What is going on in Exodus 21:32

I have covered Exodus 21:1-11 and Exodus 21:18-27 in previous posts concerning what is going on in those passages.

But I want to look in this post at Exodus 21:32.

Here’s the passage:

 If the ox gores a male or female slave, ^[ai]the owner shall give his or her master ^[aj]thirty shekels of silver, and the ox shall be stoned.

Here’s my thoughts:

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Bible Contradiction? Who did Jacob wrestle with?

For today’s post we will tackle the question the Skeptic Annotated Bible asked: Who did Jacob wrestle with?

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

God

“Then Jacob was left alone, and a man wrestled with him until daybreak. 25 When the man saw that he had not prevailed against him, he touched the socket of Jacob’s hip; and the socket of Jacob’s hip was dislocated while he wrestled with him. 26 Then he said, “Let me go, for the dawn is breaking.” But he said, “I will not let you go unless you bless me.” 27 So he said to him, “What is your name?” And he said, “Jacob.” 28 Then he said, “Your name shall no longer be Jacob, but Israel; for you have contended with God and with men, and have prevailed.” 29 And Jacob asked him and said, “Please tell me your name.” But he said, “Why is it that you ask my name?” And he blessed him there. 30 So Jacob named the place Peniel, for he said, “I have seen God face to face, yet my life has been spared.”” ( Genesis 32:24-30)

An Angel

“The Lord also has a case against Judah, And will punish Jacob according to his ways; He will repay him according to his deeds. 3 In the womb he took his brother by the heel, And in his mature strength he contended with God. 4 Yes, he wrestled with the angel and prevailed; He wept and implored His favor. He found Him at Bethel, And there He spoke with us,” (Hosea 12:2-4)

(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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Review: ESV Scripture Journal: 1–2 Timothy and Titus

ESV Scripture Journal: 1–2 Timothy and Titus.  Wheaton, IL: Crossway, March 31^st, 2018.  48 pp.

5 out of 5

Purchase: Amazon

Want to have a journal for your reading of Scripture?  This is great, from the publisher Crossway.  This particular journal uses the English Standard Version (ESV).  There were copies of this ESV Scripture journal at my work and I picked up a copy.

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Guest Post: Prayer for SlimJim’s Teaching September Trip

This is a guest post by Mandy. She blogs here. I appreciate how knowledge of the Old Testament, OT background and Scripture. Check out her blog!

Here’s the prayer:

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Progress in answering alleged Bible contradiction from the Pastoral Epistles

Since I have been studying the Pastoral Epistles I thought I do a post with all the alleged Bible contradictions I refuted so far that involves passages from 1 Timothy, 2 Timothy and Titus..

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Bible Contradiction? If God likes you, will everyone else like you too?

For today’s post we will tackle the question the Skeptic Annotated Bible asked: If God likes you, will everyone else like you too?

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

If God likes you, so will your enemies.

“When a person’s ways are pleasing to the Lord, He causes even his enemies to make peace with him.” ( Proverbs 16:7)

If you are faithful to God, you will be persecuted.

“Indeed, all who want to live in a godly way in Christ Jesus will be persecuted.” (2 Timothy 3:12)

(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: What Do Deacons Do?

Juan Sanchez. What Do Deacons Do?  Wheaton, IL: Crossway, March 29, 2022.  64 pp.

4 out of 5

Purchase: Amazon

What are deacons and what do they do in the church?  Here in this booklet author and pastor Juan Sanchez answers this question.  This booklet is part of the Church Questions series put out by 9 Marks.  I was helped by some of the titles in this series so I thought I read this one also.  I thought this booklet was helpful.

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Bible Contradiction? Does God want some to go to hell?

For today’s post we will tackle the question the Skeptic Annotated Bible asked: Does God want some to go to hell?

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

God wants everyone to go to heaven.

“This is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, ⁴ who wants all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.” (1 Timothy 2:3-4)

“The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not willing for any to perish, but for all to come to repentance.” (2 Peter 3:9)

God wants some to go to hell.

“The Lord has made everything for its own purpose, Even the wicked for the day of evil.” (Proverbs 16:4)

“He has blinded their eyes and He hardened their heart, so that they will not see with their eyes and understand with their heart, and be converted, and so I will not heal them.”” (John 12:40)

“So then He has mercy on whom He desires, and He hardens whom He desires.” (Romans 9:18)

“For this reason God will send upon them a deluding influence so that they will believe what is false, ¹² in order that they all may be judged who did not believe the truth, but took pleasure in wickedness” (2 Thessalonians 2:11-12)

(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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Review Covenanting with Christ’s Church

Stephen David. Covenanting with Christ’s Church.  Hyderabad, India: Ekklesia Books, Forthcoming. 106 pp.

5 out of 5

Purchase: Ekklesia Books

Do you want to read a book on the importance of Church membership?  This is a helpful book by a Pastor that loves the local church.  The subtitle of the book is “9 Biblical reasons why You should commit to a Local Church.”

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Bible contradiction? Should you serve God alone?

For today’s post we will tackle the question the Skeptic Annotated Bible asked: Should you serve God alone?

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

Yes

“Then Jesus said to him, “Go, Satan! For it is written, ‘You shall worship the Lord your God, and serve Him only.’”” (Matthew 4:10)

“Do not be called leaders; for One is your Leader, that is, Christ.” (Matthew 23:10)

No

“Slaves, be obedient to those who are your masters according to the flesh, with fear and trembling, in the sincerity of your heart, as to Christ;” (Ephesians 6:5)

“Slaves, in all things obey those who are your masters on earth, not with external service, as those who merely please men, but with sincerity of heart, fearing the Lord.” (Colossians 3:22)

“All who are under the yoke as slaves are to regard their own masters as worthy of all honor so that the name of God and our doctrine will not be spoken against.” (1 Timothy 6:1)

“Urge bondslaves to be subject to their own masters in everything, to be well-pleasing, not argumentative,” (Titus 2:9)

“Servants, be submissive to your masters with all respect, not only to those who are good and gentle, but also to those who are unreasonable.” (1 Peter 2:18)

“Wives, be subject to your husbands, as is fitting in the Lord.” (Colossians 3:18)

“Children, be obedient to your parents in all things, for this is well-pleasing to the Lord.” (Colossians 3:20)

(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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Responsibilities and Reasons to respond to False Teaching in the Church Part 2 of 2

We gotta be discerning and not just follow preachers who are hip and cool.

For church leaders we have an obligation to protect the church from heresies.

Responsibilities and Reasons to respond to False Teaching in the Church

1 Timothy 1:3-7

Establish the need: It will happen; what will do you when there’s false teachings spreading in your own church?

Purpose: When there are false teachings in the church there are two Rs important for church leaders in the church to know.

1. Leaders have responsibilities to respond to false teaching in the church (v.3-4a)
2. Leaders need to know the reasons to oppose false teachings in the church (v.4b-7)

3 Just as I urged you upon my departure for Macedonia, to remain on at Ephesus so that you would instruct certain people not to teach strange doctrines, 4 nor to pay attention to myths and endless genealogies, which give rise to useless speculation rather than advance the plan of God, which is by faith, so I urge you now. 5 But the goal of our instruction is love from a pure heart, from a good conscience, and from a sincere faith. 6 Some people have strayed from these things and have turned aside to fruitless discussion, 7 wanting to be teachers of the Law, even though they do not understand either what they are saying or the matters about which they make confident assertions.

 

Setting the context:

• 1 Timothy 1:3-20 addresses the error in Ephesus (Mounce,14).
• Paul laid out Timothy’s first task is to deal with false teachers (Hiebert, 27).
• Verse 3 sets the tone for the entire chapter of 1 Timothy 1 (Mounce,14).
  1. Paul suddenly giving a specific exhortation without thanksgiving is a departure from how he normally writes but that shows how serious the problem is confronting Timothy and the church in Ephesus (Kitchen, 42).
  2. This lack of thanksgiving in an epistle when the issue is very serious can be seen in Galatians, 2 Corinthians and Titus (Mounce,15).
  3. Thus this shows how serious false teaching is!
• Many commentaries divide 1 Timothy 1:3-20 into four units, 3-7 followed by a digression in v.8-11, and another digression in v.12-17 and v.18-20 following up again with the topic left off in verse 7 (Mounce,13-14).
• We will look in this lesson at 1 Timothy 1:3-7.

In this post we will look at the second point and the second point in a later post.

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Responsibilities and Reasons to respond to False Teaching in the Church Part 1 of 2

We gotta be discerning and not just follow preachers who are hip and cool.

For church leaders we have an obligation to protect the church from heresies.

Responsibilities and Reasons to respond to False Teaching in the Church

1 Timothy 1:3-7

Establish the need: It will happen; what will do you when there’s false teachings spreading in your own church?

Purpose: When there are false teachings in the church there are two Rs important for church leaders in the church to know.

1. Leaders have responsibilities to respond to false teaching in the church (v.3-4a)
2. Leaders need to know the reasons to oppose false teachings in the church (v.4b-7)

3 Just as I urged you upon my departure for Macedonia, to remain on at Ephesus so that you would instruct certain people not to teach strange doctrines, 4 nor to pay attention to myths and endless genealogies, which give rise to useless speculation rather than advance the plan of God, which is by faith, so I urge you now. 5 But the goal of our instruction is love from a pure heart, from a good conscience, and from a sincere faith. 6 Some people have strayed from these things and have turned aside to fruitless discussion, 7 wanting to be teachers of the Law, even though they do not understand either what they are saying or the matters about which they make confident assertions.

 

Setting the context:

• 1 Timothy 1:3-20 addresses the error in Ephesus (Mounce,14).
• Paul laid out Timothy’s first task is to deal with false teachers (Hiebert, 27).
• Verse 3 sets the tone for the entire chapter of 1 Timothy 1 (Mounce,14).
  1. Paul suddenly giving a specific exhortation without thanksgiving is a departure from how he normally writes but that shows how serious the problem is confronting Timothy and the church in Ephesus (Kitchen, 42).
  2. This lack of thanksgiving in an epistle when the issue is very serious can be seen in Galatians, 2 Corinthians and Titus (Mounce,15).
  3. Thus this shows how serious false teaching is!
• Many commentaries divide 1 Timothy 1:3-20 into four units, 3-7 followed by a digression in v.8-11, and another digression in v.12-17 and v.18-20 following up again with the topic left off in verse 7 (Mounce,13-14).
• We will look in this lesson at 1 Timothy 1:3-7.

In this post we will look at the first point and the second point in a later post.

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Apologetics Sermon Illustration #92: Bible Interpretation and example of Movie’s Ending that interprets Beginning and End

GO TO PART 91

Point: Sometimes when one engage in apologetics the issue of alleged Bible contradiction comes up.  There are times when those who assert that there are contradictory verses in the Bible fail to acknowledge how different part of the narrative (beginning, middle, end) help interpret other parts of the story.  Are there any examples of this error to get the point across to a skeptic of their foolish methodology and mistake?

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Review: Judges (The Two Horizons Old Testament Commentary Series)

 

David J. H. Beldman. Judges (The Two Horizons Old Testament Commentary).  Grand Rapids: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, January 9, 2020. 316 pp.

4 out of 5

Purchase: Amazon

Are you looking for a good commentary on the book of Judges?  I recommend this work and found the insights from the author to be very helpful in interpreting the book of Judges.  I think if you are going to be a Bible expositor teaching through the book of Judges you need to have this book as a work you consult.

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Apologetics Sermon Illustration #91: Meaning depending on Context and “Problem of Evil Conference”

GO TO PART 90

Point: Sometimes when one engage in apologetics the issue of alleged Bible contradiction comes up.  There are times when those who assert that there are contradictory verses in the Bible fail to acknowledge that words can be used in more than one way and thus a word used in one context does not mean the same thing in another context.  But if one fail to recognize there are differences of meaning of the word being used in two separate contexts, a skeptic can easily assume there’s a Bible contradiction when there are none.  Are there any examples of this error to get the point across to a skeptic of their foolish methodology and mistake?

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