Bible inspired by God or just written by man?

[Dor]

[quote=Cobber]

Originally Posted by Dor

You have used a very ambigious quote from the bible. One interpretation is that people will be taken up to heaven in one instant. Since some are sleeping (presumably at night) and others are working (presumably in the day time), then the passage would imply that there are people on both sides of the earth. Thus, the earth must be two-sided; and potentially spherical. But on the other hand it could mean that the process of taking people up to heaven might occupy many hours. Thus it might interrupt some people during the afternoon while they are at work, and others at night time when they were sleeping. That would be compatible with a flat earth.

Yes and it could mean he is taking up one person every 100 years if thats what you want to say but it would be hogwash too. He specifically said no one knows the day or the hour...not the days and hours and weeks it is an instant with night and day at the same time.

[enton]

Originally Posted by Silverbackman

I agree. God inspired the Bible but it was written by men. There maybe a lot of errors in the Bible that was not from God, but I believe the fundemental teachings are not, such as stealing is wrong, ect. ect.

I think in general God is not the tyrant the Bible describes him as. I think God told people what to do in order to have a good life, but never punished them. Punishment was cause by themselves, by karma possbile.

So was the Bible written by God? No it probably was not but was it inspired by God? Yes it was. Otherwise it would not be followed by so many people if it did not have such as importance.

But we should not deny this verse:

Exodus 31:18 And he gave unto Moses, when he had made an end of communing with him upon mount Sinai, two tables of testimony, tables of stone, written with the finger of God.

[The Lord]

Originally Posted by Curios Mike

Anyways this one if mostly for you historians: What if Isreal obeyed and drove out all the inhabitants..... Would their be an Islam now?

You are assuming that all of this is historical, which it is not.

[The Lord]

Originally Posted by enton

But we should not deny this verse:

Exodus 31:18 And he gave unto Moses, when he had made an end of communing with him upon mount Sinai, two tables of testimony, tables of stone, written with the finger of God.

Why couldn't God invent paper, it would have been easier for Moses to carry around and would have been a great sign from the Lord?

[Quahom1]

Originally Posted by The Lord

You are assuming that all of this is historical, which it is not.

And you know this for certain then?... Archeologists have already proven the existence of a "Joseph, son of Jacob", who carried the signat of Pharoah. National Geographics has the video documentation which was aired several times in the past three months. Funny, but it seems that everytime claims are made or presumed that the history of the Hebrews is myth, evidence of a physical nature seems to become discovered, despite the attempts of others to hide it, which validates scripture, one story at a time.

Because of this "fact", I choose to presume nothing, but be observant of everything.

v/r

Q

[Quahom1]

Originally Posted by The Lord

Why couldn't God invent paper, it would have been easier for Moses to carry around and would have been a great sign from the Lord?

Because He gave us a brain, and imagination, and perhaps pointed nonchallantly towards the Papyrus reeds?...

[YO-ELEVEN-11]

Originally Posted by Quahom1

Canaanites were not "people" according to scripture. Not "people" in the sense that we know them. They were giants, of ill will, and contempt for anyone "lesser" in stature than themselves. They also held God in contempt, as history in the Bible presents such matters. They were not "human" wholey. Since God seems to take pity and have second thoughts on man, everywhere we turn in the Bible, but for certain "races" He has no pity, nor second thoughts about annhialating the "people" of Canaan, and He was going to use mere humans to do it...

The children of these "people" were not human. That is to say, they had no innocence within. The women of this race were not innocent. They cast their lot with the "males" that mated them. The issue was not witchcraft, nor prostitution, that caused their demise. It was hatred for that which they knew beyond the shadow of a doubt, existed. God. And God wins, hands down, in any battle. The animals were "corrupted", interesting take on issues. Genetically altered, perhaps?

According to history. The Canaanites were a force to be reconned with. They NEVER lost. They took nor gave quarter. They destroyed everything in their path. There was no humanity in them.

Very powerful stuff, if true...

v/r

Q

Q, You got a point about the Non-human elements in the OT. That was one of the reasons for the flood. The sons of GOD mixing with the daughters of men making Giants (Nephilim) and the hearts of men being continuously "evil" because of the mixing. Seems their may have been a blood line going that was supposed to be destroyed. It also seems that when humans and the sons of GOD mix that the cities ultimately get destoryed by GOD.
i.e. Sodom and Gomorah. Angels sent to destroy it. With that being said, Wouldn't that make Jesus a mixed being?

But 5th has a point too about why a GOD of compassion "destroys".
Could'nt GOD just change the hearts of these (Nephilim) or send a (Nephilim) that would minister to them like Jesus was sent to the decendants of Isreal (Jacob)?

Also, Iv always wondered why one of the commandements states that
"Thou shalt not Kill" but a large part of the bible after that "law" was enacted speaks about "Judgements" and "killing".

I read the whole bible as a preteen. (Due to having parents that forced me to go church). Doing that left me with a lot of questions.
Just recently I have begun reading it again from cover to cover. Following the stroy line. Im about half way through it. The brutality written about in the OT sometimes causes me to have to put it down and walk away from it for days, but I am going to continue to read it. My next goal is to read the Qur'an from cover to cover and continue on to other religious texts. I have a very curious mind when it comes to religious texts.

I feel that the bible was written by man, but is used by GOD for GOD's purpose. What that purpose is, who knows.

I also feel that most "religious" texts are written thoughts of men and women but are used by GOD for a purpose. What that purpose is, who knows.


One thing is for certain though, GOD is in the mix here because all religions (bar non) (also some non-religious texts) get you to ponder exsistence and its meaning.


MHO ( My humble Opinion)
YO-11

[moseslmpg]

I'd have to say that most, if not all, of the Bible was inspired by God and definitely written by man.

If it wasn't inspired by God then there's no way anyone would have written it. Even if it was not inspired by him directly, it must have been inspired by the thought of him.

I'd have to say though, that this huge understaking was necessarily subject to the erring nature of man. Just imagine if God told you something today and you had to write down what it felt like and what he said in contemporary easy to understand terms, making sure that everything was exactly correct in every aspect. It's not as easy as it sounds, I would venture to guess. I think that man may have intuitively ignored or rewritten things that may not have made sense to him, even though they were inspired by God. Then there are the contradictions as well.

I have a book that has further contradictions of the Bible in it, but it's not with me now. After reading this thread and people's understanding of the Bible though I am not surprised at all that there are so many people antithetical to Christianity. To me, parts of the Bible just don't seem right and it's not because I want to be selfish or whatever. Ah, but I don't want to get into that now...

[The Lord]

Originally Posted by Quahom1

And you know this for certain then?... Archeologists have already proven the existence of a "Joseph, son of Jacob", who carried the signat of Pharoah. National Geographics has the video documentation which was aired several times in the past three months. Funny, but it seems that everytime claims are made or presumed that the history of the Hebrews is myth, evidence of a physical nature seems to become discovered, despite the attempts of others to hide it, which validates scripture, one story at a time.

Because of this "fact", I choose to presume nothing, but be observant of everything.

v/r

Q

I am a student of Egyptian history and I have many "scientific" books and videos, and I have never heard of any historian who claimed so. There are those who claim to be "biblical" historians who try to link history to the bible. It is all based on their belief reference and is garbage. Anyone can infer anything form anything, especially something as vague as the historical references in the bible, which are after all based on the myths and legends native to the Middle East.

[The Lord]

Originally Posted by Quahom1

Because He gave us a brain, and imagination, and perhaps pointed nonchallantly towards the Papyrus reeds?...

Apparently not. It took the so called "pagan" Egyptians to invent papyrus, and the Buddhist Chinese to invent and the Muslim Arabs to improve and spread paper. It seems that God favored some other people in these cases.

[Quahom1]

Originally Posted by The Lord

I am a student of Egyptian history and I have many "scientific" books and videos, and I have never heard of any historian who claimed so. There are those who claim to be "biblical" historians who try to link history to the bible. It is all based on their belief reference and is garbage. Anyone can infer anything form anything, especially something as vague as the historical references in the bible, which are after all based on the myths and legends native to the Middle East.

"The Exodus Decoded part 1 and 2" History Channel, orginally aired on 20 August 2006. Physical evidence pulled from the earth one time, might be considered a fluke, but a dozen times, right in front of the mighty Egyptian guards and security police, and on video...eh, you're and "open minded" individual...your call. The archeological team got permission to excavate because they said they were looking for links to Ahmose, and Ramses II (which is provisionally correct), but could not mention anything about searching for "Hebrews" among the Egyptian past, let alone in charge...they would have never been allowed within the borders of Egypt, let alone the palace remnants of Ramsese. Nine signats, bearing the name of Joseph, son of Jacob with the Pharaoh's ident blended "together", for all the world to see, while the Egyptian guards looked on with their weapons, and had not a clue what was being displayed...Oh, and please explain to me why the Egyptians insist that the foundations of the city and temple be covered with earth after each excavation (we're talking mega tons of earth), and grass is planted and animals are placed over the area? What do the Egyptians need to hide?

Perhaps you should update your library...

[Quahom1]

Originally Posted by The Lord

Apparently not. It took the so called "pagan" Egyptians to invent papyrus, and the Buddhist Chinese to invent and the Muslim Arabs to improve and spread paper. It seems that God favored some other people in these cases.

Nix nix. Muslim Arabs didn't exist until the middle of the first millenia ACE. Pagan Arabs did the improvements to papyrus and eventually led up to velom, but the Egyptians at the time of the existence of the Hebrews in Egypt developed papyrus...try and seperate the two...and the Chinese didn't invent, the Malaysians did, (with wood pulp). The Chinese made "rice paper", which did't weather well, until the ability to remove "acid" from the sheets was perfected.

However, your disdain for the Israelite/Hebrew has been made quite plain.

[Leafblade]

Think I'll respond to the general question, though I managed to read a few pages.

I believe that the Bible was inspired by God, however it was written by humans. Written word is almost like a spoken word. Words can be changed, meanings interpreted differently, and if the heart of the person writing a book or telling a story is corrupt, their words will be corrupt as well. A fool may read but a fool doesn't understand.

[17th Angel]

Written by man, nothing more.... Some that fear death love to clutch onto this book and have that false hope that once they die that isn't it... That there is somehow more to death, instead of just decomposing corpses that become a fond meal for the maggots..... And also was used before the majority could read as a tool for "crowd control"

[manephelien]

Originally Posted by 17th Angel

Written by man, nothing more.... Some that fear death love to clutch onto this book and have that false hope that once they die that isn't it... That there is somehow more to death, instead of just decomposing corpses that become a fond meal for the maggots..... And also was used before the majority could read as a tool for "crowd control"

I wholly agree with this one.

However, I fully believe that there did exist a rabble-rouser called Jesus in the Palestine about 2000 years ago. He certainly suffered the fate ordinarily meted out by the Romans to rebels and criminals, i. e. crucifixion.

The only miracle I believe in there is one that's not written down. How did Mary, a common prostitute, manage to convince Joseph that she had been divinely impregnated, and later managed to get her son to change the world? Jesus of Nazareth did exist, but there's nothing divine about his conception or birth.