Bible contradictions?

[Nick_Loves_Abba]

I found one here I was wonderin if anyone oculd clear this up for me or explain it or something.

Matthew 1:16
And Jacob begat Joseph the husband of Mary, of whom was born Jesus, who is called Christ.

Luke 3:23
And Jesus himself began to be about thirty years of age, being (as was supposed) the son of Joseph, which was the son of Heli.

So who was Joseph's dad, Heli or Jacob?

 

[Didymus]

Luke is Mary s line and Matt. is Joseph s. The word son can also mean son-in-law or grandson.

 

[SonWorshipper]

Yes, Heli was Joseph's Father-in-law. Notice that Jacob BEGAT Joseph whereas Joseph is called the son (by marrigae) of Heli.

 

[rkbo]

You find this a lot in the old testament. Many times a decendant is reffered too as the son of "so and so" when "so and so" is actualy his grandpa or great grandpa or even great,great, etc. you get the idea. We are all sons of Adam. You get the picture.

 

[Nick_Loves_Abba]

Excellent! That's awesome thanks guys. I was wonderin what are the other popular contradictions (which aren't really contradictions) that people try to use as a bible-bashing arguement.

I'm trying to study up on this subject.

 

[Willis Deal]

Nick,

Be careful, you should only study the tactics of the enemy if God has called you to do so. The danger is that our focus settles on Satan and the things he is doing and we can easily fall into confusion. Paul admonishes us to think on good things, things which are holy, etc.

 

[rkbo]

I helped a guy with a paper he was writtting for college and it was very interesting. He had all the "so called" bible contradictions he could find. Must have been 30 or so. He asked several scholars how to solve them and then he asked and equal number of laymen (regular folk) how to solve them. He was hoping if it turned out good enough, he could publish it. Anyway, I found it very uplifting. Every seeming contradiction was resolved and not in a hoaky slight of hand kind of way. Exept one. I don't remember which one it was, I just remember I couldn't resolve it. Either I didn't have enough information or my little brain just couldn't grasp the answer if God told it to me. I've said all that to say this. Any and all study of the Bible will make you stronger in faith and knowledge and just plain fun, for the true believer.

 

[Ima Knerd]

Does the Bible contain contradictions?
Of course!

The Bible is a collection of books--a history, as it were, of humankind's relationship with God.

Do biblical contradictions negate the saving power of Christ?
absolutely not!

Atheists, fundamentalists, and skeptics tend to read the Bible literally and are understandably disturbed by contradictions.

Atheists see biblical contradictions as evidence that "the word of God" touted by believers is not perfect.

Fundamentalists feel their faith may be shaken--so they deny or "explain away" such contradtictions.

Skeptics find it harder to accept spiritual truths when they see such truth as having to be one-dimensional.

The rationalism of the 19th century split into the twin poles of fundamentalism and skeptical humanism--both of which take spiritual matters literally. It is interesting that the parables of Jesus--by their very nature--are not and should not be taken in any literal sense.

And many believers who run from the idea of biblical contradictions overlook the most awesome contradiction of all--that Jesus in his human form shows us what God is like!!!

 

[Nick_Loves_Abba]

There's no real, and pure contradictions. Why would God say something which contradicted himself?

 

[rkbo]

Akido you have made bold sweeping statments as if they are unchallengable. I would like to see how you backup these claims of yours.......just wondering is all.

 

[Thunderchild]

Well said, Aikido. The existence of contradictions only demonstrates that "the Bible is wholly the word of God" theory is invalid. The contradictions have no effect whatever on the validity of Jesus's testimony, nor on God's existence.

As to the existence of real contradictions, site http://pub43.ezboard.com/fwayrunnersfrm8
does list a couple of those which are solid. Not that the list is complete, but it is hardly necessary to have a complete list to demonstrate the real existence of contradictions.

 

[Ima Knerd]

No one who has studied Aesop really thinks animals could talk in ancient Greece.

No one who has critically studied Homer's "Odessey" sees the text as factual history.

No one who has studied Jesus' aphorisms and parables views him as narrating journalistic facts.

Is the Parable of the Sower a lesson on gardening techniques and cereal yields for the agricultural climate of lower Galilee?

The stories in the Bible may not have actually happened, but they are true nonetheless. Anthroplogists and biblical experts have long recognized that myth and parable are the closest language forms we have to describing absolute truth.

After all, the creedal statement that Jesus was fully God and fully man is a "contradiction."

The American transcendentalist Ralph Waldo Emerson once said that contradictions are "the hobgoblin of little minds." In other words, if you are vexed about contradictions, they will certainly bedevil you, but if your mind and spirit are able to contain them, they are of no consequence and you can move on....

Biblical contradictions DO NOT negate the saving power of Jesus Christ.

 

[Hervey]

Nick asked >

I found one here I was wonderin if anyone oculd clear this up for me or explain it or something.

Matthew 1:16
And Jacob begat Joseph the husband of Mary, of whom was born Jesus, who is called Christ.

Luke 3:23
And Jesus himself began to be about thirty years of age, being (as was supposed) the son of Joseph, which was the son of Heli.

So who was Joseph's dad, Heli or Jacob? "


The answer to your question at the bottom here Nick, is both . These are two separate Joseph's

The problem people have in understanding these two records, is in this word "husband" in Matthew. This word is the Greek word "aner" and should be translated "man".

The Joseph in Luke is the stepfather of Jesus , and the Joseph in Matthew is the father of Mary , the mother of Jesus.

In Matthew , it tells us that there are 42 generations , and the only way in which one can come up with 42 generations is if the Joseph in Matthew is the father of Mary. Joseph being her father would be generation 40 and Mary would be generation 41 and Christ would be generation 42. This is how to prove the Word of God without any contradictions !

L I C - Hervey

 

[ThrdJohn13]

HI,
Think your answer is mistaken. You said that people have a problem with the word "aner". I know some Greek. "Aner" ought to be taken as husband in this case. THat's the normal usage here. THere is absolutely no lexical data to support taking this word as "Father". I think taking "aner" as "father" would be a huge translation mistake. If it was to be "father", the Greek would most likely be "pater".

I think we all need to be really careful. It's a temptation, and a bad idea, to sacrifice a good translation for the sake of trying to preserve inerrancy. To do so is to dishonor God by being irresponsible with his Word.

In the case of "Biblical contradictions", there are certain places where the BIble clearly does "contradict" itself...but our response should not be one to "harmonize" those contradictions. Instead, our response ought to be one of awe, and majesty, and wonder at it's author. Our response should be to try to understand what God is doing in his BIble...sometimes its more complicated and wierd than we think.

 

[Hervey]

ThrdJohn13

The Greek word "aner" means "Man " --- "As I said" !!

I explained ! That the Word "aner" for "man " indicates that this man is Mary's father.

It is the Only way in which you can come up with 42 generations !!!

Love IN Christ - Hervey