The things in the Bible ain't necessarily so.....

[robin hood]

Back to the OP.......To what extent do we take the words in the Bible literally ?
 

The following was mentioned by a friend who was a Jehovah's Witness .........not a big issue........but a problem for her who claimed that Jehovah's Witnesses viewed the Bible to be totally accurate and to be taken literally .....but of course we know they don't .

According to Matthew Jesus was given a scarlet robe ......"And they stripped him, and put on him a scarlet robe."

According to Mark and John  Jesus was given a purple robe...."And they clothed him with purple"......."they put on him a purple robe" .

All three can't be true.....so my Jehovah's Witness friend said that the colour looked different because of the sunlight shining on the robe.......one problem......the Bible says nothing about the sun shining on the robe .

Not a problem at all.   The colors referred to are a deep red color, like what the ancients like to wear.   It was almost like what we would call purple.  The translators are using the closest words in English to communicate the thought.

There is nothing contradictory because they all claim that the soldiers put an expensive, royal robe on Jesus.  The nuances of the exact color are immaterial and you are trying to manufacture a problem that doesn't exist.  The history of the account is preserved in more than one Gospel.    So you have not really presented an actual problem.

It has never been a problem for me if you read my post .

Just as things in the creation accounts in Genesis are not a problem because they are not scientific or historical accounts.......rather they are symbolic narratives in the nature of creation myths.......not myths in the sense of being false......but myths as traditional stories concerning prehistory and the involvement of the divine . So the following are not problems for me.......

On the first day, God created light, then separated light and darkness........"And God said, Let there be light: and there was light. . And God saw the light, that it was good: and God divided the light from the darkness. And God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And the evening and the morning were the first day."

The sun (which separates night and day) wasn't created until the fourth day......"And God said, Let there be lights in the firmament of the heaven to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs, and for seasons, and for days, and years: And let them be for lights in the firmament of the heaven to give light upon the earth: and it was so. And God made two great lights; the greater light to rule the day, and the lesser light to rule the night: he made the stars also. And God set them in the firmament of the heaven to give light upon the earth,And to rule over the day and over the night, and to divide the light from the darkness: and God saw that it was good. And the evening and the morning were the fourth day."

Animals were created before man was created. ....."And God said, Let the earth bring forth the living creature after his kind, cattle, and creeping thing, and beast of the earth after his kind: and it was so. And God made the beast of the earth after his kind, and cattle after their kind, and every thing that creepeth upon the earth after his kind: and God saw that it was good.And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them."

Man was created before animals were created......."And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul......And out of the ground the Lord God formed every beast of the field, and every fowl of the air; and brought them unto Adam to see what he would call them: and whatsoever Adam called every living creature, that was the name thereof. "

Man and woman were created at the same time. ......"And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them."

Man was created first, woman sometime later.......And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul......And the Lord God caused a deep sleep to fall upon Adam, and he slept: and he took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh instead thereof; And the rib, which the Lord God had taken from man, made he a woman, and brought her unto the man."

 

 

 

[robin hood]

what you just posted doesn't show, nor mean, that Yahweh created adam and havah (eve) at the same time.

but first,  you didn't answer Shiloh about the source of the errors in red further below.

what is written in Jonah is true.  not false. and fits all of Scripture and Jesus Word perfectly, and true history.

Jonah 4:11

And should not I spare Nineveh, that great city, wherein are more than sixscore thousand persons that cannot discern between their right hand and their left hand; and also much cattle?

Jonah 3:5

So the people of Nineveh believed God, and proclaimed a fast, and put on sackcloth, from the greatest of them even to the least of them.

Jonah 3:6

For word came unto the king of Nineveh, and he arose from his throne, and he laid his robe from him, and covered him with sackcloth, and sat in ashes.

1. Jonah 3:3 Jonah obeyed the word of the LORD and went to Nineveh ...biblehub.com/jonah/3-3.htm‎
   So Jonah arose and went to Nineveh, according to the word of the LORD. Now Nineveh was an exceedingly great city, three days' journey in breadth.
2. Jonah 3:3 Parallel: So Jonah arose, and went unto Nineveh ...biblehub.com/parallel/jonah/3-3.htm‎
   So Jonah arose and went to Nineveh, according to the word of the LORD. Now Nineveh was an exceedingly great city, three days' journey in breadth.
3. here - Tektonics.org Bible apologetics and educationwww.tektonics.org/lp/ninsize.php‎
   Jonah 3:3 So Jonah arose, and went unto Nineveh, according to the word of the LORD. Now Nineveh was an exceeding great city of three days' journey.
4. [PDF] 
   How Big Was Nineveh? Literal versus Figurative ... - Charles Haltonawilum.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/12/01-haltonwm.pdf‎
   Dec 1, 2008 ... Now Nineveh was an exceedingly great city, three days' journey in ... Now Nineveh was a very important city—a visit required three days. (niv).

 

The Book of Jonah.....It is impossible that Nineveh , the ruins of which have been explored , could have been a city of "three days' journey" .

A city of 120 000 infants implies a total population of over a million , far too large for Nineveh .

Our knowledge of Assyria , both from Assyrian and biblical records , leaves no room for a conversion of Nineveh to the worship of Yahweh . 

The title "King of Nineveh" never appears in Assyrian or biblical records . It is always "king of Ashur" .

The literary type of the book is didactic fiction or parable .

........

Have you read the contents of your links ?

One says : " A figure commonly given for the length of a typical daily journey in the ancient world is 20 miles per day.5 When this number is combined with the translation of Jonah 3:3 as “a three days’ walk across” (nrsv), one might envision a city 60 miles in breadth. While Nineveh was certainly large, based on evidence from ancient texts and archaeological reconstructions, we can be sure that Nineveh was far smaller than this figure. "

[robin hood]

?  so ?  Scripture is True.  the source of the other and contradictory information is not.   I didn't edit the search to take out what may be contradictory to Scripture, 

they provide a good example of the error you post,  and where it comes from. (That's perhaps why Shiloh asked for 

your source, since your source is wrong).

Scripture remains true and unchanged and unruffled. 

My sources are the words of Scripture .

Yes Scripture is true......but not always to be taken literally.......and to be understood according to the various literary forms which make up Scripture .

[Painted Smile]

Back to the OP.......To what extent do we take the words in the Bible literally ?
 

The following was mentioned by a friend who was a Jehovah's Witness .........not a big issue........but a problem for her who claimed that Jehovah's Witnesses viewed the Bible to be totally accurate and to be taken literally .....but of course we know they don't .

According to Matthew Jesus was given a scarlet robe ......"And they stripped him, and put on him a scarlet robe."

According to Mark and John  Jesus was given a purple robe...."And they clothed him with purple"......."they put on him a purple robe" .

All three can't be true.....so my Jehovah's Witness friend said that the colour looked different because of the sunlight shining on the robe.......one problem......the Bible says nothing about the sun shining on the robe .

Not a problem at all.   The colors referred to are a deep red color, like what the ancients like to wear.   It was almost like what we would call purple.  The translators are using the closest words in English to communicate the thought.

There is nothing contradictory because they all claim that the soldiers put an expensive, royal robe on Jesus.  The nuances of the exact color are immaterial and you are trying to manufacture a problem that doesn't exist.  The history of the account is preserved in more than one Gospel.    So you have not really presented an actual problem.

It has never been a problem for me if you read my post .

Just as things in the creation accounts in Genesis are not a problem because they are not scientific or historical accounts.......rather they are symbolic narratives in the nature of creation myths.......not myths in the sense of being false......but myths as traditional stories concerning prehistory and the involvement of the divine . So the following are not problems for me.......

On the first day, God created light, then separated light and darkness........"And God said, Let there be light: and there was light. . And God saw the light, that it was good: and God divided the light from the darkness. And God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And the evening and the morning were the first day."

The sun (which separates night and day) wasn't created until the fourth day......"And God said, Let there be lights in the firmament of the heaven to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs, and for seasons, and for days, and years: And let them be for lights in the firmament of the heaven to give light upon the earth: and it was so. And God made two great lights; the greater light to rule the day, and the lesser light to rule the night: he made the stars also. And God set them in the firmament of the heaven to give light upon the earth,And to rule over the day and over the night, and to divide the light from the darkness: and God saw that it was good. And the evening and the morning were the fourth day."

Animals were created before man was created. ....."And God said, Let the earth bring forth the living creature after his kind, cattle, and creeping thing, and beast of the earth after his kind: and it was so. And God made the beast of the earth after his kind, and cattle after their kind, and every thing that creepeth upon the earth after his kind: and God saw that it was good.And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them."

Man was created before animals were created......."And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul......And out of the ground the Lord God formed every beast of the field, and every fowl of the air; and brought them unto Adam to see what he would call them: and whatsoever Adam called every living creature, that was the name thereof. "

Man and woman were created at the same time. ......"And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them."

Man was created first, woman sometime later.......And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul......And the Lord God caused a deep sleep to fall upon Adam, and he slept: and he took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh instead thereof; And the rib, which the Lord God had taken from man, made he a woman, and brought her unto the man."

 

 

 

 You are confusing two different ways to tell the same story and thinking it is an error. One is chronological,  one is as a narrative.   

since many people watch football I will use it as a example.

Same game described different ways...

 

1.  The Raiders scored the first touchdown followed by a field goal. Then the Chiefs scored a TD, followed by the Raiders again.

 

2.  In the game last night the Raiders scored three touchdowns and a field goal while the Chiefs only scored twice. 

[robin hood]

Back to the OP.......To what extent do we take the words in the Bible literally ?
 

The following was mentioned by a friend who was a Jehovah's Witness .........not a big issue........but a problem for her who claimed that Jehovah's Witnesses viewed the Bible to be totally accurate and to be taken literally .....but of course we know they don't .

According to Matthew Jesus was given a scarlet robe ......"And they stripped him, and put on him a scarlet robe."

According to Mark and John  Jesus was given a purple robe...."And they clothed him with purple"......."they put on him a purple robe" .

All three can't be true.....so my Jehovah's Witness friend said that the colour looked different because of the sunlight shining on the robe.......one problem......the Bible says nothing about the sun shining on the robe .

Not a problem at all.   The colors referred to are a deep red color, like what the ancients like to wear.   It was almost like what we would call purple.  The translators are using the closest words in English to communicate the thought.

There is nothing contradictory because they all claim that the soldiers put an expensive, royal robe on Jesus.  The nuances of the exact color are immaterial and you are trying to manufacture a problem that doesn't exist.  The history of the account is preserved in more than one Gospel.    So you have not really presented an actual problem.

It has never been a problem for me if you read my post .

Just as things in the creation accounts in Genesis are not a problem because they are not scientific or historical accounts.......rather they are symbolic narratives in the nature of creation myths.......not myths in the sense of being false......but myths as traditional stories concerning prehistory and the involvement of the divine . So the following are not problems for me.......

On the first day, God created light, then separated light and darkness........"And God said, Let there be light: and there was light. . And God saw the light, that it was good: and God divided the light from the darkness. And God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And the evening and the morning were the first day."

The sun (which separates night and day) wasn't created until the fourth day......"And God said, Let there be lights in the firmament of the heaven to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs, and for seasons, and for days, and years: And let them be for lights in the firmament of the heaven to give light upon the earth: and it was so. And God made two great lights; the greater light to rule the day, and the lesser light to rule the night: he made the stars also. And God set them in the firmament of the heaven to give light upon the earth,And to rule over the day and over the night, and to divide the light from the darkness: and God saw that it was good. And the evening and the morning were the fourth day."

Animals were created before man was created. ....."And God said, Let the earth bring forth the living creature after his kind, cattle, and creeping thing, and beast of the earth after his kind: and it was so. And God made the beast of the earth after his kind, and cattle after their kind, and every thing that creepeth upon the earth after his kind: and God saw that it was good.And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them."

Man was created before animals were created......."And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul......And out of the ground the Lord God formed every beast of the field, and every fowl of the air; and brought them unto Adam to see what he would call them: and whatsoever Adam called every living creature, that was the name thereof. "

Man and woman were created at the same time. ......"And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them."

Man was created first, woman sometime later.......And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul......And the Lord God caused a deep sleep to fall upon Adam, and he slept: and he took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh instead thereof; And the rib, which the Lord God had taken from man, made he a woman, and brought her unto the man."

 

 

 

 You are confusing two different ways to tell the same story and thinking it is an error. One is chronological,  one is as a narrative.   

since many people watch football I will use it as a example.

Same game described different ways...

 

1.  The Raiders scored the first touchdown followed by a field goal. Then the Chiefs scored a TD, followed by the Raiders again.

 

2.  In the game last night the Raiders scored three touchdowns and a field goal while the Chiefs only scored twice. 

I understand what you are saying , but if we take one account literally doesn't it rule out the other ?..... I emphasize LITERALLY .

Back to the OP.......To what extent do we take the words in the Bible literally ?

The following was mentioned by a friend who was a Jehovah's Witness .........not a big issue........but a problem for her who claimed that Jehovah's Witnesses viewed the Bible to be totally accurate and to be taken literally .....but of course we know they don't .

According to Matthew Jesus was given a scarlet robe ......"And they stripped him, and put on him a scarlet robe."

According to Mark and John  Jesus was given a purple robe...."And they clothed him with purple"......."they put on him a purple robe" .

All three can't be true.....so my Jehovah's Witness friend said that the colour looked different because of the sunlight shining on the robe.......one problem......the Bible says nothing about the sun shining on the robe .

Not a problem at all.   The colors referred to are a deep red color, like what the ancients like to wear.   It was almost like what we would call purple.  The translators are using the closest words in English to communicate the thought.

There is nothing contradictory because they all claim that the soldiers put an expensive, royal robe on Jesus.  The nuances of the exact color are immaterial and you are trying to manufacture a problem that doesn't exist.  The history of the account is preserved in more than one Gospel.    So you have not really presented an actual problem.

It has never been a problem for me if you read my post .

Just as things in the creation accounts in Genesis are not a problem because they are not scientific or historical accounts.......rather they are symbolic narratives in the nature of creation myths.......not myths in the sense of being false......but myths as traditional stories concerning prehistory and the involvement of the divine . So the following are not problems for me.......

On the first day, God created light, then separated light and darkness........"And God said, Let there be light: and there was light. . And God saw the light, that it was good: and God divided the light from the darkness. And God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And the evening and the morning were the first day."

The sun (which separates night and day) wasn't created until the fourth day......"And God said, Let there be lights in the firmament of the heaven to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs, and for seasons, and for days, and years: And let them be for lights in the firmament of the heaven to give light upon the earth: and it was so. And God made two great lights; the greater light to rule the day, and the lesser light to rule the night: he made the stars also. And God set them in the firmament of the heaven to give light upon the earth,And to rule over the day and over the night, and to divide the light from the darkness: and God saw that it was good. And the evening and the morning were the fourth day."

Animals were created before man was created. ....."And God said, Let the earth bring forth the living creature after his kind, cattle, and creeping thing, and beast of the earth after his kind: and it was so. And God made the beast of the earth after his kind, and cattle after their kind, and every thing that creepeth upon the earth after his kind: and God saw that it was good.And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them."

Man was created before animals were created......."And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul......And out of the ground the Lord God formed every beast of the field, and every fowl of the air; and brought them unto Adam to see what he would call them: and whatsoever Adam called every living creature, that was the name thereof. "

Man and woman were created at the same time. ......"And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them."

Man was created first, woman sometime later.......And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul......And the Lord God caused a deep sleep to fall upon Adam, and he slept: and he took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh instead thereof; And the rib, which the Lord God had taken from man, made he a woman, and brought her unto the man."

 

 

 

 You are confusing two different ways to tell the same story and thinking it is an error. One is chronological,  one is as a narrative.   

since many people watch football I will use it as a example.

Same game described different ways...

 

1.  The Raiders scored the first touchdown followed by a field goal. Then the Chiefs scored a TD, followed by the Raiders again.

 

2.  In the game last night the Raiders scored three touchdowns and a field goal while the Chiefs only scored twice. 

[robin hood]

Painted Smile ,  I understand what you are saying......but if we take one account LITERALLY , doesn't it rule out the other account ? ......I must emphasize LITERALLY .

[AllTheGoodNamesAreTaken]

I'm sorry Robin Hood, but I must ask, what is your point to all these topics where you have seemingly questioned the validity ( and / or ) authority of the Bible ? Please, for us simple folk, spell it out.

[Painted Smile]

Painted Smile ,  I understand what you are saying......but if we take one account LITERALLY , doesn't it rule out the other account ? ......I must emphasize LITERALLY .

. Depends on what you mean by literally.  Can you explain that for me.

 

let me ask you this...If a headline reads "Bears kill the Cowboys"...do you read it literally? 

[Ezra]

I don't think Jesus necessarily spoke of Jonah as a real historical person .

If Jonah was not a real historical person, then Christ would not have said that He was greater than Jonah.  So why don't you read and meditate on what is actually stated?  One does not compare oneself to fictitious characters.  

Are you sure that's always true? Some fictional characters are so well-known that they can be used for comparison. We can say that someone is "richer than Midas" or "meaner than Scrooge", for example.

Those figures of speech have no bearing on the historicity of Jonah, or the confirmation of that by Christ. Please read Matthew 12 in its entirety to see the serious import of what was being discussed, and why Jonah was brought into the picture. Theological liberals and Higher Critics have attacked the authenticity of the prophecy of Jonah, and the Lord Jesus Christ verified it in just a few words. There is absolutely no reason to doubt the account of Jonah since he is clearly shown to be a type of Christ in his "death, burial, and resurrection".

[Ezra]

When did Jesus compare himself to fictional characters?

Exactly.  That's the only issue on the table.  There's no reason to obfuscate the matter with peripheral issues.