Someone didn’t like my 50 Alleged Bible Contradictions Refuted. Specifically he zoomed in on #22: “Where did Joseph and Mary live before the birth of Jesus?”
He’s an Emmy Award Nominee and that’s a picture of him taking a selfie reading a New York Times Bestseller.
His latest comment was the following:
Matt 2:23 leaves no room for the possibility that the author didn’t believe that Joseph and Mary had never lived in Nazareth before settling there after their return from Egypt. That doesn’t mean they couldn’t have, but that still means the author was mistaken about the facts he was asserting. That’s a meaningful contradiction.
Since this issue and the Herod timetable issue are so closely related, I think they should be discussed together as one significant contradiction. Breaking it up into two issues makes it look like you’re trying to minimize the impact that they have together, especially putting a lot of trivial, and easy-to-refute supposed contradictions in between them.
As for my bibliology, I believe the scriptures to be the inspired word of God and the infallible authority of God.
What about your bibliology? Do you believe in biblical inerrancy? Do you believe that since the Bible is the word of a God, it cannot contain errors? If so, then how would you be able to tell if there was an actual contradiction or error in the Bible? If you can’t answer that question, how could your refutation of any biblical contradiction be intellectually honest?
My response:
- “Matt 2:23 leaves no room for the possibility that the author didn’t believe that Joseph and Mary had never lived in Nazareth before settling there after their return from Egypt. That doesn’t mean they couldn’t have, but that still means the author was mistaken about the facts he was asserting. That’s a meaningful contradiction.”
Response: It is not a meaningful contradiction…because you have yet to demonstrate it is a contradiction. Again you have not proven that Matthew nor Matthew 2:23 claim that Joseph and Mary settled in Nazareth *for the first time* which would be necessary for your claim that there is a contradiction. So you have yet to prove Matthew was mistaken. It is ironic that you asserted “#22 avoids the bulk of that contradiction” but you avoid the bulk of proving your claim that Matthew teaches that Joseph and Mary settled in Nazareth *for the first time.* - “Since this issue and the Herod timetable issue are so closely related, I think they should be discussed together as one significant contradiction. Breaking it up into two issues makes it look like you’re trying to minimize the impact that they have together, especially putting a lot of trivial, and easy-to-refute supposed contradictions in between them.”
Response: I am not trivializing anything. That is incorrect of you to attribute that to me. First and foremost a little background: I am responding to an internet lists of Bible contradictions online by skeptics as they have stated them and the verses they cited. If you read those posts carefully you will see that. So the fact that the skeptics didn’t put these two issues together is why I didn’t deal with the two issues together. So it is wrong to attribute that I didn’t address both issues together is out of some ulterior motive of trivializing them. Secondly let’s take it for granted your claim that I am breaking up those two issues and looking at them one at a time. That doesn’t mean one is trivializing the issue; that does not logically follow. In fact the opposite is the case: because I am not trivializing the issues I desire to look at one of the issues individually with closer analysis. Thirdly both issues are distinct and one contradiction does not necessarily imply the other so you are incorrect to state they are “one significant contradiction.” They are not one contradiction because they are distinct issues. Think about it: Regardless of where one land in one’s view concerning the question of Nazareth that has no bearing on Jesus’ birth in relations to Herod’s timetable. The vice versa is also true: The timetable of Herod’s life and reign in relations to Jesus’ birth does necessitate whether Mary and Joseph went to Nazareth before or after Jesus’ birth. In light of that logically it is a red herring of you to pull up the issue of Herod’s timetable instead of you proving your claim that Matthew teaches that Joseph and Mary settled in Nazareth *for the first time* in the text of Matthew. Also talking about other Bible contradictions refuted in the list as easy to refute contradictions is also a red herring from the subject at hand. By the way your claim of a contradiction concerning the timing of Mary and Nazareth for the first time has also been easy to refute because the passages does not provide support for your claim in Matthew. Not only is it ironic that you asserted “#22 avoids the bulk of that contradiction” by avoiding building an actual support for your claim that Matthew teaches that Joseph and Mary settled in Nazareth *for the first time* but it is ironic your red herring further avoid the bulk of the refutation of contradiction #22 altogether. From reading your comment you have not read the bulk of that post refuting Bible contradiction #22 carefully. - “As for my bibliology, I believe the scriptures to be the inspired word of God and the infallible authority of God.
What about your bibliology? Do you believe in biblical inerrancy? Do you believe that since the Bible is the word of a God, it cannot contain errors? If so, then how would you be able to tell if there was an actual contradiction or error in the Bible? If you can’t answer that question, how could your refutation of any biblical contradiction be intellectually honest?”
Response: Scripture is inspired word of God and the infallible authority of God in my bibliology. Scripture’s own bibliology does not teach the Word contain errors but the opposite. I have to be honest before God to believe what the Scripture teaches in its content. My answer the question “If so, then how would you be able to tell if there was an actual contradiction or error in the Bible?” would be to point out that it commits a complex question fallacy in light of Scripture’s own bibliology, kind of like someone asking you ‘when was the last time you beat your wife?” In regards to inerrancy Monergism Books have resources.
Some guys you start graciously but they interpret that as being that they are in the right. It takes a firm handling of them to make the point. It seems his own picture is him virtue signaling the kind of person he is. But then the title of the book refers to something everyone has…and it stinks.
LOL! Well done, Slim. I appreciate your directness.
I seldom comment on your responses to “biblical contradictions” only because I don’t understand what all the fuss is about. What contradictions? I just don’t see any. In fact, I’m rather impressed the gospels all give a pretty good account of the same events, just from another’s perspective.
Regardless, I do so love Nathanial’s somewhat snarky comment where he says in John, “Can any good thing come from Nazareth?” 🙂
Thanks sister! Like you I’m much more impressed with the perspectival yet compatible accounts in the Gospels. It makes it come alive for me! Good point with what Nathaniel statement two thousand years ago. It seems people still stumble over details of Jesus and Nazareth…hope you have a blessed day sister!
They’re messing with the wrong pastor! 🙂
LOL…hopefully its a bite but not an ungodly bite. I do think there is a place for Christian to speak out strongly against error to those who pridefully and publicly stumble others with false teachings and attacks on the Bible. Thanks brother Tom for your comment, hope you enjoy the rest of your evening/night! Will be reading your blog later late tonight after our Bible study.
As one who speaks out strongly against error quite a bit, I second the motion! I hope you have a blessed Wednesday!
Reblogged this on Talmidimblogging.
Thanks for the reblog! To answer your previous question, I’m doing well, trying to finish up my studies for tonight’s Bible study in a little bit. Thanks for asking. Also I will be visiting your blog much super late tonight in light of study, dinner and fellowship if that’s ok =)
😄 it’ll be here waiting for you my friend 👍
Well done brother well done
Thanks brother, I hope you are having a blessed evening/night!
I am actually. Major league chilling. Off tomorrow, and in the recliner watching TV and reading on the laptop. How about you?
Finishing up last minute details with my teaching outline for tonight’s Bible study! Enjoy your much deserved evening off! I’m going to do the same thing at 10 PM lol
Prayers you will teach well
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[…] such as the troll attacking our series refuting Bible contradictions which I responded to in “Mr. Hodge’s Dodge from Proving a Bible Contradiction.” That particular individual would say I need to learn Greek and Hebrew while he himself […]
Guys like him are a dime a dozen
We know what kind of man he is with that picture don’t we?
What a strange man