I want to believe in the bible, but it's difficult.

[HappySoul]

I had a stronger belief in God before I started reading the bible. I want to believe, but as I read I find so many errors and contradictions that keep me from fully giving myself to Christ. I just don't know if I believe in this book. Have any of you at one point felt the same way?

 

[Jack Johnson]

I know what you feel.

I do indeed know how you feel, as a preteen i had my doubts and now I'm an atheist, however I will warn you, believeing that there is a god who loves you and that heaven exists is much better than the alternative, i have seen that there is no god but you have a chance to turn back to that sweet, sweet book.

 

[azuredepths]

It is crucial for a christian to believe that the bible is the inerrent word of God; as well as in the other fundamental doctrines as: the virgin birth,the bodily resurrection, the Trinity, the deity of Christ, etc
These are the bedrock of the christian faith.
Along church's history there have been 2 different views against the Bible like liberalism and neo-orthodoxy which are 2 false views, because:

The Bible clearly tells us in 2 Timothy 3:16 and 2 Peter 1:21 that the Bible is written by The Holy Ghost.

Martin Luther himself said that "the scriptures have never erred"

Be also careful not to let the devil whisper in your ear, lies against the inerrancy of scripture or let him slander God to you by twisting the scriptures.

Pray to God that He may illuminate your heart and give you understanding over the scriptures.

God Bless!

 

[HappySoul]

I believe there's something greater than human kind, but I don't know if the bible is the true word of God. I can't help but doubt it even when I try to train myself to just give in and believe. I'm not an atheist and never will be. I guess I would consider myself an agnostic. I just simply don't know. In reality, we all are agnostic whether we want to believe it or not. Nobody knows if God is real or not. Atheists don't know and neither do believers. Both have faith in their own views. Being an agnostic is the only real viewpoint.

 

[Jack Johnson]

Indeed

Yes, i was actually pondering that after I posted my first reply, i do refer to myself as an atheist as i like the way it sounds(say it out loud a few times). However if sufficient evidence is put forth I can accept him.

Your words are most wise bro.

 

[Chad]

Let's take one baby step at a time.

Evidence & Bible Prophecy - Talk Jesus | Christian Forums

Pick any proven evidence or already fulfilled prophecy and try to prove it wrong.

How's that?

 

[AudreyNicole]

I had a stronger belief in God before I started reading the bible. I want to believe, but as I read I find so many errors and contradictions that keep me from fully giving myself to Christ. I just don't know if I believe in this book. Have any of you at one point felt the same way?

Hmmm, hmmm, interesting... I don't really know how to respond to this because I am not a huge Bible geek. But I am a new believer. So I will try to help you out with some faith. If i could spare some for you I would, but that's something we each have to get from Jesus haha.

Anyway, before 9 months ago, when I was unsaved, I did believe in God, but only really because my parents did. I didn't have a relationship with Him. And honestly, I didn't know I could. I thought God was for old people in churches and nuns. But I learned that He was my personal Father too. I don't know about your background with God, but I think its helpful to get to know Jesus first, and accept Him as your Savior.

I really don't like religion, and I was quite hesitant about the whole "Christian" thing because there were many things in the Bible I was really having trouble with. I am a very skeptical person and my faith did not escape that criticism and skepticism. But, i decided to give it a try. Early on I didn't read the Bible, other than a few helpful verses, because I was kind of reluctant to.

I was about 5 months into my new relationship with Christ before I really began to read the Bible. I heard somewhere that new believers should start in the new testament so i tried that... then when back to Genesis... then got too confused... so I stopped. The Bible can be very difficult to interpret..... But here's how I am getting through it.

First, I started listening to sermons and audio bible readings... lots and lots. There are thousands on the internet if you just look. By listening to the Bible being preached I was able to train my mind to understand it and through hearing the meanings I was able to better comprehend it. I started doing an online Bible study. This also helped my interpretation and comprehension of the meanings of certain things. Once I felt I had enough "preparation" I opened the Bible and started reading about topics dealing with salvation (topics that were relevant to my life): the Holy Spirit, Jesus, God's character, His will. I read through Romans, Ephesians, Galatians, and Corinthians. With the understanding I had gained through hearing I was able to understand a lot of what I was reading.

Secondly, I've also been praying this whole time that God would bless me with wisdom. And I've found that many of the things I ask for and pray for are explained in the Bible, and the Bible simply becomes an explanation and evidence of what God writes in my heart. Just last night I learned something: I always pray to be like a lighthouse, shining God's light to the world around me (kinda cheesy I know) but I found a verse that perfectly explains that last night in Matthew 5:16. It was just a reinforcement of what God was leading me to pray for. So this way through prayer I was able to understand the Bible through what God puts in my mind.

It is a very slow process and I haven't got to all the "big" issues in the Bible yet, just like Chad said, I'm taking baby steps. Letting God teach me His way through the little things, so that I can later on have an understanding of the bigger things. And when I feel ready and confident I will tackle the big books like revelation lol. But for now, slow and steady.

I think learning the Bible is no different than learning anything else. Like calculus; you've just got to learn it piece by piece, equation by equation, number by number. And when you're ready, you can put all those numbers and equations and pieces together and get the right answer. God will give you all the pieces to the truth and the right answers... just let Him show you.

I will pray for your faith, and you pray, too, that God will open your eyes to understanding and reveal Himself to you. Don't try to force yourself to read the Bible, just let Him lead you through it at a comfortable pace. And like I mentioned, maybe you should start with some of the easy parts... like Psalms, Proverbs, Romans... those are all books of important wisdom and may even lead you to some new understanding.

May God greatly bless you with all understanding!

 

[Iceman]

I had a stronger belief in God before I started reading the bible. I want to believe, but as I read I find so many errors and contradictions that keep me from fully giving myself to Christ. I just don't know if I believe in this book. Have any of you at one point felt the same way?

It would probably be the most poignant question to ask, what do you think the Bible is?

Now you may have heard a lot that the Bible is the inerrant word of God. I've seen it at least once in this thread. But, you have to pause and really think of just how big a statement like that is.

The Bible is a collection of texts spread out over hundreds, if not thousands of years, with a myriad of authors and (here's the key) intents.

Each intent is reflected in a different genre. You don't go and read a biography the same way you read a poem, or a letter. This accounts for much of the problems.

The inspiration of the Biblei think is unarguably divine, and not human. But people can only be inspired with a language they can relate to. If God tried to speak to an ancient about astrophysics, our ancient friend would be lost. Unless God wanted to take away the free will of our ancient friend and use him like a puppet. But the Bible does not paint that kind of God.

Trying to read the Bible like a single, modern book is a mistake.I'd even go so far as to say it does violence to the text.

If you really want to get to what the scripture says, you need to learn how to read it.

 

[HappySoul]

I've always been curious as to why in Jesus' day there were demon-possessed people running rampant. Some had super human strength while others couldn't speak. You don't see much of that stuff nowadays. Epileptic people back in those days would've been confused with being demonic. And there's nothing in the bible that says the devil can read your mind or know your heart like God can...the book of Job can back me up on that one. So how does one become demon possessed now? By being an atheist and not believing? You'd think demonic possession would be quite common still. We need medicine for mental illness, not exorcisms. But maybe things have change. I don't know. I'm just searching for the truth.

 

[Thiscrosshurts]

Think of it somewhat like the computer.Many individuals and groups over time working toward the same goal.There were divisions,but common elements were consolidated and refined.
The idea of a Son who would redeem them appears in Gen.3:15“I will put enmity between thee [the serpent] and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed;
it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel”.

First of all the woman does not have the seed the man does .But the man is not even mentioned.Notice there is no enmity between the man and the serpent?
(Anyone who thinks the woman is a lesser spiritual authority should really meditate on this verse).

This idea is further defined by Abraham offering his only son.
He is stopped from doing this because God will provide the sacrifice himself.
Then Isaiah told us he would be despised and rejected by the very men he came to save.Apparently he wasn't even good looking.

Isaiah 53:1Who hath believed our report? and to whom is the arm of the LORD revealed?
2For he shall grow up before him as a tender plant, and as a root out of a dry ground: he hath no form nor comeliness; and when we shall see him, there is no beauty that we should desire him.
3He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not.
4Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted.
5But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.

To me the old testament was like the DOS operating system.Very tedious and unforgiving.But cutting edge for it's time.
The gift of the Holy Spirit in the new testament is like moving to a windows platform.Free from the law of sin and death we can be much more productive.
Finally this woman's seed is revealed to be Jesus of Nazareth who fulfills all scripture.
There are probably over 100 references to this Savior throughout the book.

So it's a little like your hard drive on the computer that has new operating system files and legacy files from older operating systems
in your windows folder.Go try to figure out what each one of those files does.I did with windows 98 and by the time I was done Windows XP was out.

To further complicate things it is supposed to appear foolish to men

1 Corinthians 2:14 "But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned."

I guess the only reason we understand any of it because of spiritual discernment.

 

[Iceman]

I've always been curious as to why in Jesus' day there were demon-possessed people running rampant. Some had super human strength while others couldn't speak. You don't see much of that stuff nowadays. Epileptic people back in those days would've been confused with being demonic. And there's nothing in the bible that says the devil can read your mind or know your heart like God can...the book of Job can back me up on that one. So how does one become demon possessed now? By being an atheist and not believing? You'd think demonic possession would be quite common still. We need medicine for mental illness, not exorcisms. But maybe things have change. I don't know. I'm just searching for the truth.

Well, I'd go as far as to say exorcisms are today, more common than people think. I recently attended a conference on exorcism that was attended by Catholics, Anglicans, and my own denomination, as well as maybe a few smaller ones. I was surprised to learn myself just how common all the denominations actually do exorcisms.

More importantly though, as I said earlier, there are ways to read the Bible. The exorcisms in the Bible refer not just to specific incidents. I would have no doubt that Jesus did more exorcisms and healings than what is recorded.

Often we think of Jesus' parables as his teachings, but all his actions were a part of his teaching ministry. His exorcisms, are no exception. So their purpose in the Gospels isn't an empty demonstration of power, but of purpose, intent and teaching.

 

[Sam Canvas]

I had a stronger belief in God before I started reading the bible. I want to believe, but as I read I find so many errors and contradictions that keep me from fully giving myself to Christ. I just don't know if I believe in this book. Have any of you at one point felt the same way?

The more I read the Bible the more I'm encouraged to grow spiritually in Christ.

I'm widely read on the subject of the Bible and it's background. I've yet to trip up on anything. There was a time I backed off from God because of my own desires and the very hard road I was on. But I found no reason to stay away because of what was in the Bible.

I find no "errors and contradictions" to hold me back. There's a modern atheism out there with a nasty, tainted edge. It's been loudly slicing its way through its own flawed definition of Christianity. I've read it and I'm not in any way blinkered.

I'd encourage you to contradict yourself! Seems odd, but you've nothing to lose. Just ask God to work in you. Tell Him that if there's any hardened shell blocking your vision you want it chipped away.

If you've tried that already, try it some more. If you're willing God will draw you to Christ, because He exists.

Sam

 

[Brighthouse]

Hi happysoul,When I open the Bible, I read it as thus saith the Lord unto mark(me) what others believe or do not believe has no effect on me.

In not one but two places happy God says he cannot lie.( titus 1:2 and Hebrews 6:18) if we believe this,then believing the Word entire is not hard.

True it is a matter of what we do choose to believe,I can only speak for myself in this,I have never been lied to,I told Jesus when I came to him,this was my greatest fear,for trust has never ever been a high quality with me.Jesus has more then proven his Word unto me!

As far as demon possossion still running around,perhaps you have just not understand what it is? Not everything is a demon!! That is for sure! BUT those who give the devil an oppertinuity( eph 4:27) can run into some serious problems,which I have seen first hand.One of the biggest lies that ever came from the pit of hell is that evil is man made.

When Jesus clearly teaches us this! Ephesians 6:12 This is why we must have on the full armor of God on daily! When you go outside you can both good in others,and evil,sometimes the good becomes greater because Jesus is in the person!

Greater is he that is in me,then he that is in the World!( 1 John 4:6) and so sometimes a person who is evil can be so evil that the enemy or a demon has taken this person over.example in the Bible? amen Judas(Luke 22:3) You see before this happened Judas was also a thief!( john 12:6,and john 13:29) because Judas had such evil in his heart,he gave the enemy full charge of his life.

Today is no different then back there,remember? whatsoever!! a man soeth that shall he also reap!( gal 6:7) notice I show you the Word on this? not opinion.This is because I want you, as I did to believe on Jesus, never man!!

Blessing to you,I hope this has helped you to trust in the Lord,even as the Lord helped me to trust in him!

 

[Montovine]

I would like to know of some of the contradictions you have found that have made you distrust the truth of Gods word.

 

[Montovine]

The truth is, that no amount of evidence or miracle would cause one to believe who doesn't want to believe. I find that when I ask, the truth is revealed to me. But I have a true desire to know that truth. I would ask you to search you heart, do you truly want to know the truth? You must look at this, Jesus was real, he existed. He was put to death, put in a tomb, and escaped that tomb, it was empty. There are not many scholars who refute this. The question must be asked, is the evidence of him a lie, did the disciples make it all up, and die for there own lie, what would this benefit them? If Jesus is true, and the history of him true, was he a lier, willing also to die for his own lie. All he had to do was recant. How did this lie benefit Him? How do we explain the miracles. Even Josephus claims he performed many miracles. Is this piece of History also a lie? There is enough evidence for anyone truly seeking the truth. The Old testament is a testimony of Christ. I forget how many prophecies of his coming there are. The temple is a picture of Salvation and Christ. The ability for one man to fulfill every one of these is nearly impossible, yet Christ did. Even if a man were to be knowledgeable of all the messiah would do and have to go through, he could not possibly fulfill every prophecy he could not stage every event which took place, yet Christ did according to the New Testament writers.

You can enjoy your title of Atheist. It may make you feel like part of the status quo. But if your wrong, that joy of yours is going to be turned into great sorrow. At least come by your belief honestly and not because of some great feeling you get from the title.

Love and best wishes.

 

[rizen1]

Grace and Peace HappySoul

Can you share with us the books you've read, what verses confused you. That's the only way anyone here can help, by actually knowing what you know in the bible and what you need explained.

I know things are different for everyone, but the bible is what confirms God. You can find historical evidence that back up stories, people and places in the bible. Reading the bible is one thing as studying is another. I've only known atheist who debunk demon possession by claiming these people had mental diseases or as you stated "Epileptic." Yet they have no problem in believing in new age yoga and meditation and reading horoscopes.

How much of the bible you've read and where you started could be the factor to your unbelief / doubt. We read history books and never once think these stories to be exaggerated or blatant lies. We study philosophy with ignorance not knowing Proverbs said it before they did. We watch TMZ and read people magazine filled with lies about celebrities, taking these juicy stories without examining the facts and spread it to everyone we meet. Michael Jackson the biggest hollywood victim. As humans it's easier for us to believe things that hold no substance and no accountability. The bible is the hardest thing for anyone to swallow. I have to step back sometimes and say " WOW "
The bible is deep. How we approach it, whether it be in doubt, curiosity or unbelief determines what we walk away with.

Proverbs 1:7
The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and discipline.

Job 28:28
Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom, and to depart from evil is understanding. (NKJV)

Psalm 111:10
The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom; all who follow his precepts have good understanding. To him belongs eternal praise. (NIV)



It takes wisdom to understand God and the mysteries of the bible. You're on the right path if you believe in God. That's the first step. My second step is for you to watch Zeitgeist refuted/ debunked the whole series.

http://www.talkjesus.com/streaming-...t-refuted-every-christian-must-see-learn.html


You have to be able to stand firm that God exist, that Jesus died for your sins and rose again. Your bible study will be fruitful

Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of men in their deceitful scheming Ephesians 4:14

 

[HappySoul]

The truth is, that no amount of evidence or miracle would cause one to believe who doesn't want to believe. I find that when I ask, the truth is revealed to me. But I have a true desire to know that truth. I would ask you to search you heart, do you truly want to know the truth? You must look at this, Jesus was real, he existed. He was put to death, put in a tomb, and escaped that tomb, it was empty. There are not many scholars who refute this. The question must be asked, is the evidence of him a lie, did the disciples make it all up, and die for there own lie, what would this benefit them? If Jesus is true, and the history of him true, was he a lier, willing also to die for his own lie. All he had to do was recant. How did this lie benefit Him? How do we explain the miracles. Even Josephus claims he performed many miracles. Is this piece of History also a lie? There is enough evidence for anyone truly seeking the truth. The Old testament is a testimony of Christ. I forget how many prophecies of his coming there are. The temple is a picture of Salvation and Christ. The ability for one man to fulfill every one of these is nearly impossible, yet Christ did. Even if a man were to be knowledgeable of all the messiah would do and have to go through, he could not possibly fulfill every prophecy he could not stage every event which took place, yet Christ did according to the New Testament writers.

You can enjoy your title of Atheist. It may make you feel like part of the status quo. But if your wrong, that joy of yours is going to be turned into great sorrow. At least come by your belief honestly and not because of some great feeling you get from the title.

Love and best wishes.

I'm an atheist? Where did I say that? I don't desire to believe? Where did I say that? Did you read anything I wrote?

Don't give me love and best wishes. You didn't even take the time to comprehend the content of my posts.

 

[Montovine]

I'm an atheist? Where did I say that? I don't desire to believe? Where did I say that? Did you read anything I wrote?

Don't give me love and best wishes. You didn't even take the time to comprehend the content of my posts.

I was speaking of the remark Jack made. I believe it was about the fourth post. I apologize I didn't post this properly. Your post does not sound like someone who denies God but questions. This is not an athiest more agnostic. Again I am sorry for thee confusion.

 

[Jaareshiah]

I had a stronger belief in God before I started reading the bible. I want to believe, but as I read I find so many errors and contradictions that keep me from fully giving myself to Christ. I just don't know if I believe in this book. Have any of you at one point felt the same way?

Because many do not dig "below the surface" and because of the religious leaders of Christendom imparting mostly spiritual "crumbs"(Luke 16:21), there is a tendency to condemn the Bible. Understandably, many fail to grasp the Bible, for it is like the Mariana Trench in the Pacific Ocean, very deep.(the Mariana Trench is the deepest part of all the oceans at 35, 994 ft deep)

For example, in reading Mark 10:46, which says that as Jesus and his disciples "were going out of Jericho, Bartimaeus...a blind beggar, was sitting beside the road" and pleaded with Jesus to give him sight (Mark 10:50, 51), and then read the account at Luke 18, which says that as Jesus was "getting near to Jericho a certain blind man was sitting beside the road begging" and asked for Jesus to recover his sight (Luke 18:41, 42), that this is a contradiction. Is there a conflict here ? No. Why ?

Because there were two Jerichos, being about a mile apart from each other. One was the old Jewish city and the other was the newer Roman city. On this, Joseph P. Free writes: “Archaeology, however, has thrown additional light on this apparent discrepancy. Early in the twentieth century A.D., excavations were made at Jericho by Ernest Sellin of the German Oriental Society (1907-1909). The excavations showed that the Jericho of Jesus’ time was a double city . . . The old Jewish city was about a mile away from the Roman city. In the light of this evidence, it is possible that Matthew is speaking of the Jewish city which Christ had left, whereas Luke is speaking of the Roman, at which Christ had not yet arrived. Thus, on His way from the old to the new city, Christ met and healed the blind Bartimaeus.”—Archaeology and Bible History, 1964, p. 295.

In looking again at Mark 10:46 (and Luke 18:35), it mentions only Bartimaeus as the beggar that entreated Jesus, whereas Matthew 20:30 says that two beggars requested Jesus to heal them. Is there a contradiction ? No. Why ? Simply being that Bartimaeus was the one taking the lead in speaking, or more vocal than the other beggar, just as the apostle Paul while in Lystra was "taking the lead in speaking" even though Barnabas was also there with Paul.(Acts 14:12)

Another example is that according to the Bible writers Mark (15:17) and John (19:2), the soldiers put a purple garment on Jesus. But Matthew (27:28) called it “a scarlet cloak,” emphasizing its redness. Since purple is any color having components of both red and blue, Mark and John agree that the cloak had a red hue. Light reflection and background could have given different casts to the garment, and the Gospel writers mentioned the color that was strongest to them or to those from whom they got their information. The minor variation shows the individuality of the writers and proves that there was no collusion.

On the other question of how a person can become demon-possessed, Jesus gave insight into this, saying: "When an unclean spirit comes out of a man, it passes through parched places in search of a resting-place, and finds none. Then it says, ‘I will go back to my house out of which I moved’; and on arriving it finds it unoccupied but swept clean and adorned. Then it goes its way and takes along with it seven different spirits more wicked than itself, and, after getting inside, they dwell there; and the final circumstances of that man become worse than the first."(Matt 12:43-45)

Some "open the door" to demon-possession by dealing in witchcraft, playing with ouija boards, or participating in spiritistic seances. Even involving oneself in yoga can cause one to allow entrance to the demons, for it is as Jesus said at Matt 12, that the demons "home" or person they lived in, was "unoccupied but swept clean and adorned", with no solid spiritual truths of the Bible filling a person's mind to be a fortification against such an assault. As a result, then a demon "goes its way and takes along with it seven different spirits more wicked than itself, and, after getting inside, they dwell there."

Proverbs 18:10 says that "the name of Jehovah is a strong tower. Into it the righteous runs and is given protection." The demons hate God's name of Jehovah, for they know that the day is coming in the near future when they are to be abyssed by him through Jesus Christ, as the "angel of the abyss".(Rev 20:1-3, Mark 1:24; Luke 4:34)

James wrote that "the demons believe and shudder" upon hearing Jehovah's name.(James 2:19) In fact, the "whole world" is under demon control, with most unaware of this, for the apostle John wrote: "We know we originate with God, but the whole world is lying in the [power of the] wicked one."(1 John 5:19)