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Some people on Christian Forums tell us that God dictated every word of the Bible.
This is not a very sensible interpretation. In my experience, the people who say that they believe every word of the Bible aren't logical or consistent, so they leave us with muddled results at best.
One reason to believe that God did not plan or dictate every word of the Bible is that there are some real contradictions in the Bible. I don't enjoy criticizing the Bible, I'd rather defend it as an invaluable collection.
Here is an example of a real contradiction in the Old Testament. As you may know, I & II Chronicles repeats some of the same stories that we find in I & II Samuel and I & II Kings, just as the Gospels sometimes repeat the same stories about Jesus.
David Enrolls the Fighting Men
Again the anger of the Lord burned against Israel, and he incited David against them, saying, “Go and take a census of Israel and Judah.”
2 So the king said to Joab and the army commanders with him, “Go throughout the tribes of Israel from Dan to Beersheba and enroll the fighting men, so that I may know how many there are.”
3 But Joab replied to the king, “May the Lord your God multiply the troops a hundred times over, and may the eyes of my lord the king see it. But why does my lord the king want to do such a thing?”
4 The king’s word, however, overruled Joab and the army commanders; so they left the presence of the king to enroll the fighting men of Israel.
2 Samuel 24: 1-4 NIV
David Counts the Fighting Men
Satan rose up against Israel and incited David to take a census of Israel. 2 So David said to Joab and the commanders of the troops, “Go and count the Israelites from Beersheba to Dan. Then report back to me so that I may know how many there are.”
3 But Joab replied, “May the Lord multiply his troops a hundred times over. My lord the king, are they not all my lord’s subjects? Why does my lord want to do this? Why should he bring guilt on Israel?”
4 The king’s word, however, overruled Joab; so Joab left and went throughout Israel and then came back to Jerusalem. 5 Joab reported the number of the fighting men to David: In all Israel there were one million one hundred thousand men who could handle a sword, including four hundred and seventy thousand in Judah.
6 But Joab did not include Levi and Benjamin in the numbering, because the king’s command was repulsive to him. 7 This command was also evil in the sight of God; so he punished Israel.
I Chronicles 21: 1-7 NIV
According to II Samuel, God incites King David to number the population to get a fix on the number of men of military age, the number of men who can be called to go to war. According to I Chronicles, it is Satan who incites David to number the fighting men. Did God do it or did Satan do it? This is a real contradiction, there is no way out. The two accounts agree on virtually every other detail.
You might wonder why a census is so controversial. The answer lies in the constant reference to fighting men, to soldiers. It sounds like David is planning a war, maybe an unnecessary war. Even his own generals resist him. A census by itself isn't necessarily offensive. In Exodus, God orders a census but it matters why a census is being taken.
It makes no difference if we use the King James Version.
1 And again the anger of the Lord was kindled against Israel, and he moved David against them to say, Go, number Israel and Judah.
2 For the king said to Joab the captain of the host, which was with him, Go now through all the tribes of Israel, from Dan even to Beersheba, and number ye the people, that I may know the number of the people.
3 And Joab said unto the king, Now the Lord thy God add unto the people, how many soever they be, an hundredfold, and that the eyes of my lord the king may see it: but why doth my lord the king delight in this thing?
4 Notwithstanding the king's word prevailed against Joab, and against the captains of the host. And Joab and the captains of the host went out from the presence of the king, to number the people of Israel.
2 Samuel 24:1-4 KJV
1 And Satan stood up against Israel, and provoked David to number Israel.
2 And David said to Joab and to the rulers of the people, Go, number Israel from Beersheba even to Dan; and bring the number of them to me, that I may know it.
3 And Joab answered, The Lord make his people an hundred times so many more as they be: but, my lord the king, are they not all my lord's servants? why then doth my lord require this thing? why will he be a cause of trespass to Israel?
4 Nevertheless the king's word prevailed against Joab. Wherefore Joab departed, and went throughout all Israel, and came to Jerusalem.
5 And Joab gave the sum of the number of the people unto David. And all they of Israel were a thousand thousand and an hundred thousand men that drew sword: and Judah was four hundred threescore and ten thousand men that drew sword.
6 But Levi and Benjamin counted he not among them: for the king's word was abominable to Joab.
7 And God was displeased with this thing; therefore he smote Israel.
I Chronicles 21:1-7 KJV
What should we make of this contradiction? As far as I know, no one's theology depends on this point.
At one time I was a member of the Moravian Church. Their statement on the Bible is that the Bible contains all that is necessary for salvation. Sometimes we just have to leave it at that.
This is not a very sensible interpretation. In my experience, the people who say that they believe every word of the Bible aren't logical or consistent, so they leave us with muddled results at best.
One reason to believe that God did not plan or dictate every word of the Bible is that there are some real contradictions in the Bible. I don't enjoy criticizing the Bible, I'd rather defend it as an invaluable collection.
Here is an example of a real contradiction in the Old Testament. As you may know, I & II Chronicles repeats some of the same stories that we find in I & II Samuel and I & II Kings, just as the Gospels sometimes repeat the same stories about Jesus.
David Enrolls the Fighting Men
Again the anger of the Lord burned against Israel, and he incited David against them, saying, “Go and take a census of Israel and Judah.”
2 So the king said to Joab and the army commanders with him, “Go throughout the tribes of Israel from Dan to Beersheba and enroll the fighting men, so that I may know how many there are.”
3 But Joab replied to the king, “May the Lord your God multiply the troops a hundred times over, and may the eyes of my lord the king see it. But why does my lord the king want to do such a thing?”
4 The king’s word, however, overruled Joab and the army commanders; so they left the presence of the king to enroll the fighting men of Israel.
2 Samuel 24: 1-4 NIV
David Counts the Fighting Men
Satan rose up against Israel and incited David to take a census of Israel. 2 So David said to Joab and the commanders of the troops, “Go and count the Israelites from Beersheba to Dan. Then report back to me so that I may know how many there are.”
3 But Joab replied, “May the Lord multiply his troops a hundred times over. My lord the king, are they not all my lord’s subjects? Why does my lord want to do this? Why should he bring guilt on Israel?”
4 The king’s word, however, overruled Joab; so Joab left and went throughout Israel and then came back to Jerusalem. 5 Joab reported the number of the fighting men to David: In all Israel there were one million one hundred thousand men who could handle a sword, including four hundred and seventy thousand in Judah.
6 But Joab did not include Levi and Benjamin in the numbering, because the king’s command was repulsive to him. 7 This command was also evil in the sight of God; so he punished Israel.
I Chronicles 21: 1-7 NIV
According to II Samuel, God incites King David to number the population to get a fix on the number of men of military age, the number of men who can be called to go to war. According to I Chronicles, it is Satan who incites David to number the fighting men. Did God do it or did Satan do it? This is a real contradiction, there is no way out. The two accounts agree on virtually every other detail.
You might wonder why a census is so controversial. The answer lies in the constant reference to fighting men, to soldiers. It sounds like David is planning a war, maybe an unnecessary war. Even his own generals resist him. A census by itself isn't necessarily offensive. In Exodus, God orders a census but it matters why a census is being taken.
It makes no difference if we use the King James Version.
1 And again the anger of the Lord was kindled against Israel, and he moved David against them to say, Go, number Israel and Judah.
2 For the king said to Joab the captain of the host, which was with him, Go now through all the tribes of Israel, from Dan even to Beersheba, and number ye the people, that I may know the number of the people.
3 And Joab said unto the king, Now the Lord thy God add unto the people, how many soever they be, an hundredfold, and that the eyes of my lord the king may see it: but why doth my lord the king delight in this thing?
4 Notwithstanding the king's word prevailed against Joab, and against the captains of the host. And Joab and the captains of the host went out from the presence of the king, to number the people of Israel.
2 Samuel 24:1-4 KJV
1 And Satan stood up against Israel, and provoked David to number Israel.
2 And David said to Joab and to the rulers of the people, Go, number Israel from Beersheba even to Dan; and bring the number of them to me, that I may know it.
3 And Joab answered, The Lord make his people an hundred times so many more as they be: but, my lord the king, are they not all my lord's servants? why then doth my lord require this thing? why will he be a cause of trespass to Israel?
4 Nevertheless the king's word prevailed against Joab. Wherefore Joab departed, and went throughout all Israel, and came to Jerusalem.
5 And Joab gave the sum of the number of the people unto David. And all they of Israel were a thousand thousand and an hundred thousand men that drew sword: and Judah was four hundred threescore and ten thousand men that drew sword.
6 But Levi and Benjamin counted he not among them: for the king's word was abominable to Joab.
7 And God was displeased with this thing; therefore he smote Israel.
I Chronicles 21:1-7 KJV
What should we make of this contradiction? As far as I know, no one's theology depends on this point.
At one time I was a member of the Moravian Church. Their statement on the Bible is that the Bible contains all that is necessary for salvation. Sometimes we just have to leave it at that.