Matthew (Matthew 9:9) – “And as Jesus passed on from there, He saw a man, called Matthew, sitting in the tax office; and He *said to him, “Follow Me!” And he rose, and followed Him.”
Levi (Mark 2:14) – “And as He passed by, He saw Levi the son of Alphaeus sitting in the tax office, and He *said to him, “Follow Me!” And he rose and followed Him.”
Levi (Luke 5:27) – “And after that He went out, and noticed a tax-gatherer named Levi, sitting in the tax office, and He said to him, “Follow Me.”
Problem: Jesus healed a leper by touching him. However, the Hebrew law stated that it is wrong to touch lepers. Leviticus 5:3 states, “If he touches human uncleanness, of whatever sort his uncleanness may be with which he becomes unclean, and it is hidden from him, and then he comes to know it, he will be guilty.” Did Jesus commit a sin by touching the leper?
Problem: Jesus was baptized, but normally, only sinners were baptized by John. Why was Jesus baptized? Was he secretly sinful and needed to repent of this before he could start his ministry?
After His baptism, Jesus spent some time with the disciples and then went into the desert. John the Apostle’s account of the baptism of Jesus is not a focus on chronological events. Instead, it is focusing on the ministerial aspect of Christ’s mission. John focuses on the issue of baptism and the commission of Christ and the blessing of the Father. Mark simply states that Jesus went into the wilderness after His baptism. Each account is about the same thing, but each addresses the issue in a very different manner and extracts different information from the events. Mark is succinct and mentions events several more events than John. There is no contradiction because there is no conflict in what is said.
Problem: Mark cites from Malachi 3:1 and Isaiah 40:3. Why does he do this?
Problem: Mark misquotes Malachi, as indicated by the italicized words:
As it is written in the prophets, Behold, I send my messenger before thy face, which shall prepare thy way before thee. (Mark 1:2)
Problem: Both Matthew (chap. 1) and Luke (chap. 3) give an ancestry of Jesus (see Matt. 1:1). However, Mark provides no genealogy whatsoever. Why the omission?
Problem: Matthew speaks of the “Father, Son, and Holy Spirit” all being part of one “name.” But these are three distinct persons. How can there be three persons in the Godhead when there is only “one God” (Deut 6:4; 1 Cor. 8:6)?
The first one to see Jesus after His resurrection was Mary Magdalene just as it says (Mark 16:9).
Problem: Both Matthew and Mark list women as the first ones to see the resurrected Christ. Mark says, “He appeared first to Mary Magdalene” (16:9). But Paul lists Peter (Cephas) as the first one to see Christ after His resurrection (1 Cor. 15:5).
Solution: Jesus appeared first to Mary Magdalene, then to the other women, and then to Peter. The order of the twelve appearances of Christ goes as follows:
THE ORDER OF THE TWELVE APPEARANCES OF CHRIST
Paul was not giving a complete list, but only the important one for his purpose. Since only men’s testimony was considered legal or official in the 1st century, it is understandable that the apostle would not list the women in his defense of the resurrection here.
They told what happened (Matthew 28:8) – “And they departed quickly from the tomb with fear and great joy and ran to report it to His disciples.”
Critics of the New Testament often suggest that the gospels present contradictory narratives regarding Jesus’ resurrection. One such argument (which is honestly rather weak but comes up surprisingly often) involves the detail of who it was that discovered Jesus’ empty tomb. The claim is that each gospel lists a different set of women and that the story, therefore, cannot be trusted. This argument, however, breaks down almost immediately on even the slightest examination. The truth is that, while each of the four gospels includes unique details on the matter, they all are perfectly consistent with one another on who it was who first found the stone rolled away and the body of Jesus missing. The gospels are definitely in agreement on this.
Three days and three nights
Matthew 12:40 – “for just as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the sea monster, so shall the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.”
Problem: Matthew records that there was an “angel” at the tomb, but John records that there were “two angels” (Jn. 20:12). Which is true?