Alleged Contradictions and Inaccuracies

Inspiration
Partial
Contradictions
& Inaccuracies
  Preliminary
  Exodus 6:3
  Exodus 33:11,20
  1 Samuel 15:35
  1 Kings 15:14
  2 Kings 18:5
  2 Kings 24:6
  Matthew 2:1
  Matthew 17:1
  Matthew 19:16
  Matthew 20:29
  Matthew 27:6,7
  Matthew 27:37
  Matthew 28:7
  Mark 2:26
  Mark 16:7,8
  John 2:13-16
  James 1:13

Science
Miracles
Evolution
Creation
Carbon Dating

Common
Trinity
Soul
Heaven
Hell
Satan/Demons
"Saved"
Baptism
Resurrection
Antichrist

Unique
Catholic
Mormon
SDA
JW
British Israel
Church
of Christ
Pentecostal
Islam

Exodus 33:11: "And the LORD spake unto Moses face to face, as a man speaketh unto his friend . . ."
Exodus 33:20: " . . . Thou canst not see my face: for there shall no man see me, and live."
Problem:: These two references are cited as contradictions in the Bible. The one verse says that God spoke to Moses face to face and yet nine verses later the writer says that no man can see God's face and live.
Solution:

Moses did not see Yahweh (the LORD) literally "face to face". This is indicated by the following New Testament passages:
1. "{God} who only hath immortality, dwelling in the light which no man can approach unto; whom no man hath seen, nor can see . . . " (1 Tim. 6:16).
2. "Now unto the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only wise God . . . " (1 Tim. 1:17 cf. Heb. 11:27).
3. "No man hath seen God at any time . . . " (John 1:18).
It is clear from Stephen's exposition in Acts 7 that Moses spoke face to face with God's accredited representative, an angel, and not to God, Himself. Note these verses:
1. vs. 30 - "there appeared to him . . . an angel"
2. vs. 35 - "the angel which appeared to him in the bush"
3. vs. 38 - "the angel which spake to him in the mount Sina"
4. vs. 53 - "who have received the law by the disposition of angels" (cf. Gal. 3:19 "ordained by angels")
The principle of "God-manifestation" is illustrated in Exodus 33, and elaborated in Stephen's commentary in Acts 7. When God acts through accredited representatives, the work is accomplished by God although executed by chosen messengers. An example is recorded in Exod. 23:20, 21: "Behold, I send an Angel before thee, {Israel,} to keep thee in the way, and to bring thee into the place which I have prepared. Beware of him, and obey his voice, provoke him not; for he will not pardon your transgressions: for my name is in him." Moses, therefore, conversed with an angelic messenger, "face to face" and not with the invisible Creator who dwells in light unapproachable by mortal man.
God-manifestation in the angel which spoke unto Moses is illustrated in Acts 7 in the shift from "an angel" (vs. 30), to "the voice of the Lord" (vs. 31), and "then said the Lord to him". (vs. 33).