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Discussion: Bible Questions
I'd like to preface this by saying I am not trying to cause trouble, or make anyone angry, but I started reading the Bible recently and I wanted to get input on some of the questions I had while reading. I'm jumping around, reading a book from the Old Testament, then from the New, so far I've read Genesis and Matthew.
Some of my questions are:
Why does God hate Esau? Before he is ever born, it says that God has condemned him, and yet, I was always taught that God loved everyone, it was up to us to accept it.
In Matthew, Jesus talks about all participants in adultery being punished. And yet, in Genesis, Abraham lies to Abimelech and lets his wife sleep with the King, who despite being ignorant of the truth is the only one punished.
Finally, in Matthew, Jesus says a lot of things that I think are very true to life. About loving your neighbor, and I really like the parables. But there's one section that I don't understand. He talks about not bringing peace to earth, but a sword, and that he will turn family members against each other. What does that mean? Is Jesus being a hypocrite? Is something lost in translation?
What are your takes on these questions?
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I think it is based on the interpretation of the word in the case of Esau.
I am not sure that the man actually slept with his wife--I think he was about to.
I believe the sword part is the fact that his words are said to divide people on the matter of its meaning. It appears to be the prediction that belief in him will seperate families, bring unrest so much that people would kill each other in the name of religion, and that the earth would not have piece due to disagreements about his words and the people who believed them.
Quite frankly, I don't blame you for having questions about the Bible. I have some myself and am still trying to fathom why some of things happened. Sometimes, I believe the person who said elsewhere that these were tales of people trying to understand God through these scriptures rather than writing full fact in the OT elsewhere--otherwise I cannot fathom a loving God doing some of the stuff in the OT. I mostly believe the four Gospels are the most correct form of belief.
However, not everyone believes as I do--some will say the Bible is the literal truth, so you have to be prepared for answers that disagree with mine.
I always felt that the Bible shouldn't be taken literally, but more generally. Just be a good person. There are alot of things that contradict itself in the Bible if you really look close and many things that don't make sense.
The Bible, in and of itself, is a book of contradictions. I've read the entire Bible, cover to cover, and there were many questions I couldn't answer. The answers only lie in your heart, in your own relationship with your beliefs. The Bible is not really so much a literal book, but a gentle guide book, on the better ways to live your life. After all, we do have free will.
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