Do you have questions about the Bible?

I do not claim to be an expert but I would like to try to answer any questions you may have about the Bible, prophecy or religion. If I do not know an answer to a question I will let you know up front that I will have to research the topic before I can answer it. Please, mature and honest questions only any thing else will be ignored. So lets get started... Ask away....

Sure i have one for you

what sparked your interest in the bible? Where you born into it or did you convert. Do you believe the teachings in the bible are the only way? If so what proof have the teachings provided for you to verify their validity.

thanks

Can you give me a few quotes from the bible about tall aliens or another planet, also garden of eden, along with serpents, moses cracking the rock and any evidence of the where abouts of the rock. thanks

reply to post by Melissa101


if someone commits suicide do they go to hell?

i'm not thinking about it, don't worry, just always wondered because I have asked many, many people and no one can give me an answer with bible verse backing.

reply to post by Melissa101


Why do Christians only recognize only 10 Commandments when there is another 603.

I understand that Jesus said that these are not important, but if God's word is always absolute, then why did he take his own laws back?

I've never been fully answered this question. It has always shown me a divide, an apologists have always fallen back to rationanlizing. While Jews have told me that they were taught to always respect the laws, and that they would never change.

reply to post by Melissa101


What in the bible do YOU believe when noone can agree on what its supposed to mean?

Is it to be taken literally?
What about the parts that are wrong according to science and history?
How do you get around the contradictions?

What does the BAD parts mean to you? (The parts that teaches injustice, cruelty, violence and intorerance)


So why do you believe this stuff we find in there?

[edit on 4/9/2009 by Daniem]

Originally posted by phi1618
Sure i have one for you

what sparked your interest in the bible? Where you born into it or did you convert. Do you believe the teachings in the bible are the only way? If so what proof have the teachings provided for you to verify their validity.

thanks

I remember loving God and believing in him from as far back as my memory goes. I have had many different Biblical beliefs most of which I learned from others. I became very confused and disregarded religion all together and began to search for a perfect church. I did not find one. I kept my faith and morals even though I did not attend any church. I became fed up with all of the confusion so I threw away any prior knowlegde of the Bible that I had ever had I prayed hard and fasted and asked God to give me knowlegde to understand his word. Then I began feverishly studying and everything made perfect since it all fell into place. I do believe the teaching of the Bible are one way I do not believe God is wishy washy. However when reading the Bible one must understand at what time period the text was written, in what language the text was written, and to whom the text was written to or about at the time it was written. I have faith I do not need proof...

Originally posted by gandhi
Can you give me a few quotes from the bible about tall aliens or another planet, also garden of eden, along with serpents, moses cracking the rock and any evidence of the where abouts of the rock. thanks

Sure thing:

SERPENTS:

Genesis 3:1
Now the serpent was more subtil than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden?

Genesis 3:2
And the woman said unto the serpent, We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden:

Genesis 3:4
And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die:

Genesis 3:13
And the LORD God said unto the woman, What is this that thou hast done? And the woman said, The serpent beguiled me, and I did eat.

Genesis 3:14
And the LORD God said unto the serpent, Because thou hast done this, thou art cursed above all cattle, and above every beast of the field; upon thy belly shalt thou go, and dust shalt thou eat all the days of thy life:

Genesis 49:17
Dan shall be a serpent by the way, an adder in the path, that biteth the horse heels, so that his rider shall fall backward.

Exodus 4:3
And he said, Cast it on the ground. And he cast it on the ground, and it became a serpent; and Moses fled from before it.

Exodus 7:9
When Pharaoh shall speak unto you, saying, Shew a miracle for you: then thou shalt say unto Aaron, Take thy rod, and cast it before Pharaoh, and it shall become a serpent.

Exodus 7:10
And Moses and Aaron went in unto Pharaoh, and they did so as the LORD had commanded: and Aaron cast down his rod before Pharaoh, and before his servants, and it became a serpent.

Exodus 7:12
For they cast down every man his rod, and they became serpents: but Aaron's rod swallowed up their rods.

Exodus 7:15
Get thee unto Pharaoh in the morning; lo, he goeth out unto the water; and thou shalt stand by the river's brink against he come; and the rod which was turned to a serpent shalt thou take in thine hand.

Numbers 21:6
And the LORD sent fiery serpents among the people, and they bit the people; and much people of Israel died.

Numbers 21:7
Therefore the people came to Moses, and said, We have sinned, for we have spoken against the LORD, and against thee; pray unto the LORD, that he take away the serpents from us. And Moses prayed for the people.

Numbers 21:8
And the LORD said unto Moses, Make thee a fiery serpent, and set it upon a pole: and it shall come to pass, that every one that is bitten, when he looketh upon it, shall live.

Numbers 21:9
And Moses made a serpent of brass, and put it upon a pole, and it came to pass, that if a serpent had bitten any man, when he beheld the serpent of brass, he lived.

Deuteronomy 8:15
Who led thee through that great and terrible wilderness, wherein were fiery serpents, and scorpions, and drought, where there was no water; who brought thee forth water out of the rock of flint;

Deuteronomy 32:24
They shall be burnt with hunger, and devoured with burning heat, and with bitter destruction: I will also send the teeth of beasts upon them, with the poison of serpents of the dust.

2 Kings 18:4
He removed the high places, and brake the images, and cut down the groves, and brake in pieces the brasen serpent that Moses had made: for unto those days the children of Israel did burn incense to it: and he called it Nehushtan.

Job 26:13
By his spirit he hath garnished the heavens; his hand hath formed the crooked serpent.

Psalm 58:4
Their poison is like the poison of a serpent: they are like the deaf adder that stoppeth her ear;

Psalm 140:3
They have sharpened their tongues like a serpent; adders' poison is under their lips. Selah.

Proverbs 23:32
At the last it biteth like a serpent, and stingeth like an adder.

Proverbs 30:19
The way of an eagle in the air; the way of a serpent upon a rock; the way of a ship in the midst of the sea; and the way of a man with a maid.

Ecclesiastes 10:8
He that diggeth a pit shall fall into it; and whoso breaketh an hedge, a serpent shall bite him.

Ecclesiastes 10:11
Surely the serpent will bite without enchantment; and a babbler is no better.

TALL BEINGS:

Genesis 6:4
There were giants in the earth in those days; and also after that, when the sons of God came in unto the daughters of men, and they bare children to them, the same became mighty men which were of old, men of renown.

Numbers 13:33
And there we saw the giants, the sons of Anak, which come of the giants: and we were in our own sight as grasshoppers, and so we were in their sight.

Deuteronomy 2:11
Which also were accounted giants, as the Anakims; but the Moabites called them Emims.

Deuteronomy 2:20
(That also was accounted a land of giants: giants dwelt therein in old time; and the Ammonites call them Zamzummims;

Deuteronomy 3:11
For only Og king of Bashan remained of the remnant of giants; behold his bedstead was a bedstead of iron; is it not in Rabbath of the children of Ammon? nine cubits was the length thereof, and four cubits the breadth of it, after the cubit of a man.

Deuteronomy 3:13
And the rest of Gilead, and all Bashan, being the kingdom of Og, gave I unto the half tribe of Manasseh; all the region of Argob, with all Bashan, which was called the land of giants.

Joshua 12:4
And the coast of Og king of Bashan, which was of the remnant of the giants, that dwelt at Ashtaroth and at Edrei,

Joshua 13:12
All the kingdom of Og in Bashan, which reigned in Ashtaroth and in Edrei, who remained of the remnant of the giants: for these did Moses smite, and cast them out.

Joshua 15:8
And the border went up by the valley of the son of Hinnom unto the south side of the Jebusite; the same is Jerusalem: and the border went up to the top of the mountain that lieth before the valley of Hinnom westward, which is at the end of the valley of the giants northward:

Originally posted by gandhi
Can you give me a few quotes from the bible about tall aliens or another planet, also garden of eden, along with serpents, moses cracking the rock and any evidence of the where abouts of the rock. thanks

Cntd;

GARDEN OF EDEN:

Genesis 2:8
And the LORD God planted a garden eastward in Eden; and there he put the man whom he had formed.

Genesis 2:10
And a river went out of Eden to water the garden; and from thence it was parted, and became into four heads.

Genesis 2:15
And the LORD God took the man, and put him into the garden of Eden to dress it and to keep it.

Genesis 3:23
Therefore the LORD God sent him forth from the garden of Eden, to till the ground from whence he was taken.

Genesis 3:24
So he drove out the man; and he placed at the east of the garden of Eden Cherubims, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to keep the way of the tree of life.

Genesis 4:16
And Cain went out from the presence of the LORD, and dwelt in the land of Nod, on the east of Eden.

ANOTHER PLANET:

Genisis 1:1-20 Discuses God creating the heavens and earth (in the heavens he created the planets)

1 Corinthians 15:40
There are also celestial bodies, and bodies terrestrial: but the glory of the celestial is one, and the glory of the terrestrial is another.

2 Kings 23:5
And he put down the idolatrous priests, whom the kings of Judah had ordained to burn incense in the high places in the cities of Judah, and in the places round about Jerusalem; them also that burned incense unto Baal, to the sun, and to the moon, and to the planets, and to all the host of heaven.

Revelation 8:11
And the name of the star is called Wormwood: and the third part of the waters became wormwood; and many men died of the waters, because they were made bitter.

MOSES AND THE SPLITTING OF THE ROCK:

Exodus 17:6
Behold, I will stand before thee there upon the rock in Horeb; and thou shalt smite the rock, and there shall come water out of it, that the people may drink. And Moses did so in the sight of the elders of Israel.

Numbers 20:10
And Moses and Aaron gathered the congregation together before the rock, and he said unto them, Hear now, ye rebels; must we fetch you water out of this rock?

Numbers 20:11
And Moses lifted up his hand, and with his rod he smote the rock twice: and the water came out abundantly, and the congregation drank, and their beasts also.

LOCATION OF THE ROCK THAT WAS SPLIT:

The Bible states that Moses and his people set up camp in Rephidim and Moses stood upon the rock in Horeb. Exidus 17:1-6

this short video will help explain the location and give you pictures of the actual rock...

www.youtube.com...

Originally posted by baseball101
reply to post by Melissa101

 

if someone commits suicide do they go to hell?

i'm not thinking about it, don't worry, just always wondered because I have asked many, many people and no one can give me an answer with bible verse backing.

No one has been able to give you Bible verses backing their claim because there are not any that says you will go to hell if you commit suicude. Here is my take on the subject:

Exodus 20:13
Thou shalt not kill.

Matthew 5:21-22
Ye have heard that it was said of them of old time, Thou shalt not kill; and whosoever shall kill shall be in danger of the judgment:
But I say unto you, That whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment: and whosoever shall say to his brother, Raca, shall be in danger of the council: but whosoever shall say, Thou fool, shall be in danger of hell fire.

Jesus died on the cross for the forgiveness of all human sin, That whoever believe in him shall have ever lasting life. There is only one unforgivable sin and that is blaspheme against the Holy Spirit.

Mark 3:28-29
Verily I say unto you, All sins shall be forgiven unto the sons of men, and blasphemies wherewith soever they shall blaspheme:
But he that shall blaspheme against the Holy Ghost hath never forgiveness, but is in danger of eternal damnation.

What is blaspheme? Blasphemy against the Holy Ghost (Matt. 12:31, 32; Mark 3:28, 29; Luke 12:10) is a continued and obstinate rejection of the gospel, Jesus or God or the Holy Ghost and hence being an unpardonable sin, simply because as long as a sinner remains in unbelief he voluntarily excludes himself from the pardon that Jesus died for on the cross to give us.

So in conclusion the Ten commandments states thou shalt not kill period I take that to mean noteven thou self. But when Jesus died on the cross he cleansed us all of our sins and whomever believes in him shall have eternal life. Will we be judged for sin, YES but that is not the same thing as being cast into hell.

Originally posted by Miraj
reply to post by Melissa101

 

Why do Christians only recognize only 10 Commandments when there is another 603.

I understand that Jesus said that these are not important, but if God's word is always absolute, then why did he take his own laws back?

I've never been fully answered this question. It has always shown me a divide, an apologists have always fallen back to rationanlizing. While Jews have told me that they were taught to always respect the laws, and that they would never change.

As Christains we should observe all of God's laws, however once Jesus died on the cross all of our sins were forgiven as long as we believed in Jesus Christ as our saviorhence believing in God, The Bible and the Holy Ghost. The only unforgivable sin is blaspheme (or non belief). In my Sunday school class I teach that God has many laws. He has set up laws like the law of gravity What goes up must come down, there are consequences to breaking his laws. If we dis obey his laws we face consequences many on earth and utimatly in judgement, but the consequence is not Hell it is in judgement. Humans cannot be perfect, we cannot keep from sinning we were born into sin, we are human but if we believe we will be pardoned from Hell not from the natural consequences of sin. So all true Christains recognize all of the las but even Christains sin because even though they believe they are not perfect.

God is the same now as he was before creation that will NEVER change, he never took back his law he only made it possible to go to heaven because he knew we are not capable of being perfect. He always had this in his plan he has never changed his plan it was perfect from the begining.

Originally posted by Daniem
reply to post by Melissa101

 

What in the bible do YOU believe when noone can agree on what its supposed to mean?

Is it to be taken literally?
What about the parts that are wrong according to science and history?
How do you get around the contradictions?

What does the BAD parts mean to you? (The parts that teaches injustice, cruelty, violence and intorerance)


So why do you believe this stuff we find in there?

[edit on 4/9/2009 by Daniem]

Good questions, their is a great devide in the beliefs of the Bible so much so it has caused many to not believe at all. (I almost went there once myself) Satan is the ruler of our world he has caused this devide not God. Give me a couple of examples of contradictions you think have occured? Without specifics I cannot expalin them. There are no bad parts in the Bible IMO we are being taught (again by satan) that certain things are bad. Again can you give me a couple of examples so I can better answer this for you. The Bible is literal. It decodes itself. Just because man cannot always understand does not make it untrue.
I beleive because it all makes since to me now. I have had God work in my life, I have been faithful (not perfect) and have never not believed. I have asked for understanding and it was given to me. I have faith and I love God, Jesus, The holy Ghost and the Bible.

[edit on 4-9-2009 by Melissa101]

Pick me! Pick me! I've got questions. OK - here goes!

- Who wrote the bible?
- Who decided what would be included and excluded from the final version of the bible, and why?

Millions

PS : Obviously that first one is a deceptively complex question, but I'm sure you'll know what I mean. Thanks!

reply to post by Melissa101


I have one question that need a yes or no answer. If you heard the voice of god telling you to kill your child, would you do it? Plz answer, and dont say "well god would never ask me that", we're talking if's here.



Even though most of the bible has been debunked and found to be fake, i realy wanna know how someone can worship and make so much sence of the texts. (Biblical scholar Bart Ehrman says most of the New Testament are forgeries, at least 19 of the 27 books.)

Give me a couple of examples of contradictions

The list goes on and on, so lets start at the beginning.


1) The two contradictory creation accounts.

Genesis 1:25-27
(Humans were created after the other animals.)

And God made the beast of the earth after his kind, and cattle after their kind, and every thing that creepeth upon the earth after his kind: and God saw that it was good. And God said, Let us make man in our image.... So God created man in his own image.


Genesis 2:18-19
(Humans were created before the other animals.)

And the LORD God said, It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him an help meet for him. And out of the ground the LORD God formed every beast of the field...



2) From what were the animals created?

Water?
Genesis 1:20
And God said, Let the waters bring forth abundantly the moving creature that hath life, and fowl that may fly above the earth in the open firmament of heaven.

Ground?
Genesis 2:19
And out of the ground the LORD God formed every beast of the field, and every fowl of the air


3) Can god do anything or not?

Luke 1:37
For with God nothing shall be impossible.

Hebrews 6:18
It was impossible for God to lie.

How about this? 101 Contradictions in the Bible:
www.answering-christianity.com...

The Bible is a book of myths. The Bible is not the word of god, any god. The Bible, is a book of fairy tales mixed with a dash of truth for flavoring.

[edit on 4/9/2009 by Daniem]

Yes, how did King David die? One passage has him dying of old age and in another, a giant kills him.

reply to post by Daniem


I can not answer your first question. If I heard a voice in my head that told me to kill my child I would run to a psychiatrist. If I heard an external voice telling me to kill my child I would agian run to a psychiatrist. I cannot under any circumastances fathom killing my child. I sincerely hope that God never asks me to kill my child as a test of my faith in him, this one I would fail.

If we read Genesis in its entirety we see that God made the Heavens and the Earth and everything on the earth including beast, fowl and man in 6 days. The book specificly states that God made all beasts on the 6th day and he made man on the 6th day. God made woman after the 6 days of creation and the 7th day of rest.
In regards to the animals being formed from the waters we must also read the book in its entirety. God created the creatures of the waters and fowl on the 5th day.

God can do anything. If he does not do something it is because he chooses not to not that he is not able. Worldly example: Lincoln could not tell lie because he chose not to his decesion had nothing to do with his ability.

Originally posted by Millions

Pick me! Pick me! I've got questions. OK - here goes!

- Who wrote the bible?
- Who decided what would be included and excluded from the final version of the bible, and why?

Millions

PS : Obviously that first one is a deceptively complex question, but I'm sure you'll know what I mean. Thanks!

The books of the Bible has several authers all guided by God. So God wrote the Bible through several authers.

I will have to research your second question.

1. If the sacrifice of Jesus paid the price for all sins, then why do we still pay for our sins on earth?

2. How is it paying for all the sins, if it only covers the people who believe in him? Isn't it actually paying for like only a small % of sins if true?

Originally posted by Daniem
reply to post by Melissa101

 

I have one question that need a yes or no answer. If you heard the voice of god telling you to kill your child, would you do it? Plz answer, and dont say "well god would never ask me that", we're talking if's here.



Even though most of the bible has been debunked and found to be fake, i realy wanna know how someone can worship and make so much sence of the texts. (Biblical scholar Bart Ehrman says most of the New Testament are forgeries, at least 19 of the 27 books.)

Give me a couple of examples of contradictions

The list goes on and on, so lets start at the beginning.


1) The two contradictory creation accounts.

Genesis 1:25-27
(Humans were created after the other animals.)

And God made the beast of the earth after his kind, and cattle after their kind, and every thing that creepeth upon the earth after his kind: and God saw that it was good. And God said, Let us make man in our image.... So God created man in his own image.


Genesis 2:18-19
(Humans were created before the other animals.)

And the LORD God said, It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him an help meet for him. And out of the ground the LORD God formed every beast of the field...



2) From what were the animals created?

Water?
Genesis 1:20
And God said, Let the waters bring forth abundantly the moving creature that hath life, and fowl that may fly above the earth in the open firmament of heaven.

Ground?
Genesis 2:19
And out of the ground the LORD God formed every beast of the field, and every fowl of the air


3) Can god do anything or not?

Luke 1:37
For with God nothing shall be impossible.

Hebrews 6:18
It was impossible for God to lie.

How about this? 101 Contradictions in the Bible:
www.answering-christianity.com...

The Bible is a book of myths. The Bible is not the word of god, any god. The Bible, is a book of fairy tales mixed with a dash of truth for flavoring.

[edit on 4/9/2009 by Daniem]

I fully understand that this is Melissa's thread and I also hope that I do not offend her by jumping in. If it does Melissa please let me know.

Daniem,

You have asked some good questions but have they been asked with a sincere heart in that you truly seek answers or is it that you're just seeking to argue for the sake of arguing?

By the tone of your posts it seems to reveal that you already have your mind made up that the Bible is a crock of crap, which you're entitled to have, but why even ask the questions if nothing Melissa replies with matters?

Honestly now is there any amount of reasoning, arguing and/or answers that will make you bow a knee and confess Christ as Lord?

Better yet do you believe that anything you can state will ever convince Melissa that Jesus is a fraud?

I believe Melissa stated here that she started this thread to help people better understand the Scriptures but I don't believe she meant that as a challenge that she would refute all naysayers. I could though be wrong.

Originally posted by badmedia
1. If the sacrifice of Jesus paid the price for all sins, then why do we still pay for our sins on earth?

2. How is it paying for all the sins, if it only covers the people who believe in him? Isn't it actually paying for like only a small % of sins if true?

We pay for our sins on earth because we suffer the natural consequences of breaking any of the laws that are set forth by God. Also man is much less forgiving than God thus man imposes punishment too.

Jesus paid for all of the sins that can be commited by humans that if they believe him they may have everlasting life. Like a pardon from a death sentance. If you choose not to believe then you are not excepting the pardon and that is up to you there is enough to go around people just choose Satan intsead.

[edit on 5-9-2009 by Melissa101]