5 Weird Misconceptions about the Bible

There are many misconceptions about the Christian faith, the reason is not far-fetched. Most believers don't take time to study the Bible. Sermons are good, and Bible study groups are good but they will never take away the place of personal study of the scriptures.

It's easy to blame our Sunday School teachers, unfortunately, since we became responsible for ourselves we have not still unlearned some things. They might have had their flaws but who knows the people coming behind us might also feel we have not done so well.

Our Christian walk is a call to learn, unlearn and relearn things about Jesus Christ.

Here are 5 misconceptions about the Christian faith: 

1. Adam and Eve ate an apple: 

This can be up for debate but the Bible doesn't state the actual fruit. However, the reason many people agree it was apple is because apple is from the genus "malus" and malus means evil. 

Many theologians have said it wasn't an actual fruit and the description was metaphorical. It was the sin of disobedience. Whether it was an actual fruit or not, the Bible doesn't state the name of the fruit.

Scriptural reference: Genesis 3:6, KJV: "And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat."

2. The Synoptic gospels are contradictory

The gospels (Mark, Luke, John, and Acts) contain the same story written by different authors. The story is about Jesus- his life, death, and resurrection. 

This explains why there might be differences in the account which is not a big deal. The most important thing is that the message is the same.

Imagine your little ones fought at home and broke a cup. You inquired but every one of them kept saying the same story "word for word". Now, that's a catch. You don't need a soothsayer to tell you they are lying.

3. Saul was Paul's former name

People think God changed his name to Paul because of his encounter on his way to Damascus. No, that didn't happen. He had a dual name. Paul was his Roman name and Saul was his Jewish or Hebrew name. He chose to go by his Roman name because he was preaching to the Gentiles. 

Lesson: It will not be healthy to pressurize people to change their names because they received the life of Christ. What is important is that they know their identity in Christ .

Scriptural reference: Then Saul, (who also is called Paul,) filled with the Holy Ghost, set his eyes on him, Acts 13:9

4. Three wise men came to visit Jesus

The Bible doesn't state the number of wise men that visited Jesus. It does mention the number of gifts which is 3. Gold, frankincense, and myrrh. By the way, they didn't meet Jesus at the manger. They had to travel from the East which was farther.

Theologians argue that the baby Jesus was about a toddler when they arrived.

Scriptural reference: And when they came into the house, they saw the young child with Mary his mother, and fell, and worshipped him: and when they had opened their treasures, they presented unto him gifts; gold, and frankincense, and myrrh. Matthew 2:11 KJV. 

This scripture implies they were already in a house when they arrived as opposed to the manager where he was born. (Luke 2:12)  (Luke  2:16).

Lesson: You can't know about the scriptures by only watching Bible films and reading books of Bible stories.

5. The Bible is written chronologically:

 The Bible is not written chronologically. The Scripture referring to the Old Testament was written in categories. The books of the law, history, poetry, and the prophets.

The book of " Job" is said to be the oldest book. Paul's letters were written in scrolls. It was for proper reading and organization it was divided into chapters and verses.

The original Bible was written in Hebrew, Greek, and a little Aramaic. The old testament was written in Hebrew and the new testament in Greek. 

Lesson: When reading the New Testament, read every chapter as if it was a continuation of the previous because it is. 

Conclusion

This article is a pointer to the fact that we still have many things to learn about the Bible. This should be your motivation to take studying God's word seriously and stand up against heresies.

Let's engage in the comment section.

Which one of these misconceptions were you not aware of before? Which one do you think is the most common misconception? Are there any other misconceptions you know about? Tell us in the comment section. Fellow believers will be learning.