Upwards Church

What about Contradictions in the Bible?

Posted on October 4, 2013 by dkoop

We’re continuing our series Explore God! Each campus will explore the topic, “Is the Bible Reliable?” I hope you can join us! Below is an article from www.ExploreGod.com to get us thinking on the topic.

Christians believe there’s something special about the bible; they believe that God reveals himself through its stories and teachings. But what if the stories themselves are not true? What if the teachings contradict one another? What if there are mistakes, errors, inconsistencies, and contradictions in the Bible? Wouldn’t that call everything into question? How can anyone trust the Bible?

Contradictions

It doesn’t take long for Bible readers to come across what seem to be inconsistencies and contradictions. Readers of the Bible have long recognized, analyzed, and discussed these discrepancies, and many have come to an important conclusion: with some basic understanding of ancient languages, literature, and the cultural context of biblical writings, it becomes apparent that most of these inconsistencies are not actually contradictions.

Good explanations can be found for why passages in the Bible sometimes differ. Let’s take a look at a few of these.

Editorial Differentiation

To begin, we must recognize that the Bible is a collection of books written by many different people who were not trying to force an artificial uniformity on their writings. Indeed, various authors had expressly different purposes or emphases.

This means that one writer may underscore God’s anger at injustice while another may emphasize his grace and compassion toward the undeserving. As a result, two books in the Bible, two passages in a single book, or even two verses in a single chapter may portray God in very different ways. Because God’s nature and character are so complex, each portrayal is necessarily incomplete but not necessarily inconsistent.

This also means that two authors may differ when describing the same event or people. For example, the books of 1 and 2 Kings recount the histories of the kings of Israel. The books of 1 and 2 Chronicles do the same, but their narratives often include quite different details. Are we to conclude, then, that the two accounts are contradictory? Of course not. We know that two descriptions of the same event often vary in their details, and yet both can be fully accurate in what they do include.

Here’s a good example: Matthew and Luke relate many of the same events in Jesus’ life. Luke’s order of events is often different than Matthew’s, and therefore one might conclude that the two books contradict one another. But it’s important to know that chronological accuracy is a modern concern, not an ancient one. Ancient biographers like Matthew and Luke organized their content based on different thematic interests. Thus differences in order simply reveal the purposes and themes important to each writer.

In case you think this strange or complex, just look at the numerous biographies of a recent historical figure like Abraham Lincoln.¹ The multitude of emphases (his childhood, family, senate race, presidency, the Civil War, etc.) and different biographical methods (chronological, thematic, documentary, etc.) produce widely varying accounts. Naturally, some accounts of Lincoln’s life could be false. But different ways of telling his story do not, in and of themselves, call into question the accuracy of the accounts. The same is true of the Bible.

Cultural Relevance

Moreover, paraphrasing was acceptable in the ancient world. This is important to know when examining quotations that appear inconsistent. For example, when Jesus was baptized early in his ministry, Matthew and Mark both record what was said next:

And a voice from heaven said, ‘This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.’Matthew 3:17

And a voice came from heaven: ‘You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased.’Mark 1:11

So which is it? The differences are slight, but they’re there nonetheless—and this is supposed to be God talking! They can’t both be right, can they? But the languages in which the Bible was originally written have no quotation marks, and journalistic precision with quotations is a modern concern.

In the ancient world, it was acceptable for a writer to paraphrase someone else’s words, as long as the meaning of the original statement was not lost. So Mark directs the voice’s remarks to Jesus (“you are”), capturing the intimate nature of the encounter. Matthew, however, directs the voice to the crowd (“this is”), demonstrating to all readers God’s pleasure with his son. Both statements still faithfully communicate the same message. Thus variations of quotations in the Bible are not necessarily contradictions once we comprehend the accepted conventions of ancient writing.

Historical Familiarity

We all need a better perspective on the literature, geography, culture, and history of the Bible and the biblical world in order to understand perceived inconsistencies. At best, our knowledge of the biblical world is partial. Many gaps remain.

There will always remain some unanswered questions in light of the subject matter. As humans, its authors struggled with how to describe who God is and what he has done.

Reliability

While some Bible readers today are troubled by these seeming contradictions, many actually point to these inconsistencies as evidence of the Bible’s authenticity and reliability. Contrived and forged works generally don’t contain such marks.

To people in this camp, the best explanation is that the Bible is not contrived. Its authors simply reported what they experienced to the best of their abilities, so that in doing so, readers of all ages might see the hand of the Supreme Author and begin to find their own place in his grand story.

What do you think?

www.RidgeFellowship.com

Footnotes

See, for example, Doris Kearns Goodwin, Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln (New York: Simon & Schuster, 2005); William Lee Miller,Lincoln’s Virtues: An Ethical Biography (New York: Knopf, 2002); James M. McPherson, Tried by War: Abraham Lincoln as Commander in Chief (New York: Penguin Press, 2008); and William C. Harris, Lincoln’s Rise to the Presidency (Lawrence, KS: University Press of Kansas, 2007).

By: Norton Herbst

Posted in Explore God | Leave a comment

Can I Trust the Bible?

Posted on October 4, 2013 by dkoop

Is the Bible really a trustworthy text? Let’s take a look at the facts supported by archaeology and other ancient texts.

The Bible can be a tough book to swallow. Strange stories, descriptions of an unseen God, a man rising from the dead? Perhaps we should just go ahead and conclude as Mark Twain did: “[The Bible] is full of interest. It has noble poetry in it; and some clever fables; and some blood-drenched history; and some good morals; and a wealth of obscenity; and upwards of a thousand lies.”¹

Here’s the key question: Can we trust the Bible? Can we genuinely believe what it says about history, life, truth, and God? Can it stand up to the scrutiny of historians, scientists, and common sense? Or is it no different than books about Zeus or Santa Claus?

Absolute Certainty

We should admit that little written about the past can be definitively proven as “true.” Did Abraham Lincoln really give the Gettysburg Address exactly as newspapers reported he did on November 19, 1863? Maybe what he said was different than the manuscript prepared and given to journalists. Perhaps one reporter got the date wrong and the mistake has been propagated ever since. It’s even possible that Lincoln was sick that day and a presidential impersonator delivered the speech for him. Generations later, no one can know the truth with absolute certainty. But we do not swim in a sea of uncertainty.

When considering what is true, we examine evidence. And outlandish conspiracy theories aside, the evidence gives us confidence that Abraham Lincoln delivered the Gettysburg Address on November 19, 1863, as it is recorded.

So can we trust what the Bible says in this same way? Is the Bible true? Let’s examine the evidence to see if it holds up.

Archaeology and Manuscripts

Let’s begin with archaeology. Numerous archaeological discoveries have validated the accounts we read in the Bible. For example, an Egyptian inscription describes a battle between Egypt and Israel in roughly 1209 BCE in the land of Canaan, much like the Bible portrays. Other inscriptions attest to the Israelite kings mentioned in the Old Testament.

Indeed, so many documents from ancient Egyptian, Hittite, Canaanite, Assyrian, and Babylonian cultures parallel accounts from the Old Testament that one prominent Jewish archaeologist stated, “No archaeological discovery has ever controverted a biblical reference. Scores of archaeological findings have been made which confirm in clear outline or exact detail historical statements made in the Bible.”²

The ancient manuscripts of the Bible itself also support its reliability. Of course, none of the original documents of the books of the Bible exist; we have only copies of copies of copies. But this is true of all ancient documents; the clay tablets and papyri that were used for writing simply did not last. As a result, textual scholars establish the credibility of ancient documents based on the nature and number of copies that have been discovered and how many years the earliest copies are removed from the original works. In this, the Bible has no parallel.

For almost every other ancient document—from the works of Plato and Aristotle to the greatest Roman historians—the distance between the earliest copy discovered and the original works is between 700 and 1,450 years. For the Old Testament, the Dead Sea Scrolls are removed from their original texts by less than 500 years. Two manuscripts that contain almost the entire New Testament have been found and dated to 300 years from their originals. And one fragment from the book of John dates to only 40 years of separation from its original text. There is simply no comparison with any other ancient work of literature.

Literary Corroboration

There are also secular literary works from the first century CE that corroborate the New Testament accounts of the life of Jesus. Josephus, a Jewish historian, wrote about Jesus’ life, teaching, and death under Pilate’s governorship in his work Antiquities of the Jews. A Roman historian named Tacitus also described Jesus’ death and the subsequent Christian movement in his Annals of Imperial Rome.

One early Christian, Justin Martyr, wrote a letter to Roman Emperor Antoninus Pius in 150 CE to ask him to spare Christians from persecution. In his letter, Justin Martyr refers to Jesus’ death and suggests that the emperor verify its fact by referring to official Roman records—specifically, the Acts of Pontius Pilate. To date this document has not been found, but it’s unlikely that Justin Martyr would publicly ask the emperor to consult these records if he was not confident they actually existed.

Other Concerns

But aren’t there contradictions in the Bible? And doesn’t that prove that the Bible is sometimes wrong or untrue?

With an understanding of ancient languages, literary genres, and cultural context, good explanations can be found for why passages sometimes appear to be contradictory. And many readers actually point to these inconsistencies as evidence of the Bible’s authenticity and reliability. Contrived works simply don’t contain such qualities.

Some readers also struggle with the scientific accuracy of the Bible. Of course, biblical language was not meant to be scientifically precise. For example, ancient writers spoke of the sun rising and setting, just as we do today. But technically speaking, the sun doesn’t rise or set; the earth revolves on its axis and so reveals or hides the sun. However, it would be unfair of us to impose modern scientific standards on ancient authors who used common language to describe what they observed.

On a similar note, some find it difficult to accept supernatural miracles. But if God did create the universe and its laws, he certainly has the right to bend those laws or invoke higher laws if it suits him. The question is whether we believe he can.

The Main Point

The issue of whether the Bible can be trusted is important. And in light of the evidence examined, many readers have concluded that the Bible is indeed trustworthy and reliable. But we must exercise caution. When we reduce the Bible to evidence and proofs—as critical as those are—it’s easy to miss its grand story: God’s love for and redemption of humanity.

Ultimately, many people find meaning and purpose in this story because it draws us in, speaks to our lives, and nourishes our souls. And maybe more than anything, this is why millions of people throughout history have concluded that the Bible is not only trustworthy but vitally important in their lives.

What do you think?

www.RidgeFellowship.com

Footnotes

Howard G. Baetzhold and Joseph B. McCullough, eds., The Bible According to Mark Twain (Athens, GA: University of Georgia Press, 1995), 227.
Nelson Glueck, Rivers in the Desert: A History of the Negev (New York: Farrar, Strous and Cudahy, 1959), 136. For much more detail, see Kenneth A. Kitchen, On the Reliability of the Old Testament (Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 2003).

Written By Norton Herbst

Posted in Explore God | Tagged the Bible | Leave a comment

Is the Bible Reliable?

Posted on October 4, 2013 by dkoop

Christians believe the Bible speaks truth about God. But is the Bible reliable?

Nearly two billion people on earth call themselves Christians. They belong to thousands of groups and sub-groups that each differ significantly in doctrine and practice. One commonality in all these groups, however, is the conviction that the Bible is authoritative and reliable. Consider what the Catholic catechism says:

The inspired books [the Bible] teach the truth. “Since therefore all that the inspired authors or sacred writers affirm should be regarded as affirmed by the Holy Spirit, we must acknowledge that the books of Scripture firmly, faithfully, and without error teach that truth which God, for the sake of our salvation, wished to see confided to the Sacred Scriptures.”¹

Every major denomination of Christianity affirms a similar commitment to the authority and inspiration of the Bible. They may do so with different words and emphases, but in the end all Christians look to the Bible as a source of truth about God, themselves, and what they must do in order to be in a proper relationship with God. Is their trust in the Bible well-founded? Is the Bible reliable?

Full Reliance

Let’s first consider what it means to rely fully on someone or something. Every day we rely on things we do not fully know or understand. In fact, we put our lives on the line regularly based simply on trust.

Over the last two years I have probably taken around one hundred flights. I put my life in the hands of engineers, mechanics, pilots, air-traffic controllers, and others I do not know. Why? Because many reliable people report to me—in religious lingo, they “bear witness”—that air travel is the safest way of getting from Point A to Point B.

I don’t perform the pre-flight inspection myself to make sure the plane is air-worthy. I trust the pilots. I don’t make sure the fuel is uncontaminated. I trust the manufacturer. I don’t verify the pilots’ credentials. I trust the company that employs them.

Is my trust well-placed? Well, I’m glad to report I’ve had one hundred safe take-offs and landings.

It’s not too far-fetched to say that when it comes to some of the most important issues in life, we rely on only a few witnesses. For example, I don’t have any proof that my mother is truly my mother. As important as that is in forming who I am, I believe my mother is my mother based on only a few faithful people whom I trust. I have not had DNA tests run to prove the claim; I live my life every day depending on what a few witnesses tell me.

Likewise, I don’t have any proof that my wife loves me. She tells me she does, and she acts in ways that are consistent with love, but it could all be a ruse. But still I live every day as if it is true. I depend on it. I rely on her.

My point is this: Every day we depend on a few trustworthy people when it comes to some of life’s most important issues. We bet our lives and happiness on them—and we do so without any scientific, objective proof. Instead, we simply trust others to tell us the truth.

Whether you regard the Bible as reliable probably depends on the people you trust. There are two billion Christians who rely on the Bible to tell them the truth about God. They have staked their lives on it. They “bear witness” that it is true.

But they are not alone. There are scholars, historians, and archaeologists who have studied the Bible in depth and testify that it is trustworthy. Let’s consider what just one of these fields—biblical archaeology—has to say.

Biblical Archaeology

Hebrew Bible specialist Ron Hendel defines biblical archaeology as the “rigorous correlation of textual data from the Bible and material evidence from archaeology.”²This correlation is not only possible; it helps to make sense of both the biblical texts and the material evidence. In fact, when archaeologists recover the remains of a human culture, it is best when those results can be studied alongside other ancient, roughly contemporary texts.

Dozens of magazines and journals are dedicated to biblical archaeology.³ These journals would not exist if there were not a lot of data to correlate with the remains of material culture. Archaeology helps to clarify and confirm much of what we find in the Bible, and the Bible helps to clarify and confirm much of what archaeologists discover.

Archaeologists have been digging in Egypt, Syria, Palestine, and Mesopotamia for hundreds of years. They have recovered and analyzed countless artifacts from human culture. But only 5 percent of the sites mentioned in the Bible have been excavated—and none of those sites have been exhausted. There is still a lot of work to do. This means that there are limits to what archaeology can tell us—though it does corroborate parts of the biblical text.

For example, archaeology confirms that camels were indeed domesticated during the time of Abraham as Genesis indicates (Genesis 24:10–64), but it cannot affirm that God spoke to Abram to establish a covenant with him (Genesis 12:1–3).⁴Archaeology confirms that the villages of Galilee had synagogues during the time of Jesus (e.g., Luke 4:16–30),⁵ but it cannot affirm that on a given day Jesus preached this or that sermon there.

This fact is why written texts are inherently so important. To put it simply, archaeology can’t dig up everything that happened in the past—and it certainly can’t dig up God. Since the Bible is fundamentally about God and his actions to rescue and repair the world, archaeology by nature must remain silent on the most important parts.

But while it cannot fully prove or disprove the Bible, the more we dig up, the more the truth of the Bible’s account of people, places, and customs becomes clear.

The Bible’s Reliability

In the end, we can say the Bible is reliable as what God intended. To recognize this, we must also acknowledge what it was not intended to be. It is not a complete guide to the flora and fauna of the Holy Land. It is not a medical manual for the treatment of diseases and injuries.

If we try to make the Bible what it is not, then we violate the purpose for which God gave us the Bible in the first place. To say the Bible is reliable is a statement of faith. We cannot prove it any more than we can prove a mother’s love. Like most of the important stuff in life, we take it on faith.

This means that the Bible can be trusted as what it claims to be. No more. No less. It can be viewed as what billions of people trust it to be: a collection of books inspired by God and “useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness.”⁶

What do you think?

www.RidgeFellowship.com

· Footnotes

Catechism of the Catholic Church, (New York: Doubleday, 1994), paragraph 107.
Ron Hendel, “Giants at Jericho,” Biblical Archaeological Review 35, no. 2 (2009), 20.
Biblical Archaeological Review and Biblical Archaeology are two examples.
Ken A. Kitchen, On the Reliability of the Old Testament (Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 2003), 338.
Evans, 38–62.
The Holy Bible, New International Version © 2011, 2 Timothy 3:16.

Written by David Capes, PhD

Posted in Explore God | Tagged biblical archaeology, Holy Bible, the Bible | 1 Comment

Israel September 2013

Posted on October 2, 2013 by dkoop

A group from The Ridge Fellowship was invited by Dr Furgeson and Dr Lewis Alexander from Intimate Life Ministries to Israel. Pictured are Lewis Alexander, my wife Niki and my Dad.

Several other pastors and ministry leaders to assess the possibility of working with and supporting some churches, schools, and ministries in the Holy Land to impact more people with the gospel. The idea is to literally fulfill Acts !:8 “You will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria and to the ends of the earth.”

The first day we spent time in Bethlehem. Pictured above is a kindergarten class at Jerusalem School Bethlehem. It’s a Christian school that’s serving the Arab population in Bethlehem. Pictured to the right is Jamison Creel, the school’s superintendent. He’s from Alabama and a huge Crimson Tide Fan! We can help this school in many ways.

Then we went to Bethlehem Bible College. This is an interdenominational school that prepares students to become teachers, pastors, youth directors and more. There are opportunities to partner with them to impact the Holy Land.

Pictured above is the President Jack Sara with his wife. Below is my wife, Niki.

Then we went on to Jerusalem, below is the Wailing Wall, or Western Wall. It is all that is left after the Roman’s destroyed the Jewish Temple in 70 AD. Many still go an pray there.

Below, we are on the Mount of Olives overlooking the old city of Jerusalem.

This is Judean Wilderness or dessert at sun set. This is where Jesus fasted for forty days and nights. (Matt 4:1, Mark 1:13, Luke 4:2)

Pictured below is Skull Hill or Golgatha, it is one of the places thought that Jesus was crucified. Just out side the city walls on a busy street. Notice the two depressions into the rocks behind Niki’s head that look like a skull. (Matthew 27:33, Mark 15:22, Luke 23:33 & John 19:17)

The Garden Tomb. One of the sites where it is believed Jesus was buried. This was a newly hewned tomb as the bible indicates with a rolling stone that went in front of it. (Matt 27:60, John 19:41)

Inside the Garden Tomb, pictured below is Aaron Alexander, Lewis’s son. He will be a basketball coach for the Jerusalem Bible School that was mentioned above.

Notice the red cross, in the back ground, its an ancient cross painted by early Christians that worshiped there.

Communion at the Garden Tomb. below are my dad, Niki & Pastor Brian Shobert from Life Point Church in Longview Tx.

Below is Dr Lewis Alexander doing a relational training for the teachers at Jerusalem School, Bethlehem. A contemporary church meets in that room as well. I was privileged to give the message at the church that weekend.

The Next day we got to go the Church of the Nativity. Pictured below is the exterior.

It’s thought to be the oldest church still in existence.

Below is Inside the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem. The church was built over the traditional site of the manger.

Below is the grotto or cave below where it is believed that Jesus was born. In that region stables were often in caves.

Other facts that I did not know about Bethlehem in the present day: The Christian population of Israel is about 2%. So there is a lot of work to be done! Of the 2% most of Christian’s live in Bethlehem. However a wall was built around Bethlehem with strict military check points in or out. This was due to a some fighting that took place there with the Second Intifada.

Personally I am grieved that the people there, especially the Christians are not free but literally prisoners in their own city.

The next day we headed north toward Samaria and stopped at a place called the Tomb of Samuel. It is that place that the Prophet Samuel visited frequently near Ramah. (1 Samuel 7:15-17)

From there we went to Mount Gerizim.

Mt Gerizim is also called the Mount of Blessing in the Old Testament. You can read about it in (Deut. 11:29, Deut. 27:12, Josh. 8:23, and Judges 9:7)

In Samaria was where the Northern Kingdom of Israel was located, until it was conquered by the Assyrian Empire in 722 BC.

In the New Testament era, it was where the Samaritans of Jesus day lived and had a temple there.

This was the place that is mentioned by the Woman at the Well, who was a Samaritan.

John 4:19-21
19 “Sir,” the woman said, “I can see that you are a prophet. 20 Our fathers worshiped on this mountain, but you Jews claim that the place where we must worship is in Jerusalem.”

21 Jesus declared, “Believe me, woman, a time is coming when you will worship the Father neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem. NIV

In the picture below was the city of Sychar where the Samaritan woman was from, the church with the red roof was built over Jacob’s well where Jesus and the Samaritan woman talked.

In the picture below is the capital of the Northern Kingdom of Israel, behind Niki and I are the ruins from the palace that king Omri built. (1 Kings 16:23-24) It was also inhabited by the infamous King Ahab and Jezabel who also lived there. (I Kings 18-22)

Other great work in the area is Holy Land Trust. Pictured below with me is its founder Sam Awad.

Hebron. where Abraham is buried, behind the green bars is thought to be his tomb.

While we were there the Jewish people observed Sukkot or the Feast of Tabernacles. The white tent below is where a Jewish family lived for a week. (Lev. 23:34, Deut. 16:13-16)

Below Church of the Holy Sepulche, thought to be the place where Jesus was buried.

The next day we went south the the Dead Sea region, in the Rift Valley.

Pictured below is the Nature Preserve at En Gedi. The natural springs are not only beautiful, but are lush for a desert and draw lots of animals. In the Old Testament it was one of the places David hid from Saul. (1 Samuel 23:29- 24: 22)

Pictured with me Jamison Creel. He served as our tour guide and is the superintendent of the Jerusalem School of Bethlehem and the pastor of a local contemporary church that meets there. He is a man of God and has a great ministry in the Holy Land.

At the Dead Sea which is the lowest place on earth: 1,388 feet below sea level! As well as the saltiest body of water, 10 times as salty as the ocean. In the bible it’s called the Salt Sea and mentioned at least 10 times. Also near by was the community of Qumran where the dead sea scrolls were found.

Pictured below is the Mediterranean Sea, near the modern day city of Tel Aviv. In the Old Testament it was called Joppa. It’s where Jonah got on a ship to run. (Jonah 1:3) In the New Testament its where Peter stayed for a time, did the miracle of raising Tabitha from the dead and saw a vision that changed his ministry focus. (Acts 9:36-11:13)

The purpose of the trip was to foster some ministry partnerships in order to return in the future. The hope of future trips is to have half of the trip seeing sites like above and the other to serve in the schools, ministries and communities. The Ministry leaders there said that as American believers our “presence” there speaks volumes and is an encouragement to them. Are you in interested in going? We will return March 11-16, 2014 which is Spring Break.

Darrell

www.RidgeFellowship.com

Posted in Global Outreach/Mission Trips | Tagged Bethlehem, Holy Land, Jerusalem, Mt Gerazim, Samaria | Leave a comment

Upwards Church

What about Contradictions in the Bible?

Footnotes

By: Norton Herbst

Can I Trust the Bible?

Footnotes

Howard G. Baetzhold and Joseph B. McCullough, eds., The Bible According to Mark Twain (Athens, GA: University of Georgia Press, 1995), 227.

Nelson Glueck, Rivers in the Desert: A History of the Negev (New York: Farrar, Strous and Cudahy, 1959), 136. For much more detail, see Kenneth A. Kitchen, On the Reliability of the Old Testament (Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 2003).

Written By Norton Herbst

Is the Bible Reliable?

· Footnotes

Catechism of the Catholic Church, (New York: Doubleday, 1994), paragraph 107.

Ron Hendel, “Giants at Jericho,” Biblical Archaeological Review 35, no. 2 (2009), 20.

Biblical Archaeological Review and Biblical Archaeology are two examples.

Ken A. Kitchen, On the Reliability of the Old Testament (Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 2003), 338.

Evans, 38–62.

The Holy Bible, New International Version © 2011, 2 Timothy 3:16.

Written by David Capes, PhD

Israel September 2013

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