is the bible CONTRADICTORY? - Page 3

http://www.carm.org/diff/2Kings8_26.htm

The correct age of Ahaziah when he began to rule over Jerusalem is 22. 2 Kings 8:17 tells us that Ahaziah's father Joram ben Ahab was thirty-two when he became king and he died eight years later, at the age of forty. Therefore, Ahaziah could not have been forty-two at the time of his father's death at age forty." (Encyclopedia of Bible Difficulties, page. 206-207.)
The discrepency in ages is due to a copyist error. We can see that the difference in ages is 20 years. The system of number notation used by the Jews at the time of Ezra consisted of horizontal hooks that represented decades. would equal the number 14 where would be 24. If one or both of the hooks were smudged or flaked off of a papyri, then the dates would be off by ten years or a factor of ten.
The fact that this is a copyist error does not invalidate the inspiration or authority of Scripture. Remember, God inspired the originals. They were without error. The copies have problems, though very very few. The copies are copies of inspired documents and, unfortunately, some copyist errors did creep into the manuscripts. However, they do not affect any doctrinal areas and are very rare.

A simple mistake which has been corrected in later translations. Why spend so much time debating such an insignificant point? Seems you cannot find any real faults at all.

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Do you have some sort of problem with people being happy? Even if that means having blind faith towards something that rings true in their heart?

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You tell em

It is true that there are many contra dictions in the bible.
But these contradictions to me personally do not seem of any great significance. I mean who really cares when someone was born or not.
What astonished me about the bible is the authors and like earlier pointed out the authenticity of the bible (the word of God?). Firstly I would like to ask, what exactly does one mean when they say it was written in the "spirit of God"? Are you trying to say that God some how descended into the minds of the authors or perhaps they saw a vision of Jesus (pbuh), similar to that of St Paul.

I would also like to ask if John Matthew Luke Mark ever met Jesus (pbuh). Were they even born in the time of Jesus (pbuh)? And why is that out of the 80 something gospels written all by different authors, it was these four along with Paul that were chosen?
The whole story of Jesus (pbuh), from his birth to his dying words has it been told through the word of God? Or has it been passed down from one person to the other, mush like Chinese whispers.
Another thing is what Jesus (pbuh) said and did not say. Did you know that never in his life time did he ever use the word 'trinity'? Nor did he ever say 'I am God, worship me'. Feel free to go through the whole bible and you will never find him saying that.
You know after Jesus (pbuh) died/resurrected, for nearly 200 years no one had thought of the 'trinity' theory.

And one last query, why is it that through out the Old Testament it was a prophesy that the 'prophet', 'messenger' would arrive and yet after Jesus (pbuh) left this world, he was made to a God from a prophet?

I do not doubt the importance of God or of Jesus (pbuh). I too believe that humans should worship God and recognize the prophet's and their teachings.

But do you not think that it is important to ask such questions?

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Firstly I would like to ask, what exactly does one mean when they say it was written in the "spirit of God"? Are you trying to say that God some how descended into the minds of the authors . . . Yes

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a vision of Jesus (pbuh), similar to that of St Paul? what is pbuh?
Noted that in writing of Sacred Doctrine obtained from angels (spiritual beings), how do they know what angel is seen?
Note: Jesus transfigures & is standing with 2 others, Peter (?) comes forward giving their identity, how did he know?

Are you guys serious? Surely you must have done history at school. Its a known full full well that the new testament was written by the Catholic Church during the crusades to give a written scripture to their teachings of hate and racism in order to justify the the killng of muslims in the 'holy land'. The word of God? No just the word of the Catholic cult i'm afraid.

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Are you guys serious? Surely you must have done history at school. Its a known full full well that the new testament was written by the Catholic Church during the crusades to give a written scripture to their teachings of hate and racism in order to justify the the killng of muslims in the 'holy land'. The word of God? No just the word of the Catholic cult i'm afraid.

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I must have missed that fact. Now when I was in school, that kind of history wasn't allowed (you know, seperation of church of state). They must have changed that law, I obviously missed that too.

The bible is a nice read to enslave humanity and to build the fundamentals of a society living a pseudo-faith...the bible creates limitations, there is nothing mystical about it, and limitations are the prison of the free mind. But, im not question anyone's faith, there are scientific facts to back up the bible, eg: the levels of salt found at the appetent area of Sodom, and there are facts to back up that the bible is fiction, ect ect...

For a much more grounded philosophy towards life id recommend the Tao Te Ching, or nihilism......
everyone to their own

pbuh = Peace Be Upon Him

its just out of respect.

thank you for the sign of respect for the beliefs of others.

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the new testament was written by the Catholic Church during the crusades to give a written scripture to their teachings of hate and racism in order to justify the the killng of others, stealing land, etc

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I think you should look at the closed thread on catholic vs christians. Isn't an historical fact that christians were thrown into the arena in Roman Empire? Are there not symbols dating in that period of the fish (secret symbol) used by christians?
[quote]I would also like to ask if John Matthew Luke Mark ever met Jesus (pbuh). Were they even born in the time of Jesus (pbuh)? And why is that out of the 80 something gospels written all by different authors, it was these four along with Paul that were chosen? [quote] If you look at the qran thread you will note I used the representation of the goat which lost its original intent to form the entity of Satan as a demon with horns. Such inaccurracies in interpetations, etc. are used to qualify the scriptural status. the first four books are accepted as being given (taught) by the respective apostles, Acts is accepted as a communication between friends telling about the acts of the apostles by an educated person who was witness to these events, a convert but not an apostle. these are similar in status to the the first 4 books of the OT (the Law of Moses) and the major prophets of the OT.
As to the teaching of Jesus, you are absolutely correct, after the Roman Persecution represents the period in which these ideology (trinity) came to be accepted as the Way.

There are those out there who deny that God is real. There are those out there that say the Bible is false. There are even those out there who don't believe in truth. Speaking of truth, people want to know if there's truth out there. The only indisputable, real, pefect, hopeful, faithful, and liberating truth that exists is Jesus. For Jesus said that he was the way, the turth, and the life. For out there who seeking truth, look no further than the all knowing, all loving, all forgiving Lord Jesus Christ. For those out there who don't belive there's no truth out there, simply look at it in this way:

"There is no truth."
-Is that a true statement?

A little something to think about.

I believe in Jesus - What I'm not sure about is what was written about him.

is anyone?
the quests for the historical jesus, have differentiated between the person of jesus or the jesus of history, and the christ of faith. whilst we are able to know a large amount about the latter through the bible, with the former, we face difficulties. the question is is it neccessary to know about the real jesus rather than just the christ that christianity has concieved.
Where contradictions arise, one must look at the synoptic gospels which generally agree. furthermore one should consider what the passage in question is trying to say rather than criticising its inconcistency.

( the opinions expressed in this post, are not neccessarily those of the named user, as this profile is being used by the named user to express the opinion of a friend)

this bit however is. the bible says a lot of different things throughout, the bits and pieces that are contradictory, a lot of the aforementioned contradictory statements, are in the old testament, and this like a lot of historical documents was written by a variety of authors, usually some time after the events that they describe. and as with the other historical documents, there is always going to be some contradiction over what happened and to who, due to the fact that everyone remembers things differently, and everyone forgets things. though in escense, the events described are still true.

we, muslims, believe that the bible was the word of God but it has been corrupted. Jews added and deleted parts from it.

it seems that the bible supports our claim. i read in Jer:8:8 "How do ye say, We are wise, and the law of the LORD is with us? Lo, certainly in vain made he it; the pen of the scribes is in vain."

the Koran (our holy book) says "Do they not then meditate on the Quran? And if it were from any other than Allah, they would have found in it many a discrepancy." sorat An-nisa

i think that this verse teaches us how to test any book. if the book has discrepancies, it isn't the word of Allah and vice versa. and it's obvious that it (the bible) has contradictions hence it isn't the word of Allah (GOD).

Are there not discrepencies in the Quran too?

Outside my knowledge so:

http://answering-islam.org/Authors/Farooq_Ibrahim/discrepancies.htm

Looks that way!

it seems that you don't know the difference between the contradiction and the
abrogation. do you know the difference between them? the contradiction is a statement that says the opposite of something else hence one of them can't be true. abrogation is the act of canceling a law or an order and changing it with a new law or order.

an example of a contradiction
Rom 3:28 Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law.
Jam 2:24 Ye see then how that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only.
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examples of abrogation

it was allowed to the brother to marry his sister at the time of Adam (PBUH). In general, before the law of Moses (PBUH), it was permitted to any one to marry his sister. prophet Abraham (PBUH) married his sister.

Gen 20:12 And yet indeed she is my sister; she is the daughter of my father, but not the daughter of my mother; and she became my wife.

but in the law of Moses (PBUH) God abrogated the previous law

=> lev 18:9 The nakedness of thy sister, the daughter of thy father, or daughter of thy mother, whether she be born at home, or born abroad, even their nakedness thou shalt not uncover.

=> lev 20:17 And if a man shall take his sister, his father's daughter, or his mother's daughter, and see her nakedness, and she see his nakedness; it is a wicked thing; and they shall be cut off in the sight of their people: he hath uncovered his sister's nakedness; he shall bear his iniquity.
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before Moses (PBUH) it was allowed to eat any thing.
Gen 9:3 Every moving thing that liveth shall be meat for you; even as the green herb have I given you all things.

God abrogated the previous law.
lev 11:4-8
4 Nevertheless these shall ye not eat of them that chew the cud, or of them that divide the hoof: as the camel, because he cheweth the cud, but divideth not the hoof; he is unclean unto you.
5 And the coney, because he cheweth the cud, but divideth not the hoof; he is unclean unto you.
6 And the hare, because he cheweth the cud (?), but divideth not the hoof; he is unclean unto you.
7 And the swine, though he divide the hoof, and be cloven-footed, yet he cheweth not the cud; he is unclean to you.
8 Of their flesh shall ye not eat, and their carcass shall ye not touch; they are unclean to you.
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the abrogated verse
Exo 6:20 And Amram took him Jochebed his father's sister to wife; and she bare him Aaron and Moses: and the years of the life of Amram were an hundred and thirty and seven years.

the abrogating verse
=> lev 18:12 Thou shalt not uncover the nakedness of thy father's sister: she is thy father's near kinswoman.

=> lev 20:19 And thou shalt not uncover the nakedness of thy mother's sister, nor of thy father's sister: for he uncovereth his near kin: they shall bear their iniquity.
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the abrogated verse
Deu 21:19 And thine eye shall not pity; but life shall go for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot. read (Ex 21:24 Lev 24:20)

the abrogating verses
Mt 5:38-42
38 Ye have heard that it hath been said, An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth:
39 But I say unto you, That ye resist not evil: but whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also.
40 And if any man will sue thee at the law, and take away thy coat, let him have thy cloak also.
41 And whosoever shall compel thee to go a mile, go with him twain.
42 Give to him that asketh thee, and from him that would borrow of thee turn not thou away.


i think now u know the differience between them.... All the alleged contradictions in the link u posted are abrogation not contradictions