I recently just got back into Christianity after losing faith for some time. I know it is going to be a struggle for me, but I'm determined to stick to my faith and hopefully grow spiritually.
I went and got myself a new bible several days ago and have started reading the bible again.
There are some questions I need answers to though which I never got answers to before,
then again I never really asked. My hope is that I can find the answers on this forum.
The first to be found is in the Old Testament - Book of Genesis
God said that Adam and Eve could eat of every tree in the Garden of Eden, but they must not eat of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil, or they would surely die. The serpent however said that they would not die if they ate of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. They did of course eat of this tree, and as the serpent said they did not die.
Looking at this story it is clear that God told a lie, and in fact rather than being crafty and sly the serpent actually told the truth. God then cursed Adam and Eve, and he said ''Behold, the man has become like us in knowing good and evil. Now lest he reach out his hand and take also of the Tree of Life and, live for ever. Then God banished him out of the Garden of Eden, and placed Cherubim and Flaming Sword that turned every way to guard the way to the Tree of Life.
I hate to say this but there is a fundamental flaw here, and it is one that I have struggled with in regard to the Old Testament, because The bible says this in regard to lies.
Proverbs 12:22 – The Lord detests lying lips, but he delights in people who are trustworthy.
Luke 16:10 Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much, and whoever is dishonest with very little will also be dishonest with much.
Proverbs 10:9 – Whoever walks in integrity walks securely, but he who makes his ways crooked will be found out.
Philippians 4: 25-27 & 29 – Therefore each of you must put off falsehood and speak truthfully to your neighbor, for we are all members of one body. In your anger do not sin. Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, and do not give the devil a foothold. Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.
1 Peter 3:10-12 – For whoever desires to love life and see good days, let him keep his tongue from evil and his lips from speaking deceit; let him turn away from evil and do good; let him seek peace and pursue it. For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, and his ears are open to their prayer.
God Tells Us Not to Lie
Exodus 20:16 (From the 10 Commandments) – You must not lie.
Proverbs 6:12-13 – Let me describe for you a worthless and a wicked man; first, he is a constant liar; he signals his true intentions to his friends with eyes and feet and fingers.
Proverbs 6:16-19 – For there are six things the Lord hates—no, seven: haughtiness, lying, murdering, plotting evil, eagerness to do wrong, a false witness, sowing discord among brothers.
Proverbs 19:9 – A false witness shall be punished, and a liar shall be caught.
Proverbs 21:6 & 8 – A fortune made by people who tell lies amounts to nothing and leads to death. …But the conduct of those who are not guilty is honest.
Luke 8:17 – For all that is secret will eventually be brought into the open, and everything that is concealed will be brought to light and made known to all.
Psalm 12:2-6 – Everyone deceives and flatters and lies. There is no sincerity left. But the Lord will not deal gently with people who act like that; he will destroy those proud liars who say, “We will lie to our heart’s content. Our lips are our own; who can stop us? The Lord replies, “I will arise and defend the oppressed, the poor, the needy. I will rescue them as they have longed for me to do.” The Lord’s promise is sure. He speaks no careless word; all he says is purest truth, like silver seven times refined.
Satan – The Father of All Lies
John 8:44 – For you are the children of your father the devil and you love to do the evil things he does. He was a murderer from the beginning and a hater of truth—there is not an iota of truth in him. When he lies, it is perfectly normal; for he is the father of liars.
So can you see my point, the God of the Old Testament is supposedly the same as the God of the New Testament, yet I can see contradictions and cruelty in the ways of God in the Old Testament, while in the New Testament God is clearly loving and forgiving, and there is no sign of untruth.
Should we not as Christians completely abandon the Old Testament?
After all a lot of it is not relevant to todays times, and I don't think it paints God in a good way
I wonder whether it is even that accurate, I think it may have come from the lips of educated men that really just wanted to have control over less educated people. Scare them into submission.
As a Christian I can accept the New Testament, but I am certainly struggling when it comes to the Old Testament. Am I the only Christian on this forum that feels this way?
I think it is important that we do not just accept everything in the bible without questioning it.
I don't have a reasonable answer to the question I have posed, but maybe someone else does, and I would be interested to know what everyone thinks on this.
I went and got myself a new bible several days ago and have started reading the bible again.
There are some questions I need answers to though which I never got answers to before,
then again I never really asked. My hope is that I can find the answers on this forum.
The first to be found is in the Old Testament - Book of Genesis
God said that Adam and Eve could eat of every tree in the Garden of Eden, but they must not eat of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil, or they would surely die. The serpent however said that they would not die if they ate of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. They did of course eat of this tree, and as the serpent said they did not die.
Looking at this story it is clear that God told a lie, and in fact rather than being crafty and sly the serpent actually told the truth. God then cursed Adam and Eve, and he said ''Behold, the man has become like us in knowing good and evil. Now lest he reach out his hand and take also of the Tree of Life and, live for ever. Then God banished him out of the Garden of Eden, and placed Cherubim and Flaming Sword that turned every way to guard the way to the Tree of Life.
I hate to say this but there is a fundamental flaw here, and it is one that I have struggled with in regard to the Old Testament, because The bible says this in regard to lies.
Proverbs 12:22 – The Lord detests lying lips, but he delights in people who are trustworthy.
Luke 16:10 Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much, and whoever is dishonest with very little will also be dishonest with much.
Proverbs 10:9 – Whoever walks in integrity walks securely, but he who makes his ways crooked will be found out.
Philippians 4: 25-27 & 29 – Therefore each of you must put off falsehood and speak truthfully to your neighbor, for we are all members of one body. In your anger do not sin. Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, and do not give the devil a foothold. Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.
1 Peter 3:10-12 – For whoever desires to love life and see good days, let him keep his tongue from evil and his lips from speaking deceit; let him turn away from evil and do good; let him seek peace and pursue it. For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, and his ears are open to their prayer.
God Tells Us Not to Lie
Exodus 20:16 (From the 10 Commandments) – You must not lie.
Proverbs 6:12-13 – Let me describe for you a worthless and a wicked man; first, he is a constant liar; he signals his true intentions to his friends with eyes and feet and fingers.
Proverbs 6:16-19 – For there are six things the Lord hates—no, seven: haughtiness, lying, murdering, plotting evil, eagerness to do wrong, a false witness, sowing discord among brothers.
Proverbs 19:9 – A false witness shall be punished, and a liar shall be caught.
Proverbs 21:6 & 8 – A fortune made by people who tell lies amounts to nothing and leads to death. …But the conduct of those who are not guilty is honest.
Luke 8:17 – For all that is secret will eventually be brought into the open, and everything that is concealed will be brought to light and made known to all.
Psalm 12:2-6 – Everyone deceives and flatters and lies. There is no sincerity left. But the Lord will not deal gently with people who act like that; he will destroy those proud liars who say, “We will lie to our heart’s content. Our lips are our own; who can stop us? The Lord replies, “I will arise and defend the oppressed, the poor, the needy. I will rescue them as they have longed for me to do.” The Lord’s promise is sure. He speaks no careless word; all he says is purest truth, like silver seven times refined.
Satan – The Father of All Lies
John 8:44 – For you are the children of your father the devil and you love to do the evil things he does. He was a murderer from the beginning and a hater of truth—there is not an iota of truth in him. When he lies, it is perfectly normal; for he is the father of liars.
So can you see my point, the God of the Old Testament is supposedly the same as the God of the New Testament, yet I can see contradictions and cruelty in the ways of God in the Old Testament, while in the New Testament God is clearly loving and forgiving, and there is no sign of untruth.
Should we not as Christians completely abandon the Old Testament?
After all a lot of it is not relevant to todays times, and I don't think it paints God in a good way
I wonder whether it is even that accurate, I think it may have come from the lips of educated men that really just wanted to have control over less educated people. Scare them into submission.
As a Christian I can accept the New Testament, but I am certainly struggling when it comes to the Old Testament. Am I the only Christian on this forum that feels this way?
I think it is important that we do not just accept everything in the bible without questioning it.
I don't have a reasonable answer to the question I have posed, but maybe someone else does, and I would be interested to know what everyone thinks on this.