For today’s post we will tackle the question the Skeptic Annotated Bible asked: Was God satisfied with his creation?
Here are the answers which the skeptic believes indicate a Bible contradiction:
Yes, he was pleased with everything he had made.
“And God saw all that He had made, and behold, it was very good. And there was evening and there was morning, the sixth day.” (Genesis 1:31)
No, he wished he’d never created it.
“So the Lord was sorry that He had made mankind on the earth, and He was grieved in His heart. 7 Then the Lord said, “I will wipe out mankind whom I have created from the face of the land; mankind, and animals as well, and crawling things, and the birds of the sky. For I am sorry that I have made them.”” (Genesis 6:6-7)
(All Scriptural quotation comes from the New American Standard Bible)
Here’s a closer look at whether or not there is a contradiction:
- When dealing with skeptics’ claim of Bible contradictions it seems one can never be reminded enough of what exactly is a contradiction. A contradiction occurs when two or more claims conflict with one another so that they cannot simultaneously be true in the same sense and at the same time. To put it another way, a Bible contradiction exists when there are claims within the Bible that are mutually exclusive in the same sense and at the same time.
- One should be skeptical of whether this is a Bible contradiction given the Skeptic Annotated Bible’s track record of inaccurately handling the Bible. See the many examples of their error which we have responded to in this post: Collection of Posts Responding to Bible Contradictions. Of course that does not take away the need to respond to this claim of a contradiction, which is what the remainder of this post will do. But this observation should caution us to slow down and look more closely at the passages cited by the Skeptic Annotated Bible to see if they interpreted the passages properly to support their conclusion that it is a Bible contradiction.
- The skeptic tries to pit Genesis 1:31 as affirming the claim “God satisfied with His creation” against Genesis 6:6-7 as affirming “God was not satisfied with His creation” because the first half of verse 6 states “So the Lord was sorry that He had made mankind on the earth” and then in verse 7 it shows God is going to destroy the world becuase of the sins of sinners.
- One must also keep in mind the context of the verses the skeptic cited.
- Genesis 1:31 took place on the sixth day of God’s creation. This was prior to the Fall in Genesis 3.
- Genesis 6:6-7 took place right before the Noahic flood. In fact it tells the readers while God will judge the world.
- Knowing the context especially with the chronology we see both passages cannot formally be a contradiction since the two passages don’t describe the same events happening at the same time. Genesis 1:31 took place prior to the Fall in Genesis 3 so there’s no sin and no reason for God to be upset. Thus God in Genesis 1:31 would be satisfied with HIs creation. But by Genesis 6:6-7 the situation changed and God’s response was different because of the situation. So this isn’t a contradiction even though the skeptic say it is.
- Again changes of response in different moments of time doesn’t mean its a contradiction. For example think of a pregnant mother. Before childbirth she is worried about what labor and delivery would be like. During childbirth she’s in pain, upset and maybe has fear. After her child is born she is happy and excited and relieved. Different emotions and even opposite emotions during different moments that are changing doesn’t mean its a contradiction. No one should go to the mom and say she doesn’t exist or her experience is not authentic because her responses changed according to the situation. Likewise this objection commit the same kind of outrageous error.
- There is no contradiction here. Seems the skeptic needs to learn of How to Handle Bible Contradictions.
- We shouldn’t miss that worldviews are at play even with the skeptic’s objection to Christianity. The worldview of the author of the Skeptic Annotated Bible actually doesn’t even allow for such a thing as the law of non-contradiction to be meaningful and intelligible. In other words for him to try to disprove the Bible by pointing out that there’s a Bible contradiction doesn’t even make sense within his own worldview. Check out our post “Skeptic Annotated Bible Author’s Self-Defeating Worldview.”
[…] Was God satisfied with his creation? […]
This nails it: “Knowing the context especially with the chronology we see both passages cannot formally be a contradiction since the two passages don’t describe the same events happening at the same time.”
REFUTED!
Just because there are moments that I strongly dislike Nathan doesn’t mean that I don’t love him or that I regret marrying him! I agree with the situation of The Fall changing God’s response. Great job with this and praise God this was an easier one for you to refute!
Good analogy! Yes this was easier to refute which helps on nights when I’m tired lol. How is your day going so far, are you able to go on walks with the dog outside?
Today is a terrible day weather wise. No walks for my doggie by me. Maybe Nathan will take him when he gets home from work!! How’s ministry today?
Thank you for refuting this allegation, Jim! Indeed, these two verses have different contexts, and the Omnipresent, Omniscient, and Unchanging GOD also showed, for the benefit of the Bible readers, His disgust with sin and sinners. This narrative paved the way for GOD’s salvation plan for humankind. Blessings to you and your family!
Amen to this: “ This narrative paved the way for GOD’s salvation plan for humankind.” Already in the narrative we see His grace with saving Noah and his family and of course the Messiah will come from his son Shem’s line….glory be to God who is Holy and judge sins but also saves undeserving sinners by His grace. Humbled God saved us amen?
Amen!
I am afraid anyone who seriously believes this is a contradiction is lacking in basic common sense in my opinion. We only need to draw the comparison of a child doted on at birth, who becomes a disappointment in later life rebellious behaviour. That child is still loved by his/her parents regardless of behaviour. As others accurately point out the context of both verses is different and therefore can’t be shared. These posts are great Biblical exercises for believers, thank you for your sterling work and faithfulness in producing them Jim. God bless you brother.
Good example and illustration you shared in your comment! Glad you shared it and I hope the Lord would use your comment and my post for those looking for answers, usually we get a steady stream of people from search engines looking up the attacks from that atheist website. It is an exercise of interpreting the Bible accurately and the skeptics what they meant for evil God had meant it for us believers to know more about His Word and also that the Word is not false in the sense that it is contradictory. Praise God for that amen?
These trials are allowed by Almighty God, not that we can score points but that we can share His Truth. All these things are in His purpose to save souls. All to His Glory brother Jim, Amen!
[…] Bible Contradiction? Was God satisfied with his creation? […]
Always a good blog for sound apologetics help! Thanks for being faithful.
Thanks brother for reading this! How is your week going so far? How is your day brother?
Very well thanks. I have the joy of preaching this Sunday, so I have been prayerfully fine tuning my message.
Reblogged this on Talmidimblogging.
So much is attitude: “A scoffer seeks wisdom and does not find it, But knowledge is easy to him who understands.”
Proverbs 14:6 NKJV
https://www.bible.com/bible/114/pro.14.6.nkjv
The beliefs of the world today is a walking contradiction but they have the nerve to say the Bible is contradicting, what slander. They need to take the log out of their own eye first Fascinating how secularists canceled Gina from Disney while he costar posted Nazi comparisons and have no consequences.
What he forgets is time in context.
Indeed he always “forgets’ the context and here the author of skeptic annotated Bible sue don’t work well with the context! I know many parts of the US is super cold, how are you in Louisiana weather-wise and all?
Becoming colder. Monday with sleet and snow. Perhaps 16 degrees. Hope you and your are ok.
Seems like even a skeptic would know that there’s no contradiction here!
Yeah they should know if they actually read it in context. Which if the author of the Skeptic Annotated Bible did do, they are doing a poor job of it or intentionally tying to find contradictions when they aren’t one. How are things medically for you and your wife? Did the doctor made any decisions from those evaluations?
Well, the cardiologist says my heart has a leaky valve. He can’t say for sure yet, but it does look like sarcoidosis has put a nodule on the part of the valve that’s acting up. So, that puts a hold on the steroid treatments until they decide if they need to operate. Trusting in The Lord!
Thanks for refuting another one of Steve/Stephen Wells’ alleged contradictions. Once again, like Ezra and Nehemiah, he’s guilefully ignoring the time dimension.
You’re welcome! Yeah like the Ezra and Nehemiah passages he looks at there’s a lot of abuse of the context he intentionally ignored. Has it been very very cold for you guys more than usual? I hear from Canadian friends this is the coldest in a long time, wondering if ROC is the same?
Yup, it’s been very cold for many weeks. The fact that it was relatively mild in Nov. and Dec. made this long cold spell even starker.
How’s your day going in sunny SoCal?
Thanks for another one of these…a great reminder that context is important.
A satisfying read
Really ? The skeptic truly believes there is a contradiction here ? Wow!
This one goes beyond context as you said “ Different emotions and even opposite emotions during different moments that are changing doesn’t mean its a contradiction”.
Thank you for the great work you do refuting these attempts to discredit the Word of God.
You are welcome and thank you for reading this! How was your Friday evangelism???
Friday was so good. We had an in-depth conversation with Mike, an 84 year old man. The words just flowed from us to him. I could see the Bible verses we were reading to him, hit the mark. May God open his eyes and save him.
Thank you for asking about our Friday. The bless you for encouraging God’s children.
Glad to see you still writing these answers. I first followed you last year around this time before Covid lockdown because you gave good answers to these contradictions. You never know who need it and it might save their life
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