Contradictions
Jesus & the Gospels
Questions arising within and between the Gospels — the events of Jesus’ life, words, and the accounts that record them.
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These marks echo where critical scholarship tends to land on each question — not GEBible’s own ruling.
Seen as a contradiction
Genuinely disputed
Seen as reconciled
Widely regarded as a genuine contradiction
Scholarly consensus: Widely regarded as a genuine contradiction
The tension: Matthew 28:9 says the first appearance was to the two Marys together.
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Leans toward a genuine contradiction
Scholarly consensus: Leans toward a genuine contradiction
The tension: John 20:24 says Thomas was absent when Jesus first appeared to the group, so with Judas already dead (Matthew 27:5) the count is ten.
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Widely regarded as a genuine contradiction
Scholarly consensus: Widely regarded as a genuine contradiction
The tension: Matthew 28:16 says the eleven met Jesus on a mountain in Galilee — a multi-day journey from the tomb.
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Widely regarded as a genuine contradiction
Scholarly consensus: Widely regarded as a genuine contradiction
The tension: Mark 1:12-13 says the Spirit immediately drove Jesus into the wilderness for forty days of temptation right after his baptism.
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Genuinely disputed among scholars
Scholarly consensus: Genuinely disputed among scholars
The tension: First John lays down the test plainly: anyone who confesses that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, is born of God and indwelt by God (1 John 4:2, 4:15, 5:1).
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Leans toward reconciliation
Scholarly consensus: Leans toward reconciliation
The tension: Mark 1:21, 29 puts the house of Simon and Andrew in Capernaum, where Jesus teaches in the synagogue and then walks straight to their home.
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Usually considered reconciled
Scholarly consensus: Usually considered reconciled
The tension: Mark 5:9-10 has Legion beg Jesus not to send the demons 'out of the country.' Luke 8:30-31, telling the same story, has them beg not to be sent 'into the deep'…
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Widely regarded as a genuine contradiction
Scholarly consensus: Widely regarded as a genuine contradiction
The tension: All three Synoptics tell the same Jericho healing story, but they can't agree on where Jesus was standing when he did it.
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Widely regarded as a genuine contradiction
Scholarly consensus: Widely regarded as a genuine contradiction
The tension: Mark 16:17 says exorcism in Jesus' name is a sign that follows 'them that believe' — a believers-only operation.
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Widely regarded as a genuine contradiction
Scholarly consensus: Widely regarded as a genuine contradiction
The tension: John 7:39 says outright that 'the Holy Ghost was not yet given; because that Jesus was not yet glorified.' John 20:22 has Jesus breathe the Spirit onto the dis…
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Widely regarded as a genuine contradiction
Scholarly consensus: Widely regarded as a genuine contradiction
The tension: John 18:28 has the chief priests refusing to enter Pilate's praetorium 'lest they should be defiled; but that they might eat the passover' — meaning the Passov…
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Leans toward a genuine contradiction
Scholarly consensus: Leans toward a genuine contradiction
The tension: Matthew 26:74, Luke 22:60, and John 18:27 all have the cock crow after Peter's third denial.
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Leans toward a genuine contradiction
Scholarly consensus: Leans toward a genuine contradiction
The tension: Luke 23:45-46 puts the tearing of the temple veil before Jesus dies: the sun darkens, the veil rips, and then Jesus commends his spirit and gives up the ghost.
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Widely regarded as a genuine contradiction
Scholarly consensus: Widely regarded as a genuine contradiction
The tension: John 20:1 says one — Mary Magdalene.
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Widely regarded as a genuine contradiction
Scholarly consensus: Widely regarded as a genuine contradiction
The tension: Luke 24:2, Mark 16:3-4, and John 20:1 all describe the women arriving to find the stone already rolled away from the entrance.
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Widely regarded as a genuine contradiction
Scholarly consensus: Widely regarded as a genuine contradiction
The tension: Mark 16:5 has the women enter the tomb and find 'a young man sitting on the right side.' John 20:12 has Mary Magdalene see 'two angels in white sitting' — one…
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Widely regarded as a genuine contradiction
Scholarly consensus: Widely regarded as a genuine contradiction
The tension: Matthew 28:2 places the angel outside the tomb, having descended from heaven, rolled the stone back, and seated himself upon it.
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Widely regarded as a genuine contradiction
Scholarly consensus: Widely regarded as a genuine contradiction
The tension: Luke 24:33-34 has the two Emmaus disciples return to Jerusalem and find the eleven already saying 'The Lord is risen indeed, and hath appeared to Simon' — mean…
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Widely regarded as a genuine contradiction
Scholarly consensus: Widely regarded as a genuine contradiction
The tension: Matthew 1:16 names Joseph's father as Jacob, son of Matthan, in a Davidic line running through Solomon.
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Widely regarded as a genuine contradiction
Scholarly consensus: Widely regarded as a genuine contradiction
The tension: Matthew 1:17 explicitly structures the genealogy in three groups of fourteen, yielding 27 generations from David to Jesus.
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Leans toward a genuine contradiction
Scholarly consensus: Leans toward a genuine contradiction
The tension: John 12:1-3 names Mary, the sister of Martha and Lazarus, anointing Jesus' feet at Bethany six days before Passover.
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Leans toward reconciliation
Scholarly consensus: Leans toward reconciliation
The tension: Luke 9:52-53 says a Samaritan village refused to receive Jesus because his face was set toward Jerusalem.
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Leans toward reconciliation
Scholarly consensus: Leans toward reconciliation
The tension: Luke 1:28 has Gabriel greet Mary as "blessed...
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Widely regarded as a genuine contradiction
Scholarly consensus: Widely regarded as a genuine contradiction
The tension: Matthew 20:29-30 and Mark 10:46 say Jesus healed blind men as he was departing Jericho.
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