Was wondering why God didnt make it straight and simple...why there are so many explanations and intepretations.
Why is the Bible so complicated...
by on the rocks 7 Replies latest watchtower beliefs
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wobble
God did not write it, men did, and anything written that long ago needs some analysis that is hard work.
Just take things like Shakespeare and Chaucer, written much more recently, but they need some work to get the best understanding of them.
It is no surprise therefore that the Bible, a variegated collection of writings from different times in history and from different milieus, from people with different agendas, should be difficult to "interpret".
What you have to realise is that the only people on earth who can lead you to a correct understanding of the bible are the Governing body of the WT/JW Org. NOT !!!
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Witness My Fury
My thoughts exactly. It bothers me as to why did Christ talk in riddles? Even his disciples didnt know what he was on about quite often, so it wasnt just to baffle the religious elite.
The bible would have a lot more adherants if it was simpler to the point and very detailed in prophetic accuracy. Take Daniels King of the North spiel. Lets have some names in there shall we please?! Wouldnt that have just been a little more helpful? Cyrus was named 200 years in advance so why not some of the characters in the KoN spiel, saves a lot of speculation and missunderstanding me thinks. Plus the confirmable accuracy of the prophecy WOULD gain MORE respect for the Bible and God, Christ, End Tmes propecy etc, so its win win to do it that way surely.
Now some will say "it was to prevent Satan knowing stuff in advance", yes we've all heard this kind of drivel. Yet Revelation is quite direct and detailed about his end and thats NOT "hidden" from him is it. So this kind of thinking doesnt wash for me.
We have the WBTS viewpoint of the harmonious 1600 year + 40 writers = 66 books of total God inspired onesness with central theme and plot. But reading it I cant help but see the total disconnect between the angry jealous petty killing God of the OT and the teachings of Christ (the simple ones you can actually understand that is!). If he's from his Father and does the things his Father does, Im suprised there's not a huge massacre done by Christ in the NT, but no he's totally the opposite of his father as portrayed in the OT! Not the same at all.
So im confused. I've read more of the Bible in the last 2 years than I have in the previous 20 and Im no nearer a clear picture myself,.
Cheers
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on the rocks
Thanks
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wobble
I find that if I want to get at what the writer probably meant, then sites such as "The Bible on One Page" are helpful, you can look at a good number of translations with ease.
This does not help with interpretation though, that is down to you. (Commentaries are useful)
The one rule of interpretation that I have learned, and it has not failed me yet, is that :
If the interpretation belongs solely to the WT/JW's, THEN IT IS WRONG !
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coffee_black
I don't think it's complicated at all! Religions make it complicated so you have to look to them for the answers.
Coffee
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freydo
There is a universal premise, that fools are not entitled to truth - lest they would either be led by it
or misused by others to start cults.
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PSacramento
God spoke to men, men like Moses, Elijah, Abraham, etc and they were imperfect and didn't always pass on God's message in the right way or correctly, why? because they were imperfect.
The bible was writen by imperfect men, copied by imperfect men, translated by imperfect men, as such it is...wait for it...imperfect.
Shocking, yes I know ;)
The bible is complicated at times bacuse it SEEMS to give us conflicting ideas, sometimes they even seem contridictory.
If we read the bible from the OT to NT we see a progression of understanding, we see ups and downs, views of God in one way then another then back again and we see this because the MANY writers and copyists are writing as their understanding is growing, sometimes they get it right and sometimes they get it wrong, sometimes they convey the message clearly, other times, not so much, WHY?
Because they were imperfect, just like us.
If we read the NT first and then the OT, it can almost seem to be speaking of a different God altogether, but again we need to remember that Jesus came for a reason, because the message of God was NOT getting through via the "everyday channels", so the WORD of GOD came and spoke FOR God the very WORDS of GOD, no middle man required in this case.
Both methods have their value ( reading OT to NT and NT to OT)as long as we remeber that MAN, no mater HOW inspired was still man and as such, with the prime examaples of God's personal messengers (other than Jesus), imperfect.