Customer Reviews

735 Baffling Bible Questions Answered

5 star:		(1)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

Ok, so you're reading the Bible for the first time, and you've got questions. This book offers you some possible answers. Yes, other critics of this book have other answers... no one said all Christians or Bible scholars agree... but this book does make it simple for you to read what some of the answer may be. Which also allows you to see what fits or doesn't fit with your own understanding of what you're reading in the Bible. No one can say one book is totally right or totally wrong when it comes to making sense of the Bible in today's world... except God. And He's no here right now to right a book, so you'll have to read a few books on your own and come up with your own opinions. I think this book offers a good starting point, an easy style, and answers that do help the novice.

This book is a must have for anyone who ever questions their faith. I found the book particularly helpful in my ministry here on campus. Sometimes sceptics raise questions that are difficult to answer, more often than not these questions are addressed in this book. This book is a must-have for any Christian, a perfect accompaniment to The Bible!

The following is meant to be a retort to the review by J.B. Patterson (St. Augustine, Florida USA) concerning Larry Richards book, as well as a comment concerning the book itself.

While considering a new book to purchase, and viewing some of Dr. Richards reviews, I took interest at the low rating concerning the book in question which I own and happen to like even though it is simplistic.

You display your own presupposition which is obviously antithetical to Biblical inerrancy. You also display your contempt for Dr. Richards in the derogatory and inflammatory comments you make about him personally, as well as his book. A studious person will have flags go up whenever they see that a review was written so inflammatory and emotionally inspired.

Rather intending to or not, you come across arrogant and condescending, which does not support your statements or position. This no doubt explains why only 7 out of 17 individuals find your review helpful; maybe you need to rethink how you present yourself and your opinions in reviewing issues which may be important to others.

Concerning your assertion, the Documentary Hypothesis is technically referred to as the "Wellhausen Hypothesis," after its creator, Julius Wellhausen who declared that there were four authors of the Pentateuch (Greek for the Hebrew Scriptures - the first 5 books of the Bible, referred to by the Jew as the Torah. The word Pentateuch is taken from the Septuagint Greek translation of the Old Testament Scriptures, the second to third century BC) which presented different styles of writing which are abbreviated by the single letters J, E, D, and P.

For the Christian, addressing this heresy is very easy. Jesus Himself referred to all five of the books of the Pentateuch as authored by Moses (a few: Matthew 8:4; 19:7, 8; 23:2; Mark 1:44; 10:3, 4; 7:10; Luke 5:14; 16:19, 31; 20:37; 24:27, 44; John 3:14; 5:39, 45, 46, 6:32; 7:19, 22, 23) with over 165 direct quotes in the New Testament, and over two hundred allusions. If you are a Christian, then you believe in the deity of Jesus Christ, and therefore have no problem trusting what he says about the matter. However, if this is case you have more severe issues to address than 100-year-old hypothesis.

You question why Dr. Richards would not give further information concerning this heretical teaching, yet, any mature believer does not present heresies (and others such as the "Deutero-Isaiah Controversy," the issue of the Canon of Scripture and inerrancy, and many others which can be understood with correct hermeneutics, linguistics, and exegesis), wherein new believers might become entangled, potentially to the detriment of their faith.

I would spend more time addressing your dubious claims, yet it is apparent you have all the knowledge you think you need. Yet, these words are not written for you specifically, but those that might be persuaded by your perverse comments concerning the Wellhausen Hypothesis, which has unfortunately shaken the faith of many an individual unlearned in the Scripture (or educated at a liberal Bible college or seminary, or an un-Biblical University bent upon its own humanistic presuppositions).

The point of Christianity is that "faith cometh by hearing and hearing by the word of God" (Romans 10:17). Biblical faith is not achieved by experientialism, but by a thorough, and Spirit led examination of God's Word. When the Bible and it's integrity is attacked, so is Biblical faith. Proverbs 12:15

Dr. Richard's book, while sometimes simple, is yet effective when it attempts to address those issues which seem dark and enigmatic concerning God's Word. Larry puts forth many insightful considerations which are sometimes profound and sometimes common, yet never seen to be heretical; and even when disagreed with cannot be charged as being heterodoxical.

The 735 in the title tips off the alert reader that there must be a LOT of confusing stuff in the Bible. Actually though, 735 isn't even the half of it. 735 problems is only like "the tip of the iceburg". But Mr. Richards compiles 735 he thinks he can handle well enough.

Richards, in the introduction, classifies Biblical correctness problems as including: copying errors; scientific errors; historical errors, moral flaws; and inconsistancy (which most people would call contradictions); and misunderstandings. Again the perceptive reader is alerted as to the magnitude of what Quixoti-like Larry Richards is tilting at. Can he actually be saying, :"I am right and EVERY other kind of expert is wrong"? It doesn't seem to phase Mr. Richards at all that a supposedly inerrent Word of an all-knowing God is so poorly written that there are 735 baffling questions. It's a surprisingly unable to clarify itself Word, it seems. Why does it speak if it only can multiply misunderstandings?

So Biblical book by Biblical book, Richards, one at a time, goes through all 66 books. Pointing out places most any novice reader would notice as problems. And is pretty good at recognizing the directions from which critics have made their points. But if the Bible novice were to get the critic's side of it, the way the critics put it; the novice reader would have no doubt at all Richards grossly misreprersents what the critics point out.

An up-front example: Richards shows he is aware there are two, not one, creation stories in Genesis. And he hints he knows the (not here named) Documentary Hypothesis discloses the Penteteuch has had at least several writers called J, E, P, D, and R (Ezra). But Richards does not mention Biblical parts written by J,E,P,D, and Ezra can clearly be separated from each other by: differing styles, choices of words and phrases, dates, differing values and constrasting political and tribal loyalties. Any person acquainted with Documentary Hypothsis easily and clearly can see each Biblical writer intentionally contradicts each writer who wrote prior to himself. Here's how: J has an anthropromorphic God, and J champions the Judah tribe. But the next great E writer's whole purpose is to point by point everywhere to contradict J and to instead exalt the 10 Israelic tribes over Judah, and also clean up J's immoral stories. But, later, D (Jeremiah) finds the by then combined JE version so wanting in correctness, that Jeremiah writes the contradictory Deuteronomy book. To get the story right. (The name Deuteronomy MEANS--2nd book--2nd Bible). Still later, P, the priestly writer, whose pendantic style even novice readers can easily detect, redoes JE. And to give one example among many, provides a very contradictory Noah story, now intertwined with J's very different Noah story. And Ezra, writing last, gets to edit and reshape the whole to Ezra's specifications with Ezra's preface which is the Genesis 1:1 creation story differing so totally from that of Genesis 2:4.

So Richards is not fair at all to his literary opposition nor to his readers. Knowing what he must surely know about Documentary Hypothesis, Richards still stubbornly insists Moses himself, inspired by an infallible God, penned the first books of the Bible as is. Whereas the dates of J,E,D,P, and R clearly show Moses, many centuries earlier, could not possibly have, and would not conceivably have, written such and concerning historical events much later than his own time. Personally, I have to conclude Richards to be intellectually dishonest. And intent on indoctrinating, not educating.

Book by book Richards plods along with "answers" that will appear to the bamboozled novice to be quite adequate and reassuring. But to the better informed reader, the amount of disinformation Richards palms off on us is massive and far too numerous in the 735 cases to be specific about here. A review, I suppose, should include how each successive New Testament writer intentionally contradicts all the writers previous to himself. But that Richards mentions this not. But that would take too much space here. For details compare: The Theology Of Jubilee Economics. You'll be glad you did.

I find Richards means well, and at times apologetically offers such balm as: "thought cannot and should not dominate everything----room for aescetic beauty and inspired by ethical choice". But personally, I find that Richards is a classic case of the "blind leading the blind". Richards cannot let Bible say what it says, but with him, anything goes to make it say what he wants it to say. In effect Richards micmics Ezra and writes a "Bible" to Richards' specifications. Not worth the paper it's written on. Poor Mr. Richards is the problem, not the guy with 735 answers . I do not think his book rates even a one star credit. It should get about 735 well earned de-merit points.

When one reads the Bible, one should ask: "Do I believe what it says, or do I make it say what I believe?" Larry Richards definitely falls into the latter category. To read Richards explain away the meaning of dozens and dozens of the most straightforward and explicit passages is downright scary.

For example: John5:28-29 (those who have done good will awaken to the resurrection of life) doesn't mean what it says; it only means we have to "hear the word and believe". In John15:6 "Jesus is not talking about being saved or lost"!! He claims that Matt19:16-22 DOESN'T teach that obedience to the commandments is necessary for eternal life; it only teaches that the commandments reveal our sins and drive us to Jesus to be saved. Well, the young man DID turn to Jesus for his salvation and Jesus gave him a clear and simple answer. But it's not the answer Richards wants to hear so he invents a different one. A passage as straightforward as 1Pet3:21 (Baptism now saves you)he calls "one of the Bible's most difficult passages" -because it states so plainly what he doesn't want to believe. According to Richards, baptism doesn't necessarily involve water! To the question: "What does repentance have to do with forgiveness?" he answers not with a simple "EVERYTHING!" but by explaining that 'repent' really only means "turn to Jesus" to receive forgiveness without contrition! He completely undoes Christ's teaching on the sanctity and permanence of marriage. John 6 is explained away as "a very powerful metaphor" in contradiction to the biblical usage of the metaphor, which means 'to persecute'.

More telling still are the passages he DOESN'T attempt to explain: Matt25:31-46 -the most detailed and unavoidable description of the final judgment based on WORKS. Matt7:21 and Matt3:10 because they too teach the necessity of works for SALVATION. And 2Pet1:20 "no prophesy of Scripture is of any private interpretation" is left out, probably because this entire book is nothing but private interpretation and proves all to clearly why God forbids it!

This book helps nobody except the sad people who already have an embedded superstitian. The Bible is not the 'word of God' it is a record of the Jewish people over a period of a little more than 1,000 years. If you want to really get logical about the subject have a read of The Hiram Key or The Second Messiah by Knight and Lomas. They might not have it all correct but they do blow away some of the sillier things that people believe about the Bible.