Bible Difficulties And Seeming Contradictions

William Arndt, a noted educator and theologian, helps to clarify the chief difficulties and apparent contradictions that are encountered by most people while they read the Bible. The most frequently-cited "discrepencies" in the Bible are examined in great detail.

Torrey examines some of the difficulties surrounding the Bible, and he explains how we should deal with them when they arise. Each chapter focuses on a different passage of Scripture and provides an illuminating perspective on the biblical text. Torrey will draw you into his exploration of the truth and the real facts of the Scriptures.

This encyclopedia is intended for everyone, from scholars and students to laypersons--for all who are troubled by apparent contradictions in the Bible. It argues for the unity and the integrity of the Bible and should convince the skeptic and reassure the person who may be confused by the seeming discrepancies in Scripture.

According to the authors, the doctrine of inerrancy has been standard, accepted teaching for more than 1,000 years. In 1978, the famous "Chicago Statement" on inerrancy was adopted by the Evangelical Theological Society, and for decades it has been the accepted conservative evangelical doctrine of the Scriptures. However, in recent years, some prominent evangelical authors have challenged this statement in their writings. Now eminent apologist and bestselling author Norman L. Geisler, who was one of the original drafters of the "Chicago Statement," and his coauthor, William C. Roach, present a defense of the traditional understanding of inerrancy for a new generation of Christians who are being assaulted with challenges to the nature of God, truth, and language. Pastors, students, and armchair theologians will appreciate this clear, reasoned response to the current crisis.

The Bible is loaded with thousands of difficult, challenging passages, many of which become obstacles in the development of our faith. These difficulties arise out of differences in culture, language, religious and political organizations, not to mention between 2,000 to 3,500 years of separation between the Bible author and the modern day reader. Calling attention to these difficulties and sifting out the misconceptions, Andrews defends the full inerrancy of the Bible, clarifies the so-called errors and what might seem like apparent contradictions. He arms the Christian with what he or she needs to defend their faith in the Bible. OVERCOMING BIBLE DIFFICULTIES will help its readers Be prepared to make a defense (1 Peter 3:15)Reasoned from the Scriptures, explaining and proving (Acts 17:3)Contend for the faith (Jude 1:3)Help those who doubt (Jude 1:22-23)Speak Boldly in the Name of Jesus [Acts 9:27-28] OVERCOMING BIBLE DIFFICULTIES will also offer ten chapters on how to effectively evangelize those within their communities, be it neighbors, friends, family, or coworkers. These evangelism chapters will enable its readers to defend their faith and the Word of God, to reason from the Scriptures, explaining and proving, overturning false reasoning, while instructing in sound doctrine.

Skeptics, atheists and agnostics have long argued that the Bible is riddled with self-contradictions that render it unreliable. They point to many purported contradictions that undermine the Bible's claim to being the Word of God. Who carried Jesus' cross: Simon, as reported in the Gospel of Luke, or Jesus, as reported in the Gospel of John? Did a centurion plead with Jesus to heal his servant, as Matthew reports, or did he send elders of the Jews to plead with Jesus, as Luke reports? Did 40,000 horsemen die in battle with David, as 2 Samuel reports, or did 40,000 foot soldiers die, as 1 Chronicles reports? Did both thieves mock Jesus on the cross, as narrated by the Gospel of Matthew, or did only one thief mock him, as narrated by the Gospel of Mark? Many students of the Bible, upon reading these passages, throw their hands up in frustration and conclude that the Bible cannot be divinely inspired. Some Christians, unable to explain these difficulties, walk away from the faith. Others, when pressed, concede that they do not have explanations but believe reasonable explanations exist, though they cannot articulate any. Muslims and Mormons use the apparent contradictions of the Bible to support their claims that the Bible, in its current form, is a corruption of the original message of God. Now there is a response to these claims. This book defends the divine inspiration of the Bible and demonstrates with clarity that the so-called "contradictions" of the Bible are not contradictions at all. A careful study of the Scriptures in their original context and in light of the nuances in which they were originally written vindicates the Bible from claims of errancy. This book examines the "contradictions" most frequently cited by the detractors of Christianity and offers reasoned explanations. Armed with this book, Christians can respond to their critics and rest assured that their faith is not incompatible with logic. There are, in fact, reasonable responses to the claims made by Christianity's detractors and logical arguments in support of the Bible's inerrancy.