What would you say if someone told you that the Bible contains contradictions? It’s unfortunate that many Christians are usually silent whenever posed this question since they themselves struggle with interpreting the scriptures.

But, before we tackle this question, we need to be honest.

Does the Bible contain challenging passages? Yes, some readings are easy to understand, and some are tough. Are there Biblical challenges? Yes, but are there any verified contradictions? Absolutely not.

Whenever anyone asks about the contradictions of the Bible, we need to explain to them that just because there are tough passages doesn’t mean we conclude there are contradictions.

To understand these differences/tensions in the Gospels, we should consider the following two essential points:

(1) We must be able to distinguish between a ‘Difference’ and a ‘Contradiction.’

• • • • • • Contradictions are errors that are definite / absolute and cannot be reconciled. For example, take the famous story of the Titanic ship; if some survivors said the ship broke in half and another group stated that it sank in one piece, this would be classified as an apparent contradiction.
          • A ‘Difference’ for  example, would be if you went home and your spouse comes to you and says, “a man showed up at the door and said that I won a cheque for a million dollars.” But an hour later, she/he calls their parents and says, “two men showed up at the doorstep one with a cheque and the other with a camera saying I am going to be on television.” This scenario would illustrate a difference and not a contraction. One scene contained more information, while the other was not exhaustive.

Many of the ‘alleged’ Bible contractions are differences and not contradictions.

(2) We should also understand that the genre in which the gospels were recorded was according to the ‘Greco-RomanBiography.’ Wherein much like today’s literature, some liberties were allowed (such as time compression and lack of precision) when it came to minor chronological details. For example, one commonly disputed argument is concerning Jesus’ temptations in the wilderness, where the authors Mathew and Luke invert the first and second temptations in their books. This does not disregard the Bible’s authenticity, as they both give the same message.

In conclusion, the Bible contains no contradictions. While some passages may present challenges or differences, these do not undermine the core message of the Gospel. It’s crucial to distinguish between differences in detail and true contradictions. The Bible, when properly understood, is consistent in its teachings and reliable in its testimony. The truth of Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection remains unchallenged, affirmed throughout scripture, and stands as the foundation of the Christian faith.