Why You Can Trust the Bible: Part 1

A three part annotated series, Why You Can Trust the Bible, comes from a tract recently handed me by one of the many purveyors of paper from Kingdom Hall, Jehovah's Witnesses.

Introduction
Some people say the Bible is unreliable, and their views have gained wide acceptance. Thus many today dismiss what the bible says as untrustworthy. On the other hand, what Jesus Christ said in prayer to God promotes trust: "Your word is truth." And the Bible itself claims to be inspired by God. - John 17:17; 2 Timothy 3:16.
What do you think about this? Is there sound basis for trusting the Bible? Or is there really evidence that the bible is unreliable, that it contradicts itself and is inconsistent?

Does It Contradict Itself?

  While some may claim the Bible contradicts itself, has anyone ever shown you an actual example? 

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

LUK 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.

 We have never seen one that could withstand scrutiny. 

PSA 145:9 The LORD is good to all: and his tender mercies are over all his works.

JER 13:14 And I will dash them one against another, even the fathers and the sons together, saith the LORD: I will not pity, nor spare, nor have mercy, but destroy them.

 True, there may appear to be discrepancies in certain Bible accounts.

JOH 10:30 I and my Father are one.

JOH 14:28 Ye have heard how I said unto you, I go away, and come again unto you. If ye loved me, ye would rejoice, because I said, I go unto the Father: for my Father is greater than I.

 But the problem usually is lack of knowledge regarding details and circumstances of the times. 

            For example, some persons will draw attention to what they consider a discrepancy in the Bible, asking: ‘Where did Cain get his wife?’ The assumption is that Cain and Abel were the only children of Adam and Eve. But the assumption is based on a misunderstanding of what the Bible says. The Bible explains that Adam “became father to sons and daughters.” (Genesis 5:4) Thus Cain married one of his sisters or possibly a niece. 

LEVITICUS 18:6 None of you shall approach to any that is near of kin to him, to uncover their nakedness. 

·                                 By the way, that means don’t commit incest. Incest, in the Bible is punishable by death.

           Often critics are just looking for contradictions and so may declare: ‘The Bible writer Matthew says that an army officer came to ask Jesus a favor, while Luke says that representatives were sent to ask. Which one is correct?’ (Matthew 8:5, 6; Luke 7:2, 3) But is this a contradiction?

           When the activity or work of people is credited to the one who is actually responsible for it, a reasonable person does not claim a discrepancy. For example, do you consider a report to be in error that says a mayor built a road even though the actual building of the road was done by his engineers and laborers? Of course not! Similarly, it is not inconsistent for Matthew to say that the army officer made a request of Jesus but, as Like writes that such a request was made through representatives. 

            As more details are known, apparent discrepancies in the Bible disappear. 

The final example is obviously a very sad and benign example that I don’t think many people would care to discuss in the first place. It’s clear that the author of this tract is simply going for the easy pickings in hopes that the impressionable, who wouldn’t know to ask about something as significant as the wisdom or wickedness of the wise,

PRO 4:7 Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom: and with all thy getting get understanding.

ECC 1:18 For in much wisdom is much grief: and he that increaseth knowledge increaseth sorrow.

1CO 1:19: "For it is written, I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and will bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent."

would fall straight into the clutches of the godly. 

It’s clear that in this first section of the “Why You Can Trust the Bible” tract that the Bible does indeed contradict itself and that those of Kingdom Hall seek to dissemble in order recruit, to their dapper ranks, the weak and impressionable.

I leave you with this one contradiction to overpower all contradictions:

EXO 15:3 The LORD is a man of war: the LORD is his name.

ROM 15:33 Now the God of peace be with you all. Amen.

Did you catch how the LORD is a man? I suppose the Bible shows even more clearly than I had thought that it all is indeed man-made. 

*For more contradictions go to: www.infidels.org