The fundamentalists claim they believe the Bible is inerrant and literally true. But the fundamentalists in this thread are doing exactly what they claim the liberals/moderates are doing. They're just applying their own standards to the presupposed interpretation of prooftexts to which they hold. It's an old argument, and I heard it every Sunday from my preacher.
If the Bible is perfect, totally without error and verbally and plenary inspired, then explain the following:
II Chronicles 2:14 vs I Kings 7:14
I Kings 8:9 and II Chronicles 5:10 vs Hebrews 9:4
II Chronicles 9:25 vs I Kings 4:26
The numerical discrepancies in the reported numbers of returnees in the clans in Ezra 2 and Nehemiah 7
II Samuel 24:1 where God commands David to take the census, versus I Chronicles 21:1 which says Satan told David to take the census.
II Samuel 24:9 says David has 800,000 warriors in Israel and 500,000 warriors in Judah but I Chronicles 21:5 says David had 1,100,000 warriors in Israel and 470,000 warriors in Judah.
Did King Saul know Jesse and David, as I Samuel 16:20-23 asserts? If so, then why does I Samuel 17:55-58 state that King Saul did not know who David or his father were?
II Samuel 24:13 says David's punishment for taking the census of Israel was seven years of famine. But I Chronicles 21:12 says the punishment was three years.
II Samuel 24:24 says David paid 50 silver coins for the threshing floor of Araunah. But I Chronicles 21:25 says he paid 600 gold coins for it.
And answer a few of these questions:
How is it that God, who cannot look upon sin, can send an evil spirit? (I Samuel 16:23)
Is spitting in your daughters face a morally acceptable paternal practice? (Numbers 12:13-14) If you believe the Bible is literally true and inerrant, then tell me when the last time was that you spit in your daughter's face?
Exodus 21:20-21 recognizes a slave as his master's property. How many of you fundamentalists out there own slaves? If you do, and you decide to beat your slave, be careful so as not to cause his immediate death. If you do that, you will have to be punished, but if the slave can hang on for a couple of days, well, that's OK because he's your slave.
II Kings 2:23-24, 42 children are slaughered for calling Elisha a bald head. What kind of a prophet of God would curse a few boys who are calling him names? Couldn't he have a little more of the love of God in his heart? Have you warned your children not to call your preacher names, lest they be thrown into a bear pit? If they did call your preacher a name, would you throw them into a bear pit?
Explain Psalm 137:9 and how you would literally apply that.
Deutoronomy 21:18-21 says that disobedient sons are to be stoned. So, how many children do you all have left?
These are just a few of the many, many questions raised regarding the nature of the Bible as scripture. The Bible does have authority in matters of faith, because it is a progressive revelation. But it is only sufficient, not complete. The Holy Spirit, according to Jesus, is an illumination of revelation that is complete (Luke 24:49).
If you believe in a literal interpretation of an inerrant, infallible Bible, then you must find a way to twist and turn and reinvent and change and explain all of the above mentioned questions and more. But if you accept the fact that the Bible is progressive historical reflection and revelation of people as they learned more and more about God, up to his appearance in the flesh as Jesus, you have a reliable testimony to God's existence, power and salvation and you don't have to do all that confusing and inconsistent application and interpretation.
[ February 14, 2002: Message edited by: kwob02 ]
