136
BIBLE “CONTRADICTIONS” … ANSWERED (Contradictions 6-10)
A Booklet by Brad McCoy, Th.M.
© Copyright 1985 Reprinted with
author’s permission. May be distributed freely but not sold.
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Note: I thought it would be
interesting for a few posts, to consider some alleged Biblical
contradictions. I hear this all the time, but no one who makes the
complaints will sit down with me and study them. Brad McCoy was my
Theology Professor in Seminary. He is an outstanding theological scholar
and teacher. At my request, he provided me with a booklet he
self-published in 1985. The booklet can be reproduced, but not sold. I
will return to the Calvinism/Arminianism series after awhile, maybe a couple of
weeks. - dh
**
UPDATE ** Recently, I conversed with Dr. McCoy and he confirmed directly
with me that I can post from his booklet. In addition, he informed me
that the book was recently updated to – “150 Bible Contradictions Answered!” He sent me this self-published manuscript
which, by the way, is excellent. If you would like the new manuscript,
let me know and I will pass it on to Dr. McCoy. I see it cost him about
$5.00 to send it to me, so you should be willing to make a contribution to Dr.
McCoy's church to help defray the mailing cost and perhaps a bit more, maybe
$20.00 or so.
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(This
booklet is a response to the pamphlet “136 Bible Contradictions” printed by
Crusade Publications of Redmond, Washington.)
“Contradictions”
6-10
#6. Genesis 1:31 in which God says everything “very
good” is contrasted with Genesis 6:6 where
God is said to be sorry that He had made man.
This
“contradiction” compares two totally different contexts, and thus is comparing
apples and oranges! In Genesis 1:31 God
is evaluating the just completed creation, before the fall of Genesis
3:1-7. In Genesis 6:6 thousands of years
later He is reacting to rebellious mankind.
#7.
Genesis 2:17 which states that Adam would die the day that he ate of the tree
of the knowledge of good and evil is contrasted to Genesis 5:5 which indicates
that Adam did not actually die until age 930.
This
“contradiction misses one of the major truths of the Bible, namely that Adam
DID DIE spiritually at the instant of his disobedience. This spiritual death (separation morally and
relationally from God) is indicated by his guilt and shame (3:7-8) and is
specifically referred to by Paul in Romans 5:12-21 and 1 Corinthians
15:20-22. Adam’s physical death years
later was an outworking of the fall.
#9.
Gen. 4;26 which indicates that men began to call upon the name of the LORD (Hebrew
word YHWH or Jehovah) is contrasted to Exodus 6:3 where God tells Moses that up
to that point in time He had not been known as the Lord (YHWH).
Gen.
4:26 is a general statement indicating the point when men first corporately gathered
to worship and to pray to God. The last sentence of verse 26 is an editorial
comment by the human author Moses. “To call upon the name of the Lord” is a
technical expression used to refer to calling upon God in prayer…see this same
expression used exactly in this way in Psalm 116;117. YHWH is a personal name of God, first revealed
to Moses in Exodus. It stresses the fact the transcendent God (Hebrew ELOHIM) that
created the universe is also a personal, approachable God (YHWH). Moses writing circa 1500 B.C. uses the personal
name of God describing the early prayer meetings of humankind to indicate the approachability
of God. Moses is not trying to say they literally used the name YHWH, but simply
showing they were worshiping the same God as Israel. In Exodus 3:14-15
(referred to in Exodus 6:3) Moses does in fact receive a special revelation of
God in which He reveals his special covenant name and its significance.
#10.
Genesis 6:2 which uses the title “sons of God” to refer to angels vs. 1 John
4:9 that says God had only one Son.
The
phrase “sons of God” is used in a general sense in Genesis 6:2 (and also many
other places in the Old Testament where it is usually sued as a technical tera
for angelic beings). Christians are also
referred to as God’s children. When used this way, sons of God is meant to be
used as a technical term. An American likewise, could be called a “son of George
Washington”, without literally being descended from Washington. THE Son of God
in the absolute ontological sense is the Jesus Christ. The Greek word used to
describe Christ’s Sonship to God is “monogenes” meaning “unique”. No other
being has such a relationship to God in this sense.
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Next
will look at “Contradictions” 11-15
Doug
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