Are You Enlightened or Offended when Scriptures Contradict Your Beliefs?* - Download PDF Article

Are you enlightened or offended when:

the scripture says,  "Yahweh, is my shepherd––I shall not want" (Ps. 23:1) rather than 'The Lord is my shepherd'? Yahweh is used 6,831 times in the Old Testament!

the scriptures say that the Messiah's name is Yahoshua (yeh-ho-shoo’- ah) and not Jesus? His name is identical to the prophet Joshua (Yahoshua) (Acts 7:45, Heb. 4:8).

the scriptures say that Christ has a God? "Blessed, be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with every spiritual blessing, in the heavenlies, in Christ" (Eph. 1:3); Mt. 12:50, 27:46; Rm. 8:29, 1Cor. 15:24, 2 Cor. 1:3, 11:31; Eph. 1:17; Col. 1:3; Heb. 1:9, 2:11; Rev. 1:6

the Greek texts say that Yahweh awoke Yahoshua from among the dead? "But, the Princely Leader of Life, ye slew:––whom, Yahweh,, awoke (egerio) from among the dead (ek nekron), whereof, we, are witnesses" (Acts 3:15); Acts 4:10, 13:30, Rm. 10:9. Ek nekron denotes out from among dead people.

the scriptures say that when people die they are asleep, as was Yahoshua? "But we do not wish you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them who are falling asleep,––lest ye be sorrowing, even as the rest also, who are without hope" (1 Thes. 4:13); Matt 27:52; John 11:11f; Acts 7:60; 12:6; 13:36; 1 Cor 7:39; 11:30; 15:6, 18, 20, 51; 1 Thess 4:13ff; 2 Pet 3:4

the scriptures say that we are to prophesy and speak in tongues? "So, then, my brethren,––be zealous to prophesy, and do not forbid, to be speaking with tongues" (1 Cor. 14:39); I Cor. 14

Are you enlightened or offended when:

the dead (fallen asleep) go to Sheol, awaiting their awakening rather than going to Heaven? "Who is the man that shall live, and not see death? That can deliver his soul from the hand of Sheol" (Ps. 89:48); "For thou wilt not abandon my soul to Sheol, neither wilt thou suffer thy man of lovingkindness, to see corruption" (Ps. 16:10); "and, many of the sleepers in the dusty ground, shall awake,––these, shall be to age–abiding life, but, those, to reproach, and age–abiding abhorrence" (Da. 12:2).

the word, 'Hell' is not in the Hebrew or Greek text? Sheol, Hades, Gehenna (Valley of Ben–hinnom), Tartarus and the Lake of Fire (limne pur) are words that are in the text but Hell is not.

the scriptures command us not to feed those who will not work? "For, even when we were with you, this, were we giving in charge unto you,––that, if any will not work, neither let him eat" (2 Thes. 3:10); 1 Cor. 5:7-13.

the scriptures say that the 'New Earth' will be our future home and not 'Heaven'? "Blessed are the meek, For they shall inherit the earth" (Mt. 5:5); "For, as the new heavens and the new earth which I am about to make, are to remain before me, Declareth Yahweh, So, shall remain, your seed and your name" (Is. 66:22); Rev. 21-22.

the way Yahweh uses the word 'nephesh' (soul)? "And Elohim said––Let the waters swarm with an abundance of living soul [nephesh]...And Elohim created the great sea–monsters,––and every living soul...And Elohim said––Let the land, bring forth, living soul..." (Gen. 1:20, 21, 24); Gen 1:20f, 24, 30; 2:7, 19; 9:4f, 10, 12, 15f; 12:5; 14:21; 17:14; 19:17, 19f; 23:8; 27:4; 32:30; 34:8; 35:18; 37:21; 42:21; 44:30; 46:18, 22, 25ff; 49:6...

the gender of spirit (ruah), in Hebrew is feminine and in Greek (pneuma) is neuter? "The spirit of truth,––which, the world, cannot receive, because it beholdeth it not, nor getteth to know it. But, ye, are getting to know it; because, with you, it abideth, and, in you, it is" (Jn. 14:17).

the scriptures say that Christ did not die on Good Friday and get up on Sunday? "For, just as was Jonah in the belly of the sea–monster three days and three nights [72 hours], so, will be the Son of Man, in the heart of the earth, three days and three nights" (Mt. 12:40).

Are you enlightened or offended when:

the scriptures say that Christ is a Man? "For there is, one, Elohim, one, mediator also, between Yahweh and men,––a man––Christ Yahoshua" (1 Ti. 2:5); 1Tim. 2:5, Acts 2:22, 13:38-39, 17:31, Rom. 5:15, 1Cor. 15:21, 49, Zech. 6:12, Jn. 1:30

the scriptures say that four men were crucified with Christ and not two? "where, him, they crucified; and, with him, other two, on this side and on that, and, in the midst, Yahoshua" (Jn. 19:18).

the ancient texts do not contain the account of the woman caught in adultery (Jn. 7:53-8:11)? The editorial Committee of the United Bible Societies' Greek New Testament were unanimous that this section of scripture was originally no part of the Gospel of John.

the ancient texts do not contain "But, Yahoshua, was saying––Father! forgive them; for they know not what they do" (Lk. 23:34)? The editorial Committee of the United Bible Societies' Greek New Testament states, "The absence of these words from such early and diverse witnesses as î75 B D* W Q ita, d syrs copsa, bomss al is most impressive and can scarcely be explained as a deliberate excision by copyists..."

the immersion with water has been replaced with the immersion in holy spirit (ruah)? "Because, John, indeed, immersed with water; but, ye, in holy ruah (spirit) shall be immersed,––after not many of these days" (Acts 1:5); Mt. 3:11, Mr. 1:8, Lk. 3:36, Acts 11:16, 19:1-7; one immersion Eph. 4:5

the apostles did not immerse anyone into the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit (Mt. 28:19)? "And Peter said unto them––Repent ye, and let each one of you be immersed, in the name of Yahoshua Christ, into the remission of your sins,––and ye shall receive the free–gift of the holy ruah (spirit)" (Acts 2:38); Acts 8:16, 10:48, 19:5

the scriptures never say 'Mother of God,' 'God the Son,' 'God the Holy Spirit,' 'Trinity' or 'Triune God?'

the parable of the rich man and Lazarus (Lk. 16:19-31) does not use the words Gehenna or Heaven?

Psalms 116:15 reads, "Costly in the eyes of Yahweh, is, death, for his men of lovingkindness" rather than "Precious in the sight of the LORD Is the death of His saints?"

Are you enlightened or offended when:

John 3:16 does not say, "For God so loved the world that He gave Himself, that whoever believes in Him should not go to Hell but go to Heaven?" " For God, so loved, the world, that, his Only Begotten Son, he gave,––that, whosoever believeth on him, might not perish, but have life age–abiding."

John 1:18 reads, "No one, hath seen, God, at any time: An Only Begotten God, The One existing within the bosom of the Father, He, hath interpreted him"? "With the acquisition of î66 [Manuscript from 175-200 AD] and î75 [Manuscript from 200AD] both of which read qeo,j, [theos (God)] the external support of this reading has been notably strengthened. A majority of the Committee regarded the reading monogenh.j ui`o,j, [only begotten son] which undoubtedly is easier than monogenh.j qeo,j, [only begotten god] to be the result of scribal assimilation to Jn 3.16, 18; 1 Jn 4.9. The anarthrous use of qeo,j [theos (God)] (cf. 1.1) appears to be more primitive. There is no reason why the article should have been deleted, and when ui`o,j [son] supplanted qeo,j [god] it would certainly have been added..." (See below how other translations translate this verse.)

If you are offended, or know someone who may be offended, then consider Matthew 15:12-15; "Then, coming near, his disciples say unto him––Knowest thou, that the Pharisees [offended ones], hearing the word, were caused to stumble?  And, he, answering, said––Every plant which my heavenly Father hath not planted, will be uprooted:  Let them alone! they are, blind leaders; and, if the, blind, lead the, blind, both, into a ditch, will fall.  And Peter [enlightened one], answering, said unto him, Declare to us the parable."

(For footnotes, see the PDF verison)

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