Skeptics and critics of the Bible often claim that the gospel of John contradicts the gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John, in reporting Jesus died before, rather than after, the Passover. Did Jesus die before, or after, Passover?
Alleged contradiction:
Was Jesus crucified on the daytime before the Passover meal or the daytime after? (a) After (Mark 14:12-17) (b) Before. Before the feast of the Passover (John 13:1) Judas went out at night (John 13:30). The other disciples thought he was going out to buy supplies to prepare for the Passover meal (John 13:29). When Jesus was arrested, the Jews did not enter Pilate’s judgment hall because they wanted to stay clean to eat the Passover (John 18:28). When the judgment was pronounced against Jesus, it was about the sixth hour on the day of Preparation for the Passover (John 19:14)read more
Contradiction About When Jesus’ Disciples Returned To Galilee?
When did Jesus return to Galilee?
Skeptics and critics have sometimes claimed that the gospels have a contradiction about when Jesus’ disciples returned to Galilee.
Alleged contradiction:
When did the disciples return to Galilee?
(a) Immediately, because when they saw Jesus in Galilee “some doubted” (Matthew 28:17). This period
of uncertainty should not persist
(b) After at least 40 days. That evening the disciples were still in Jerusalem (Luke 24:33). Jesus
appeared to them there and told them, stay in the city until you are clothed with power from on high”
(Luke 24:49). He was appearing to them “during forty days” (Acts 1:3), and “charged them not to depart
from Jerusalem, but to wait for the promise … “(Acts 1:4)
When we actually analyze the gospels and Acts, we find that the alleged “contradiction” clears up.
“The eleven disciples traveled to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had directed them.” (Matthew 28:16 CSB). The report does not say the eleven faithful apostles went all the way to Galilee that same day.
In fact, “that same day”, Jesus’ apostles were still in Jerusalem (Luke 24:13,33 NIV). There was no rush to get to Galilee, which was about 60 miles away, and would take about 2 to 3 days travel time.
Jesus “appeared to them over a period of forty days and spoke about the kingdom of God” (Acts 1:3NIV). There are eleven recorded appearances in gospels of Jesus appearing to his disciples during this time “period of forty days”. Likely there were also other appearances that Jesus made to his disciples during this time period “
Is there a contradiction in the Bible about whether everyone sins?
Here is an alleged contradiction:
Does every man sin? (a) Yes. “There is no man who does not sin” (I Kings 8:46; see also 2 Chronicles 6:36; Proverbs 20:9; Ecclesiastes 7:20; and I John 1:8,10) (b) No. True Christians cannot possibly sin, because they are the children of God. “Every one who believes that Jesus is the Christ is a child of God. (I John 5:1). “We should be called children of God; and so we are” (I John 3: 1). “He who loves is born of God” (I John 4:7). “No one born of God commits sin; for God’s nature abides in him, and he cannot sin because he is born of God” (I John 3:9). But, then again, Yes! “If we say we have no sin we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us” (I John 1:8)read more
Was Baby Jesus’ Life Threatened In Jerusalem – Contradiction?
Was baby Jesus’ life threatened in Jerusalem? (a) Yes, so Joseph fled with him to Egypt and stayed there until Herod died (Matthew 2:13 23) (b) No. The family fled nowhere. They calmly presented the child at the Jerusalem temple according to the Jewish customs and returned to Galilee ( Luke 2:21-40)
The above is a claimed contradiction in the Bible accounts of Matthew and Luke. However, by combining the gospel accounts, we get a better picture of the events in Jesus’ life.
“Eight days later when the baby was circumcised , he was named Jesus . . . Then it was time for their purification offering, as required by the law of Moses after the birth of a child; so his parents took him to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord”—Luke 2:21,22 NLT In Luke’s account, Jesus’ parents took him to the Temple to be presented to God after he was circumcised on the 8th day after his birth. read more
Is The Law of Moses Useful Today? – Bible Contradiction?
Skeptics and critics have claimed that the Bible contradicts itself regarding the Law of Moses is useful for Christians today. Here is the alleged “contradiction”:
Is the Law of Moses useful? (a) Yes. “All scripture is… profitable…” (2 Timothy 3:16) (b) No. “ . . . A former commandment is set aside because of its weakness and uselessness… “(Hebrews 7:18)
This is a case of the scriptures being taken out of context.
The Old Mosaic Law Covenant was”set aside”, because it was “canceled” (Ephesians 2:14 NLT) since it could not permanently remove sin. “The old system under the law of Moses was only a shadow, a dim preview of the good things to come, but not the good things themselves. The sacrifices under that system were repeated again and again, year after year, but they never were able to provide perfect cleansing for those who came to worship” (Hebrews 10:1 NLT). read more
Does the temple cleansing in John contradict the Synoptic Gospels?
Critics claim that the temple cleansing in the Gospel of John is either the same temple cleansing reported by the three Synoptics, Matthew, Mark and Luke, or is out of place, therefore, constituting a “contradiction” in the Gospels.
Below are listed a number of reasons why the temple cleansing in John is accurate and was performed by Jesus around the time of the first Passover after his baptism, which was probably about six months earlier. John clearly states in John 20:31 and John 21:25 that he was highly selective in his reporting on the events of Jesus’ life.
The other three Gospel writers had already reported on the second temple cleansing by the time John wrote his gospel. Upon close examination, it seems fairly obvious that John was very familiar with these other three Gospels, and quite possibly had copies of them in his possession as he wrote the fourth Gospel.
John filled in many gaps that the Synoptics did not report on. In fact, about 92% of his gospel is unique. John reports the following details about the first temple cleansing, that are omitted from the second temple cleansing recorded in Matthew, Mark, and Luke:
John 2:1 – “on the third day a wedding took place in Cana of Galilee.”
John 2:11 – “was the first of his signs“. John’s Gospel states that Jesus’ turning water into wine at a marriage feast was the first of the seven signs, or miracles, reported by John that Jesus performed prior to his death.
John 2:12 – “After this,” was when Jesus cleansed the Temple for the first time.
John 2:13 – “When it was almost time for the Jewish Passover, Jesus went up to Jerusalem.” This was Jesus’ first Passover that he attended after his baptism.
These significant differences in details between the Temple cleansing in John and the Temple cleansing in Matthew, Mark, and Luke, are strong evidence that these two cleansing occurred on two widely separated occasions in different years. Notice, also, how John places the Temple cleansing he records and the Temple cleansing recorded in Matthew, Mark, and Luke:
“Once more he visited Cana in Galilee where he had turned the water into wine . . . This was the second sign Jesus performed after coming from Judea to Galilee (John 4:46,54 NIV).read more
