Does the Bible Contradict Itself?

[spockrates]

Jews that would hear Mark's Gospel would be able to pick up on the allegory. I'm assuming this because they had the oral tradition thus meaning that they would know when Mark explicitly references the OT word for word (e.g. Mark 1: what John was wearing, Mark 11: words of Jesus on the cross).

Mark is littered with these almost explicit parallels to the OT. I find it hard to believe that he wouldn't have done it on purpose. The question is why did the other two synoptics try and get rid of the allegories like I have shown you?

Do you believe a picture is worth a thousand words, my friend? If you do, are you certain all of the words are true?

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This is a language game, pure and simple. Everybody tacitly knows the rules, and regardless of personal satisfaction, continues to fulfill them. The rules are never made explicit, and indeed, likely many would be outright denied. Atheists seem to be tireless players. I enjoy a tussle, too, but more often either scribble in the margins, try to better understand the rules, bend or break the rules to see what happens, or analyze the participants. Some people play the game exceedingly well, and watching them can be an enjoyable sport, a sort of verbal athleticism. Min is awesome to watch. You, too, are quite skillful. But I'm usually more interested in studying the game than actually playing it.

(And I did my due diligence in reading all the way through the "Is Christianity Illogical" thread, all the while knowing what I wanted to say. It fizzled out before I got there, but I had one word to say, and that is, "troll." For 12 years I've been a moderator on one of the most popular — and most frequently trolled — channels on EFNet, so this is not exactly unfamiliar ground for me. And you may not believe yourself to be a troll. But that's another topic, for another language game, and another set of players.)

Perhaps it is a game for some, but not for me. Please don't confuse my playfulness as a lack of serious purpose to obtain the truth. The difference between many of the gamers and myself is that I'm not into partisreims, nor stoic tricks. I don't know it all, but I long to know the Truth. Socrates describes people like me:

Wise I would not call them. For that title is too great and belongs to God alone. Lovers of Wisdom (or philosophers) is a more fitting description.

(Phaedrus 278)