Questions about the resolution of (apparent) contradictions in the Biblical texts.
22
votes
5answers
757 views
Does 1st Kings say that pi = 3?
The construction of Solomon's temple includes a piece of furnishing described in 1 Kings 7:23 (ESV):
Then he made the sea of cast metal. It was round, ten cubits from brim to brim, and five cubits ...
15
votes
5answers
563 views
Are women really saved by childbearing according to 1 Timothy 2:15?
In 1 Timothy, Paul says:
1 Timothy 2:15 (ESV)
15 Yet she will be saved through childbearing—if they continue in faith and love and holiness, with self-control.
Does the "she" refer to ...
13
votes
4answers
264 views
Why would God disapprove of rituals he ordained?
In Amos 5:21-24 God says:
I hate, I despise your festivals, and I take no delight in your solemn assemblies.
Even though you offer me your burnt offerings and grain offerings, I will not ...
12
votes
1answer
107 views
What is the proper translation of Hosea 11:12?
I have been researching Hosea 11:12 and have come to realize that it is translated differently in many differing translations of the Bible. It is sometimes translated that Judah walked (or ruled) with ...
11
votes
3answers
1k views
What is meant by “Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire”?
In Revelation 20:14 (ESV) we read:
"Then Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the
second death, the lake of fire."
The concept of "fire" is used multiple times in the New ...
9
votes
3answers
2k views
Comparison of English word “fool” in original Hebrew and Greek
Question is based on this comment on Christiantity SE.
In the OT, the word fool is apparently used to describe atheists:
The fool says in his heart, “There is no God.”
Psalm 14:1 and Psalm ...
9
votes
3answers
301 views
How can we understand “fear”?
It seems that (throughout the Bible), we have been told to "not fear" but also to "fear God".
How can we understand this word "fear" in these two contexts? If this word in these two contexts carries ...
9
votes
2answers
305 views
Why did Abel keep flocks if man wasn't supposed to eat flesh til after the Flood?
Per Genesis 9:3, man is given the animals as food after the flood. A reasonable implication of that statement is that prior to this, man was supposed to be vegetarian.
That said, Genesis 4:2 clearly ...
8
votes
5answers
341 views
Who named the wrong priest in Mark 2:26?
Here's a story Jesus told about David according to Mark 2:23-28 (ESV):
One Sabbath he was going through the grainfields, and as they made their way, his disciples began to pluck heads of grain. ...
8
votes
2answers
161 views
Who Killed Saul?
I am enjoying my ride through 1 & 2 Samuel. I remember there being a contradiction contest/tag and here's a "contradiction" that got me thinking.
What should we make of Saul's death? In 1 Samuel ...
8
votes
1answer
224 views
Was Goliath killed twice?
In 2 Samuel, we are told that Goliath was killed by Elhanan:
19 In another battle with the Philistines at Gob, Elhanan son of Jaare-Oregim the Bethlehemite killed Goliath the Gittite, who had a ...
8
votes
4answers
856 views
Are good works supposed to be seen or not?
In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus teaches his disciples, saying, "In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven." (Matthew ...
8
votes
3answers
202 views
Is David the Godfather?
As David neared the end of his life, he calls Solomon to himself and gives him some final instructions recorded in 1 Kings 2:1-10. It starts out how you'd maybe expect, with David admonishing Solomon ...
8
votes
1answer
165 views
How can we understand 1 Corinthians 12 without contradiction
To my reading, 1 Corinthians 12:4-30 could be summed up as: "Be content with the gifts/role God has given you because in his sight all the functions of the body of Christ are of equal importance".
...
8
votes
2answers
132 views
If a “house divided cannot stand” how did non-disciples cast out demons?
Really what I'm getting at is two lines of reasoning I see in gospel accounts that seem to contradict one another.
In particular I'm thinking of the pericope in which Jesus is accused of casting out ...
7
votes
2answers
105 views
Did Abraham leave Haran before or after his father died?
Genesis 11:31-12-1 appears to indicate that Abram left Haran after his father Terah had died. (The author of the New Testament book of Acts certainly saw it that way.)
Terah took his son Abram and ...
7
votes
2answers
267 views
Why did God “change His mind” with Balaam?
There are so many interesting questions regarding the account of Balaam in Numbers 22-24. But for now, let me focus on the one that is most puzzling to me: Why did the Lord seem to "waffle" in His ...
7
votes
1answer
135 views
How many and who were the people the women found at Jesus' tomb?
In the empty tomb stories, somebody was already there when the women arrived. But how many people and who were they?
For reference:
Mark: a young man
Matthew: an angel of the Lord
Luke: two men
...
7
votes
1answer
104 views
Was Abiathar the son of Ahimelech or was Ahimelech the son of Abiathar?
According to the following three verses, Abiathar was the son of Ahimelech:
1 Samuel 22:20.
1 Samuel 23:6.
1 Samuel 30:7.
But a couple other passages down the road claim that in fact Ahimelech ...
7
votes
2answers
526 views
Who did Cain marry?
A man marrying his sister is clearly a sin:
If a man marries his sister, the daughter of either his father or his mother, so that he sees her nakedness and she sees his nakedness, it is a ...
6
votes
2answers
275 views
Who was a greater king: Hezekiah or Josiah?
About Hezekiah, we read in 2 Kings 18:5-6:
Hezekiah trusted in the LORD, the God of Israel. There was no one like him among all the kings of Judah, either before him or after him. He held fast to ...
6
votes
1answer
121 views
How did Judas die?
In fact, there are multiple discrepancies between these two verses, what did really happen?
Matthew 27:5-8
5 And he cast down the pieces of silver in the temple, and departed, and went and hanged ...
6
votes
1answer
92 views
Do the righteous flourish or perish?
For example:
Psalm 92:12 (KJV)
12 The righteous shall flourish like the palm tree: he shall grow like a cedar in Lebanon.
compared to:
Isaiah 57:1 (KJV)
1 The righteous perisheth, and no ...
6
votes
3answers
160 views
Is God still at war with Amalek?
After they are defeated by the Israelites at Rephidim, God promises unending judgement on Amalek in Exodus 17:
14Then the Lord said to Moses, “Write this as a memorial in a book and recite it in ...
5
votes
2answers
51 views
Locations of the graves of the Patriarchs
The Book of Acts at 7:16-17 states that Jacob died and was "carried back to Shechem and laid in the tomb that Abraham had bought for a sum of silver from the sons of Hamor in Shechem."
But Genesis ...
5
votes
2answers
256 views
Was John the Baptist confused or mistaken about the nature of Jesus' ministry?
John preached a message of imminent judgment:
Luke 3:7-9
John said to the crowds that came out to be baptized by him, "You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? Bear ...
5
votes
8answers
486 views
What does it mean that the least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than John the Baptist?
Matthew 11:11 (KJV):
Verily I say unto you, Among them that are born of women there hath not risen a greater than John the Baptist: notwithstanding he that is least in the kingdom of heaven is ...
5
votes
1answer
76 views
Was Ishmael a teenager or a child when he and Hagar were sent away by Sarah?
When Sarah sent Hagar and Ishmael away in Genesis 21, Ishmael is referred to several times as a child:
15When the water in the skin was gone, she put the child under one of the bushes. 16Then she ...
5
votes
1answer
169 views
Not singing the songs of Zion/Yahweh's song in Psalm 137
The first colophon (or first two colophons, perhaps) of Psalm 137 reads,
1 By the waters of Babylon,
there we sat down and wept,
when we remembered Zion.
2 On the willows there
we hung up ...
4
votes
3answers
86 views
Why does Luke associate the birth of Christ with the census conducted by Quirinus?
Luke states that Mary and Joseph went to Bethlehem because of a census that took place while Quirinius was governor of Syria (2:1-5).
In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all ...
4
votes
3answers
254 views
How should John 1 be interpreted?
The first chapter of the Gospel of John seems to contrast with the rest of the book, in style and purpose. It seems very abstract and poetic, while the rest of John seems to be a more traditional ...
4
votes
4answers
149 views
According to Romans 5, is death caused by individual sin, or Adam's sin?
In Romans 5, Paul says:
Romans 5:12 (ESV)
12 Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned—
...
4
votes
6answers
1k views
What is the “first resurrection”?
Finishing up the year in the Bible, I heard this passage:
Then I saw thrones, and seated on them were those to whom the authority to judge was committed. Also I saw the souls of those who had been ...
4
votes
1answer
409 views
Is the punishment for sex during menstrual period banishment or a week's defilement?
There are two passages in Leviticus which discuss the degree of uncleanliness one should associate with sleeping with a woman during her period.
Leviticus 15:19
And a woman who will be ...
4
votes
3answers
118 views
How do we reconcile the morality of Deuteronomy 5:9 with 24:16 regarding punishment of children for their father's crime?
The following two passages from Deuteronomy seem to lend themselves to opposing conclusions about the morality of punishing someone for a crime committed by their father:
8“‘You shall not make for ...
4
votes
2answers
119 views
Was the gospel mystery “secret” or “revealed through the prophets”?
In the doxology of Romans, Paul writes:
Now to him who is able to strengthen you according to my gospel and
the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the
mystery that was ...
4
votes
2answers
497 views
Why is Isaac called Abraham's only son? [duplicate]
Continuing the response to the meta call for contradiction.
In Genesis 22, we find the following passage:
And it was after these events that the God tested Abraham; and said to him "Abraham", who ...
4
votes
1answer
84 views
Would the Pharisees go to Pilate and secure the tomb on the Sabbath?
This is in relation to another post in which the question was asked why the Sabbath was called "the day after the Day of Preparation."
It strikes me odd that Pharisees would be about this sort of ...
4
votes
2answers
203 views
Did Noah take two doves, or fourteen?
Continuing the response to the meta call for contradiction.
In Genesis 6:18 we read the following:
And I will make my covenant with you: and those that come on the ark, you and your sons and your ...
3
votes
2answers
662 views
Does Exodus 22:28 call for child sacrifice?
In Genesis, we see a motif of first-born sons being overly aggressive and ambitious. Kain slays Abel out of a jealous wrath. Firstborn Esau and Jacob have a long-running rivalry that ends with Jacob ...
3
votes
2answers
216 views
How are verses indicating that God is a God of war, and others indicating that he is a God of peace reconciled to not be contradictory? [closed]
Sometimes, skeptics note that the Bible makes contradictory statements about God. For instance, is God warlike:
Exodus 15:3—The Lord is a man of war.
Psalm 18:34—He teacheth my ...
3
votes
1answer
49 views
Whose idea was it to send the spies to scout the land of Israel?
In Numbers 13 we are told that God commanded Moshe to sends the twelve spies to scout out the land:
1 And the LORD spoke unto Moses, saying:
2 'Send thou men, that they may spy out the land of ...
3
votes
4answers
168 views
What is the connection between manna and living on the Word of God?
In Deuteronomy 8, Moses gives the theology of manna:
And he humbled you and let you hunger and fed you with manna, which you did not know, nor did your fathers know, that he might make you know ...
3
votes
2answers
159 views
What does Paul mean by “if we preach…contrary to [ourselves]”?
I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting him who called you in the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel—not that there is another one, but there are some who trouble ...
3
votes
1answer
29 views
Did 70 or 75 Hebrews go down to Egypt with Jacob?
Acts 7:14 states that "Joseph sent word and invited Jacob his father and all his relatives to come to him, seventy-five persons in all." This seems to contradict Deut. 10:22, Ex. 1:5; and Gen. 46:27 ...
3
votes
0answers
23 views
In John 18, who was high priest at the time of Jesus' arrest?
First the text in John 18 (NIV) seems to make clear that Caiaphas was high priest:
18:13 They bound him and brought him first to Annas, who was the father-in-law of Caiaphas, the high priest that ...
2
votes
4answers
4k views
Why does God say he only revealed his name, Yahweh, to Moses?
Responding the the meta call for contradiction In Exodus 6:2 we find the following quote:
And God spoke to Moses and said to him
I am Yahweh. And I showed to Abraham, to Isaac, and to ...
2
votes
2answers
451 views
When was Jesus's body 'broken' for us?
In order to fulfill prophecy, his bones were not broken.
Lu 22:19 And he took bread, and gave thanks, and brake it, and gave
unto them, saying, This is my body which is given for you: this do ...
2
votes
1answer
37 views
How is Deut. 2:29 reconciled with Num. 20:18-21?
After the Exodus, and prior to the conquest of Sihon and Og, Israel attempted to pass through Edom. (The Edomites were the descendents of Esau.) Numbers 20:18-21 records Edom's response as follows:
...
2
votes
1answer
411 views
Why does Jesus refuse to help the Syrophoenician woman, and then help her?
Jon Ericson has already asked a question about the "odd little story" of Jesus' interaction with the Syrophoenician woman, and more could be asked (e.g., What is the main point of the story in ...
