Problem: Perhaps the most famous alleged Bible contradiction centers on Peter’s triple denial of Jesus and the crowing of a rooster. For years, skeptics have charged that Mark’s account of this event blatantly contradicts the other gospel accounts, thus supposedly “proving” the imperfection of the Scriptures. Even Bible believers have questioned the differences surrounding this event, yet relatively few have taken the time to understand them. Whenever people ask us about Peter’s denials and the differences within the gospel accounts, we often fail to give an adequate answer to their questions (see 1 Peter 3:15). This lack of understanding and poor defense of God’s Word has led skeptics to become more confident in their position (that the Bible is not God’s Word), and has caused some Bible believers to abandon their position on the infallibility of the Scriptures.
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Problem: “And when He had said this, He breathed on them, and saith unto them, Receive ye the Holy Ghost” (John 20:22)
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Problem:

• John 18:20, “I spoke openly to the world, I always taught in synagogues and in the temple, where the Jews always meet, and in secret I have said nothing.”
• Mark 4:12, “in order that while seeing, they may see and not perceived; and while hearing they may hear and not understand lest they return and be forgiven.”
• Mark 4:34, “and He did not speak to them without a parable; but He was explaining everything privately to His own disciples.”

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Problem: Did Jesus knowingly, purposefully lie to the Jews?
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Problem: At what hour was Jesus crucified? The answer is easy when you realize that two different time systems were being used.
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Problem: A concerned Bible student once wrote our offices regarding the apostle Peter’s triple denial of Jesus. It was not the usual inquiry regarding how many times the rooster crowed following Peter’s denials of Christ. Rather, his question focused on the charges made against Peter prior to each of his denials. All four gospel writers first testify that a “servant girl” confronted Peter (Matthew 26:69; Mark 14:66; Luke 22:56; John 18:17). The writers then seem to “go their separate ways.”
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Problem: Did Peter deny Christ in the courtyard of Annas or Caiaphas? According to Matthew, Peter denied Jesus three times in the courtyard of Caiaphas, the high priest (26:57-75). John, however, seems to indicate that Peter was in the courtyard of Annas (Caiaphas’ father-in-law) when he denied Christ (18:13-27). Which is it?
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Problem: Who arrested Jesus? There is no contradiction in the Bible regarding who arrested Jesus. All we need to do is look at the context.
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Problem: John writes that Judas brought a “Roman cohort” with him and the Pharisees and chief priests to arrest Jesus. Merrill Tenney writes, “The Greek word for ‘detachment of soldiers’ (speira) has been traditionally rendered ‘cohort,’ from the Latin cohors, which denotes a tenth of a legion, or about six hundred men.” Is it really historically plausible that the Pharisees would have hired a 600-soldier battalion to arrest just one man?
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Problem: Over the last several years I have received multiple phone calls from a Jehovah’s Witness seeking to prove to me that Jesus Christ is not God.  His argument is based on John 17:3.  About every year I receive a call from this gentleman, and he always presents the same argument.  I have always responded to him by using 1 John 5:20, and I will show you his response to that verse shortly.  I’m not sure what his motive is or why he calls me repeatedly, but I thought it might be helpful to share his argumentation and my response.
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Problem: John 17:1-5—“These things Jesus spoke, and lifted up his eyes to heaven and said, Father, the
hour is come; glorify thy Son, that thy Son may glorify thee; as thou hast given him authority over
all flesh, that as to all that thou hast given to him, he should give them life eternal. And this is the
eternal life, that they should know thee, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom thou hast
sent. I have glorified thee on the earth, I have completed the work which thou gavest me that I should
do it; And now glorify me, thou Father, along with thyself, with the glory which I had along with
thee before the world was.”
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Problem: The Bible is full of scriptures that, when quoted without any consideration of the immediate and remote contexts, a person can misuse in all sorts of ways. As proof that we do not have to work to provide for our family’s material needs, some may quote Jesus’ statement, “Do not labor for the food which perishes, but for the food which endures to everlasting life” (John 6:27). In order to show that Jesus was a liar, the Bible critic might quote Jesus’ acknowledgement: “If I bear witness of Myself, My witness is not true” (John 5:31). Those who exclude baptism from God’s plan of salvation often quote John 4:2: “Jesus Himself did not baptize, but His disciples.” When the Bible reader is “rightly dividing” (2 Timothy 2:15, NKJV) or “handling accurately the word of truth” (NASB), however, he will remember that “[t]he sum of thy [God’s] word is truth” (Psalm 119:160, emp. added). Since the Bible teaches “if anyone will not work, neither shall he eat” (2 Thessalonians 3:10; cf. 1 Timothy 5:8), Jesus never implied that working to help feed one’s family is wrong (John 6:27). “He simply was saying that spiritual food is more important than physical food, and as such, should be given a higher priority” (Butt, 2003, emp. in orig.). Jesus did not confess wrongdoing in John 5:31. He simply acknowledged that, in accordance with the law (cf. Deuteronomy 19:15), His testimony apart from other witnesses would be considered invalid or insufficient to establish truth (cf. John 8:13-20; see Lyons, 2004). Likewise, Jesus never taught that baptism was unnecessary for salvation. In fact, He taught the very opposite (cf. John 3:3,5; Mark 16:16; Matthew 28:18-20; see Lyons, 2003).
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