The Domain for Truth

For today’s post we will tackle the question the Skeptic Annotated Bible asked: Is casting out devils a sign of a true Christian?

Here are the answers which the skeptic believes indicate a Bible contradiction:

Yes, it is a sign of a true believer.

“These signs will accompany those who have believed: in My name they will cast out demons, they will speak with new tongues;” (Mark 16:17)

No, some who don’t follow Jesus can cast out devils too.

“John said to Him, “Teacher, we saw someone casting out demons in Your name, and we tried to prevent him because he was not following us.”” (Mark 9:38)

“John answered and said, “Master, we saw someone casting out demons in Your name; and we tried to prevent him, because he does not follow along with us.”” (Luke 9:49)

No, many who have cast out devils in Jesus’s name are now in hell.

“Many will say to Me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?’ 23 And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; leave Me, you who practice lawlessness.’” (Matthew 7:22-23)

(All Scriptural quotation comes from the New American Standard Bible)

Here’s a closer look at whether or not there is a contradiction:

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For today’s post we will tackle the question the Skeptic Annotated Bible asked: Does wisdom make people happy?

Here are the answers which the skeptic believes indicate a Bible contradiction:

Wisdom makes people happy.

“Blessed is a person who finds wisdom, And one who obtains understanding. ” (Proverbs 3:13)

Wisdom makes people miserable.

“Because in much wisdom there is much grief; and increasing knowledge results in increasing pain.” (Ecclesiastes 1:18)

(All Scriptural quotation comes from the New American Standard Bible)

Here’s a closer look at whether or not there is a contradiction:

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For today’s post we will tackle the question the Skeptic Annotated Bible asked: How many children did Michal (David’s first wife) have?

Here are the answers which the skeptic believes indicate a Bible contradiction:

Michal had no child.

“But when David returned to bless his own household, Michal the daughter of Saul came out to meet David and said, “How the king of Israel dignified himself today! For he exposed himself today in the sight of his servants’ female slaves, as one of the rabble shamelessly exposes himself!” 21 But David said to Michal, “I was before the Lord, who preferred me to your father and to all his house, to appoint me as ruler over the people of the Lord, over Israel. So I will celebrate before the Lord! 22 And I might demean myself even more than this and be lowly in my own sight, but with the female slaves of whom you have spoken, with them I am to be held in honor!” 23 And Michal the daughter of Saul had no child to the day of her death.” (2 Samuel 6:20-23)

The skeptics states “(Because God punished her for criticizing her husband David for dancing nearly naked in front of God and everybody.)”

Michal had five children.

“Now there was a famine in the days of David for three years, year after year; and David sought the presence of the Lord. And the Lord said, “It is because of Saul and his bloody house, because he put the Gibeonites to death.” 2 So the king called the Gibeonites and spoke to them (now the Gibeonites were not of the sons of Israel, but of the remnant of the Amorites, and the sons of Israel had made a covenant with them, but Saul had sought to kill them in his zeal for the sons of Israel and Judah). 3 David said to the Gibeonites, “What should I do for you? And how can I make amends, so that you will bless the inheritance of the Lord?” 4 Then the Gibeonites said to him, “For us it is not a matter of silver or gold with Saul or his house, nor is it for us to put anyone to death in Israel.” Nevertheless David said, “I will do for you whatever you say.” 5 So they said to the king, “The man who destroyed us and who planned to eliminate us so that we would not exist within any border of Israel— 6 let seven men from his sons be given to us, and we will hang them before the Lord in Gibeah of Saul, the chosen of the Lord.” And the king said, “I will give them.” 7 But the king spared Mephibosheth, the son of Jonathan, the son of Saul, because of the oath of the Lord which was between them, between David and Saul’s son Jonathan. 8 So the king took the two sons of Rizpah the daughter of Aiah, Armoni and Mephibosheth whom she had borne to Saul, and the five sons of Merab the daughter of Saul, whom she had borne to Adriel the son of Barzillai the Meholathite. 9 Then he handed them over to the Gibeonites, and they hanged them on the mountain before the Lord, so that the seven of them fell together; and they were put to death in the first days of harvest at the beginning of barley harvest. 10 And Rizpah the daughter of Aiah took sackcloth and spread it out for herself on the rock, from the beginning of harvest until it rained on them from the sky; and she allowed neither the birds of the sky to rest on them by day nor the wild animals by night. 11 When it was reported to David what Rizpah the daughter of Aiah, the concubine of Saul, had done, 12 then David went and took the bones of Saul and the bones of his son Jonathan from the citizens of Jabesh-gilead, who had stolen them from the public square of Beth-shan, where the Philistines had hanged them on the day the Philistines struck and killed Saul in Gilboa. 13 He brought up from there the bones of Saul and the bones of his son Jonathan, and they gathered the bones of those who had been hanged. 14 Then they buried the bones of Saul and his son Jonathan in the country of Benjamin in Zela, in the grave of his father Kish; So they did everything that the king commanded, and after that God responded to prayer for the land.”” (2 Samuel 21:1-14)

The skeptics states “(Who were killed and hung up “unto the Lord” To appease God and thereby end the famine that God had inflicted on the people to punish David for something that his predecesor Saul supposedly did.)”

(All Scriptural quotation comes from the New American Standard Bible)

Here’s a closer look at whether or not there is a contradiction:

(more…)

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