Why do I have doubt whenever I read The Bible?

[SailorWriter]

It just bothering me when I re-read the New Testament and my thoughts give me doubt of my faith. How can I combat it?

 

[Dorothy Mae]

Not to be disrespectful, but it honestly does contain contradictions.

A clear example...
"Ahaziah was twenty-two years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem one year. His mother’s name was Athaliah, the granddaughter of Omri king of Israel."
(2 Chronicles 22:2 - 2 Kings 8:26)

"Forty and two years old was Ahaziah when he began to reign, and he reigned one year in Jerusalem. His mother's name also was Athaliah the daughter of Omri."
(2 Chronicles 22:2 - King James Bible)

No problem, those ancient people skipped generations. Israel referred to themselves as the “children of Israel” even though that was many generations back. Jesus is referred to as the son of David. His father’s name was Joseph. See what I mean?

 

[Hidden In Him]

Not to be disrespectful, but it honestly does contain contradictions.

A clear example...
"Ahaziah was twenty-two years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem one year. His mother’s name was Athaliah, the granddaughter of Omri king of Israel."
(2 Chronicles 22:2 - 2 Kings 8:26)

"Forty and two years old was Ahaziah when he began to reign, and he reigned one year in Jerusalem. His mother's name also was Athaliah the daughter of Omri."
(2 Chronicles 22:2 - King James Bible)

Hello, and welcome to the forum.

The Masoretic is in error. The LXX, however, is not. It has "22 years old when he began to reign" in both texts.

26 Twenty and two years old Ochozias when he began to reign, and he reigned one year in Jerusalem: and the name of his mother Gotholia, daughter of Ambri king of Israel.

2 Ochozias began to reign when he was twenty years old, and he reigned one year in Jerusalem: and his mother's name was Gotholia, the daughter of Ambri.

This matches with the Syriac and the Arabic translations of the Hebrew, which also both have “22 years” in 2 Chronicles 22:2, and thus bring the two verses into harmony.

Blessings in Christ,
Hidden In Him

 

[Dorothy Mae]

It just bothering me when I re-read the New Testament and my thoughts give me doubt of my faith. How can I combat it?

What is your faith at this point? What do you believe that is being challenged?

 

[WIP]

Please focus your replies on answering the OP's questions.

 

[Dorothy Mae]

Please focus your replies on answering the OP's questions.

We aren’t allowed to clarify the question with questions?

 

[jaybo]

(Sorry for not adding more context.) So, whenever I read Matthew from the start, I had the feeling of doubt, same as reading Genesis in the Old Testament. It bothers me, and I want to know why I'm feeling like this.

What specifically are you doubting? Matthew's gospel is not Western journalism. It is a personal account of the life of Jesus, written specifically for the Judeans, to explain who Jesus was and what He accomplished.

 

[Riven]

It just bothering me when I re-read the New Testament and my thoughts give me doubt of my faith. How can I combat it?

Stop reading and examine your doubts. Work through them before continuing.

 

[Dorothy Mae]

Stop reading and examine your doubts. Work through them before continuing.

My advice is ignore your doubts and continue reading. Focusing on doubts causes them to grow.

 

[Highway54]

It just bothering me when I re-read the New Testament and my thoughts give me doubt of my faith. How can I combat it?

Likely it is a lack of understanding of the meaning of what you are reading sir. Do you have a particular example?

 

[Riven]

Just want to clarify, OP. I'm not saying you should stop reading the bible.

 

[SailorWriter]

Likely it is a lack of understanding of the meaning of what you are reading sir. Do you have a particular example?

Like reading the beginning of the Old Testament or New Testament, and at times, doubt while reading the Old Testament and having thoughts like it is just a "story".

 

[jaybo]

Like reading the beginning of the Old Testament or New Testament, and at times, doubt while reading the Old Testament and having thoughts like it is just a "story".

In many cases it is "just a story", but those stories have meaning. God wants the meaning to get through. They don't have to be factual.

 

[Riven]

Like reading the beginning of the Old Testament or New Testament, and at times, doubt while reading the Old Testament and having thoughts like it is just a "story".

Yeah. I know exactly what you mean. I find it difficult to get past the talking snake. My mind just goes, "snakes don't talk, Riven."

Ah, what can you do? I envy people that can take the stories literally. I personally see it as metaphor and allegory. Cautionary tales. That sort of thing.

 

[Dorothy Mae]

Like reading the beginning of the Old Testament or New Testament, and at times, doubt while reading the Old Testament and having thoughts like it is just a "story".

You won’t find the answer to that by questioning it although why can’t it be real as described? If we believe God is WHO HE says He is, why couldn’t He have behaved as He describes himself to behave?

It’s a question of logic. Given A (God is who he says he is) then B (those actions that fit into that description) is true.

 

[Highway54]

Like reading the beginning of the Old Testament or New Testament, and at times, doubt while reading the Old Testament and having thoughts like it is just a "story".

Interestingly Sailor, the designation Old and New testament is simply from man, the Bible is complete from beginning to end. It is just that part of it was written in Hebrew and part in Greek, mostly. It is but one Bible made up of 66 books penned in around 1600 yrs

What might help is knowing the theme of the Bible and how God has worked toward that purpose. The theme is: The vindication of Jehovah's sovereignty, and the fulfillment of His purpose for the earth by means of His Kingdom under Christ, the promised offspring.

There are many prophecies way in advance of the promised Messiah sir, Gen 3:15 being the first. It was fulfilled prophecy that did it for me, and there are bunches of prophecies concerning Jesus' arrival. Would you like me to post some sir?

 

[SailorWriter]

Would you like me to post some sir?

Do so, thank you.

 

[WIP]

Do so, thank you.

The gospel of Matthew is full of references to fulfilled prophesy.

 

[Highway54]

Do so, thank you.

Thank you for asking Sailor, these prophecies about Jesus may help:
PROPHECIES REGARDING THE MESSIAH
EVENT
PROPHECY
FULFILLMENT
Born of the tribe of Judah
Genesis 49:10
Luke 3:23-33
Born of a virgin
Isaiah 7:14
Matthew 1:18-25
Descended from King David
Isaiah 9:7
Matthew 1:1, 6-17
Declared by Jehovah to be his Son
Psalm 2:7
Matthew 3:17
Not believed in
Isaiah 53:1
John 12:37, 38
Entered Jerusalem riding a donkey
Zechariah 9:9
Matthew 21:1-9
Betrayed by a close associate
Psalm 41:9
John 13:18, 21-30
Betrayed for 30 silver pieces
Zechariah 11:12
Matthew 26:14-16
Silent before his accusers
Isaiah 53:7
Matthew 27:11-14
Lots cast for his garments
Psalm 22:18
Matthew 27:35
Mocked while on the stake
Psalm 22:7, 8
Matthew 27:39-43
None of his bones broken
Psalm 34:20
John 19:33, 36
Buried with the rich
Isaiah 53:9
Matthew 27:57-60
Raised before corruption
Psalm 16:10
Acts 2:24, 27
Exalted to God’s right hand
Psalm 110:1
Acts 7:56

 

[Tenchi]

It just bothering me when I re-read the New Testament and my thoughts give me doubt of my faith. How can I combat it?

As I wrote to you in your other, newer thread, a big part of how we come to trust deeply in God is by experiencing Him every day. But there is a place for simply deciding in your mind that God's word is, in fact, God's word.

Hebrews 11:6
6 And without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of those who seek Him.

There're very good reasons to think that the Bible is from God and ought to be taken very seriously. Do you know what these reasons are? Knowing them can't replace actually experiencing God, but they sure can help counter the intellectual doubts that creep in to our minds.

 

[stevenb]

I've had the same problem before. I just try and think of god while I read it. The scriptures just seem to positively backup my thinking on god's word.

I also try and think what else can I do to get closer to god? Maybe it's through music, or a movie. Just opening a dialogue is a good thing and has been my starting point.