In Matthew chapter 5, we are told, "You have heard that it was said, 'Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.' But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you."
This is a good way to go about life. If we love everyone around us, they will see the love of God in our lives and often will be prompted to find out what our love and compassion is all about. This opens witnessing opportunities and we can not only show them, but tell them the good news that drives us to love them.
However, I am faced with a difficult contradiction. Commonly throughout the Bible, we see hate for enemies and actual 'prayers' asking God to destroy them. Even in the texts of Genesis, way back in the beginning, "Your brothers will praise you; *your hand will be on the neck of your enemies*; your father's sons will bow down to you." (Genesis 49:8) If we are to love our enemies, then harming them is not what God desires, is it?
"I pursued my enemies and crushed them; I did not turn back till they were destroyed." II Samuel 22:38
"The Jews struck down all their enemies with the sword, killing and destroying them, and they did what they pleased to those who hated them." Esther 9:5
"Arise, O LORD! Deliver me, O my God! Strike all my enemies on the jaw; break the teeth of the wicked." Psalm 3:7
"Through you we push back our enemies; through your name we trample our foes." Psalm 44:5
"Let death take my enemies by surprise; let them go down alive to the grave, for evil finds lodging among them." Psalm 55:15
Does any of the scripture here line up with Matthew Chapter 5?
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Bible contradictionsVoted for by Stepherz804.
That in my opinion is why the bible is so uncreditable. It contradicts itself. I dont know much about the bible anymore I'll say that but from what I remember it just brought up contradictory questions like yours. I think its normal to want vengance on people. I dont think its normal to pretend to love everyone. I think you should not like your enemies and be done with it. Dont hate them but dont like them either.
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AnswerVoted for by TeChNoWC.
The scriptures put forward are from the Old Testament. This is under the old covenant, in which enemies, being unredeemed through Christ, and not having recieved the grace that would be alotted to them through the blood of Christ, were instead, mindless, evil hearted 'zombies'. Spiritually, they were unredeemable, and at heart, they had become consumed. You may even say they weren't true people anymore. They were synonymous with demons.
Jesus teaches us that demons are not the kind of enemies to be loved and prayed for, because they are nothing but evil. Humans can be redeemed, through God's love, however, demons cannot. Nowadays, we have come through a double minded line of ancestors, and not the evil hearted men of the old world. At heart we are evil still, and our flesh is out to rob us of glory, however, the spirit that resides within us is untainted, and able to come into connection with God.
"hate the sin and love the sinner"
So, as such, we are to love, not the sin, but the sinner, which is the redeemable man, the spirit, the link to God, the child inside all of us. The sin itself though represents the flesh, and is just an example of what the men of the old age were all over.
So, Jesus created new teachings to co-incide with the new covenant. We are now to follow those new teachings, as all are now considered redeemable. Those that were killed prior to Jesus' coming were, possibly, redeemed after death, while in Sheol, as even king David himself required this redemption to be freed from Sheol, and taken to heaven.
This is what I got from it anyway. Correct me if I am wrong.
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hey youVoted for by selfdenial.
I say love your enemies...it'll confuse the hell out of them.... you also forgot the part of the new testament where Jesus changes the command of taking an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth... Matthew 5. 38-40 You have heard that it was said, 'Eye for eye, and tooth for tooth.' But I tell you, Do not resist an evil person. If someone strikes you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also. And if someone wants to sue you and take your tunic, let him have your cloak as well.
If you are going to try to tear apart the bible like you would a puzzle make sure you have all the pieces first...k?
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