved or without love or obedience to his commandments gets into his paradise because they dont fit in, dont harmonize with God.

The hand cutting doesn't contradict anything because you are interpreting it literally. Jesus expects his followers and listeners to be smart enough to understand the point he's making with the dramatic hebrewism, metaphor image easy to remember that heaven is worth more than your hand if it causes sins that keep out of heaven.

He expects people to be smart enough to see its better to get rid of the sin rather than one's hand.

Just because you were cleansed last year doesn't mean you are still clean. Have you taken a shower since a year or two ago? Why? Didn't the last shower keep you permanently clean? See?Interpreting God's word without context with everything else God says about it is what causes 60,000 denomintions to divide Christianity which is the effect of the spirit of the AntiChrist causing it in the first place.



Jesus gives his own original church, the only one he founded, the Catholic Church the role, responsibility and charism for, teaching the truth of the meaning of God's whole revelation, keeping it free from error for the 1,977 years or whatever since then. The Catholic Church teaches the same as the apostles and their successors taught.

See for yourself if you like www.vatican.va and www.catholic.net

Be not afraid Jesus says. you wil find ideas and understanding brighter and better than any you have ever experienced before.

The effect of God's truth is deep peace in the inner soul and spirit.

Jesus never said if you just follow a simple formula invented by Protestants selected scriptures you'll be automatically saved.

Rather being saved is the end result of following Jesus and obeying Jesus' commandments of love which leads into God's eternal love forever.
youngmoigle
2008-01-02 22:57:31 UTC
Can you handle the truth? The biblical authors were writing at different times in different places to different audiences and there was no collaboration between them. They were answering specific problems for people in their own group and it would have never occurred to them that somebody would still be reading their words some 2000 years later. The contradictions you see in the bible are real contradictions, but they weren't noticed until hundreds of years later when the texts were finally lined-up side by side --- and then it was too late,because the faithful were familiar with their own favourites and would accept no changes. The contradictions remained and the Apologists were called upon to "harmonise" the difficulties out of existence.
peekaboo17
2008-01-02 22:52:32 UTC
God doen't contradict himself...it is man that has the finite mind. As you grow in the Lord you will better understand the heart of God. Talk to Him about what you don't understand. Some day you will probably giggle at what you don't understand today.
KAL
2008-01-03 07:56:02 UTC
Why does God's word seem to contradict itself?...because you're a human being sweetie! Like all of us, you're a giant bundle of contradictory feelings, drives, and thoughts. Doesn't the bible make it clear that you (and I and every other human being) can't comprehend the mind of God?



What you're experiencing is called "cognitive dissonance"...psychological tension created by the presence of two competing beliefs or a difference between your beliefs and your actions. Totally normal human reaction! I've studied cognitive dissonance in the context of consumer behavior and it is quite fascinating how people respond to tension created by their purchasing behavior...and cognitive dissonance has relevance far beyond purchasing!



Ignoring the competing information is one of the three basic strategies people use to deal with cognitive dissonance. For example, studies have shown that people who just purchased a new car tend to ignore ads for competing cars and otherwise avoid information that may indicate they made the wrong choice. The other two strategies are to seek out information that supports your preference for believing you made the right choice (e.g., new car buyers tend to pay attention to ads for the car they bought, focus on the things they like about the new vehicle that other vehicles don't have, etc...)...or to revoke the decision (e.g., they take the product back...explains why they make this so difficult with certain products like cell phone contracts and cars!).



These strategies work just fine when you're talking about buying a car (or any other purchase), but when you're talking about your relationship with God, they take on additional meaning requiring different strategies...strategies that go against your normal response to cognitive dissonance! I believe the tension caused by a perceived contradiction in the word of God is a clear sign from him that something's wrong with your perception. Ignoring the problem won't make it go away, and seeking out information that supports your favored belief could lead you farther from the truth...and returning the product is out of the question! So, what do you do?



My suggestion is that you examine those contradictions one by one with your heart and mind open to God's leading. Remember 1 Cor. 13:12 ..."for now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known." Humble yourself before God and acknowledge the truth that you can only see a glimer of the truth...ask him to show you more while accepting that you won't see everything clearly until you are face-to-face with him!



For me, it doesn't take all that much humility any more to admit that I don't have a clue...after all, Paul said he saw "darkly", it would be rather arrogant to think that I saw or even could see something significantly more clearly than Paul did! I always remember a quote in a book I read as a child..."better to light a single candle than sit and curse the darkness". Don't ignore contraditions, view them as opportunities to light another candle...you can't light the entire universe this way (still going to see through that glass darkly), but each spark of light yields amazing rewards!



Ask that wonderful pastor of yours and he'll probably say something similar...if he's as good as you say he is, he'll be the first person to admit that he still has a lot to learn...you do too (and so do I). Learn to embrace contraditions in the bible as opportunities to expand your understanding by resolving the contradiction in your own heart and mind!
Somewhat Enlightened, the Parrot of Truth
2008-01-02 22:49:03 UTC
Righto, well, your heart is not ready for that? You can't read the Bible all at once. It kind of has to sink in. What is good advice for one person at a certain stage in their life, is not good advice for another person, or even that same person at another stage of his/her life.



Keep the scripture in your heart, and when the time is right, you will understand what it means. Remember when the apostles were listening to Christ but not really understanding Him, but after He died and rose and ascended, they found understanding.



Do you think that the scripture is there because we are holy and upstanding? It is there because we are not. For every time and season, there is a significance.



So, this is why the Bible appears to be contradictory, although it really is not. People are contradictory, and within the pages of the bible are messages for everyone at every time. For all seasons.
t a m i l
2008-01-02 22:54:30 UTC
I have answers to all this. But you can get Godly wisdom on them easily.



If you ask for wisdom without doubting, God gives wisdom liberally.



There were some scary verses for me too when I first searched Gods word after recommitting to Christ.



Pray in the Spirit building up your most holy faith, first thing in the morning, then ask God in prayer these verses. Read them in the Spirit. All of a sudden Godly understanding comes to mind.



When we are born of God, God will not abort us. We are His child, born of His Spirit, cleansed by His Blood, joint heirs with King Jesus & made part of the Family of God. And know that without faith, it is impossible to please God for those who come to God must believe God Is and is a rewarder to those who diligently seek Him. (So feeling miserable when we doubt Gods love for us is part of God discipline.)



There is therefor now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. For the law of the Spirit for those in Christ Jesus has set you free, from the law of sin & death. There is therefor now no condmenation for those who are in Christ Jesus.



God has not given us a spirit of fear, but has given us a Spirit of authority, of love & of sound mind. Who is He who overcomes? He who is born of God. What is our victory, our faith. 1-3Jn. See? You are already an overcomer if you are born of God. If you aren't born of God, then you are still in a pre-salvation state.



Most people decide to not offend others with their hand than to cut off their hand. What would be worse? Quit sinning with your hand or cutting it off. Just quit sinning with the hand.



Meditate on these verses http://www.fathersloveletter.com .
anonymous
2008-01-02 22:41:04 UTC
Fear of hell! thats your problem.

Let me let you in on a secret hell doesn't exist.

Nor does heaven.

There is more evidence for the existence of santa clause then the existence of god.



Oh and by the way, if you believe the bible, your going to hell no matter what and can not be saved, because you just committed the ONLY unforgivable sin.

Blasphemy of the holy spirit.



Well well.... the internet just cost your soul!

Cheer up though... countless other gods who will still save you.

Try out zeus. He saves pretty girls because he likes to sleep with them.
Mrs. Eric Cartman
2008-01-02 22:40:14 UTC
The word of God is all over the place sometimes. Written by tons of different guys in different places, spanning over thousands of years. But you know that.



The thing is, sometimes prior knowledge of the writer's culture, language, and context is required to totally get some of the verses. When you study and ask pastors or older Christians, you find out there is no contradiction.



Firstly, try not to doubt your salvation. There are NUMEROUS verses that confirm it. You're all good there. Be happy, because this will only lead to a better understanding of God and the Bible. Sometimes if you aren't having doubts, it just means you aren't a threat, and Satan can't be bothered to mess with you. This is probably a good thing.



Allow me to address some of these verses for you.



"He who endures to the end will be saved." Yeah, that's just re-stating that you WILL be saved. Because when you become a Christian, nothing can separate you from Christ, right? Which means that regardless, you will endure til the end. (The end, meaning your death) It's not a verse about being perfect, or hanging on until the end to be saved. It is meant to re-assure you that while you are enduring, you can remember that you will be saved in the end. It's a reminder that God has you, that even though you are enduring now, you can remember that you have been promised salvation. Sometimes people suffer in this life for Christ. That's what is meant by "enduring". If that happens, if you endure for Christ, obviously you will be saved. The verse does not say that other Christians, who endure pretty much chump change WON'T be saved. They will too.



"if your hand causes you to sin, cut it off because you will be in danger of hell fire,it is better to go to heaven with out a hand, then not go at all."

Ok, Jesus is totally not saying to do that. That's a bit violent. BEFORE he died, he was making a point about how much more important eternal fate is than earthly comforts. He wanted to make people take sin seriously, and to see that they simply could not be perfect alone, even if they resorted to these drastic measures. He was talking to a culture and a people that would understand what he meant and would be affected by his reasoning. After Jesus made this speech, he died and rose again, and salvation was available.



You are saved, these verses don't contradict that. Remember, the Bible also says that perfect love drives out fear. Remember that Jesus loves you, so fear will eventually be driven out, and you don't have anything to be afraid of, least of all hell. Understand the verses, and believe them. Questions are good.



This is salvation. This is grace.

God cannot love you any more, God cannot love you any less. You are in. Nothing can separate you from God.

You are really and truly and completely free. There is no kicker. There is no if, and, or but. You are free. You can do it right or wrong. You can obey or disobey. You can run from Christ or run to Christ. You can choose to become a faithful Christian or an unfaithful Christian. You can cry, cuss, and spit, or laugh, sing and dance. You can read a novel or the Bible. You can watch TV or pray. You're free. Freedom threatens relugious people because it takes away their control. Does being free mean that if I don't do what God says, he will still love me? Ues, that is exactly what it means. You might get hurt or regret what you've done, but you can do it and he won't stop loving you. You won't lose your salvation and you won't get kicked out of the kingdom. The more I experience his love and grace, the more I want to please him. You ought to live your life with such freedom and joy that uptight Christians doubt your salvation. Do you know a single atheist who stayed away from Christ because a Christian didn't act as holy and sanctified as he or she ought to have acted? I know they will say we are hypocrites-but usually that is just a smoke screen. The truth is what repeatedly kills our witness is pretense, not freedom.

Live morally because it is wise, and good for you, not to earn salvation. Picture a court room with you on trial for doing something bad. The Father is the judge, satan is the prosecutor, and Jesus is the defense attorney. Satan delivers a blistering attack, with lots of evidence against you. You are guilty, no question about it. Then Jesus gets up to speak. He says, "Yes, Judge, my client is guilty, but the penalty has already been paid. By me. In blood." The Father smiles, and nods,"Paid in full. Case dismissed." That's a picture of what happens every time you sin and are accused by Satan. No doubt you know this, but it never hurts to be reminded, does it?



Whether or not you have doubts, let guilt rule you, or get scared, regardless of how you feel, this is the truth. You belong to God. No amount of doubting and no mistake can ruin that. Sometimes we forget this. Sometimes the idea of freedom can scare us, because we are used to rules and control. I've seen people totally freak out when I say, "You don't have to do anything to earn grace." I have had CHRISTIANS tell me I "go too far with grace" in my thinking. Is that possible? Isn't that the point of God's grace? That it's free and it covers everything? Anyway...

Sometimes verses are misunderstood or pulled completely out of context, and they can confuse. There are difficult passages in the Bible, but part of the experience is trusting God while you work through them.
anonymous
2008-01-02 23:26:06 UTC
God gave us common sense. Use it will you read the bible. You will always land on your feet.
BOC
2008-01-02 22:46:53 UTC
Don't read the Bible, Diligently study the Bible, in prayer, asking for wisdom, knowledge and understanding of the will of God.



God be with you,

William, a bond-servant of Jesus

<'(((><
Brent Y
2008-01-02 22:47:06 UTC
Because it is man's word, there is no god, Jesus was a myth, stop fearing hell it was invented to scare children.
Blame Amy
2008-01-02 22:41:47 UTC
There is no one on earth past or present capable of hearing the voice of God. It's a sham. What you have there is a history book. The ideals of men from way back when. Sketchy ideals at that.

Peace to you.
anonymous
2008-01-02 22:55:58 UTC
The bible was written by people who followed him, some believed one thing while others believed another.



Big emphasis on "believed"
anonymous
2008-01-02 22:39:00 UTC
Do you find it odd that you need to ignore certain verses in order to have the whole thing make sense? Do you really believe that the Bible came straight from "god's" mouth even if it's filled with incongruities, contradictions, and outright untruths?
Casey G
2008-01-02 22:41:22 UTC
The Bible was not written by God. It was written by humans who claim to be inspired by God. Therefore, it could be a little off from the actual words.
Lantern Bearer
2008-01-02 22:41:26 UTC
Because when an oral history that began with grunts and hand gestures was being first written down,it became the pleasure of the resident editors to incorporate their spin.
debbiepittman
2008-01-02 22:42:53 UTC
Somethings are symbolic not literal. For example, God does not expect us to cut off our literal hand, leg or eye....but if a bad thing or false teaching is as important to us as that body part, we must cut it off.



Many in churches do not and cannot accept that Jesus truly is God's firstborn only begotten son either....they continually blaspheme him and say he is not good enough to die for our sins albeit he is from heaven and perfect...so they teach God merely has a split personality and pretended to offer himself for us......



I'd also say, have a Bible and religion, religious history study with Jehovah's Witnesses. You can email me if you like.



Debbie

debbiepittman@yahoo.com
Beavis Christ AM
2008-01-02 22:43:35 UTC
Just drink the Kool Aid and don't ask questions.
anonymous
2008-01-02 22:41:07 UTC
You can't take the bible in in one big gulp

You gain understanding with knowledge, experience and maturity
Lestat
2008-01-02 22:48:44 UTC
In the immortal words of George Costanza.... "seemingly... seemingly..."
anonymous
2008-01-02 22:45:17 UTC
The Bible is not the word of any god. Problem solved.
anonymous
2008-01-02 22:40:33 UTC
that's the thing. it doesn't make sense. so use your brain and reject it. if only the prospect of going to hell is holding you to your beliefs, then the people who wrote it in hopes to control you have won. do not let them win.
Boris Badenov
2008-01-02 22:41:31 UTC
If it walks like a duck and quacks like a duck, it may not be a duck.... but I bet it can swim.
Experto Credo
2008-01-02 22:42:08 UTC
Too many authors, not enough editors.



i stick with the basic message of "God is Love" and it works for me
anonymous
2008-01-02 22:40:32 UTC
Its not Gods word that contradicts itself its mans interpretation.







Love and Peace to you.
?
2008-01-02 22:40:06 UTC
You've got to shut off the reasoning portion of your mind. It will only get you into trouble.

Just be quiet and swallow what they feed you.

It's a much quieter way to go.
anonymous
2008-01-02 22:39:45 UTC
God's word does not contradict itself, just your understanding of it does.
Happily Happy
2008-01-02 22:39:00 UTC
God's word can't contradict. Some of the words are may not be of God.
anonymous
2008-01-02 22:41:48 UTC
He's indecisive.
conundrum
2008-01-02 22:39:12 UTC
What you need is a free Home Bible study with Jehovah's Witnesses.
guchii.
2008-01-02 22:42:13 UTC
.. go for more fairy tales in kuran...
anonymous
2008-01-02 23:18:26 UTC
wow..........


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