MORE NEW TESTAMENT CONTRADICTIONS: 11. What did Judas do with
the money he received from betraying Jesus? - He brought it back and threw it down in the temple.
"When Judas, his betrayer, saw that he was condemned,
he repented and brought back the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and the elders, saying 'I have sinned in betraying
innocent blood.' They said, 'What is that to us? See to it yourself.' And throwing down the pieces of silver
in the temple, he departed." (Matthew 27:3-5) - He used the money to buy a field.
"Now this man
bought a field with the reward of his wickedness." (Acts 1:18)
12. How did Judas die? - He
hanged himself.
"And throwing down the pieces of silver in the temple, he departed; and he went and hanged himself."
(Matthew 27:5) - He fell, and burst open and all his bowels gushed out.
"And falling headlong he burst open
in the middle and all his bowels gushed out." (Acts 1:18)
13. Who carried the cross to the place of crucifixion? - Simon of Cyrene.
"And they compelled a passer-by, Simon of Cyrene, who was
coming in from the country, the father of Alexander and Rufus, to carry his cross." (Mark 15:21) As they went out,
they came upon a man of Cyrene, Simon by name; this man they compelled to carry his cross." (Matthew 27:32) - Jesus
carried his own cross.
"So they took Jesus, and he went out, bearing his own cross, to the place called the
place of a skull, which is called in Hebrew Golgotha." (John 19:17)
14. How many robbers insulted
Jesus as he hung on the cross? - Both of the robbers insulted Jesus.
"And the
robbers who were crucified with him also reviled him in the same way." (Matthew 27:44) "Those who
were crucified with him also reviled him." (Mark 15:32) - Only one of the robbers insulted
Jesus. The other said:
"Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom." (Luke 23:42)
15. Was Jesus the first person to rise from the dead? - Yes
- "That the Christ must suffer, and that, by being the first to rise from the dead, he would proclaim light both to the
people and to the Gentiles." (Acts 26:23)
- No - Lazarus (John 11:43-44), Jairus's daughter
(Mark 5:22-24; 35-43), and the widow's son (Luke 7:12-15) were already raised from the dead before Jesus. There is also
an Old Testament story about Elisha raising a child from the dead. (2 Kings 4:32-35)
16. Did
John the Baptist know that Jesus was the messiah or savior? - Yes - "The next day he [John] saw Jesus coming
toward him, and said, 'Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!'" (John 1:29)
- No - "And
John, calling to him two of his disciples, sent them to the Lord, saying, 'Are you he who is to come, or shall we look for
another?'" (Luke 7:19)
17. Was John the Baptist a thief and a robber? - Yes - Jesus
said, "All who came before me are thieves and robbers." (John 10:7)
- No - Jesus said, "Among those born
of women none is greater than John." (Luke 7:28) Also Matthew 11:11
18. Did Jesus begin his ministry
before or after John the Baptist was arrested? - Before - "After this Jesus and his disciples went into
the land of Judea; there he remained with them and baptized. John also was baptizing at Aenon near Salim, because there
was much water there; and people came and were baptized. For John had not yet been put in prison." (John 3:22-24)
- After
- "Now when he [Jesus] heard that John had been arrested, he withdrew into Galilee, and leaving Nazareth he went and
dwelt in Capernaum by the sea . . . From that time Jesus began to preach, saying, 'Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at
hand.'" (Matthew 4:12, 17)
19. During his ministry, did the disciples understand who Jesus
was? - Yes - Upon meeting Jesus for the first time, Andrew told his brother Simon Peter, "We have found
the Messiah." (John 1:41)
- No - After Jesus stilled the storm that had frightened the disciples on the sea, they
asked each other, "Who then is this, that he commands even the winds and the water, and they obey him?" (Luke 8:25)
20.
Who was the twelfth disciple? - Thaddaeus (Matthew 10:2-4; Mark 3:16-19)
- Judas, son of James (Luke
6:14-16)
- Nathanael (John 21:2)
The other eleven were Simon (Peter), Andrew, James son of Zebedee, John, Philip,
Bartholomew, Thomas, Matthew, James son of Alphaeus, Simon the Zealot, and Judas Iscariot.
21. Did Jesus come
to judge the world? - No - "I did not come to judge the world, but to save the world." (John 12:47)
- Yes
- "He [Jesus] is the one ordained by God to be judge of the living and the dead." (Acts 10:42)
22. What
were Jesus's last words on the cross? - "My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?" (Mark 15:34;
Matthew 27:46)
- "Father, into thy hands I commit my spirit." (Luke 23:46)
- "It is finished."
(John 19:30)
23. How long would Jesus be in the tomb before rising again? - "Three days
and three nights in the heart of the earth." (Matthew 12:40)
- But Jesus was in the tomb for only two nights (Friday
and Saturday) and one day (Saturday). (Mark 15:42; 16:1-2)
24. How many disciples were present when
Jesus first met them after the resurrection? - Jesus's first appearance to the disciples was to the full group
of eleven. (Matthew 28:16-17; Luke 24:33) (But Matthew and Luke have the meeting in different places.)
- Jesus's
first appearance to the disciples was only to ten of them, Thomas being absent. (John 20:24) Jesus didn't meet
Thomas until eight days later. (John 20:26)
25. Did the disciples know that Jesus was going to rise from the
dead? - Yes - "When therefore he was raised from the dead, his disciples remembered that he had said this;
and they believed the scripture and the word which Jesus had spoken." (John 2:22)
- No - "For as yet they
did not know the scripture, that he must rise from the dead." (John 20:9) (after discovering the empty tomb)
26.
Is all scripture inspired by God? - Yes - "All scripture is inspired by God." (2 Timothy 3:16)
- No
- Paul specifically states that some of his words are his own, not God's: "What I am saying I say not with the
Lord's authority but as a fool." (2 Corinthians 11:17)
27. Are there other gods? - Yes
- "For although there may be so-called gods in heaven or on earth, as indeed there are many gods and many lords,
yet for us there is one God, the Father." (1 Corinthians 8:5-6)
- No - "How can you believe, who receive glory
from one another and do not seek the glory that comes from the only God?" (John 5:44)
28. Is it OK to
pray in public? - No - "When you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who
is in secret." (Matthew 6:6)
- Yes - "I desire then that in every place the men should pray." (1 Timothy
2:8)
29. Was Jesus always open about his actions and sayings? - Yes - "I spoke nothing
secretly." (John 18:20)
- No - "Then he strictly charged the disciples to tell no one that he was the Christ."
(Matthew 16:20) After healing the leper, Jesus "charged him to tell no one." (Luke 5:14) "They
went on from there and passed through Galilee, and he would not have anyone know it." (Mark 9:30)
30.
Did Jesus instruct the disciples to take staff and sandals as they went about their mission? - Yes - "He
charged them to take nothing for their journey except a staff; no bread, no bag, no money in their belts; but to wear sandals
and not put on two tunics." (Mark 6:8-9)
- No - "Take no gold, nor silver, nor copper in your belts, no bag
for your journey nor two tunics, nor sandals, nor a staff." (Matthew 10:9-10)
31. When Paul experienced
a vision on the road to Damascus, did his traveling companions also hear a voice? - Yes - "The men who
were traveling with him stood speechless, hearing the voice but seeing no one." (Acts 9:7)
- No - "Now those
who were with me saw the light but did not hear the voice of the one who was speaking to me." (Acts 22:9)
32.
Did those present during Paul's vision fall down or remain standing? - They remained standing: "The
men who were traveling with him stood speechless." (Acts 9:7)
- They all fell down: "And when we had all fallen
to the ground, I heard a voice." (Acts 26:14)
33. Shortly after his conversion, did Paul meet with the
disciples? - Yes - "For several days he was with the disciples at Damascus." (Acts 9:19) "And
when he had come to Jerusalem he attempted to join the disciples." (Acts 9:26)
- No - "When he who had set
me apart before I was born, and had called me through his grace, was pleased to reveal his Son to me, in order that I might
preach him among the Gentiles, I did not confer with flesh and blood, nor did I go up to Jerusalem to those who were apostles
before me, but I went away into Arabia; and again I returned to Damascus. Then after three years I went up to Jerusalem.
(Galatians 1:15-18)
34. When did Satan enter into Judas? - Before the last supper. (Luke
22:3)
- During the last supper (John 13:27)
35. Has anyone seen God? - No - "No one
has ever seen God." (John 1:18)
- Yes - Jesus said, "He who sees me sees him who sent me." (John 12:45)
Also, there were many sightings of God in the Old Testament. For example: "They beheld God, and ate and drank."
(Exodus 24:11); "In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord sitting upon a throne." (Isaiah 6:1); "I
saw the LORD sitting on his throne, and all the host of heaven standing beside him on his right hand and on his left."
(1 Kings 22:19)
36. In what year was Jesus born? - Jesus was born during the reign
of Herod the Great (4 BC or earlier). (Matthew 2:1).
- Jesus was born during the Roman census while Quirinius was governor
of Syria (in 6 AD). (Luke 2:2).
For a very thorough discussion of the historical evidence underlying this contradiction,
see Richard Carrier, "The
Date of the Nativity in Luke."
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37. Can those who hate their
brother find favor with God? - Yes - "If anyone comes to me and does
not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be
my disciple." (Luke 14:26)
- No - "If anyone says, 'I love God,' and hates
his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen, cannot love God whom he has not seen."
(1 John 4:20)
38. How were Simon (Peter) and Andrew called to be disciples? - Jesus summoned them as they were fishing. (Mark 1:16-17)
- They
followed Jesus of their own accord after John the Baptist identified Jesus as the "Lamb of God." (John 1:35-41)
39. Do we know how we should pray? - Yes - Jesus
told us to pray the Lord's prayer. (Matthew 6:7-13)
- No - "We do not know how
to pray as we ought." (Romans 8:26)
40. Are women equal to men in
the community of believers? - Yes - "There is neither Jew nor Greek,
there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus." (Galatians 3:28)
- No - "The women should keep silence in the churches. For they are not permitted to speak,
but should be subordinate, as even the law says. If there is anything they desire to know, let them ask their husbands
at home. For it is shameful for a woman to speak in church." (1 Corinthians 14:34-35)
41. Who were the first to come to Jesus's tomb on Sunday? - Mary Magdalene, Mary mother of James, and Salome (Mark 16:1)
- Mary Magdalene
and "the other Mary" (Matthew 28:1)
- Mary Magdalene, Mary mother of James,
Joanna, and "the other women" (Luke 24:10)
- Mary Magdalene alone (John
20:1)
42. When did they come? - "When the sun had risen." (Mark 16:2)
- "While it was still
dark." (John 20:1)
43. When they got there, where was the stone that
had been placed over the entrance to the tomb? - As the women watched, an
angel descended and rolled away the stone and sat on it. (Matthew 28:2)
- The stone
had already been rolled away when they arrived. (Luke 24:2)
44. When did
Jesus ascend to heaven? - Jesus ascended to heaven on the night after the
resurrection. (Luke 24:51; Mark 16:19) (Follow the sequence of events from the empty tomb to the ascension, and you'll
see they all took place within the space of a single day.)
- Jesus ascended to heaven
at least 40 days after the resurrection. (Acts 1:3,9)
45. Barabbas, who
was released by Pilate, was guilty of what crime? - Robbery (John 18:40
- Insurrection and murder (Mark 15:7; Luke 23:25)
46.
Did Jesus go directly to paradise after being crucified? - Yes - He told
one of the robbers on the cross, "Truly I say to you, today you will be with me in Paradise." (Luke 23:43)
- No - After being killed,he would not rise until three days later. (Mark 8:31; 9:31; 10:34; Luke 18:33;
24:7) Also, Luke says in Acts that Jesus walked the earth for forty days after his crucifixion (Acts 1:3), so therefore
could not have been with the crucified robber in paradise.
47. What words
were inscribed and hung over Jesus on the cross? - "The king of the
Jews." (Mark 15:26)
- "This is Jesus, the king of the Jews." (Matthew
27:37)
- "This is the king of the Jews." (Luke 23:38)
- "Jesus of Nazareth, the king of the Jews." (John 19:19)
48. Are Christians still bound by Jewish law? - Yes - "Think
not that I have come to abolish the law and the prophets; I have come not to abolish them but to fulfill them." (Matthew
5:17)
- No - "Now we are discharged from the law, dead to that which held us
captive, so that we serve not under the old written code but in the new life of the spirit." (Romans 7:6) Also
see Ephesians 2:14-15.
49. Who is with Jesus and who is against him? - "He who is not with me is against me." (Luke 11:23)
- But
he tells the disciples: "He that is not against you is for you." (Luke 9:50)
50. Was Jesus a physical descendant of David? - Yes - Jesus
"was descended from David according to the flesh." (Romans 1:3)
- No -
Jesus was not descended from David in a physical manner, but was born of a virgin who was impregnated by the Holy Spirit.
(Luke 1:35; Matthew 1:18)
51. Why couldn't the disciples cast out the demon
from the epileptic child? - Because "this kind cannot be driven out
by anything but prayer." (Mark 9:29)
- Because the disciples had "little
faith." (Matthew 17:20)
52. Are the followers of Jesus his slaves? - Yes - "He who was free when called is a slave of Christ." (1 Corinthians 7:22)
- No - "Through God you are no longer a slave but a son." (Galatians 4:7)
53. How do Jesus's captors recognize him when they come to arrest him? - Judas gives Jesus a kiss. (Mark 14:44-45)
- Jesus steps forward
and identifies himself to the soldiers. (John 18:4-5)
54. What do the women
do after leaving the empty tomb? - They depart and run to tell the disciples.
(Matthew 28:8)
- They are gripped with fear and tell no one what they have seen.
(Mark 16:8)
55. What was the hometown of Peter and Andrew? - Capernaum (Mark 1:21, 29)
- Bethsaida (John 1:44)
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