Is everything in the Bible 100% accurate?

[SeekerOfTruth]

Is everything in the Bible 100% accurate or is it possible there are some human errors in there?  Most of what I read is sound and just but some of the things I read don't fit in with what Christianity is supposed to be.

Jesus was noble and intelligent.  His words were unbeatable and made perfect sense. But before Jesus came everything seemed so different.  God is portrayed as an angry God who occasionally kills off a bunch of people or aids in their destruction.  Is this because Jesus was not around to offer saviour for them?

I'm a young Christian and when people ask me about how people use religion to justify killing I don't know what to say.

Can a Christian kill if needed in the name of Jesus Son of God?

Don't worry I'm not psycho I'm just trying to figure this out so when people ask me I know what to say.

Let me ask the question again just one more time in a different way.

In the Bible it appears as though God aids some humans to kill other humans by giving them the clear advantage.  The ones who don't have the advantage obviously were DEEP in sin as to not gain the favor of God.  So they lost big time.  Was there a chance they could be saved and turn to the Lord?  

Do you really think God would kill people before their time? Or was it just their time to go?

I guess we live in a time now where God does not show himself anymore and I don't blame him with all the Sin that goes on.  But back then he did.

Please correct me where I'm wrong thanks!

SeekerOfTruth

[Florida_Catholic]

I've heard people try to use the Bible to justify evil things.  To me, we are called to follow Jesus' example.  I think the question, "What would Jesus do?" is a wonderful question to ask when pondering these things.  Jesus taught and overarching lifestyle of love God and love thy neighbor.  Jesus was even against violence to protect Himself.

[Soldier4Christ]

If Jesus had stopped the violence against Him then He would not have fullfilled His purpose of the perfect sacrfice for our sins. He could have prevented that violence against Himself without the use of violence.

Many people try to say that Jesus was a pacifist but that is far from the truth. I have posted this elsewhere on here but for simplicities sake I will post it here again.

__________________________


I have been asked numerous times if it is right for a Christian to be a combat soldier, to kill in combat. In fact this is a question that I had to ask for myself before I decided to join the military. As always the Bible has the answer to our questions.

Nehemiah, a great prophet of God said, "Neh 4:14  And I looked, and rose up, and said unto the nobles, and to the rulers, and to the rest of the people, Be not ye afraid of them: remember the Lord, which is great and terrible, and fight for your brethren, your sons, and your daughters, your wives, and your houses. "

Some Christians support the belief that as a Christian we are to be pacifists. Using scripture such as  "Mat 5:39  But I say unto you, That ye resist not evil: but whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also." and " Luk 6:29  And unto him that smiteth thee on the one cheek offer also the other; and him that taketh away thy cloke forbid not to take thy coat also. " to support their belief. They also stand by the belief that the New Testament teachings are of pacificism.

Pacifism is a non biblical position. Although being able to appeal to superficial arguments of conscience and quote the odd verse out of content - the whole spirit and thrust of pacifism is anti Christian. Pacifists may be sincere - but they are sincerely wrong.
A Christian, by definition, must be active - with his or her sleeves rolled up, being willing to get his hands dirty protecting the innocent, defending the defenceless and saving lives from unprovoked aggression. Christian love is not mere words and sentiments. True love shows itself in action. (1 John 3:18). If all the people with a conscience refuse to fight then it will leave the battle fields in the hands of men without a conscience.

Pacifism finds it's rots in HUMANISM. Despite some impressive but superficial Christian pretension, pacifism is humanism. In common with humanism, pacifism shares a false idea of man. It sees man as basically good. To the pacifist all people are just too good to kill. Neither rapists, murderers nor terrorists deserve to be stopped, in the view of the pacifist.
In contrast to this notion of people being basically good, the Bible teaches us that the heart of man is desperately wicked and deceitful;that they are quick to hurt and kill; they leave ruin and destruction wherever they go... everyone has sinned and is far away from God's saving presence. (Romans 3:15,23) Pacifists often display more concern for the aggressor than for the defender, more sympathy for the criminal than for his victim.

Continued on page two

[Soldier4Christ]

Page Two


Our Lord Jesus may have been meek but He was never mild! His teaching was powerful, dynamic, direct and uncompromising. This tough carpenter from Nazareth was able to survive forty days fasting in the desert and forty lashes from the brutal Roman whip. He could walk hundreds of kilometers in the blazing heat of Palestine's inhospitable terrain and He could walk through a murderous mob with such a presence that no-one dared stop Him (Luke 4:28-30).
When Jesus saw how corrupt men were desecrating the temple with their money-grabbing greed, He made a whip, overturned their tables and drove them forcibly from God's House (Matthew 21:12-13).
Jesus told His disciples, "Luk 22:36  Then said he unto them, But now, he that hath a purse, let him take it, and likewise his scrip: and he that hath no sword, let him sell his garment, and buy one."

When Jesus returns to this world it will be as the conquering King of Kings and Lord of Lords. The Bible teaches us that the first time Jesus came as a Saviour - and all who turn from their sin and trust in Christ, following Him in obedience, are saved. But when Jesus comes again it will be as Judge - and all who have not repented and obeyed will be condemned and eternally punished. The Scripture warns us that when Jesus returns He will annihilate the forces of the false church and the Antichrist. We are told that rivers of blood will flow from the carnage of mankind's rebellion against Christ (Revelation 14:19-20).

"....... and in righteousness he doth judge and make war. And out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations: and he shall rule them with a rod of iron: and he treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God.  And he hath on his vesture and on his thigh a name written, KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS. (Revelation 19:11,15,16).

                   
Pacifism also has an unrealistic view of society. The reality of this world is that it is a fallen world, inhabited by sinful mankind in rebellion against the Creator. Idealistic fantasies about a world of peace and Utopia without war are cruelly false and dangerously deceptive. In the Bible we are warned that those who say 'Peace! Peace!' when there is no peace are 'loathsome' false prophets (Jeremiah 6:!4; 8:11). Jesus warned us that 'wars and revolutions' would increase (Matthew 24:6,7; Luke 21:9,10). We are warned in the scriptures that 'While people are saying 'Peace and Safety', destruction will come on them suddenly.' (I Thessalonians 5:3)
'PEACE' seems to be the modern equivalent of Baal worship. There is an irrational worship of peace. This selfish materialistic age has made an idol out of peace. 'Peace at any price' inevitably leads to tyranny and destruction - the peace of a graveyard.
People say that war is hell - but often peace is worse. More people died in the peace following the revolution in CAMBODIA than died in the entire war before it. Three-milion Cambodians (40% of the population) were slaughtered by Pol Pot's Marxist Khmer Rouge in the 'peace' following 1975. In fact, more people have been tortured, maimed and massacred in times of peace than in times of war during this century!
Have we become so soft, decadent and self-seeking that we are no longer willing to risk our lives for anything? Is nothing worth fighting for? Do we have nothing worth defending? Do we care so little for others that we're unwilling to risk anything for their protection? Are we so engrossed in watching videos, in 'wine, women and song' that we can no longer tell the difference between right and wrong? Or don't we even care?
For centuries Christians have believed that there were worse things than war. For our ancestors death in battle was not the worst thing that could happen to them. An eternity in hell was. They did not fear death. They feared God. They realised that death for the Christian is not fatal. They had a clear belief in eternal life. Principles were more important then personal safety. Duty, honor, country, family and God meant more to them than selfish desires for peace and safety. And thank God for that because the faith and freedoms we enjoy were won and preserved by their blood, sweat and sacrifices.

The wise Christian does not seek to selfishly avoid the problems of this world, but courageously steps out in faith to be part of the solution. We should recognize that sinful man needs to be restrained by laws and by force, that liberty needs to be defended, that our freedoms came through, and often need to be maintained by hard fighting.
If all Christians became pacifists, would all non-Christians also become pacifists?
Not likely.

It is useless for the sheep to pass resolutions in favor of vegetarianism - while the wolf remains of a different opinion. The Bible declares: 'Blessed are the peacemakers' - Matthew 5:9. NOT blessed are the pacifists! You have to make peace. It takes action. For the pacifists hoping for worldwide peace - Jesus said: 'Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword.' (Matthew 10:34)

[nChrist]

Pastor Roger,

Amen! and Amen!

Love In Christ,
Tom

Romans 10:16-17 NASB  However, they did not all heed the good news; for Isaiah says, "LORD, WHO HAS BELIEVED OUR REPORT?" So faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ.

[ravenloche]

to pastor Roger:

AMEN! AMEN! AMEN! AMEN!AMEN!

Have I said it enough times yet?  Very well said!

respectfully yours in Yeshua:
Rev. Joseph E. Barnhouse Sr.  
"ravenloche"

[rodimus]

In regards to evil I heard a great illustration once. People always ask why does God let evil happen. A professor gave this example to explain what "evil" is.

Say you are standing in a room, there is a light on in the middle of the room. You shut off the light and the room becomes pitch black. Why is the room dark? Because of the absence of light. Evil is the darkness, God is the light. Evil is the absence of God. God is Good, good cannot be apart of evil.

So now to really confuse you, you have to decide what actions are considered evil. When God had armies destroy people it was because He considered them evil.

[nChrist]

Hello Rodimus,

AND, the darkness flees from the LIGHT!

I see that you are new, so WELCOME!!

I sincerely hope that you enjoy Christians Unite.

Love in Christ,
Tom

1 Thessalonians 5:23-24 NASB  Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you entirely; and may your spirit and soul and body be preserved complete, without blame at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. Faithful is He who calls you, and He also will bring it to pass.

[Shammu]

My views are kind of one sided on this. So I myself will not debate this subject after I make my post.
Bob
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I'm a young Christian and when people ask me about how people use religion to justify killing I don't know what to say.

Can a Christian kill if needed in the name of Jesus Son of God?

War with Iraq, is justified according to biblical standard.

A key responsibility of the civil government is to protect its citizens from attack by wrongdoers. This involves punishing those who break the law. It also involves defending the nation from every external attacker, including nations, other groups of people or dangerous pests and diseases. All these responsibilities are encompassed in the power of the sword Romans 13:1-8. Therefore, pacifism is not a Christian option.

War is only justified for defence Romans 13:1-8. It should not be used to expand a nation's boundaries, or to take control of another nation, or to extract trade advantages. This is a fundamental principle. A nation should never need to establish military domination in another region or nation. This doctrine covers pre-emptive strikes which is when a country attacks an enemy who is about to attack.

The militia should be up made of volunteers. Anyone who is faint-hearted or afraid should not be forced to fight Deut 20:5-9. People who are at a critical stage in their lives should not be forced into military service. For example, men who have recently married, started building a house or started a business should be freed from service, because they would not be focused on the battle.

Only the civil government has authority to declare war. Individuals or companies do not have the authority to commit a nation to war. Any declaration of war must be in accordance with correct legal processes Deut 20:10

A Christian government should only declare war if it thinks it has a reasonable chance of success. Jesus said that before a king goes to war, he should sit down and consider whether he can match the army that is coming against him. If not he will send a delegation to ask for terms of peace Luke 14:31-32, even if this involves a loss of freedom. For Christians freedom is not an absolute value. It may be better to lose freedom to govern, than to lose a large number of lives in an unsuccessful defence. In fact, because Jesus has set us free, we cannot lose our freedom.

Forgive enemies once they are defeated. Jesus said, "Forgive them Father for they know not what they do." Stephen said, "Lord, do not charge them with this sin." We should treat enemies as God has treated us for we were enemies of God before coming to Christ and He forgave us. Luke 23:34; Acts 7:60; Colossians 1:21-23

Those who persist in evil and refuse to live at peace are to be firmly dealt with in the Lord. We are not to sit back and do nothing or continually appease those who do evil. Psalm 109 We are not to be naive or pacifistic.

Always keep in mind that earthly wars have spiritual elements. Paul was inspired to write that our primary battle is not against flesh and blood people but against Satan and his minions and we should fight it as such. Ephesians 6:10-18

This is a repost. The Bible, and War.

Resting in the Lord's arms.
Bob

Luke 14:31 Or suppose a king is about to go to war against another king. Will he not first sit down and consider whether he is able with ten thousand men to oppose the one coming against him with twenty thousand?

[curious]

     Hello All:

  I think some things weren't translated &/or lose something in the translation.I also think some things aren't being taught/preached correctly,& I also think alot of (so called) believers aren't living the life God's wants them to,hence being a bad witness.Through their lives they are saying believers are 1 thing,when they should be another way,but that's my opinion & I could be wrong.

                    Yours in Yeshua,
                    curious

[nChrist]

    Hello All:

  I think some things weren't translated &/or lose something in the translation.I also think some things aren't being taught/preached correctly,& I also think alot of (so called) believers aren't living the life God's wants them to,hence being a bad witness.Through their lives they are saying believers are 1 thing,when they should be another way,but that's my opinion & I could be wrong.

                    Yours in Yeshua,
                    curious

Hello Curious,

If you are thinking about war, there are many portions of Scripture that you would need to consider. God places rulers and Christians are told to be subject to them. God has used individuals and nations for His purposes and will continue to do so. The mightiest warriors of all history were and are Christians. Some people get confused by only considering certain portions of the Bible without considering other portions of the Bible. JESUS himself told his disciples to obtain swords.

There is no irony at all that many strong men of God in the Bible were mighty warriors. The Bible states that David was a man after the heart of God, yet David was a mighty warrior. Some Christians get confused and think that the Bible teaches Christians to be pacifists, but this is incorrect. A disagreement in this area is no reason for Christians to break fellowship. Some Christians claim a religious objection when it comes to military service, and they are given non-combat roles in America. However, some of the best soldiers, police officers, and persons of other occupations that will probably be required to use force are Christians in America.

The history of war on earth is just about the entire existence of man, and God's children were a part of that history. That does not mean that I look down on Christians who request non-combat roles when they are called to serve their country. Those non-combat roles are vital, and they are still serving their country.

Love In Christ,
Tom

Romans 8:1-2 NASB  Therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and of death.

[Soldier4Christ]

I have said it before and I say it again .....  God has a job for all of us in serving Him. It may be as a pastor, a teacher, an usher, a bus driver, a janitor, a cook, a fireman, a police officer .......

For some it may be as a leader in the politcal arena or even a soldier in a mans army. Whatever God calls us to be is what we should be and do our best at being that. It is an honorable thing in the eyes of God for Jesus did not tell the Soldier not to be a Soldier.

Yes, God has called some to be soldiers in a mans army. This is not to say that we should love war. Any good Christian that is also a Soldier or Sailor that I have known detests war but also realizes that sometimes it is necessary.

We see Jesus dealing with a centurion (a soldier) in Capernaum, Mat 8: 5-13, saying He had not seen someone of so great a faith. And in Acts 10 a centurion that is called "A devout man, and one that feared God with all his house, which gave much alms to the people, and prayed to God alway."

As we can see from scripture itself being a Soldier in God's eyes can be an honorable thing.

[LittlePilgrim]

In total agreement here. I absolutely detest war. Unfortunately, I also understand that it is necessary due to the fallen state of our world (I'll be entering the navy in a year or two myself). I do not think Christ called us to be pacifists. It's merely that War needs to be waged by the proper authority and for the proper reasons. The only time I would disobey an order as part of the military forces is if an order was given that goes directly against what is told to us in God's word.

[Soldier4Christ]

 LittlePilgrim,

I spent 20+ yrs in the Navy myself. It was some of my most rewarding years. Some of your statement concerns me with you getting ready to also join.

It's merely that War needs to be waged by the proper authority and for the proper reasons.

The highlighted portion is my concern as to what you consider the "proper authority" and what you would do if you felt a war was not "for the proper reasons".

[Jeff Mills]

Hi Curios.    You say you "think" some things are incorrectly translated.  I am curios as to which ones?