I find it difficult to understand the bible

I was just reading the first few pages, and was bewildered to read that Adam lived for 930 years. In India in this present modern age, 60% of the people do not know their date of birth. Former Chief minister of Bihar, for 14 years. Mr. Laloo Prasad...

does not know his date of birth.Tell me honestly if you did not have a calender would you know your birth date and age?
Did Adam invent the calender, being the first man how did he know how many days make a year.

Darryl... do you realize that many of the folks that occupy this board, are atheists???

And they have one agenda, that is to discredit the bible, and any account of God.

If you want a Christian answer, you need to seek the council of Christians, otherwise you will never find the truth.

If you read further, you will see that God reduced the normal age of man to 120 years, because of sin, and later, to 70 years, which we now live under.

This man has spent a lifetime studying the original Hebrew calendar, and has just been able to put it right, the way it was before the Catholics changed it. He should know how to accurately answer your question.

http://www.michaelroodministries.com/

God is the author of the bible? Whether you believe the Bible was divinely inspired or not, I dont quite think you can say God is the author... The bible was written by man... God didnt zap the words into a book

And that's your main complaint? Adam lived to be 930? Really? All the inconsistencies didnt catch your attention? Like two different creation stories, two different versions of the flood?

God made Adam a Man right off the Bat. And being older already and more intelligent I think he would know how old he was. I also think god created him with the calender already in his head. I can conferm this because he already knew how to walk and talk without anyone teaching him.

Do you believe in the Bible?

 
No!

In contrast to believing in the Bible, I believe:

1. That God is that Creative/Causative Force that exists before the beginning of the universe/time and continues to exist outside of the universe and time.

2. That Force created/caused the spiritual/soul entities to come into being.

3. The spiritual/soul entities continued the Creation with the Big Bang. And, through evolution and possibly subtle manipulations, have caused the current state of affairs.

4. The spirits/souls choose to inhabit the various physical bodies that they have created in order to experience physical reality.

5. When bodies die the spirit/soul continues to exist and often times reincarnates into another body in order to continue its growth.

6. The purpose of it all is for the spirits/souls (entities) to gain knowledge and experience and to ultimately rejoin or evolve back into the Oneness of God.

 
The Bible is a book of history and guidance for peoples of certain times. The Old Testament was meant for the societies and peoples of ancient times. The New Testament was meant to change much of the Old Testament law and to guide the society and people of two thousand years ago.

The Bible worked during the time periods it was meant to cover. Its guidance protected the people and gave value and purpose to their lives.

The problem is that the Bible was meant for past eras and was successful therein. It, however, did not keep up with the times and technologies during the advancement of mankind.

There may still be some lessons that can be learned from studying the Old and New Testaments of the Bible. But, the lessons must be tempered with the knowledge that exists in the current time period.

Man and his technology has evolved considerably since Biblical times. The Bible has not evolved accordingly. It is therefore the province of man to interpret the whole Bible and attempt to allow its relevant parts to fit into the lifestyles of the current era.

As long as they do not infringe on the rights of others, men are free to follow the teachings of the Bible for themselves. Your rights and beliefs end where mine begin.

 
The Bible is a crutch which is necessary for some but not for all. It is a book written by men with the purpose of helping to guide other men through some of the pitfalls that life has to offer. It is also meant to give hope and purpose to those who may have no other way of finding same.

Just as with other fictional works, it is not meant to be taken literally but parabolically. Parts of its historical accounts may be factual while other parts are symbolic. And, yet other parts are simply devices wherein to protect the health and well-being of people of that era.

It takes many religions to give guidance to those who are in need of direction. Some use the Bible as their basis while others use other Books. They all serve a needed purpose. They all benefit the society of man.

Just because the Bible (or some other Book) is right for you does not mean or make it right for everyone else. The human race is a diverse species. It has many different cultures and Beliefs. Grant to each their right to choose that which fits them.

The Bible is the inspired infallible word of God - we have no idea if Adam himself was able to track o his age or not - Adam did not write the book of Genesis where he is mentioned, but God, inspiring the books author, working through the author, certainly knew Adam's age when relating to him in the book of Genesis...Hope this helps !!

God wrought in the bible threw man. Also God made the flood because he consider the earth too eivil and he wanted a fresh start so he destroyed all humanity.

stopandsmelltheroses...

...dozens of things in the bible are inconsistant

Some parts of the new testament say one thing - others, another. Depending on which version you read (king james? new international?) you get different meanings from the same chapters.

The whorification of Mary is also one glaring issue with the bible...look up any of the investigations into the bible, and one translation puts her as the wife of Jesus, others, suggest she was a prostitute.

If that's not inconsistant, I don't know what is.

Last, what never made any sense to me, was that Adam became mortal, yet for a dozen (give or take) generations after him people still lived 600+ years...

...however, to my knowledge, NONE of the biblical scholars I've heard about have attempted to convert this year to the Gregorian calendar used in Europe the USA.

Given that the Gregorian calendar came about *after* the council of Carthage (where the modern bible was voted on assembled) it's no wonder that this is very confusing to anybody who starts to actually learn some history.

I do have more examples which I will type up later, but for now...

Genesis 2:17But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.
Genesis 5:55And all the days that Adam lived were nine hundred and thirty years: and he died.

Adam was supposed to have died from eating the fruit not live for 930 years... unless you're implying God lied about the fruit killing him? (and if you say it just made him mortal, the bible says in the day)

what are the inconsistencies in the Bible,

Sorry to jump in here, but it's an open forum so what the heck.

Read each of the four Gospels' accounts of Jesus resurrection. Start with Mark, then read Luke and Matthew, then finally read John's version (this is the order that most historians agree the Gospels were written chronologically). Also, read Paul's account of Jesus resurrection in 1 Corinthians 15, most likely written at the same time or even before the Gospel of Mark.

What you'll see is that the story of Jesus resurrection changes each time, and gets more embellished each time as well. This is, to me, one of the most important inconsistencies in the entire Bible. An analysis of the language of the Gospels reveals that each story builds on the one before it, and yet embellishes it to reflect the changes in Christian doctrine during its first century of development. Each author of the Gospels (we don't know who they were, but none would have been eyewitnesses to Jesus based on the dates) had a particular agenda when writing their version, and many scholars who have studied the original Greek texts have proven this.

and to add to that...

GE 1:3-5 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.

GE 1:14-19 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.

so which was it, light created on the first or the fourth day?
And the evening and the morning were the fourth day.

GE 6:19-22, 7:8-9, 7:14-16 Two of each kind are to be taken, and are taken, aboard Noah's Ark.
And of every living thing of all flesh, two of every sort shalt thou bring into the ark, to keep them alive with thee; they shall be male and female.

GE 7:2-5 Seven pairs of some kinds are to be taken (and are taken) aboard the Ark.
Of every clean beast thou shalt take to thee by sevens, the male and his female: and of beasts that are not clean by two, the male and his female.
Of fowls also of the air by sevens, the male and the female; to keep seed alive upon the face of all the earth.

So was it two or seven?

NU 33:38 Aaron died on Mt. Hor.
And Aaron the priest went up into mount Hor at the commandment of the LORD, and died there, in the fortieth year after the children of Israel were come out of the land of Egypt, in the first day of the fifth month.

DT 10:6 Aaron died in Mosera.
And the children of Israel took their journey from Beeroth of the children of Jaakan to Mosera: there Aaron died, and there he was buried; and Eleazar his son ministered in the priest's office in his stead.

so where did Aaron die?

Either God makes mistakes, or the bible was written by people...

lol, I dont think atheists have any agenda... I dont think they're out to do anything... however, no one has come replied as to why there are inconsistencies in the bible? I was simply quoting from the bible...

People don't live 930 years. That's an outrageous claim, and the fact that the claim appears in an ancient text written in a superstitious time period by unknown authors does not aid the case.

It's so obviously nonsense that it's amazing it requires any discussion at all.

***And they have one agenda, that is to discredit the bible, and any account of God.***

There are more christians discrediting the bible than atheists... on this site...

oh wait I missed the discredit part, hmm so quoting out of the bible is discrediting it... hmm ok? wouldnt that just mean it's discrediting itself?

In the beginning God rested on the 7th day and hollowed it, which means that God set up the times, not man. Man knew from the very beginning of life that the 7th day is a holy rest day, that we are to stop working and 'rest' with God by worshipping Him.

From our first parents on down to the flood, they were much more intellectual than any of us are today, (no diseases...) so for them to keep track of how old they were wasn't much of a challenge. Even today if we are lost on an island in the South Pacific we would mark a tree or rock each day that passed to keep track of how long we were there. Keeping track of time is relatively simple.

Also, I'd like to point out that when man was created by God, God made him perfect physically and mentally. Since man was created perfect in every way it is no wonder that he lived hundreds of years. This is completely understandable for anybody to understand.

Today we see what disease has done to the human race. Disease lowers the span of life. We can even see that this is true today. Take a perfectly fit person and a person suffering with a heart condition and have them race on foot. Who do you think will win? Who do you think will out live the other? The healthy one of course...

I am perfectly sure that you may be right when you said In India in this present modern age, 60% of the people do not know their date of birth. Former Chief minister of Bihar, for 14 years. Mr. Laloo Prasad does not know his date of birth. I don't doubt it for one second. You want to know why? Because now, today, in our diseased culture we have digressed to the point that some people don't know how old they are.

People are not as healthy, as quick, smart, or has lived as long...as our first parents.

One more thing...the Bible was written by good men who were inspired by God.

Don't you think God is a big enough God to make sure His Holy Word is pure and undefiled? I sure do...

I Peter 1:21, NIV. For prophecy never had its origin in the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.

I Timothy 3:16, NIV. All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness.

The Bible introduces us to Jesus Christ. Hebrews 1:1-2, NIV. In the past God spoke to our forefathers through the prophets at many times and in various ways, but in these last days He has spoken to us by His Son, whom He appointed heir of all things, and through whom He made the universe.

For what purpose were the Scriptures written? Romans 15:4, NIV. For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through endurance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.

What are the Scriptures able to do for one who believes them? I Timothy 3:15, You know how, when you were a small child, you were taught the holy Scriptures; and it is these that make you wise to accept God's salvation by trusting in Christ Jesus.

Proverbs 2:1-6, NIV. My son, if you accept My words and store up My commands within you, turning your ear to wisdom and applying your heart to understanding, and if you call out for insight and cry aloud for understanding, and if you look for it as for silver and search for it as for hidden treasure, then you will understand the fear of the Lord and find the knowledge of God. For the Lord gives wisdom, and from His mouth come knowledge and understanding.

God bless ~

***Don't you think God is a big enough God to make sure His Holy Word is pure and undefiled? I sure do...***

Not really. Since the bible was arranged, rearrange, omitted, reformatted, and canonized by later men who didn't write it; but felt it was their duty leave out certain scriptures. Unless you believe God 'inspired' them to do that too?

If a God wanted his word to be 'pure and undefiled' then he should've made the book himself... it would've been way cooler. He could make it out of some mystical indestructable material, that glows and levitates, and is enchanted so that people of all languages, even the illiterate, could read it. Righteous...

***God made him perfect physically and mentally.***

Uhhh... mentally perfect? Not perfect enough to prevent being tricked and kicked out of Eden.

Kind of back to the origninal questioner - the Bible is a huge collection of books rather than one book. They're just collected in one volume. Therefore, 'reading the Bible' by starting at the beginning and trying to work through to the end, isn't necessary. A good place to start, if you want to discover key Christian teaching, is in fact with any of the Gospels - Matthew, Mark, Luke or John. The Gospels tell the life of Jesus and Christians believe that anything else in the Bible should be interpreted through the light of Jesus. So that's where I think any reader should begin!