Do the Creation Stories in Genesis 1 and 2 Contradict Each Other?

Are Genesis one and two contradictory accounts written by different authors? Here's how I think through the differences between the two accounts....

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[agentorange]

"When you come across an apparent contradiction in the Bible, keep digging. You're on the verge of a great discovery." Chuck Missler

[lionoffireministries]

Great topic Alisa. I really enjoy your content. It’s a valuable addition to the Christian community!

[miketypeeach]

You're right when you say the one which needs correction is the reader. To assume texts are incorrect because one doesn't comprehend them is the height of folly.

[duswil]

It seems like objections to Christianity exist on a 10 year cycle. About once a decade it gets brought up a bunch, refuted, then slinks off to the back of the line. Rinse repeat.

[jdwillis]

Actually Elohim more accurately Alahim is a term not a name, It's Hebrew for "mighty one, " or a "ruler, judge, " or someone with power or strength. In most places of Scripture, it refers to The Most High Yahuah Alahiym. Yahusha (The Brought Forth Son) meets these same characteristics, otherwise Yahusha in His Own right is Alahim aka a Mighty One!

[rustysruger]

It should be apparent to anyone even slightly educated in grammar that this is a literary device designed for giving more information to the reader...

[garyrolen]

I heard about this controversy many years ago. Admittedly, I'd never actually read the two chapters.

So, i broke out the bible with my name on it and read.

Gen1 clearly read as a bullet point of what happened.

Gen2 clearly read with more discriptive language.

The way i see it.
Gen1 says what happened.
Gen2 says how it happened.

[truthgiver]

The bible gets a lot of stuff wrong so the claim of it being gods book is ridiculous no matter how many excuses you make.

[lulurosenkrantz]

Rejecting Gen 1.1 is rejecting The whole Book .

[madrums]

That's some mental gymnastics, it says birds were formed in day 5 in genesis 1, and in Genesis 2 it says they were formed from earth after the man is made.

[daleloepp]

The contradictions between Genesis 1 and 2 were already pointed out by Jewish scholars like Philo (first century) and Ibn Ezra (11th cen.), and by Christian theologians like Augustine (4th cen.)—this wasn't all dreamed up in some German University.

The Documentary Hypothesis deals with the question of authorship, not the historicity of the events described.

[alfi_]

Thank you so much for clarifying this! A rampant religious cult called "Shincheonji Church of Jesus/SCJ/New Heaven, New Earth" originating from South Korea but proselytizing globally now under "free online bible classes" has been using this analogy to twist the meanings to suit their own doctrine.

[tomhitchcock]

Heard this from atheist Methodist church Sunday school teacher. My aunt.
These people have no literary knowledge.

[stephaniebullock]

The book The Epic of Eden is an incredible resource for understanding Genesis. It's a must-read!

[upmchenrycreekwithoutabibl]

I choose to believe that God doesn't make mistakes. Gen 1 says that the order of creation is thus: 1-animals, 2-man and women together.
Gen 2: 1-Man, 2-animals, 3-woman.
God doesn't make mistakes.
Ge 1 and 2 are completely different.

[Platinumotion]

Genesis 1 is not meant to be read literally! Like much of the bible it has a poetic nature that us moderns simply cannot wrap our minds around because we always want straight up and to the point, logical answers

[lh]

Brothers, our goal should be to properly understand what the Bible says. Not to force our understanding upon the Biblic text. This looks to me as an oversimplification. By the way if we go "literally" then Genesis 1 and 2 have much bigger problems than these. Also, the argument about different types of vegetation is just not right. It saddens me to see such a poor understanding and reasoning repeatedly used with apologetic intentions. I support the intention, but since we are talking about God's Word, please, let's adhere to it.

[OyarsuofMars]

I always thought it was obvious that Genesis 1 was a large scale view and and Genesis 2 was zoomed in more detail view of day 6.

[michaelvout]

It is disappointing to see the word gymnastics to try and explain obvious contradictions. One reason why I left Christianity.

[codyvandal]

If anyone hasn't read it I strongly recommend the book "The Battle for the Beginning" by Dr. Macarthur as it clearly articulates and expands on this topic in a great way. God bless!