So called Bible Contradictions.

[cs80918]

The bible doesn't contradict itself, but verses appear to contradict each other if they are not understood using the context of the entire bible.

Too often I see people taking a stance and they use bible verses to support it without explaining the bible verse that seem to contradict their stance.  If verses seem to contradict each other, since they don't that means you have to be able to mingle all the verses relating to the subject to make a valid conclusion.

Take the subject of salvation, many protestants believe that you can know you are saved and give verses to support it, but many Catholics don't believe you can know you are saved and give supporting verses. How can there be verses that support both views?

In order to get to the truth you must examine all verses relating to the subject and examine them in the context of the entire bible.

[Catholica]

Nice opinion!  I suppose that is how one must operate when their faith is based on a book.  I bet Muslims do the same thing.

This sort of problem was already solved by Jesus, however, when he gave us a Church with teaching authority to teach the true gospel.

Matthew 28:18-20
Then Jesus approached and said to them, "All power in heaven and on earth has been given to me.  Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, until the end of the age."

[k-pappy]

If your teaching is based on man's thoughts rather than God's you will be in error.

If you need to conform God's word to affirm your dogma, you will be in error.

Jesus Christ is fully sufficient for our salvation.  Anyone who teaches differently is an antichrist - a wolf among sheep.

Bond

[winsome]

If your teaching is based on man's thoughts rather than God's you will be in error.

If you need to conform God's word to affirm your dogma, you will be in error.

Jesus Christ is fully sufficient for our salvation.  Anyone who teaches differently is an antichrist - a wolf among sheep.

Bond

Good job then that Catholic teaching is based on God's word, faithfully handed down by the apostles and their successors and guaranteed as truth by the Holy Spirit. 

[cs80918]

Nice opinion!  I suppose that is how one must operate when their faith is based on a book.  I bet Muslims do the same thing.

This sort of problem was already solved by Jesus, however, when he gave us a Church with teaching authority to teach the true gospel.

Matthew 28:18-20
Then Jesus approached and said to them, "All power in heaven and on earth has been given to me.  Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, until the end of the age."

If that is the case why are there disagreements among different catholic groups?  Which catholic group is the right one?  You also have other groups who say they are the church and that the Catholic church is not the true church.

If that is the case are you saying that the Catholic church has changed a doctrine?

[cs80918]

 Timothy 2:15 (KJV) Study to show thyself approved unto God , a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth

This is clearly directly to each of us individually, why would the bible require use to rightly divide the truth is if all we had to do was let the Catholic church do it and accept whatever they say?

Who taught Paul, was it the Catholic church or was it the holy spirit?  If you have the holy spirit a person is able to understand the bible.

[winsome]

Timothy 2:15 (KJV) Study to show thyself approved unto God , a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth

This is clearly directly to each of us individually, why would the bible require use to rightly divide the truth is if all we had to do was let the Catholic church do it and accept whatever they say?

Who taught Paul, was it the Catholic church or was it the holy spirit?  If you have the holy spirit a person is able to understand the bible.

Try reading the start of the letter:
Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, according to the promise of life which is in Christ Jesus, To Timothy, a beloved son:(2 Tim 1:1-2)


Paul is writing to Timothy.
Be eager to present yourself as acceptable to God, a workman who causes no disgrace, imparting the word of truth without deviation. (2 Tim 2:15)
It's Timothy who must impart the word of truth without deviation. (or rightly divide it if you want to use archaic language)

O Timothy, guard what has been entrusted to you. (1Tim 6:20)

[Selene]

If that is the case why are there disagreements among different catholic groups?  Which catholic group is the right one?  You also have other groups who say they are the church and that the Catholic church is not the true church.

If that is the case are you saying that the Catholic church has changed a doctrine?

Huh?  What Catholic group?  There's only one Catholic Church.  It doesn't matter if you belong to the Knights of Columbus, the Christian Mothers, or the Carmelite nuns, they're all under one Catholic Church. 

[Catholica]

Who taught Paul, was it the Catholic church or was it the holy spirit?  If you have the holy spirit a person is able to understand the bible.

In Paul's case, it was Jesus first, then corroborated by Peter, who represented the Catholic Church.

Now I want you to know, brothers, that the gospel preached by me is not of human origin. For I did not receive it from a human being, nor was I taught it, but it came through a revelation of Jesus Christ. For you heard of my former way of life in Judaism, how I persecuted the church of God beyond measure and tried to destroy it, and progressed in Judaism beyond many of my contemporaries among my race, since I was even more a zealot for my ancestral traditions. But when [God], who from my mother's womb had set me apart and called me through his grace, was pleased to reveal his Son to me, so that I might proclaim him to the Gentiles, I did not immediately consult flesh and blood, nor did I go up to Jerusalem to those who were apostles before me; rather, I went into Arabia and then returned to Damascus.  Then after three years I went up to Jerusalem to confer with Cephas and remained with him for fifteen days.

I agree that the Holy Spirit is the interpreter of scripture.  But how do you know you have the Holy Spirit and not some other spirit?  If your interpretation conflicts with what the Church teaches, then its not the Holy Spirit.  That's one reason why Jesus gave us the Church and guaranteed them that they would be led into all truth.

If you disagree, well, the theory of Holy Spirit guiding each individual, it hasn't played out that way.  Thousands of Protestant denominations attest to that.