While the Bible is the inspired Word of God. You must remember that it is still written by the hand of man. The Gospels are the accounts of 3 apostles, and the story as told to Luke. I would be more suspicious if there were no minor contradictions (such as the color of His robe (Matt. says scarlett, John says purple, though really, a deep scarlett could almost be purple, and if one or the other was a tad colorblind, they would have seen the wrong color.) but anyways, we'll take a number of these things and look at what they say
Judas: Judas died by hanging himself, Yet who is to say that afterwards, he could have slipped from the tree, and would have assuredly burst open if he had been hanging a day or two.
Jesus' promise to the thief. Why is this one a contradiction? We believe the Godhead to be omnipresent.
Paul's conversion This could just have been a mistake on Paul's part as he tells this portion of the story. OR there could have been some who heard and some who didn't. Yet in the end, it's like asking the difference of whether a criminal was wearing a red shirt with white stripes, and a white shirt with red strips.
Salvation by Grace or works We are saved by grace, but our faith is evidenced by the works that we do. For without the works, then the faith is dead, and without the faith, the works are pointless. I personally find it interesting that they actually misquoted the Bible here to make their point.
[b said:
Quote[/b] (Contrad Website @ June 19 2003,11:57)] (James 2:14 NRSV) What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if you say you have faith but do not have works? Can faith save you?
Should read:
[b said:
Quote[/b] (
www.bible.org @ June 19 2003,11:57)]2:14 What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone claims to have faith but does not have works? Can this kind of faith save him?
See the difference?
Son's of Abraham This is not a contradiction per se. While it is true, Abraham had two sons, Abraham also only had one son. Isaac was the son of the promise, and the son of Abraham's actual wife. Ishmael was the son of basically not waiting on God. There are many families even today, where the husband might have a son with another woman, but his SON is the child that his wife has born him.
Christ's transfiguration This is slightly pointless. Luke was not an apostle. He was more of a biographer a few years later, he did not actually witness these events, rather he recorded what others told him as the Gospel of Luke. besides, six days, is about eight days.
Christ's robe color See up above
Christ carries His cross Who's to say that John saw it all? the road to golgotha is quite long, especially after having been whipped 39 times by a cat-o-nine tails. Matthew does not say that Christ didn't carry His cross, rather at some point it was given to someone else to carry the remainder of the way. Could it be possible that John just didnot see this exchange occur? Remember the followers of Christ weren't very popular by this point
Animals ridden in
[b said:
Quote[/b] ](Mat 21:7 NRSV) they brought the donkey and the colt, and put their cloaks on them, and he sat on *them*.
(Mark 11:7 NRSV) Then they brought the colt to Jesus and threw their cloaks on it; and he sat on *it*.
I think this is just an error somewhere translation wise. I've truly never noticed and will have to do some research into it. But the question that pops into my mind, how can someone sit on two animals at once? I mean these are basically small horses here, how could he ride two?
What time was Christ crucified
For this one i'm directly quoteing Gill's commentary
[b said:
Quote[/b] ]And about the sixth hour; to which agrees the account in Mat_27:45, Luk_23:44 but Mar_15:25 says that "it was the third hour, and they crucified him"; and Beza says, he found it so written in one copy; and so read Peter of Alexandria, Beza's ancient copy, and some others, and Nonnus: but the copies in general agree in, and confirm the common reading, and which is differently accounted for; some by the different computations of the Jews and Romans; others by observing that the day was divided into four parts, each part containing three hours, and were called the third, the sixth, the ninth, and the twelfth hours; and not only that time, when one of these hours came, was called by that name, but also from that all the space of the three hours, till the next came, was called by the name of the former: for instance, all the space from nine o'clock till twelve was called "the third hour"; and all from twelve till three in the afternoon "the sixth hour": hence the time of Christ's crucifixion being supposed to be somewhat before, but yet near our twelve of the clock, it may be truly here said that it was about the sixth hour; and as truly by Mark the third hour; that space, which was called by the name of the third hour, being not yet passed, though it drew toward an end. This way go Godwin and Hammond, whose words I have expressed, and bids fair for the true solution of the difficulty: though it should be observed, that Mark agrees with the other evangelists about the darkness which was at the sixth hour, the time of Christ's crucifixion, Mar_15:33 and it is to be remarked, that he does not say that it was the third hour "when" they crucified him, or that they crucified him at the third hour; but it was the third hour, "and" they crucified him, as Dr. Lightfoot observes. It was the time of day when they should have been at the daily sacrifice, and preparing for the solemnity of that day particularly, which was their Chagigah, or grand feast; but instead of this they were prosecuting his crucifixion, which they brought about by the sixth hour. And about this time Pilate said, and did the following things:
How many horses, What age
ok. does this matter??
Ceation stuff
The two stories are not mutually exclusive. It is two different tellings of the same activity. They actually coincide quite nicely, and there is a thread on it in this forum somewhere.
hmm..this post is gettting long...Want more?
How can you accept that He exists, yet not accept His words? It's akin to saying I believe in air, but I think i'll stop breathing now. What questions were never properly answered? Ask and we shall answer. The Bible explains itself, and gives the roadmap quite clearly to Heaven. Just because it's not PC to say that there is only 1 way to Heaven does not make it any less true.