Problem: Orthodox Protestants believe in interpreting the Bible literally. But if Jesus’ statement here is taken literally, it seems to support the Roman Catholic view of transubstantiation, namely, that, when consecrated, the communion bread becomes the actual body of Christ.
Problem: Jesus said, “This is My body” (Mt. 26:26). A literal reading of the text would mean that the bread became Jesus’ body. Catholic apologist David Currie writes, “If he had meant to teach Evangelicalism, he could have said in a clear way ‘This bread only represents my body.’ But he didn’t say either. Yet he was clear. In the clearest way he could say it, he said, ‘This is my body’ (Mt. 26:26-28).”[1] Is this the case?
Problem: Critics claim that Jesus’ predictions about the fall of Jerusalem must late date the gospel of Luke, making this an ex eventu prophecy (Latin: “after the fact”). Is this the case?
Problen: Critics note that Jesus chased out the money changers with “a scourge of cords.” Why was he so angry here?
The gospels all mentioned that Jesus rode a donkey into Jerusalem. However, Matthew mentioned that there were actually two donkeys (mother and colt) while the other three gospels only mentioned colt. There is no contradiction in this. Let’s take a look:
Two blind men,
Matthew 20:29-30, “And as they were going out from Jericho, a great multitude followed Him. 30 And behold, two blind men sitting by the road, hearing that Jesus was passing by, cried out, saying, “Lord, have mercy on us, Son of David!”
Problem: Jesus says, “Why do you call Me good? No one is good except God alone” (Lk. 18:19). Cultists and skeptics argue that Jesus is claiming that he is not God in this passage. Is this the case?
Problem: The OT predicted a literal kingdom of the Messiah, but Jesus said, “The kingdom of God is not coming with signs to be observed; 21nor will they say, ‘Look, here it is!’ or, ‘There it is!’ For behold, the kingdom of God is in your midst.” Amillennial interpreters hold that this passage states that Jesus was abrogating the OT teaching on the kingdom of God being literal and political. Instead, it is spiritual and invisible. Is this the case?
The Jewish custom in Jesus’ day was to forgive someone three times—tops. Keener writes, “Judaism also stressed forgiveness, though some teachers saw the need to limit forgiveness to three instances of premeditated sin, pointing out that repentance was otherwise not genuine.”[1] While Peter was thinking that forgiving someone seven times was over the top, Jesus ups his standard to 77 times![2]
Problem: Jesus condemned the long and repetitious prayers of the Pharisees who thought they would “be heard for their many words” (Matt. 6:7). Yet in this parable Jesus encouraged incessant prayer of those “who cry out day and night” to God (Luke 18:7). But these passages seem to be in conflict.