4. VISIBLE versus INVISIBLE

INTELLIGENT ANSWER TO "SELF-CONTRADICTIONS OF THE BIBLE BY WILLIAM HENRY BURR"

The perceived "contradiction" is a matter of interpretation and context.

THEOLOGICAL DOCTRINES

4.

GOD IS SEEN AND HEARD.

And I will take away my hand, and thou shalt see my backparts. (Ex. 33:23.)

And the Lord spake to Moses face to face, as a man speaketh to his friend. (Ex. 33:11.)

And the Lord called unto Adam, and said unto him, Where art thou? And he said, I heard thy voice in the garden, and I was afraid. (Gen. 3:9, 10.)

For I have seen God face to face, and my life is preserved. (Gen. 32:30.)

In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw, also, the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up. (Is. 6:1.)

Then went up Moses and Aaron, Nadab and Abihu, and seventy of the elders of Israel. And they saw the God of Israel... ...They saw God, anddid eat and drink. (Ex. 24:9, 10, 11.)

GOD IS INVISIBLE AND CANNOT BE HEARD.

No man hath seen God at any time. (John 1:18.)

Ye hath neither heard his voice, at any time, nor seen his shape. (John 5:37.)

And he said, Thou canst not see my face; for there shall no man see me and live. (Ex. 33:20.)

Whom no man hath seen nor can see. (1 Tim. 6:16.)

The Bible teaches that God is both transcendent and immanent, meaning that he is both beyond and present in the world.

The passages you've cited that state that God can be seen and heard are often understood as referring to specific experiences or encounters with God. In these instances, God revealed himself to certain individuals in a way that they could perceive with their physical senses. For example, in the passages from Exodus 33:11 and 23, Moses is said to have spoken with God "face to face" and to have seen God's "back parts." These descriptions are likely to be metaphorical, as God is a spirit and doesn't have a physical form. In other words, Moses had a unique, direct, and personal experience with God, which is described in a way that is understandable to human beings.

On the other hand, the passages you've cited that state that God is invisible and cannot be heard are emphasizing the transcendence and holiness of God. The Bible teaches that God is not limited to the physical world and cannot be comprehended or fully understood by human beings. The passage from John 1:18 states that "No one has ever seen God," which is understood to mean that no one has ever seen God in his full, unmediated glory. These passages are emphasizing that God is beyond human comprehension, and that no one can fully understand or know him.

These passages are not contradictory, but rather, they express different aspects of God's nature. Some passages emphasize God's immanence and reveal his presence to individuals, while others emphasize his transcendence and the fact that God cannot be fully known or understood by human beings.

The Bible teaches that God is both transcendent and immanent. Transcendence refers to God's nature as being above and beyond the physical world, and immanence refers to God's presence in the world and his ability to interact with it.

The passages you've cited that state that God can be seen and heard, such as Exodus 33:11, 23, and Genesis 32:30, are describing specific experiences or encounters with God. These passages are describing specific moments when God revealed himself in a way that individuals could perceive with their physical senses. However, it's important to note that these descriptions are likely to be metaphorical, as God is a spirit and doesn't have a physical form. These passages emphasize the immanence of God, his ability to reveal himself and interact with the world and the people in it.

On the other hand, the passages you've cited that state that God is invisible and cannot be heard, such as John 1:18, John 5:37, and 1 Timothy 6:16, are emphasizing the transcendence of God. They are emphasizing the fact that God is not limited to the physical world and cannot be comprehended or fully understood by human beings. The passage from John 1:18 states that "No one has ever seen God," which is understood to mean that no one has ever seen God in his full, unmediated glory. These passages are emphasizing that God is beyond human comprehension, and that no one can fully understand or know him.

It's important to understand that these passages are not contradictory, but rather, they express different aspects of God's nature. Some passages emphasize God's immanence and reveal his presence to individuals, while others emphasize his transcendence and the fact that God cannot be fully known or understood by human beings. The Bible presents God as a complex and mysterious being, who is both beyond and present in the world.

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