Proof: The Bible Is Not Infallible

[Night]

Here is proof that the New Testament is not the infallible word of god. The account of the resurrection of Jesus in the books of Matthew and John are so incredibly different that one wonders how Christians ever got the silly idea in their heads that the bible is infallible.

THESE DIFFERENCES ARE NOT RECENT MISTAKES IN TRANSLATION. In fact, earlier books of the bible contain even MORE discrepancies between each other.

Here are the texts. If you want, pull out your own bible, and follow along. These texts are so incredibly different that I won't even bother to highlight the differences.

 1 Now after the Sabbath, as it began to dawn toward the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary came to look at the grave. 2 And behold, a severe earthquake had occurred, for an angel of the Lord descended from heaven and came and rolled away the stone and sat upon it. 3 And his appearance was like lightning, and his clothing as white as snow. 4 The guards shook for fear of him and became like dead men. 5 The angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid; for I know that you are looking for Jesus who has been crucified. 6 He is not here, for He has risen, just as He said. Come, see the place where He was lying. 7 Go quickly and tell His disciples that He has risen from the dead; and behold, He is going ahead of you into Galilee, there you will see Him; behold, I have told you.”
 8 And they left the tomb quickly with fear and great joy and ran to report it to His disciples. 9 And behold, Jesus met them and greeted them. And they came up and took hold of His feet and worshiped Him. 10 Then Jesus *said to them, “Do not be afraid; go and take word to My brethren to leave for Galilee, and there they will see Me.”

Now on the first day of the week Mary Magdalene *came early to the tomb, while it *was still dark, and *saw the stone already taken away from the tomb. 2 So she *ran and *came to Simon Peter and to the other disciple whom Jesus loved, and *said to them, “They have taken away the Lord out of the tomb, and we do not know where they have laid Him.” 3 So Peter and the other disciple went forth, and they were going to the tomb. 4 The two were running together; and the other disciple ran ahead faster than Peter and came to the tomb first; 5 and stooping and looking in, he *saw the linen wrappings lying there; but he did not go in. 6 And so Simon Peter also *came, following him, and entered the tomb; and he *saw the linen wrappings lying there, 7 and the face-cloth which had been on His head, not lying with the linen wrappings, but rolled up in a place by itself. 8 So the other disciple who had first come to the tomb then also entered, and he saw and believed. 9 For as yet they did not understand the Scripture, that He must rise again from the dead. 10 So the disciples went away again to their own homes.

[theophilus]

Whenever several different people give independent accounts of an event there will be differences between them because they will give different details and they often will emphasis different parts of the event. This is the source of the differences between the accounts of the resurrection and of many of the other things that are recorded in the Bible. Here is a chronology of what all four gospels tell us about the resurrection:

Resurrection Chronology | Christian Apologetics and Research Ministry

The differences between the gospels show that they were written independently and weren't edited by any religious authorities to make them conform to a theological position.

Here is an explanation of why the gospels are so different.

Why are there four gospels? « clydeherrin

[Peter]

Whenever several different people give independent accounts of an event there will be differences between them because they will give different details and they often will emphasis different parts of the event. This is the source of the differences between the accounts of the resurrection and of many of the other things that are recorded in the Bible. Here is a chronology of what all four gospels tell us about the resurrection:

Resurrection Chronology | Christian Apologetics and Research Ministry

The differences between the gospels show that they were written independently and weren't edited by any religious authorities to make them conform to a theological position.

Here is an explanation of why the gospels are so different.

Why are there four gospels? « clydeherrin

So tell me again which parts of the bible are the infallible word of god and which are just "independent accounts" of humans with very poor observational skills?

[theophilus]

So tell me again which parts of the bible are the infallible word of god and which are just "independent accounts" of humans with very poor observational skills?

All of the Bible was written by humans but they were inspired by God so that they didn't make any mistakes. The people who wrote of the resurrection didn't make any mistakes in their observations. They simply made different decisions as to which details to include in their accounts.

[Peter]

All of the Bible was written by humans but they were inspired by God so that they didn't make any mistakes. The people who wrote of the resurrection didn't make any mistakes in their observations. They simply made different decisions as to which details to include in their accounts.

So all of these narratives are accurate?

Mark

Just after sunrise on the day after the Sabbath three women, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome, come to anoint Jesus' body, wondering how they can roll the rock away from the tomb; but they find the rock already rolled aside and a young man in white inside; he tells them that Jesus is risen, and that they should tell Peter and the disciples that he will meet them in Galilee, "just as he told you." The women run away and tell no-one.[61]

Matthew

Just after sunrise on the day after the Sabbath two women, Mary Magdalene and "the other Mary," came to look at the tomb. Accompanied by an earthquake, an angel comes down from Heaven and rolls the rock aside from the tomb. The angel tells them not to be afraid, but to tell the disciples that Jesus is risen and will meet them in Galilee. The women are joyful and set out to tell the disciples the good news, but Jesus appears and tells them not to be afraid, but to Jesus himself suddenly appears and tells them that he is risen and that they should tell the disciples that they will see him in Galilee. The disciples go to Galilee, where they see Jesus.

The soldiers guarding the tomb are terrified by the angel, and inform the chief priests; the priests and elders bribe them to spread a lie that the disciples have stolen the body, "[a]nd this story has been widely circulated among the Jews to this very day."

Luke

Just after sunrise on the day after the Sabbath a number of women (Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Mary the mother of James, and others) come to anoint Jesus' body. They find the stone rolled away and the tomb empty. Suddenly two men stand beside them. The men tell them Jesus is risen. The women tell the disciples, but the disciples do not believe them, except for Peter who runs to the tomb. Peter finds the grave-clothes in the empty tomb and goes away, wondering.

The same day Jesus appears to two of his followers on the road to Emmaus. They fail to recognise him until he breaks bread and gives thanks, and he then vanishes. The two go at once to Jerusalem where they find the disciples exclaiming over Jesus' appearance to Peter. As they tell their story Jesus appears to them all. They are afraid, but he invites them to touch his body, eats with them, and explains the prophecies which are fulfilled in him.[63]

Acts

(The Acts of the Apostles is presented as a continuation of the Gospel of Luke) Jesus appeared to the Apostles for forty days, giving many proofs that he was alive, and instructing them not to leave Jerusalem until they were baptised with the Holy Spirit.[64]

John

Early on the day after the Sabbath, before sunrise, Mary Magdalene visits the tomb and finds the stone rolled away. She tells Peter and "the beloved disciple," who run to the tomb and find the grave-clothes, then go home. Mary sees two angels and then Jesus, whom she does not recognise. Jesus tells her to tell the disciples that he is ascending to the Father, and Mary tells the disciples she has seen the Lord.

That evening Jesus appears among them, despite locked doors, and gives them power over sin and forgiveness of sin. A week later he appears to doubting Thomas, who has not believed, but when Thomas is instructed to touch the wounds of Jesus he says, "My Lord and my God!" Jesus replies: "Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed."

So before and after sunrise mary magdaline alone and various women go to the tomb and find the stone rolled away and an angel comes to roll the stone away. They then find an empty tomb, a boy in white, two men, two angels and jesus. The women run away and tell no one and the disciples.

Yeah, that sounds perfectly accurate. No inconsistencies there! C'mon, really??

[Trojan_Ripper]

So all of these narratives are accurate?

So before and after sunrise mary magdaline alone and various women go to the tomb and find the stone rolled away and an angel comes to roll the stone away. They then find an empty tomb, a boy in white, two men, two angels and jesus. The women run away and tell no one and the disciples.

Yeah, that sounds perfectly accurate. No inconsistencies there! C'mon, really??

I guess it would be like gossiping and how the facts change from person to person. Kinda like “the boy fell off his bike and skinned his knee after riding over the stone in the road” and ends up being “the boy was crushed to death after being struck by a boulder”.

There are so many translations of the bible and the “easy to read” versions, that I’m sure things are lost or added for the benefit, or detriment, of the reader.

It would be interesting to take the different versions and see what they say about Revelation 22:18-19

18 For I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book:

19 And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book.

Hmmmmm?

So, What version does a person use in correlation with the word “Infallible”?

[Peter]

So, What version does a person use in correlation with the word “Infallible”?

That's a very good question TR.

[finder]

So all of these narratives are accurate?

So before and after sunrise mary magdaline alone and various women go to the tomb and find the stone rolled away and an angel comes to roll the stone away. They then find an empty tomb, a boy in white, two men, two angels and jesus. The women run away and tell no one and the disciples.

Yeah, that sounds perfectly accurate. No inconsistencies there! C'mon, really??

As Theophilus already demonstrated, the chronological order of the resurrection account secures the integrity of the message in inerrant fashion. Had you bothered to examine it you might of realized that. All you have done is shown John possibly had Mary Magdalene's departure time for the tomb in mind where as the others were more focused on what was discovered when she arrived. And she no doubt met up with friends along the way. The Bible isn't a conspiracy novel so individualism is going to be present in the authors accounting of what they are relaying to their perspective audiences. That doesn't automatically disqualify the message as errant. It just disqualifies the comprehension skills of the beholder who has bias attitudes towards the message.

[Night]

Whenever several different people give independent accounts of an event there will be differences between them because they will give different details and they often will emphasis different parts of the event. This is the source of the differences between the accounts of the resurrection and of many of the other things that are recorded in the Bible. Here is a chronology of what all four gospels tell us about the resurrection:

Resurrection Chronology | Christian Apologetics and Research Ministry

The differences between the gospels show that they were written independently and weren't edited by any religious authorities to make them conform to a theological position.

Here is an explanation of why the gospels are so different.

Why are there four gospels? « clydeherrin

Buddy, these passages are not "emphasis of different details". These passages are entirely different, so different that the event in question becomes doubtful.

If god wrote the bible through humans, you'd think he'd be able to keep his own story straight.

[Night]

All of the Bible was written by humans but they were inspired by God so that they didn't make any mistakes. The people who wrote of the resurrection didn't make any mistakes in their observations. They simply made different decisions as to which details to include in their accounts.

Oh, the bible is jam packed with mistakes. Here are a few examples.

“Let the one who believes in me drink. As the scripture has said, ‘Out of the believer's heart shall flow rivers of living water’” (John 7:38) (There is NO scripture that says anything like that)

“God's Perfect World is like a mustard seed that someone took and sowed in his field; it is the smallest of all the seeds, but when it has grown it is the greatest of shrubs and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and make nests in its branches” [Matthew 13:31-32]. (there is no such thing as a mustard tree, it grows in a bush)

" Truly I tell you, this generation [i.e., those standing around and listening to Jesus preach] will not pass away until all these things have taken place." — Matthew 24:34 (It seems Christians have always loved to bullshit each other about the apocalypse. It always seems to be just around the corner. Even jesus himself said it would happen before his disciples died)

Furthermore, the books of Matthew, Mark, and Luke (and many others) have NEVER claimed to be written by the actual disciples. In fact, the oldest copies of these books we own were ALL written more than 100 years after christ died, most of the oldest known copies of the books of the NT that we have were written hundreds of years after christ died.

The book of Mark was obviously edited, because the ending differs TREMENDOUSLY from the original copies we have. The parts of Mark that occur after jesus died were added by a different author.

I can go on and on. There are a TON of errors in the bible.

THE BIBLE IS *NOT* INERRANT.

[Night]

As Theophilus already demonstrated, the chronological order of the resurrection account secures the integrity of the message in inerrant fashion. Had you bothered to examine it you might of realized that. All you have done is shown John possibly had Mary Magdalene's departure time for the tomb in mind where as the others were more focused on what was discovered when she arrived. And she no doubt met up with friends along the way. The Bible isn't a conspiracy novel so individualism is going to be present in the authors accounting of what they are relaying to their perspective audiences. That doesn't automatically disqualify the message as errant. It just disqualifies the comprehension skills of the beholder who has bias attitudes towards the message.

In one book, the three women run away from the tomb and don't talk to anyone. In another book, Mary Magdalene (who was alone at the tomb) runs straight to one of the disciples. This is just ONE example of how these VERY different accounts cannot be reconciled. You can either believe one account or another, but it is simply not possible to reconcile all of the differences in these books.

[Night]

Some christians (stupidly) argue that the bible was originally perfect, but was polluted by the scribes who copied it. That simply doesn't make sense. Why would god make a perfect book, and then just let people mess it all up? And then why would he leave us no modern copies of the very first editions of these books, so we could fix the mistakes?

Come on now people, use your common sense. The bible is not infallible. The bible is wrong. It was written by humans only. No god involved. That's why there are so many ridiculous errors with it.

I guess it would be like gossiping and how the facts change from person to person. Kinda like “the boy fell off his bike and skinned his knee after riding over the stone in the road” and ends up being “the boy was crushed to death after being struck by a boulder”.

There are so many translations of the bible and the “easy to read” versions, that I’m sure things are lost or added for the benefit, or detriment, of the reader.

It would be interesting to take the different versions and see what they say about Revelation 22:18-19

18 For I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book:

19 And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book.

Hmmmmm?

So, What version does a person use in correlation with the word “Infallible”?

Yeah, there are SO many different versions of the old bibles that one wonders how christians got that idiotic idea in their heads that the bible is infallible. The fact that today's bibles differ significantly from the original ancient manuscripts makes one wonder how ignorant of history those christians have to be to believe this "infallible" claptrap. The bible is jam-packed with all sorts of fun errors.