Tellyontellyon

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What if... the Bible was not infallible... What if... The Bible was a flawed attempt to convey a real experience.... but contained mistakes and things that were only true at the time...

There are scriptures mentioned in some parts of the Bible that don't exist anymore, and yet they were regarded as scripture, therefore the scripture record must be incomplete. No book in the Bible says that all the other books are infallible. Where does this idea of infallibility even come from? A doctrine of an infallible Pope? Inspired doesn't mean infallible.

+ Surely the Bible must be treated with caution and not regarded as an infallible manual for the modern day?
 
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HTacianas

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What if... the Bible was not infallible... What if... The Bible was a flawed attempt to convey a real experience.... but contained mistakes and things that were only true at the time...

There are scriptures mentioned in some parts of the Bible that don't exist anymore, and yet they were regarded as scripture, therefore the scripture record must be incomplete. No book in the Bible says that all the other books are infallible. Where does this idea of infallibility even come from? A doctrine of an infallible Pope? Inspired doesn't mean infallible.

+ Surely the Bible must be treated with caution and not regarded as an infallible manual for the modern day?

Before we can get into the answer to the question, we have to know precisely what "infallible" means. I reached my own conclusions about the bible years ago. Then some time later I ran across a statement that sums up my own conclusions perfectly:

It is the faith of the Orthodox Church that the Bible, as the divinely-inspired Word of God in the words of men, contains no formal errors or inner contradictions concerning the relationship between God and the world. There may be incidental inaccuracies of a non-essential character in the Bible. But the eternal spiritual and doctrinal message of God, presented in the Bible in many different ways, remains perfectly consistent, authentic, and true.

 
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Larniavc

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No book in the Bible says that all the other books are infallible.
Psalm 12:6-7 The words of the LORD are pure words: as silver tried in a furnace of earth, purified seven times. Thou shalt keep them, O LORD, thou shalt preserve them from this generation for ever.
 
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hedrick

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Psalm 12:6-7 The words of the LORD are pure words: as silver tried in a furnace of earth, purified seven times. Thou shalt keep them, O LORD, thou shalt preserve them from this generation for ever.
That isn’t relevant to the question. It only works if you assume that every word of the Bible is a word of the Lord. But that’s the question we’re discussing.
 
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Larniavc

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That isn’t relevant to the question. It only works if you assume that every word of the Bible is a word of the Lord. But that’s the question we’re discussing.
So which bits can be ignored as not the word of the Lord?
 
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hedrick

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So which bits can be ignored as not the word of the Lord?
I use Jesus teachings as a standard, and secondarily the prophets. However even there, it’s clear that at times the Gospel writers i Ed in their own editorial perspective. So I look for teaching that appears in multiple sources and form consistent themes.
 
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d taylor

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The original writing by the actual writer. Is what is God's perfect revelation. The current composed Bible is simply copies of the original autographs.

But they are so accurate that they are able to still be used to teach about God and how to receive God's free gift of Eternal Life, about God's creation, the history and beginning of man, history of the Hebrew people, etc...
 
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vegan rachel

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What if... the Bible was not infallible... What if... The Bible was a flawed attempt to convey a real experience.... but contained mistakes and things that were only true at the time...

There are scriptures mentioned in some parts of the Bible that don't exist anymore, and yet they were regarded as scripture, therefore the scripture record must be incomplete. No book in the Bible says that all the other books are infallible. Where does this idea of infallibility even come from? A doctrine of an infallible Pope? Inspired doesn't mean infallible.

+ Surely the Bible must be treated with caution and not regarded as an infallible manual for the modern day?
Thank you for sharing. I agree with your thoughts.
The "Bible" is actually an interpretation of the Book of Enoch and the Dead sea scrolls. The Dead Sea
Scrolls contain hundreds of passages, yet the "bible" only has 66 chapters. A lot was deliberately omitted (spirituality...).
In addition, Over the many centuries, ruling Emporers had their own agenda's. They had the "bible" delierately changed and altered
to suit their belief systems. Emporer Constantine (3-4th C.) is one example. He had his scribes omit and change passages to reflect his
dogmatic and Pagan beliefs. Constantine worshipped the Sun God, not the God of light. King James, also did similar things. In addition, the langauge 2000 years ago was much different than ours'.
It is very easy for many interpreters to misinterpret what was really intended in the old Hebrew language, and, for modern readers to misinterpret
what was really intended..
This is not saying that the "bible" does not contain some wisdom. It does. I love the early Genesis where we are clearly told what God
wants humans to consume. However in its' own way, the vast majority of the "bible" is very dogmatic. There are multiple passages that
promote and support pagan animal and child sacrifices (to moloch and baal), and, eating dead animals. And that even say God wants this.
No, Satan wants them and still does.
29Then God said, “Behold, I have given you every seed-bearing plant on the face of all the earth, and every tree whose fruit contains seed. They will be yours for food. 30And to every beast of the earth and every bird of the air and every creature that crawls upon the earth—everything that has the breath of life in it—I have given every green plant for food.” And it was so.
Consuming the flesh and blood of murdered animals, is not meant to be on the table or in our mouths. It is participating in animal "sacrifices" to do so. God loves all of his children, all animals. It is eating at the table of demons.
God did not want his human children to consume his non-human animal children by ending their lives. Life is a priceless thing and none of
the gentle inncoent animals want to be slaughtered os we can sacrifice and/or eat their corpses.
I know my thoughts will upset many humans and I mean no offense. However the truth is there if you seek it. blessings to all.

 
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eleos1954

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What if... the Bible was not infallible... What if... The Bible was a flawed attempt to convey a real experience.... but contained mistakes and things that were only true at the time...

There are scriptures mentioned in some parts of the Bible that don't exist anymore, and yet they were regarded as scripture, therefore the scripture record must be incomplete. No book in the Bible says that all the other books are infallible. Where does this idea of infallibility even come from? A doctrine of an infallible Pope? Inspired doesn't mean infallible.

+ Surely the Bible must be treated with caution and not regarded as an infallible manual for the modern day?
What has happened in the past .... will happen again .... the fallen nature of man has not ... and will not change ..... what has been done will be done again. So we have examples from history that will be repeated in the future ..... different "players" doing the same types of things in the future, yet escalating.

Ecclesiastes 1:9

King James Bible
The thing that hath been, it is that which shall be; and that which is done is that which shall be done: and there is no new thing under the sun.

Ecclesiastes 1:10
Is there a case where one can say, "Look, this is new"? It has already existed in the ages before us.

His Word is indeed infallible .... man's complete understanding of it ... not so much ..... but as time goes on and we look at history we do see more of the same type of things happening and see they are escalating, like birth pangs.
 
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RileyG

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Also, papal infallibility does not refer to the pope being perfect. It just means when the Pope speaks FROM THE CHAIR he is infallible on matters of faith and morals. He only spoke from the chair twice, and only once in 1950 since Papal infallibility was defined in the First Vatican Council. A lot of people do not understand this doctrine.
 
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