Bible Query Harmony of the Gospels – long version

Q: What is the origin of the English word "gospel"?

A: The English word gospel comes from the Old English / Anglo-Saxon "godspell" meaning good news or good tidings. This is according to the New International Dictionary of the Bible p.396 and the skeptical Asimov's Guide to the Bible p.770. The English Dictionary edited by Charles Earle Funk, Litt.D. p.1122 adds the Old English "spell" means story, tidings, or statement. "spell", meaning to signify, comes from the Old French espeler, which is from the Middle Lower German spellen, "say".

Prior to the New Testament, Greeks used this word for good news, such as when a messenger returned to a city reporting that their army won a battle.

Christians use the term "gospel" in two senses.

First, the "gospel" is the good news of the message of Jesus Christ, the Son of God, coming to earth, living a perfectly sinless life, dying on the cross for our sins, and rising from the dead. This message of the "gospel" is throughout the New Testament, not just the first four books.

Second, four biographies of the life of Christ, telling the gospel in detail, were written. They are the gospel of Matthew, Mark Luke and John.

The gospel message of Christ is not a book but a message. It serves for us as the gospel of salvation, it is a gospel for all nations, and it is the gospel of God's kingdom. It is what Paul and the other apostles preached.

Q: How could Jesus be of the tribe of Judah, since tribal affiliation is only through the father (Numbers 34:14, Numbers 1:18-44, Leviticus 24:10)? The mother's tribal affiliation was considered irrelevant to what her children's tribal affiliation was and tribal affiliation/genealogy could not be inherited though a stepfather; only property could be inherited. Because Christians believe that Jesus had no human father, he would have had no tribal affiliation and thus cannot be counted as a descendant of Judah or David and would therefore be eliminated from messianic consideration. The web site http://www.jewsforjudaism.org/faq-primary-211/birth-of-jesus-primary-360/59-whos-genealogy-is-given-by-luke makes the following claims regarding Christ's genealogy: "To presume that Mary was of Davidic descent presents the problem that Mary could not pass on what she did not possess: (1) Maternal connection does not enter into consideration for succession to the throne of David which is passed on only through a continuous male line: ‘There shall not be cut off from David a man to sit upon the throne of the house of Israel' (Jeremiah 33:17); (2) Biblically, the right of lineal privilege, that is, kingship and priesthood, are exclusively passed on through the male line. The incident regarding the inheritance of the daughters of Zelophehad (Numbers, chapters 27 and 36) does not apply here since it concerns the transference of physical property and not privileges of lineage."

A: First the 5-second answer, then a detailed answer. Most Jews consider being Jewish as through the mother, but let's go ahead and answer this ignoring that. Basically, while tribal affiliation was normally through the father, Jewish tribal affiliation was through the mother, NOT the father, for Jarha's family (1 Chronicles 2:34-41), and the sons of a priest (Ezra 2:61; Nehemiah 7:63). How much more would tribal affiliation be through the mother for the virgin-born case!

As for a detailed answer, who said tribal or clan affiliation was only through the father? - nobody in the Bible. Numbers 34:14 does not show anything. Numbers 1:18-24 shows that the son of an Egyptian father and Israelite mother was not called an Israelite. People would have thought him Egyptian or half-Israelite. Leviticus 24:10 (and many other passages) only indicate that for regular Israelites that tribal affiliation was in fact through the father. But this is NO RESTRICTION ON GOD. The two biological parent cases have no bearing on the single biological parent case. Yet, even for two biological parents, there are in fact Old Testament examples of tribal lineage in fact being though the mother.

Three examples of tribal affiliation through the mother.

In the tribe of Judah, Sheshan had no sons, only daughters. So he gave his daughter in marriage to his Egyptian servant Jarha, and they had a son named Attai. Attai's genealogy is given with the other Israelites in 1 Chronicles 2:34-41. Not only were the sons considered Israelites, they were also listed under Judah.

A second example is Jair, whose grandfather was Hezron of the tribe of Judah and the daughter of Makir, a Manassite. In 1 Chronicles 2:21-23 Jair controlled 23 towns in Gilead (in the territory of Manasseh). Yet even though Jair's grandfather was from Judah, Jair is still called a Manassite as was his mother in Numbers 32:41 and Deuteronomy 3:14.

A third example is Ezra 2:61 and Nehemiah 7:63, where sons of a priest who married a daughter of Barzillai were called the sons of Barzillai. See the Keil-Delitzsch Commentary on the Old Testament vol.1 p.213 for more info.

Another example showing that ancestral affiliation was not only through the biological father is levirate marriage. When a husband dies before having children, the husband's brother would marry the widow, and the first child born would be considered that of the dead first husband, even though biologically this was not the case.

Regardless though, question seems like splitting hairs. What ethnic background was the human DNA of Jesus? 100% Jewish. There were only 12 Jewish tribes (actually 11 tribes plus 2 half-tribes). Was Jesus' human DNA from any one tribe? Yes, from Judah. If not having a Jewish father would make him not one of the 12 tribes, then what would be Jesus' ethnic background?

This question seems like an avoidance of a bigger question. If Jesus was born of a virgin, sent from God to teach us, would you follow Him or not? If the choice was staying with the questioner's Jewish culture vs. following the One True God, which would you choose? If the person would not say they would follow the One True God no matter what, then the issue is not Jesus' DNA, but their not being willing to follow the One True God.

A second issue is succession to the throne. The questioner was wrong to say that Mary was not of Davidic descent; her genealogy in Luke, as well as Luke 2, Romans 1:3; and 2 Timothy 2:8 shows that Jesus (and her) were biologically from David. However, the questioner is correct in indicating that Mary's genealogy would have no bearing on succession to the throne. For this, it was important that Jesus also be the adopted son of Joseph, who as a male from the Davidic line, would have a claim to the throne.

Q: In the gospels, why is there a need for gospel harmony?

A: Gospel harmonization would not be an issue if God had only preserved one gospel, or if God Himself had given a complete Gospel harmony. Instead, we have four accounts, where each human writer recorded what he believed was most important of what God providentially had him remember. See the question after the next for why we have four gospels.

Q: Who were the first writers in history to make a harmony of the gospels?

A: Tatian (c.172 A.D.) made a harmony of the gospels, called the Diatessaron, meaning "through [the] four". This testifies that there were only four gospels accepted, and it accurately quotes word for word 79% of the gospel verses. However, Tatian was an Encratite Gnostic, and he selectively left out all verses that emphasize the humanity of Jesus, such as genealogies. But even this heretic included all the verses that show Jesus is God.

Theophilus of Antioch (168-181/188 A.D.) wrote a harmony/commentary on the gospels according to Jerome, but it has been lost. (ANF vol.2 p.87-88

Dionysius of Alexandria (246-265 A.D.) (partial) showed that the gospel writers did not "disagree or contradict each other" and gave a good and rather complete harmony of the gospels after the resurrection in his Letter 5 - to Bishop Basilides canon 1 Ante-Nicene Fathers vol.6 p.94-95.

Ammonius of Alexandria made a harmony of the gospels in the early third century. He used Matthew as a standard, and showed how the other gospels compared. See Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers Second Series vol.1 p.38-39 and vol.6 p.69

Juvencus (329 A.D.) made an epic poem of the gospels, harmonizing much of them.

Eusebius of Caesarea (313-339/340 A.D.) made a harmony that was easier to read, because he put the columns side by side. However Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers Second Series vol.6 p.69 says it was flawed in that he often had a parallelism where there was no need for one. See Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers Second Series vol.1 p.38-39.

Augustine of Hippo (354-430 A.D.) also wrote a work called Harmony of the Gospels. This is in Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers Second Series vol.6 p.77-236.

In the middle ages the following had harmonies of the gospels: Osiander, Jansen, Robert Stephens, John Calvin, Du Moulin, and Chemnitz according to Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers Second Series vol.6 p.69.

In modern times, a harmony of the gospels is in The New Unger's Bible Dictionary p.495-498.

Q: If the Gospel of Mark was written first, the Christians knew of it, for sure. So why they did not just copy it, but rather there came who writes a second and a third and a fourth gospel?

A: They did copy Mark, as well as the other three gospels, so I think the question is really, why have three other gospels. We have the richness of not just one, but four viewpoints on Jesus. God moved not just one writer, but four, and God gave them different perspectives and personalities.

Q: In the gospels, why are there four gospels?

A: The four gospels have different purposes and somewhat different audiences.

Matthew: was first written in the languages of the Hebrews (Aramaic?) according to Papias. It emphasizes the kingdom of God, in contrast to John, which emphasizes how to be saved. Matthew lists many Old Testament prophecies, and it shows how the life of Christ paralleled the life of Israel in the Old Testament. Many think of Matthew's gospel as a "lion" emphasizing Christ as the King. Irenaeus of Lyons (182-188 A.D.) in fragment 28 says that the Gospel of Matthew was written to the Jews, stressing that Christ was descended from David.

Mark: Emphasizes the actions of Christ. Many think of Mark's Gospel as an "ox", emphasizing Christ as servant.

Luke: The longest gospel, was written by a physician and traveling companion of Paul. Luke has been called the greatest historian of the ancient world. Many think of Luke's gospel as a "man", emphasizing the humanity of Christ.

John: Perhaps the most profound Gospel, emphasizes less of Christ's life and more of his claims and teaching. Many think of John's gospel as an "eagle", emphasizing the divinity of Christ.

The Believer's Bible Commentary p.1198 mentions that in the Old Testament the Messiah is called The Branch in four contexts: "...to David a Branch ... a King" (Jeremiah 23:5,6), "My Servant, the Branch" (Zechariah 3:8), The Man ... the Branch" (Zechariah 6:12), and "The Branch of the LORD" (Isaiah 4:2).

There were no more gospels that Christians generally accepted. Irenaeus, who wrote about 182-188 A.D., said there were exactly four gospels (Irenaeus Against Heresies book 3 chapter 11.8 p.428).

See 1001 Bible Questions Answered p.11-12 and Hard Sayings of the Bible p.82-85 for more info.

Q: Is each gospel in chronological order?

A: No. Here are what four conservative sources say.

The NIV Study Bible p.1437 says, "(Chronological order does not appear to have been rigidly followed in any of the Gospels, however.)"

The New Geneva Study Bible p.1504 says "However, Matthew and Luke do not follow Mark at every point in the order of events of Jesus' life, or the order of His teachings." On p.1698 it says, "While some difficulties arise in the correlation of details, the main elements are in complete harmony."

F.F. Bruce in Hard Sayings of the Bible p.454-455 says, ...none of the Gospel writers claims to be giving a careful chronology. ... It was far more important to the ancient historian that we grasp the meaning of history than that we get the chronology straight. Thus Matthew groups the sayings of Jesus in five major ‘books" by topic:...Luke has another way of grouping his material. ... In each case we get topical groupings, which give us an orderly account in that they order the material so we can better understand it. In neither case do we necessarily get the exact setting in which Jesus said all of the material."

In the early church, Eusebius' Ecclesiastical History book 3 ch.39 p.170-173 records Papias, a disciple of John the apostle, as saying, "Mark, who was the interpreter of Peter, wrote down accurately all that he remembered, whether of sayings or doings of Christ, but not in order. For he was neither a hearer nor a companion of the Lord; but afterwards, as I have said, he accompanied Peter, who adapted his instruction as necessity required, not as though he were making a compilation of the Lord's oracles. So then Mark made no mistake when he wrote down thus some things as he remembered them; for he concentrated on this alone - not to omit anything that he had heard, nor to include any false statement among them" (taken from The New Bible Dictionary 1962 p.782)

The writers assumed people would read the whole book multiple times. For example, John 11:2 mentions that is was the Mary anointed Jesus with fragrant oil. But it did not relate the account of Mary anointing Jesus with fragrant oil until John 12:1-3. In Matthew 10:4 is mentions "Judas Iscariot, who betrayed him", and Judas had not betrayed Jesus yet.

Q: What are the "Synoptic Gospels"? What are the similarities and differences between them? Is there any proof that they quoted from each other?

A: That is simply the name for Matthew, Mark, and Luke (not John). If Mark was the earliest one, then he would not have quoted from the others. It is possible that Matthew and Luke could have quoted from Mark and one from the other, but on the other hand, it could have been what they remembered themselves or talking with others. John, which is most likely written last, seems to focus on what the others did not mention.

Q: Why are the three Synoptic Gospels (Matthew, Mark, and Luke) as similar as they are?

A: There are four views, and the first three can be complementary.

1. Similarity of Purpose: The first three gospels are very much in parallel and were written to give a "synopsis" of the life of Christ. John, which was written later, perhaps assumed readers already knew of the other gospels. John is stated to be written so that people would believe in Jesus and have life in His name, as John 20:31-31 says. See 1001 Bible Questions Answered p.12 for more info on this view.

2. Verbal link: Mark was a companion of Peter, and Luke traveled with Paul. Mark was in Rome in 1 Peter 5:13. Luke and Mark were likely in Rome at the same time, and as one person put it "they probably did not spend all their time talking about the weather." While we do not know everywhere Matthew traveled, this view says the similarities are due to verbal communication among the writers. Hard Sayings of the Bible p.454 also discusses a common link between Matthew and Luke, saying that link probably was verbal.

3. Written link of Mark: The New Geneva Study Bible (p.1504) says "The Gospels do not simply present a schedule of Jesus' activities. Nor are they modern, technical biographies that follow methods unknown in their day."

4. "Q": A fourth view, that many liberal scholars hold, is there was a now lost book, which they call "Q" that had the material common to Matthew and Luke but not Mark.

Q: What is the "Q" source? Where is it now? In which language does it exist?

A: "Q" is the name given to verses that are common between Matthew and Luke but not in Mark or John. We have no proof that it ever existed. On the other hand, one of think of this "Q" as not having to be a single writing, but multiple sources. And these sources were not all necessarily written down. In other words, what some call the "Q document" (singular) could in fact be teachings, including verbal, by the apostles and other followers.

Q: Do the gospels contain what exactly and really what Lord Jesus said or did?

A: They summarized and paraphrased. For example, in the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 5-7, Jesus probably had an extended period of time to preach. Yet one can read this in less than fifteen minutes. Of course, Jesus probably repeated things in subsequent sermons, but the a gospel writer did not repeat that every time. But for Christians it is the message and meaning that Jesus taught that is important, not the actual syllables and words.

Q: What are the "group of Jesus sayings" that is said that the Evangelists depended on it when writing their gospels?

A: The New Testament does not mention any "group of sayings". Perhaps you are thinking of what Luke wrote. John also wrote two things that might be considered marginally relevant.

Luke 1:1-4 "Inasmuch as many have taken in hand to set in order a narrative of those things which have been fulfilled among us, just as those who from the beginning were eyewitnesses and ministers of the word delivered them to us, it seemed good to me also, having had perfect understanding of all things from the very first, to write to you an orderly account, most excellent Theophilus, that you may know the certainty of those things in which you were instructed." (NKJV)

John 20:30-31 "And truly Jesus did many other signs in the presence of His disciples, which are not written in this book; but these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in His name." (NKJV)

1 John 1:4 "That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, concerning the Word of life – the life was manifested, and we have seen, and bear witness, and declare to you that eternal life which was with the Father and was manifested to us – that which we have seen and heard we declare to you, that you also may have fellowship with us; and truly our fellowship is with the Father and with His Son Jesus Christ. And these things we write to you that your joy may be full." (NKJV)

Q: My professor is allowing me to do a 75-minute presentation on the "Historical Jesus." In my research, I've come across a couple of arguments that I don't quite know how to address, and I was wondering if you might have any insights!

Is there any information on the Helenization of Palestine in Jesus' day, which might indicate that the New Testament authors actually did write in Greek? Jesus most likely spoke Aramaic, so how would you explain the inerrancy of what he is reported to have said? If the authors wrote in Aramaic, or some other language, how can we prove (or at least demonstrate beyond reasonable doubt) that it has been translated and passed down accurately over the centuries?

If you know of any sources you could point me to, that would be great. Or if you've already thought through this one, I'd love to hear your conclusions. I believe in God's sovereignty and in His ability to protect His Word, but any explanations as to how He's done this would definitely help!

A: It seems there are four basic issues here: 1. What Jesus spoke

2. What the Gospels were written in

3. Testimony of the gospels' reliability

4. Inerrant recording of Jesus' teaching

1. What Jesus spoke

We know that Jesus spoke Aramaic, because he uttered some phrases in Aramaic. (Matthew 5:22, etc.) When Jesus spoke on the cross, "Eloi, Eloi, Lama Sabathchani", some thought he was calling Elijah because they did not know Aramaic, though all the Romans would have known Greek and Latin. In the area where Jesus grew up, many people spoke Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek. For example, just north and all east of the Sea of Galilee was all Greek-speaking. That is why Pilate had the sign above Jesus' head written in three languages.

In addition, a number of Jewish people at this time had both Jewish and Greek or Roman names. Besides Simon Peter, there was Joseph Barsabbas, Judas Barsabbas in Acts 15:22;Jesus called Justus in Colossians 4:11, Joseph called Barnabas in Acts 4:36, and John Mark in Acts 12:12. See The Expositor's Bible Commentary vol.9 p.267-268 for more info.

2. What the Gospels were written in

As to the gospels, we have the testimony of Papias, a disciple of the apostle John. According to what has been preserved by the church historian Eusebius, Papias said the Gospel of Matthew was originally written in the language of the Hebrews (Hebrew or Aramaic). The early Christians predominantly spoke Greek, though converts from Judaism spoke Hebrew and Aramaic also.

3. Testimony of the gospels' reliability

I have heard a number of people say that the oldest complete (or nearly complete) New Testament we have are from around 350 A.D. However, that misses the point. We have the vast majority of all the verses of the gospels preserved much earlier. For example, up through 200 A.D. we have preserved manuscripts contained 71% of the verses of Luke (818 out of 1151 verses). They are: Luke 1:58-59; 1:52-2:1; 2:6-7; 3:8-4:2; 4:29-32; 4:34-5:10; 5:30-7:32; 7:35-39,41-43; 7:46-9:2; 9:4-17:15; 17:19-18:18; 22:4-24:53.

As for the Gospel of John, the earliest manuscript we have today is p52, which dates between 100 and 150 A.D. Other early manuscripts date up through 200 A.D. (p45, p66, p75, p90). These manuscript together with p52 contain 855 out of the 878 verses of John (97%). They include verses 1:1-14:30; 15:2-26; 16:2-4, 6-7, 10-33; 17:1-20:20; 20:22,23,25-41; 21:1-9,12,17.

Don't forget early church and other writings. The earliest non-Biblical Christian writings we have are First Clement (to the Corinthians) 96-98 A.D., which quotes extensively from Hebrews in addition to other books and the Shepherd of Hermas c.115-155 A.D. The Diatessaron is a word for word harmony of about 79% of the verses of the gospels written by the Encratite Gnostic Tatian around 172 A.D.

4. Inerrant recording of Jesus' teaching

The originals were just paraphrases of Jesus' teaching. When Jesus taught the crowd for hours, and we can read his words in five paragraphs, obviously it was not word for word. The Christian doctrine of inerrancy has five basic parts: 1. The Bible in the original manuscripts is correct on all that which it speaks.

2. We have to understand the context, poetry is poetry, narrative is narrative, we can understand metaphors and expressions of speech, etc, 3. God was free to "use his own pens" in writing the Bible, and the pens were the people writing the words. Thus, different books by different human authors have different style, and that is OK; God's truth shines through all of them.

4. It is the meaning that was written without error, not necessarily every word.

5. The Bible manuscripts preserved today do have some variations and errors in them, but God's word was preserved without significant error that alters Christian doctrine, faith, or practice. For more info, see http://www.biblequery.org/New Testament Manuscripts.html.

Q: the skeptic Bart Ehrman writes, "We have some information about what it meant to be a lower-class peasant in rural areas of Palestine in the first century. One thing it meant is that you were almost certainly illiterate. Jesus himself was highly exceptional, in that he evidently could read (Luke 4:16-20), but there is nothing to indicate that he could write.... How many could read? Illiteracy was widespread throughout the Roman Empire. At the best of times maybe 10 percent of the population was roughly literate. And that 10 percent would be the leisured classes ... Nothing in the Gospels or Acts indicates that Jesus' followers could read, let alone write. In fact there is an account in Acts in which Peter and John are said to be ‘unlettered' (Acts 4:13) – the ancient word for illiterate." (Jesus, Interrupted p.105-106). This is also similar to Ehrman's Lost Christianities p.203.

Deuteronomy 6:9 commands the Israelites to write the laws on the doorposts of their houses and on their gates. Do skeptics think that almost none of the Jews obeyed their own law?

As a side note, at Beir Allah in the Jordan Valley, archaeologists found a schoolboy's writing practice mentioning Balaam son of Beor three times. This was radiocarbon dated to 800/760 B.C.

Q: What does the English word "synoptic" mean?

A: The Wycliffe Bible Dictionary p.723 says "synoptic comes from the Greek syn (together with" and opsis, (a sight, a view) as does The NIV Study Bible p.1437. Likewise The New International Dictionary of the Bible p.399 says the Greek word synoptikos means "to see the whole together, to take a comprehensive view."

In contrast to this, the skeptical Asimov's Guide to the Bible p.770 says the word "synoptic" comes from the Greek word meaning "one-eye" because each of the three synoptic Gospels tells the history of Jesus from their viewpoint. Perhaps he confused "syn/sun" with "mono" which means "one".

Strong's Concordance for "sun" (4862) says "a prim. prep. denoting union; with or together (but much closer than 3326 or 3844) i.e. by association, companionship, process, resemblance, possession, instrumentality, addition etc." - beside, with. In comp. It has similar applications, include. completeness."

Q: Which of the four gospels was written first?

A: The most common view among Christians is Mark, though there are reputable Bible scholars who believe it was Matthew or Luke. The Bible Knowledge Commentary : New Testament p.98 says, "Some literary dependence seems to be the only way to explain adequately the close relationship between the Synoptic Gospels. The priority-of-Mark theory, though not without problems, accounts best for the basic outline of events and the detailed similarities between the Synoptic Gospels. The difference are probably due to a combination of oral and written traditions which Matthew and Luke used independently in addition to Mark."

The skeptical Asimov's Guide to the Bible p.770 says that Matthew was listed first because it was thought to be first, but today people generally think it was Mark. (p.770, p.903) However, Asimov p.771 also mentions that Papias wrote that Matthew was originally written in Hebrew [Aramaic?]. It is possible that Matthew was written first in Aramaic, Mark used that as a primary source in composing his gospel, and later the Gospel of Matthew was translated verbatim.

As a side note, of the 661 verses in Mark (shorter ending), 600 are similar to verses in Matthew, 350 are similar to verses in Luke, and only 31 are found nowhere else.

Q: What are the Apocryphal Gospels? Why those are not accepted, while we know that Church fathers and church traditions counted on them, quoted from them, especially in the Church feasts and ritual practices?

A: The last part of the question itself is factually incorrect. The church fathers and church traditions did not count on them, and they did not use those in church feasts and ritual practices, unless the question is talking about Gnostic religions, and not Christianity.

The only positive quotes are that 2 Clement and Clement of Alexandria mention the Gospel of the Egyptians, and Clement of Alexandria mentions the Gospel of the Hebrews. There are no other Pre-Nicene Christian quotes of any other gospels in a positive sense. However, church fathers mentioned and quoted from the following saying they were false. Irenaeus speaks against the false Gospel of Truth. Hippolytus speaks against the Gospel of the Egyptians and the Gospel of Thomas (and other works.) So it would not be fair to claim that early Church fathers "counted on them" when many of them were not written yet, and they spoke against other heretical writings.

Finally, many of the apocryphal gospels were neither endorsed nor rejected by the early Christians because these apocryphal gospels had not been written until centuries later. For example, the Gospel of Gospel of Nicodemus was written about 405-439 A.D., and the Gospel of the Nativity of Mary was written after 625 A.D..

Q: What is the "Infancy Gospel", the "Gospel of Truth", the "Gospel of the Hebrews", the "Gospel of the Ebionites", the "Gospel of Thomas", and the "Gospel of Peter"?

A: These are apocryphal gospels various people wrote long after the events occurred.

Here are some of the gospels and the dates they were written

Gospel of Mary (2nd or 6th century)

Gospel of Peter (180-190 A.D.)

Gospel of Thomas. The false book by Gnostic heretics was probably written between 188 and 235 A.D. Gnostic Irenaeus of Lyons (182-188 A.D.) in exhaustively describing every known book and heresy knows nothing about it, but his disciple, Hippolytus writing 222-235/236 A.D. does mention it.

Gospel of Nicodemus (405-439 A.D.)

Gospel of the Nativity of Mary (after 625 A.D.)

In the Muslim world, there were over 200,000 hadiths about Mohammed. The vast majority of them are considered by Muslim scholars to be fake or at best unreliable. Bukhari sifted through these and only chose 7,275 as reliable.

Just as the Druze, Yezidis, ‘Alawites, and others have their own books, the Gnostics had their own scriptures too. There were at least thirty groups of Gnostics, so they had a lot of books they viewed as scripture. The Gospel of Truth, the Gospel of Thomas and the Gospel of Peter were some of those.

There was no book called "The Gospel of the Ebionites". The heretical Ebionites, who said that Jesus was only the Son of God as a matter of title and respect, had the Clementine Homilies, Recognitions of Clement and a few other books.

Q: A skeptic, Bart Ehrman, claims "There is no sense in Matthew and Luke that Jesus existed prior to his birth." (Jesus, Interrupted p.75. also in Jesus, Interrupted p.103)

A: Micah 5:2, which Matthew quotes in 2:6, says that the Messiah's origins "are from old" in the Masoretic text, or "from the beginning, even from eternity" in the Greek Septuagint translation. In Matthew the scribes skip some parts, including that part about from old, but almost any Jewish rabbi would recognize the rest of this verse.

In Matthew 23:37 and Luke 13:34 Jesus says, "O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you, how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing!" This was said only a few days after the triumphal entry, when Jerusalem turned out to welcome Jesus. So when in Jesus' earthly ministry, prior to this time, was Jerusalem given a choice to be gathered together under Jesus? Of course the answer is never. Matthew and Luke (and Jesus) had to have been thinking of the time Jesus existed before He was born, when the prophets Jesus was involved in sending to Jerusalem were killed.

Q: The skeptic Bart Ehrman says, "It is striking, though, in the Gospel of Mark, that Jesus never refers to himself as a divine being, as someone who preexisted, as someone who was in any sense equal with God. In Mark, he is not God and he does not claim to be." Jesus, Interrupted p.79

A: Mark 2:5-12 (as well as Matthew 9:26 and Luke 5:20-23) states that only God can forgive sins, yet Jesus forgave the paralytic's sins. When Jesus was accused of doing only what God can do, Jesus neither said he was merely pronouncing God's forgiveness nor denied their assumption. He instead said, and showed that He Himself had the power to forgive sins.

Q: On Mt 12:30 and Mk 9:40 the skeptic Bart Ehrman writes, "In Matthew, Jesus declares, ‘Whoever is not with me is against me.' In Mark, he says, ‘Whoever is not against us is for us.' Did he say both things? Could he mean both things? How can both be true at once? Or is it possible that one of the Gospel writers got things switched around?" Jesus, Interrupted p.41

A: Quite frankly, I am at a total loss as to how Ehrman could see this as a contradiction. Of course both can be true. Of course Jesus can say different but complementary things in different situations on different days without contradicting himself. In Matthew 12:22-37 (corresponding with Mark 3:20-29), this occurs when Jesus is brought a demon-possessed man. Much later, on a totally different occasion, in Mark 9:38-41 Jesus is told about someone else driving out demons. Perhaps Ehrman somehow thought it contradictory that if someone were against Jesus they could also be against His followers, or vice versa. But Jesus predicted that His followers will be persecuted and killed because the persecutors do not know the Father or Jesus in John 16:3. Jesus stated in John 15:18-21, "If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first. If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you. Remember the words I spoke to you: ‘No servant is greater than his maters.' If they persecuted me, they will persecute you also. If they obeyed my teaching, they will obey yours also. They will treat you this way because of my name." (NIV) Jesus identified Himself closely with His followers in Matthew 25:34-46 in the parable of the sheep and the goats. In John 15:1-8 Jesus says we are in Him as branches are connected to a vine.

Q: In Jn 2:19, why in John died Jesus say, "destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up", when Mt 26:61b and Mk 14:58 it was [allegedly] false that Jesus said that as the skeptical Asimov's Guide to the Bible p.976?

A: Jesus did say it in John 2:19, and Matthew 26:61b and Mark 14:58 do NOT say it was false that Jesus said it. They record that Jesus' accusers remembered that and used it to accuse Jesus. But Asimov is just making up that they said it was false.

Q: In Mt 17:1-9 and Mk 9:2-9, we feel as if Jesus went up into the high mountain for the purpose that He is transfigured, while in Luke we find that Jesus went up to the mountain in order to pray, and transfiguration happens while he was praying (Lk 9:28-36). What is the explanation to this?

A: Two points to consider in the answer.

a) Actually not only Luke, but also neither Matthew, Mark said that Jesus went up to the mountain to be transfigured. They are all silent even on whether or not Jesus knew beforehand that He would be transfigured.

b) Second, prayer is not a ritual! Prayer is communication with God in heaven. Jesus prayed to God the Father, and I can't imagine Jesus being transfigured and not saying anything to God the Father.

Q: In Mk 15:25, was Jesus crucified on the third hour, or was He still before Pilate on the third hour according to John 19:14?

A: First what is not the answer, and then the answer.

A fact not a part of the answer: The Greek way of writing three and six differed by only one stroke, so one conjecture is that it was a scribal error. However, there is a simpler explanation.

The answer: Both are true, because the Jews and Romans kept the hours differently. John 19:15 says that He left Pilate on the 6th hour, which would be 6:00 am, because the Roman day started at midnight. Mark 15:22,25 says he was crucified on the third hour, which would be 9:00 am because the Jewish day was counted at sunup (about 6:00 am), and the Jewish night started at sundown (about 6:00 pm). John also uses the Roman/Greek way of keeping time in John 20:19, where the early night was considered part of the previous day, while the Jews would consider after sundown the following day.

How do we know the Romans reckoned the day from midnight to midnight? The Roman writers Plutarch (Morals: Roman Questions 84), Pliny the Elder (Natural History ii.77 (188), Aulus Gellius (iii.2), and Macrobius (Saturnalia, i.3) all say the Roman day was from midnight to midnight accord to A.T. Robertson in Harmony of the Gospels p.285-286 and William Arndt in Bible Difficulties & Seeming Contradictions p.197-199. Pliny the Elder also noted that other cultures were different, and the Babylonians kept the day from sunup to sundown.

Q: In Mt 19:16-30, Mk 10:17-31; and Lk 18:18-30 how do these reconcile?

A: They reconcile very well once you understand that the gospel writers paraphrased, and did not necessarily give exact quotes. For example, Matthew says "Master ... obtain eternal life ... ask me about what is good ... There is just one who is good", while Mark and Luke say "Good Master ... inherit eternal life ... Why do you call me good ... No one is good but God alone", and so forth. See Encyclopedia of Bible Difficulties p.329-332 for an extensive discussion.

Q: In Mt 19:28 and Lk 22:28-30 the skeptic Bart Ehrman falsely claims Jesus said that the twelve disciples would have twelve thrones. What about the disciple Judas Iscariot? (Jesus, Interrupted p.159)

A: No, there is no throne for Judas. First of all, Luke 22:28-30 does not mention twelve thrones, only twelve tribes. Actually Matthew 19:28 does NOT say the twelve disciples will sit on twelve thrones. Rather, it says, "... you who have followed me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel." (NIV) So it says there will be twelve thrones, but does not say the twelve disciples will sit on them. Rather, Jesus only promised this to "you who have followed me." Judas did not continue to follow Jesus and deserted his place as a disciple after betraying Jesus, as Acts 1:20 says. In Matthew 19:28, Jesus only promised this to "you who have followed me."

Q: In Mt 26:14 a skeptic, Bart Ehrman, writes that Judas betrayed Jesus for the money, while in Luke 22:3 Judas did it because Satan entered into him. In John Judas is called a devil, so apparently he had an evil streak. (Jesus, Interrupted p.45-46)

A: Just as no fire starts from only one cause, but three (air, fuel, spark), many actions too have multiple simultaneous causes. Many things have three causes: a potential cause, such as water behind a dam, an immediate cause, such as a crack in the dam, and a preventative cause that was taken out of the way, such as stopping safety inspections of a dam. Which one caused the dam to break? – all three were involved. Likewise Judas was already a thief before this, so he was devilish. Judas was given an additional selfish motive, of the bribe from the priests. Finally, he saw the opportunity after the Last Supper. So which was the reason Judas betrayed Jesus? – All three reasons were involved.

Q: In Mt 26:49-50 why is Jesus betrayed by Judas with a kiss, then Jesus is seized but in John 18:2-9 Jesus voluntarily steps forward identify himself, Judas gives no kiss?

A: Being silent about the detail of a kiss in John 18:2-9 does not prove there was no kiss. Judas could have kissed Jesus, per Matthew 26:49; then the soldiers drew back in John 18:2-9, and then they finally seized him in Matthew 26:50. The only part that was said to happen "immediately" was Judas' kiss at first.

Q: The skeptic Bart Ehrman claims that in Mark Jesus had a quick trial where Jesus said almost nothing, but a long, delayed trial in John where Jesus had sustained conversations (Jesus, Interrupted p.43).

A: This is rather silly, because neither Mark nor John specifically say how long the dialogue was, and Jesus probably said more things than either one records. There were not one but two trials (Jewish and Roman). Mark recorded two sentences Jesus spoke in the Jewish trial and 1 sentence in the Roman trial. John recorded 5 sentences of Jesus in talking in the Jewish trial, and 9 sentences in the Roman trial. But again, neither gospel writer claims to record everything Jesus said.

Q: In Mt 27:11-14 why does Jesus not answer a single charge at his hearing before Pilate, since Jn 18:33-37 [allegedly] tells us that Jesus answered all charges at his hearing before Pilate?

A: These are at different times. In Matthew 27:11-14, when the chief priests and elders were with him (in verse 12), Jesus answered nothing to them. John 18:28 said the Jews would not enter the Praetorium, so in John 18:29 Pilate (presumably with Jesus in tow) went out to them. John 18:33 says that after that Pilate entered the Praetorium and called to Jesus. Then in John 18:34-37 Jesus answered Pilate's questions. By the way, it is incorrect to say John 18:33-37 says that Jesus answered all charges; it only claims that Pilate said, "I find no fault with this man."

John 18:33-37 does NOT say Jesus answered all of Pilate's questions. Pilate may have asked him many questions, and John 18:33-38 lists only four, of which Jesus responded to three. Matthew 27:14 says that Jesus did not answer a word at the time the priests and elders accused him and the time Pilate asked him a question that was not given in John 18:33-37. So Jesus answered nothing that the priests and elders said, even when Pilate asked Jesus if he was hearing these accusations. Afterwards, Jesus answered [at least] three questions Pilate asked.

Q: Why is the genealogy of Jesus in Matthew (Mt 1:1-17) is different from that in Luke (Lk 3:23-38)? And why are both of them are different from than the texts of the Old Testament? Was it just an apologetic invention aims at giving Jesus a Davidic origin. On the other hand, these variations and differences aren't they throw doubt on the truth that Jesus of Nazareth is the promised Messiah?

A: Briefly, the answer is because Jesus was the biological son of Mary and the adopted son of Joseph. Matthew is the genealogy of Joseph, and this was importance because the right of kingship passed through the father. Luke is the genealogy of Mary, so Jesus was biologically from David too.

And then there is the issue of Jeconiah (Jehoichin). He was an evil king, and God said that he and his father would never have a descendent on the throne of David. Luke's genealogy of Mary shows that Jesus was descended from David from the line, but not through Solomon and Jeconiah. But Matthew's genealogy of Joseph shows that Joseph was descended from Jeconiah. As a historical note, the first person we know to write and answer to this as the two genealogies was Irenaeus of Lyons, in Irenaeus Against Heresies book 3 ch.21.9 p.453-454, written 182-188 A.D..

Q: In Mt 1:1-17 how does this genealogy reconcile with Lk 3:23-38?

A: Royal records generally had told of one genealogy, but Jesus had two. Many have seen a problem with the genealogies in Matthew and Luke of essentially different people after David. But let's ask two questions of our own. What right would Christ have to claim David's throne if He were a descendant of David? – none, if He was only descended on His mother's side. This is why it was important that Jesus be the legal, adoptive son of Joseph in Matthew; people do not make claims of kingship based on the mother. On the other hand, if Mary were not from David, then what of the prophecy that Jesus was be descended from David? This is why the biological genealogy in Luke is important. So to show that Jesus fulfilled the role of Messiah, both genealogies were required.

The problem some people have is that the genealogy in Luke does not actually say "this is of Mary". But is implies that when it says "He [Jesus] was the son, so it was thought, of Joseph, the Son of Heli..." Ancient genealogies in general and Jewish ones in particular were not given of women.

Heli is mentioned as the father of Jesus because as Justin Martyr (c.138-165 A.D.) wrote, "because of His [Jesus'] birth by the Virgin, who was, as I said, of the family of David, and Jacob, and Isaac, and Abraham; or because Adam was the father both of Himself and of those who have been first enumerated from whom Mary derives her descent. For we know that the fathers of women are the fathers [i.e. ancestral fathers] likewise of those children whom their daughters bear." Dialogue with Trypho the Jew ch.100 (ANF vol.1 p.249.)

Julius Africanus (232-245 A.D.) in his Letter to Aristides (Ante-Nicene Fathers vol.6 p.125-127) also differentiated between genealogies of law and nature. However, he said one was a biological genealogy of Joseph and the other the natural genealogy of Joseph. See also Eusebius' Ecclesiastical History book 1 chapter 7 and book 6 chapter 31.

Another early church writer who saw that one genealogy was of Joseph and the other of Mary (though he got them backwards) was Clement of Alexandria in The Stromata (193-202 A.D.) book 1 ch.21 (ANF vol.2 p.334.)

See The Complete Book of Bible Answers p.97-98, Bible Difficulties & Seeming Contradictions p.170-172, When Critics Ask p.385-386, and Encyclopedia of Bible Difficulties p.316 for more info.

Q: In Mt 1:12 and 1 Chr 3:15-17, was the father of Shealtiel Jeconiah, or Neri in Lk 3:27?

A: There were multiple people named Shealtiel and Zerubbabel.

In Matthew 1:12 it goes Josiah (grandfather)->Jeconiah->Shealtiel->Zerubbabel->Abiud->Eliakim

Luke 3:26-27 goes Melchi->Neri->Shealtiel->Zerubbabel->Rhesa->Joannas->Judah->Joseph

In 1 Chronicles 3:15-17 the genealogy goes Josiah->Jehoiakim->Jeconiah->Shealtiel and Pedaiah. Shealtiel has no children mentioned, but the next in the royal line is Pedaiah's son Zerubbabel.

The genealogies of Mary and Joseph were the same until David, and then diverged. There is no similarity in either ancestor or descendant after that. Perhaps the Shealtiel and Zerubbabel in Luke were named in honor of the governors mentioned in 1 Chronicles 3:15-17 and Matthew 1:12. Note also that Luke 3:26-27 mentions Judah and Joseph, but these were different people than Judah Jacob's son, Joseph Jacob's son, and Joseph Mary's husband.

Q: In Lk 1:26, was the birth of Christ announced to Mary, or was it announced to Joseph in Mt 1:20?

A: Both. It was first announced to Mary, since she would wonder why she was pregnant. Later, the angel gave the news to Joseph so that Joseph would not divorce Mary for unfaithfulness. See When Critics Ask p.381 for more info.

Q: In the Gospels, what points do the infancy narratives have in common?

A: Mark and John do not give any details about Jesus' birth. Here are six common points of Matthew and Luke:

1. Genealogy from Abraham to David (Mt 1:2-6; Lk 3:31-34)

2. King Herod was ruling (Mt 2:1; Lk 1:5)

3. An angel of the Lord visits (Joseph: Mt 1:20; Mary: Lk 1:26-38)

4. Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea (Mt 2:1; Lk 2:4-7)

5. The three of them returned to Nazareth (Mt 2:19-22; Lk 2:39).

6. Jesus grew up in Nazareth (Mt 2:23; Lk 2:40).

In general, the two gospels dovetail beautifully to give a fairly complete picture of Jesus' infancy. Matthew tells of Joseph's genealogy, the wise men, and the flight to Egypt. Luke has Gabriel, John the Baptist's birth, Mary's genealogy, the shepherds, Simeon, and Anna. While we do not know which was written first, Luke mentions that others have drawn up accounts of Jesus. So, perhaps Luke was written after Matthew, and having read Matthew, Luke choose to bring in details that Matthew did not already write. John probably wrote after both of them, and John apparently did not have anything to add.

Q: In the Gospels, did Jesus believe scripture was inerrant (without error in the original manuscripts)?

A: This answer was taken from the defunct web page www.wam.umd.edu /~cbernard/Theology/inerrancy.html.

Jesus consistently treats Old Testament historical narratives as straightforward records of fact. He mentions:

Abel (Luke 11:51)

Noah (Matthew 24:37-39; Luke 17:26,27)

Abraham (John 8:56)

The institution of circumcision (John 7:22; c.f. Genesis 17:10-12; Leviticus 12:3)

Sodom and Gomorrah (Matthew 10:15; 11:23,24; Luke 10:12)

Lot (Luke 17:28-32)

Isaac and Jacob (Matthew 8:11; Luke 13:28)

manna in the desert (John 6:31,49,58)

The snake in the desert (John 3:14)

David eating the consecrated bread (Matthew 12:1-8; Mark 2:23-28; Luke 6:1-5)

Jesus as David's Lord (Matthew 22:43; Mark 12:36; Luke 20:42)

Solomon (Matthew 6:29; 12:42; Luke 11:31; 12:27)

Elisha (Luke 4:27)

Jonah (Matthew 12:39-41; Luke 11:29,30,32)

Zechariah (Luke 11:51)

The last passage brings out Jesus' sense of the unity of history from "the creation of the world" to "this generation." He repeatedly refers to Moses as the giver of the Law (Matthew 8:4; 19:8; Mark 1:44; 7:10; 10:5; 12:26; Luke 5:14; 20:37; John 5:46; 7:19). He frequently mentions the sufferings of the true prophets (Matthew 5:12; 13:57; 21:34-36; 23:29-37; Mark 6:4 [cf. Luke 4:24; John 4:44]; 12:2-5; Luke 6:23; 11:47-51; 13:34 20:10-12) and comments on the popularity of the false prophets (Luke 6:26). He sets the stamp of His approval on such significant passages as Genesis 1 and 2 (Matthew 19:4,5; Mark 10:6-8).[6]

Some might object at this point and argue that Jesus was just using the myths and stories of the culture to illustrate his points. This is certainly possible for some passages but it seems unlikely. First, the feel one gets from reading the gospel accounts is that Jesus takes the stories of the Old Testament as real history. The spirit of his use of Scripture indicates that he believed the accounts in the Old Testament are historical. Second, it does not look like a real option to claim that Jesus was just using the myths of his culture to illustrate his teachings in passages like Matthew 12:41; 24:37; 11:23,24; 5:12; 4:4.

Third, Jesus assumes the inspiration of the Bible. He uses "Scripture says..." and "God says..." interchangeably and in so doing he identifies the Old Testament text with the Word of God. Quoting Genesis 2:24 Jesus says, "Haven't you read that at the beginning the Creator ‘made them male and female,' and said ‘For this reason a man will leave his father and mother...". Note that Genesis 2:24 is not a direct quote of God in the text but is a comment by the author or narrator of the text. Jesus considers the words of the Scriptural texts to be the very words of the Creator. Inspiration of the original copies (autographa) presupposes inerrancy. If Jesus is correct in recognizing the Old Testament as the very words of the Creator, then attributing error to the Old Testament is the same as attributing error to God Himself.

Fourth, Jesus clearly believed in the authority of the Bible. In His disputes with Pharisees and Sadducees, Jesus appeals to the Scripture as if they have the authority to settle the dispute. He sees the Scriptures as the final word (John 5:39-47; Matthew 22:29,31; Mark 12:24-26, Luke 20:37) When Scriptures speak, God speaks and the issue is settled.

Q: In the gospels, what is a harmony prior to the ministry of Jesus?

A: It is important to distinguish between what is said to be order versus what may be in order. For these 27 events, numbers refer to events that must follow preceding numbers. Letters such as a,b,c refer to events that could happen in any order. Prior to the ministry of Jesus, everything in the gospels was written in chronological order, except the underlined parts. Markers of location, time, and sequence found in the gospels are in bold.

Before Jesus' Ministry: Mt 4:1-11; Mk 1:1-13; Lk 1:1-3:18; Lk 3:21-4:13; Jn 1:1-42

B1a. In the beginning, Jesus pre-existed in Heaven. Jn 1:1-5; Jn 17:5

B1b. Mary's genealogy from Adam (with gaps). Lk 3:23-37

B1c. Joseph's genealogy from Abraham (with gaps). Mt 1:1-17

B2. In Jerusalem, while Herod ruled (37 B.C. to 4 B.C.), Gabriel visits Zechariah; Elizabeth will be expecting. Lk 1:1-25

B3. In Elizabeth's 6th month, Gabriel visits Mary in Nazareth, telling her she will be with child. Lk 1:26-38

B4. Mary is pregnant, though still a virgin. Mt 1:18-19

B5. After Mary is pregnant, Gabriel visits Joseph. Mt 1:20-25

B6. Traveling to Judea, Mary visits Elizabeth. Lk 1:39-56

B7. John the Baptist is born. Lk 1:57-80

B8. While Herod was king (37-4 B.C.), Christ is born in Bethlehem of Judea. Mt 2:1; Lk 2:1-7

B9. In nearby fields, angels tell shepherds to visit Jesus. Lk 2:8-20

B10a1. On the 8th day, Jesus is circumcised. Lk 2:21

B10a2. After Mary's purification (33 days later according to Lev 12:1-4), at the temple in Jerusalem, Jesus is presented to the Lord. Lk 2:22-38

B10b. In a house in Bethlehem, Magi from the east come to worship Jesus. Mt 2:2-12

B11. After the Magi left, the flight to Egypt. Mt 2:13-15

B12. Within 2 years, Herod kills the male babies of Bethlehem. Mt 2:16-18

B13. After Herod died, Joseph, Mary, and Jesus return to Nazareth. Mt 2:19-22; Lk 2:40a

B14a. In Nazareth of Galilee, Jesus grows up. Mt 2:23; Lk 2:40b

B14b. Every year at Passover, Jesus' parents go to Jerusalem. Lk 2:41

B15. At 12 years old, Jesus goes to the Temple in Jerusalem. Lk 2:42-52

B16. In the Desert of Judea, John the Baptist preaches. Mt 3:1-12; Mk 1:1-8; Lk 3:1-18; Jn 1:6-28

B17a. When Jesus was about 30 (probably 33-34), He is baptized in the Jordan River. Mt 3:13-17; Mk 1:9-11; Lk 3:21-23

B17b. The next day [after John's remark] Jesus comes to John the Baptist. John testifies that Jesus is the Lamb of God. Jn 1:29-34

B18a. At the Jordan River, Jesus calls Peter, Andrew and another. Jn 1:35-42

B18b1. Jesus decides to return to Galilee the next day after John the Baptist speaks. Jn 1:43a

B18b2. Jesus calls Philip and Nathanael. Jn 1:43b-51

B18c. For 40 days in the wilderness, Satan tempts Jesus. Mt 4:1-11; Mk 1:12-13; Lk 4:1-13

In this list, 1 event is identical to all four gospels, 2 are in the synoptic gospels, 3 are in Matthew and Luke, 5 are in Matthew alone, 5 are in John alone, 10 are in Luke alone, and 0 are in Mark alone. Mark only supplies 3 events here, and they are in common with Matthew and Luke. One could easily conclude that none of these were eyewitnesses of these early events, they got their material primarily from different sources, though Luke has the most information prior to Jesus' ministry and Mark has the least.

By the way, The NIV Study Bible p.1636-1641 (at the end of John) has an extensive harmony of the gospels. I was not aware of that when I did these harmonies of the gospels, and I have not compared my results to theirs yet.

Q: Is it true that the information on the life of Jesus prior His public ministry is "meager"?

A: No, not compared to other famous ancient individuals. This view is not a result of objective scholarship, but of unbelief of "Christian critics". Five points to consider in the answer.

1. For reference, during Jesus public ministry prior to His death, we are given at least 176 facts on the life and teachings of Jesus.

2. Before Jesus began His ministry, we know at least 37 facts about Jesus.

3. We are given more information about Jesus prior to His public life, than historians give us about the most famous kings of Babylon, Egypt, Media, Persia, Greeks, Macedon, or early Rome. In other words, we know more about Jesus, prior to His first public appearance, than we do about the childhood of the Babylonian Nebuchadnezzar, the Egyptians Akhenaten and Nefertiti, the Medes Kyaxares and Astyges, the Persians Cyrus, Darius, and Xerxes, the Greeks Agamemnon and Pericles, or the most famous Senators of Rome. The only ancient person we know as much about prior to their public life is Alexander of Macedon.

4. We actually have less information about some historical figures in the 18th and 19th century, prior to their public lives, than we have about Jesus.

5. If somebody is going to say the information on Jesus' life prior to his ministry is meager, at least compared to others, they should either produce a number of ancient historical people of whom more information is given about their life prior to being in the public eye, or else stop giving misinformation.

See also the next question for at least thirty things we are told about Jesus prior to His ministry.

Q: Prior to the public ministry of Jesus, what exactly are we told about Jesus?

A: We are told at least 37 things about Jesus prior to His ministry. The information we are given can be divided into three categories:

Jesus Himself

1. His mother was Mary.

2. Born of a virgin. (Even if a skeptic denies this, the skeptic has to admit that the claim was made that Jesus was born of a virgin)

3. Legal father was Joseph.

4. Born under Herod the Great. (37-4 B.C.)

5. Born in Bethlehem.

6. Circumcised on the eighth day.

7. Presented at the temple. (like many Jewish babies)

8. Family traveled to Egypt (Matthew 2:13-15).

9. After Herod died, the family returned to Nazareth in Galilee (Matthew 2:19-23).

10a. Grew up in Nazareth (Luke 2:39-51), a small town considered by others as insignificant.

10b. After Jesus went to the Temple, He returned to Nazareth too (Luke 2:51).

11a. At 12 years old, Jesus went to the Temple.

11b. Every year Jesus' parents went to the Temple at Passover (Luke 2:41).

12. By 12, was inquisitive and knew the scriptures well (Luke 2:41-46).

13. Jesus was sinlessly perfect (Hebrews 4:15; 2 Corinthians 5:21). Even if a skeptic disagrees with this statement, these verses as well as Luke 2:40 present us with the fact that at the very least, "Jesus was a good kid".

14. Jesus spoke Aramaic. (Matthew 5:22, etc.)

15. People from Galilee generally spoke Greek too. (Greek-speaking non-Israelites lived only 15-20 miles away.)

16. Jesus' religion was Judaism; specifically he was closer to the Pharisees, believing all the Old Testament books. The early church writers said the Sadducees only accepted the Torah.

17. Jesus worked as a carpenter (Mark 6:3).

18. Around 30 years old, baptized by John the Baptist (Matthew 3:13; Mark 1:9-11).

19. Went to the wilderness prior to his public ministry (Matthew 4:1-11; Mark 1:12-13).

Jesus' Family

20. Joseph was a carpenter. (Mt 13:55)

21. Mary pregnant before she was married (Matthew 1:18).

22. Joseph considered divorcing Mary (Matthew 1:19).

23. Genealogy of Joseph. (counted as only 1 item) (Matthew 1:1-16)

24. Genealogy of Mary. (counted as only 1 item)

25. Had four brothers named James, Joses/Joseph, Judas/Jude, and Simeon. (Matthew 13:55-56; Mark 6:4; Galatians 1:19; Jude 1, Eusebius' Ecclesiastical History (c.360 A.D.) 2:23 and 3:20)

26. Though of royal ancestry, Jesus grew up in a common family of a subject people, and probably were poor (Luke 2:23 + Leviticus 12:6-8).

27. Mary's cousin was Elizabeth, who was a descendant of Aaron the priest (Luke 1:5).

28. Elizabeth's husband was the priest Zechariah, of the division of Abijah (Luke 1:5).

29. John the Baptist, firstborn/only child of Zechariah and Elizabeth, was a relative of Jesus.

30. Mary, James, and Jude were still alive when Jesus was crucified.

Reactions to Jesus and Expectations of Him

31. Mary's expectations for her son.

32. Jesus was thought to fit the Messianic prophecies (Matthew 2:6).

33. Worship by the shepherds (Luke 2:15-20).

34. Gifts by the kings (Matthew 2:10-11).

35. The paranoid reaction of Herod the Great.

36. John the Baptist's testimony.

37. Anna and Simeon in the Temple. (A person could argue this is two items, but I will only count it as one.)

This is not at all meager compared to what we know of the lives of other public figures prior to their public life. For a comparison, see the next question.

Q: In Mt 2:13-30, if Mary, Joseph, and Jesus escaped to Egypt, how could they return directly to Nazareth in Lk 2:39?

A: Luke 2:39 does not say Jesus' family immediately returned to Nazareth. It only says that they performed what the law required [in Jerusalem] before returning to Nazareth. One could infer that this happened right after because nothing else was mentioned. Perhaps Luke did not see a need to mention the trip to Egypt, or perhaps Luke was unaware of the trip to Egypt.

Either way, it is not incompatible with the other gospels. The next question has a detailed harmony. Letters such as a,b,c refer to events that could happen in any order.

See Bible Difficulties & Seeming Contradictions p.172-173 for more info.

Q: In Mt 1:18 and Lk 2:7, is Christ's virgin birth incompatible with His pre-existence, as Rudolph Bultmann and Wolfgang Pannenberg thought?

A: No. It only seems incompatible to apostate theologians who believe in a god that is required to meet their restrictions. Christ pre-existed, but this did not restrict Him from:

1. Temporarily and voluntarily choosing not to use some of attributes and hiding some of His glory (Hebrews 2:9; John 17:5; Philippians 2:7).

2. Appearing as anything He wanted, including a man (Philippians 2:8)

3. Actually taking on humanity and becoming a man. (Hebrews 2:14-17)

4. Coming to earth initially as an adult, a child, a baby, or an embryo, or however He wished.

Actually, Christ's pre-existence as Almighty God did not restrict Him from anything at all. The only restrictions on Almighty God are self-imposed restrictions. God cannot lie (Hebrews 6:18; Titus 1:2), cannot deny Himself (2 Timothy 2:13), and cannot be tempted by evil (James 1:13).

Q: In Mt 1:18-21 did the "Annunciation" take place after Mary was pregnant, or before Mary was pregnant based on Luke 1: 26-31?

A: Joseph and Mary are two different people. The angel spoke to MARY in Luke 1:26-31 before she was pregnant. The angel spoke to JOSEPH after Mary was pregnant and Joseph had considered divorcing her in Matthew 1:18-21.

Q: In Mt 2:11, why did the Magi enter a house, since Jesus was born in a manger in Lk 2:7?

A: Jesus was born in a stable because there was no room at the inn. Joseph and Mary would not want to stay in a stable any longer than needed. They moved to a house by the time the Magi came.

Modern western Christmas songs generally present the Magi as coming the very night Jesus was born. Actually it was some time after that they came. Orthodox churches celebrate Christmas December 25th, but celebrate the Magi coming in mid-January.

See 1001 Bible Questions Answered p.30-31 and Catholic Apologetics Today p.249 for more info.

Q: In Lk 2:22-38, was Jesus presented at the Temple (in Jerusalem), or did Joseph take his family to Egypt after the Magi came as Mt 2:13-18 says?

A: Both.

1. Jesus was presented at the Temple in Jerusalem eight days after he was born. Then they returned to Bethlehem on the way to Egypt. After Mary was ready, they started out.

2. Contrary to western Christmas stories, the wise men did not come the very night Mary was in labor. They came some weeks later. As a side note, eastern Orthodox Christians generally do not give presents at Christmas. They give presents in the middle of January, when they believe the wise men came.

See Bible Difficulties & Seeming Contradictions p.171 for more info.

Q: In Mt 3:17, did God say "This is my beloved Son...", or did God say "You are my beloved Son..." as Mk 1:11 and Lk 3:22 say?

A: It could be either way for three reasons.

1. The Gospel writers frequently paraphrased quotes. But regardless, we see the meaning that God the Father announced to the crowds that He set His favor on Jesus.

2. God the Father could have said it in Hebrew and/or Aramaic, but the Gospels we have are in Greek.

3. Papias, disciple of John the apostle, records that Matthew was originally written in the language of the Hebrews (Aramaic?), and it could have been paraphrased when it was translated into Greek.

See Bible Difficulties & Seeming Contradictions p.173-174 for more info.

Q: In Mt 4:1 and Mk 1:12, was Jesus sent into the desert right after His baptism, or did He delay a few days as Jn 1:29,35,43 says and then go to Cana as John 2:1 implies?

A: Though Jesus went to Galilee sometime after these temptations ended, Matthew 4:11-12; Mark 1:13-14; and Luke 4:13-14 do not say where Jesus was immediately when the 40 days ended. Thus there are two different possibilities.

Baptism then 40 Days then Galilee: It is likely that John baptized Jesus on the day of John 1:29-34. Then Jesus stayed one more day (John 1:35), and the following day decided to leave for Galilee (John 1:43).

The wedding in Cana was much later, either on the third day of the week or the third day after arriving in Galilee. It could not be the next day after John 1:43 (which was after John 1:35), because that would be four days, not three days.

Matthew 4:1 simply says that Jesus went to the wilderness after He was baptized. Mark 1:12 says that Jesus went into the wilderness "at once", but that could still mean a few days later.

Baptism then 40 Days then back to John: John 1 never says when Jesus was baptized. Jesus could have been baptized by John 40 days or so prior to John 1:19. After Jesus' temptations, He returned to John in John 1:29.

Q: In Mt 4:1-11, was the order of Jesus temptations bread, pride, and power, or was it bread, power, and pride in Lk 4:1-12?

A: There are two answers, and both may be true.

1. Luke simply uses the word "and", which does not necessarily imply he is giving these in order. See Hard Sayings of the Bible p.454-457 for more on the view that Matthew is in order and Luke is not.

2. Also, in the forty days Jesus was tested, these and other temptations likely were given multiple times in different order.

See Encyclopedia of Bible Difficulties p.320-321 and When Critics Ask p.328i329 for more info.

Q: Bart Ehrman writes, "In Matthew, Jesus refuses to perform miracles in order to prove his identity; in John, that is practically the only reason he does miracles." Jesus, Interrupted p.103 In Matthew, in the second temptation and elsewhere, Jesus will perform no signs to prove himself. Jesus, Interrupted p.84

A: Ehrman equates not obeying the word of Satan or the skeptical Pharisees with performing signs for people looking for answers, or needing help. Jesus said the reason He did not throw Himself down was that one should not put God to the test in Matthew 4:7. Jesus did not "owe" it to anybody to perform a single sign; and he never performed signs to skeptical people who thought Jesus owed them that. But Jesus graciously performed signs to people who had faith and strengthened their faith.

Q: In Mt 4:12 and Mk 1:14, after Jesus' temptation, was John put in prison prior to Jesus' ministry in Nazareth and Capernaum, or after Jesus came to Galilee in Jn 1:43?

A: The Bible says the following:

John 1:43 says that Jesus decided to return to Galilee (not that he returned that day) the day after John the Baptist again said that Jesus was the Lamb of God. John the Baptist was not arrested yet.

Matthew 4:12 says that at the time that Jesus heard of John's imprisonment, Jesus returned to Galilee.

Mark 1:14 says that after John was put in prison, Jesus went into Galilee.

Sequence of Events:

1. John again said that Jesus was the Lamb of God.

2. The very next day Jesus decided He would (sooner or later) return to Galilee.

3. Either before Jesus left for Galilee, or else after he left but before he arrived in Galilee, John was imprisoned.

4. Jesus came into Galilee.

Q: In Mk 1:14 did Jesus start His ministry in Galilee, or in Judea and Jerusalem as Jn 1:35-42 [allegedly] says? Is there any definite meaning or significance in this?

A: John 1:35-42 does not say anything about Jesus starting His ministry, but rather calling the disciples Andrew and Peter. This was the place where John the Baptist was, not Jerusalem. The next day in John 1:43 Jesus left for Galilee and called Philip and other disciples. Mark 1:14 does not say that Jesus started His ministry per se, but it does say that after John was imprisoned Jesus proclaimed the good news of God in Galilee.

Q: In Mk 1:12-13, did Jesus go in the wilderness for 40 days after His baptism, or did He go to the wedding feast in Cana on the third day as Jn 2:1 says?

A: Both. The "third day" was the third day after coming to Galilee, not the third day after baptism as Bible Difficulties & Seeming Contradictions p.196 and the Believer's Bible Commentary p.1473 say. A different answer is that "the third day" was the third day of the week.

The Expositor's Bible Commentary volume 9 p.42 says the third day might be the third day from leaving John the Baptist. While it says, "the next day" in John 1:29-35,43 might all refer to the same day, this is unlikely this meaning would be more clear if "the next day" were not used multiple times.

Q: In Mt 4:12-13, how did Simon and Andrew become disciples when Jesus was with John the Baptist, since Jesus told them to follow him in Galilee as in Mt 4:18-20, Mk 1:16-20, and Lk 5:1-11?

A: First they became "disciples" when Jesus was with John the Baptist. They only later became special disciples, later being designated apostles, in Galilee. Remember, that Jesus had a large number of disciples, some of whom left Him in John 6:66. In addition to those, he had specially appointed disciples, 72 in number, in Luke 10:1. Finally, Jesus had the twelve, who became apostles, in Matthew 6:7 and John 6:67.

Q: In Jn 1:35-37, did Andrew and the other disciple follow Jesus the day after His baptism, or did they wait 40 days after Jesus' temptations?

A: -After. Jesus was baptized by John (Matthew 3:13-17; Mark 1:9-11; Luke 3:21-23), was tempted for 40 days (Matthew 4:1-11; Mark 1:12-13; Luke 4:1-12) returned the John (John 1:29-32)

Q: In the ministry of Jesus, can we know the order of the events?

A: We can only know the order of some events. However, many people can be very confused about the order of the gospels because of three misconceptions, which need to be cleared up.

Not every event was recorded by the gospel writers; however, they never claimed to do so either. For example, John, who formerly was a disciple of John the Baptist, is understandably silent between the time Jesus was baptized and the time he joined Jesus. John 21:25 specifically says that Jesus did many other things that were not written down. The Gospel of John was written after the other gospels, and John seems to emphasize the parts the others did not mention.

Repetition: Imagine Jesus traveling through the many towns he visited throughout Galilee, Judea, and Decapolis, and never repeating a single command or parable, and telling every town something completely different. not very likely! Jesus probably told these parables many more times than were recorded in each gospel, and people talked about Jesus more than is recorded. Thus for example, it is an open question whether the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew, and the Sermon on the level place in Luke, was two events, where he repeated some teaching, or one event, where Jesus spoke on a plateau.

Not in order: The Gospel writers did not record all the events in order, but they never claimed to record them in order either. As a matter of fact, Papias, a disciple of John the apostle, specifically says Mark did not record the events in order.

Within each general period of Christ's ministry, the Gospel writers did not claim anything was in order, except for the following parts, where the words "after", "the next day", etc. were used. In the Gospel harmony questions, see the bold words that indicate markers of time, order, and location.

Q: In the Gospels, what is a harmony for the early ministry of Jesus?

A: The early ministry is up to the time John the Baptist is killed. Before giving the order of events, it is good to know some geography.

Geography: The Sea of Galilee, the Lake, the Sea of Tiberias, are all the same freshwater lake. Galilee is west of the Sea of Galilee, and Decapolis is southeast of the Sea of Galilee. Bethsaida is on the Sea of Galilee due north, and west of it is Capernaum on the shore, with Korazin due north of Capernaum. Magdala is on the shore due west of the Sea of Galilee, and Cana is due west of that. Nain is southwest of the Sea of Galilee about 10 miles away from the shore. The land of the Gerasenes, Gennesaret, or the Gadarenes are either all the same place or places very close to each other east and southeast of the Sea of Galilee. Hard Sayings of the Bible p.373 says that Gerasa was 30 miles southeast of the Sea of Galilee and its lands did not reach to the Sea. Gadara was five miles southeast of the Sea of Galilee and its lands did reach the Sea, as proved by Josephus mentioning this and a coin of Gadara showing a ship.

Order: It is important to distinguish between what is said to be order versus what may be in order. For these 65 events, numbers refer to events that must follow the preceding numbers in order. Letters such as a,b,c refer to events that might be in order, but could happen in any order. The bold words indicate markers of time, order, and location. The underlined verses show passages that likely are not in chronological order in the gospel.

Early Ministry: Mt 4:12-14:12, Mk 1:14-6:29, Lk 3:19-20; 4:14-9:9, Jn 1:43-5:47

E1a1. At Cana on the third day (3rd day after return to Galilee, after John spoke, or 3rd day of the week?), Jesus turns water into wine. First miracle in Galilee, though His time is not yet come. Jn 2:1-11

E1a2a. During the Passover (14th day 1st month) in Jerusalem, Jesus drives out the moneychangers. Jn 2:12-25

E1a2b. Jesus teaches Nicodemus on being born again. Jn 3:1-21

E1a3. In the Judean countryside, John testifies of Jesus. Jn 3:23-35

E1a4a. At Sychar in Samaria, en route to Galilee, Jesus speaks with a Samaritan woman. Jn 4:1-42

E1b1. John rebukes Herod the Tetrarch. Mt 14:3; Lk 3:19-20

E1b2a. After Jesus hears John is cast in prison, Jesus returns to Galilee and begins to preach "The kingdom of God is near". Mt 4:12-17, Mk 1:14-15; Jn 4:43-45

E1b2b. From Cana Jesus heals nobleman's son in Capernaum as His 2nd miracle. Jn 4:46-54

E1b2c1. In Galilee and Nazareth, Jesus reads a scroll. Lk 4:14-15

E1b2c2. Jesus explains the prophecy, and the Jews try to kill Him. Lk 4:16-31

E1b2d1. Beside the Sea of Galilee, Jesus calls Simon Peter and Andrew. Mt 4:18-20; Mk 1:16-18; Lk 5:1-10

E1b2d2. In Capernaum Jesus casts out a demon. Mk 1:21-28; Lk 4:31-37

E1b2e. Calling James and John. Mt 4:21-22; Mk 1:19-20; Lk 5:6-11

E1b2f. In Galilee, Jesus heals the sick. Mt 4:23-25; Lk 4:40-44

E2a. Sermon on the Mount, including the Lord's prayer. Mt 5:1-7:29

E2b. In the evening, heals Simon's mother-in-law and others. Mt 8:14-17; Mk 1:29-34; Lk 4:38-39

E2c. Jesus prays alone. Mk 1:35-38; Lk 4:42-44

E2d. Travel through Galilee. Mk 1:39

E2e. Heals gossipy leper. Mt 8:1-4; Mk 1:40-45; Lk 5:12-15

E2f. In lonely places, Jesus often withdrew to pray. Lk 5:16

E2g1. In Capernaum Jesus heals paralytic. Mk 2:1-12; Lk 5:17-26

E2g2. Calling Matthew/Levi. Mt 9:9-13; Mk 2:13-17; Lk 5:27-32

E3c1. In Galilee by the lake, cost of following Jesus. Mt 8:18-22

E3c2. In Nazareth Jesus heals the paralytic. Mt 9:1-8

E3c3. John's disciples ask about fasting. Mt 9:14-17; Mk 2:18-22; Lk 5:33-39

E2h1. One Sabbath, Jesus in a field; appeal to David. Mt 12:1-8; Mk 2:23-27; Lk 6:1-11

E2h2. In the synagogue, Jesus heals withered hand. Mt 12:9-14; Mk 3:1-6; Lk 6:6-11

E2h3. Crowds follow Jesus. Mk 3:7-12

E2i1. On a mountainside, Jesus prays all night to God. Lk 6:12

E2i2. Jesus appoints the 12 disciples. Mk 3:13-19; Lk 6:13-16

E2j1. Sermon on the level place. Lk 6:17-49. If it was the same as in Matthew, it should be called the Sermon on the Plateau.

E2j2. In Capernaum Jesus heals the centurion's servant. Mt 8:5-13; Lk 7:1-10

E3a. Some time later in Jerusalem for a feast [probably in the 7th month] at the pool Jesus heals a man who was an invalid for 38-years. Jn 5:1-15

E3b. Life through Jesus. Jn 5:16-47

E3c. At Nain, Jesus heals the widow's son. Lk 7:11-17

E4. En route to the land of the Gadarenes/Gerasenes, Jesus calms the storm from inside the boat. Mt 8:23-27; Mk 4:35-41; Lk 8:22-26 (Note: storms are more frequent in the fall and winter]

E5a. In Gennesaret, healing two demon-possessed men; demons in swine. Mt 8:28-34

E5b. Healing the Gerasene [Gennesaret] demoniac. Mk 5:1-20; Lk 8:26-39 (Note: Gadarenes, Gennesaret, and Gerasene most likely refer to the same place.)

E6. Raising Jairus' daughter and the woman with blood. Mt 9:18-26; Mk 5:21-43; Lk 8:40-56

E7. As He went on Jesus heals two gossipy blind men. Mt 9:27-31

E8. While they were going out, Jesus heals a mute demoniac. Pharisees accuse Jesus of casting out demons by Beelzebub. It does not mention Jesus responding to this accusation at this time.) Mt 9:32-34

E9a. Jesus goes to many cities and villages. Mt 9:35-38; Mk 6:6

E9b. Jesus sends out the twelve. Mt 10:1-42; Mk 6:7-13; Lk 9:1-9

E9c. Jesus preaches in Galilee. Mt 11:1

E9d. John the Baptist sends a message from prison and Jesus tells the parable of the kids in the market. Mt 11:2-19; Lk 7:18-35

E9e. Eating at Simon the Pharisee's house, a sinful woman with an alabaster jar anoints Jesus' feet with oil. Jesus speaks on loving more and loving less. Lk 7:36-50

E10. Immediately Jesus withdraws to a mountain. Mk 6:45-46

E11. Afterwards at Gennesaret, Jesus heals many. Mk 6:53-56

E12a. Rebuking Galilean cities. Mt 11:20-24

E12b. At that time, Jesus taught rest for the weary. Mt 11:25-30

E13. Jesus withdraws from that place. Mt 12:15-21

E14. In a house where it was too crowded to eat, Jesus' family thinks He is out of his mind. Mk 3:20-21

E15. Jesus heals a blind demon-possessed man. Mt 12:22-23

E16. Jesus speaks of the strong men in the house, and blasphemy against the Holy Spirit. Mt 12:24-37; Mk 3:22-30

E17. Jesus' mother and brothers. Mt 12:46-50; Mk 3:31-35; Lk 8:19-21

E18. First demand for a sign, and prophecy of three days and nights. Mt 12:38-45

E19. In Galilee from the boat, the parable of the sower. Mt 13:1-23; Mk 4:1-20; Lk 8:1-15

E20. Parable of the weeds. Mt 13:24-30

E21. Parable of the lamp on a stand. Mk 4:21-25; Lk 8:16-18

E22. Parable of the growing seed. Mk 4:26-29

E23. Parable of the mustard seed. Mt 13:31-35; Mk 4:30-34

E24. In the house, explains parable of the weeds. Mt 13:36-43

E25. Parables of the hidden treasure, pearl, and net. Mt 13:44-53

E26. Jesus returns to Nazareth; prophet without honor. Mt 13:53-58; Mk 6:1-6

E27. How John the Baptist was killed. Mt 14:1-12; Mk 6:14-29; Lk 9:7-9

In this list of 65 events, 0 events were common to all 4, 13 events were common to the three Synoptics, 1 event was common to Matthew and Luke, 4 events were common to Matthew and Mark, 4 events were common to Matthew and Luke, 4 events were common to Mark and Luke, 15 events were in Matthew alone, 7 events were in Mark alone, 7 events were in Luke alone, and 8 events were in John alone.

Q: In the Gospels, what were the key assumptions made for the early ministry of Jesus?

A: Everything has assumptions, and here are the assumptions I used here.

a) Some of John's passages were placed in the middle period, when they could fit here too. The gospel harmony in The NIV Study Bible places John's passages differently.

b) The Gospels were in chronological order, except where underlined, which is in more than 10 places.

Q: In Jn 1:43-50, did Jesus call these disciples to follow Him at this time, or did he appoint them as apostles later as Mt 4:18-22; Mk 1:14-20, and Lk 5:1-11 show?

A: Both. Jesus called them to follow Him at that time, but only later designated them as the twelve. When Critics Ask p.405 distinguishes between their initial interview and their permanent call. It points out that in John 1:39, they only stayed with Jesus that one day.

Today God first calls us to be His children. Many people He later calls to greater service, and some He later calls to even greater ministry.

Q: In Jn 4:26, why was Jesus quick to tell the Samaritan woman He was the Messiah, when Jesus seemed reluctant to do so elsewhere, such as in Mt 16:13-20?

A: There are two complementary answers: Timing and Audience.

Timing: Early in His ministry Jesus did not emphasize to the Jews publicly that He was God and He was the Messiah. Many Jewish leaders had trouble accepting the Messiah not coming in power the first time. Jesus seemed to want His miracles and teaching to speak for Him first, and then later in His ministry emphasize that He was the Bread of Life, the great "I Am", the way, the truth and the life, and the Messiah. However, Jesus speaking to the Samaritan woman was very early in His ministry.

Audience: The Samaritans would not have the same difficulties accepting Jesus as the Messiah. So he told the Samaritan woman plainly. Also, there was little chance the Samaritans would tell a lot of Jews.

See When Critics Ask p.408 for more info.

Q: In Lk 6:12-49 and Lk 12:3-38, why does this sound similar to the Sermon on the Mount in Mt 5:1-7:29?

A: There are three different answers.

a. Jesus likely delivered a similar sermon at least two times. Jesus spoke to many different crowds and He likely would have a similar message on multiple occasions. Everyone could not have heard the sermon the first time.

b. Perhaps it was the same sermon, and each writer wrote down a paraphrase of what he remembered. A "plain" on top of a mountain is simply what we call a plateau or mesa. However, there is nothing except similarity of content to suggest it was the same sermon.

c. When Critics Ask p.387 observes that it only said that Jesus stood on a level place, not that the crowds did. Jesus standing on a level place to preach to a crowd sitting on a mountainside would make a natural amphitheater.

Regardless, the Jesus' teaching is timeless, and true no matter how many times He said it.

See also When Critics Ask p.388-389 for more info.

Q: In Lk 6:12-19; Lk 12:3-38; and Mt 5:1-7:29 why don't we see this in Mark or John?

A: Different gospel writers recorded different details. Also, John was very likely written last, and John seems to include additional depth the others don't have, and skip over things that were already mentioned by the other gospel writers.

Q: In Lk 6:17, did Jesus stand on a level place to teach them, or did Jesus sit as Matthew 6:17 says?

A: There are two answers, and both are likely true.

The sermons in Matthew and Luke are likely two different occasions. Furthermore, even when Jesus stood, after he spoke long enough, he might want to sit. Remember a sermon could be a multi-hour event, and what we have in both Matthew and Luke are just summary versions.

See When Critics Ask p.388 for more info.

Q: In Mt 5:3, did Jesus mention the "poor in spirit", or just the poor in Lk 6:20?

A: Jesus could have said both. Matthew and Luke both paraphrase what Jesus taught. These two sermons might have been different occasions, and Jesus could have said both. On the other hand, these two Sermons could have been the same. One was on a mountain, and one was on a plain. They might have been one Sermon on a plateau, which is a flat place on the top of some mountains.

Regardless, we understand that Jesus referred to those who were needy and acknowledged that they were needy. See Encyclopedia of Bible Difficulties p.366 for more info.

Q: In Mt 8:2 we read about a leper, who came to Jesus, worshipped him, asked Him to heal him, and Jesus cleansed him. But in Lk 17:12- we read about 10 men that were lepers whom Jesus met in a village. They stood afar off, lifted up their voices, and said, Jesus, Master, have mercy on us. And when Jesus saw them, he did not need to touch them but said to them, Go show yourselves to the priests. And it came to pass, that, as they went, they were cleansed. Were they 10 lepers or just one? If it was the same story, why there are different details between the two gospels?

A: First of all, we can be certain there were more than eleven lepers in the land of Israel at this time. The two events have totally different details because Jesus healed lepers multiple times. Jesus healed a leper (who later was gossipy) in Matthew 8:1-4, Mark 1:40-45, and Luke 5:12-15. Much later on in Luke 17:11-19 Jesus healed ten lepers.

Q: Some say that the scribes used to change some words or phrases when they copied the manuscripts of the scriptures, so that to clarify or simplify the idea for the readers.

For instance, in the Gospels, we find Mark says in (Mk 2:4) that the four men who were carrying the sick of the palsy and brought him to Jesus to heal him, "they uncovered the roof where he was: and when they had broken it up, they let down the bed wherein the sick of the palsy lay". But Luke in (Lk 5:19) says that "they went upon the housetop, and let him down through the tiling with his couch into the midst before Jesus". The same happened with the Epistles of Paul. For instance, the phrase "Word of Christ" in (Colossians 3:16), we find scribes replaced it in other manuscripts with "Word of God", "Word of the Lord", and so. Is that right? Does this affect the meaning or the doctrines?

A: I do not see any material different between Mark 2:4 and Luke 5:19. Both are fully true. They wrote the same thing differently because they had different personalities, perspectives and writing style. We don't have the gospels in just "mono" voice but rather in "quadraphonic sound."

Sometimes scribes did slightly alter some words, it appears to make it clearer to understand. We know this because we have so many New Testament manuscripts, and we can see what was changed. The vast majority of these have no change in meaning though. For example, in many places in Philippians many manuscripts say "Christ Jesus" while many other manuscripts say "Jesus Christ". In most of these places we are not certain of the original order, but then it does not really matter.

None of these affect any Christian doctrines or practices, and no important doctrine is based on just a single verse. If something is important in Scripture, God repeats it, usually in a slightly different way so that we can better see the range of meaning.

Q: In Mt 8:5-13; 9:9-13; did Jesus heal the centurion's servant before calling Matthew (Levi), or after as Lk 5:27-32; 7:1-10 implies?

A: It could be either way, as neither gospel gives the order, and the gospels are not said to be in chronological order. However, both says that Matthew/Levi was called after healing the paralytic.

Q: In Mt 8:5-10, did the centurion see Jesus, directly, or did the centurion not see Jesus but send friends in Lk 7:6?

A: There are two possible answers.

1. The centurion approached Jesus through friends, not directly. Matthew is leaving out this detail, and simply says the centurion came to Jesus with his request, without specifying that it was through friends. Perhaps Matthew did not want to blur the fact that Jesus was helping a non-Jew, according to The Expositor's Bible Commentary vol.8 p.200. The NIV Study Bible p.1453 adds that likewise when Pilate flogged Jesus in Matthew 27:26, Matthew is NOT saying Pilate personally flogged Jesus, but had Jesus flogged.

2. Initially the centurion used friends. A likely reason is because that way it would not be too embarrassing if Jesus refused this request of a non-Jew. After this, the centurion then came himself. Encyclopedia of Bible Difficulties p.321-322 favors this view.

See Hard Sayings of the Bible p.458-459 for more info.

Q: In Mt 9:18, was Jairus' daughter dead, or was she dying as Mk 5:22 and Lk 8:42?

A: First some Greek, two things that are probably not the answer, and then the likely answer.

Greek

In Matthew 9:18, the Greek phrase arti eteleutesen means "just now died" according to Green's literal translation, or "has just died" but not "is now dying" according to The Expositor's Bible Commentary vol.8 p.230.

In Mark 5:22 the Greek phrase eschatus exei means at the last end. We get our word eschatology from the first word.

In Luke 8:42 the Greek word apethnesken means "dying".

Not the answer: coma is like death

The breathing of a person in a coma is very shallow, and it is difficult to tell when they had died. However, this is probably not the correct answer because Jairus had left some time ago, and someone in a coma would still be somewhat warm. Finally, Jairus' friends later telling him his daughter finally died would go against this.

Probably not the answer: Jairus said all three

Jairus himself was not sure if his daughter was still alive when he talked to Jesus, or if she had already passed away while he journeyed to Jesus. So Jairus might have at one point said she had died, and at another point said she was at the last end, and at another point said she was dying. However, in all three gospels, Jairus said the words in question to Jesus, and while he might have repeated his request to Jesus three times, using three different wording, the next answer is more probable.

The answer: Gospel writers paraphrased

In other places in the gospels dialogues are paraphrases, not exact quotes, and focusing on the main points with details left out. For example, when people came all day to hear Jesus' teaching, yet we can read the account in only five minutes, what did they do for the rest of the time? As John 21:25 says, "Jesus did many other things as well. If every one of them were written down, I suppose that even the whole world would not have room for the books that would be written." (NIV)

Consider this: it only takes about three seconds to read what Jairus said in any one account. When Jairus came, did he only speak three seconds to Jesus, and then was silent? – of course we do not think that. But that means that each gospel writer chose to leave out many extraneous details and simply wanted to record the main point Jairus had. Whichever phrase Jairus used, and he may have used more than one, his beloved daughter was passing the end of her life.

Q: In Mt 10:2-5, Mk 3:16-18, Lk 6:13-16, Jn 1:45-47; 21:2, and Acts 1:13, are the list of the twelve disciples different, as Asimov's Guide to the Bible p.998 suggests?

A: No. While the order is somewhat different, the lists are the same as long as you have the following understanding.

Simon Barjona is the same as Peter. Barjona means "bar" (son of) Jona. Simon is a Hebrew name, and Peter is a Greek name.

Matthew the tax collector = Levi the son of Alphaeus the tax collector in Mark 2:13-17. Levi is a Hebrew name. Matthew is also a Hebrew name, a shortened form of Matthias. Perhaps as a tax collector we wanted an alias.

James, Son of Alphaeus is the same as James the Younger in Mark 15:40. Strong's Concordance says James is a Graecized form of the Hebrew name Jacob.

Bartholomew (in all lists) is the same as Nathanael in John 1:45-47; 21:2. The Aramaic name Bartholomew might not have been his first name, but his surname, since it means "Bar" (son of) Talmai/Tolmai/Talmar according to the Wycliffe Bible Dictionary p.205,1177-1178. Nathanael is also Aramaic, meaning "God's gift".

Thaddaeus is the same as Judas the son of James in Luke 6:16 and Acts 1:13, similar to Peter and Simon being the same person. Perhaps after the crucifixion Thaddaeus did not what to be called Judas, because of potential confusion with Judas Iscariot. Judas is a Hebrew name. Some Greek manuscripts say Thaddaeus, some say "Lebbaeus", and some says "Lebbaeus called/surnamed Thaddaeus" Asimov's Guide to the Bible p.908 says "Lebbaeus" is the Greek form of "Levi".

Judas Iscariot is missing from Acts 1:13 for obvious reasons.

For the others, Andrew, James son of Zebedee, John, Philip, Thomas, and Simon the Zealot, we are only told one name.

One could conceivably believe that Nathanael in John 1:43-45; 21:2 was not the same person as Bartholomew; the Wycliffe Bible Dictionary p.205 mentions that some hold this view. This view would not mean an error in the Bible, only that Nathanael was a disciple but not one of the twelve disciples.

See Bible Difficulties & Seeming Contradictions p.175-176 for more info.

Q: In Mt 10:9-10 how were the disciples not to acquire staffs and in Lk 9:3 not bring a staff, since they were to bring only a staff in Mk 6:8-9?

A: Christians give three different answers, but the third answer is the most probable.

Multiple trips: They could have made multiple trips. However, the only reason to suggest multiple trips is to reconcile bringing a staff versus not bring a staff.

Different Greek words: "acquire" in Matthew is different than "possess" in Mark. When Critics Ask p.339 says they could take the staff they already had, but not to take a spare, or anything else for that matter. The Greek word for "take/acquire" in Matthew 10:9 can mean acquire; as in do not buy or collect these things. The Greek word in Mark 6:8 means to possess. The difficulty with this view is that the Greek word in Luke 9:3 is simply a different conjugation of the same Greek word as Mark 6:8. Bible Difficulties & Seeming Contradictions p.177-178 mentions this view, without mentioning Luke 9:3.

Scribal error: Perhaps the copies we have of Mark substituted "only" instead of "not". While all the copies we have say "not", in Greek the difference between "only" and "not" is the addition of the two-letter Greek word ei. Hard Sayings of the Bible p.422-424 mentions a scribal error of a different kind, where Matthew usually was very familiar with Mark, but he followed Luke here. So in other words, "only/except a staff" in Mark, probably should be "not a staff" as in Matthew and Luke.

Q: In Mt 10:9-10, were the disciples not to acquire shoes/sandals, or were they to bring sandals as Mk 6:8-9 says?

A: The Greek word in Matthew can mean "shoes", while the Greek word in Mark cannot mean shoes according to Bible Difficulties & Seeming Contradictions p.177-178. Green's Literal translation renders the word in Mark 6:9 as "tied-under sandals". Luke 9:3 does not mention anything about shoes or sandals.

So in conclusion, they could probably take sandals, but not shoes, which would be better for long journeys. This is consistent with them not taking staffs also.

Q: In Mk 1:15, "The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand", using the Greek verb eggizo in the past tense, which indicates that the kingdom of God approached but did not prevail yet. But in Mt 11:4-5 Jesus reveals that the Kingdom is present in time and related to His person, because Matthew did not use the expression "kingdom of God" neither the verb eggizo. Why is this variation between the two gospels as for the concept of the Kingdom?

A: Three points to consider in the answer.

1) In Mark 1:15 at the beginning of His ministry, before Jesus announced who He was, He said the time was fulfilled (past tense), for the Kingdom of God is [now] near. It is the time that is fulfilled, not the Kingdom of God that is fulfilled.

2) Matthew 11:4-5 does not speak of the Kingdom of God at all, much less whether it is past or present tense. Jesus instead spoke of the good news preached to the poor.

3) For us, the Kingdom of God is near, because it is inside us. However, the full consummation of the Kingdom of God is not until the future.

See the Evangelical Commentary on the Bible p.768 for more info.

Q: In the Gospels, what is a harmony for the middle period ministry of Jesus?

A: The middle period of 24 events includes the two feedings and ranges from when John the Baptist was killed and Jesus left Galilee to the time at Caesarea Philippi. Numbers refer to events that must follow preceding numbers. Letters such as a,b,c refer to events that could happen in any order. The bold words indicate markers of time, order, and location. The underlined verses show passages that likely are not in chronological order.

Middle Ministry: Mt 14:13-16:28, Mk 6:30-9:1, Lk 9:11-27, Jn 6:1-7:9

M1. Leaving Galilee, Jesus and the disciples withdraw to Bethsaida. Lk 9:10

M2a. The crowds find Jesus. Lk 9:11

M2b. On the shore opposite of Capernaum, Jesus preaches to the crowds and heals. Mt 14:13-14; Jn 6:1-4

M3. On the grass (not in Gennesaret), Jesus' first feeding: 5,000 men plus women and kids, with 5 loaves and 2 fish. They were Jews who had been with Jesus one day. 12 baskets left over. Mt 14:15-21; Mk 6:30-44; Lk 9:12-17; Jn 6:1-14

M4. En route to Gennesaret, during the fourth watch of the night, Jesus and Peter walk on water. Mt 14:22-36; Mk 6:45-52

M5a. In Gennesaret, Jesus heals men. Mt 14:34-36; Mk 6:53-56

M5b. Jesus withdraws to a mountain. Jn 6:15

M6a1. En route to Capernaum after rowing 3 or 3 1/2 miles, the disciples see Jesus walking on water. Jn 6:16-24a

M6a2. Immediately the boat arrives. Jn 6:24b

M6a3. On the lake by Capernaum, Jesus is the bread of life. Jn 6:25-71

M6a4. Until Feast of Tabernacles Jesus stays in Galilee. Jn 7:1-9

M6b. Pharisees criticize Jesus' disciples; clean and unclean. Mt 15:1-20; Mk 7:1-23

M7. In Tyre and Sidon, Jesus heals a woman's daughter. Mt 15:21-28; Mk 7:24-30

M8. In Decapolis Jesus heals the deaf and mute man. Mk 7:31-37

M9. In Galilee Jesus heals and teaches crowds. Mt 15:29-31; Mk 8:1

M10. On the ground along the Sea of Galilee, Jesus' 2nd feeding of another large crowd: 4,000 men plus women and kids with seven loaves and a few small fish. They were Gentiles who had been with Jesus three days. 7 baskets left over. Mt 15:32-38; Mk 8:2-9

M11. Jesus goes in the boat to Magadan/Dalmanutha. Mt 15:39; Mk 8:10

M12a. Pharisees make 2nd demand for a sign from Heaven. Mt 16:1-4; Mk 8:11-13

M12b. Jesus speaks of yeast and the 2 feedings. Mt 16:5-12; Mk 8:14-21

M12c. At Bethsaida Jesus heals a blind man. Mk 8:22-26

M12d. Near Caesarea Philippi (where there was a large rock), Peter confesses that Jesus is the Christ. Mt 16:13-20; Mk 8:27-30; Lk 9:18-20

M13. Jesus predicts His death. Mt 16:21-22; Mk 8:31; Lk 9:21-22

M14. Jesus tell Peter, "Get you behind me, Satan". Mt 16:23; Mk 8:32-33

M15. Cost of following Jesus. Mt 16:24-28; Mk 8:34-9:1; Lk 9:23-27

Q: In the Gospels, what were the key assumptions made for a harmony of the middle period of Jesus' ministry?

A: Here were the assumptions I used to come up with this sequence of events.

a) The gospels are in chronological order for the middle period of Jesus' ministry. While they could have some things out of order, there is no reason to suspect so.

b) Some passages in Luke, which I placed in the later ministry of Jesus, would fit in this section too.

Q: In Mt 12:30, Bart Ehrman asks, "Some sayings of Jesus are rendered in similar but nevertheless diverging ways. One of my favorite examples of this phenomenon is the pair of saying related in Matthew 12:30 and Mark 9:40. In Matthew, Jesus declares, ‘Whoever is not with me is against me.' In Mark, he says, ‘Whoever is not against us is for us.' Did he say both things? Could he mean both things? How can both be true at once? Or is it possible that one of the Gospel writers got things switched around?" Jesus, Interrupted p.41

A: Quite frankly, I am at a total loss as to how Ehrman could see this as a contradiction. In Matthew 12:22-37 (corresponding with Mark 3:20-29), this occurs when Jesus is brought a demon-possessed man. Much later, on a totally different occasion, in Mark 9:38-41 Jesus is told about someone else driving out demons. So of course Jesus could say different things on different days. Perhaps Ehrman somehow thought it contradictory that if someone were against Jesus they could also be against His followers, or vice versa. But Jesus predicted that His followers will be persecuted and killed because the persecutors do not know the Father or Jesus in John 16:3. Jesus stated in John 15:18-21, "If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first. If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you. Remember the words I spoke to you: ‘No servant is greater than his master.' If they persecuted me, they will persecute you also. If they obeyed my teaching, they will obey yours also. They will treat you this way because of my name." Jesus identified Himself closely with His followers in Matthew 25:34-46 in the parable of the sheep and the goats. In John 15:1-8 Jesus says that we are in Him as branches are connected to a vine.

Q: In Mt 14:15-21; Mk 6:30-44; Lk 9:12-17; Jn 6:1-14, did Jesus feed 5,000, or 4,000 as Mt 15:32-38 and Mk 8:2-9 say? Is it allegorical story, that's why he repeated it? Or the incident took place twice in reality and with variant details?

A: They are not the same story, and both at literally true.

The 5,000 men plus women and children (Matthew 14:21) were Jews (John 6:14-15) who had been with Jesus one day (John 6:35) and sat on the grass on the west (Jewish) side of the Sea of Galilee. Five loaves and two fish were used (Matthew 14:17). The leftovers filled 12 baskets (Matthew 14:20).

The 4,000 men plus women and children (Matthew 15:38) were probably Gentiles, who had been with Jesus three days (Mark 8:2) and sat on dry ground on the east (non-Jewish) side of the Sea of Galilee. 7 loaves and a few small fish were used (Mark 8:5,7). The leftovers filled 7 baskets (Mark 8:8).

Both are mentioned in Matthew 16:7-11, as well as in Mark 6:52. Jesus is willing and able to take care of the Jews, and Jesus is willing and able to take care of the Gentiles.

Whether we focus on Jesus feeding 5,000 Jews in John 6:14-35, or see Jesus feeding 4,000 probable Gentiles, or both as Matthew 15:38; 16:7-11 and Mark 6:52, 8:2-8 teach, we have to decide whether or not we choose to trust that the Jesus of the Gospels eternally will feed us too.

See the Believer's Bible Commentary p.1339 for more info.

Q: In Mt 14:15-21; Mk 6:30-44; Lk 9:12-17, and Jn 6:1-14, were there only men that was present at the miracle of feeding 5,000 fish and bread from Mk. 6:44 and John 6:10?

A: No it was not only men. The Greek word andres (andros in the singular) is the same in Mk 6:44; Luke 9:14, and Matthew 14:21 and basically means "male". But Matthew 14:19-21 says there were about 5,000 men, besides the women and children.

So in this mixed crowd there are two possibilities:

a) There was a roughly equal number of men and women, and they sat by families.

b) There were far more men than women and children present. Remember, unlike the feeding of the 4,000, this feeding was on the Gentile (eastern) side of the Sea of Galilee, and Greeks had a low view of women. So maybe most of the women stayed home.

Q: In Lk 9:52-53 did the Samaritans reject Christ and not receive Him, or did a great multitude of Samaritans meet Christ in Jn 4:39-40?

A: Both are true in three different ways.

a) These two events occurred at different times in Jesus' ministry. The acceptance was early in Jesus' ministry, and the rejection was late in His ministry when they knew Jesus was on His way to Jerusalem.

b) These occurred in different places; when a group of people, say a group of Africans, accept something, it does not follow that every African everywhere must accept the same thing the same way.

c) However, even among Jews, some followed Jesus for a time and then turned away. John 6:66 says that some of Jesus' disciples turned back and no longer followed Him. Some of these could have included Samaritans as well as Jews.

See When Critics Ask p.390 for a complementary answer.

Q: In Mt 16:4 and Mk 8:12, would no sign be given to the people, or would no sign be given except the sign of Jonah be given in Lk 11:29-30?

A: Three points to consider in the answer.

1. While Jonah experienced a miracle, the people of Nineveh did not see it. Jonah gave the people of Nineveh no miraculous sign telling them to repent; they had only Jonah and his message. They only "sign" they had was not a miracle they could observe but a man. Jonah, preached to the Ninevites, was all they had to see. One might say that Jonah's message was authenticated by the miracle of his being swallowed by a great fish and living. However, the Ninevites could only hear about the miracle; they did not see it for themselves.

2. This is in contrast to the Exodus, where all the Israelites were able to see the miraculous cloud by day and pillar of fire by night.

3. Jesus came "in the style of Jonah", not that of Exodus. Jesus did not come in heavenly glory, and while He did miracles that authenticated His message, most people did not see the miracles, they only heard about them.

Summary: Jesus' suddenly coming on the scene, was similar to Jonah coming to Nineveh. Sometimes people want to accept something only if the evidence is in the form they prefer to see. For both the hearers of Jonah and Jesus, they needed to listen to a message and not close their eyes and fail to see things they did not expect. See When Critics Ask p.371-372 for more info.

Q: In Mt 16:4, Mk 8:12 and Lk 11:29-30, why would no signs be given to the people, since Jesus did many miracles?

A: While everyone heard of the miracles that Jesus did, most of the people did not see any of Jesus' miracles. The largest audience for miracles, feeding the 5,000 on the grass, and feeding the 4,000 on the dry ground, were still a small minority of the people living in Palestine at the time.

Both then and afterward, miracles serve to strengthen faith, but miracles by themselves are rarely successful in converting a person from unbelief to belief, especially if the person does not want to believe. Remember that some of the Pharisees actually saw the withered man's hand restored in front of their very eyes, and yet they still did not want to follow Jesus.

Q: In Mt 16:16; Mk 8:29; and Lk 9:20 what were Jesus' exact words? Matthew 16:16 says, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.". Mark 8:29 says, "You are the Christ". Luke 9:20 says, "The Christ of God". What was the true form of his confession? And why is this variation in Peter's answer?

A: This shows us that the gospel writers paraphrased and did not include every detail. Of course "Thou art the Christ of God" is simply more detail in "Thou are the Christ". Matthew has the most detail. Also, we don't know whether this was said in Greek or Aramaic. Papias says that Matthew originally wrote in "the language of the Hebrews" (Aramaic), while the other three gospel writers wrote in Greek. So while we know the meaning of what Peter declared, we do not know the exact words. See When Critics Ask p.347 for more info.

Q: In Lk 18:7, should are prayers be incessant (continual), or was Jesus against those who thought their prayers would be heard because of their many words in Mt 6:7?

A: Both are true. God looks at the strength of our prayer, not the length of our prayer. We are to pray without ceasing (1 Thessalonians 5:17), but do not think that it is the unceasing words that matter, but rather our heart that matters. Similarly in Nehemiah's time, they were to build the wall for their defense, but they were not to rely on the wall for their defense, but rely on God.

See When Critics Ask p.393 for more info.

Q: In the Gospels, what is a harmony for the later ministry of Jesus?

A: It is important to distinguish between what is said to be order versus what may be in order. For these 67 events, numbers refer to events that must follow preceding numbers. Letters such as a,b,c refer to events that could happen in any order. The bold words indicate markers of time, order, and location. If someone were to believe the gospels were all in chronological order for this part of Jesus' ministry, they would see no problems.

Later Ministry: Mt 17:1-20:34, Mk 9:2-10:52, Lk 9:28-19:28, Jn 7:10-11:57

L1. After about eight days (or six days), Jesus took Peter, James and John to the Mount of Transfiguration (probably Mount Tabor). Mt 17:1-8; Mk 9:2-8; Lk 9:28-35

L2. Do not tell until the resurrection. Mt 17:9; Mk 9:9-10; Lk 19:36

L3. Jesus speaks on Elijah. Mt 17:10-13; Mk 9:11-13

L4. The next day, Jesus heals an epileptic boy the disciples could not. Mt 17:14-21; Mk 9:14-29; Lk 9:37-45

L5. In Galilee, Jesus again predicts His death. Mt 17:22-23; Mk 9:30-32

L6a. In Capernaum (on the north shore of Lake Galilee), Jesus pays the Temple tax with coins in a fish's mouth. Mt 17:24-27

L6b. At that time, the disciples argue over who is greatest (could have occurred multiple times). Mt 18:1-9; Mk 9:33-37; Lk 9:46-48

L6c. John and disciples tell another to stop casting out demons in Jesus' name. Mk 9:38-41; Lk 9:49-50

L6d1. En route to Jerusalem, Samaritans will not welcome Jesus. Lk 9:51-56

L6d2. While walking along a road, commitment of a disciple: foxes, dead, family. Lk 9:57-62

L6d3. Jesus sends out the seventy-two. Lk 10:1-24

L7a1. In Jerusalem at the Feast of Tabernacles (5th day of 7th month), Jesus comes. Jn 7:10-52

L7a2. In Jerusalem, woman caught in adultery. Jn 8:1-11

L7a3. Jesus' testimony is valid Jn 8:12-59

L7b. Jesus heals a blind man, who goes to the Pharisees. Jn 9:1-41

L7c1. Jesus teaches on the shepherd. Jn 10:1-21

L7c2. At the Feast of Dedication [Winter] in the Temple area in Jerusalem, Jesus says, "I and my Father are One". Jn 10:22-39

L7c3. Jesus goes to where John the Baptist had been baptizing. Jn 10:40-42

L7d1. The lawyer's question on who is my neighbor. Lk 10:25-28

L7d2. The parable of the good Samaritan. Lk 10:29-37

L7d3. [Probably in Bethany of Judea], devoted Mary and hard-working Martha. Lk 10:38-42

L7e. In Bethany of Judea, Jesus raises Lazarus from the dead. Jn 11:1-44

L7f. One day, Jesus told His disciples how to pray, using the Lord's Prayer (probably a second time). Lk 11:1-13

L7g1. Jesus drives out mute demon, accused of being in league with Beelzebub. Lk 11:14-26

L7g2. Woman blesses Jesus' mother, Jesus disagrees with her. Lk 11:27-28

L7h. As the crowds increased, Jesus says they only have the sign of Jonah. Lk 11:29-32

L7i1. Lamp of the body. Lk 11:33-36

L7i2. At the Pharisee's house, speaks six woes. Lk 11:37-53

L7i3a1. Meanwhile, teaching on disclosing in the light. Lk 12:1-7

L7i3a2. Acknowledging Jesus before men and blasphemy against the Holy Spirit. Lk 12:8-12

L7i3b. The parable of the rich fool. Lk 12:13-21

L7i3c. Parable to be watchful for the master's return. Lk 12:35-48

L7i3d. Prophecy of division among families. Lk 12:49-53

L7i3e. Interpreting the times. Lk 12:54-59

L7i3f Jesus mentions Galileans killed when the Tower of Siloam fell. Lk 13:1-9

L7j On a Sabbath Jesus heals a crippled woman. Lk 13:10-17

L6k. Parables of the mustard seed and yeast. Lk 13:18-21

L6l1. While going through the towns and villages, the parables of the narrow door, and sorrow over Jerusalem. Lk 13:22-30

L6l2. At that time, Jesus' sorrow over Jerusalem. Lk 13:31-35

L6m. One Sabbath at a prominent Pharisee's house, Jesus heals a man with dropsy and the parable of the great banquet. Lk 14:1-24

L6n. When large crowds were with Jesus, He spoke of the cost of being a disciple, for the 2nd time: parents, parables of the tower, king, and salt. Lk 14:25-35

L6o. Teaching on little children. Mt 18:10-11

L6p. Parable of lost sheep. Mt 18:12-14; Lk 15:1-7

L6q1. Parable of the lost coin. Lk 15:8-10

L6q2. Jesus continued, the parable of the lost son. Lk 15:11-32

L6r. Parable of the shrewd manager. Lk 16:1-15

L6s. Teaching on forgiveness and the unmerciful servant. Mt 18:15-35

L6t. Teaching on John and the Law. Lk 16:16-17

L6u. Traveled from Galilee to Transjordan. Mt 19:1-2; Mk 10:1

L6v. Teaching on divorce. Mt 19:3-12; Mk 10:2-12; Lk 16:18

L6w. Parable of the rich man and Lazarus. Lk 16:19-31

L6x. To His disciples, Jesus teaches on sin, parable of the tree planted in the sea, and parable of a servant's duty. Lk 17:1-10

L6y. Between Galilee and Samaria en route to Jerusalem, Jesus healed 10 lepers (...where are the other 9?). Lk 17:11-19

L6z. Pharisees ask how the kingdom of God comes. Lk 17:20-37

L7a. Parable of the persistent widow. Lk 18:1-8

L7b. Parable of the Pharisee and the tax collector. Lk 18:9-14

L7c. People were bringing babies to Jesus to bless; disciples rebuke them. Mt 19:13-15; Mk 10:13-16; Lk 18:15-17

L7d. Rich young ruler asks a question: ... eye of a needle. Mt 19:16-30; Mk 10:17-31; Lk 18:18-30

L8. Parable of the laborers in the vineyard. Mt 20:1-16

L9. En route to Jerusalem, Jesus predicts his death and resurrection. Mt 20:17-19; Mk 10:32-34; Lk 18:31-34

L10a. The mother of James and John comes with them to ask a request of Jesus. Mt 20:20-28; Mk 10:35-45

L10b. Leaving Jericho (probably the Old Jericho), Jesus heals two blind men who cry out "Lord, Son of David, have mercy on us!" (NIV) Mt 20:29-34

L10c. Entering Jericho (probably the New Jericho), Jesus heals a blind man, Bartimaeus, who cries "Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!" (NIV) Mk 10:46-52; Lk 18:35-43

L11a. At Jericho, Jesus meets Zacchaeus. Lk 19:1-10

L11b. Near Jerusalem (the two Jerichos were 15-17 miles northeast of Jerusalem), Jesus tells the parable of the ten servants and ten minas. Lk 19:11-28

L12. Caiaphas and Sanhedrin plot to kill Jesus. Jn 11:45-53

L13. Thus, Jesus withdraws to the village of Ephraim. Jn 11:54

Q: In the Gospels, what were the key assumptions made for a harmony of Jesus' later ministry?

A: Everything has assumptions, and if someone else used the same assumptions, they would come up with a very similar list. Here are the assumptions for the previous sequence.

a) All the gospels are in chronological order for Jesus' later ministry. While they could be out of order, there is no reason to suspect that they are.

b) Some of the passages of John, placed here, could have been in Jesus' middle ministry.

c) The following events only occurred one time: the Transfiguration, the parable of the lost sheep, the rich young ruler.

d) Raising Lazarus, Mary and Martha's brother, happened about the same time Jesus was at their house.

Q: In Mt 20:29-34 did Jesus heal two blind men as He left Jericho, or one blind man when He left Jericho as Mk 10:46-52 says?

A: There are two possibilities.

Two events: Jesus could have healed blind Bartimaeus, and also healed two other blind men either before or after Bartimaeus. Once Jesus healed at least one blind man, it would indeed be curious if the townspeople knew about it, and not a single additional blind person approached Jesus for healing. It is likely Jesus healed even more people in Jericho than the Gospel writers recorded. When Critics Ask p.353 says that if Jesus healed one blind man entering Jericho, and somebody saw it and told others, you can be sure there would be other blind men waiting for Jesus by the time He left Jericho. See the Complete Book of Bible Answers p.55-56 for more info on this answer.

One event: The NIV Study Bible p.1596 says that this was only one event. Mark 10:46-52 only names one of the blind men (Bartimaeus). Perhaps Mark was not aware there were two blind men. Of course, if there were two blind men, one of whom was named Bartimaeus, then saying there was one blind man is correct but imprecise. See When Critics Ask p.352 for more info on this answer.

See also the next question for more info on the two towns named Jericho.

Q: In Mt 20:29-34 and Mk 10:34-52, did Jesus heal the blind while leaving Jericho, or entering it as Lk 18:35 says?

A: This probably was just one event that occurred while Jesus was traveling between the two towns named Jericho.

Old Jericho (Tell es-Sultan) is northwest of modern Jericho (er-Riha). It was destroyed by Joshua, but rebuilt in 1 Kings 16:34. Mainly Jews lived there in the time of Jesus.

New Testament Jericho (at Tulul Abu el-'Alayiq) primarily was a Gentile town built around the winter palace of Herod the Great, who died there around 4 B.C.. The site is about 3/4 to 1 mile south or southwest of old Jericho. The winter palace had two pools, a large Roman bath, and six private mikvahs, which were places of Jewish ritual washing. A map showing the palace and pools of new Jericho is in the New International Dictionary of the Bible p.511-512.

The different sites of Jericho also are mentioned in the Believer's Bible Commentary p.1440, Bible Difficulties & Seeming Contradictions p.179, the Wycliffe Bible Dictionary p.903 The Expositor's Bible Commentary volume 8 p.1008, the New Geneva Study Bible p.1641, The NIV Study Bible p.1515-1516, The Complete Book of Bible Answers p.55-56, the liberal Anchor Bible Dictionary volume 3 p.723, and the Encyclopedia Britannica (1956 edition) volume 13 p.1.

Q: In the Gospels, what is a harmony for Passion Week, the last week prior to the Resurrection?

A: It is important to distinguish between what is said to be order versus what may be in order. For these 104 events, numbers refer to events that must follow preceding numbers. Letters such as a,b,c refer to events that could happen in any order. The bold words indicate markers of time, order, and location. If someone were to believe the gospels were all in chronological order in this section, they would see no problems.

Passion Week: Mt 21:1-27:66, Mk 11:14-15:47, Lk 19:29-23:56, Jn 12:11-19:42

P1. In Bethany, six days before Passover, the day before the triumphal entry, Jesus attends a feast at Simon the leper's house in his honor, where Mary served. Lazarus is reclining there too. Jesus is anointed, for the second time, by Mary with a pint of nard, worth a year's wages, from an alabaster jar. (Note this is the town where Lazarus lived, not the house.) Judas Iscariot and the disciples complain. Jn 12:1-12a; Mt 26:6-13; Mk 14:3-9

P2. Jesus at Bethphage at the Mount of Olives. Mt 21:1; Mk 11:1-6; Lk 19:29-34

P3. Jesus tells them to bring a young donkey and the mother. Mt 21:2-6; Mk 11:2-6; Lk 19:29-34

P4. The disciples return with the donkey and colt. Mt 21:7a; Mk 11:7-10; Lk 19:35-35; Jn 12:14-15

P5. On Palm Sunday, the Triumphal Entry. Mt 21:7b-11; Mk 11:7-11a; Lk 19:35-44; Jn 12:12b-19

P6a. Jesus predicts His death, and the Father speaks from Heaven. Jn 12:20-50

P6b. Jesus spends the night in Bethany. Mk 11:11b

P6c. [Sunday or Monday or both] Jesus drives moneychangers out of temple for the second time. Mt 21:12-13; Lk 19:45-48

P6d1. In the temple, Jesus heals blind and lame. Mt 21:14-16

P6d2. Jesus spends the night in Bethany. Mt 21:17

P7. Early in the morning the next day [Monday or Tuesday], returning to Jerusalem, Jesus curses a fig tree. Mk 11:12-14. Note this is Jesus' second trip to the temple.

P8. Early in the morning [Tuesday or Wednesday], Jesus curses a fig tree a second time. Mt 21:18-19a

P9a. Immediately the fig tree withers. Mt 21:19b-22

P9b. The fig tree withers. Mk 11:20-25

P10. Jesus enters the temple, discusses authority (Mt 21:23-32) and drives out the moneychangers for the 3rd time. Mk 11:15-18 (Note: it would be strange if Jesus drove them out one day and permitted them the next.)

P11. In the evening, they leave the city. Mk 11:19

P12. At the Temple one day [Tuesday or Wednesday] Jesus is questioned about His authority. Mk 11:27-33; Lk 20:1-8

P13. Parable of the tenants. Mt 21:33-46; Mk 12:1-12; Lk 20:9-19

P14. Jesus tells the parable of the wedding banquet. Mt 22:1-14

P15a. Pharisees and Herodians ask about paying taxes to Caesar. Mt 22:15-22; Mk 12:13-17; Lk 20:20-26

P15b. The Sadducees question Jesus about resurrection. Mt 22:23-33; Mk 12:23-27; Lk 20:27-39

P16. After the Sadducees, a Pharisee asks the greatest commandment. Mt 22:34-40; Mk 12:28-33

P17a. Nobody asked Jesus any more questions. Mt 22:46; Mk 12:34; Lk 20:40

P17b. While the Pharisees were together, Jesus asks a question on Psalm 110:1. Mt 22:41-45; Mk 12:35-37; Lk 20:41-44

P18a. Jesus rebukes the scribes and Pharisees. Mt 23; Mk 12:38-40; Lk 20:45-47

P18b. Jesus observes the widow's offering. Mk 12:41-44; Lk 21:1-4

P19. Leaving the temple, Jesus prophesies its ruin. Mt 24:1-2; Mk 13:1-2; Lk 21:5-6

P20. On the Mount of Olives, Jesus teaches on the end times. Mt 24:3-44; Mk 13:3-37; Lk 21:7-36

P21. Each day in the Temple Jesus teaches and spends the night on the Mount of Olives. Lk 21:37-38

P22. Three parables of the Master's return. Mt 24:45-25:30

P23a. The teaching of the sheep and goat judgment at Jesus' throne. Mt 25:31-46

P23b. Two days from the Passover, the chief priests and elders plot to arrest Jesus. Mt 26:1-5; Mk 14:1-2; Lk 22:1-2

P24. Judas secretly talks with priests to betray Jesus. Mt 26:14-16; Mk 14:10-11; Lk 22:2-6

P25. On the first day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread, they prepare the Last Supper. Mt 26:17-19; Mk 14:12-16; Lk 22:7-13

P26. Jesus washes His disciple's feet Jn 13:1-18

P27. In a large upper room (Mk 14:15), they eat the Lord's Supper. Mt 26:20-29; Mk 14:17-25; Lk 22:14-23; 1 Cor 11:23-26

P28. Jesus says Judas will betray Him. Jn 13:18-28a

P29. Jesus' new command to love one another. Jn 13:31-35

P30. In the midst of the last supper, Judas leaves. Jn 13:28b-30

P31. Either at the Last Supper of shortly thereafter, another argument over who is greatest. Lk 22:24-30

P32a1. After Judas left, en route to the Mount of Olives, Jesus predicts Peter will deny Him three times. Mt 26:30-35; Mk 14:26-31; Lk 22:31-38; Jn 13:36-38

P32a2. In the Garden of Gethsemane on the Mount of Olives. Mt 26:36-46; Mk 14:32-43a; Lk 22:39-46

P32b. From the Last Supper to the Mount of Olives, Jesus speaks. Jn 14:1-16:33

P33. Jesus' pre-arrest prayer. Jn 17:1-26

P34. After Jesus finishes praying, they cross the Kidron Valley and go into an olive grove. Jn 18:1

P35. Arrest of Jesus. Mt 26:47-56; Mk 14:43b-52; Lk 22:47-53; Jn 18:2-11

P36. The go to the house of Annas, father-in-law to Caiaphas the high priest. Lk 22:54; Jn 18:12-13.

P37. Jesus was sent to Caiaphas' house. John 18:24. Mt 26:56-57 and Mk 14;51-53 skip the previous and just mention this.

P38a1. In/near the courtyard of the high priest, Jesus is tried by the Sanhedrin. Mt 26:57-68; Mk 14:53-65; Lk 22:66-71; Jn 18:12-14; Jn 18:19-23

P38b1. Because "this disciple" [John] was known the high priest, he went into the courtyard. Then he went back out and spoke to the girl/maid/servant on duty and brought Peter in through the door. Jn 18:15-16

P38b2. 1st accusation: In the courtyard, one girl/maid/servant girl of the high priest who was at the door, came to him (Mt), came by (Mk) and looked at Peter in the firelight, and spoke to Peter that he was with Jesus. Peter was warming himself in the courtyard. Mt 26:69; Mk 14:66-67; Lk 22:54-56; Jn 18:17a

P38b3. 1st denial: Peter denied Jesus, saying "Woman, I don't know Him" (Lk) "I don't know what you're talking about" (Mt) or "I don't know or understand what you are talking about." (Mk) before them all (Mt). Mt 26:70; Mk 14:68; Lk 22:57; John 18:17

P38b4. 2nd round of accusations: Then Peter went to the gateway (Mt), and another girl [allu] said to the crowd "This fellow was with Jesus of Nazareth." (Mt). Peter was accused "You also are one of them." (Lk) The maid (Mk) seeing Peter again, said to the crowd "This fellow is one of them." (Mk) Peter was asked, "you are not one his disciples, are you?"(Jn) Mt 26:71; Mk 14:69; Lk 22:58a; Jn 18:25a

P38b5. 2nd denial: Peter with an oath said "I am not" (Jn), "Man [anthrope], I am not!" (Lk) "I don't know the man" (Mt), and denied Jesus a second time. Mt 26:72; Mk 14:70a; Lk 22:58b; Jn 18:25b

P38b6a. 3rd round of accusations: About an hour later (Lk) those standing by [a small crowd?] said Peter was one of them and mentioned his Galilean accent. Mt 26:73; Mk 14:70b; Lk 22:59

P38b6b One of the high priest's servants, a relative of the man whose ear Peter had cut off, challenged Peter that he had seen Peter in the olive grove. Jn 18:26

P38b7. 3rd denial: Peter cursed, said "I don't know what you are talking about!" (Lk) "I don't know the man" (Mt) or "I don't know this man you are talking about." (Mk, Jn), and denied Jesus a third time. Immediately, when they were still in the house, the cock crowed. Jesus looked at Peter (Mt 26:74-75; Mk 14:71-72; Lk 22:60-62; Jn 18:27).

P38c. Judas hangs himself. (The rope broke either before or after he died.) The body falls and is broken open. The chief priests buy the field where Judas' body lies. The field was called Akeldama. Mt 27:1-10; Acts 1:18-19

P38a2. Soldiers mock, beat, and blindfold Jesus. Lk 22:63-65

P39. At daybreak, the Jewish council asked Jesus (or asked Him again) "If you are the Christ, tell us." And they reached a decision. Mt 27:1; Mk 15:1; Lk 22:66-71

P40a. By now it was early morning, and Jesus, accompanied by the priests left the house of Caiaphas and went to Jesus' trial before the Roman governor Pontius Pilate. Mt 27:2; Mk 15:1; Lk 23:1; Jn 18:28-38.

P40b. The night before the trial with Pilate, his wife had a dream about having nothing to do with condemning Jesus. Mt 27:19

P41. Jesus' trial before Pilate. Mt 27:11-14; Mk 15:1-15; Lk 23:1-6; Jn 18:28-37

P42. Pilate sends Jesus to Herod. Lk 23:7-11a

P43a. Herod sends Jesus sent back to Pilate. Lk 23:11b-12

P44. Jesus is returned to Pilate. Luke 23:13-16

P45. Pilate says he is innocent of his blood, appeals to the crowd and releases Barabbas. Mt 27:15-26; Lk 23:17-25; Jn 18:38-40

P46. Roman soldiers flog and mock Jesus and put on Him purple-scarlet rob and crown of thorns. Mt 27:27-31a; Mk 15:16-20a; Jn 19:1-3

P47. Pilate goes out the Jews again. Jn 19:4-15

P48. Jesus is led away to be crucified. Mt 27:31b; Mk 15:20b; Lk 23:26a; Jn 19:16

P49. Jesus [at first] carried His own cross. Jn 19:17a

P50. Simon of Cyrene [then] is made to carry Jesus' cross. Mt 27:32; Mk 15:21; Lk 23:26b

P51. Jesus says, "Daughters of Jerusalem, weep not for me, but weep for yourselves, and for your children..." Lk 23:28-31

P52a. On Golgotha on the third hour [9:00am], Jesus is crucified. Mt 27:33; Mk 15:22,25; Lk 23:33; Jn 19:16b-22

P52b. Wrote the trilingual sign above Jesus' head. Mt 27:37; Mk 15:26; Lk 23:38

P52c. Two criminals are crucified alongside Jesus. Mt 27:38; Mk 15:27; Lk 23:32-33

P53a. Jesus says "Father forgive them, they know not what the do." Lk 23:34a

P53b. Some offer Jesus drink but He refuses. Mt 27:34; Mk 15:23

P53c.Casting lots for clothes. Mt 27:35-36; Mk 15:24; Lk 23:34b; Jn 10:23-24

P54a. Jesus said, "woman here is your son; son here is your mother". Jn 19:25-27

P54b. Others say "He saved others, let him save himself...". Mt 27:40-43; Mk 15:29-30; Lk 23:35a

P54c. Priests mock Jesus too. Mk 15:31-32; Lk 23:35b

P54d. Soldiers mock Jesus on the cross. Lk 23:36-37

P54e.1 Thief on the left insults Jesus. Mt 27:44; Lk 23:39

P54.e.2 Thief on the right defends Jesus. Lk 23:40-43a

P54.e.3 Jesus says "...today you will be with me in paradise". Lk 23:43b

P54.f. Jesus says, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me". Mt 27:45-47; Mk 34-36

P54.g. Jesus says, "I am thirsty" Jn 19:28-29. For the second time is offered drink from a sponge. Mt 27:48

P54.h Some wait to see if Elijah comes. Mt 27:49

P54.i. Darkness from about the sixth hour until the ninth hour. Mk 15:33; Lk 23:44-45a

P55a. Jesus says, "It is finished". Jn 19:30

P55b. Right before dying Jesus says, "Father, into your hands I commit my spirit". Lk 23:46a

P56a. Jesus dies. Mt 27:50; Mk 15:37; Lk 23:46b

P56b. At that moment, the Temple curtain was torn in two. Mt 51a; Mk 15:38-39, Lk 23:45b (also Thales 52 A.D.)

P56c. An earthquake occurred, tombs broke open and dead people appear. Mt 51b-53.

P57a. Soldiers break thieves' legs, but not Jesus'. Jn 19:31-37

P57b. Centurion says surely this was a righteous man. Lk 23:47-49

P57c. Centurion says "This was the/a Son of God!" Mt 27:54; Mk 15:39

P57d. Many women were watching. Mt 27:55-56

P58. As evening came, Joseph of Arimathea asks Pilate for the body of Jesus. Mt 27:57-58; Jn 19:38

P59a. In the tomb of Joseph of Arimathea, Joseph and Nicodemus buried Christ's body and a stone is rolled over the tomb. Mt 27:59-61; Mk 15:42-47; Lk 23:50-54; Jn 19:39-42

P59b. Before the Sabbath, the women get spices. Lk 23:55-56

P59c. Pilate agrees to a guard of soldiers at the tomb. Mt 27:62-65

P60. They put a seal on the tomb and post a guard. Mt 27:66

Q: In the Gospels, what were the key assumptions made for the harmony of Passion Week?

A: If one used these assumptions, one should be able to come up with a very similar harmony of the Passion Week of Jesus.

a) Jesus left Jerusalem more than one night.

b) Jesus drove out the moneychangers at least twice.

c) Jesus cursed the fig tree the day before it withered, and the next day too.

d) Everything in the gospels is in chronological order for Passion Week, except for Matthew 26:6-13; Mark 14:3-9; Mark 22:46; Luke 22:54-62, and Luke 23:38.

Q: In Mt 21:1-3, Mk 11:4-7, Lk 19:30, and Jn 12:13-15, did Jesus ride a colt or a donkey?

A: Not the answer: Some have wondered if it was one animal or two, since the Greek word kai can mean "and" or "even/namely". The Hebrew word in Zechariah 9:9 also means either "and" or "or". See as Arndt in Bible Difficulties and Seeming Contradictions p.180 for more on this. However, as the next part shows, there really were two animals.

The Answer: There were two animals, because in the triumphal entry in Matthew 11:4-7 says the mother and colt were both there. The colt must have been fairly young, because it had never been ridden before. They apparently did not separate the mother from the colt, but brought the mother along too. From a natural standpoint people would do that to calm the young animal. If it was with its mother, and the mother was not concerned colt that the colt was being ridden, then the colt would not be concerned either. What better way to guide a young, nervous animal than to have it follow its mother? See Hard Sayings of the Bible p.484-485 for more info.

Outside of the Bible, Justin Martyr (writing about c.138-165 A.D.) also mentions bringing the mother donkey along with the colt in his Dialogue with Trypho the Jew ch.53 (ANF vol.1 p.222). See When Critics Ask p.353-354 and Encyclopedia of Bible Difficulties p.333-334 for more info.

Q: In Mt 21:12-13, Mk 11:11-17, and Lk 19:37-46, did Jesus drive out the moneychangers on a Sunday or a Monday?

A: Matthew 12:12-13 and Luke 19:37-46 do not specify if Jesus drove out the moneychangers the same day as the Triumphal entry (Sunday) or the next day. However, Mark 11:11-17 shows it was the next day.

Q: In Mt 21:12-13, Mk 11:12-19, and Luke 19:43-48, in Jesus' cleansing of the Temple, how could Jesus overturn the moneychangers' tables here, since he did it at the beginning of His ministry in Jn 2:13-19?

A: Because there were two cleansings of the temple. Jesus did this twice, because His feelings about this trade in the Temple did not change. Imagine at the start of ministry Jesus overturning tables, making a whip, and driving the money changers out. Then imagine Jesus coming to the same situation at the end of His ministry and saying "that is OK" or passing by in silence what He actively opposed before. No, towards the end of His ministry Jesus had a similar reaction to essentially the same situation at the start of His ministry.

There was actually not just one but three things wrong with the moneychangers in the temple.

1. They were not God's servants, yet they were making money inside of God's Temple.

2. While the people might have come with an attitude of worship, they had to start thinking about bartering, and other financial concerns on "paying to worship God".

3. In addition, they were robbing the people by charging very high prices. For example, they would not let the people use common money to buy these animals. They had to exchange their money for special temple coins used to buy the animals.

Q: In Mt 21:12-19 did Jesus curse the fig tree the day after He cleansed the Temple, or before as Mk 11:12-14,20-24 seems to imply?

A: Jesus cursed the fig tree after He drove out the moneychangers, as Matthew says. Mark does not give as much detail, but even Mark says "Now the next day" to show it was after. See When Critics Ask p.354-355 and Encyclopedia of Bible Difficulties p.334-335 for more info.

Q: In Mt 22:37 and Mk 12:29-30, does obeying the greatest commandment bring about the unity of world religions, as some New Agers claim?

A: No. First of all this is two commandments, not one. Second, the first commandment, loving God with all, is greater than the second commandment, loving others as yourself. Unlike New Agers believe, all religions do NOT lead to God. At the Last Judgment Jesus will tell people who claimed to follow Him but did not, "I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!" You certainly do not want Jesus to tell you "away from me." See When Cultists Ask p.122-123 for more info.

Q: Why do Mt 26:6-13, Mk 14:1-11, and Jn 12:1-11 differ significantly from Lk 7:36-50 in Jesus being anointed with oil?

A: Luke 7:36-50 records a different event. Specifically, Luke records the anointing of Jesus' feet by a sinful woman in the house of a Pharisee just after John the Baptist's disciples asked when Jesus would reveal He was the Messiah. The other three passages record Mary Magdalene anointing in the house of a healed leper, with Lazarus present, right before the Passover.

Among the first to answer this question was Augustine of Hippo (354-430 A.D.) in his Harmony of the Gospels book 2 ch.79:154 (NPNF1 vol.6 p.173-164.). See also 1001 Bible Questions Answered p.34-35 for more info.

Q: Who was exactly that woman who poured the ointment on Jesus? Because Matthew says (Mt 26:7-): "There came unto him a woman having an alabaster box of very precious ointment, and poured it on his head, as he sat at meat", while Luke (Lk 7:37) says: "And, behold, a woman in the city, which was a sinner, when she knew that Jesus sat at meat in the Pharisee's house, brought an alabaster box of ointment", and John says, "(It was that Mary which anointed the Lord with ointment, and wiped his feet with her hair, whose brother Lazarus was sick.)" (Jn 11:2), "Then took Mary a pound of ointment of spikenard, very costly, and anointed the feet of Jesus, and wiped his feet with her hair" (Jn 12:3).

A: All of these accounts refer to Mary, the sister of Martha.

Q: In Mk 14:1, did Mary anoint Jesus two days before the Passover, or six days before in Jn 12:1?

A: Both. This one event evidently happened on the 8th day of Nisan, which is two days before the start of the four-day Passover celebration, which ended with the Passover meal, as Exodus 12:1-11 shows.

Q: In narrating the incident of the Last Supper in Luke, and also in Paul's Corinthians 11:24, Jesus says: "this do in remembrance of me". But this same phrase doesn't occur in Mark (Mk 14:22) or Matthew (Mt 26:26), but they say just: "Take, eat: this is my body". Why?

A: The gospel writers did not write down all the details; nor were they required to do so.

Q: Why do we find four different stories about the Lord's Supper in the gospels? Is it because of the effect of the church meditations and liturgical life?

A: No. The Last Supper was a pivotal part of Jesus life and ministry to the disciples. It would be rather surprising if any of the four writers did not mention it. I am not sure what church meditations would have to do with any of this. Church liturgical life, aka official liturgies, monastic orders, etc. only came centuries after the gospels, and our existing manuscripts of them.

When did monks and hermits start?

While Philo the Jew says there were pagan hermits in Egypt in his time (before 50 A.D.) the first Christian hermits were Paul the Hermit and others that fled into the wilderness during the Decian persecution in 250-251 A.D. Antony was a famous hermit from 270-356 A.D. Later the teaching of Athanasius, Hilary, Ambrose of Milan, John Cassian, and others helped spread monasteries (for men) and abbeys (for women).

When were the earliest existing gospel manuscripts copied?

p52 is a scrap of John 18:31-33 on one side, and John 18:37f-38 on the other side. It was written before about 138 A.D.

p66 (c.125-175 A.D.) contains 92% of the Gospel of John

p75 (175-225 A.D.) contains 1,166 verses of Luke and John

p45 (200-225 A.D.) contains 833 verses of the four gospels plus Acts.

Apart from Bible manuscripts, early Christian writings themselves quoted from 87% of the verses in the gospels prior to 325 A.D.

Which early Christians wrote about the Lord's Supper before 250 A.D.?

Prior to the Decian persecution the following early Christians wrote about the Lord's Supper.

Ignatius of Antioch (-107/116 A.D.) "Take ye heed, then, to have but one Eucharist. For there is one flesh of our Lord Jesus Christ, and one cup to [show forth] the unity of His blood; one altar; as there is one bishop, along with the presbytery and deacons, my fellow-servants; that so, whatsoever ye do, ye may do it according to [the will of] God." Letter of Ignatius to the Philadelphians [Greek] ch.4 p.81

Didache (=Teaching of the Twelve Apostles) (c.60-120 A.D.) vol.7 ch.9-10 p.379-380 discusses taking the Lord's supper. However, he calls it "Thanksgiving" in two places, but never calls it the Eucharist.

Justin Martyr (c.150 A.D.) explains how they partake of the Lord's Supper in First Apology of Justin Martyr ch.65 p.185.

Irenaeus of Lyons (182-188 A.D.) fragment 37 p.574 says "...that He may exhibit this sacrifice, both the bread the body of Christ, and the cup the blood of Christ, in order that the receivers of these antitypes [antitopon] may obtain remission of sins and life eternal.

Clement of Alexandria (193-202 A.D.) describes how Jesus observed the Last Supper. Stromata book 1 ch.10 p.310. (and other places)

Tertullian (198-220 A.D.) "This she [the Church] seals with the water (or baptism), arrays with the Holy Ghost, feeds with the Eucharist, cheers with martyrdom, and against such a discipline thus (maintained) she admits no gainsayer." Prescription Against Heretics ch.36 p.261 (and other places)

Hippolytus of Portus (222-235/236 A.D.) mentions the sacramental food in Commentary on Genesis 49:12-15 p.168

Origen (225-253/254 A.D.) the bread of the Eucharist is a symbol of gratitude to God. Origen Against Celsus book 8 ch.58 p.661

Q: In Mt 26:17, Mk 14:12, Lk 22:1, and Jn 13:1-2, was the Last Supper Friday night or Thursday night?

A: It was Thursday night.

There was a weeklong celebration of Unleavened Bread (Numbers 28:17; Deuteronomy 16:3)

The Passover was Friday night after sundown. It was on the fourteenth day of the first month according to Exodus 12:1,6-8; Leviticus 23:5; Number 9:5; 28:16. This means sundown Friday night to sundown Saturday night.

The Jews (and the disciples too) prepared for the Passover, and killed the Passover lamb, on the first day of Unleavened Bread, which was a Thursday (Matthew 26:17; Mark 14:12; Luke 22:7).

As Jesus was crucified on Friday during the day, this is the reason the Jews wanted to have His body taken down before the Sabbath started.

John 19:14 says of the crucifixion, "Now it was the day of preparation (paraskeue) for the Passover. The day of preparation for the Passover is sundown Thursday night to sundown Friday night. i.e. includes most of Friday. As a side note, the modern Greek word for Friday is paraskeue. Tertullian (198-220 A.D.) in de Corona ch.3 p.94 discussed how they early Christians celebrated the Lord's Supper.

See When Critics Ask p. 343-344,375, Hard Sayings of the Bible p.448-449, and Encyclopedia of Bible Difficulties p.375-376 for more on why Jesus was crucified on a Friday.

For the Passover meal being one day earlier than normal, on a Thursday night see Hard Sayings of the Bible p.448-449

Q: The four gospels agree that the Last Supper was Thursday evening, and that the crossing of Jesus was in Friday. But they do not agree upon whether the Last Supper was a Passover Supper. What do you think? Was it a Passover or a regular ordinary supper?

A: Given the nature of the discussion, this was no ordinary supper. It was the Passover, celebrated one day early. First some background, and then the reason.

There was a weeklong celebration of Unleavened Bread (Numbers 28:17; Deuteronomy 16:3)

The Passover was Friday night after sundown. It was on the fourteenth day of the first month according to Exodus 12:1,6-8; Leviticus 23:5; Number 9:5; 28:16. This means sundown Friday night to sundown Saturday night. Some including, such as Essenes, celebrated it on Thursday night though. Jesus really wanted to celebrate the Passover with His disciples before His suffering (Luke 22:15). They did not celebrate it at the usual time because Jesus would be otherwise occupied.

Q: In the Gospels, was Jesus crucified on Thursday, Friday, or Saturday?

A: People's speculations have run from Wednesday to Saturday. In summary, Wednesday and Saturday would not work. Friday works with the rest of the chronology, but Thursday would work too. However, early Christians say it was Friday, with the exception of Origen, who said it was either that or the day before.

Justin Martyr (151-155 A.D.) Jesus was crucified on the day before Saturday [Friday] and rose the day after Saturday [Sunday]. First Apology of Justin Martyr ch.67 p.186

Victorinus of Petau (martyred 304 A.D.) "On the sixth day [i.e. Friday], .... On this day also on account of the passion of the Lord Jesus Christ, we make either a station to God, or a fast. On the seventh day..." On the Creation of the World p.341

Peter of Alexandria (306,285-311 A.D.) discusses the fourth day and that Jesus suffered on the sixth day [Friday] for us. Then he says, "But the Lord's day we celebrate as a day of joy, because on it He rose again, on which day we have received it for a custom not even to bow the knee. " The Canonical Epistle Canon 15 p.278

Origen (225-254 A.D.) "He who was spoken of by the prophets, but also to the other heathen nations, that He who was crucified yesterday or the day before underwent this death voluntarily on behalf of the human race, " Origen Against Celsus book 1 ch.31 p.409

However, of the 80 or so writers after the Bible and prior to Nicea, three writers with one view is not very many. See the previous question for the discussion. See Encyclopedia of Bible Difficulties p.375-376 for more info.

Q: In Mt 12:40 was Jesus in the tomb three days and three nights, or did He rise on the third day in Mk 8:31, or through three days in Mk 14:58, or in three days in Jn 2:19 or the third days comes today in Lk 24:21?

A: After three days was a known Hebrew idiom in the Bible meaning part or all of three days.

Day and night are counted if just one part. Rabbi Eleazar ben Azariah (1st century A.D.) states, "A day and a night are an onah [a portion of time], and the part of an onah is as the whole of it" (Mishnah, Jerusalem Talmud: Shabbath, Chapter IX, paragraph 3, Babylonian Talmud: Pesahim 4a)

Part of a day counts as a full day. Besides the previous quote, Rabbi Simeon ben Gamaliel also discussed this with others. "And how long is a full 'onah? - Rabbi Simeon ben Gamaliel explained: A night and half a day. But do we require an 'onah to be so long? Is not [such a requirement] rather incongruous with the following: If a person's winepresses or oil-presses were unclean and he desired to prepare his wine and oil respectively in conditions of cleanness, how is he to proceed? He rinses the boards, the twigs and the troughs;" Babylonian Talmud Tractate Niddah folio 65a

Some have tried to say that an onah referred only to a woman's days of uncleanness, but the previous quote shows that an onah is a general period of time.

We sometimes use inclusive time today. http://www.apologeticspress.org/apcontent.aspx?category=6&article=756. mentions that even today if someone checks into a hotel at night, and does not leave by the checkout time, they are charged for two full days.

A Biblical example is the application of Leviticus 12:2-3. It says that Jewish boys were to be circumcised on the eight day. So if a Jewish boy was born on Monday, when was he to be circumcised? He was to be circumcised on Monday a week later. What if he were born on Monday at 11:59 pm? He would still be circumcised on Monday a week later. That is inclusive timekeeping.

Here are nine other examples of inclusive timekeeping from the Bible.

1. In Genesis 42:17, Joseph imprisoned his brothers for three days. But in verse 18 he released ten of them on the third day.

2. Rehoboam in 2 Chronicles 10:5 told the people "three days return to me". Yet in 2 Chronicles 10:12, the people returned "on the third day, as the king commanded."

3. In 1 Samuel 30:12 a sick Egyptian slave told David he had not eaten any food or drunk any water for three days and three nights. Yet a person could not survive outside in the desert with no water at all for 72 hours. Undoubtedly the slave meant part of three days.

4. In Esther 4:16 Esther says to fast for her, "for three days, night and day" and she would do the same. Yet Esther 5:1 says it happened "on the third day" Esther had a banquet, so this is an equivalent time.

5. Matthew 27:62b-63a "saying, Lord, we have recalled that that deceiver said while living, After three days I will rise. Therefore, command that the grave be secured until the third day,"

6. In referring to Christ's death and resurrection, Jesus himself said in Matthew 12:40 says "three days and three nights", Mark 8:31 says "the third day he will rise up", Mark 14:58 says "through three days", John 2:19 says "in three days", and Luke 24:21 says "This third day comes today".

7. So "three days and three nights" in Mt 12:40 (and presumably Jonah 1:17) is equivalent to "on the third day" in Matthew 16:21; 17:23; 20:19 and Lk 13:32. It is equivalent to "Is it the third day" in Luke 24:21.

8. But there is nothing special here about the number three. The phrases "seven days" and "on the seventh day" are interchangeable too. 1 Kings 20:29a says, "For seven days they camped opposite each other, and on the seventh day the battle was joined."

9. The phrase four days in Acts 10:30 means parts of four days in Acts 10:3,9,23,24.

Q: In Lk 22:3-4,7 did Satan enter into Judas when he went to the chief priests to betray Jesus, or was it at the Last Supper when Jesus gave him the bread in Jn 13:27?

A: Both occurred. Satan entered into Judas when Judas decided to act to talk with the chief priests about betraying Jesus, and Satan entered into Judas again when Judas returned to the chief priests to tell them where Jesus would be. See Bible Difficulties & Seeming Contradictions p.199-200 for more info.

Q: In Mt 26:34, Mk 14:30-71, and Lk 22:34, how many times did Peter deny Christ and how many times did the cock crow?

A: Matthew 26:34, Luke 22:34, and John 13:38 say that before the cock/rooster crowed (an unnamed number of times) Peter would deny Jesus three times. Mark 14:30 says that before the cock crowed 2 times, Peter would deny Jesus 3 times.

1. The first denial is in Matthew 26:70, Mark 14:68, and Luke 22:57.

2. The second denial is in Matthew 26:72, Mark 14:70, and Luke 22:58

3. The third denial is in Matthew 26:74, Mark 14:71, and Luke 22:60.

The cock crowed a second time in Matthew 26:75, Mark 14:72, and Luke 22:60. Scripture does not specify if the cock crowed both times after Peter denied the third time, or if the cock crowed once earlier, and the second time after Peter's third denial. In any case, it does not really matter.

See When Critics Ask p.359-360, Encyclopedia of Bible Difficulties p.339-340, and Bible Difficulties & Seeming Contradictions p.181-182 for more info.

Q: In Mt 26:69-75, Mk 14:66-72, Lk 22:54-62; Jn 18:15-18,25-27, how do you reconcile these four accounts here, especially the second denial?

A: There is no problem if you recall that crowds usually are not silent. First let's look at a sequence of events, then let's eliminate what is not the answer, and finally give the answer.

Sequence of events:

1. Because "this disciple" [John] was known the high priest, he went into the courtyard. Then he went back out and spoke to the girl/maid/servant on duty and brought Peter in through the door. Jn 18:15-16

2. First accusation: In the courtyard, one girl/maid/servant girl of the high priest who was at the door, came to him (Mt), came by (Mk) and looked at Peter in the firelight, and spoke to Peter that he was with Jesus. Peter was warming himself in the courtyard. Mt 26:69; Mk 14:66-67; Lk 22:54-56; Jn 18:17a

3. First denial: Peter denied Jesus, saying "Woman, I don't know Him" (Lk) "I don't know what you're talking about" (Mt) or "I don't know or understand what you are talking about." (Mk) before them all (Mt). Mt 26:70; Mk 14:68; Lk 22:57; John 18:17

4. Second round of accusations: Then Peter went to the gateway (Mt), and another girl [allu] said to the crowd "This fellow was with Jesus of Nazareth." (Mt). Peter was accused "You also are one of them." (Lk) The maid (Mk) seeing Peter again, said to the crowd "This fellow is one of them." (Mk) Peter was asked, "you are not one his disciples, are you?"(Jn) Mt 26:71; Mk 14:69; Lk 22:58a; Jn 18:25a

5. Second denial: Peter with an oath said "I am not" (Jn), "Man [anthrope], I am not!" (Lk) "I don't know the man" (Mt), and denied Jesus a second time. Mt 26:72; Mk 14:70a; Lk 22:58b; Jn 18:25b

6a. Third round of accusations: About an hour later (Lk) those standing by [a small crowd?] said Peter was one of them and mentioned his Galilean accent. Mt 26:73; Mk 14:70b; Lk 22:59

6b Either before or after 6a, one of the high priest's servants, a relative of the man whose ear Peter had cut off, challenged Peter that he had seen Peter in the olive grove. Jn 18:26

7. Third denial: Peter cursed, said "I don't know what you are talking about!" (Lk) "I don't know the man" (Mt) or "I don't know this man you are talking about." (Mk, Jn), and denied Jesus a third time. Immediately, when they were still in the house, the cock crowed. Jesus looked at Peter (Mt 26:74-75; Mk 14:71-72; Lk 22:60-62; Jn 18:27).

What is not the answer:

Different order is not the answer, because the gospel accounts use words like "late", "after", and "about an hour later".

More than three denials is remotely possible, as one person suggested, but there is no compelling reason why Jesus said Peter would deny three times and it was more than three times.

The answer: (Crowds are not silent)

After Peter's first denial, a little later a second girl spoke to the crowd about Peter. The courtyard was inside a house, and probably not that large. Would you expect the first girl to remain silent? – almost certainly not. She would repeat what she told Peter. Would you expect the crowd to keep silent to this serious charge? – very unlikely. A man did not accuse Peter, but asked him if he was with Jesus. That is why though the women accused Peter, he answered the man.

Likewise on the third denial, would you expect someone to speak to the crowd, and no one in the crowd to say anything? Besides these two things said, there were probably more things said too.

Q: In Mk 14:1, how the woman (Mary Magdalene) anoint Jesus two days before the feast of the Passover, since this happened six days before the Passover meal?

A: The words "the feast of" in the King James Translation are not in the original Greek, nor in more modern translations.

Q: In Mk 15:25, was Jesus crucified on the third hour, or was his trial at the sixth hour as Jn 19:14 says?

A: First a fact not a part of the answer, and then the answer.

Fact not a part of the answer: As Eusebius and others pointed out, the Greek way of writing three and six differed by only one stroke, so it might have been a scribal error. This is not the answer because the next part shows why the two times should be different.

The answer:

Mark used the Jewish day which began at 6:00 am., so Jesus was crucified about 9:00 a.m. John, writing primarily to Gentile readers, used the Roman day in John 1:39; 4:6; 19:14), which started at midnight, so the trial started about 6:00 a.m. See Encyclopedia of Bible Difficulties p.363-364 and When Critics Ask p.376 for more info. Bible Difficulties and Seeming Contradictions p.197-198 mentions two other answers as possibilities, but also agrees that this explanation is superior.

As a historical note, the Romans and Greeks started the day at midnight. The famous astronomer Claudius Ptolemy (2nd century A.D.) started each half day at midnight and high noon, and this is apparently how we got A.M. and P.M. according to The Expositor's Bible Commentary vol.2 p.619.

Q: In Mt 26:14-16; Mk 14:43-45; Lk 22:1-6; and Jn 18:2 Ehrman thinks that Judas telling the Jews where Jesus was not too significant; rather Judas told the Jews that Jesus considered himself king of the Jews, and they could use that to get the Romans to execute him. He admits this "is a more unusual interpretation." [what about the triumphal entry?] (Jesus, Interrupted p.170-171)

A: He is the only person I have heard of who has this novel interpretation. Ehrman is saying the Jewish leaders could have followed Jesus and snatched him up, but they did not have a strong enough charge for the Romans to convict him. So Ehrman is basically saying that is was important for the Jewish leaders to: a) prove that He claimed to be a king, and b) be able to snatch Jesus when the crowds could not protect him. And how would Judas claiming that Jesus said this alone be a credible witness?

What about the palm branches and the triumphal entry? That would already give them cause for a charge they could make. As for following Jesus when he disappeared every night among his followers they would need a spy, someone to mingle in among the followers and report back to them. The Jewish leaders had a spy: Judas.

Q: In Mt 26:26-29, Mk 14:17-26, Lk 22:15-38, Jn 13:3-29, and 1 Cor 11:24-25, what exactly did Jesus say during the Last Supper?

A: No account claims to be a verbatim description.

Here is what we can see

Before the Supper

Jesus washed His disciples' feet and spoke of servanthood (John 13:3-20).

First statement

"I have eagerly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer; for I tell you, I will not eat it until it is fulfilled in the kingdom of God." (Luke 22:15-16) This might also have been said right before or after the fifth statement.

Second statement

"Truly I tell you, one of you will betray me (Matthew 26:21).

"Truly I tell you, one of you will betray me, one who is eating with me." (Mark 14:18b)

"Very truly, I tell you, one of you will betray me." (John 13:21b)

Third statement

"The one who has dipped his hand into the bowl with me will betray me..." (Matthew 26:23-24)

"It is one of the twelve, one who is dipping bread into the bowl with me. For the Son of Man goes as it is written of him, but woe to that one by whom the Son of Man is betrayed! It would have been better for that one not to have been born." (Mark 14:20b-21)

Jesus answered, "It is the one to whom I give this piece of bread when I have dipped it in the dish." (John 13:26a)

Fourth statement

"You have said so." (Matthew 26:25)

Fifth statement

"Do quickly what you are going to do." (John 13:27f)

Sixth statement

"Take this and divide it among yourselves; for I tell you that from now on I will not drink of the fruit of the vine until the kingdom of God comes." (Luke 22:17b-18)

Seventh statement

"Take, eat; this is my body." (Matthew 26:26)

"Take, this is my body" (Mark 14:22).

"This is my body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me." (Luke 22:19b)

"This is my body that is for you. Do this in remembrance of me." (1Corinthians 11:24)

A prayer

Gave thanks for the cup (Matthew 26:27)

Eighth statement

"Drink from it, all of you; for this is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins. I tell you, I will never again drink of this fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father's kingdom." (Matthew 26:27b-29)

"This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many. Truly I tell you, I will never again drink of the fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new in the kingdom of God." (Mark 14:24b-25)

"This cup that is poured out for you is the new covenant in my blood. But see, the one who betrays me is with me, and his hand is on the table. For the Son of Man is going as it has been determined, but woe to that one by whom he is betrayed!" (Luke 22:20b-22)

"This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me." (1 Corinthians 11:25b)

Dispute over who was the greatest (Luke 22:25-31)

Telling Peter the cock will crow when Peter denies three times (Luke 22:34)

Discussion of the purse and the swords (Luke 22:35-38)

Singing a hymn (Matthew 26:30; Mark 14:26)

The Scriptures are quoted from the NRSV.

Q: In Mt 26:26-28; Mk 14:22-24; Lk 22:19-21; 1 Cor 11:23-26, a skeptic proposed that the Last Supper as described in the Bible was completely fabricated, because the Jews detested the idea of partaking "body and blood", so not only would Jesus have known this, but His disciples and other Jews would have been outraged at this institution and rejected His teaching. Is there anything behind this claim?

A: No, I have never heard the claim that the Last Supper was fabricated. However, let's look at this.

If all Jews would have been repulsed, then what about Paul the former Pharisee? First he was not repulsed as a Christian, and he still taught this to others, including Jews.

At the Passover, the lamb's blood was put on the doorpost, so the Jews were well acquainted with blood sacrifice and the sacrifice of lambs.

John the Baptist did call Jesus the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world in John 1:29.

This sounds like an innovative 20th century charge with no historical context. They should first find in the Talmud, later Jewish writings, early and later Christian writings, Roman writings, or somewhere, at least some evidence that the Jews rejected this, Christians did not practice this, etc. A person could make the claim that Jesus really came from New Zealand, but without any presenting any actual evidence would people believe that too?

Anyway, here is evidence apart from the Bible that the last supper was indeed practiced. Thousands of early Christians died for their faith. They were charged with being atheists (because they did not believe in the gods of the Romans), and being cannibals (a distortion because they ate and drank Christ's body and blood during the Lord's Supper). Now why would they be falsely charged with being cannibals if they did not partake of the Lord's Supper?

Ignatius, disciple of the apostle John who died before 116 A.D., mentions the Lord's Supper in his Letter to the Romans chapter 7 p.77. "I desire the bread of God, the heavenly bread, the bread of life, which is the flesh of Jesus Christ, the Son of God, who became afterwards of the seed of David and Abraham; and I desire the drink of God, namely His blood, which is incorruptible love and eternal life."

"Take ye heed, then, to have but one Eucharist. For there is one flesh of our Lord Jesus Christ and one cup to [show forth] the unity of His blood;" Ignatius' Letter to the Philadelphians chapter 4 p.81.

Justin Martyr in his First Apology (147-151 A.D.) ch.66 p.185 "And this food is called among us Eucharistia [the Eucharist], of which no one is allowed to partake but the man who believes that the things which we teach are true, and who has been washed with the washing that is for the remission of sins, and unto regeneration, and who is so living as Christ has enjoined. For not as common bread and common drink do we receive these; but in like manner as Jesus Christ our Saviour, having been made flesh by the Word of God, had both flesh and blood for our salvation, so likewise have we been taught that the food which is blessed by the prayer of His word, and from which our blood and flesh by transmutation are nourished, is the flesh and blood of that Jesus who was made flesh."

 Irenaeus of Lyons (182-188 A.D.) in his work Against Heresies book 5 chapter 2 p.528 wrote, "But if this [flesh] indeed do not attain salvation, then neither did the Lord redeem us with His blood, nor is the cup of the Eucharist the communion of His blood, nor the bread which we break the communion of His body."

So, either

a) Jesus really did have the Last Supper, or

b) Matthew, Mark, Luke, Paul, Ignatius, Justin Martyr, Irenaeus, and all the other early church writers got it all wrong.

c) They did not write this; through the centuries this has been systematically added to their writings.

To handle objection c), we need to know the dates of the earliest manuscripts that contain the verses in question. Here are the specific verses that during the Last supper that specifically mention Jesus' body and blood.

Matthew 26:26-28

p45 Chester Beatty I (all four gospels and Acts) (100-150 A.D.) (formerly thought to be late 2nd or early 3rd century A.D.) (Mt 20:24-32; 21:13-19; 25:41-26:39

p37 (=Ann Arbor 1570) Mt 26:19-52 (middle 3rd century)

Vaticanus (325-350 A.D.) and Sinaiticus (340-350 A.D.) contain all of Matthew. A photograph of a page of the Gospel of Matthew from the Codex Sinaiticus is in the New International Dictionary of the Bible p.2004.

Alexandrinus [A] (c.450 A.D.) has preserved only Matthew 25:7 to the end.

Mark 14:22-24

Vaticanus [B] (325-350 A.D.), Sinaiticus [Si] (340-350 A.D.), and Alexandrinus [A] (c.450 A.D.) have all of Matthew.

Luke 22:19-21

p75 Bodmer 14/15 Papyrii (most of Luke and John) Contains Luke 3:18-22; 3:33-4:2; 4:34-5:10; 5:37-6:4; 6:10-7:32; 7:35-39,41-43; 7:46-9:2; 9:4-17:15; 17:19-18:18; 22:4-24:53. is typically dated 175-200 A.D., or 175-225 A.D. However, its handwriting is very similar to another document, Papyrus Fuad XIX, which is known to have been written 145-146 A.D.

Vaticanus [B] (325-350 A.D.), Sinaiticus [Si] (340-350 A.D.), and Alexandrinus [A] (c.450 A.D.) contain all of Luke.

1 Corinthians 11:23-26

p46 Chester Beatty II 100-150 A.D. 1 Cor 1:1-9:2; 9:4-14:14; 14:16-15:15; 15:17-16:22

Vaticanus [B] (325-350 A.D.), Sinaiticus [Si] (340-350 A.D.), and Alexandrinus [A] (c.450 A.D.) contain all of 1 Corinthians.

Q: In Mt 26:27b-29, Mk 14:24b-25, Lk 22:20b-22, and 1 Cor 11:25b, did they take the cup after the bread, or before the bread as Lk 22:17b-18 clearly shows?

A: Both. During the Jewish Passover, four cups were taken at various points in the meal. The last cup, after the meal, was where Jesus said "this is the blood of the new covenant..." Even if one did not know Jewish customs, one could still see the answer, since Luke 22 mentions both the cup before the bread and the cup after the bread.

Note that in Matthew Jesus commands all of them to drink the cup. This goes against the prior Roman Catholic practice of the non-priests only getting the bread.

Also, F.L. Godet in his commentary on 1 Corinthians p.63 says that the Lord's Supper is "the link between His two comings; the monument of one, the pledge of another. See the Believer's Bible Commentary p.1789 for more info.

Q: In Lk 22:31,34, did Jesus say Peter would deny Jesus during the Passover, or after they left as Mt 26:34, Mk 14:30, and Jn 13:38 say?

A: This statement would have so amazed Peter, he probably would have figured he had not heard clearly, if Jesus had not repeated it after the Passover. By the way, scripture does not say Jesus had said this only two times, either.

Q: In Mt 26:57-68 and Mk 14:53-65, was Jesus' trial at night, or was it in the morning as Lk 21:54-71 and Mt 27:1,2,11-26 say?

A: Both, because there was a trial before the Jewish Sanhedrin and the trial before Pilate.

The trial before the Jewish Sanhedrin in Matthew 26:57-68 and Mark 14:53-65 was started in the middle of the night and ended at daybreak. By the way, it was against Jewish Law to hold a trial at night.

Luke does not tell about the trial, except from the perspective of Peter standing outside. Jesus went into the house of the high priest, and then he and the priests came out of the house.

The cock crowed a little before daybreak in Matthew 26:74-75, Mark 14:27, and Luke 22:60-62.

Then daybreak came in Matthew 27:1; Mark 15:1; and Luke 22:66.

Jesus then had the trial before the Roman governor Pontius Pilate in Matthew 27:1-2,11-26; Mark 15:1-5; and Luke 23:1-5. See also the next question.

Q: In Mt 26:57-68 and Mk 14:53-65 and Luke 22:60-62, what was the sequence before the trial of the Sanhedrin?

A: Here is the sequence.

1. They went first to the house of Annas, father-in-law to Caiaphas the high priest right after Jesus was arrested at Gethsemane (Luke 22:54; John 18:12-13).

2. Either in John 18:24 or earlier, Jesus was sent to Caiaphas' house. Matthew 26:56-57 and Mark 14:51-53 skip over the previous detail and just mention going to the house of Caiaphas.

3. Peter denied Jesus once (Matthew 26:60; Mark 14:68; Luke 22:57; John 18:17).

4. A little later Peter denied Jesus a second time (Matthew 26:71; Mark 14:69; Luke 22:58; John 18:25).

5. About an hour later Peter denied Jesus a third time. They were still in the house when the cock crowed (Matthew 26:74; Mark 14:71-72; Luke 22:59-62; John 18:27).

6. At daybreak, the Jewish council asked Jesus (or asked Him again) "If you are the Christ, tell us." And they reached a decision (Matthew 27:1; Mark 15:1; Luke 22:66-71).

7. By now it was early morning, and Jesus, accompanied by the priests left the house of Caiaphas and went to Jesus' trial before the Roman governor Pilate (Matthew 27:2; Mark 15:1; Luke 23:1; John 18:28-38).

8. Pilate sent Jesus to Herod in Luke 23:7-11a.

9. Herod sent Jesus back to Pilate in Luke 23:11b-12.

10. The night before Pilate's wife had a dream about having nothing to do with condemning Jesus. Matthew 27:19

11. Pilate asked them if they wanted Barabbas or Jesus freed (Matthew 27:15-27; Luke 23:18-25; John 18:39-40).

Q: In Mt 27:34 and Mk 15:23, did others offer Jesus drink and he refused, or did Jesus say "I am thirsty" and accept drink as Jn 19:28-29 implies?

A: People being crucified would get extremely thirsty, and Jesus apparently was no exception here, saying that He was thirsty. They offered him a sponge soaked with vinegar. The drink would contain gall, which would dull the pain. Jesus initially accepted the sponge and tasted the drink, but then refused any more. Jesus did not want to use a painkiller when He suffered for our sins.

Q: In Mt 27:38, Mk 15:32, and Lk 23:39 did the thieves revile Jesus, or did one thief repent and turn to Jesus in Lk 23:39?

A: Both thieves reviled Jesus initially. However, the thief on Jesus' right later had a change of heart, and believed in Jesus. Jesus told him that today he would be with Jesus in Paradise. See Bible Difficulties & Seeming Contradictions p.187-188 for more info.

Q: In Mt 27:44 and Mk 15:31-32 exactly when did the robbers revile Jesus?

A: Scripture does not say exactly. Matthew and Mark each mention three groups of people that reviled Jesus: passers-by, priests, and the robbers. However, these verses neither specify the order if they only said this once, or how many times. In general, it is not common for someone to say just one ugly sentence and stop there.

Today Christians can be ridiculed for their faith by criminals, complete strangers, and even false religious leaders.

Q: In Lk 21:7, did Jesus teach on the last times at the Temple, or on the Mount of Olives as Mt 24:3-44; Mk 13:3-37 show?

A: Jesus taught this on the Mount of Olives, and possibly as they were traveling there. Luke 21 never says that Jesus was at the Temple when He taught this.

Q: In Mt 27:32, Mk 15:21, and Lk 23:26, did Simon of Cyrene carry Jesus' cross, or did Jesus as Jn 19:17 shows?

A: Both. It was generally the custom for the condemned man to carry his own cross as Jn 19:17 says. However, Jesus was so weak, after the whippings, and beatings, that he could not carry his cross all the way. Thus the Romans made a passer-by, Simon of Cyrene, carry it the rest of the way. See Today's Handbook for Solving Bible Difficulties p.408-411 for more info, and the rationale of why John chose to be silent about Simon of Cyrene.

Q: In Mt 27:48; Mk 15:23; Lk 23:36; and Jn 19:29 what exactly was Jesus given to drink on the cross?

A: Matthew 27:48 says "sour wine / wine vinegar" Mark 15:23 says "wine mingled with myrrh", and Luke 23:36 says "wine vinegar" and John 19:29 says "wine vinegar". However "gall / vinegar" is not a substance but a description of something bitter, and myrrh was bitter. See Bible Difficulties & Seeming Contradictions p.185 for more info.

Q: In Mt 27:37, Mk 15:26, Lk 23:38, and Jn 19:19, exactly what was written in the sign above Jesus' head?

A: First five facts that relate to the answer, and then two answers.

1. First of all there was not one message, but three messages, as John 19:20 says the sign was written in Aramaic, Latin, and Greek.

2. Here is what the Gospel writers record.

Matthew 27:37 says "This is Jesus, the king of the Jews.

Mark 15:26 The king of the Jews.

Luke 23:38. This is the king of the Jews.

John 19:19 "Jesus of Nazareth, the King of the Jews"

3. Ancient writers often paraphrased their words. What we have here is accurate, but not precise. So for example, if one writer said "This is Jesus, the king of the Jews" and another said "the king of the Jews", both could be recording the same statement. The first writer simply recorded more of the statement than the second one.

4. Papias, a disciple of John the Apostle, records that Matthew was originally written in the language of the Hebrews (Aramaic?) and then translated into Greek. The other writers wrote in Greek. Thus there is a translation between the sayings and what the Gospel writers wrote.

5. Regardless of the differences of the three signs, Mark seems to simply record what is common among all of them.

First Answer: The three messages in three different languages are recorded in Matthew, Luke, and John. Mark records what is common between them. See The Bible Knowledge Commentary : New Testament p.188 for more info. The Encyclopedia of Bible Difficulties p.345-346 adds that Pilate probably did not know Aramaic so it would be written in Latin, and translated into Greek and Aramaic so that everyone could read it.

Second Answer: Since the Gospel writers record translated words, and some things like "This is" vs. "The" are often merged in a translation, we are certain of the message of the signs, but we are not sure of the exact words. However, it is the message that is important here, not the exact words.

See Bible Difficulties & Seeming Contradictions p.185-187 for more info.

Q: What exactly were the seven things Christ spoke on the cross, in order?

A: While the order given in the gospel is not necessarily the order in which they were said, it is simplest to assume that they were in chronological order, which is:

1. Father forgive them; for they know not what they do. Luke 23:34a

2. Woman here is your son; son here is your mother. John 19:25-27

3. Truly I say unto you, today you will be with me in paradise. Luke 23:43b

4. My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Matthew 27:46; Mark 15:34

5. I am thirsty. Matthew 27:48; John 19:28-29

6. It is finished. John 19:30

7. Right before dying Jesus said, "Father, into your hands I commit my spirit." Luke 23:46a

Of course, Jesus could have said other words, too.

Q: In the Gospels, did Jesus really die on the cross, or did God miraculously and undetectably substitute someone else as the Muslim Qur'an claims?

A: The different views of Christians and Muslims are a fundamental difference between their two religions.

Christians say it was really Jesus because all Christian and well as non-Christian accounts say it was Jesus. The Allah of Muslims is different from the God of the Bible, and Allah has fooled and deceived all his people into thinking Allah substituted another.

Muslims say Allah is the same as the God of the Bible. Allah's switching Jesus would not be detectable by anyone, and thus there would be no historical evidence of the switch.

Both can agree on two things: 1) It at least appeared that Jesus died on the cross. 2) At some point in time, the god of Islam, totally fooled and deliberately deceived Allah's own people.

Q: In the Gospels, what extra-Biblical evidence is there of "darkness was over the land" during Jesus' crucifixion?

A: It is not reasonable to expect that every culture would record a darkness. For example, it is computed that a solar eclipse darkened Egypt on December 12, 504 B.C., yet there are no historical records, among the highly civilized Egyptians, or anyone else, about this. See http://www.informationblast.com/500s_BC.html for more info. This was during the Passover (i.e. a full moon), so it could not be a normal solar eclipse; this was an unusual darkness.

Nevertheless, the non-Christian Palestinian historian Thales (also spelled Thallus), wrote in 52 A.D., less than 20 years after the crucifixion. He wrote that darkness accompanied the crucifixion of Jesus.

The Samaritan historian Thallus, not to be confused with the Greek philosopher Thales, was fairly well known.

pseudo-Justin Martyr's Hortatory Address to the Greeks (after 165 A.D.) ch.9 p.277 mentions Thallus, Philo, Josephus, and others.

Theophilus to Autolycus ch.29 p.120 mentions Thallus, as well as the earlier Chaldean historian Berosus on p.121.

The Octavius of Minucius Felix ch.22 p.186 mentions the historian Thallus.

Tertullian's Apology ch.19 p.33 mentions Thallus and Josephus.

Julius Africanus fragment 18 p.136.

Phlegon was a Carian Greek writer who wrote soon after 137 A.D.. He wrote that in the fourth year of the 202nd Olympiad [33 A.D.] there was "the greatest eclipse of the sun" and that "it became night in the sixth hour of the day [12:00 noon] so that stars even appeared in the heavens. There was a great earthquake in Bithynia, and many things were overturned in Nicea." (The Case for Christ p.111.) Origen (225-254 A.D.) also mentions Phlegon writing about the darkness in the 13th or 14th book of the writer Phlegon. Origen Against Celsus book 2 ch.14 p.437, book 2 ch.33 p.445; book 2 ch.59 p.455.

Tatian's Diatessaron (c.172 A.D.) section 51 p.123 says there as darkness when Jesus was crucified from the 6th to the 9th hour. Tatian's Diatessaron section 52 p.123 says there was an earthquake when Jesus died.

Melito of Sardis (170-177 A.D.) says that the earth shook, the sun fled away, and the day was changed, for they could not endure their Lord hanging on a tree. From the Discourse on the Soul and the Body ch.2 Ante-Nicene Fathers vol.8 p.756

Irenaeus in Against Heresies (182-188 A.D.) book 4 ch.34 p.512 says, "And the points connected with the passion of the Lord, which were foretold, were realized in no other case. For neither did it happen at the death of any man among the ancients that the sun set at mid-day, nor was the veil of the temple rent, nor did the earth quake, nor were the rocks rent, not did the dead rise up, nor was any one of these men [of old] raised up on the third day, nor received into heaven... Therefore the prophets spake not of any one else but of the Lord, in whom all these aforesaid tokens concurred."

Tertullian (c.200 A.D.) in On Fasting ch.10 vol.4 p.109 also mentions the darkness accompanying Jesus' crucifixion. He also mentions it in An Answer to the Jews ch.12 p.170.

Hippolytus was bishop of Portus (222-235/6 A.D.). He mentions that for Jesus' sake "the sun is darkened, the day has no light, the rocks are shattered, the veil is rent, the foundations of the earth are shaken, the graves are opened, and the dead are raised." Against the Heresy of One Noetus ch.17 p.230

The Ebionite Recognitions of Clement (c.211-250 A.D.) book 1 ch.42 p.88 says that Jesus suffered for us, the sun went dark, and the mountains torn asunder when he went to the cross. He rose again.

Origen (writing 225-254 A.D.) mentions the darkness over the land, and the tombs split open in Against Celsus book 2 chapter 33 p.445.

Cyprian of Carthage (c.246-258 A.D.) "Word of God is led silently to the slaughter. And when at the cross of the Lord the stars are confounded, the elements are disturbed, the earth quakes, night shuts out the day, the sun,..." Treatises of Cyprian Treatise 9 ch.7 p.486

Dionysius of Alexandria (246-265 A.D.) mentions the earthquake in Matthew. Letter to the Bishop Basilides canon 1 p.94.

Arnobius (297-303 A.D.) in Against the Heathen book 1 ch.53 p.428 mentions the darkness during Jesus' death.

Athanasius (318 A.D.) (Implied) says the sun was darkened and the earth shaken when the Savior died. The Incarnation of the Word ch.49.4 p.63

Lactantius (260-325 A.D.) earthquake the same hour that Jesus died and the sun suddenly withdrew its light and there was darkness from the sixth to ninth hours. The Divine Institutes book 4 ch.19 p.122

Alexander of Alexandria (313-326 A.D.) mentions how the tombs burst open, the earth was rocking and the lights were afraid and the sun and moon disappeared, the stars withdrew their shining when Jesus was suffering on the cross. Epistles on the Arian Heresy Epistle 5.6 p.301

After Nicea (325 A.D.)

Hilary of Poitiers (355-367/368 A.D.) (partial) "Creation is set free by the mediation of this Sin-offering; the very rocks lose their solidity and strength." On the Trinity book 3 ch.11 p.65

Athanasius (c.371 A.D.) says "the sun withdrew his beams and the earth trembled and the rocks were rent,..." Personal Letter 61 (To Maximus) ch.2 p.578

Athanasius (356-360 A.D.) mentions that the veil was rent, the sun was hidden, the rocks torn asunder, and the dead in graves rose. Four Discourses Against the Arians Discourse 3 ch.29 p.424

Ephraim the Syrian (350-378 A.D.) says there was darkness and earthquake when Jesus' died. Nativity Hymns hymn 3 p.273

Cyril of Jerusalem (c.349-386 A.D.) mentioned that the sun ran backward in Hezekiah's time, and the sun was eclipsed for Christ. (First Catechetical Lecture 2 Nicene & Post-Nicene Fathers p.12)

Cyril of Jerusalem (c.349-386 A.D.) says the sun grew dark during the crucifixion. First Catechetical Lecture 4 ch.10 Nicene & Post-Nicene Fathers p.21 and the rocks were asunder. Lecture 4 ch.11 p.22

Gregory Nanzianzen (330-391) in discussing Jesus' crucifixion says "He wrapped the visible world in darkness" and "...for the mysterious doors of Heaven are opened; the rocks are cleft, the dead arise. He dies, but He gives life, and by His death destroys death." On the Son - Third Theological Oration ch.20 p.309

Theodore of Mopsuestia (392-423/429 A.D.) Says the sun and moon were actually darkened in Christ's time. He also mentions "the saving blood of Christ the Lord" Commentary on Joel ch.2 p.119

Augustine of Hippo (388-430 A.D.) mentions the darkness that occurred when Jesus was crucified. City of God book 3 ch.15 p.51

Q: In Lk 23:45-46 the skeptic Bart Ehrman says that the Temple veil ripped while Jesus is alive, but it rips after He died in Mark. (Jesus, Interrupted p.68) Then he asks if the torn veil represents God rejecting the Jewish system of worship, or does it symbolize Jesus atoning for us. (also in Jesus, Interrupted p.52)

A: Two points to consider in the answer. 1) Of course the ripped veil can represent more than one thing, especially when the two things are closely related. It does not actually symbolize that God rejected the Jewish system of worship though; rather that the now that Jesus atoned for sins, the Jewish system of worship was over. (Indeed the temple would be destroyed within 40 years.)

2) Luke does not specify the moment the veil ripped in two. Luke 23:44-46 says there was darkness from the 6th to 9th hour, and the veil of the temple was torn in two, and Jesus cried out before dying. It does not specify the order.

Q: In Lk, the skeptic Bart Ehrman says in Jesus, Interrupted p.46-47, "The death of Jesus important to both Mark and Luke. But for Mark, his death is an atonement; for Luke it is the reason people realized they are sinful and need to turn to God for forgiveness. They reason for Jesus' death, then, is quite different, depending on which author you read." (also in Jesus, Interrupted p.94)

A: Ehrman is trying to make up a difference of belief between Mark and Luke when there is none. Even Ehrman would recognize that Luke and Acts were by the same author. Probably one of the clearest statements of the atonement made by Luke is in Acts 5:30-31: "The God of our fathers raised Jesus from the dead – whom you had killed by hanging him on a tree. God exalted him to his own right hand as Prince and Savior that he might give repentance and forgiveness of sins to Israel." (underline added to show where Ehrman is wrong.)

Q: In Mt 27:54 and Mk 15:39, did the centurion say, "this was the/a son of God", or "this was a righteous man" as Lk 23:47 says?

A: Both. The centurion was not restricted to uttering only one sentence. The gospels frequently did not quote verbatim, and they did not include every word, so the centurion likely said additional things too.

Most people would agree that during the entire time from when Jesus died to when they wanted to make sure he was dead, to taking His body down from the cross, the centurion had plenty of time to say more than one sentence. It would be quite odd if the centurion was totally silent except for one sentence.

See Encyclopedia of Bible Difficulties p.346-347 for more info.

Q: What is a harmony of the Gospels after the Resurrection?

A: First of all I should acknowledge that I merely "re-invented the wheel" here. Way back in 246-265 A.D., Dionysius, bishop of Alexandria, showed that the gospel writers did not "disagree or contradict each other" and gave a good and rather complete harmony of the gospels after the resurrection in his Letter 5 - to Bishop Basilides canon 1 Ante-Nicene Fathers vol.6 p.94-95. Anyway, here is a harmony of these 29 events, and it agrees with his.

Numbers refers to events that must have in order, and letters such as a,b,c refer to events that could happen in any order. The bold words indicate markers of time, order, and location. The underlined verses show where passages that are not in chronological order.

After Jesus Rose from the Dead: Mt 28, Mk 16, Lk 24, Jn 20-21

R1a. When the Sabbath was over, Mary Magdalene, the other Mary [the mother of James], Salome, and the women start to travel to the tomb. Mt 28:1b; Mk 16:1-3; Lk 24:1; Jn 20:1

R2a. There was an earthquake as the angel hurled away the stone. The guards became like dead men. Mt 28:2-4

R2b. The angel hurled away the stone. Mk 16:4; Lk 24:2

R1b. No body found, and two "men" speak to the women. Lk 24:3-8; Jn 20:2

R3. The morning that Jesus rose, an angel appears to the women and tells them to tell the disciples to go to Galilee. Mt 28:5-7; Mk 16:5-8

R4a. While the women were hurrying back, Jesus also appears to the women and tells them to tell the disciples to go to Galilee. Mt 28:8-10

R4b1. When the women returned from the tomb, the disciples do not believe the women. Lk 24:9-11

R4b2. Peter and John run to the tomb; John gets there first. Lk 24:12; Jn 20:3-9

R4b3. Then the disciples return to their homes [in Jerusalem]. Jn 20:10

R4c. The guards tell the priests; the priests then bribe them. Mt 28:11-15

R4d. As Mary wept, two men, and then Jesus, appear to Mary Magdalene. Mk 16:9-11; Jn 20:11-18

R5. The same day on the road to Emmaus, Jesus appears to two disciples (not of the eleven disciples). He stays with them until evening. Mk 16:12; Lk 24:13-29

R6. Immediately the two disciples rushed back to Jerusalem (7 miles away) and tell the 11 disciples. Mk 16:13; Lk 24:33-35

R7. In Jerusalem, the evening of the same day that Jesus rose, while the two are talking to the disciples, Jesus appears, the first time, to ten disciples. Jn 20:19-23

R8. Other disciples tell Thomas they have seen Jesus. Jn 20:25

R9. Eight days later, Jesus appears, 2nd time, to the eleven disciples including Thomas. Mk 16:14; Jn 20:19,26-31

R10. Jesus appears to them (3rd time), by the Sea of Tiberias [Galilee]. They catch 153 fish. Mt 28:19-20; Jn 21:1-14

R11a. Three times, Jesus asks Peter if Peter loves Him. Jn 21:15-23

R11b1. Jesus appears to more than 500 followers. 1 Cor 15:6

R11b2. Jesus appears to James his brother. 1 Cor 15:6

R12. In Galilee Jesus appears to the disciples and gives great commission. Mt 28:16-20; Mk 16:15-18

R13. They return to Jerusalem, either staying there or at Bethany, a suburb.

R14. While they are eating, Jesus commands them to remain in Jerusalem until they received power from on high (Lk 24:49; Acts 1:4). They obey this command. Lk 24:52

R15. Jesus leads them to Bethany, a suburb of Jerusalem on slope of the Mount of Olives. Lk 24:50

R16. Forty days after the resurrection (Acts 1:3), Jesus ascends to Heaven in the clouds. Mk 16:19; Lk 24:50-51; Acts 1:9-11

R17a1. Returning to Jerusalem, the apostles remain in the temple. Lk 24:52-53

R17b. The 11 apostles choose Matthias to replace Judas. Acts 1:15-26

R18. In Jerusalem on Pentecost (50 days after the Passover), the apostles are filled with the Holy Spirit. Acts 2

R19. After this, the apostles travel freely. Mk 16:20

Q: In Mt 28:1, Mk 16:2, Lk 24:1, was Mary at the tomb just after sunrise, or did she travel to the tomb while it was still dark as Jn 20:1 says?

A: Both at true. John 20:1 says the walked to the tomb while it was still dark, but Mk 16:2 shows they arrived at the tomb when the sun had risen. If they had stayed in Bethany, and the tomb was just outside of Jerusalem, it would have taken some time to travel from Jerusalem's suburb to Jerusalem. See When Critics Ask p.377 for more info.

Q: In Mt 28:1; Mk 16:1-2, Lk 24:1, Jn 20:1 why did the women go to the tomb, since there was a Roman seal over it in Mt 37:62-66?

A: There are two possible answers, but the second is more likely.

The women thought they would be permitted: It was not a normal custom to put a seal and a guard of Roman soldiers over a tomb. The chief priests and Pharisees specially asked Pilate for those "for the tomb to be made secure until the third day" in Matthew 27:64. The authorities did not want to forbid burial customs, only make sure somebody did not steal the body, so the woman could be expected to be allowed to do this.

The women did not know about the seal and the guard: Guarding the tomb of a criminal and putting a Roman seal and a guard of Roman soldiers around it was highly unusual. Luke 23:55-56 said the women followed Joseph to see where Jesus' body was laid, and then the left to go home to prepare spices and perfumes. In other words, they did not hang around watching the tomb. The request for the seal and guard was not until the next day according to Mathew 27:62. So the women were likely unaware of any seal and guard.

Q: In Mt 28:1; Mk 16:1-2, Lk 24:1, Jn 20:1 why did the women go to the tomb to wrap the body, Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus already wrapped the body in Jn 19:39?

A: Jesus died around 3:00 pm, and there would be some time delay between Joseph of Arimathea asking for the body, Pilate checking that Jesus was in fact dead, and them taking the body down and then carrying it to the tomb. They would not have had sufficient time before dark for a proper burial (think Egyptian mummy-like) before dark. So Joseph and Nicodemus in John 19:38-39 did the first part, including some spices, to keep the body for decomposing for a few days, and then they would return and wrap him properly, i.e. wrap strips of cloth around his arms, legs, torso, and head in the daylight on Sunday. It might seem sort of a gruesome task, but it was a common custom of the time.

In addition, while we do not know so much about Jewish burial practices of that time, but in Egyptian burial practices, some of the preparation of the body did not take place until a few days after anyway.

Q: In Mk 16:1-8, Mt 28:1-8, Lk 24:1-11, Jn 20:1-12, what is the significance of the women seeing the empty tomb?

A: Four points to consider in the answer.

a) While Jews did not embalm their dead, they did uses spices when they buried them. This was NOT at all a testimony of the women believing Jesus would rise from the dead. Rather, it was the women livingly coming to do their duty with a mixture of love and disappointment. Would you still serve God faithfully if you encountered disappointment?

b) In Greek and Latin culture women were thought less than men. If someone wanted to change the story to appeal more to the readers, they might had just omitted hits part, or else said the men saw the tomb first instead of the women. This indicates that they simply recorded what happened.

c) Similarly in Jewish culture women were though important, except that their testimony was considered worthless according to the Jewish Mishnah Rosh Ha-Shanah 1.8. See the Evangelical Commentary on the Bible p.798 for more info.

d) God could have given the honor of being the first to see Jesus raised to anyone, but He chose to give it to the women. Perhaps this is a sign for all cultures, including our own, that in general we should honor, believe and trust women just as much as men.

See the New International Bible Commentary p.1180 for more info.

Q: In Mk 15:47 did Mary Magdalene and Mary mother of Joses saw where Jesus was laid, or was it the women who had come with Jesus from Galilee" as Lk 23:55 says?

A: Both. On one hand, women from Galilee could mean women who traveled with Jesus from Galilee, not necessary born in Galilee. On the other hand, Magdala was a town in Galilee, on the eastern shore of the Sea of Galilee.

Q: In Mt 28:1 was the tomb closed, or was the stone rolled away as Lk 24:2 says?

A: Luke 24:2 says the stone was rolled away by the time they got there. Matthew 28:2 also mentions that the stone was rolled away, by way of explanation for Matthew 28:1. Nothing says the women were present when the stone was rolled away.

Q: In Mk 16:4, the skeptic Bart Ehrman asks if the stone had already been rolled away, or was it rolled away by an angel [allegedly] when the women were there (Mt 28:2)?

A: In both gospels the stone was rolled away prior to the angel talking with the women. Matthew 28:2 does not say the women were present at the time the stone was rolled away.

Q: In Mt 28:1-8, Mk 16:1-8, Lk 24:1-10, and Jn 20:1-8, what happened when Jesus was resurrected?

A: Jesus was alive inside his physical body again. His physical body still could be touched (John 20:27; Matthew 28:9; Luke 24:39), and eat (Luke 24:41-43). Jesus said His post-resurrection body had flesh and bones in Luke 24:39, and I think you would agree that Jesus would know better than anyone else! However, Jesus' body was a glorified physical body that could pass through walls (John 20:19-20) and disappear (Luke 24:31).

Tertullian (198-220/240 A.D.) Christ died for our sins and rose in his flesh. It is the very foundation of the gospel, our salvation. Five Books Against Marcion book 3 ch.8 p.328

Novatian (250/254-256/7 A.D.) He [Jesus] was raised again in the same bodily substance in which He died, is proved by the wounds of that very body, and thus He shows the laws of our resurrection in His flesh, in that He restored the same body in His resurrection which He had from us." Treatise Concerning the Trinity ch.10 p.620.

Adamantius (c.300 A.D.) discusses what if Jesus only suffered in appearance. "If He suffered in appearance, and not in reality, Herod sat in judgment only in appearance; in appearance Pilate washed his hands of Him, and in appearance Judas betrayed Him. Caiaphas likewise delivered Him up in appearance; the Jews seized Him in appearance, and the apostles.... Even His blood was poured out in appearance; the Evangelists preached the Gospel in appearance; Christ came from Heaven in appearance, and He ascended in appearance. The salvation of mankind was also in appearance, and not in truth. Why then does Christ say, ‘I am the truth?'" Dialogue on the True Faith fifth part ch.851a p.149

See Hard Sayings of the Bible p.506-508 and When Critics Ask p.395-396 for more info.

Q: In Jn 20:1, did Mary Magdalene come to the tomb alone, or Mary Magdalene and the other Mary (Matt. 28:1), or Magdalene, Mary, the mother of James, and Salome in Mark 16:1, or Magdalene, Joanna, Mary, the mother of James, and other women in Luke 24:10?

A: Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Mary mother of James, and the other women all came. John 20:1 does NOT say Mary came alone. If a number of women came it is still accurate, though not as precise, to mention one, two or three of them. If some came earlier and some right afterward, it is still accurate for one account to say that some came, and another account to mention the entire group.

Q: In Mt 28:2-5 and Mk 16:5, was there only one angel, or were there two angels as Lk 24:4 and Jn 20:12?

A: If there were two or more angels, then it is also correct that there was one angel. This is one of many examples where the Gospel accounts are accurate, but not precise.

Q: In Mt 28:8 did the women tell the disciples, or did they tell no one as Mk 16:8 says? (Jesus, Interrupted p.48)

A: Mark obviously did not mean the women did not tell anyone the rest of their lives. Certainly they did not tell anyone they saw as they were fleeing from the tomb. If you read all of Matthew 28:8-10, the women ran without telling anyone yet, and then Jesus met them. Jesus said to tell my brothers (i.e. the disciples). If one wants to be picky, strictly speaking Matthew 28 does not actually say the women obeyed and told anyone. However, the actions of the disciples strongly imply that the women told the disciples.

Q: In Mt 28:9 did Mary Magdalene know Jesus when he first appeared to her, or did she not as John 20:14 says?

A: Matthew 28:9 does not say how soon Mary recognized Jesus; it simply tells that they temporarily did recognize Jesus. In John 20:14 Mary did not know it was Jesus at first. But John 20:15-17 also shows that then she DID recognize Jesus.

Q: In Jn 20:29 are those who believe without seeing blessed, or are those who see blessed in Lk 10:23?

A: Jesus is saying two different things in different contexts, and both are blessed, but in different ways.

In John 20:29 Jesus did NOT say those who personally saw a resurrection appearance were not blessed. Rather, Jesus told doubting Thomas, "Because you have seen me [now], you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed." (NIV) Thomas was making Jesus' resurrection appearance the ground of his faith. Jesus was saying that those are more blessed (highly commended) who, while having the miracles support their faith, do not make miracles the ground of their faith, as Thomas did.

In Luke 10:23 Jesus is telling the disciples (including Thomas) that they were blessed (shown to be highly favored) to see firsthand the things they saw.

What is the ground for your faith in Christ? If it is just miracles, what if Satan perpetrated a counterfeit miracle? If it is just apologetics, what if you encounter a non-Christian who is a better debater? If it is just having an answer to every Bible objection, what if someone comes up with a new Bible objection that you do not have an answer for? The ground of our faith should be our relationship with Christ; these others things are all good to support our faith, but they should not be the ground for our faith.

See When Critics Ask p.391 for more info.

Q: In Lk 24:49, were the disciples to stay in Jerusalem, or did they go to Galilee in Mt 28:10,16?

A: First they were told to go to Galilee, which they did after an eight-day delay. Then they returned to Jerusalem, and Jesus told them to remain there until they received the power from on high. Here is the order of events for the 40 days that Jesus was on this earth, after His resurrection and prior to his ascension.

R2. Go to Galilee, is what an angel told them the morning that Jesus rose (Mark 16:7). Jesus also appeared to the women and told them to tell the disciples to go to Galilee (Matthew 28:9-10).

R7. In Jerusalem, the evening of the same day that Jesus rose, while the two were talking to the eleven, Jesus appeared to ten disciples (John 20:19-23).

R9. Eight days later, Jesus appeared again to all the disciples, including Thomas (John 20:19,24-29).

R10. They went to Galilee, by the Sea of Tiberias [Galilee] (Matthew 28:19-20; John 21:1-24).

R14. They returned to Jerusalem, either staying there or at Bethany, a suburb. (implied)

R15. While they were eating, Jesus commanded them to remain in Jerusalem until they received power from on high (Luke 24:49; Acts 1:4). They obeyed this command (Luke 24:52).

R16. Jesus led them to Bethany, a suburb of Jerusalem on slope of the Mount of Olives (Luke 24:50).

R17. Forty days after the Resurrection (Acts 1:3), Jesus ascended to Heaven in the clouds (Mark 16:19; Luke 24:50-51; Acts 1:9-11).

R19. They were filled with the power of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost, which was 50 days after Passover (Acts 2).

R20. After that, they went freely between Jerusalem and other cities.

See the question on the harmony after the Resurrection for the comprehensive sequence of events, and When Critics Ask p.400 for more info.