Bible Study Biblical Contradictions

[HeIsRisen2018]

I'm not sure about anybody else on here but sometimes I seem to find them. Like if Adam and Eve were the only two first humans on earth and Cain and Able were the only two first children then where in the world did they get their wives?


And now this latest one I read talks about how we're supposed to love our cheating spouses although later on Jesus specifically said that it's an exception for divorce so which is it? I apologize ahead of time if this thread stirs up trouble by the way.

 

[WIP]

I'm not sure about anybody else on here but sometimes I seem to find them. Like if Adam and Eve were the only two first humans on earth and Cain and Able were the only two first children then where in the world did they get their wives?

Now Adam knew Eve his wife, and she conceived and bore Cain, and said, “I have acquired a man from the Lord.” Then she bore again, this time his brother Abel.

The Bible doesn't say that Cain and Able were the only children. It only says they were the first two sons. We do not know with certainty how much time passed between their birth and Able's murder but I think it is safe to say they were old enough that Adam and Eve likely had other children. Remember, people lived hundreds of years and there could have been many children, grandchildren, great grandchildren and so on.

And now this latest one I read talks about how we're supposed to love our cheating spouses although later on Jesus specifically said that it's an exception for divorce so which is it? I apologize ahead of time if this thread stirs up trouble by the way.

We are also to love our enemies, right? Infidelity is indicated by Jesus as a possible reason for divorce but He doesn't say to stop loving them.

 

[JohnDB]

Actually...
Timelines for Genesis account are kinda difficult to nail down.

When the offering occurred of the two boys it has two different ways to read it.
"In the course of time" and "at the appointed time".
Which either reading is fine so long as you understand that this wasn't the first time the boys or Adam did all of this.

And then you have to understand that "Adam" wasn't just a person's name...it was a title for a station. Like Pharoah is a title as well as a person.

And that people reproduce exponentially.
Adam and Eve had many other children who also had children who had children.

So that by the time Cain went to find a wife and build a city there were at least 20,000 people possibly running around. Maybe even more.

So...
Yeah.

But I love the many different paradoxes and seemingly contradictory sections of the scriptures...these tell us things that we should know but often forget.

 

[stovebolts]

As far as Adam and Eve,
Genisis 5:3 When Adam had lived 130 years, he had a son in his own likeness, in his own image;and he named him Seth. 4 After Seth was born, Adam lived 800 years and had other sons and daughters. 5 Altogether, Adam lived a total of 930 years, and then he died.

In verse 4, we see that there were "other sons AND daughters" whose names are not listed.

Both Cain and Able married their sisters.
See how easy that was?

Now divorce... that one can stir the pot lol! I know some to interpret scriptures to say if you divorse and remarry, you've just lost your salvation.

It's not so cut and dry as who were the wives of Cain and Able. Why? I think it's because it calls for discernment using the full council of God for each specific instance involving a couple who got divorced.

 

[turnorburn]

Depends on how you use your time, a lot can happen when you live to be 900 years old..

Consider all of the works Jesus must have done in three short years..

John 21:25 And there are also many other things which Jesus did, the which, if they should be written every one, I suppose that even the world itself could not contain the books that should be written. Amen.

 

[JohnDB]

12-13 years for a child to hit puberty and begin to have children.

 

[HeIsRisen2018]

12-13 years for a child to hit puberty and begin to have children.

Unfortunately that's what it seems like most of the time today. Anyways, a lot of good responses actually and so far it doesn't seem to be stirring up trouble. So that's really good.

 

[Michael74]

Like if Adam and Eve were the only two first humans on earth and Cain and Able were the only two first children...

When Adam had lived 130 years, he fathered a son in his own likeness, after his image, and named him Seth. The days of Adam after he fathered Seth were 800 years; and he had other sons and daughters. Genesis 5:3-4 ESV

 

[HeIsRisen2018]

When Adam had lived 130 years, he fathered a son in his own likeness, after his image, and named him Seth. The days of Adam after he fathered Seth were 800 years; and he had other sons and daughters. Genesis 5:3-4 ESV

You know, this is a very good point but wasn't there also something about incest being frowned down upon in the Bible as well? So wouldn't that be another biblical contradiction then?

 

[WIP]

You know, this is a very good point but wasn't there also something about incest being frowned down upon in the Bible as well? So wouldn't that be another biblical contradiction then?

Someone will correct me if I'm wrong but I think the first indication where God made incest wrong is found in Leviticus 18:6. This was after Noah and the flood.

 

[HeIsRisen2018]

Someone will correct me if I'm wrong but I think the first indication where God made incest wrong is found in Leviticus 18:6. This was after Noah and the flood.

One more question I have to ask you really fast because I have a lot to do right now. How exactly are we supposed to still love somebody if they were cheating on us or being rude to us or possibly even hitting us?

 

[WIP]

One more question I have to ask you really fast because I have a lot to do right now. How exactly are we supposed to still love somebody if they were cheating on us or being rude to us or possibly even hitting us?

Jesus said to love our enemies, turn the other cheek, give our cloak if we are asked to give our shirt, go the extra mile. How do we do that? By the power of the Holy Spirit. Love God with all our heart, mind, soul, and strength and love others as ourself. Be like Jesus who while being nailed to the cross asked the Father to forgive them.

 

[WIP]

Jesus said to love our enemies, turn the other cheek, give our cloak if we are asked to give our shirt, go the extra mile. How do we do that? By the power of the Holy Spirit. Love God with all our heart, mind, soul, and strength and love others as ourself. Be like Jesus who while being nailed to the cross asked the Father to forgive them.

Jesus didn't say it would be easy. In fact, He said we will face trials, tribulations, persecutions, and so forth.

Take a look at Matthew, chapter 5. Jesus had much to say about this.

 

[for_his_glory]

One more question I have to ask you really fast because I have a lot to do right now. How exactly are we supposed to still love somebody if they were cheating on us or being rude to us or possibly even hitting us?

Mark 11:25 And when ye stand praying, forgive, if ye have ought against any: that your Father also which is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses. 26 But if ye do not forgive, neither will your Father which is in heaven forgive your trespasses.

Luke 23:34 Then said Jesus, Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do.

I really can not add to what has already been given about Adam's children and how the population grew, but your question here hits home to me. My first two husbands abused me mentally and the last one both mentally and physically. I hated what they did to me, but also learned I had to forgive them and also pray for them. Having hatred in your heart will shut down God's blessings in your own life.

 

[lisa-in-FL]

Hey - I'm not an expert on the Bible but I do believe its the perfect Word of God so there won't be contradictions - only things we don't like to hear.
On the divorce question, its funny you ask because this passage came up recently in church and I'd never really noticed it before.

Matthew 19:3-10 (KJV)
3 The Pharisees also came unto him, tempting him, and saying unto him, Is it lawful for a man to put away his wife for every cause?
4 And he answered and said unto them, Have ye not read, that he which made them at the beginning made them male and female,
5 And said, For this cause shall a man leave father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife: and they twain shall be one flesh?
6 Wherefore they are no more twain, but one flesh. What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder.
7 They say unto him, Why did Moses then command to give a writing of divorcement, and to put her away?
8 He saith unto them, Moses because of the hardness of your hearts suffered you to put away your wives: but from the beginning it was not so.
9 And I say unto you, Whosoever shall put away his wife, except it be for fornication, and shall marry another, committeth adultery: and whoso marrieth her which is put away doth commit adultery.

So the Pharisees are questioning Jesus about the law and divorce and He makes it clear that yes, its in the law because of Moses "but from the beginning it was not so". In other words, it wasn't God's intention when he set up marriage in the beginning, even with the exception set out in the law.

 

[lisa-in-FL]

One more question I have to ask you really fast because I have a lot to do right now. How exactly are we supposed to still love somebody if they were cheating on us or being rude to us or possibly even hitting us?

Now I say this as a person who does all this too so I'm not a poster-child for love and forgiveness ... but Jesus Christ is and we're supposed to live like Him. He loves us even though we "cheat" on Him with more love for things of this world than for Him and for being rude by taking His name in vain and keeping our light hidden under a barrel. I don't really have an example for "hitting", but my point is, He loves us more than we deserve and we should be able to extend the same for others (however difficult that is for us.)
That said "forgive and forget" isn't a Biblical principle. We are supposed to forgive and love covers a multitude of sins (1 Peter 4:8) but it is still prudent to be cautious about trusting someone who physically harmed you if they aren't truly repentant.

 

[JohnDB]

Hey - I'm not an expert on the Bible but I do believe its the perfect Word of God so there won't be contradictions - only things we don't like to hear.
On the divorce question, its funny you ask because this passage came up recently in church and I'd never really noticed it before.

Matthew 19:3-10 (KJV)
3 The Pharisees also came unto him, tempting him, and saying unto him, Is it lawful for a man to put away his wife for every cause?
4 And he answered and said unto them, Have ye not read, that he which made them at the beginning made them male and female,
5 And said, For this cause shall a man leave father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife: and they twain shall be one flesh?
6 Wherefore they are no more twain, but one flesh. What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder.
7 They say unto him, Why did Moses then command to give a writing of divorcement, and to put her away?
8 He saith unto them, Moses because of the hardness of your hearts suffered you to put away your wives: but from the beginning it was not so.
9 And I say unto you, Whosoever shall put away his wife, except it be for fornication, and shall marry another, committeth adultery: and whoso marrieth her which is put away doth commit adultery.

So the Pharisees are questioning Jesus about the law and divorce and He makes it clear that yes, its in the law because of Moses "but from the beginning it was not so". In other words, it wasn't God's intention when he set up marriage in the beginning, even with the exception set out in the law.

Okay,
But following your logic...
It wasn't God's intention for man to sin either...but Moses committed murder.

God is not bound by man or his actions.

Man's redemption from sin was always part of God's plan...not mankind's sinning.

It's a paradox not a contradiction. Huge difference.

 

[DiscipleDave]

I'm not sure about anybody else on here but sometimes I seem to find them. Like if Adam and Eve were the only two first humans on earth and Cain and Able were the only two first children then where in the world did they get their wives?

i use to think the same thing, but when the Scriptures were opened up to me, i realized i was wrong. When a contradiction seems to arise from the Word, it is our understanding of the two verses that are in contradiction. The verses are correct and True, it is our understanding that needs to me changed in order to line up with Scriptures.

In the above with Adam and Eve. They married their sisters. You have to remember, the Law was not given until Moses and the 10 Commandments. Prior to the Law, there was no LAW. It was perfectly acceptable for Cain to marry his sister, and for Seth to marry his sister, and so forth.

Gen_5:4 And the days of Adam after he had begotten Seth were eight hundred years: and he begat sons and daughters:

Adam had sons and daughters.

And now this latest one I read talks about how we're supposed to love our cheating spouses although later on Jesus specifically said that it's an exception for divorce so which is it? I apologize ahead of time if this thread stirs up trouble by the way.

We are to Love Everyone, even as Jesus Christ COMMANDED all Christians to do. God does not like divorce, and the ONLY divorce that God will accept and is not sinful is if a person divorces their spouse because of sexual immorality. Any other divorce is sinful in the eyes of God. There is no contradiction. a person can continue to love their spouse that they are divorced from.

You do well seeking these answers by asking these questions. continue to do so, despite what this generation will do to try to persuade you not to ask them. satan wants us all to be divided, he wants us all to agree to disagree and NOT come to one mind, to think the same things. Keep asking your questions.

^i^

††† In His Holy and Precious Name, Jesus Christ †††

DiscipleDave

 

[JohnDB]

Here's a "famous" contradiction:
The "Sending Out The Twelve"

Matthew 10:10
No bag for the journey or extra shirt or sandals or a staff, for the worker is worth his keep. (niv)

Luke 9:3
He told them: "Take nothing for the journey--no staff, no bag, no bread, no money, no extra shirt.

Mark 6:8
Here were his instructions: "Take nothing for the journey except a staff--no bread, no bag, no money in your belts.

Okay so there's an apparent contradiction here concerning this staff. All three accounts of the same story told almost the same but a huge contradiction concerning the staff.

***UNLESS****
you know that the holding/carrying of a staff signified leadership and that the Gospel of Mark was actually Peter's cousin Mark retelling all the stories that Peter used to tell about the time he spent with Jesus.

Then there is no contradiction whatsoever.

 

[Razeontherock]

Yup, apparent contradictions is God talking to us, trying to get us to look closer, with the intention of getting to know Him better ...