continue reading this Errors in the Bible - Are They For Real?
Some citizen hear that there are contradictions in the Bible, and this either weakens their faith or makes them believe that the Bible contains errors. If errors exist in the Bible, then this is a strong argument, since we wouldn't know which parts are credible. Are there plausible explanations for these supposed discrepancies? We need to observe some of them more closely, but before we do, let's reconsider what we know about the Bible and its accuracy.
Errors in the Bible - Are They For Real?
There's no other book that's as broad or complex as the Bible. Actually, it's a variety of sixty-six personel books totaling roughly one million words, so there are few books that can even match its sheer size. These sixty-six books were written by about forty-four dissimilar authors over the policy of roughly 1,500 years of human history. Despite this complexity, and its thousands of statements of truth and prophecy, its accuracy in truth and prophecy have astounded philosophers, theologians, and scientists throughout the ages. Regardless, to be fair, what about those supposed contradictions that might cast doubt on the Bible's credibility?
Genesis 1:11-13 states that God created vegetation, but a later verse, Genesis 2:5, says that there weren't yet plants on the earth. We must remember that not all of the events in the Bible are recorded chronologically. These two verses could beyond doubt be referring to two separate accounts of creation. Genesis 1, which describes how God created vegetation on the third day, seems to be an inventory of creation that focuses on the creation itself, while Genesis 2 seems to be a separate inventory of creation that focuses on the creation of Adam and Eve. In fact, after the creation of man in Genesis 1, Genesis 2:4 says, "This is the inventory of the heavens and the earth when they were created." This seems to verify that Genesis 2 refers back to Genesis 1, retelling the creation of man in more detail. There is not necessarily a contradiction here just because a pre-vegetation stage is described at a point in the Bible which follows a report of a vegetation stage.
Numbers 25:9 states that 24,000 citizen died from a plague, while 1 Corinthians 10:8 says that 23,000 died. These two verses could be referring to two separate events, or this could be a transcription error in a later manuscript, while the customary manuscripts agreed. However, this puzzle can also be solved analytically, as is often the case when numbers are involved. Since the 1 Corinthians verse doesn't say that 23,000 died, then it is potential that 24,000 died. If 24,000 died as Numbers 25:9 says, then it's also true that 23,000 died as 1 Corinthians 10:8 says.
2 Samuel 24:1 says that God caused David to conduct a census, but 1 Chronicles 21:1 says that Satan caused David to conduct a census. Again, these verses could be referring to two separate events. However, it's more likely that God incited Satan to cause David to conduct the census, manufacture both statements true.
2 Samuel 24:24 says, "So David bought the threshing floor and the oxen and paid fifty shekels of silver for them." 1 Chronicles 21:25 says, "So David paid Araunah six hundred shekels of gold for the site." On the surface, this sounds as though 2 Samuel 24:24 says that David made a purchase for fifty shekels of silver, while 1 Chronicles 21:5 claims that this purchase was for six hundred shekels. However, the former duct probably refers to only the threshing floor and oxen, while the latter duct refers to the entire transaction. Both could be true, so there would be no contradiction here, and both accounts agree.
We shouldn't be discouraged when person thinks they have identified an error in the Bible. I haven't yet seen such a case that didn't have a plausible explanation. Many times, such discrepancies have lingered for years until history or archeology ultimately brought the truth to light, reinforcing just how truly dependable the Bible is.
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