Lots of Questions Part I

[Temp Name]

If you read my opening post for this account here>>>> http://www.worthychristianforums.com/topic/169726-yo-hi-hello/

 

I mention that I have been really struggling with my faith and because of that, I've been doing a lot of research on whether or not God exists and if he does, is he the Christian God. So I plan on making a lot of topics based on questions I've formed from the bit of research that I have done and I hope you can help me out here. I'm not necessarily looking to debate, I just want some questions answered. So I'll start out with this.

 

I've been looking at, what looks like to me, contradictions in the bible and specifically the Gospels. There are a lot of different interpretations, according to Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, regarding what Jesus and other things of that nature. I'll give a couple of examples.

 

 

 

In two places in the New Testament the genealogy of Jesus son of Mary is mentioned. MAT 1:6-16 and LUK 3:23-31. Each gives the ancestors of Joseph the CLAIMED husband of Mary and Step father of Jesus. The first one starts from Abraham(verse 2) all the way down to Jesus. The second one from Jesus all the way back to Adam. The only common name to these two lists between David and Jesus is JOSEPH, How can this be true? and also How can Jesus have a genealogy when all Muslims and most Christians believe that Jesus had/has no father.

 

Below regards if God can be seen or if he cannot.

 

EXO 24:9,10; AMO 9:1; GEN 26:2; and JOH 14:9 

God CAN be seen: 
"And I will take away my hand, and thou shalt see my backparts." (EXO 33:23) 
"And the Lord spake to Moses face to face, as a man speaketh to his friend." (EXO 33:11) 
"For I have seen God face to face, and my life is preserved." (GEN 32:30)

God CANNOT be seen: 
"No man hath seen God at any time." (JOH 1:18) 
"And he said, Thou canst not see my face; for there shall no man see me and live." (EXO 33:20) 
"Whom no man hath seen nor can see." (1TIM 6:16)

Matthew 5 and Luke 6 recount the sermon on the mount. Matthew 5 says that Jesus went up on a mountainside when he began to teach, but Luke 6 that he was on a level place. How can both of these be true?

 

Again, I'm not trying to prove that Christianity is wrong or that whatever is trying to prove that very thing wrong, is right. I'm just looking for answers.

Edited September 11, 2013 by A Soggy Cactus

[BFP]

You'll never know God exists until you truly give him your heart. You can never really know God until you do

[other one]

Cactus, I'm dealing with a recovery from a broken arm and not much feeling in one hand so I'm working with one finger here.

 

considering seeing God, you need to get your mind around the trinity.  Jesus existed in the form of God before he set that aside and became the fleshly person we know as Jesus.  He and the Father are separate beings that are basically one in common existence along with the spirit.

 

It is the Father that no one has seen, but it was Jesus in various forms that was seen in the old testament....  that includes Adam and Eve.

[Guest shiloh357]

In two places in the New Testament the genealogy of Jesus son of Mary is mentioned. MAT 1:6-16 and LUK 3:23-31. Each gives the ancestors of Joseph the CLAIMED husband of Mary and Step father of Jesus. The first one starts from Abraham(verse 2) all the way down to Jesus. The second one from Jesus all the way back to Adam. The only common name to these two lists between David and Jesus is JOSEPH, How can this be true? and also How can Jesus have a genealogy when all Muslims and most Christians believe that Jesus had/has no father.

 

This was the accepted custom since women were not listed in geneaologies at that time.  Joseph as the son-in-law of Heli would be listed as the son of Heli.  This kind of name substitution occurs elswhere in the Bible;  Numb. 27:1-11 and Numb. 36:1-12.  

 

EXO 24:9,10; AMO 9:1; GEN 26:2; and JOH 14:9 

God CAN be seen: 

"And I will take away my hand, and thou shalt see my backparts." (EXO 33:23) 

"And the Lord spake to Moses face to face, as a man speaketh to his friend." (EXO 33:11) 

"For I have seen God face to face, and my life is preserved." (GEN 32:30)

God CANNOT be seen: 

"No man hath seen God at any time." (JOH 1:18) 

"And he said, Thou canst not see my face; for there shall no man see me and live." (EXO 33:20) 

"Whom no man hath seen nor can see." (1TIM 6:16)

What needs to be understood first of all is that you are mixing contexts.  It is important to understand that simply pulling verses out of their intended contexts and stringing them together gives you the ability to make the Bible appear to say what you want it to say.  Context is more important.

 

No man has seen God at any time.  This is true, but what means is that no man has seen God in his unfiltered glory and presence.  If we were to see God as He really is in all of His glory, we would die.

 

God has appeared to man in various ways, but no one has actually "seen" God, in the abolute sense.  His appearances to men were always either disguised as an angel, or vicariously through an angenlic agent, or in the incarnation of Jesus as a human being.   All of the verses you cite are true in their immediate context.  The appearance of contradiction occurs when you remove them from the line of thought and the issue the authors were endeavoring to address. 

 

Matthew 5 and Luke 6 recount the sermon on the mount. Matthew 5 says that Jesus went up on a mountainside when he began to teach, but Luke 6 that he was on a level place. How can both of these be true?

 

Because they are not the same occurance.   Jesus preached the same sermon twice.  Once on a mountain side and once ina level place.  You will note the even the actual material is not identical.  So, it is not a contradiction.  It's like when Jesus fed 5,000 in Matt. and 4,000 in Mark.   Those were two different occurances of the same miracle and they did not occur in the same location.

[MissPlaced_56]

@ A Soggy Castus

It may also help you to understand by putting a very human face on this,

let's start with the Gospel's...Matthew, Mark, Luke and John,EACH of them were real people,altho they were aspostles, they also were individual's with different personalities, so their view's are going to vary a little bit.

Much as you and I are different people and we both are telling the same story, your version and mine are going to differ a little, it's still the same story tho.

 

It is also important to keep thing's in context,

I'm goin to tell you a story here.....

 

There was a man that was looking for GODS direction in his life, so he stood his bible up on it's spine and just let it fall open, his eyes fell upon "Judas betrayed JESUS", not happy with the result, he did it again,and his eye's fell upon"Judas went and hanged himself", still not happy with the result, he did this for a third time,and his eye's fell upon "so go do thou likewise"

Now this is just a silly story, but i think it makes my point well.

 

GO(D Made HIS WORDeasy for us to understand, so that we could get to know HIM, we're the ones that make it hard.

 

How many times I've come to HIM with a problem, and found that HIS answer to me was so simple and i have to say to myself "well DUH!, that was so simple, why didn't i see that before!"

You see I was trying so hard to get it right, that i had missed HIM......BUT He saw my heart and motive and honored that, because my motives were pure, as HE will honor your's, at the basis of this is that you just really want to know that HE can be trusted with your life.

 

GBU  Brother in your search for the truth!

[LadyKay]

 

and also How can Jesus have a genealogy when all Muslims and most Christians believe that Jesus had/has no father.

 

I'll give this one a go. I think it is like when a person is adopted. If you are adopted into a family, you claim your adopted families genealogy as your own. My husband was adopted and this is what he has done.

[kwikphilly]

Hey Cactus...Hi! Yo! Hello!!!

      Welcome to Worthy,I am so happy that the God you are inquisitive about has lead you here!!!!You see,you did not just happen to come by this website by any accident but by the inspiration,direction and guidance of the One that wants to answer your every question,the One who loves you so much that He left His Heavenly Majesty to be reduced to servitude,to suffer,to die,to descend into hell and to rise from the dead.......for YOU!And that Jesus promised to never leave or forsake you, His Holy Spirit is here guiding the hands that type the replies you are reading..........our Father,has provided this wonderful place for all of us.......Welcome,we love you and will be here for you to answer your questions Part 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,    and whatever it takes.......

     As you have already been advised,it is so very important to read the Scriptures in context.....I used to actually pick out verses to justify the things I wanted to do(lol)when I was stubborn and did not want to completely surrender and live according to the will of God,little did I know Jesus was changing the desires of my heart and eventually I only want to live to please Him....I was just like you,questioned EVERYTHING,every single verse I read....God sent many wonderful loving people to me that He used to guide me....but always be sure whatever you are told lines up with what is written....God is never of confusion,He is true to His Word.

   Shiloh,post#4 has answered your questions on what you thought to be discrepancies very accurately and you will continue to receive confirmation here.......that is what our Loving Father does,He gives you what you need because one day after you can no longer refute any one Word of God in His Holy Bible....you are going to give Him all the glory and be His living testimony,just as we are!!!Keep asking those questions,Cactus...drink of the Living Water so you will no longer thirst...Faith comes by hearing,hearing the Word of God!!!

   God bless you and I pray you will continue to seek,because you WILL find HIM-knock and HE WILL answer.....talk to God with all your heart,ask Jesus to fill your heart,ask the Holy Spirit to Comfort And Council....HE WILL.....HE IS

                                                                                                                                                              With love,Kwik

[Temp Name]

While I haven't read all of these yet, I'm really pleased with what I have read. Thanks so much for answering. I'll be posting a new topic with new questions pretty soon. Thanks for helping me in my search!

Edited September 6, 2013 by A Soggy Cactus

[Temp Name]

So thanks to everyone who responded on my last topic. You definitely answered my questions. So now I want to talk about the Sumerian Tablets, which apparently pre-date the Bible and even share similar stories like the great flood and creation. So how do we know that the Sumerian Tablets aren't true and that maybe the stories in the Old Testament were just copied from these tablets?

[Fez]

So thanks to everyone who responded on my last topic. You definitely answered my questions. So now I want to talk about the Sumerian Tablets, which apparently pre-date the Bible and even share similar stories like the great flood and creation. So how do we know that the Sumerian Tablets aren't true and that maybe the stories in the Old Testament were just copied from these tablets?

Before I answer your questions please tell me who is the Lord Jesus Christ to you?

 

And..

 

Do you believe the bible to be the inspired Word of God?