A KINGDOM OF WHEAT AND TARES

The bible can be used and has been used to justify evil.

Jesus says the kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed wheat in his garden, but while men slept, the enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat (Matthew 13:24-30).  This portrait of the kingdom is directly applicable to the bible.  The bible is a book of wheat and tares.  In it, the truth of God is presented side-by-side with grievous misrepresentations of God. 

Biblical Justification of Evil

The bible can be used (and has been used) to justify evil.  In parts, it supports incest (Genesis 19:33); selling of daughters (Exodus 21:7); witch-hunting (Exodus 22:18); pogroms (Exodus 32:27-28); discrimination against the handicapped (Leviticus 21:16-21); slavery (Leviticus 25:44-46); discrimination against women (Leviticus 27:1-7); human sacrifice (Leviticus 27:28-29); capital punishment (Numbers 15:32-36); drinking of blood (Numbers 23:24); rape of virgins (Numbers 31:17-18); infanticide (Deuteronomy 3:6); religious intolerance (Deuteronomy 17:2-7); genocide (Deuteronomy 20:16); suicide “bombing” (Judges 16:27-30); abduction of women (Judges 21:7-23); cannibalism (2 Kings 6:28-29); homophobia (1 Corinthians 6:9-10); and anti-Semitism (1 Thessalonians 2:14-16).

Bible Errors

The bible is full of mistakes.  We are told Abraham had several sons (Genesis 25:1-6); then only two (Galatians 4:22); and then only one (Hebrews 11:17).  Jacob was buried in a cave at Machpelah bought from Ephron the Hittite (Genesis 50:13); but then again he was buried in a sepulchre at Shechem bought from the sons of Hamor (Acts 7:15-16).  Moses had only one wife.  Nevertheless he had four different fathers-in-law; Reuel (Exodus 2:18/21); Jethro (Exodus 4:18); Raguel (Numbers 10:29 KJV); and Hobab (Judges 4:11).

Jesse had eight sons with David as the eighth (1 Samuel 17:12-14).  Then again he had seven sons with David as the seventh (1 Chronicles 2:13-15).  Saul’s daughter married to David is mistakenly said to be Merab instead of Michal (1 Samuel 18:19).  Jehoshaphat, king of Judah (2 Chronicles 20:35) is mistakenly said to be king of Israel (2 Chronicles 21:2).  Zechariah’s prophecy about the thirty pieces of silver (Zechariah 11:12-13) is mistakenly attributed to Jeremiah (Matthew 27:9). 

Bible Contradictions

The bible is also full of contradictions.  Moses says God created the world in six days and rested on the seventh (Exodus 20:11); but Isaiah says God is never tired and does not need to rest (Isaiah 40:28).  God created man last, after creating animals (Genesis 1:25-26); but then again he created man before creating animals (Genesis 2:18-19).  The Nephilim giants were wiped out in the flood (Genesis 6:4); nevertheless, their descendants reappeared after the flood (Numbers 13:33).  The peoples of the earth had different languages (Genesis 10:5; Genesis 10:20); but then again they had only one language (Genesis 11:1). 

Moses says God asked the Israelites to build him a sanctuary so he can dwell among them (Exodus 25:8); but Stephen insists God does not dwell in temples built by men (Acts 7:48).  Moses says God changes his mind (Exodus 32:14); but Balaam says he does not (Numbers 23:19).  God is said to have blessed Jehu for destroying the house of Ahab (2 Kings 10:30); but Hosea says God condemned him for doing so (Hosea 1:4).

Pauline Confusion

This goes to show that Paul’s statement that all scriptures are written by the inspiration of God (2 Timothy 3:16) is, itself, not inspired.  Indeed, more discrepancies come from Paul himself than from any other person in the bible.

Paul says God is not the author of confusion (1 Corinthians 14:33); but Moses says God confused the tongues at Babel (Genesis 11:9).  Paul says God is “the God of peace” (Romans 15:33); but Moses says he is “a man of war” (Exodus 15:3).  Paul says God dwells in unapproachable light (1 Timothy 6:16); but David says he dwells in thick darkness (Psalm 18:11).  Paul says no one is righteous (Romans 3:10); but Moses says God considered Noah to be righteous (Genesis 7:1). 

Paul says the law was given through angels (Galatians 3:19); but Moses says God gave it to him directly (Deuteronomy 10:1-5).  Paul says all men are condemned to death because of Adam’s sin (Romans 5:12/19); but Moses says children are not to suffer for their parent’s sins (Deuteronomy 24:16).  Paul says God justifies the ungodly (Romans 4:5); but Moses and Solomon say he does not (Exodus 23:7; Proverbs 17:15).

Thank God for Jesus

We Christians make fools of ourselves by insisting, in spite of overwhelming evidence to the contrary, that everything in the bible is true.  God raised one man to resolve this mess.  He is the Amen; the one true and faithful witness.  That man is Jesus.

Jesus is the final authority on things of God.  Only Jesus’ words present the undiluted and unvarnished truth of God (John 14:10; John 8:26).  They should be put in our hearts, and not just in a book (Jeremiah 31:31-33).