New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1914-06-21
An Open Forum for
Public Debate.
CONTRADICTIONS IN THE BIBLE
They Are Explained Away By . Devous
Student.

To the Editor OF TIE Tribune
Sir: May SUBSCRIBE say = few words
IN reference 20 = letter IN your issue 0,
June Il entitled Contradictions II ths
Bible? The verses referred 10 are as
follows:
!. No man hath seen God az any tine
John I. -.
any tine. nor seen His shape Joan '. ~.
3 And the Lord spzks unto Moses face
20 face, as q man spesksth unto ais
friend Exodus xxxfii. IL.
And He said. thou csust 70; see My
face; for there shall TO man see Ne
and live Exodus xxxiiL 20.
: For have seen God tzcs 20 face.
and my lie Is preserved Genesis
xxK.i. 80.
In al quotations the meaning Is best
ascertained BY taking the extract IN
connection with what goes before and
follows and It Is also helpful 20 know
the circumstances under which the text
was written.
John y. q. is taken from 81 address q
estranged from God. who considered re-
hgion 10 consist OF certain oSservsnees-
not IN character. and not in knowing
God ss loving father ready 10 help Ills
children resist temptation and keep His
commandments-and who had not for
lowed what one OF their great preachers
had said; What doth Jehovah require
OF thee, but 10 DO Justly. and 20 love
kindness. and 20 walk humbly with ;hy
God"
In this address Jesus told them lie had
come as = messenger from their Father
TO be OF help 20 them. They would not
receive Him, and He asks them why they
90 not receive him. as he does the sans
works as His Father and done and he
represents His Father. He says the
reason that you do not recognize Ms as
Gods messenger is that you DO rot know
your Father. or in the words OF the adj
dress He says: "Ys have neither heard
His voice At any time, nor seen His
form. And ye have not His word Abid-
ing in you"
John i. IS. Is part OF 3 discourse By
John referring 70 Jesus. and taken IN
connection with verses xi-xvii OF the
same chapter reads: He came unto his
own. and they that were His OWE re-
ceived Him not. For the Law was givsa
through Moses. grace and truth cams
through Jesus Christ. No man hath sees
God a; any time; the only begotten son
who is in the bosom OF the Father. He
hath declared Him" This appears 10 IN
dictate that more OF US has seen 10
or understood Him fully. but His son
has told US about Him. and BY his b.s
has revealed 10 US what Gods chsracta
is, so that We know more about Hip''
but not fully. The verse appears TO u1eaa
not that We have not seen Hin With or
physical eyes but that our lives are sneh
that We do not know and appreciate i'm
as He really is. as no disooedient eoie
can fully understand a loving. Just ana
helpful father. so through obedience W
learn more fully what our HesvenD
Father really Is
In reference TO the other texts nee
toned il should be borne IN mind ia,
the Israelites believed that they co9~
not see God and live, although wher -
appeared in a human form they eoo~
speak TO Him face to face. as nan
speaketh unto his friend" This oens'
will explain the texts taken from w
Old Testament.
In the scene described in Exodus xxk~
ii-3o. Moses Is worshipping with the en'-
dren OF Israel during their journey ITO.
Egypt 70 Syria Moses had gone nv
the tent Of meeting for every one ma
sought Jehovah went out unto the yen.
OF meeting And Jehovah sp@es
unto Moses face 10 face. as = man sps<''
eth TO a friend
Genesis xxxii, ESQ. is an account
JAG 0b preparing TO meet Esau. whom =
had offended. The night before the mes.
ing q man wrestled with him. II this r,s
Jehovah 81 wss when He assumed aam.'
form.
A sUBscRrsER
' 1arex. Nasx. June ~ iesk