Bible Contradiction? How should strangers be treated?

For today’s post we will tackle the question the Skeptic Annotated Bible asked: How should strangers be treated?

Here are the two answers which the skeptic believes shows a Bible contradiction:

Love and be kind to them.

“The stranger who resides with you shall be to you as the native among you, and you shall love him as yourself, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt; I am the Lord your God.” (Leviticus 19:34)

“So show your love for the stranger, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt.” (Deuteronomy 10:19)

“You shall not pervert the justice due a stranger or an orphan, nor seize a widow’s garment as a pledge.” (Deuteronomy 24:17)

“Now in case a countryman of yours becomes poor and his means among you falter, then you are to sustain him, like a stranger or a resident, so that he may live with you.” (Leviticus 25:35)

“You shall not oppress a stranger nor torment him, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt.” (Exodus 22:21)

“You shall not oppress a stranger, since you yourselves know the feelings of a stranger, for you also were strangers in the land of Egypt.” (Exodus 23:9)

“When a stranger resides with you in your land, you shall not do him wrong.” (Leviticus 19:33)

“if you do not oppress the stranger, the orphan, or the widow, and do not shed innocent blood in this place, nor follow other gods to your own ruin,” (Jeremiah 7:6)

“and do not oppress the widow or the orphan, the stranger or the poor; and do not devise evil in your hearts against one another.’” (Zechariah 7:10)

“And you shall not glean your vineyard, nor shall you gather the fallen grapes of your vineyard; you shall leave them for the needy and for the stranger. I am the Lord your God.” (Leviticus 19:10)

“When you reap your harvest in your field and forget a sheaf in the field, you are not to go back to get it; it shall belong to the stranger, the orphan, and to the widow, in order that the Lord your God may bless you in all the work of your hands. 20 When you beat the olives off your olive tree, you are not to search through the branches again; that shall be left for the stranger, the orphan, and for the widow. 21 “When you gather the grapes of your vineyard, you are not to go over it again; that shall be left for the stranger, the orphan, and the widow.” (Deuteronomy 24:19-21)

“This is what the Lord says: “Do justice and righteousness, and save one who has been robbed from the power of his oppressor. And do not mistreat or do violence to the stranger, the orphan, or the widow; and do not shed innocent blood in this place.” (Jeremiah 22:3)

“For I was hungry, and you gave Me something to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave Me something to drink; I was a stranger, and you invited Me in;” (Matthew 25:35)

Kill them.

“and when the Lord your God turns them over to you and you defeat them, you shall utterly destroy them. You shall not make a covenant with them nor be gracious to them.” (Deuteronomy 7:2)

“So when the tabernacle is to move on, the Levites shall take it down; and when the tabernacle encamps, the Levites shall set it up. But the layman who comes near it shall be put to death.” (Numbers 1:51)

“So you shall appoint Aaron and his sons that they may keep their priesthood, but the layman who comes near shall be put to death.”” (Numbers 3:10)

“Now those who were to camp in front of the tabernacle eastward, in front of the tent of meeting toward the sunrise, were Moses and Aaron and his sons, performing the duties of the sanctuary for the obligation of the sons of Israel; but the layman coming near was to be put to death.” (Numbers 3:38)

“But you and your sons with you shall attend to your priesthood for everything that concerns the altar and inside the veil, and you are to perform service. I am giving you the priesthood as a service that is a gift, and the unauthorized person who comes near shall be put to death.”” (Numbers 18:7)

(All Scriptural quotation comes from the New American Standard Bible)

Here’s a closer look at whether or not there is a contradiction:

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Apologetics Session 10: The Inter-dependence of History and the Biblical Worldview

We will in future sessions cover historical aspects of apologetics so this is an important introduction.

Establish the need: What is the relationship between history and Christianity? Does Christianity depend on history and does history itself depend on the Biblical worldview?

Purpose: We will look at four focus to help us think about the relationship between history and a Biblical worldview.

1. What is history?
2. Christianity is Historical
3. History helps us to interpret and defend the Bible
4. History needs a Biblical worldview

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Bible Contradiction? Who appeared to Moses in the burning bush?

For today’s post we will tackle the question the Skeptic Annotated Bible asked: Who appeared to Moses in the burning bush?

Here are the two answers which the skeptic believes shows a Bible contradiction:

God

“When the Lord saw that he turned aside to look, God called to him from the midst of the bush and said, “Moses, Moses!” And he said, “Here I am.”” (Exodus 3:4)

“But regarding the fact that the dead rise, have you not read in the book of Moses, in the passage about the burning bush, how God spoke to him, saying, ‘I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob’?” (Mark 12:26)

An angel

“Then the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a blazing fire from the midst of a bush; and he looked, and behold, the bush was burning with fire, yet the bush was not being consumed.” ( Exodus 3:2)

“This Moses whom they disowned, saying, ‘Who made you a ruler and a judge?’ is the one whom God sent to be both a ruler and a deliverer with the help of the angel who appeared to him in the thorn bush.” (Acts 7:35)

(All Scriptural quotation comes from the New American Standard Bible)

Here’s a closer look at whether or not there is a contradiction:

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Book Review: The Absurdity of Unbelief

Jeffrey Johnson. The Absurdity of Unbelief.  Conway, AR: Free Grace Press, January 22, 2016. 350 pp.

4 out of 5

Purchase: Amazon

There are books out there introducing Presuppositional Apologetics that focus more on the theory and the foundation of the Biblical method to defend the faith; but over time I want to read more books applying Presuppositional Apologetics in other areas and this include Presuppositional Apologetics’ critiques applied to other religions, philosophy and other various systems of unbelief.  I appreciate the author’s hard work in refuting false worldviews in this book.  Jeffrey Johnson is an author, teaching pastor and Presuppositional Apologist.

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Bible Contradiction? How many of Lod, Hadid, and Ono’s offspring returned from Babylon?

For today’s post we will tackle the question the Skeptic Annotated Bible asked: How many of Lod, Hadid, and Ono’s offspring returned from Babylon?

Here are the answers which the skeptic believes indicate a Bible contradiction:

725

“the sons of Lod, Hadid, and Ono, 725;” (Ezra 2:33)

721

“the sons of Lod, Hadid, and Ono, 721;” (Nehemiah 7:26)

(All Scriptural quotation comes from the New American Standard Bible)

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Apologetics Sermon Illustration #79: Sentences from Spin the Wheel and the destruction of information in Non-Theistic Worldview

GO TO PART 78

Point: If God does not exist then our thoughts cannot have information.  How do we convey the idea to someone we are talking to?

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Bible Contradiction? Who makes people deaf and blind?

For today’s post we will tackle the question the Skeptic Annotated Bible asked: Who makes people deaf and blind?

Here are the two answers which the skeptic believes shows a Bible contradiction:

God

“But the Lord said to him, “Who has made the human mouth? Or who makes anyone unable to speak or deaf, or able to see or blind? Is it not I, the Lord?” (Exodus 4:11)

“As Jesus passed by, He saw a man who had been blind from birth. 2 And His disciples asked Him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he would be born blind?” 3 Jesus answered, “It was neither that this man sinned, nor his parents; but it was so that the works of God might be displayed in him.” (John 9:1-3)

Foul Spirits

“And one person from the crowd answered Him, “Teacher, I brought You my son, because he has a spirit that makes him unable to speak…25 When Jesus saw that a crowd was rapidly gathering, He rebuked the unclean spirit, saying to it, “You mute and deaf spirit, I command you, come out of him and do not enter him again!”” (Mark 9:17, 25)

(All Scriptural quotation comes from the New American Standard Bible)

Here’s a closer look at whether or not there is a contradiction:

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Apologetics Session 9: Islam, Quran and the Bible

Establish the need: How do we witness to Muslim?

Purpose: In this session we will give a guide for the Christian of how to defend the faith when it comes to the concerns of Islam, so that you can be an effective witness to your Muslim friend.

1. Important terms and individuals.
2. An Evangelistic and Apologetic Method
3. Verses from the Quran’s affirming the Bible
4. Alleged Verses from the Quran’s denying the authority and perseverance of the written Bible

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Bible Contradiction? Is it OK to make images?

For today’s post we will tackle the question the Skeptic Annotated Bible asked: Is it OK to make images?

Here are the answers which the skeptic believes indicate a Bible contradiction:

Yes, at least when they are designed and commissioned by God.

“Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying…You shall make two cherubim of gold; make them of hammered work at the two ends of the atoning cover. 19 Make one cherub at one end and one cherub at the other end; you shall make the cherubim of one piece with the atoning cover at its two ends. 20 And the cherubim shall have their wings spread upward, covering the atoning cover with their wings and facing one another; the faces of the cherubim are to be turned toward the atoning cover.” (Exodus 25:1; Exodus 25:18-20)

“Moreover, you shall make the tabernacle with ten curtains of fine twisted linen and violet, purple, and scarlet material; you shall make them with cherubim, the work of a skilled embroiderer.” (Exodus 26:1)

“Then the Lord said to Moses, “Make a fiery serpent, and put it on a flag pole; and it shall come about, that everyone who is bitten, and looks at it, will live.”” (Numbers 21:8)

No, graven images are abominations to God.

“You shall not make for yourself an idol, or any likeness of what is in heaven above or on the earth beneath, or in the water under the earth.” (Exodus 20:4)

“You shall not make for yourself a carved image, or any likeness of what is in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the water under the earth.” (Deuteronomy 5:8)

“so that you do not act corruptly and make a carved image for yourselves in the form of any figure, a representation of male or female, 17 a representation of any animal that is on the earth, a representation of any winged bird that flies in the sky, 18 a representation of anything that crawls on the ground, or a representation of any fish that is in the water below the earth.” (Deuteronomy 4:16-18)

“So be careful yourselves, that you do not forget the covenant of the Lord your God which He made with you, and make for yourselves a carved image in the form of anything against which the Lord your God has commanded you.” (Deuteronomy 4:23)

“‘Cursed is the person who makes a carved image or cast metal image, an abomination to the Lord, the work of the hands of a craftsman, and sets it up in secret.’ And all the people shall reply and say, ‘Amen.’” (Deuteronomy 27:15)

“He did what was right in the sight of the Lord, in accordance with everything that his father David had done. 4 He removed the high places and smashed the memorial stones to pieces, and cut down the Asherah. He also crushed to pieces the bronze serpent that Moses had made, for until those days the sons of Israel had been burning incense to it; and it was called Nehushtan.” (2 Kings 18:3-4)

(All Scriptural quotation comes from the New American Standard Bible)

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Apologetics Sermon Illustration #78: Blindfold Ear-Plugged Pig Catching and Epistemic Virtue

GO TO PART 77

Point: Presuppositional Apologetics makes the point that without God there will not be the possibility of knowledge.  I would also add without God there would not be the possibility of epistemic virtues being intellgible and meaningful.  By epistemic virtue I mean things that involves character and skills a knower possess that is involve with acquiring knowledge.  And if there is no such thing as epistemic virtues and epistemic skills then the foundation for education is destroyed.

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Bible Contradiction? Will God destroy those that intermarry?

For today’s post we will tackle the question the Skeptic Annotated Bible asked: Will God destroy those that intermarry?

Here are the answers which the skeptic believes indicate a Bible contradiction:

Yes.

“Furthermore, you shall not intermarry with them: you shall not give your daughters to their sons, nor shall you take their daughters for your sons. 4 For they will turn your sons away from following Me, and they will serve other gods; then the anger of the Lord will be kindled against you and He will quickly destroy you.” (Deuteronomy 7:3-4)

No, some of God’s favorite people had foreign wives and he didn’t seem to mind.

“Now to Joseph in the land of Egypt were born Manasseh and Ephraim, whom Asenath, the daughter of Potiphera, priest of On, bore to him.” (Genesis 46:20)= The Skeptic Annotated Bible commented on Genesis 46:20 saying “Joseph married an Egyptian woman, from whom were born of two of the patriarchs of Israel, Manasseh and Ephraim.”

“Then Miriam and Aaron spoke against Moses because of the Cushite woman whom he had married (for he had married a Cushite woman);” ( Numbers 12:1)

“And the anger of the Lord burned against them and He departed. 10 But when the cloud had withdrawn from above the tent, behold, Miriam was leprous, as white as snow. As Aaron turned toward Miriam, behold, she was leprous.” (Numbers 12:9-10)= And Moses married an Egyptian woman. When Aaron and Miriam complained about it, God gave Miriam leprosy as a punishment.

(All Scriptural quotation comes from the New American Standard Bible)

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Book Review: Redeeming Our Thinking about History: A God-Centered Approach” By Vern Poythress

Vern Poythress. Redeeming Our Thinking about History: A God-Centered Approach.  Wheaton, IL: Crossway, March 15, 2022.  256 pp.

4 out of 5

Purchase: Amazon

How should Christians think about the study of history?  In this book author Vern Poythress explores the biblical worldview as the foundation for history.  Poythress has written on a biblical worldview for other areas of academic discipline such as philosophy, science, sociology and linguistics.  Similar to his other works in this book Poythress draws out implications from the contents of Scripture to discuss about the method of history. Arguing in the way of Cornelius Van Til’s Presuppositional Apologetics, Poythress also advocate that only the Triune Christian worldview can give an account of history in a way that makes it intelligible and meaningful.

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Apologetics Sermon Illustration #77: Flamethrowers and Refuting Presuppositions

GO TO PART 76

Point: Some Christians engage in apologetics in a piecemeal fashion.  They give evidence here and there.  They refute an objection here and there.  They might not realize the importance of Presuppositional apologetics with its emphasis of going beyond the individual point and pursuing refutations at the level of presuppositions.

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Review: True Community: The Biblical Practice of Koinonia

Note: I have been posting a lot of apologetics this week.  Here’s something more practical!

Jerry Bridges.  True Community: The Biblical Practice of Koinonia.  Colorado Springs, CO: NavPress, October 9, 2018. 192 pp.

4 out of 5

Purchase: Amazon

I love Jerry Bridges who have written many wonderful books on Christian holy living.  Like other books by Bridges this title was edifying and helpful.  Here in this work Jerry Bridges focuses on Christian relationship with other believers and also relationship to the church.  In our individualistic day and age this book is very relevant.

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Bible Contradiction? Who wrote the Pentateuch?

For today’s post we will tackle the question the Skeptic Annotated Bible asked: Who wrote the Pentateuch?

Here are the answers which the skeptic believes indicate a Bible contradiction:

Moses wrote the entire Pentateuch.

“So Moses wrote this Law and gave it to the priests, the sons of Levi who carried the ark of the covenant of the Lord, and to all the elders of Israel.” (Deuteronomy 31:9)

“These are the words that Moses spoke to all Israel across the Jordan in the wilderness, in the Arabah opposite Suph, between Paran and Tophel, Laban, Hazeroth, and Dizahab.” ( Deuteronomy 1:1)

There were other authors.

Unless Moses called himself (using the 3rd person) the meekest man “upon the face of the earth.”: “(Now the man Moses was very humble, more than any person who was on the face of the earth.)” (Numbers 12:3)

Observed and described his own death and burial. And then said that no one knows exactly where he was buried: “So Moses the servant of the Lord died there in the land of Moab, in accordance with the [a]word of the Lord. 6 And He buried him in the valley in the land of Moab, opposite Beth-peor; but no one knows his burial place to this day.” (Deuteronomy 34:5-6)

And unless Moses claimed to be be greatest prophet, saying there hasn’t been as great a prophet ever since: “Since that time no prophet has risen in Israel like Moses, whom the Lord knew face to face,” (Deuteronomy 34:10)

(All Scriptural quotation comes from the New American Standard Bible)

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