It is a frequent assertion by critics of the New Testament that these texts about Jesus are not reliable because there are many discrepancies
In my book, “New Testament Apologetics,” chapter 20, I take my Apologetics students through an exercise in examining a specific texts that critics claim is contradictory.
“Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.” (2 Timothy 2:15)
NEW TESTAMENT APOLOGETICS
One of the arguments made by critics of the Bible that is the easiest to refute is the idea that the Bible is filled with discrepancies. After 49 years of scholarly study, writing, teaching, and publishing commentary on the entire Bible, I am certain that there are no contradictions in the Bible.
What does exist are the misguided and often calculated attempts by disingenuous critics to impeach the Bible without knowledge of what is being stated.
The primary target of many atheists today is the idea that, because the Gospels of the New Testament contain different testimonies about Jesus, they are contradictory and therefore unreliable.
I have written extensively on this subject and have demonstrated repeatedly the specific places in the Bible where these alleged contradictions are said to occur. I have impeached every attempt at asserting these contradictions, and have proven the presenters of these false ideas as defective in their presuppositions and conclusions.
In this chapter, I will address one recent assertion that was made to me by a man who claimed to be a PhD and an atheist. This person claims that Jesus is described as arrested on two different days in the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. Let’s examine this text for ourselves and see what we can learn from the narrative.
The Alleged Discrepancy Occur In The Text Described As “Jesus’ Betrayal and Arrest in Gethsemane”
The atheist who presented this argument to me recently said that these four Gospels do not agree with each other and they present Jesus as arrested on two occasions, which cannot possibly be true. First, these texts are about Jesus’ arrest at the Garden of Gethsemane. Second, there cannot possibly be two arrests on two separate days. The atheist is partially correct.
Read the four Gospels for yourself and note the differences between the testimony of each writer:
Matthew 26:47-57
“And while Jesus was still speaking, behold, Judas, one of the twelve, with a great multitude with swords and clubs, came from the chief priests and elders of the people.”
“Now His betrayer had given them a sign, saying, “Whomever I kiss, He is the One; seize Him.”
“Immediately he went up to Jesus and said, “Greetings, Rabbi!” and kissed Him. But Jesus said to him, “Friend, why have you come?” Then they came and laid hands on Jesus and took Him.”
“And suddenly, one of those who were with Jesus stretched out his hand and drew his sword, struck the servant of the high priest, and cut off his ear. But Jesus said to him, “Put your sword in its place, for all who take the sword will perish by the sword. Or do you think that I cannot now pray to My Father, and He will provide Me with more than twelve legions of angels?”
“How then could the Scriptures be fulfilled, that it must happen thus?” In that hour Jesus said to the multitudes, “Have you come out, as against a robber, with swords and clubs to take Me? I sat daily with you, teaching in the temple, and you did not seize Me.”
“But all this was done that the Scriptures of the prophets might be fulfilled.” Then all the disciples forsook Him and fled. And those who had laid hold of Jesus led Him away to Caiaphas the high priest, where the scribes and the elders were assembled.”
Mark 14:43-54
“And immediately, while Jesus was still speaking, Judas, one of the twelve, with a great multitude with swords and clubs, came from the chief priests and the scribes and the elders.”
“Now His betrayer had given them a signal, saying, “Whomever I kiss, He is the One; seize Him and lead Him away safely.”
“As soon as he had come, immediately he went up to Him and said to Him, “Rabbi, Rabbi!” and kissed Him. Then they laid their hands on Him and took Him. And one of those who stood by drew his sword and struck the servant of the high priest, and cut off his ear.”
“Then Jesus answered and said to them, “Have you come out, as against a robber, with swords and clubs to take Me? I was daily with you in the temple teaching, and you did not seize Me. But the Scriptures must be fulfilled.” Then they all forsook Him and fled.”
“Now a certain young man followed Him, having a linen cloth thrown around his naked body. And the young men laid hold of him, and he left the linen cloth and fled from them naked.”
“And they led Jesus away to the high priest; and with him were assembled all the chief priests, the elders, and the scribes. But Peter followed Him at a distance, right into the courtyard of the high priest. And he sat with the servants and warmed himself at the fire.”
Luke 22:47-56
“And while He was still speaking, behold, a multitude; and he who was called Judas, one of the twelve, went before them and drew near to Jesus to kiss Him. But Jesus said to him, “Judas, are you betraying the Son of Man with a kiss?”
“When those around Him saw what was going to happen, they said to Him, “Lord, shall we strike with the sword?” And one of them struck the servant of the high priest and cut off his right ear. But Jesus answered and said, “Permit even this.” And He touched his ear and healed him.”
“Then Jesus said to the chief priests, captains of the temple, and the elders who had come to Him, “Have you come out, as against a robber, with swords and clubs? When I was with you daily in the temple, you did not try to seize Me. But this is your hour, and the power of darkness.”
“Having arrested Him, they led Him and brought Him into the high priest’s house. But Peter followed at a distance.”
John 18:1-11
“When Jesus had spoken these words, He went out with His disciples over the Brook Kidron, where there was a garden, which He and His disciples entered. And Judas, who betrayed Him, also knew the place; for Jesus often met there with His disciples.”
“Then Judas, having received a detachment of troops, and officers from the chief priests and Pharisees, came there with lanterns, torches, and weapons. Jesus therefore, knowing all things that would come upon Him, went forward and said to them, “Whom are you seeking?” They answered Him, “Jesus of Nazareth.”
“Jesus said to them, “I am He.” And Judas, who betrayed Him, also stood with them. Now when He said to them, “I am He,” they drew back and fell to the ground.”
“Then He asked them again, “Whom are you seeking?” And they said, “Jesus of Nazareth.” Jesus answered, “I have told you that I am He. Therefore, if you seek Me, let these go their way,” that the saying might be fulfilled which He spoke, “Of those whom You gave Me I have lost none.”
“Then Simon Peter, having a sword, drew it and struck the high priest’s servant, and cut off his right ear. The servant’s name was Malchus. So Jesus said to Peter, “Put your sword into the sheath. Shall I not drink the cup which My Father has given Me?”
Did you see the differences between the testimonies of these four Gospel narratives?
Did you notice the subtle differences between Matthew and Mark?
Matthew 26:48 “Now His betrayer had given them a sign, saying, “Whomever I kiss, He is the One; seize Him.”
Mark: 14:44 “Now His betrayer had given them a signal, saying, “Whomever I kiss, He is the One; seize Him and lead Him away safely.”
- Matthew 26:49 Immediately he went up to Jesus and said, “Greetings, Rabbi!” and kissed Him.
- Mark 14:45 As soon as he had come, immediately he went up to Him and said to Him, “Rabbi, Rabbi!” and kissed Him.
Do these minor differences change the story in any way or cause the event to be seen as occurring on two different nights?
Did you expect that Matthew and Mark would write the same text describing the same event, or would they each write what they remembered from their unique perspective?
What we see are two different men acting as different witnesses of the same event that took place on one night, but writing slightly different words to describe the same night. Their different words do not change or diminish the reliability of the narrative. In fact, in the science of forensic investigation, these slight differences in written testimony are crucial markers of truthful testimony. More about this later in this essay.
Let’s add Luke’s and John’s testimony
Luke:
“And while He was still speaking, behold, a multitude; and he who was called Judas, one of the twelve, went before them and drew near to Jesus to kiss Him. But Jesus said to him, “Judas, are you betraying the Son of Man with a kiss?”
John:
“When Jesus had spoken these words, He went out with His disciples over the Brook Kidron, where there was a garden, which He and His disciples entered. And Judas, who betrayed Him, also knew the place; for Jesus often met there with His disciples.”
“Then Judas, having received a detachment of troops, and officers from the chief priests and Pharisees, came there with lanterns, torches, and weapons.”
Luke and John add new details that Matthew and Mark did not include in their written testimony:
- Luke calls the detachment of soldiers “a multitude.”
- Luke adds the detail that Jesus questioned Judas: “Judas, are you betraying the Son of Man with a kiss?”
- John adds a detail that informs us of the location where this event took place, at the Garden called Gethsemane, across the Brook Kidron.
- John informs us that Judas knew this place and Jesus would be there on that night, with the disciples, after they had finished the Last Supper.
- John adds descriptions of the things the soldiers were carrying: lanterns, torches, and weapons.
- John adds the detail that the soldiers who came to find Jesus were officers of the chief priests and Pharisees.
From this brief observation of the differences between the four Gospel narratives on the night that Jesus was arrested, we can easily see that the four writers are all describing the same event on the same night. Although there are additions and omissions between the four accounts, these differences do not change the overall story, nor make it possible that these men are describing different nights or different events.
What we see are the details that each of the four men remembered when this event happened. In all truthful written testimony, these differences in details while still describing the same event and primary persons are forensic evidence of truthful testimony.
- All four writers are telling us what happened to Jesus when He was arrested at the Garden of Gethsemane by a detachment of soldiers.
- All four writers are describing the same event, though each includes different details.
- These differences in the descriptions concerning what was said and done on that night are not contradictions; they can all happen during the same evening. It is possible for all of the differences in testimony about what each writer remembered to be true at the same time.
- These differences in testimony add to our understanding of the event; they do not confuse or distort the event. Without these four narratives, with four separate testimonies, we would not know nearly as much about what happened if there was only one story that had the same texts.
- In forensic investigation of written texts, when multiple witnesses write a testimony that is identical to the other witnesses, this is a clear marker of false and misleading testimony. Four witnesses can’t write the same text unless they have all agreed ahead of time to say the same things and nothing more.
- When we examine the entire body of text for these four narratives that described the night Jesus was arrested at Gethsemane, we learn that it all happened one night, and the four writers are describing the same event.
- If you continue to examine the rest of the text that we have not covered so far, you will see the same artifacts of truthful testimony we have already observed.
Matthew 28:51 describes a sword that is drawn, but no person is named carrying the sword.
Mark 14:47 The one with the sword, still unnamed, cuts off the ear of the high priest’s servant. The name of the servant is unknown.
Luke 22:49-51 A question is asked of Jesus, “Should we strike with the sword?” An unnamed man cuts off the ear of the high priest’s servant. Jesus heals his ear.
John 18:4, 6-8, 10 We learn that it was Simon Peter who drew the sword and cut off the RIGHT ear of the servant, who is named by John as “Malchus” (is Peter left-handed?). Jesus questions the men who come to arrest Him and asks who they are seeking. They respond, “Jesus of Nazareth.” Jesus answers with the Old Testament name for God, “I AM.” When Jesus speaks the eternal name of God and claims He is that God, the I AM, the soldiers fall backward under the power of God’s name.
- Again, four narratives, all describing one night, one event: the arrest of Jesus at the Garden of Gethsemane.
- If we didn’t have these four separate accounts, we would never have known who the man was who drew the sword, who the person was who had his ear cut off, and that Jesus had claimed to be the Eternal God, “I AM,” when the soldiers questioned Him.
- We needed all four Gospels to learn the depth of all that happened on that fateful night.
- The assertion of the atheist, who claims these four accounts contradict each other and there are two different nights, is impeached!
- In this brief exercise, we learn the importance of good Bible exegesis in determining the facts of the New Testament.
A Few Points Regarding Forensic Study Of Written Texts
This type of testimony where one person includes something that other witnesses leave out is empirical evidence of genuine testimony. The witnesses didn’t realize they had done this, but we observe it 2,000 years later, and this becomes evidence that these men are telling the truth. The effectiveness of forensics in examining written testimony is that naturally occurring events, that are not contrived or manipulated in the text, exhibit differences in testimony simply because different people act and remember differently.
Using these types of forensic methods to scrutinize and evaluate the words that are written in the four Gospels, there is no question that what we are reading are the actual words that were spoken by Jesus.
When different people are at the same scene of an incident, they will often remember different details of the same event. It is common for a person who is interviewing eyewitnesses to hear added details from one person that others who were also present did not think of or say. These differences are understood by experts as consistent with true testimony.
Although different writers remember different details, all of the differences can still be true at the same time. This proves that these narratives are not contradictory. Added details are not inconsistencies or contradictions; they are forensic evidence of truthful written testimony.
By understanding these principles, any Christian can easily impeach the constant assertion that there are many contradictions, discrepancies, and inconsistencies in the Bible. From this brief exercise, we learn how to impeach these false assertions made by atheists and demonstrate that the Bible is true, accurate, and reliable.
The preceding is an excerpt from Rob’s book that he uses to teach Apologetics
See New Testament Apologetics, at Amazon, in both eBook and Paperback
Categories: Atheists uneducated observations, Eyewitnesses, Historical Validity of the New Testament, How The NT Writers Remembered, Jesus Cross and Wisdom, Jesus is God, Jesus is the Messiah, Literary authenticity of the New Testament, New Testament Apologetics, New Testament Criticism, New Testament Manuscripts, Reliability of the Bible, Reliability of the New Testament, Reliability of the Old Testament, Religion vs. Relationship, The Atheists inability to understand the Gospel, The Documentary Hypothesis, The Historical Jesus, The Historicity of Jesus, We must repent
Robert Clifton Robinson 
Are you posting more now than you had been? I seem to see notifications of your posts more frequently. Anyway, thanks for the mental workout.
I skimmed your article and I’ll comment on just one point: “What we see are the details that each of the four men remembered when this event happened.”
That’s an important point. Mark was written 40-some years after the crucifixion, and the other three were written later. Even with the typical Evangelical argument that the gospels were written earlier, that’s a lo-o-ong time between event and documentation. We don’t know who wrote the gospels, and we don’t know if they were eyewitnesses. That decades-long time gap is a long time for oral history and fallible memories to change the story.
*Could* the gospels be as accurate as you hope, despite this long time gap? Sure, maybe. But “Well, it *could* be true” is a flimsy foundation on which to build an argument for the historicity of the Bible’s miracles.
You also said, “I am certain that there are no contradictions in the Bible.”
Your title argues that there were no *discrepancies*. We can waste lots of time fretting about whether a problem is technically a contradiction or not, but I have no interest in that. I’ll mention a couple of discrepancies or problems and ignore whether they’re contradictions.
First, the celebration before the Resurrection.
Did you ever wonder why people weren’t camped out at the tomb that held the body of Jesus? Why there weren’t blankets and picnic baskets as people awaited the Resurrection? They knew when (3 days, like Jonah) and where (the women knew the tomb). And they knew *that* “he will be raised to life!”
That quote is from Matt. 20:18-19, where Jesus explains the end game—Jerusalem, condemned to death, flogged, crucified, and resurrected.
Jesus explains the end game in two other places in Matthew, too (16:21 and 17:22-23). And it’s in 3 places in Mark, 3 in Luke, and a couple in John. What’s the deal with the disciples—were these guys really forgetful?
Second, was the Last Supper the Passover meal?
Everyone knows that the Last Supper was the Passover meal, and Jesus was crucified on the next day. Everyone except those who’ve read John, though, who makes clear that Jesus was crucified on the day *before* the Passover meal, the Day of Preparation (see John 19:31). The author was going for a nice literary parallel, where the blemish-free lambs were prepared for the Passover meal while the perfect Lamb of God was about to be crucified.
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I would like to post more often, but it really depends on my teaching schedule.
The error of your comment is in your premise that “Mark was written 40-some years after the crucifixion.”
Please show me the evidence this is true.
This statement is a common atheist and progressive scholar talking point, but I have never seen any actual proof beyoind the opinion of these scholars, that this is true.
The internal evidence of the New Testament texts, proves the Synoptic Gospels were largely completed by 44 AD. Paul carried these testimonies with Him to Asia ia 45 AD.
I own a majority of Bart Ehrman’s books, and he repeatedly states that the Synoptic Gospels were written late in the first century by men who never saw Jesus.
The problem is that when Ehrman writes this in all of his books, he fails to prove his opinion by actual evidence.
When we study the 260 chapters of the New Testament we find 203 eyewitness statements in these texts, and the men who say they were with Jesus for all of His ministry, saying, “I saw Jesus with my own eyes.”
Paul: 1 Corinthians 9:1: “Am I not an apostle? Haven’t I seen Jesus our Lord with my own eyes?
Peter: 1 Peter 1:16: “We saw his majestic splendor with our own eyes.”
John: 1 John 1:1: “We saw him with our own eyes and touched him with our own hands.”
James, Paul, all the Apostles: 1 Corinthians 15:7: “Then Jesus was seen alive by James and later by all the apostles. Last of all, as though I had been born at the wrong time, I also saw him.”
Mary Magdalene: John 20:18: “Mary Magdalene found the disciples and told them, “I have seen the Lord!”
Peter: Acts 5:29-32: “But Peter and the apostles replied… We are witnesses of these things…”
John: 1 John 1:2-3: “This one who is life itself was revealed to us, and we have seen him. And now we testify and proclaim to you that he is the one who is eternal life. He was with the Father, and then he was revealed to us. We proclaim to you what we ourselves have actually seen and heard so that you may have fellowship with us.
In Acts 1:8, after Jesus had been raised from the dead, He specifically instructs His Apostles to immediately record their testimony of what they had seen and heard, and send this testimony to the known world.
Paul departed for his first missionary journey in 45 AD. He carried with him the written testimony of the men who had been with Jesus, seen Him perform miracles, and saw Him fulfill all of the Messianic Prophecies of the Old Testament.
We see in Paul’s letters that describe his journeys through Asia Minor that he was using the testimony of these eyewitnesses to prove to the people that Jesus is the Messiah; that Jesus had performed all the miracles that Isaiah 29 and 35 said the Messiah would perform to prove He is the Messiah; that Jesus had claimed to be Yahweh; that Jesus was crucified and risen from the dead just as the Messianic Prophecies had required.
It is impossible that so many people were convinced that Jesus was the Messiah and believed in Him, without the eyewitness testimony of the men who had “been with Jesus from the beginning” (Luke 1).
Paul had to show them the Old Testament Messianic Prophecy, and Jesus fulfillment of these prophecies, as testified to by the men who saw these events. Without their testimony of what they had seen and heard, it is doubtful that very many would believe Paul. This is why Jesus instructed these men, immediately after He had risen, to write their testimony and send it to the world.
The idea that Jesus came to earth to fulfill God’s promise of sending the world a Savior, but when He arrived, He called illiterate men who couldn’t read or write their testimony, is preposterous!
Does Jesus impress you as a man who would choose men who were not able to accomplish the very reason He called them to follow Him—to be witnesses of what they had seen and heard? Notice what Jesus told these men after He had risen from the dead:
Acts 1:8: Jesus said: “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. And you will be my witnesses, telling people about me everywhere—in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”
How exactly would these men tell people “to the ends of the earth,” what they had seen, if they did not write a testimony? Jesus told John to write what he saw and send this testimony to the churches that were in Asia:
Jesus told John: “Write in a book everything you see, and send it to the seven churches in the cities of Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia, and Laodicea.”
Some say that these men were merely to tell people what they saw. When we read the comments of Jesus, He said that the Old Testament prophets said that when the Messiah came to earth, He would call men to write a testimony about Him and send it to the known world:
Luke 24:46-48: Jesus said, “Yes, it was written long ago that the Messiah would suffer and die and rise from the dead on the third day. It was also written that this message would be proclaimed in the authority of his name to all the nations, beginning in Jerusalem: ‘There is forgiveness of sins for all who repent.’ You are witnesses of all these things.
Once again: how would these men reach “all the nations” of the world, as Jesus stated, unless they wrote their testimony and sent it by letters to distant lands?
The prophets recorded that when the Messiah comes, men who see and hear Him, will write a testimony about Him. This is a common and consistent fact of all works that God did prior to the arrival of Jesus. God called faithful men to record what they saw and heard from God, and send it to the Jews, as a record to believe and follow.
Paul was taught by the esteemed Gamaliel and was a Pharisee and Hebrew scholar. There is confirmation in the New Testament that he both spoke and wrote Koine Greek.
Luke was a highly-educated, Greek-speaking Physician, who was able to write Koine Greek.
Mark is described as a Greek citizen, also able to write Koine Greek; likely the scribe for Peter, recording his testimony about Jesus in the Gospel of Mark. The leaders of the early Christian church chronicled Mark as a Greek-speaking Jew, who acted as the scribe for Peter.
Matthew was an employee of the Roman government as a tax collector. One of the requirements for every Roman tax collector was the ability to speak, read, and write Koine Greek to serve as a tax collector. How else could Matthew communicate with the people he was collecting taxes from?
These men started writing down what they saw and heard, during the time they were with Jesus, and by the time that the events described in Acts 1-4 took place, Jesus had sent the Holy Spirit who gave these men the ability to “remember” and write all they had seen and heard concerning Jesus:
John 14:25-26: “I am telling you these things now while I am still with you. 26 But when the Father sends the Advocate as my representative—that is, the Holy Spirit—he will teach you everything and will remind you of everything I have told you.”
Show me the evidence that the Synoptic Gospels were written late in the first century by men who never saw Jesus:
Unlike you, I have examined every allegation of a “discrepancy” and never found a discrepancy. I give examples of this in this essay that you are writing an argument for.
What is the texts that shows a “celebration before the Resurrection?” I have never seen in the New Testament, a pre-resurrection celebration!
The text of the New Testament make it clear that the disciples of Jesus didn’t understand or believe that He would be risen from the dead, despite Jesus telling them He would. It was not until after they went to the tomb and saw that it was empty that they believed Jesus had risen.
Yes, I am familiar with this text: Matthew 20:18-19 (NLT) 18 “Listen,” he said, “we’re going up to Jerusalem, where the Son of Man will be betrayed to the leading priests and the teachers of religious law. They will sentence him to die. 19 Then they will hand him over to the Romans to be mocked, flogged with a whip, and crucified. But on the third day he will be raised from the dead.”
This is what I cited in my precious comment that although Jesus had told these men He would be crucified and rise from the dead, His disciples didn’t understand or believe this at that time. The common Jewish belief at that time was that the Messiah would never die. Jesus condemned these men for not understanding or believing their own scriptures that predicted His crucifixion and resurrection.
(1) Mark 9:31-32 “For he wanted to spend more time with his disciples and teach them. He said to them, “The Son of Man is going to be betrayed into the hands of his enemies. He will be killed, but three days later he will rise from the dead.” 32 They didn’t understand what he was saying, however, and they were afraid to ask him what he meant.”
(2) Luke 9:44-45 “Listen to me and remember what I say. The Son of Man is going to be betrayed into the hands of his enemies.” 45 But they didn’t know what he meant. Its significance was hidden from them, so they couldn’t understand it, and they were afraid to ask him about it.”
(3) Luke 18:31-34 “Taking the twelve disciples aside, Jesus said, “Listen, we’re going up to Jerusalem, where all the predictions of the prophets concerning the Son of Man will come true. 32 He will be handed over to the Romans, and he will be mocked, treated shamefully, and spit upon. 33 They will flog him with a whip and kill him, but on the third day he will rise again.” 34 But they didn’t understand any of this. The significance of his words was hidden from them, and they failed to grasp what he was talking about.”
(4) John 12:16 “His disciples didn’t understand at the time that this was a fulfillment of prophecy. But after Jesus entered into his glory, they remembered what had happened and realized that these things had been written about him.”
You have misunderstood what the text is saying: John 19:31 “It was the day of preparation, and the Jewish leaders didn’t want the bodies hanging there the next day, which was the Sabbath (and a very special Sabbath, because it was Passover week). So they asked Pilate to hasten their deaths by ordering that their legs be broken. Then their bodies could be taken down.
“It was the day of Preparation,” and the next day was to be a special Sabbath. Preparation day was the day of preparation, not for the Passover meal, but for the ensuing Sabbath See: Matthew 27:62; Mark 15:42; Luke 23:54
As with a majority of atheists, you are quoting the errors of other errors, rather than doing your own study of the texts.
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