Inerrancy and Alleged Contradictions in the NT

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Updated Jul 14, 2024
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  • It’s not hard to be a conservative Christian that believes the Bible in its original form, which is contained in the Bibles we hold today. 
    • Our Bible is 98% (or more) accurate to the original text
    • Essentially, we have 550+ pieces to only a 500 piece jigsaw puzzle 
    • We must keep in mind that having an infallible source does not make something from God. 
      • It is reasonably plausible that a mere human can write a book that is free from error
  • We have the word of God
    • We simply must not value things of the world (notoriety, scholarly acceptance, awards, etc) higher than God’s word
    • We don’t say the Bible is God’s word because it is free of contradictions. It is because it is God’s word it has no contradictions
  • The Bible is without error, but knowing it depends on your willingness to accept the resolution to apparent contradictions. 
    • At the end of the day, believing the Bible requires faith. That is the Christian position, but faith is never without evidence 
    • Any skeptic (Bart Erhman, etc) can make a contradiction and encourage doubt, even in front of Jeremiah himself. Jeremiah would attempt to explain himself to the skeptic, but they could refuse to accept his explanation 
      • During the time of Jeremiah, some denied that God spoke to Him. But those of faith, recognized that he was delivering God’s word
      • Skeptics, like Bart Erhman, despise inerrancy, because it implies truth, it implies that the Bible is completely true, something they cannot except
  • A proof of the NT’s reliability and truth is it’s connection with the OT. How it brings fulfillment to the things written in the OT
  • A contradiction is when something is both true and not true at the same time, in the same way and sense
    • a contradiction would be two opposing points that are not reconcilable
    • A clear contradiction would both affirm and deny that same thing
      • Like saying 
        • God is not holy ever and God is always holy
        • Jesus was raised from the dead and He was not raised from the dead in any way
        • Contradictions often require more details to only be explained one contradictory way
  • 10 Verses

  • Matthew 1:2-16 ESV

    Who is Joseph father, grandfather, great grandfather, and great great grandfather?

    Matthew’s account:

    1. Jacob - father
    2. Matthan 
    3. Eliezar
    4. Elious - great great grandfather

    Luke’s account:

    1. Heli - father
    2. Mathat 
    3. Levi
    4. Melchi - great great grandfather


    Answer

    • We don't have enough information to be dogmatic about the genealogies, because genealogies are complicated or are not exhaustive
    • Jewishness is determined by the mother (cf. Gal. 4:4). The virgin birth is proof, given Jesus does not come from the seed of Joseph, yet Jesus is a Jew
    • Biblical Jewish geneaological studies can be complicated because of how the bible sometimes chooses to identify fathers (and siblings). Sometimes its based on royalty (e.g. legal successors), other times its based on obedience, other times it is direct lineage.
      • Adoption was a legal and valid means of lineage, just like it is today
      • The father was whoever the mother was married to, or whatever son the father adopted. Legal or genetic reasons for fatherhood.
      • Christ is called the son of David, due to lineage and royalty, not because He is an immediate descendant of David (cf. Luke 18:38)
    • The genealogies eventually merge at David
      • Mary is from the line of David, see Luke 1:32
      • It is likely that Mary, is the daughter of Heli. But, Heli was also the father-in-law of Joseph, so both geneaologies are said to be Joseph's line
      • But why are Matthew and Luke using different genealogies?
        • Matthew's account starts and ends with a hint to its purpose; brevity. He mentions David as a son of Abraham, skipping many generations of people, then at the end (v17)
        • Because they are writing with different goals in mind. Matthew is trying to convince his Jewish audience that Jesus is the Son of David, the Messiah they’ve been waiting for. Therefore a legal ancestry showing the line of descent (even though it has since been lost) would have carried a lot of weight when it was first written.
          • Luke on the other hand is a Gentile writing to Gentiles—so showing Jesus’ common ancestry from Adam would be an important part of emphasizing that He is the Savior for all humanity (Jew and Gentile).
    • The Bible does not give us exhaustive detail about everything and when it doesn't it does not mean its a contradiction, when its actually a gap.
      • Its not a contradiction just because we don't have an exact answer
    • What about Zerubbabel and Shealtiel?
      • Adoption to make a successor for Jeconiah, a king of Judah (cf. Jeremiah 24:1)
        • It is likely that this happened to Jeconiah when he was taken away to Babylon. If this is the case, he may have adopted Shealtiel (1 Chron. 3:17?) son of Neri in order to pass on the right to the throne. And in this scenario, both Mary and Joseph would be descended from Zerubbabel. 
    • No wonder Paul instructs Timothy to avoid genealogies (1 Timothy 1:3-4)

    To the Muslim

    • In Luke’s account Jesus is called the son of Joseph, but keep in mind it is not his biological son through sex, but through law, since he was married to Mary
    • “Son of” can be used to indicate a “descendant of” as well
    • Begat also means, to bring forth, like in Psalm 2
      • A father begets children, see 2 Kings 20:16-19

    References 11

    • Luke 3:23-28

    • Luke 1:32-34

    • 2 Kings 20:16-19

    • 1 Chronicles 3

    • Jeremiah 24:1

    • 2 Kings 18:1

    • 2 Chronicles 27:9

    • 1 Chronicles 3:17

    • Matthew 22:24-28

    • 1 Timothy 1:3-4

    • Luke 18:38

  • Matthew 2:15 ESV

    • Did Matthew abuse Hosea by misusing the quote and applying it to Jesus?

    Answer
    • It would appear likely that Hosea sees that these Numbers allusions about the past coming "out of Egypt" together with the "lion" image will be recapitualted again in the eschatological future.
    • The main point or goal of Hosea 11:1-11 is the accomplishment of Israel's future restoration from the nations, including Egypt
    • Hosea 11 both begins and ends with the exodus out of Egypt, but the former refers to the past event and the latter to a yet future event
    • Matthew sees Jesus summing up Israel in himself, the true Israel

    References 7

    • Hosea 11

    • Numbers 23:22-24

    • Isaiah 11:15-16

    • Numbers 24:2-9

    • Hosea 11:1

    • 1 Kings 11:40

    • Matthew 2:21

  • Matthew 2:19-23 ESV

    • Did Joseph, Mary, and Jesus flee to Egypt or Return to Nazareth?
      • Fled to Egypt or back to Nazareth 41 days later?

    Answer
    • Luke not mentioning something (i.e. flight to Egypt), does not mean it didn’t happen.

    References 1

    • Luke 2:39-40

  • Matthew 24:36 ESV

    If Jesus is God, why doesn’t He know when He will return?
    Answer
    • Jewish idiom
      • It essentially means, that no other one outside of an exclusive group knows
    • The name is always known by God, because He gives the names
    • Jesus, in His humanity, laid aside the divine prerogative to know His return
      • But in His divine nature, He is fully aware, hence Him being able to describe some of the signs that would lead up to His return
    • If taken too literally, then the Holy Spirit doesn’t know either. And He knows the mind and the hidden will of God
    • This speaks of Jesus’s second advent and not the destruction of the temple, since He is saying that no one knows the time when it will happen. But, Jesus just told the disciples when the temple would be destroyed 

    References 4

    • Revelation 19:12

    • Revelation 2:17

    • 1 Corinthians 2:10-12

    • Romans 8:27

  • Matthew 28 ESV

    • Did the disciples see the resurrected Jesus in Galilee or did they stay in Jerusalem?
      • Matthew
        • 80 mile walk to Galilee? 
        • He only meets them there.
      • Luke
        • On resurrection day he says to his disciples to stay in Jerusalem. They stay.
        • In Acts they are still in Jerusalem. Jesus ascends.
        • They don't leave Jerusalem ever.
    Answer
    • Sea of Galilee, also called, Sea of Tiberias
      • scene of Jesus question Peter
      • The disciples do go to Galilee
    • After Luke 24:49, they go back to Galilee, and see Jesus as well (John 21:1)
    • They travel back to Jerusalem for Pentecost (about 50 days later) and see Jesus again, and Jesus ascends to heaven from Jerusalem (Act 1:7-12)

    References 5

    • Luke 24

    • 1 Corinthians 15:5-6

    • John 21:1

    • Acts 1:7-12

    • Acts 2:1-5

  • Mark 1:1 ESV

    • Is Jesus the Son of God? This verse has a textual variant 
      • The idea of Jesus being God developed over time. Mark did not think Jesus was the Son of God

    Answer
    • Yet, still without a textual variant, we have in verse 11 a clear claim of Christ being the son of God, which substantiates the use of it in verse one

    References 1

    • Mark 1:11

  • Mark 5:22-24 ESV

    • Did Jairus come to Jesus before or after his daughter died?

    • There are multiple alternative solutions
      • Matthew may have omitted the initial statement of Jairus, but focused on the second one
      • Notice, only Matthew records the second statement
    • The same Greek word can be translated dead or near death
    • Luke mentions more details of the story, so it seems Matthew simply compresses the story in his account to what basically happened or what was basically stated
      • Ancient writers, like us, have no need to be medically accurate in telling a story where details are less important 
    • Matthew agrees with Mark and Luke, it is not stating the opposite, they convey the same meaning 
    • Craig Bloomberg says
      • What is more, in a world without modern medical monitors to establish the precise moment of expiry, there is not nearly so much difference between Matthew’s arti eteleutēsen in v. 18 (which could fairly be translated “just came to the point of death”; cf. Heb 11:22) and eschatos echei in Mark 5:23 (which could also be rendered “is dying”). What is more, in a world without modern medical monitors to establish the precise moment of expiry, there is not nearly so much difference between Matthew’s arti eteleutēsen in v. 18 (which could fairly be translated “just came to the point of death”; cf. Heb 11:22) and eschatos echei in Mark 5:23 (which could also be rendered “is dying”). 

    References 3

    • Matthew 9:18-20

    • Luke 8:41-42

    • Luke 8:49

  • Mark 12:34 ESV

    • Was there no questions asked of him after the question about the Great Commandment? 

    Answer
    • Jesus asked the next question, not the people

    References 1

    • Matthew 22:46

  • Mark 15:37-39 ESV

    • Did the curtain in the temple rip after or before Jesus died?
    Answer 
    • There is no definitive time element attached to the ripping of the curtain. The Greek only indicates that both Jesus died and the curtain was torn. No sequence is specified by the Greek conjunction (kai) used 

    References 1

    • Luke 23:44-46

  • John 14:28 ESV

    • How can Jesus be God if He says that the Father, who is God, is greater?
    Answer
    • The Father, at the time, was greater in glory and exaltation, when compared to Jesus in His Humanity (position as a slave)

    References 2

    • John 17:4-5

    • Philippians 2:5-7