Bible
Errors & Contradictions Refuted
EarsToHear.net
He That Has Ears To Hear, Let Him Hear
(Matthew 11:15-30)
Challenging both secular wisdom and religious doctrines. - Will our descendants know moral virtue?
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Saturday February 13, 2010 12:24 PM -0500
Bible
Errors & Contradictions Refuted
“Woe
unto you, lawyers! for ye have taken away the key of knowledge: ye entered not
in yourselves, and them that were entering in ye hindered.”
Below
- Upfront - Foundation
- Challenges of Unbelievers - One of the major claims of a
Biblical error is Matthew quoting the wrong prophet is refuted. Obviously, the
claim is petty and ironically ends up confirming the "lawyer" reference above
against the unbelievers.
- Resources - A list of sites so every believer doesn't have to
perform the same dance with every "lawyer."
Upfront - The Foundation
For some, no matter what is heard will be rejected.
"As a dog returns to his vomit, so a fool returns to his folly." Proverbs 26:11
2 Peter 1:20-21 - Knowing this first,
that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation. For the
prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as
they were moved by the Holy Ghost.
Job 32:8 - But there is a spirit in
man: and the inspiration of the Almighty give them understanding.
The Holy Spirit inspired the Scriptures and it is the Holy Spirit that reveals the Word of God and “flesh and blood” (intelligence) does not and unbelievers will continue to see those who are “saved” as “foolish,” simply confirming the Word of God.
For it is written, I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and will bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent. Where is the wise? where is the scribe? where is the disputer of this world? hath not God made foolish the wisdom of this world?
For after that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe. For the Jews require a sign, and the Greeks seek after wisdom: But we preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews a stumblingblock, and unto the Greeks foolishness; But unto them which are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God, and the wisdom of God. Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men; and the weakness of God is stronger than men.
For ye see your calling, brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called: But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty; And base things of the world, and things which are despised, hath God chosen, yea, and things which are not, to bring to nought things that are: That no flesh should glory in his presence.
But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption: That, according as it is written, He that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord.
Why did Jesus tell His disciples? "I have yet many things to say unto you, but ye cannot bear them now. 13 Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come." John 16:12-13
He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water. (But this spake he of the Spirit, which they that believe on him should receive: for the Holy Ghost was not yet given; because that Jesus was not yet glorified.) John 7:38-39
He said unto them, But whom say ye that I am? And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God. And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona: for flesh and blood has not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven. Matthew 16:15-17
See also: John 14-16 & 1 Corinthians 1 & 2
Matthew
11:25-27 - At that time Jesus answered and said,
I thank thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because thou hast hid these
things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes. Even so,
Father: for so it seemed good in thy sight. All things are delivered unto me of
my Father: and no man know the Son, but the Father; neither know any man the
Father, save the Son, and he to whomsoever the Son will reveal him.
Challenges
of unbelievers
An unbeliever's challenge that Matthew quoted the wrong prophet.
The following is an error not easily explained, for NO where in Jeremiah does he speak of thirty pieces of silver. It can be found in Zechariah.
Mat 27:9-10 - Then was fulfilled that which was spoken by
Jeremy the prophet, saying, And they took the thirty pieces of silver, the price
of him that was valued, whom they of the children of Israel did value; And gave
them for the potter's field, as the Lord appointed me.
Zec 11:12-13: 'And I said unto them, If ye think good, give me my price; and if not, forbear. So they weighed for my price thirty pieces of silver. And the LORD said unto me, Cast it unto the potter: a goodly price that I was prized at of them. And I took the thirty pieces of silver, and cast them to the potter in the house of the LORD."
The response:
God told Jeremiah that
one day he would buy a field for thirty pieces of silver, because the right of
inheritance and redemption was his. He also foretold this event to the prophet
Zechariah.
Jeremiah 32:6-9
- And Jeremiah said, The word of the LORD came unto me, saying, Behold,
Hanameel the son of Shallum thine uncle shall come unto thee, saying, Buy thee
my field that is in Anathoth: for the right of redemption is thine to buy it. So
Hanameel mine uncle's son came to me in the court of the prison according to the
word of the LORD, and said unto me, Buy my field, I pray thee, that is in
Anathoth, which is in the country of Benjamin: for the right of inheritance is
thine, and the redemption is thine; buy it for thyself. Then I knew that this
was the word of the LORD. And I bought the field of Hanameel my uncle's son,
that was in Anathoth, and weighed him the money, even seventeen shekels of
silver.
Also, Jeremiah
19:1–4 gives a more precise placement of the potter’s field, outside
the Potsherd Gate of Jerusalem, and the catastrophe that will happen there. The
verse mentions that Israel has forsaken God here, and mentions the blood of
innocents there too—Christ’s even being the ultimate innocent blood.
Jeremiah 19:1–4
- Thus saith the LORD, Go and get a potter's earthen
bottle, and take of the ancients of the people, and of the ancients of the
priests; And go forth unto the valley of the son of Hinnom, which is by the
entry of the east gate, and proclaim there the words that I shall tell thee, And
say, Hear ye the word of the LORD, O kings of Judah, and inhabitants of
Jerusalem; Thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel; Behold, I will bring
evil upon this place, the which whosoever hears, his ears shall tingle. Because
they have forsaken me, and have estranged this place, and have burned incense in
it unto other gods, whom neither they nor their fathers have known, nor the
kings of Judah, and have filled this place with the blood of innocents;
If one is familiar with
the Scriptures one realizes that purchasing was done by weight (Ex. 38.26) and
the number of pieces was determined by the weight of the purchase.
Note: a shekel is a weight, 17 shekels
would be approximately 30 average size silver pieces. (http://www.biblehistory.net/Jeremiah_prophet.pdf
- John Argubright)
Zec 11:12-13 -
And I said unto them, If ye think good, give me my price; and if not,
forbear. So they weighed for my price thirty pieces of silver. And the LORD said
unto me, Cast it unto the potter: a goodly price that I was prized at of them.
And I took the thirty pieces of silver, and cast them to the potter in the house
of the LORD.
Most critics don't
understand what a shekel was, and the actual differences between Israel's shekel
and Babylonian shekel weights and the calculations.
The original Jewish silver 1 Shekel = 14.55 grams derived from Exodus and Ezekiel.
See
jewishencyclopedia article at
http://www.jewishencyclopedia.com/view.jsp?artid=81&letter=W
Jeremiah lived in
Israel during the time of the Babylonian Empire. The Babylonian common heavy
shekel weight was 16.37 grams, the Babylonian common light or half shekel weight
was 8.19 grams.
14.55 grams (Israel's shekel weight) x 17 shekels = 247 grams
8.19 grams
(Babylonian common half shekel weight) x 30 pieces = 246 grams
As you can see, it's right on the money.
“Intellectual” critics
of the Bible say that Matthew 27:9 is in error because the 30 pieces of silver
fulfillment was in Zechariah 11:13 not in Jeremiah 32:9, But it is actually a
fulfillment of both passages. Now if
one possess wisdom and can get grasp this, perhaps one might come to realize the
more important aspect, that is, God’s primary message of “redemption” was being
declared here, rather than being “blinded”
by a “lawyers” misconception of a number, which may cause the message of
redemption to elude the unbeliever.
Mark 4… And
he said unto them, He that hath ears to hear, let
him hear.
And when he was alone, they that were about him with
the twelve asked of him the parable. And he said unto them,
Unto you it is given to know the mystery of the kingdom of God: but unto
them that are without, all these things are done in parables: That seeing they
may see, and not perceive; and hearing they may hear, and not understand; lest
at any time they should be converted, and their sins should be forgiven them.
And he said unto them, Know ye not
this parable? and how then will ye know all parables? …The sower sows the word.
…And these are they likewise which are sown on stony ground; who, when they have
heard the word, immediately receive it with gladness; And have no root in
themselves, and so endure but for a time: afterward, when affliction or
persecution arises for the word's sake, immediately they are offended.
2 Corinthians 4
…Therefore seeing we have this ministry, as we have received mercy, we faint
not; But have renounced the hidden things of dishonesty, not walking in
craftiness, nor handling the word of God deceitfully; but by manifestation of
the truth commending ourselves to every man's conscience in the sight of God.
But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost: In whom the god of
this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of
the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.
Luke 12:10
And whosoever shall speak a word against the
Son of man, it shall be forgiven him: but unto him that blasphemes against the
Holy Ghost it shall not be forgiven.
Isaiah 55:6 -13
- Seek ye the LORD while he may be found, call ye upon him while he
is near: Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts:
and let him return unto the LORD, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our
God, for he will abundantly pardon. For my thoughts are not your thoughts,
neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD. For as the heavens are higher
than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your
thoughts. For as the rain comes down, and the snow from heaven, and returns not
thither, but waters the earth, and makes it bring forth and bud, that it may
give seed to the sower, and bread to the eater: So shall my word be that goes
forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish
that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it. For ye
shall go out with joy, and be led forth with peace: the mountains and the hills
shall break forth before you into singing, and all the trees of the field shall
clap their hands. Instead of the thorn shall come up the fir tree, and instead
of the brier shall come up the myrtle tree: and it shall be to the LORD for a
name, for an everlasting sign that shall not be cut off.
The Word of God will always be a challenge for “intellectuals,” those who consider themselves “wise in this world,” and will almost never accept that what Jesus proclaimed about the Kingdom of God.
John 6:63 -
“It is the spirit that quickens; the flesh profits nothing: the words that I
speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life.”
1 Timothy 6 - Let as many servants as are under the yoke count their own masters worthy of all honor, that the name of God and his doctrine be not blasphemed. And they that have believing masters, let them not despise them, because they are brethren; but rather do them service, because they are faithful and beloved, partakers of the benefit. These things teach and exhort.
If any man teach otherwise, and consent not to wholesome words, even the words of our Lord Jesus Christ, and to the doctrine which is according to godliness; He is proud, knowing nothing, but doting about questions and strife's of words, whereof cometh envy, strife, railings, evil surmising, Perverse disputing of men of corrupt minds, and destitute of the truth, supposing that gain is godliness: from such withdraw thyself.
But godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out. And having food and raiment let us be therewith content. But they that will be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and hurtful lusts, which drown men in destruction and perdition.
For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows. But thou, O man of God, flee these things; and follow after righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, meekness. Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, whereunto thou art also called, and hast professed a good profession before many witnesses.
I give thee charge in the sight of God, who quickens all things, and before Christ Jesus, who before Pontius Pilate witnessed a good confession; That thou keep this commandment without spot, unrebukeable, until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ: Which in his times he shall show, who is the blessed and only Potentate, the King of kings, and Lord of lords; Who only hath immortality, dwelling in the light which no man can approach unto; whom no man hath seen, nor can see: to whom be honor and power everlasting. Amen.
Charge them that are rich in this world, that they be not high-minded, nor trust in uncertain riches, but in the living God, who gives us richly all things to enjoy; That they do good, that they be rich in good works, ready to distribute, willing to communicate; Laying up in store for themselves a good foundation against the time to come, that they may lay hold on eternal life.
O Timothy, keep that which is committed to thy trust, avoiding profane and vain babblings, and oppositions of science falsely so called: Which some professing have erred concerning the faith. Grace be with thee. Amen.
Resources - Before
submitting a challenge
I ask that
you see these sites first so every believer doesn’t have to dance the same dance
over and over again with each and every “lawyer.”
Answering Bible Contradictions
Bible and Theology Answers - ChristianAnswers.Net
Bible Contradictions and Other Bible Difficulties Apologetics research resources
BIBLE CONTRADICTIONS ANSWERED -- Biblical Errors Mistakes Difficulties Discrepancies Countered
BIBLE CONTRADICTIONS EXPLAINED
Bible Difficulties Bible Inconsistencies Bible Contradictions
Genesis - Deuteronomy Christian Apologetics & Research Ministry http--www.tektonics.org-
Jim Meritt's List of Bible Contradictions Answer Key
There are no contradictions in the bible
WikiAnswers - Where in Jeremiah was Matthew refering to in Matthew 27v9
Skeptic's Annotated Bible / Quran / Book of Mormon
JewishEncyclopedia.com - WEIGHTS AND MEASURES.
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