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WHAT COLOR WAS THE ROBE PLACED ON JESUS?
(NIV) Contradiction 1: They stripped him and put a scarlet robe on him. Matthew 27:28
(NIV) Contradiction 2: They clothed him in a purple robe. John 19:2
One possible solution to this conflict lies in the similarity of the two colors, with purple being a derivative of the
primary color red. In antiquity, the same dye was used to create both red and purple cloths, depending on the
amount of dye used. Even though the two colors seem distinctly different to us, scarlet and purple were very
similar in ancient Roman clothing (See: here). I feel another possible answer may lie in the symbolism of the two
colors- they both represented royalty and power. Because of this, it is quite possible the robe was red and purple.
WHAT WERE JESUS' LAST WORDS?
(NIV) Contradiction 1: About the ninth hour Jesus cried out... My God, My God, why have you forsaken
me? Matthew 27:46
(NIV) Contradiction 2: Jesus called out with a loud voice, Father, into your hands I commit my spirit.
When he had said this, he breathed his last. Luke 23:46
(NIV) Contradiction 3: Jesus said, It is finished. With that, he...gave up his spirit. John 19:30
The passage in Matthew doesn't present a problem for us as it states these were not Jesus' last words. Matthew
also partially solves our problem when he states in verse 50 that Jesus cried out again before finally expiring.
The real "problem" comes from Luke and John who both claim to quote Jesus' actual last words. One possible
solution is the men's position in relation to the cross. The above verses differentiate between Jesus' spoken and
shouted statements. Because John was said to have been at the foot of the cross, it is possible he heard Jesus'
spoken words while the others only heard the statements Jesus shouted. Because Matthew mentions Jesus
shouting another statement, this scenario is possible.
However, I understand some skeptics may feel I am streeeetching this one so I'll offer a further explanation for
those who may not be satisfied. The four Gospels were written by four different authors, each of them recording
their version of events. Once we harmonize the Gospel accounts, our explanation doesn't seem to be so difficult:
It was now about the sixth hour, and darkness came over the whole land until the ninth hour. About the ninth
hour Jesus cried out in a loud voice, "Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?"—which means, "My God, my God, why have
you forsaken me?" When some of those standing there heard this, they said, "He's calling Elijah." Later... Jesus
said, "I am thirsty." A jar of wine vinegar was there, so they soaked a sponge in it, put the sponge on a stalk of
the hyssop plant, and lifted it to Jesus' lips and offered it to Jesus to drink. When he had received the drink, Jesus
said, "It is finished." [referring to the fulfillment of prophecy] The rest said [implying Jesus was not yet dead],
"Now leave him alone. Let's see if Elijah comes to save him. And when Jesus had cried out again in a loud voice,
"Father, into your hands I commit my spirit" he breathed his last and He gave up his spirit.
Matthew 27:45-50
Luke 23:44-46
John 19:28-30
WHAT WAS JESUS GIVEN TO DRINK?
(NIV) Contradiction 1: There they offered Jesus wine to drink, mixed with gall... Matthew 27:34
(NIV) Contradiction 2: Then they offered him wine mixed with myrrh... Mark 15:23
Mark and Matthew both agree Jesus was given wine mixed with something. But this something seems to differ in
each account. However, Matthew uses the word chole which represents a number of bitter substances including
myrrh (which is famous for its bitterness), thus eliminating any contradiction.
HOW LONG WAS JESUS IN THE TOMB?
(NIV) Contradiction 1: The Son of Man will be three days and three nights in the earth. Matthew 12:40
(NIV) Contradiction 2: The Son of Man [would] on the third day be raised again. Luke 24:7
Semantics, semantics. Critics point out the "inconsistency" between after three days and on the third day as if an
apostle is standing outside the tomb with a stopwatch and counting out three 24-hour periods. Jesus was crucified
on Friday and subsequently placed in the tomb where He would remain until Sunday. The Greek work literally
meaning all night dianuktereuo is not used in Matthew so there is no reference to literal 24 hour periods. Instead,
he uses the word nux which can refer to a literal or metaphorical night.
HOW MANY TIMES WOULD/DID THE COCK CROW?
(NIV) Contradiction 1: Before the rooster crows, you will disown me three times. Matthew 26:34
(NIV) Contradiction 2: Before the rooster crows twice you yourself will disown me three times. Mark 14:30
(NIV) Contradiction 3: Before the rooster crows, you will disown me three times! John 13:38
(NIV) Contradiction 1: Immediately the rooster crowed the second time. Mark 14:72
(NIV) Contradiction 2: I don't know the man! Immediately a rooster crowed. Matthew 26:74-75
(NIV) Contradiction 3: Again Peter denied it, and at that moment a rooster began to crow. John 18:27
(NIV) Contradiction 4: Just as he was speaking, the rooster crowed. Luke 22:60-60
Matthew, Luke, and John are in agreement that the rooster would/did crow once (but not necessarily only once!)
whereas Mark mentions the rooster crowing twice. Regardless of who did or did not use the word twice the fact of
the matter is that if Peter denied Jesus before the cock crowed once, then he also denied Him before the cock
crowed twice. If I say I am grocery shopping before Saturday, it wouldn't matter if I went to the store on
Wednesday, Thursday, or Friday- I still went before Saturday.
WHERE DID JESUS GO AFTER HIS BAPTISM?
(NIV) Contradiction 1: At once the Spirit sent him out into the desert. Mark 1:12
(NIV) Contradiction 2: The next day John was there again with two of his disciples... John 1:35-36
Skeptics ask, "So did Jesus go into the desert after His baptism or did He stick around?" Apparently our friends
weren't paying attention to the texts! Mark is documenting the events of Jesus' baptism in the present tense and
states Jesus went into the desert immediately after His baptism. But John (the apostle) is not presenting the
actual baptism account but is documenting John the Baptist's testimony to his disciples! John 1:32 states "Then
John gave this testimony..." This shows John rehashing the events in the past tense. His statement the next day
was referring to the day after John had given his testimony to his disciples- not the day after Jesus baptism.
IS JESUS EQUAL TO OR LESSER THAN GOD THE FATHER?
(NIV) Contradiction 1: I and my Father are one. John 10:30
(NIV) Contradiction 2: If you loved me, you would be glad that I am going to the Father, for the Father is
greater than I. John 14:28
This question really requires a thorough explanation but I will give a brief answer as to how I personally
understand the Trinity. We'll use the analogy of a marriage though I'll admit it's not a perfect analogy. When a
man and a women are married, they are said to become one flesh. Of course, they are still two separate physical
entities but they become united in spirit. God appoints the husband to be "the head" of the union, though neither
gender is considered more or less precious than the other. Likewise, though God and Jesus are spiritually equal,
Jesus makes it clear that He submits to the Father. Just because they are united does not necessarily mean one
cannot be subordinate to the other. Though the husband has been placed into the role of leadership, the wife is
not less important. They simply have different roles.
HOW MANY APOSTLES DID JESUS APPEAR TO AFTER HIS RESURRECTION?
(NIV) Contradiction 1: And that He appeared to Peter, and then to the Twelve. I Corinthians 15:5
(NIV) Contradiction 2: Then the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them
to go. Matthew 28:16
Because Judas had committed suicide and because Matthias had not yet been appointed to replace him, Paul
seems to be wrong when he mentions the twelve in his letter to the Corinthians. But we can see the twelve refers
to the apostles as a group and not necessarily to the specific number of apostles. We don't need a long-winded
explanation because our answer is found within the verse itself: Paul states Jesus appeared to Peter and then to
the twelve- but we know Peter was one of the original apostles. If Judas was dead and Jesus already appeared to
Peter, then (if we want to get technical) it should say to the ten in the above verse! The twelve was simply a
reference to the apostles- before Judas, after Judas, before Matthias, and after Matthias. Another possible
solution is that Paul is referring to Jesus' appearance to the remaining eleven apostles at a time when Matthias,
the soon-to-be twelfth, was present. In other words, Paul could have been using an anachronism.
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