Question of the Week: Are the differences in the number of women at Jesus’ tomb between the gospel accounts contradictions?
Verses: Matthew 28:1, Mark 16:1, Luke 24:10, John 20:1-2

A contradiction is when two statements are made about the same thing that cancel each other out. If the gospel accounts were contradictory on the topic of how many women were at Jesus’ tomb when He rose, then the accounts would read that some women weren’t there that the other gospels say were. Unfortunately for those that raise this objection, that is not the case. Matthew’s account read that Mary Magdalene and another Mary were there. Mark’s account reads that Mary Magdalene, another Mary, and a woman named Salome were there. Luke’s account reads that Mary Magdalene, another Mary, Joanna, and other women were there. And John’s account only mentions Mary, but speaking to the Apostles saying “We don’t know where they have laid Him.” Not a single one of these accounts conflict with the other. The only differences are the people the authors chose to mention since they were all looking at the same event but choosing to mention the names of certain people over others. Not a single one of these accounts explicitly states that Mary was the only one there.

For more excerpts from A Reason For Hope, visit our page HERE.

Listen: Monday – Friday 5-6pm, AM 940 KGMS

Call with your questions:
1(877) 556-1212 (Toll Free)
(520) 790-5663 (Local)

Email your questions:
questionsforhope@gmail.com
Or fill out the form below.

Follow Twitter: @ScottR4H

Follow on CCF Facebook: facebook.com/ccftucson

Watch our Frequently Asked Questions on GodTube or YouTube.

Question of the Week: Why are verses like John 5:4 left out of certain bibles?
Verses: 2 Timothy 3:16-17

The Bible is the inspired, preserved, infallible, and authoritative word of God. This position was not something later Christians came up with, but was upheld since the first words to claim to be from the True and Living God were penned by Moses. These standards include a complete lack of errors in the history or doctrine that they put forward, a consistency with God’s character as He’s revealed Himself throughout history, and the sources themselves to be supported by miracles to know God is acting through them and supporting their ministry. Since the capstone on scripture was placed at Revelation showing us the full counsel of God’s word, any new revelations are to be dismissed out of hand. What about the verses we call into question? John 5:4 is an example of this. It doesn’t contradict anything in the passage, but rather serves to explain why the lame man was so eager to be put into the pool when Jesus asked him if he wanted to be made well. Nor is the information in the passage in any way in conflict with the writings of John about Jesus’ earthly ministry. The only reason it’s called into question is because we do not have examples of it in the earliest manuscripts of John that we have. This absence of evidence has led some to not take any chances and consider it a note left by a scribe rather than John’s original writings. Most do not take this position nor need to. If we were to take everything that is held even slightly in question in scripture and remove it, no major doctrine of Christianity will be affected as a result. We recognize the originals as being inspired and without error. The preservation of that message according to the evidence we have shows that while it may not have been done with a printing press, we’re reading and believing the same thing Christians were believing in the first century.

For more excerpts from A Reason For Hope, visit our page HERE.

Listen: Monday – Friday 5-6pm, AM 940 KGMS

Call with your questions:
1(877) 556-1212 (Toll Free)
(520) 790-5663 (Local)

Email your questions:
questionsforhope@gmail.com
Or fill out the form below.

Follow Twitter: @ScottR4H

Follow on CCF Facebook: facebook.com/ccftucson

Watch our Frequently Asked Questions on GodTube or YouTube.