NONSENSE FROM THE BIBLE

I spent some seventeen years as a ‘born again,’ ‘Spirit-filled,’ Bible believing fundamentalist Christian. For almost ten of those years I was the founding pastor of a church in Australia that grew to be one of the largest in the country. I resigned after my marriage finally failed in 1989. During the course of the next few years I spent much time questioning my faith and seeking evidence concerning the validity of the Bible which I believed and had accepted literally as ‘The Word of God.’ During those previous seventeen years, my study and knowledge of my faith had been totally immersed in Christian teaching from pastors, Christian literature and Bible College. To consider investigation or examination of my faith from any other source was unthinkable. I had been fully indoctrinated to believe and had accepted that the Christian message, God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit were absolute truth.

The years immediately following my resignation from Christian ministry were difficult, and a time of confusion and overcoming many emotionally based personal feelings of failure, guilt, doubt and unanswered questions. Gradually I began to examine the entire basis for my confusion by looking ‘outside’ the areas I had until then completely accepted without question. At the time there was very little literature available to which I could turn to provide a non theological hypothesis of ‘faith’ - belief in God, the Bible or eternal life. The Internet did not exist – I could not ‘Google’ my questions!

I began to study the ‘theory’ of evolution and sought to find scientific and historical evidence for almost everything I had accepted as truth as recorded in the Bible.  During this time I removed myself from the influence of Christian teaching – I purposely did not attend church or listen to Christian teaching audio tapes. In effect I had removed myself from the ‘Christian bubble’ in which I had resided for so many years – at last I was free to look into my beliefs from the outside. As a totally committed Christian within the ‘bubble’ it is almost impossible to see or to examine any belief or evidence ‘outside.’ This is the main reason why Christians are not open to question their own faith. Fear is the other major factor why believers are reluctant or refuse to consider anything which may question their faith. Simply they are convinced that any contrary teaching or evidence which is not Bible based is ‘satanic’ in origin. Fundamentalist Christians are Christians of any denomination who literally believe that the Bible is completely true and not to be questioned as it is the ‘Word of God.’

My conversion from Christianity to a non-believer was not an ‘instant’ change – it was for me, and would be for others in a similar situation, a gradual process. Step by step, over a period of several years, I discovered answers to my questions and evidence which convinced me that everything I had been taught since I had been ‘born again’ in an Anglican church in England in 1972 – was based on myth, hearsay and human thought and invention rather than by alleged proven revelation from an almighty divinity or God. I could not find credible historic or scientific evidence for anything I had believed to be fact as recorded in the bible.

Now, almost twenty years after my personal ‘enlightenment’ – changing from a fundamentalist Christian to atheist – I see and hear evidence almost daily which supports and fortifies my reasons not to accept any theocratic faith or religion. My purpose in writing this book is to present many of the major events as recorded in the Bible as ‘nonsense!’ Sense or reason is not part of the equation when Christians examine the validity of the Bible.

I would accept the Bible without further question if it were presented simply as a compendium of stories and myths based on hearsay handed down from generation to generation and which were recorded by many (40+) different authors during a period spanning possibly 1,600 or more years. Unfortunately, the Bible is presented literally as absolute fact and as ‘The Word of God.’ I now believe this is nonsense!

Brian Baker 2012  

Please note: I have inserted some portions of scripture rather than quote a line or two of a verse only, which may be considered to be ‘out of context’ and as the contents of the Bible may not be familiar to all.  
You could just read the words I have underlined in the longer sections of Biblical text.

The references in this book are from the King James Authorised version (1611) which is the original English translation of the compilation of the Bible as we know it today. Many modern translations have been published since but some still believe and accept the KJV to be the most acceptable version.

 BIBLE NONSENSE NUMBER 1

I decided to begin this book with what appears to be the most pressing matter for most Christians - the end times and the Second Coming of Jesus. Almost every Bible believing Christian expects this event could happen at any moment. For all of my years as a ‘born again’ Christian - this subject was a major part of the Christian teaching cycle. If you ask a Christian today ‘when do you believe Jesus will come again?’ the answer will no doubt be ‘Jesus could come again at any time – no one knows when that time will be – only God knows but we believe it will be soon!’

The problem is that so called ‘believers’ have been expecting Jesus to return again since a very few days or years after his alleged resurrection. I am now amazed that there has ever been any controversy concerning this issue, as according to the Bible, Jesus made it very clear that he would return within the lifetime of those who were living at the time!

Here are the words of Jesus according to the gospels of Matthew, Luke and Mark – He was telling those standing there that he would return in their lifetime!

Matthew 16:28

Verily I say unto you, 
there be some standing here, which shall not taste of death, till they see the son of man coming in his kingdom.

Luke 9:27

 
But I tell you of a truth, 
there be some standing here, which shall not taste of death, till 
they see the Kingdom of God

Mark 9:1

And he said unto them, Verily I say unto you, 
that there be some of them that stand here, which shall not taste of death, till they have seen the kingdon of God come with power.

Clearly in all the above verses Jesus was talking to the people standing there, he was not prophesying for future generations, as Christians are usually taught. In the next verse he told his disciples they would not finish preaching in the towns of Israel before he returned. Again he was not speaking to future generations.

Matthew 10:23

But when they persecute you in this city, flee ye into another: for verily I say unto you, ye shall not have gone over the cities of Israel, till the Son of man be come.
 

Then in Matthew 24:2

Jesus had been preaching to a large crowd and his disciples inside the Temple and as he left with his disciples he made this alarming remark about the Temple:

See ye not all these things? verily I say unto you there shall not be left one stone upon another, that shall not be thrown down.

They then walked together to the Mount of Olives where Jesus sat down and the disciples gathered around him. Obviously they were shocked that Jesus had said that there would be a time when the Temple would be completely destroyed!

His disciples began to ask questions:

Matthew 24:3-5 

And as he sat upon the Mount of Olives, 
the disciples came unto him privately, tell us, when shall these things be? And what shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world? 
 
And Jesus answered and said unto them, take heed that no man deceive you, For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many.

Jesus then began a detailed account of the events that would take place and warned them about false prophets who would come and claim they were Christ. He then listed a series of events which would happen before his return.

Matthew 24:6-28

And 
ye
 shall hear of wars and rumours of wars: see that 
ye
 be not troubled for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places. All these are the beginning of sorrows. Then they shall deliver 
you
 up to be afflicted, and shall kill 
you
: and 
ye
 shall be hated of all nations for my name’s sake. And then shall many be offended, and shall betray one another, and shall hate one another. And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many. And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold. But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved. And the gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come. When 
ye
 therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet in the holy place, (whoso readeth, let him understand:) Then let them which are in Judaea flee to the mountains: Let him which is on the housetop not come down to take any thing out of his house; Neither let him which is in the field return back to take his clothes. And woe unto them that are with child, and then that give suck in those days! But pray 
ye
 that 
your
 flight be not in the winter, neither on the Sabbath day: For then shall be the great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be. And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect’s sake those days shall be shortened. Then if any man shall say unto you lo, here is Christ, or there; believe not. For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; inasmuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect. Behold I have told 
you
 before. Wherefore if they shall say unto 
you
, Behold, he is in the desert; go not forth: behold, he is in the secret chambers; believe it not. For as the lightning cometh out of the east, and shineth even unto the west; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. For wheresoever the carcase is, there will the eagles be gathered together.

Jesus was speaking directly to those of the time, especially those in Judea, where he was at that time. He relentlessly referred to them throughout the entire discourse and gave no indication he was prophesying to a future generation some 2,000+ years ahead.

QUESTION 

When shall these things be?
 

His sermon continued and he told them about his second coming!

Matthew 24:29-34

Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken: And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and 
they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.
 Now learn a parable of the fig tree; When his branch is yet tender, and putteth forth leaves, 
ye
 know that summer is nigh: 
ye
 So likewise 
ye
, when shall see all these things, know that it is near, even at the doors. 
Verily I say unto you, this generation shall not pass till all these things be fulfilled.

Finally Jesus answered the question – 
when shall these things be?

ANSWER

This generation shall not pass, till all these things be fulfilled.

Mark and Luke also reported the words of Jesus and that he was speaking directly to those who were listening to him at that time; 

this generation shall not pass, till all these things be done

Mark 13:29-33 

So 
ye
 in like manner, when 
ye
 shall see these things come to pass, know that it is nigh, even at the doors nigh, even at the doors. Verily I say unto 
you, that this generation shall
 
not
 
pass, till all these things be done.
 
Heaven and earth shall pass away: but my words shall not pass away. But of that day and that hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels which are in heaven, neither the Son, but the Father. Take 
ye
 heed, watch and pray: for 
ye
 know not when the time is.
 

Luke 21:31-34

So likewise 
ye
, when 
ye
 see these things come to pass, know 
ye
 that the kingdom of God is nigh at hand. Verily I say unto you,
This generation shall not pass away, till all be fulfilled.
 Heaven and earth shall pass away: but my words shall not pass away. And take heed to 
yourselves
, lest at any time 
your
 hearts be overcharged with surfeiting, and drunkenness, and cares of this life, and so that day come upon 
you
 unawares. 

It has been suggested by some Christian commentators that the original Greek word for ‘generation’ 
genea
 should be translated as ‘race’ or ‘age’ but the word 
genea
 is used in many places in the Bible clearly meaning ‘generation’ eg: Matthew 11:16 – Luke 7:31 whereas the Greek word for ‘race’ 
genos
 meaning ‘race’ is used also in many places eg: Acts 7:19 & 17:28 – Galatians 1:14 – Philippians 3:5

Why are Christians still expecting Jesus to return again at any moment – now some 2,000 years after he allegedly spoke those words? Was he simply playing games? -  Was he lying to those who were ‘standing there?’

In an attempt to explain what Jesus meant by the above verses, Christian preterists
*1
 as early as the 17
^th
century believed that all the end-times prophesies including the second coming of Jesus in the New Testament were fulfilled when the Romans attacked and destroyed Jerusalem including the Temple in 70CE. They suggest that Jesus’ predictions were all fulfilled and therefore he did not fail. According to their hypothesis all that Jesus prophesied happened right on schedule.

Then we have the words of others also to consider:

The Apostles and writers of the New Testament believed Jesus was returning in their lifetime.

Paul was declaring to the believers in Philippi that: – 
The Lord is at hand
 - Surely he was encouraging them to believe that the return of Jesus was imminent.

He was writing to the Christians living at the time at Philippi, Not to us!

Philippians.1:1

Paul and Timotheus, the servants of Jesus Christ, 
to all the saints in Christ Jesus which are at Philippi, with the bishops and deacons:

Philippians.4:1-5

Therefore, my brethren dearly beloved and longed for, my joy and crown, so stand fast in the Lord, my dearly beloved. I beseech Euodias, and beseech Syntyche, that they be of the same mind in the Lord. And I intreat thee also, true yokefellow, help those women which laboured with me in the gospel, with Clement also, and with other my fellow labourers, whose names are in the book of life. Rejoice in the Lord alway: and again I say, Rejoice. Let your moderation be known unto all men. 
The Lord is at hand.

Paul, believed to be the writer of the Epistle to the Hebrews, wrote these words to the Hebrews concerning -
these last days

Hebrews 1:1-3 

God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, 
Hath in these last days
 spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds; Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high;

And then in Chapter 10 Paul wrote: 
For yet a little while, and he that shall come will come, and will not tarry
. 
If Paul thought Jesus was returning at some time 2,000+ years in the future, surely he would not have said: –
and will not tarry!

Hebrews 10:34-37

For ye had compassion of me in my bonds, and took joyfully the spoiling of your goods, knowing in yourselves that ye have in heaven a better and an enduring substance. Cast not away therefore your confidence, which hath great recompense of reward. For ye have need of patience, that, after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise. 
For yet a little while, and he that shall come will come, and will not tarry.

Paul also wrote to the Church at Thessalonica expecting the Lord to return in their lifetime:
we which are alive