How can you convince people that the Bible has errors?

by Jeff
(Wausau,WI)


Rick Brentlinger Answers -


If I understand your question correctly, you are asking, How can we convince people that the Bible has errors and God was not active in giving us the scriptures or preserving them over time so that what we have is trustworthy.

I believe that God inspired and then preserved His written word down the centuries. God not only gave us the scriptures by inspiration, He also preserved the scriptures for us, 2 Timothy 3:15-17, Psalm 12:6-7, 119:160, so that our Bible is absolutely trustworthy.

The doctrine of inspiration is meaningless IF God did not also preserve what He inspired in a form that we can read and obey. Here is what GayChristian101.com believes about the Bible.

We understand that Inspired Scripture is the essential and trustworthy record of God’s revelation of Himself to humanity.

Because they were given by inspiration, all sixty-six books of the Old and New Testaments are the written word of God, our only infallible rule of faith and practice. The Scriptures are to be interpreted according to their context and purpose and in reverent obedience to the Lord who speaks through them in living power."

We clearly distinguish our Bible believing position from non-evangelical approaches to Scripture. For example, when we affirm that "Inspired Scripture is the essential and trustworthy record of God’s revelation of Himself to mankind" we separate ourselves from neo-orthodoxy, which sees Scripture not as a revelation but only as a witness to the revelation that took place when God encountered his people throughout the course of history.

Similarly, our belief that "all sixty-six books of the Old and New Testaments are the written word of God, our only infallible rule of faith and practice" stands in sharp contrast to the neo-orthodox belief that the Bible only becomes the word of God when the Spirit brightens its truth for the eyes of a believer.

The gap between our evangelical view of Scripture and the view of theological liberalism is even wider.

Our confidence in the absolute trustworthiness of the facts of biblical history, including the historicity of Adam and Eve, the fall of humankind, in Adam, the virgin birth and miracles of Christ and His bodily resurrection,

stand in dramatic contrast to liberal views, as do our doctrinal views about human sin, Christ's Substitutionary blood atonement, the necessity of receiving God's gift of salvation in this life and the eternal judgement of unbelievers who die in their sins.

Our statement on the inspiration of both Old and New Testaments as the written words of God puts a wide gulf between us and theological liberals who routinely state that the Bible is not the word of God but merely contains the word of God.

First, God, who is Himself Truth and speaks only the truth, has inspired Holy Scripture in order to reveal Himself to lost mankind through Jesus Christ as Creator, Lord, Redeemer and Judge. Holy Scripture is God's witness to Himself.

Second, Holy Scripture, being God's own word, written by men guided by His Spirit, possesses infallible authority in all matters upon which it touches. It is to be believed, as God's instruction in all that it affirms, obeyed as God's command in all that it requires, embraced as God's pledge in all that it promises.

Third, The Holy Spirit authenticates Scripture to us by His witness in believing hearts and opens our minds to understand the meaning of Scripture.

Fourth, Because Scripture is verbally God-given, Scripture is without error in all it teaches, including what it states about the acts of God in creation and about chronology, geography, history and mathematics.

Fifth, The final authority of Scripture is inescapably impaired if this view of Inerrancy is in any way limited or disregarded or made relative to a view of truth contrary to the Bible's own viewpoint.

We've answered the question: How can you convince people that the Bible has errors? Click here to return to Gay Christian 101 Home Page.

Click on eDisciples and look at our links for alleged errors and contradictions in the Bible.

What Bible are you using to defend your gay Christian position?

How and why was the Bible mistranslated?

Are the words of Jesus in Matthew, Mark and Luke more important than the decision of the apostles in Acts 15?

Jeff's original question: Some believe that the bible was translated without error (guided by God). How can you convince them otherwise?

My edit of the question I think Jeff is asking: How can you convince people that the Bible has errors?

Comments for How can you convince people that the Bible has errors?

Click here to add your own comments

Dec 16, 2009
 "Amen Bro"
by: Kevin

Rick, "Wow", Thanks for that great biblical dissertation. After six and a half years of bible college/seminary, it's wonderful to hear someone who bases their faith on the (written) Word rather than their religion.

It is true that there are many minor translation problems because of the weakness of our Engish languge, but those problems usually result in diminishing the strength of the message, not changing the meaning.

I have determined that in the defense and explanation of me being Gay, I will not be dishonest with the Scriptures and the truth of those words. When the (written) Word says something I have a problem with I will not resort to trying to diminish it's truth.

I will deal with it and seek to study to understand the heart of God and his truth. I've read too many gay authors who go down the path of "that was Paul's opinion", or "that was the culture of the time...", arguments, when they ran out of understanding.

We don't have to do that. If we are not honest in the handling of the (written) Word, then why use it to support ourselves against the ignorance of those religious people who use it to condemn us. Wouldn't that make us in error like them?

Thanks Rick for your unwavering stand on God's (written) Word!
Jan 12, 2010
 The Bible is more important than our opinion
by: Rick Brentlinger

You make some excellent points Kevin. For too long, the defense of many gays when dealing with Christians about homosexuality was to "make the word of God of none effect."

For those of us who believe the Bible, that is not a defensible argument for being gay.

Context is king when expositing scripture. We dare not rip verses from their context to make them mean something they never meant to the original hearers.

Every scripture can teach a spiritual lesson but if we're looking for the doctrinal meaning, we MUST stick with what scripture actually says, noting to whom it says it and the context in which it is said.

That is where so many anti-gay Christians get lost. They defend what they were taught that scripture means instead of believing what scripture actually says, in context.
Apr 16, 2014
 We don't believe so we want to change the book
by: David

Yes I know we would like to believe God but our likes our favorite sins are forbidden in the Holy Book and so we would say " it is in err" It could not be our own sinful ways. The Bible itself says in the last days men will think to change times and laws.

When I was a young man I had some things that I put before God and I had a very wonderful opportunity to make a lot of money but I would have to work on the Sabbath day. I tried my best to prove that the Sabbath was not important and God would not mind. But He says "Remember... in the 10 commandments which is the only part of the Bible He wrote with his own finger.

We all have choices to make, God does not force us. Lets not try and change His Holy Word so we can continue in sin.

Rick's comment: Hi David - did you know it is possible to be saved for many years and still be a baby Christian? Becoming a mature Christian is only possible as we:

1. Read, believe and obey the Bible in context, 2 Timothy 2:15

2. Stand fast in the liberty Christ gave us, Galatians 5:1

3. Walk in the Spirit, Galatians 5:16

4. Walk in the grace of God, Romans 6:1-14

5. Learn Bible doctrine and apply it to our lives, 2 Timothy 3:15-17

Concerning Sabbath keeping, you may want to review these helpful pages.

Did people in ancient times celebrate the Saturday sabbath?

Is sabbath keeping for Christians?

Is Torah law for Christians?

May I also point out that rightly dividing the word of truth, i.e., meaning that we always interpret scripture in lightof its biblical cultural doctrinal historical linguistic and religious context, should never be confused with 'changing God's holy word.'
Nov 26, 2014
 Afraid of Reading My Bible?
by: Henry

I'm sorry, I was hoping you could give me advice on an issue I've been having for a long time. I believe the Bible is true in all areas, especially the Old King James version, but it is people's interpretations of the Bible that I am concerned about. People's interpretations of the verses influence the meanings I take from the Bible, and that can cause problems for what I believe God tries to help me understand.

For example I believe in the doctrine of eternal security and so does my church, but at the same time as soon as verses talk about "the wicked" or anything negative, I get the idea that it refers to me as an exception for and being a homosexual and am somehow still condemned to hell, I struggle to read my Bible consistently because I am afraid I will misunderstand something and be deceived. (And I certainly don't want to affect others with my misinterpretations, either.) What should I do?

Rick's comment: Hi Henry - Thanks for the good questions. The best way to deal with the problems you mentioned is to learn more about Bible doctrine and what the Bible teaches, in context. You can easily do that by taking the FREE Bible courses on my FREE Downloads page.

Print out the pages and then, with an old King James Bible, go through the course. It's fun and easy to learn this way. Please keep in touch and let me know how you're learning as you go through the FREE courses.
Feb 19, 2016
 Learning and Studying the Bible in it's original language
by: Jeanne

Researching and reading your site gave me a conclusion that I want to understand the Bible more in it's original texts. Today, I feel that Bible translations are now contaminated even if the Lord said that they should not remove or add a word.

I just want to ask that is there a book you can recommend to us to learn the bible's language and is there a printed book of Bible that's in original text?


Rick's comment: Hello Jeanne - These links are helpful for studying biblical Greek, which is Koine Greek, not modern Greek and for studying biblical Hebrew.

Learn Biblical Greek

Learn Biblical Hebrew

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