Inconsistencies and contradictions in the Bible

[Joft]

When did Jesus die?

14:12 And the first day of unleavened bread, when they killed the passover, his disciples said unto him, Where wilt thou that we go and prepare that thou mayest eat the passover?

14:16 And his disciples went forth, and came into the city, and found as he had said unto them: and they made ready the passover.

14:17 And in the evening he cometh with the twelve.

14:26 And when they had sung an hymn, they went out into the mount of Olives.

15:1 And straightway in the morning the chief priests held a consultation with the elders and scribes and the whole council, and bound Jesus, and carried him away, and delivered him to Pilate.

15:25 And it was the third hour, and they crucified him.

Mark says Jesus hung out with his disciples on the day of preparation for passover, and they prepared the passover meal, ate it (the last supper), then went to a mountain where Jesus prayed all night and the disciples kept falling asleep, then Judas betrayed him, he got arrested, tried in the morning of the next day (the day after the day of preparation), and crucified in "the third hour."

19:14 And it was the preparation of the passover, and about the sixth hour: and he saith unto the Jews, Behold your King!

19:15 But they cried out, Away with him, away with him, crucify him. Pilate saith unto them, Shall I crucify your King? The chief priests answered, We have no king but Caesar.

19:16 Then delivered he him therefore unto them to be crucified. And they took Jesus, and led him away.

19:30 When Jesus therefore had received the vinegar, he said, It is finished: and he bowed his head, and gave up the ghost.

19:31 The Jews therefore, because it was the preparation, that the bodies should not remain upon the cross on the sabbath day, (for that sabbath day was an high day,) besought Pilate that their legs might be broken, and that they might be taken away.

John says Jesus was crucified some time after "the sixth hour" on the day of preparation. John probably said this because he repeatedly refers to Jesus as the "lamb of God," and it was the evening of the day of preparation when they would kill the lambs for the passover.

John clearly says he was already dead on the day of preparation. Mark clearly says he had supper on the day of preparation, and was tried and crucified the next day.

 

[Joft]

What were Jesus's last words?

23:46 And when Jesus had cried with a loud voice, he said, Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit: and having said thus, he gave up the ghost.

19:30 When Jesus therefore had received the vinegar, he said, It is finished: and he bowed his head, and gave up the ghost.

 

[Joft]

Cock confusion

22:34 And he said, I tell thee, Peter, the cock shall not crow this day, before that thou shalt thrice deny that thou knowest me.

14:30 And Jesus saith unto him, Verily I say unto thee, That this day, even in this night, before the cock crow twice, thou shalt deny me thrice.

 

[Eggi]

thrice is an ok band

 

[GreyGhost]

you just aren't saved enough to get it

 

[Skipperlipicus]

the bible lied, people dide

 

[Breyer]

Jesus was definitely confused about the cock himself.

 

[TheSpirit]

ok..

 

[kimrari]

I still believe.

 

[KnightMare]

you could write a bible on the inconsistencies and contradictions on the bible.

 

[mausMAS]

Plotholes in MY bible?!

 

[DrSupey]

I like the word Verily.

Not quite sure what it actually means.

I'm ok with that.


Kind regards
DrSupey

 

[Philipsz]

 

[Joft]

Matthew can't count

1:17 So all the generations from Abraham to David are fourteen generations; and from David until the carrying away into Babylon are fourteen generations; and from the carrying away into Babylon unto Christ are fourteen generations.

But here are the generations, from Matthew 1:2-16

1. Jesus
2. Joseph
3. Jacob
4. Matthan
5. Eleazar
6. Eliud
7. Achim
8. Zadok
9. Azor
10. Eliakim
11. Abiud
12. Zarubbabel
13. Shealtiel
14. Jachoniah
15. Josiah
16. Amos
17. Manasseh
18. Hezekiah
19. Ahaz
20. Jotham
21. Uzziah
22. Joram
23. Jehoshaphat
24. Asaph
25. Abijah
26. Rehoboam
27. Solomon
28. David
29. Jesse
30. Obed
31. Boaz
32. Salmon
33. Nohshon
34. Amminadab
35. Aram
36. Hezron
37. Perez
38. Judah
39. Jacob
40. Isaac
41. Abraham

Notice 14*3 = 42, not 41. One of Matthew's "fourteens" is actually a thirteen.

Now here's the genealogy from David to Jesus according to Luke 3:21-31. Compare to Matthew's list between Jesus and David-- the two lists only agree on the ones I've bolded. And Luke has 43 generations for Matthew's 28.

1. David
2. Nathan
3. Mattatha
4. Menan
5. Melea
6. Eliakim
7. Jonan
8. Joseph
9. Juda
10. Simeon
11. Levi
12. Matthat
13. Jorim
14. Eliezer
15. Jose
16. Er
17. Elmodam
18. Cosam
19. Addi
20. Melchi
21. Neri
22. Salathiel
23. Zorobabel
24. Rhesa
25. Joanna
26. Juda
27. Joseph
28. Semei
29. Mattathias
30. Maath
31. Nagge
32. Esli
33. Naum
34. Amos
35. Mattathias
36. Joseph
37. Janna
38. Melchi
39. Levi
40. Matthat
41. Heli
42. Joseph
43. Jesus

Also compare Matthew to his own source, Chronicles in the old testament

1. Solomon
2. Rehoboam
3. Abia
4. Asa
5. Jehoshaphat
6. Joram
7. Ahaziah
8. Joash
9. Amaziah
10. Azariah
11. Jotham
12. Ahaz
13. Hezekiah
14. Manasseh
15. Amon
16. Josiah
17. Jehoiakim
18. Jeconiah

The four bolded names in Chronicles are completely omitted by Matthew. He had to leave them out to trim the list down to fit his "fourteen generations" scheme.

 

[Wowbagger]

I thought Jesus wasn't even related to Joseph.

 

[Joft]

I thought Jesus wasn't even related to Joseph.

I'd say that's a valid point. But we're talking about magic here.

 

[RetroHelix]

I always liked the story about Lot where there's these angels visiting Lot and some dudes stop by to rape the angels but Lot's all, "Please don't rape those guys, they are my guests! Rape my daughter instead." Then everyone dies and Lot has sex with his daughters. Pretty sweet story.

Also, Google Ads delivers:

 

[Gallium]

i only trust the gospels of mary, peter, and judas

 

[mangaboy]

Atheism is on the rise.

 

[Joft]

The nativity stories. There are two, completely different stories, depending on which gospel you read.

2:1 And it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be taxed.

2:3 And all went to be taxed, every one into his own city.

2:4 And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judaea, unto the city of David, which is called Bethlehem;

2:5 To be taxed with Mary his espoused wife, being great with child.

2:6 And so it was, that, while they were there, the days were accomplished that she should be delivered.

2:7 And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn.

2:8 And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night.

2:16 And they came with haste, and found Mary, and Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger.

2:22 And when the days of her purification according to the law of Moses were accomplished, they brought him to Jerusalem, to present him to the Lord;

2:39 And when they had performed all things according to the law of the Lord, they returned into Galilee, to their own city Nazareth.

Joseph and Mary are living in Nazareth and forced to go to Bethlehem because of a tax. Jesus is born and put in a manger where shepherds come to worship him. Then they went to Jerusalem and then straight back to Nazareth.

I should point out that no historical source has any record of this massive census/tax.

2:1 Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judaea in the days of Herod the king, behold, there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem,

2:2 Saying, Where is he that is born King of the Jews? for we have seen his star in the east, and are come to worship him.

2:8 And he sent them to Bethlehem, and said, Go and search diligently for the young child; and when ye have found him, bring me word again, that I may come and worship him also.

2:11 And when they were come into the house, they saw the young child with Mary his mother, and fell down, and worshipped him: and when they had opened their treasures, they presented unto him gifts; gold, and frankincense and myrrh.

2:12 And being warned of God in a dream that they should not return to Herod, they departed into their own country another way.

2:13 And when they were departed, behold, the angel of the Lord appeareth to Joseph in a dream, saying, Arise, and take the young child and his mother, and flee into Egypt, and be thou there until I bring thee word: for Herod will seek the young child to destroy him.

2:14 When he arose, he took the young child and his mother by night, and departed into Egypt:

2:15 And was there until the death of Herod: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying, Out of Egypt have I called my son.

2:16 Then Herod, when he saw that he was mocked of the wise men, was exceeding wroth, and sent forth, and slew all the children that were in Bethlehem, and in all the coasts thereof, from two years old and under, according to the time which he had diligently enquired of the wise men.

2:19 But when Herod was dead, behold, an angel of the Lord appeareth in a dream to Joseph in Egypt,

2:21 And he arose, and took the young child and his mother, and came into the land of Israel.

2:22 But when he heard that Archelaus did reign in Judaea in the room of his father Herod, he was afraid to go thither: notwithstanding, being warned of God in a dream, he turned aside into the parts of Galilee:

This version begins with Joseph and Mary living in some house in Bethlehem (not a manger). It mentions nothing about Nazareth being Joseph's hometown or any tax forcing him to come to Bethlehem. Instead of shepherds, there are wise men. Then they flee to Egypt because Herod was killing all the babies-- something Luke completely forgot to mention. On their way back from Egypt, they are forced to go to Nazareth. Apparently they were on their way to Bethlehem again (presumably because they had a house there) but God warned Joseph in yet another dream, and they went to Nazareth as a detour. Remember, Luke had them originally living in Nazareth, but this is the first time Nazareth is mentioned by Matthew.

And of course, no historical sources have any record of a major infanticide in Bethlehem.

The iconic nativity scene and celebration of Christmas that we have today is an amalgamation of these two completely different stories. Except the house is dropped in favor of a manger.

Aside from the stories being so different, they also seem contradictory. Luke says Bethlehem -> Jerusalem -> Nazareth. How could they return from Jerusalem to Nazareth, but also flee to Egypt? Did they take the bus and make the trip in a day or something?

Edit: Bethlehem is about 80 miles from the border of Egypt. I suppose they could feasibly travel that far in 2 or 3 days. So it's possible the stories aren't inconsistent. It's still strange that they both leave out seemingly major, significant details mentioned by the other.