Bible study comments

Firstly, the Gospels are not eye witness accounts of what happened in the Life of Jesus.

Mark was the first gospel to be written. Matthew and Luke used Mark as a source. John is the last of the
four canonical gospels to be written. None of them written as per the tradition of the Church.

I believe any seemingly contradictions can be resolved." All contradictions of any kind can be resolved.
Human beings are creative enough to come up with the story for anything. You can't come up with a
contradiction in any book, religious or fiction, that a further story can't resolve. It's a fun game you can
play with creative writing students. "He is dead. He is still alive? - Easy. He came back to life!" "His name
is Bill. His name is Bob? Easy. Bob is his legal name, Bill is his nickname." "He had three brothers. He only
had two sisters? Easy. His two sisters married men who were as close as brothers. One of them died and
she married again. Three brothers." Find a reason why the explanation doesn't work? Easy. Resolve the
contradiction with another story. It always surprises me that believers find this so impressive

Christians try to discount these inconsistencies in numbers. These are trivial details. Anyone could make
an error like that. But the point is the bible is claimed to be PERFECT, supernaturally accurate. It is
clearly not. It is no more error-free than a human-written book. We can excuse such errors in a human-
written text, but not one of claimed supernatural origin. If it is just a human-written book, it has “no
binding authority.”
1. Jairus’ daughter

In Mark 5:21-24

A man named Jairus approaches Jesus in distress. His daughter is “very ill.” He wants Jesus to come heal
her so she doesn’t die. Jesus agrees to go but before he can get to Jairus’ home, he is delayed by a
woman who herself desperately needs to be healed (5:25-34) While Jesus is dealing with her-it takes a
while-someone comes from Jairus’ house to tell him that it is too late the girl has now died (5:35) Jesus
comforts Jairus, goes and raises her from the dead.

Matthew 9:18-26

The writer of the gospel of Matthew also tells the same story but in the case Jairus comes to Jesus to tell
him that my daughter has now died (9:18) He wants him to raise her from the dead. Jesus goes and does
so.

So when Jairus comes to Jesus, does he want him to heal the sick daughter who unfortunately dies
before Jesus can get there? Or does Jairus come only after the girl is dead, waiting Jesus to raise her
from the dead?

What specifically happened in the past can easily be reconciled with faith. "Why does it matter whether
she was dead or not before her father went to Jesus, the point is she was raised from the dead!
However, if you want to say "this is what really happened", if you are making a claim of historical fact,
(especially if you are the type to take EVERY SINGLE WORD literally) two stories that say different things
cannot be both 100% accurate accounts of the events that actually happened in the past. Can the broad
strokes be true? Yes. Can they all be metaphorically true? Yes. Can they all be theologically true?
Absolutely (depending on your theology) but they cannot all be 100% historically true. They cannot all
be 100% literal.

2. Trials of Jesus

In Matthew 27:1-14

Chief priests bind Jesus (27:1-2). Chief priests deliver Jesus to Pilate (27:2) Judas saw that Jesus was
captured, tried to return the thirty pieces of silver, and killed himself (27:3-11). Pilate asks Jesus if he is
King of the Jews. Jesus says: "You said it, not me!" Chief priests accuse Jesus of many crimes. Jesus says
nothing (27:12) Pilate asks Jesus if he will defend himself against the accusations. Jesus says nothing,
Pilate is amazed (27:14)

Here we see Jesus appear before Pilate, and the other members of the sect, for interrogation. Pilate asks
him if he says he is the king of the Jews of which Jesus replies. When the chief priests and elders accuse
Jesus, he remains silent. Jesus remains silent throughout the encounter, uttering only the words, “You
say so” (27:14)
In John 18:33-38

Pilate askes Jesus if he is the king of the Jews. Jesus says, “Do you ask this on your own or did others tell
you about me. Pilate says that he is not a Jew and that the nation and chief priests are the ones that
have handed him to Pilate. Jesus answered saying that his Kingdom is not of this world. Pilate asks Jesus
for the truth (18:38)

The write of the gospel of John reports a similar story. We see Jesus actively engaged in a conversation
with Pilate. Pilate and Jesus go back forth in what appears to escalate into a philosophical discourse.

In John 19:5-16

Soldiers take Jesus in front of Pilate (19:5) Chief priests tell Pilate to crucify Jesus. Pilate tells chief priests
to crucify Jesus themselves. Jews tell Pilate Jesus should die because he called himself Son of God. Pilate
becomes afraid. Pilate goes into judgement hall. Pilate asks Jesus who he is. Jesus says nothing (19:9)
Pilate asks whether Jesus understands that he (Pilate) can crucify him. Jesus says only God has power
over him. Pilate wants to release Jesus (19:12). The Jews assert that anyone who claims kinghood is
against Caesar (19:12) Pilate sits on judgement chair to think (19:13) Pilate tries to turn Jesus over to the
Jews. The Jews reject this and tell Pilate to crucify Jesus (19:15) Pilate asks chief priests whether he
should crucify Jesus. Chief priests assent (19:15) Pilate agrees to crucify Jesus (19:16)

Is Jesus tried by Pilate before or after he is mocked by soldiers?

In Matthew Jesus is tried before he is mocked. In John, Jesus is tried after he is mocked. The only
reconciliations to this problem are to assert that Pilate tried Jesus and Barnabbas twice (in the exact
same way), that the soldiers mocked Jesus twice (in the exact same way), or that the stories'
chronologies are inconsistent -- which would mean that the Bible is inconsistent.

3. Crucifixion of Jesus

In Mark 15:21-32

The soldiers compel Simon to carry the cross (15:21). Jesus goes to Golgotha. The soldiers give Jesus
wine mixed with, he didn’t drink it (15:23). The soldiers crucify Jesus at the third hour. Soldiers part
Jesus’ garments and cast lots for it. The king of the Jews was written above Jesus’ head. Soldiers crucify
a thief to Jesus left and right. Passerby mock Jesus, ask him to remove himself from the cross. Chief
priests mock Jesus, say he cannot save himself. Both thieves taunt on Jesus (15:32)

In Matthew 27:32-44

Soldiers compel Simon to carry the cross (27:32). Jesus goes to Golgotha. Soldiers give Jesus wine
("vinegar") mixed with gall; he didn't drink it (27:34). Soldiers crucify Jesus. Soldiers part Jesus' garments
and cast lots for it (27:35) Soldiers sat and watched Jesus (27:36). The king of the Jews was written
above Jesus’ head. Soldiers crucify a thief to Jesus' left and right. Passerby mock Jesus, ask him to
remove himself from the cross. Chief priests and scribes and elders mock Jesus, say he cannot save
himself. Both thieves hate on Jesus. (27:44).

Luke 23:26-43

Soldiers compel Simon to carry the cross (23:26). Many people followed Jesus, including women. The
people lamented Jesus. Jesus told the people not to cry. Jesus goes to Calvary. Soldiers crucify Jesus
(23:33). The king of the Jews was written above Jesus’ head. Soldiers crucify a criminal to Jesus' left and
right. Jesus asks God to forgive the soldiers. Soldiers part Jesus' clothes and cast lots for it (23:34).
Passerby mock Jesus. Rulers mock Jesus, say he cannot save himself. Soldiers mockingly give Jesus wine
and ask him to save himself. First criminal asks Jesus to save himself and save both criminals (23:39)
Second criminal rebukes first criminal for failing to fear God. Second criminal asks Jesus to admit him
into Heaven (23:41-42). Jesus promises the second criminal admission to paradise (23:43).

John 19:17-30

Jesus carries the cross (19:17). Jesus goes to Golgotha. Soldiers crucify Jesus. Soldiers crucify a person to
Jesus' left and right. Pilate writes "JESUS OF NAZARETH THE KING OF THE JEWS" on the cross in Hebrew,
Greek, and Latin (19:19-20). Chief priests ask Pilate to change wording. Pilate refuses. Soldiers part
Jesus' clothes into 4 parts (1 per soldier), refused to tear it, and cast lots for it (19:23-24). Jesus' mother
Mary, Jesus's mother's sister, Mary wife of Cleophas, and Mary Magdalene wait by the cross. Jesus sees
his mother Mary and a disciple that he loved. Jesus tells his mother Mary: "Woman, behold thy son!"
Jesus tells his disciple: "Behold thy mother!" Disciple takes Jesus' mother Mary to his house. Jesus asks
for a drink. They give Jesus a sponge of wine and hyssop. Jesus drinks the wine and hyssop. (19:30)

Who carried Jesus' cross?

In Mark, Matthew, and Luke, Roman soldiers compel another man to carry Jesus' cross. In John, Jesus
carries the cross himself.

Jesus addresses his followers only in Luke.

Before crucifixion, what did Jesus drink?[

"Vinegar" is a type of sour of cheap wine; this does not contradict with "wine". However, myrrh and gall
are different things: Gall was intensely sour, possibly-narcotic juice produced from berries (possibly from
the poppy plant). Myrrh tastes nice and might have been added to wines in general. Ellicott's Bible
Commentary offers an explanation that the gall (intensely sour and possibly pain-relieving) and myrrh
(much better-tasting) were mixed together to make a drinkable pain-relief concoction. It would be out-
of-character for the soldiers (who had just beat up and repeatedly mocked Jesus) to offer this pain relief,
but it is not impossible.

In Mark and Matthew, Jesus' clothes are parted before the criminals are crucified; in Luke and John,
Jesus' clothes are parted after the criminals are crucified.

Jesus asks God to forgive his tormentors only in Luke.

In Mark and Matthew, the criminals both hate Jesus. In Luke, one criminal hates Jesus and the other
asks for Jesus' salvation.

In Mark 15:37-39

Jesus dies and then the curtain of the temple is torn into two, from top to bottom.

In Luke 23: 44-46

The curtain of the temple is torn before Jesus’ death.

These gospels are different. If you read Mark, you shouldn’t assume that it’s saying the same thing as
John. These were written by two different authors (not eye witness disciples) at different times for
different reasons. Gospel means good news. They don’t report history as we understand it in the 21st
century. When you start to consider evidence from archeology, anthropology and comparison from
other records of history, you will encounter lots of problems if you treat the Bible as a “modern book” is
giving accurate accounts of what happened in the past.