CONTRADICTIONS IN THE BIBLE

This picture has nothing to do with this blog. Susan, my bride, was working at training Lasha and I thought they both looked cute.


We are doing a series of silly contradictions I garnered from an “erudite” secular website. Some are silly, some are serious but I will try to give a sentient answer for each one.

The reason some people cannot understand the Bible is listed below:
1 Corinthians 2:14 - But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.

Our basic pre-supposition is following:

• The Bible is God’s Word
• God’s Word is perfect
• Therefore, the Bible is perfect.
  

If your Bible has errors in it you have my sympathy. Mine does not.

Previous posts
1. The Sun was not created until the fourth day therefore light could not have been created on the first day.
2. The creation of trees and men do not match.
3. The creation of birds and men do not match.
4. The creation of animals and men do not match
5. The creation of woman and men do not match
6. God says to have children then says not to have children.
7. God was pleased with His creation and He was not pleased with His creation

In quotations is the actual "clip and pasted" contradiction from the anti-Bible site. The people who did this site actually believe their inconsistency listing will disprove Christianity.

And today's Supposed contradiction #8
8. The name of God was known before Moses and the name of God was first given to Moses

• “GE 2:4, 4:26, 12:8, 22:14-16, 26:25 God was already known as "the Lord" (Jahveh or Jehovah) much earlier than the time of Moses.
• EX 6:2-3 God was first known as "the Lord" (Jahveh or Jehovah) at the time of the Egyptian Bondage, during the life of Moses.”
  

Exodus 6:2-3

• And God spake unto Moses, and said unto him, I am the LORD:
• And I appeared unto Abraham, unto Isaac, and unto Jacob, by the name of God Almighty, but by my name JEHOVAH was I not known to them.
  

This passage contains the claim that the name JEHOVAH not known before Moses

There are five passages that are given proving this supposed contradiction:

Genesis 2:4 - These are the generations of the heavens and of the earth when they were created, in the day that the LORD God made the earth and the heavens,
I. This one is obvious. This is a record written by Moses under inspiration of the Holy Spirit. The LORD here comes from the four letter "YHWH". In the King James Bible this word is translated LORD with all caps. Only someone desperately seeking a discrepancy in Scripture would think this was a contradiction. As Moses wrote it during the Exodus it does not qualify for infidels ammunition against the absolute of GOD’S Word.

Genesis 4:26 - And to Seth, to him also there was born a son; and he called his name Enos: then began men to call upon the name of the LORD.
Genesis 12:8 - And he removed from thence unto a mountain on the east of Bethel, and pitched his tent, having Bethel on the west, and Hai on the east: and there he builded an altar unto the LORD, and called upon the name of the LORD.
Genesis 26:25 - And he builded an altar there, and called upon the name of the LORD, and pitched his tent there: and there Isaac's servants digged a well.

II. In the Bible there are many names of God. The wise translators of the KJV gave us a code so people who study the Word of GOD could know which was which. The name and title God is from Elohim, a plural name that is first used in the Bible. This is the name Adam knew. It is accurate to say that the name of the LORD is God.

Genesis 22
14 And Abraham called the name of that place Jehovahjireh: as it is said to this day, In the mount of the LORD it shall be seen. 15 And the angel of the LORD called unto Abraham out of heaven the second time, 16 And said, By myself have I sworn, saith the LORD, for because thou hast done this thing, and hast not withheld thy son, thine only son:
III. We will take this passage verse by verse

• Verse 14 - Jehovahjireh means, “the Lord will provide”. This is self-explanatory and Abraham is not calling God "YHWH". He is calling a place, “the Lord will provide”. The word lord is a common word. The final phrase in this verse is preceded with a reference to the time of Moses.
• Verse 15 - The angel of the LORD called to Abraham. He was not being called by Abraham, "You are the angel of 'YHWH'”.
• Verse 16 - This is a record of what the angel of the LORD said. It does not contradict God’s comment about Abraham knowing God by the name “YHWH”.
  

I am grateful for this “contradiction”, as I have had to search Scripture for the truth. I have also gone to good fundamental theologians who have spent much time meditating upon this passage and I have learned from them.

There are actually several ways to approach this passage: *

1. The name JEHOVAH was not revealed before the time mentioned here, for though it occurs so frequently in the book of Genesis, as that book was written long after the name had come into common use, as a principal characteristic of God, Moses employs it in his history because of this circumstance; so that whenever it appears previously to this, it is by the figure called prolepsis or anticipation

2. As the name JEHOVAH signifies existence, it may be understood in the text in question thus: "I appeared unto Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob by my name God Almighty, or God All-sufficient, i.e., having all power to do all good; in this character I made a covenant with them, supported by great and glorious promises; but as those promises had respect unto their posterity, they could not be fulfilled to those fathers: but now, as JEHOVAH, I am about to give existence to all those promises relative to your support, deliverance from bondage, and your consequent settlement in the promised land."


3. The words may be considered as used comparatively: though God did appear to those patriarchs as JEHOVAH, and they acknowledged him by this name, yet it was but comparatively known unto them; they knew nothing of the power and goodness of God, in comparison of what the Israelites were now about to experience.

Each of these or all of these may be the rationale in which we may rely but we should first rest upon Scripture. However we know that to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob the name JEHOVAH was not revealed by the person of JEHOVAH. Check the basic presupositions for clarity of our research pattern. Are we biased? Yup!

This study has begat the desire for several additions. Knowing deeply written blogs are usually not read by people like me I am going to refrain and continue on the hunt for Biblical contradictions.

Hopefully
HTOITA

*Power Bible CD, 2006, Online Publishing, Inc., 128 E Chicago St, PO Box 21, Bronson, MI 49028, Adam Clark Commentary