Contradictions in the Bible due to translation? Do they even exist? (tradition, Gospels)
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There has been a lot of talk mainly among non believers about contradictions in the Bible. I am not familiar with all of the alleged contradictions, but they are definitely out there. The most reasonable conclusion that I could come to is that we don't fully understand some things due to multiple translations, and changing vernacular. Does anyone have any insight as to why there are thought to be contradictions in the Bible?
There has been a lot of talk mainly among non believers about contradictions in the Bible. I am not familiar with all of the alleged contradictions, but they are definitely out there. The most reasonable conclusion that I could come to is that we don't fully understand some things due to multiple translations, and changing vernacular. Does anyone have any insight as to why there are thought to be contradictions in the Bible?
Most books of the Bible are re-writes or were heavily edited so they can jive with older verses in the OT.
Initially the stories were passed orally. However, Paul wrote letters to Christian Churches of the era. When the church received the manuscript it would be copied by hand and sometimes errors were added or subtracted. Once it was copied by hand by a scribe (which could be a slave) the letter was forwarded to another church.
The authors of the gospels are not known. The names Matthews, Luke, etc are pseudonyms. That explains why some facts don't match.
Another big discrepancy is Justification by grace alone or grace plus works. However, in biblical times this was not an issue. And do not forget the two different Genesis accounts.
Does that mean that the NT is not inspired? The men that wrote were inspired and hence the NT is useful for worship and as a guide for Christians. However, if God had written the book he would have done a much better job. The book is the creation of MEN. But, that does not mean God does not exist. God is much more than the Bible. However, for the Sola Scriptura folks God is basically the Bible. That is why they call it "The Word of God".
People don't understand the old testament and new testament. They get it confused what time they are in and then foolishly think to themselves that it's God being contradicting when really it is their own selves that doesn't understand or comprehend the word. The lost-in-translation theory is nothing but nonsense. The word stands. You need to have Christ to understand it.
People don't understand the old testament and new testament. They get it confused what time they are in and then foolishly think to themselves that it's God being contradicting when really it is their own selves that doesn't understand or comprehend the word. The lost-in-translation theory is nothing but nonsense. The word stands. You need to have Christ to understand it.
I think the NT is fine, but the OT has many verses that need to be removed. The verses only work for barbaric men of another era.
Language usage and cultural differences are the two biggies that cause confusion to believers and non believers alike. Several come to mind, but take this one:
Struggle to enter though the narrow gate, for many will seek to enter and not be able. (Luke 13:24)
Christ here is speaking of the law. (See Judges, where they sat at the gates.) Enter in through the Door instead, He went on to say, who of course is Christ.
Or Proverbs 25:22, the coals of fire spoken there are blessings in a time of need. (Vessels of dishonor are used for the Kingdom there as well.)
Grace abounds throughout Scripture but not many see it.
There has been a lot of talk mainly among non believers about contradictions in the Bible. I am not familiar with all of the alleged contradictions, but they are definitely out there. The most reasonable conclusion that I could come to is that we don't fully understand some things due to multiple translations, and changing vernacular. Does anyone have any insight as to why there are thought to be contradictions in the Bible?
Some of the "contradictions" are possibly scribal error. Some are scribal attempts to make things "fit" with other sources they may have had at hand. Look for instance at Mark 16:9-20. None of the earliest manuscripts we have had those verses in them. They were added by later scribes/copyists to (1) give a more satisfying conclusion to the message Mark delivered, and/or (2) to more closely align to what Matthew and Luke had written. If you conclude Mark at verse 8, it appears the women were told by a young man to go tell the disciples that Jesus was risen, but it says they fled and said NOTHING to anyone. That part conflicts with reports in Matthew and Luke. But it is more in keeping with the two other gospels if verses 9-20 are added.
And this thought also, it is not like God told the author of Mark to "sit down and start writing what I tell you." The gospel of Mark was written decades after Jesus death and resurrection, after all the Pauline letters. It was a compilation of oral stories and perhaps a few fragments of written material (remember the early Christians were primarily uneducated--the disciples were from one of the most ignorant provinces in Judea--Galilee), so probably 97% couldn't even read. Oral tradition was their way of passing down what was important to them. During the intervening time, stories most likely got changed, got embossed, got altered.
And if you understand all that to be true, but STILL have faith, then you have faith indeed, and you are not misguided because God has spoken to your spirit and is not stuck between the covers on the Bible.
And back to edit in another thought. Not only are ALL translations a kind of interpretation of scripture, when you or I read the scripture we bring our own kind of changes to it. The Greek language in which we have most of the New Testament, not only had NO punctuation, and no articles such as English has with "a", "an" and "the," there was also no spacing between words. It's what makes the translation not only a difficult task, but subject to a multitude of interpretations.
People don't understand the old testament and new testament. They get it confused what time they are in and then foolishly think to themselves that it's God being contradicting when really it is their own selves that doesn't understand or comprehend the word. The lost-in-translation theory is nothing but nonsense. The word stands. You need to have Christ to understand it.
RESPONSE:
People understand that Jesus could not have been born both before the death of Herod (in 4 BC)[Matthew 2] and again during the census of Quirinius in 6 AD [Luke 2]
Readers can "comprehend" the contradiction.
That's just common sense.
"The word stands" so it must be God who is in error. Or maybe He really didn't have anything to do with it. It's just a yarn.
There has been a lot of talk mainly among non believers about contradictions in the Bible. I am not familiar with all of the alleged contradictions, but they are definitely out there. The most reasonable conclusion that I could come to is that we don't fully understand some things due to multiple translations, and changing vernacular. Does anyone have any insight as to why there are thought to be contradictions in the Bible?
Why is simple .... the enmity of those not on the side of the truth make it their business to find fault with God's Word.
Is it coincidental that any and all disparaging remarks about the Bible and those who penned it are considered enlightened \ matters of pov and those who believe in it's inerrancy "leave their reasons at the door" ....... while simply interchanging some one else's supposedly "scriptures" and otherwise use the same verbiage is only to be told how terrible that it, how that is offensive to such people here.
Jesus said it the best of those who are fault finders of his Word:
John 8:44-45 You belong to your father, the devil, and you want to carry out your father’s desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies.
Yet because I tell the truth, you do not believe me!
Why is simple .... the enmity of those not on the side of the truth make it their business to find fault with God's Word.
Is it coincidental that any and all disparaging remarks about the Bible and those who penned it are considered enlightened \ matters of pov and those who believe in it's inerrancy "leave their reasons at the door" ....... while simply interchanging some one else's supposedly "scriptures" and otherwise use the same verbiage is only to be told how terrible that it, how that is offensive to such people here.
Jesus said it the best of those who are fault finders of his Word:
John 8:44-45 You belong to your father, the devil, and you want to carry out your father’s desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies.
Yet because I tell the truth, you do not believe me!
Using the Bible to show the Bible is infallible is circular logic.
The Bible is just a book but was adopted as scripture following the Jewish tradition. Many religions need Scripture or a manual to be able to function. Imagine being a Christian with no Bible (manual).
Sadly, the manual is not clear and hence there are 41,000 interpretations of the Bible. And lets no forget how the Bible is a copy of a copy a copy of a copy a copy of a copy a copy of a copy a copy of a copy a copy of a copy a copy of a copy a copy of a copy a copy of a copy a copy of a copy a copy of a copy a copy of a copy a copy of a copy a copy of a copy a copy of a copy a copy of a copy a copy of a copy a copy of a copy a copy of a copy a copy of a copy a copy of a copy a copy of a copy a copy of a copy a copy of a copy a copy of a copy a copy of a copy a copy of a copy a copy of a copy a copy of a copy of ancient writings in a scroll.
And do not forget the additions and alterations along the way.
Nevertheless, it is an amazing book and useful of worship.
IMHO, the word of God is much more than the Bible. No need to worship the Bible.
Another thing that should be added is that it is a Hebrew book and trying to understand what they were doing back then from a current English mindset will add alot of confusion as well.
Try to go to a rural china or Indian village and see if they mindset and they way they do things are the same way we do things in America. Just look at the dietary laws in the bible in our current US mindset with technology we thing pigs and shrimp are fine to east, but back then in the desert with no technology food like that would make you very sick and possibly kill you too with all the toxins.
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