The tension: Dozens of texts describe YHWH as merciful, gracious, slow to anger, abundant in loyalty — Exodus 34:6, Deut 4:31, the Psalms, the prophets, the New Testament l…
The tension: Leviticus 17:11 and Numbers 15 and 29 establish blood sacrifice as the divinely-mandated means of atonement — the blood makes atonement for the soul.
The tension: Deuteronomy 4:40, Psalm 37:29, Psalm 78:69, Psalm 104:5, and Ecclesiastes 1:4 all assert that the earth abides forever — Psalm 104:5 specifically says it 'shou…
The tension: Acts 1:24, Psalm 44:21, and Psalm 139:2-3 affirm that God knows the secrets of the heart, that He understands thoughts from afar, that nothing in human conscio…
The tension: Deuteronomy 14:1 calls all Israel 'the children of the LORD your God.' Psalm 82:6 declares 'all of you are children of the most High.' Hosea 1:10, Acts 17:29,…
The tension: Deuteronomy 27:26 places under curse anyone who fails to confirm and do all the words of the law, while Galatians 3:10 turns that same verse on its head, claim…
The tension: Deuteronomy 28:63 explicitly says YHWH will rejoice to wipe out and destroy the disobedient just as he rejoiced to bless them, while Ezekiel 18:23 has YHWH ask…
The tension: The Bible holds together two streams: Deuteronomy 30:19 and Joshua 24:15 frame human destiny as a real moral choice ("choose life," "choose you this day"), whi…
The tension: The Hebrew Bible repeatedly affirms YHWH as sovereign over all the kingdoms and the whole earth, but several New Testament passages — most notably the Temptati…
The tension: The Hebrew Bible's wisdom literature and older narrative strata treat death as terminal — the dead go to Sheol, lose consciousness, and do not return.
The tension: Judges 1:19 says Yahweh was with Judah and gave him the hill country, but he 'could not drive out the inhabitants of the valley, because they had chariots of i…
The tension: Multiple psalms and prophetic texts have Yahweh actively hiding his face, refusing to hear prayers, and abandoning those who cry out (Ps 10:1; 22:1; 88:14; Isa…
The tension: 1 Kings 8:12 and 2 Chronicles 6:1 declare that Yahweh said he would dwell in thick darkness, with Psalms 18:11 and 97:2 echoing the imagery.
The tension: 1 Kings 8:46, 2 Chronicles 6:36, Proverbs 20:9, Ecclesiastes 7:20, Romans 3:23, and 1 John 1:8-10 all declare that no human is without sin.
