INSIDE OUT

Please don't tell me that the whole bible is the God-inspired, God-breathed, useful for correction and blah blah blah until you understand something about it. First of all, where did you see that written? Hmmm... RIGHT! In the B-I-B-L-E! Yet, how can one author... write about itself as a WHOLE book... without first becoming... that's right... "PART" of this 'book'!!!??? Please realize my frustration here. The author of those words, could not POSSIBLY be talking about the bible as a whole.. without that particular "book" even EXISTING yet!!!

The author was writing a letter to a church. The only compositions at that time, which were considered a "book" was most of the "Old" Testament . Other "scriptures" of that day were in circulation, but, so were other "heretical" documents. We don't consider THEM infallable just because they were written by a Christ-follower. And so it is no different that today, we should consider the words of Timothy to not be at ALL about the New Testament teachings.

Okay, onto some less obvious things to most Christians I've run into. The bible has factual flaws in it. *gasp* When I show people this, their usual response is to say something like, "well, that doesn't change my faith". GOOD!!! I'm so glad. Neither does it mine!!! :)) So, now we can have a conversation.

You don't have to read the following materials word for word. I wanted to include most of the verses so you could see what happens shortly before and after. I will premise these cross references by saying this: For a book that is so flawless, shouldn't thee most important event in ALL of history, be infallable? I think so. And so here it is, a story. A story about Jesus being risen from the dead. Do I believe it happened. Yes! As this "event" is also noted in other historical documents other than those told by followers of Christ. However, when only discussing the infallable words of this "holy" scripture, I think they should have done a much better job at portraying such a significant occurance. If you can't see it for yourself, scroll down to the end of the verses and I'll point a few things out.

Matthew 28:1-7 (NLT)
1 Early on Sunday morning, as the new day was dawning, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went out to see the tomb. 2 Suddenly there was a great earthquake, because an angel of the Lord came down from heaven and rolled aside the stone and sat on it. 3 His face shone like lightning, and his clothing was as white as snow. 4 The guards shook with fear when they saw him, and they fell into a dead faint. 5 Then the angel spoke to the women. "Don't be afraid!" he said. "I know you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. 6 He isn't here! He has been raised from the dead, just as he said would happen. Come, see where his body was lying. 7 And now, go quickly and tell his disciples he has been raised from the dead, and he is going ahead of you to Galilee. You will see him there. Remember, I have told you."

Mark 16:1-9(NLT)
1 The next evening, when the Sabbath ended, Mary Magdalene and Salome and Mary the mother of James went out and purchased burial spices to put on Jesus' body. 2 Very early on Sunday morning, just at sunrise, they came to the tomb. 3 On the way they were discussing who would roll the stone away from the entrance to the tomb. 4 But when they arrived, they looked up and saw that the stone – a very large one – had already been rolled aside. 5 So they entered the tomb, and there on the right sat a young man clothed in a white robe. The women were startled, 6 but the angel said, "Do not be so surprised. You are looking for Jesus, the Nazarene, who was crucified. He isn't here! He has been raised from the dead! Look, this is where they laid his body. 7 Now go and give this message to his disciples, including Peter: Jesus is going ahead of you to Galilee. You will see him there, just as he told you before he died!" 8 The women fled from the tomb, trembling and bewildered, saying nothing to anyone because they were too frightened to talk. F98 Then they reported all these instructions briefly to Peter and his companions. Afterward Jesus himself sent them out from east to west with the sacred and unfailing message of salvation that gives eternal life. Amen. 9 It was early on Sunday morning when Jesus rose from the dead, and the first person who saw him was Mary Magdalene, the woman from whom he had cast out seven demons.

Luke 24:1-12 (NLT)
1 But very early on Sunday morning the women came to the tomb, taking the spices they had prepared. 2 They found that the stone covering the entrance had been rolled aside. 3 So they went in, but they couldn't find the body of the Lord Jesus. 4 They were puzzled, trying to think what could have happened to it. Suddenly, two men appeared to them, clothed in dazzling robes. 5 The women were terrified and bowed low before them. Then the men asked, "Why are you looking in a tomb for someone who is alive? 6 He isn't here! He has risen from the dead! Don't you remember what he told you back in Galilee, 7 that the Son of Man must be betrayed into the hands of sinful men and be crucified, and that he would rise again the third day?" 8 Then they remembered that he had said this. 9 So they rushed back to tell his eleven disciples – and everyone else – what had happened. 10 The women who went to the tomb were Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Mary the mother of James, and several others. They told the apostles what had happened, 11 but the story sounded like nonsense, so they didn't believe it. 12 However, Peter ran to the tomb to look. Stooping, he peered in and saw the empty linen wrappings; then he went home again, wondering what had happened.

John 20:1-18 (NLT)
1 Early Sunday morning, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene came to the tomb and found that the stone had been rolled away from the entrance. 2 She ran and found Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one whom Jesus loved. She said, "They have taken the Lord's body out of the tomb, and I don't know where they have put him!" 3 Peter and the other disciple ran to the tomb to see. 4 The other disciple outran Peter and got there first. 5 He stooped and looked in and saw the linen cloth lying there, but he didn't go in. 6 Then Simon Peter arrived and went inside. He also noticed the linen wrappings lying there, 7 while the cloth that had covered Jesus' head was folded up and lying to the side. 8 Then the other disciple also went in, and he saw and believed – 9 for until then they hadn't realized that the Scriptures said he would rise from the dead. 10 Then they went home. 11 Mary was standing outside the tomb crying, and as she wept, she stooped and looked in. 12 She saw two white-robed angels sitting at the head and foot of the place where the body of Jesus had been lying. 13 "Why are you crying?" the angels asked her."Because they have taken away my Lord," she replied, "and I don't know where they have put him." 14 She glanced over her shoulder and saw someone standing behind her. It was Jesus, but she didn't recognize him. 15 "Why are you crying?" Jesus asked her. "Who are you looking for?" She thought he was the gardener. "Sir," she said, "if you have taken him away, tell me where you have put him, and I will go and get him." 16 "Mary!" Jesus said.She turned toward him and exclaimed, "Teacher!" 17 "Don't cling to me," Jesus said, "for I haven't yet ascended to the Father. But go find my brothers and tell them that I am ascending to my Father and your Father, my God and your God." 18 Mary Magdalene found the disciples and told them, "I have seen the Lord!" Then she gave them his message.

First of all, who was it that reached the tomb first?

Matthew - Mary Magdalene and the other Mary
Mark - Mary Magdalene and Salome and Mary the mother of James
Luke - Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Mary the mother of James
John - Mary Magdalene (alone)?
...boy, to get a book written by Mary Magdalene!

Secondly, who spoke with the woman or women at the tomb?
Matthew - Then the angel spoke to the women. "Don't be afraid!" he said. "I know you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified.
Mark - ...but the angel said, "Do not be so surprised. You are looking for Jesus, the Nazarene, who was crucified. He isn't here!
Luke - Suddenly, "TWO" men appeared to them, clothed in dazzling robes. John - She saw two white-robed angels sitting at the head and foot of the place where the body of Jesus had been lying. 13 "Why are you crying?" the angels asked her."Because they have taken away my Lord," she replied, "and I don't know where they have put him." 14 She glanced over her shoulder and saw someone standing behind her. It was Jesus...

So, who met them at the tomb? One angel? Two angels? ...

Also, something I've just recently noticed is that in all of the first 3 accounts (Matthew, Mark and Luke), it is stated that the angel told the women about Jesus and "THEN" they went to find the disciples. However, John's account is different. Look back at verses 2-9. Mary finishes telling the disciples. Verse 10 says then that they "went home". It was only "THEN" that the angels and Jesus appeared. Is it possible that in the other accounts, the woman(en) went to the disciples only after the disciples found the empty tomb for themselves?

Another thought that I need to add to the "Is Jesus God" entry is John 20:17. Give it a read.

The best quote I've heard, recently, is the following: "The Bible of today transmits as precisely as is humanly possible the original revelation that came from God" http://www.ibs.org/bibles/about/20.php The person(s) who quoted this was referring to how the bible has changed, over time. I urge you to go to this website to see some of the things I've been reading. I don't know if everything on this website is true or not. But, what I do know is that it is an amazing Jesus that I've found. This 'book' continues to grow in strength. I don't believe it is so because it is in total, "infallable". I do, however, know that the truth of God can be found all around us and yes, also in this book.