Once he had caught a fish, Peter was supposed to open its mouth, where he would find a coin inside, and he was to use that to pay the tax collectors. The Rev. God responded by killing another 14,700 of them with a plague. Anyways, Id tell you to say a prayer for these poor, innocent pigsbut who would you pray to? For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. And it was so. God killed kittens. Remove the evil of your deeds from My sight. But one of their more sensible complaints was that Moses was lording himself over the rest of them, which was probably true, seeing as God had given him the 10 Commandments and all that. This story actually has a happy ending, in that right before Abraham drove a knife into his son's throat, God yelled "Psych!" All these evil things come from within, and they defile a person (Mark 7:20-23). Taken by the word of God alone, however, one just has to assume that God cares if you touch yourself or find someone sexy before you are married. If the slave survives the beating, then there is no punishment-unless the slave's tooth or. Applies to girls who are still in their fathers' homes, who lie about their virginity, and are presented to their husband as a virgin. I often find that the people who are serious about contending with these questions take the Bible far more seriously than those who just take what they see at face value without asking tough questions. The Lord has made everything for its own purpose,Even the wicked for the day of evil. 1. Jesus offers a more effective way to live, not a life without trouble or pain but one that shows us how to trust God in every moment. The New Testament often refers to God as our Father, and to believers as "children of God." This is obviously a spiritual statement, not a biological one. The Sermon on the Mount, for instance, does not appear to be a human invention. Then things gets weird. Old Testament Mass Killings - bethinking.org Sexual transgressions typically relate to a failure to comport oneself (sexually) in a manner that the Israelites approved of. Therefore, the Apostle Paul writes in the New Testament that the ruler does not bear the sword in vain. . Christ the Creator-God's (John 1; Colossians 1; Hebrews 1) approval of the Old Testament prophetic works and the New Testament apostolic worksthe cap of the canon is already sealed.4 . Then he made a bet that if they could solve it in a week, Samson would give them all new clothes, but if they couldn't they would give Samson 30 pairs of new clothes. (Genesis 19:26), In what should be good news for intolerant religious conservatives, God really does hate people who are different from the norm. If you add up all the people God has killed in the Bible - not even counting the mass death that isn't even enumerated in the Bible like Noah's flood and the first born of Egypt - do you know what number you get? Proverbs 27:11-12 My son, be wise, and make my heart glad, that I may answer him that reproacheth me. Woe to those who call evil good, and good evil; Who substitute darkness for light and light for darkness; Who substitute bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter! For all of us independent news organizations, its no exception. And to man He said, Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom;And to depart from evil is understanding.. They dont wash their hands before they eat!. (The religious leaders engaged in ceremonial cleansing like washing up to the elbow and baptizing the cups and plates before eating food in themMark 7:1-23, Matthew 15:1-20. 7. Sure, the Israelites were complaining a lot for people who had just been rescued out of Egypt, but - again, in sending down a punishment far in excess of the crime - God killed 250 people. Killing Israelites who Complained About God Killing Israelites (Numbers 16: 1-49). So it stands to reason he could have made the tree produce fruit if hed wanted to but instead, he really wanted to kill the tree. Most red-letter editions of the Bible are identical, illustrating how easy the New Testament writers made it to see what Jesus said and what he didnt say. 1 John 3:4-6. What would motivate them to lie, embellish, or exaggerate anyway? God prophesied to Abraham (Genesis 15:13-14) about the bondage of Abraham's descendants (Israel). Couldn't God have just given Samson the "thirty linen garments and thirty sets of clothes" that he wagered on this riddle? There's a serious disparity between punishment and crime there. Either way, the Bible clearly gives a solution to this embarrassing problem. 1 Timothy 1:8-10 ), and which shows that a slave can truly be "a brother in the Lord" ( Philemon 1:16 ). 5. God downs his bourbon, presumably, and tells Satan he can mess with Job all he wants. Of course not. The past year has been the most arduous of our lives. He's literally just hanging out with Satan which is kinda weird when you think about it when he started bragging about how awesome Job is. Do not tear down the work of God for the sake of food. They certainly are contrary to the desires of many today who want a religion of spirituality that has no moral demands. Maybe Lot's wife wanted to see Sodom and Gomorrah get what was coming to it. At least in this case, the reasoning behind assassinating anybody who stepped out of line is clear. 6) Ordering His Underlings to Kill Their Own Children, God is obviously good at big picture dickishness, but he also took the time to be a dick on a more personal level. They will fall by the sword; their little ones will be dashed to the ground, their pregnant women ripped open. In the Old Testament, God may seem preoccupied with justice and retribution, while the New Testament seems more oriented toward forgiveness and reconciliation. May be gracious to the remnant of Joseph. Theres no question that the Bible makes statements that are clearer than others, but even then we have to wrestle with some of the differences between cultures separated by thousands of years. Problems produce dependency. In the day of prosperity be happy,But in the day of adversity considerGod has made the one as well as the otherSo that man will not discover anything that will be after him. So the Lord let him alone." - "Poynter" fonts provided by fontsempire.com. When you drop a phrase like that into a conversation, its evident that you dont understand how communication works. (Please do not follow them.). Think how convenient it would have been for them to end all debate on controversial issues such as circumcision, obeying the Law of Moses, speaking in tongues, women in the church, and so forth by merely making up quotes from Jesus! Abhor what is evil; cling to what is good. Hate evil, love good,And establish justice in the gate!Perhaps the Lord God of hostsMay be gracious to the remnant of Joseph. In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world.". Earlier in his career, though, he wasnt above making it a little tough for Caesar. When a group of tax collectors came around and asked for their yearly payment, rather than simply pay the men, Jesus told Peter to go to the sea and start fishing. Helped Samson Kill 30 People for Their Clothes (Judges 14:1-19) On the evening of the first Easter, Jesus appeared bodily to his disciples and said, Everything must be fulfilled that is written about me in the Law of Moses, the Prophets and the Psalms. (The three major divisions of the Hebrew Bible.). Even at Horeb you provoked the Lord to wrath, and the Lord was so angry with you that He would have destroyed you. God Killed SOOO Many People (Too Many Passages to Cite). So Abraham tricked his unsuspecting son up a mountain onto a sacrificial altar and prepared to murder him. God has killed so many people, you guys. Yet know that God will bring you to judgment for all these things. Prophets: From Sacred Scrolls to Stocks and Shares. Read More. But Jacobstillwon't let him out of a headlock until God blesses him, because Jacob has figured out who this bizarre man is. Body piercings continue to be a highly debated topic in the Christian community. The setting is the peak of the Cold War. Crimony. And then he stood guard at the door, to make sure no more jerks came in on non-worshipping business. Now these were more noble-minded than those in Thessalonica, for they received the word with great eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see whether . 5 Things the Bible Forbids But We Still Do Of course, God isn't as worried about skin color or sexual orientation as he is about whether you're ugly or not. Jesus did not set up an earthly kingdom. Yes, Jesus is God. Now, again, we have two options here: 1) Jesus was indicating that not everything written in the Old Testament necessarily needed to be followed by modern society, or 2) he was genuinely upset that the Pharisees werent killing their children. In addition to the inclusion of embarrassing details regarding themselves and Jesus, the New Testament writers record events related to the resurrection that they would not have inserted if they had invented the story. Show her no pity. If there is another interpretation of this other than Jesus essentially saying I dont want to be too clear otherwise everyone will get into heaven I would love to hear it. The One forming light and creating darkness. This herd of pigssome versions of the Bible say there were 2000were all scared to death by demons, all because they had the misfortune of being nearby. 10 Things You Should Know about Christian Ethics. God Hating Things. He kills all of Job's children and animals, burns down his house, destroys his wealth, and then covers him in boils. Citing the testimony of womenespecially demon-possessed womenwould only hurt your attempt to pass off a lie as the truth.1. online, starting with 2018. There was a time when Christians used the Bibles explicit teachings about slavery as a reasonnot to abolish the slave trade. Make a one-time contribution to Alternet All Access. I find then the principle that evil is present in me, the one who wants to do good. Who is awesome in His deeds toward the sons of men. Careers Workplace and Religion Columnists, Recreation Outdoors and Religion Columnists, Religious Music and Entertainment Columnists, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Rethinking Hell: a Beginners Guide to ", Is Christianity Delivering on Its Promise ", When Opinions Are Facts: the Dumbing ", Smart people saying smart things (6.22.23). Yes, Jesus also has a few moment of strange behavior in the New Testament, and indulges in a few other bizarre habits as well. Standard God operating procedure. So how do we explain what appears to be some obvious discrepancies between the testaments? No matter what your circumstances are, remember, you cant control life. Kill everybody, including animals, and burn the town, and the people who, However, if a slave is beaten to death, the owner is punished not necessarily killed. - is a horrible thing. But ", "You have to look at religion from a different angle, wipe away the superstition and ", "Are you a deist? It is a terrifying thing to fall into the hands of the living God. Throughout Scripture we see God referred to as our king, and in our worship we proclaim him to be. 25 Bible Verses about Anger Of God, Consequences. As for as reasons for Jesus to be angry go, this is a solid one, but admittedly it doesnt seem much in line with the turn the other cheek and love your enemies guy. Proverbs 22:3 A shrewd person sees danger and hides himself, but the naive keep right on going and suffer for it. I mean, God appointed him to lead the Jews out of Egypt, parted the Red Sea for him, and even picked him to receive the 10 Commandments, right? {{ post.roar_specific_data.api_data.analytics }}. For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may be recompensed for his deeds in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad. And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. Jesus understood his own words and deeds not as different from, but as the continuation and completion of the words and deeds of God in the Old Testament. They only gained persecution and death for testifying as they did. The people of Samaria must bear their guilt, because they have rebelled against their God. (Matthew 21:12-13). All rights reserved. Top 10 Horrifying Moments in the Bible - Listverse 10 Things You Should Know about the Presence of God. "Get out of here, baldy!" He destroyed his farm, his livestock, his servantsand, oh yeah, his entire family. The accused is guilty until proved innocent. You send forth Your burning anger, and it consumes them as chaff. Why? This isnt because of some progressive desire to undermine the Bibles authority, or because of a desire to wriggle out of personal responsibility. Luke 6:45 says, The good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. (4 Kings 2:23-24), Most folks know about the story of Sodom and Gomorrah, two cities of sin God decided to kill everyone in instead of, you know, making themnotfull of sin. 3. Norman L. Geisler (19322019)cofounded Southern Evangelical Seminary andwrote over 100books, including his four-volume Systematic Theology. Today, readers and carriers of the message often hear particular verses and passages in different ways. A valuable aid to those interested in examining the reasonableness of the Christian faith. He will not fear evil tidings;His heart is steadfast, trusting in the Lord. On the contrary, Jesus endorses Mosaic Law in Matthew5:18, where he says, "For truly I tell you, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished. Thank you. Satan points out that Job's pretty blessed he's rich, he's got a lot of kids, etc., and he probably wouldn't be quite so thrilled with God if he didn't have that stuff. )Jesus is also criticized for eating with the . Two independent eyewitnesses rarely see all the same details and will never describe an event in exactly the same words. If the New Testament writers were making up a story, they certainly didnt make up a story that made life easier for them. Invaluable Lessons from 7 (Good and Bad) Kings in the Bible - Crosswalk Its interesting to note that the creed recorded in 1 Corinthians 15 does not include the women as eyewitnesses. Problems bring great opportunities. Onan's dad orders Onan to have sex with Er's wife not marry, by the way, just have sex with. What bad things did God do in the New Testament? - Quora Make a one-time contribution to Alternet All Access, No one who abides in him keeps on sinning; no one who keeps on sinning has either seen him or known him. Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good. From Matthew 15: Then some Pharisees and teachers of the law came to Jesus from Jerusalem and asked, Why do your disciples break the tradition of the elders? The light is near, in the presence of darkness. It is like the Old Testament in that it provides forgiveness of sins and reconciliation between God and man, but it . Those soft cheeks certainly help, but there's also this irresistible sweetness, this sense of purity. gospel-centered, Bible-centered content. And here's where God comes in literally, into Samson, giving him the power to murder 30 random people for their clothes. Other than a shit-ton of babies, no one had it worse in the Bible than Job, who was a righteous, good-hearted man who believed in God with every fiber in his being which is when God decides to see how miserable he can make this dude before he gets upset. There are also a few fundamentalist Christians such as the followers of Dominionism who feel that the death penalties as described should to be enforced today.[2][3]. Seeing in the distance a fig tree in leaf, he went to find out if it had any fruit. Why does God allow bad things to happen to good people? The critic has to add a word to Matthews account to make it contradict Johns.2 But why did Matthew mention only one if two angels were really there? Some Christians condemn all tattooing as immoral because God clearly forbids them in Leviticus 19:28. The New Testament resurrection accounts contain nothing like Come! Leviticus 19:31 addresses this issue: Do not turn to mediums or necromancers; do not seek them out, and so make yourselves unclean by them: I am the LORD your God. Leviticus 20:6 says, I will set my face against the person who turns to mediums and spiritists to prostitute himself by following them, and I will cut him off from his people. Deuteronomy 18:12 says that consulting mediums or channeling the dead is detestable. You must purge the evil from among you. God drowning every single person on the planet besides Noah and his family is pretty well known, but he also helped the Israelites murder everyone in Jericho, Heshbon, Bashan and many more, usually killing women, children and animals at the same time. You are destroyed, Israel. Okay, I mean technically, God has killedeveryoneif you subscribe to Judeo-Christian thought, but I'm not talking about indirect methods, I'm talking about God murdering countless people in horrible ways simply because he's pissed off. So its perfectly reasonable that Matthew and John differthey are both recording eyewitness testimony. "Your father's wife" is distinct from "your mother," as it was permissible at the time for men to have several wives. Did God change from the Old Testament to the New? Most Relevant is selected, so some comments may have been filtered out. 12 Bible Verses about Bad Things. This is actually pretty awkward for Onan, sleeping with his sister-in-law, and rather than give her any more kids (she had two with Er already) he pulls out. So that man will not discover anything that will be after him. Why Is God So Angry In The Old Testament? We can see from Scripture that God sees these practices as not only sinful, but also without benefit. (Numbers 16:41-49), 8) Killing a Dude for Not Making More Babies, So you're a dude named Onan and you have a brother named Er. Rom. Why would they die for a known lie? (Genesis 22:1-12), Let's be completely up front: The Egyptians and the Jews did not get along. And then later it tortures and kills itself, ostensibly to stop itself doing bad things to everyone? We may earn a commission from links on this page. - Alternet.org . I can't tell if this is good or bad, but it sounds completely insane. But on the plus side, that pile of 40+ children's corpses never made fun of anybody again. Matthew does not say there was only one angel at the tomb. Christianity - Satan, Devil, Christology, and Divine Logos Finally, Jesus saw himself as the fulfillment of all of Gods promises in the Old Testament, which announce the coming Savior who will redeem humanity through his death and resurrection. Reddit, Inc. 2023. But thats exactly what we find in the New Testament. Were talking about a document where its on us to build a bridge between different cultures, worldviews, languages, etc. Sinai, beginning in Exod. The apostle Paul also said to flee from sexual immorality. For everything created by God is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with gratitude; For God will bring every act to judgment, everything which is hidden, whether it is good or evil. Christs realm is spiritual, and for that reason it is powerful and permanent. What is One Change Mark Zuckerberg Should Make to His Social Platforms? In fact, when a judge hears two witnesses giving exactly the same word-for-word testimony, what does that judge rightly assume? We live under God's roof, abide by his rules, and enjoy the benefits of being his. 13x Jesus was wrong in the Bible - Life Lessons However, it is also worth noting that, notwithstanding certain episodes where he is claimed to have interpreted laws in a relaxed way (e.g., the Sabbath working law), Jesus did not explicitly say the old laws were now invalid, and dispensations from following them largely came as a result of the spread of Christianity to non-Jews by Paul of Tarsus. Have you come here to torture us before the appointed time?. These laws were believed to form an integral part of the overall "Covenant" between the Israelites and YHWH. Having been well admonished that Moses was putting himself above the rest of the people with God's permission, a number of surviving Israelites were kind of pissed that Moses and God had killed so many of their fellow people to prove a point. Ignoring some of the odd things he said ( he really didn't care for traditional families and endorsed stealing from your employer, apparently), here are the weirdest things Jesus actually. But books, like people, can be influential because of what they say, or because of what they are thought to have said.. Learning from Bible characters who messed up | New Church Only a true friend would help you commit mass murder to settle a completely stupid bet. The best explanation is that they were really telling the truthwarts and all. Now therefore amend your ways and your deeds and obey the voice of the. - is a horrible thing. From there Elisha went up to Bethel. Do not allow a sorceress to live. God'scrazy. Here are just a few examples in support of my case that God has done horrible things (all excerpts taken from the NIV): Sending Bears to Murder Children (2 Kings 2:23-24). Lovely. @2022 - AlterNet Media Inc. All Rights Reserved. In other words, the New Testament writers had every motive to deny New Testament events, not to invent, embellish, or exaggerate them. While the Bible is often quoted, it is just as often misquoted. That is a horrible thing. The Bible is recognized as the greatest book ever written and for good reason. Problems prove integrity. The Pharisees and scribes criticized Jesus and his disciples for not observing Mosaic Law. He is also an author and a speaker, participating in debates with prominent atheists. Jesus fulfills the Old Testament laws in another way: He taught that love is the fulfillment of all Gods commands, meaning that whoever loves God and neighbor automatically does whatever the commandments require. The only plausible conclusion is that 1) Paul really was an apostle of God, 2) he therefore really had the ability to confirm his apostleship by performing miracles, and 3) he had displayed this ability openly to the Corinthians. The one who does good is of God; the one who does evil has not seen God. Burning with anger, he returned to his fathers home. Maybe its also a parable? Innocence Introduction What makes babies so kissable? Then the whole town went out to meet Jesus. Therefore, the church does not bear the sword. All of these used to merit death in ancient times; however, with the destruction of the second Jewish temple, the Jewish Sanhedrin courts all but abolished the death penalty. Both die. The rich and the poor have a common bond,The Lord is the maker of them all. To be fair, Jesus only spat on the eyes of blind people in order to perform the miracle of restoring their sight (Mark 8:23) although there was time that Jesus spat on the ground, made some mud, and then rubbed the mud in the blind mans eyes to heal them (John 9:6). Jesus answered: Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father John 14:9. Does God require us to follow the Old Testament laws about not eating Maybe she was thinking wistfully of the things she had to leave behind. Adultery and masturbation were regarded as worse than modern crimes such as molestation or rape arguably because they challenged such moral issues as "Which of my children is really mine, so gets my land?" He will recompense the evil to my foes;Destroy them in Your faithfulness. Then two bears came out of the woods and mauled forty-two of the boys. They were so violent that no one could pass that way. How does the New Testament measure up to the principle of embarrassment? Every reader contribution, no matter the amount, makes a difference in allowing our newsroom to bring you the stories that matter, at a time when being informed is more important than ever.
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