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Discussion » Questions » Religion and Spirituality » Can you trust the Bible? - Below are some links that may at least help you to understand SOME of the reasons I do, if you care.
texasescimo

Can you trust the Bible? - Below are some links that may at least help you to understand SOME of the reasons I do, if you care.

I often get ridiculed on here when I post a verse or something. Recently someone made a post that I only believe the Bible because the Bible says to. Recently someone that ridicules the Bible said they had not read the Bible as they already know that the Bible is only fantasy. I know that I often come off offensive when people are attacking the Bible and I know I should not, even the Bible speaks against my doing that. I feel that some opposers may be sincere while others may just like to argue, ridicule, have an agenda or whatever. Anyway, for the sincere:


Can you trust the Bible?

Historical Soundness


Scientific Accuracy

Fulfilled Prophecy

(EDITED for those that didn't realize that the above are clickable links)

Posted - December 19, 2017
Tags : None

Responses


  • 7280
    Well, how would you react if I started all of my answers with "God inspired me to post this?"
      December 30, 2017 1:33 PM MST
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  • 1393
    So you accept that the Vedas and the Book of Mormons are inspired by God?
      December 30, 2017 3:58 PM MST
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  • Evidently even early Christian leaders could not trust the Bible. Martin Luther considered the Epistle of James so antithetical to his beliefs that he wanted it removed from the New Testament. The history in the Bible is hit-and-miss; some of it you can trust, other parts of it you cannot. There are varying parts of the Bible that contradict each other, though the books were chosen to eliminate most contradictions (we still have differing accounts on how Judas died or on what the early actions of Joseph and Mary were before the birth of Jesus). The Bible is not a scientific treatise and those who attempt to read science in it are barking up the wrong tree (the Earth is not 6,000 years old, for example). While I believe there are spiritual truths in the Bible, I do not believe it to all be literally true, and all literalists run into problems that they must reconcile. 


      December 19, 2017 7:39 PM MST
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  • 63
    NO, to all six points and if you do actually believe it then prove it to be inerrant in any of them, till you do it remains a mythical book.
      December 19, 2017 9:00 PM MST
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  • 2657
    No one can prove anything to someone that will not listen. Once again you enter a thread with links while asking for proof without looking at the links. Just like you did here:
    https://answermug.com/forums/topic/45397/you-re-not-religious-that-s-fine-still-do-you-feel-appreciativ

    (I would like to know your stance and rather you agree with the latest scientific theories or the older scientific theories? Obviously they cannot all be right but as long as you do not commit, you never have to admit that you were wrong. By all means, guard that pride as humility is seen as weakness by most like yourself.)
      December 19, 2017 10:01 PM MST
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  • 63
    'No one can prove anything to someone that will not listen' I am listening but all I hear is BS, I do not hear any proof or even relevant evidence coming from you.
      December 20, 2017 4:30 PM MST
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  • 2657
    I have given you links to much of what we have discussed. I gave you directions in another comment of how to click a link. 

    Take your fingers out of your ears, open your eyes, click a posted link, read the relevant links, read out loud, listen to what you read.
      December 21, 2017 7:39 AM MST
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  • 63
    Okay have it your way, I have looked at your links and will cover them one by one even though I think you are advertising on behalf of jw but as the site is jw it should not be too difficult to debunk it.

    Historical Soundness
    The creation story in genesis
    The flood
    The crucifiction and all that happened that day
    Enough to be going on with?

    Candor and honesty
    From you site "Bible writers, such as Jonah, recorded their own mistakes" true and his first mistake was getting swallowed by a fish, his second mistake was thinking anyone to be stupid enough to believe him.

    Internal harmony
    From your site "The Bible was written over a span of some 1,600 years, from 1513 B.C.E. to about 98 C.E. Many of the approximately 40 writers thus lived centuries apart."........"The Bible penmen developed one central theme: the vindication of God’s right to rule mankind and the fulfillment of his purpose by means of his heavenly Kingdom, a world government. That theme is introduced in Genesis, expanded on in the books that follow, and brought to a climax in Revelation".........."The Bible writers agreed on even minute details"
    Now I think it fair to assume that the people writing these books could also read, that being the case then it is not hard to see how a central theme cannot be expanded on if you have read the books written prior to your book.  The Bible writers agreed on even minute details, this has simply got to be a joke and therefore not worthy of comment in this section but will be dealt with below.


     

    Scientific accuracy
    Far too numerous to mention here but a look at https://www.biblicalnonsense.com/chapter5.html that should set you straight.

    Fulfilled prophesies
    Your site sticks to one prophesy (out of very many in the bible) which on the face of it would appear to be reasonably sound but if you dig deeper as this christian writer did you will see that all is not quite as you would like it to be. Basically the prophesy is self defeating as in revelations it has yet to be destroyed and for it to be destroyed in the future it must be rebuilt and inhabited also its original downfall did not come about as prophesied in either isaiah or jeremiah. These little details can be a bitch at times
    https://www.biblicalnonsense.com/chapter5.html






      June 10, 2018 7:26 PM MDT
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  • 1812
    I can trust it. People who do not care to try it will never know the truths therein.
      December 19, 2017 9:12 PM MST
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  • 2657
    True that. Many go to a few anti-bible sites, copy a few verses ignoring the context and then post them with the same old tired erroneous conclusions parroted by other opposers while claiming to have read the Bible yet when little questions emerge, they don't have a clue what the Bible is talking about. 
      December 19, 2017 10:05 PM MST
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  • 6098
    I trust The Bible because I accept it as The Word of God and thus the Truth.  But I have read a lot mostly dictionaries about what those words mean in the original languages in order to better understand.  And I have used whatever mental faculties I have of my own to help myself better understand. 
      December 20, 2017 8:27 AM MST
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  • 2657
    That's great! A shame so many people just listen to what they are told about the Bible instead of actually reading it themselves.
    (1 Thessalonians 5:21) Make sure of all things; hold fast to what is fine.
     
    Here is a video if you are interested:
    Why Study the Bible?

    Here are some links that I accumulated years ago: (Some are now gone so I need to go through them all again some time. Some also have the html codes for the old answerbag)
    https://studybible.info/compare/2%20Peter%203:10   - 95 parallel versions

    https://www.biblestudytools.com/proverbs/8-22-compare.html Parallel Bible 
    https://www.bible-researcher.com/links02.html - English Bible Versions



    https://bible.cc/psalms/83-18.htm /. Several translation, only one verse at a time.
    https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1%20John%205:7-8;1%20Timothy%203:16;John%203:13;Colossians%202:2;John%201:18&version=NASB;HCSB;NKJV;NLT;NIV1984 / 5 versions with up to 5 groups of verses

    https://bibledatabase.net/   - online Bibles


    https://wesley.nnu.edu/fileadmin/imported_site/biblical_studies/wycliffe/  - John Wycliffe’s Bible

    https://wesley.nnu.edu/fileadmin/imported_site/biblical_studies/tyndale/  - William Tyndale’s Bible

    https://studybible.info/Tyndale/Exodus%206:3  - William Tyndale’s translation:
    https://alleluya.com/WTNT/  -  William Tyndale’s New Testament revised in modern English

    https://usccb.org/bible/books-of-the-bible/   - NAB
    https://www.catholic.org/bible/   - NJB

    https://bible.oremus.org/  -  NRSV - KJV

    https://www.nazarene-friends.org/nazcomm/44/002.htm  - Friends of the Nazarene

    https://www.htmlbible.com/sacrednamebiblecom/index.htm   -  King James Sacred Name Version
    https://www.kingjamesbibleonline.org/1611_Matthew-Chapter-1/  -   The 1611 edition of the KJV and the 1769 edition

     

    Interlinears / Manuscripts

    https://www.blueletterbible.org/Bible.cfm Many versions, concordance's, manuscripts 

    https://www.biblestudytools.com  –  Greek and Hebrew Interlinear Bible 

    https://www.biblepub.com/bibles  - Translations and manuscripts

    https://www.biblepub.com/bibles/compare   - Compare different translations

    https://unbound.biola.edu/  - Compare up to 4 translations and/or manuscripts

    https://www.greeknewtestament.com/index2.htm   - Greek/English (New Testament) With Several Greek Text & Several English translations side by side one verse at a time
    https://bibledatabase.net/  - Online Bibles and Manuscripts

    https://www.greeknewtestament.com/index2.htm   - Greek/English (New Testament) With Several Greek Text & Several English translations side by side one verse at a time

    https://www.hebrewoldtestament.com/index2.htm - Hebrew/English (Old Testament) With Several Hebrew Text & Several English translations side by side one verse at a time

    https://www.bibletranslation.ws/trans/johnwgrk.pdf Another Greek interlinear

    https://blogreaca.wordpress.com/programa-analitica-pe-semestrul-al-ii-lea/curs-3-semestrul-ii/ Another Greek resource

    https://www.greekbible.com/ - Greek New Testament texts (Nestle-Aland 26). Choose from a variety of fonts for the display

    https://www.codexsinaiticus.org/en/manuscript.aspx?book=36&chapter=1&lid=en&side=r&verse=18&zoomSlider=0#36-1-18-5  - Sinaitic manuscript, I believe that it is one of the oldest and most complete manuscript.
    Here are some differences that I have noticed. https://www.answerbag.com/a_view/7025764
    https://www.eliyah.com/lxx.html Fragments of the Greek Septuaginthttps://read.thepositiveword.com/index.php?day=15&month=06&portion=1&ref=Judges%2016&ver=KJV&strongsnumber=H5315&strongsdisp=on&strongs=&fndisp=off&xref=Judges%2016:18  - English with clickable words to give Hebrew or Greek meaning on bottom right. (Strongs)

    https://www.scripture4all.org/  -  ISA 2 basic(version 2.1.3) Hebrew & Greek (Textus Receptus)

    https://stnicholasowen.co.uk/bibles_net/hebrewparallel/B14C019.htm  -  Hebrew Character’s and English translations

    https://www.stnicholasowen.co.uk/bibles_net/greekparallel/B43C001.htm#V18  -  Greek Character’s and English translations

    https://www.studylight.org/isb/  - Interlinear Study Bible - Strongs
    https://www.studylight.org/lex/grk/view.cgi?number=2147   -  Parallel KJV/NASB Greek Lexicon

    https://www.studylight.org/lex/heb/view.cgi?number=2147  -  Parallel KJV/NASB Hebrew Lexicon
    https://web.archive.org/web/20040603020300/hector3000.future.easyspace.com/emendations.htm   -  Which Bible Best Retains Most of the Original Wording Prior to the Emendations (Corrections) made to the Hebrew Text

    https://bible.ovu.edu/terry/interpretation/translat.htm English Bible Translations (rated on a scale of 1 to 10 as to literalness)

    https://www.apbrown2.net/web/TranslationComparisonChart.htm - Translation Comparison Charts (Word for Word, Thought for Thought)

    www.apbrown2.net
    English Bible Translation Comparison chart taken from https://www.gospelcom.net/ibs/bibles/translations/index.php . Translations not identified in previous list

     

    https://www.swapmeetdave.com/Bible/BibleType.htm Comparison of Major Bible Translations (Word for word and thought for thought)

    www.swapmeetdave.com
    Holy Bible Versions and Types This page compares different Bible translation types (word for word, thought for thought, paraphrase), translations (NIV, King James ...


     

     

     

    https://www.mechon-mamre.org/p/pt/pt0.htm   - Hebrew/English Jewish Bible (Old Testament) 


    https://bibledbdata.org/onlinebibles/hebrew_translit/   - Hebrew transliteration

     

    Concordances 

    https://www2.mf.no/bibel/vines.html   - Vines New Testament Words

    https://lexicon.katabiblon.com/index.php?search=sta???? ---- Wiki Lexicon of the Greek New Testament and Concordance



    Other references

    https://www.bible-researcher.com/kutilek1.html  -  Westcott & Hort vs. Textus Receptus


    https://www.ntgateway.com/greek-ntgateway/greek-new-testament-texts/  - Links to resources

    https://www.omniglot.com/writing/hebrew.htm   - Types of Hebrew characters

    https://www.preceptaustin.org/2_peter_310.htm  -  Commentary

    https://bible.org/article/majority-text-and-original-text-are-they-identical#note_35  -  The Majority Text and the Original Text, Are They The Same?
    https://www.bible-researcher.com/title.html  -  Textual critism of the Greek NT

    https://bible.ovc.edu/tc/index.htm - A Student's Guide to
    New Testament Textual Variants
    https://bible.ovc.edu/tc/layabbre.htm - KEY TO ABBREVIATIONS

      December 20, 2017 8:50 AM MST
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  • 1326
    Wow tex, have you actually gone to all these sources yourself? You're scary, in a good way! :)
      December 21, 2017 11:09 PM MST
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  • 2657
    Yup, but not recently. The last time I tried, some of them were no longer any good.
      December 22, 2017 6:59 AM MST
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  • Yes, Tex is quite thorough which is a good thing because many haphazardly throw something out there with no particular point to make. 
      December 27, 2017 4:09 AM MST
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  • 7280
    I think you are scary also, tex---You remind me of the German efforts to establish a basis for the superiority of their race compared to other human beings to justify Lebensraum: Living Space for the German Race.

    I'm not suggesting you are immoral---just more or less "looking for love in all the wrong places."  (Song from the movie Urban Cowboy, 1980)

    Edit:   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1MnU6p3sGSw This post was edited by tom jackson at December 29, 2017 12:56 PM MST
      December 29, 2017 12:52 PM MST
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  • 2657
    What is scary is those religions that bought in to the superiority of their race and those that defend the atrocities of their religion as a mystery of God's dealings with His Church, as I've been told although maybe not in those exact words. Without the support and blessing of the German Clergy and their flocks, millions of lives would have been spared.
      December 31, 2017 9:43 AM MST
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  • 7792
    I don't trust anything and that includes the bible.

    This post was edited by my2cents at February 13, 2018 4:38 PM MST
      December 22, 2017 5:37 PM MST
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  • 2657
    I understand. I didn't trust the Bible before I read it either. While I appreciate your kindness in using please, I will likely keep posting about religion and spirituality and such in the religion and spirituality section of answermug, for now anyway.
      December 22, 2017 5:46 PM MST
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  • Good for you Tex. Where, if not Religion and Spirituality section of Answer Mug, are you suppose to take your Bible questions?  Personally I enjoy your questions. Keep it up. Also, today, I got to looking at my answer to your question. It was a bit odd and looked standoffish, which wasn't what I had in mind. If you were offended I apologize. 
      December 27, 2017 4:17 AM MST
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  • 2657
    No offence at all. Thank you Hezekiah
      December 28, 2017 4:58 AM MST
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  • 7792
    Yea? No s**t.
      February 13, 2018 4:45 PM MST
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  • Can I trust the Bible? Yes I can. Historical soundness. Yes. Candor and honesty? Yes. Internal harmony? Yes. Scientific accuracy? Yes. Fulfilled prophecy? Yes. I'm in short answer mode today if you didn't already realize that. :)  Yes I did click on each link and read what it said. You went through the trouble of posting them so I clicked on them.Thank you for that. This post was edited by Benedict Arnold at December 28, 2017 4:58 AM MST
      December 26, 2017 12:14 PM MST
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  • 2657
    Thank you Hezekiah. Pretty sure from the answers, not many read any of the links.
      December 28, 2017 4:59 AM MST
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  • 6098
    But why would you expect us to "read the links" just because you provide them?   Do we have the time to do so or would we even be able to understand them?   And why would you think we would risk getting some kind of a virus clicking on links just because someone gives them to us?   If you have something to say to us then please write it yourself and don't just give us a bunch of links and pass it off to someone else.  I read and studied the Bible for 15 years and still do on occasion and in my study bought a number of books to help illuminate and understand the original languages.  Some people do nothing but study The Bible all their lives but some of us have other things we want to do as well.
      December 28, 2017 5:15 AM MST
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