๐๐% ๐จ๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐ฐ๐จ๐ซ๐๐ฌ ๐จ๐ ๐๐๐ฌ๐ฎ๐ฌ ๐๐ซ๐ ๐ง๐จ๐ญ ๐ก๐ข๐ฌ
Mohamad Mostafa Nassar
Twitter:@NassarMohamadMR
“The Five Gospels,” is a 550-page book containing translations of the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. It was the result of a six-year study by 24 Christian scholars from a number of Western universities.
They decided to produce a translation of the Gospels which would be uncolored by the translator’s personal faith. It was decided that this translation was to give the reader an honest picture of what Jesus truly said.
They scanned the text for the words of Jesus and collected an index of over 1,500 such sayings. They then tested the validity of each of these sayings, one at a time, to see whether Jesus truly said each one. They then produced a fresh translation, color-coded to show authentic Jesuit sayings and those of an unreliable nature.
Their conclusion (page 5) was:
“Eighty-two percent of the words ascribed to Jesus in the gospels were not actually spoken by him.”
They go on to reveal that:
“Biblical scholars and theologians alike have learned to distinguish the Jesus of history from the Christ of faith. It has been a painful lesson for both the church and scholarship. The distinction between the two figures is the difference between a historical person who lived in a particular time and place…and a figure who has been assigned a mythical role, in which he descends from heaven to rescue humankind and, of course, eventually returns there.”
Well then, if 82% of the “words of Jesus” found in the Bible were apparently never spoken by him then where did they come from?
Some of the sources demonstrated by the authors are:
“The concept of plagiarism was unknown in the ancient world. Authors freely copied from predecessors without acknowledgment. Sages became the repository of free-floating proverbs and witticisms. For the first Christians, Jesus was a legendary sage: it was proper to attribute the world’s wisdom to him.
The proverb in Mark 2:17, for example, is attested in secular sources (Plutarch and Diogenes for example) …in the parallel to the Markan passage, Matthew adds a sentence taken from the prophet Hosea (Matt 9:13).”
“Hard sayings are frequently softened in the process of transmission to adapt them to the conditions of daily living…Variations in difficult sayings often betray the struggle of the early Christian community to interpret or adapt sayings to its own situations…
Matthew’s version of the aphorism “The last will be first and the first last”(Matt 20:16) is softened in Mark 10:31 to “MANY of the first will be last, and of the last MANY will be first”.”
And probably most revealing:
“Christian conviction eventually overwhelms Jesus: he is made to confess what Christians had come to believe…The contrast between Christian language or viewpoint and the language or viewpoint of Jesus is a very important clue to the real voice of Jesus, the language of Jesus was distinctive, as was his style and perspective.”
The above is only a very small sampling of the very large cache of evidence clearly showing the Bible to have been seriously distorted and altered. To this day it is being continuously edited, corrected, and modified. This is not to say that Christians are not good and honest people in search of the truth.
Quite the opposite. Among them are some of the most decent and moral people on this earth. The goal of this book is only to show that the Christian faith as it stands today is not the same one preached by Jesusโ peace be upon him to his followers nineteen hundred years ago. This is exactly what the Qur’an has been asserting for over fourteen hundred years now.
“O People of the Book! Why do you reject the Signs of God, when you [yourselves] bear witness [to their truth] ?. O People of the Book! Why do you clothe Truth with falsehood, and conceal the Truth, while you have knowledge? (The Noble Quran, 3:70-71)”
“Say: ‘O People of the Book (Jews and Christians)! Why do you reject the Signs of God, when God is Himself witness to all you do?’ Say: ‘O People of the Book! Why do you obstruct those who believe from the path of God, seeking to make it crooked, while you were yourselves witnesses? But God is not unaware of what you do’ (The Noble Quran, 3:98-99)”
“Truly, the Religion in the Sight of God is Islam (literally: “the submission”). Nor did those who were given the scripture dissent therefrom except after knowledge had come to them, through envy of each other. But whosoever disbelieves in the Signs of God, [then surely,] God is swift in calling to account. (The Noble Quran, 3:19)”
“They are not all alike. Of the People of the Scripture there is a party who stand [for that which is right], they recite the revelations of Allah throughout the night, falling prostrate [before Him]. (The Noble Quran, 3:113)”
“And there are, certainly, among the People of the Book, those who believe in God, and in that which was sent down unto you, and in that which was sent down unto them, humbling themselves before God: They will not sell the Signs of God for a miserable gain! For them is a reward with their Lord, and God is swift to take account. (The Noble Quran, 3:199)”
“O people of the Book! Now has come unto you Our messenger, revealing to you much of what you used to hide in the Book, and passing over much. Indeed, there has come to you from God a light and a plain Scripture (The Noble Quran, 5:15)”
A small sampling of these contradictions:
“And the chief priests and all the council sought for witness against Jesus to put him to death; and found none. For many bare false witnesses against him, but their witness agreed not together. And there arose certain, and bare false witness against him, saying, we heard him say, I will destroy this temple that is made with hands, and within three days I will build another made without hands. But neither so did their witness agree together. (Mark 14:56-59)”
Christian scholars have known, recognized, and documented the many and varied contradictions to be found in the Bible for centuries now. These contradictions are a direct result of the continuous and unrelenting attempts to correct, fix, and amend the Bible in order to make a given doctrine “clear” to the reader. It is the masses who have been kept in the dark in this regard.
There is extensive historical and scriptural evidence to be found in the books of the Bible which support this conclusion. Some Christian scholars estimate the errors in the Bible to be in the range of 14,800-50,000 or even much more. This is why it has become necessary for the Church to demand “blind faith” from the masses.
Matthew is now recognized as not being the author of Matthew (read for example Matthew 9:9). John is also recognized as not being the author of John (read for example John 21:24) …. and on and on. These Christian scholars (not Muslims) have even gone so far as to attempt to identify the original documents from which these books were originally derived, such as J, P, Y, Q,…etc.(see section 2.3) .
For centuries now, the Qur’an has been bearing witness that the previous books of God had been modified by the hands of the unscrupulous few. Even now when Christians and their universities themselves recognize this to be a historical fact they still do not bother to tell the masses.
Some of these Conservative scholars, such as Mr. F.F. Bruce, appear to have completely given up on refuting the proof of distortion and have now resorted to “spiritualizing” the Bible and telling people in effect that the teachings of the Bible are useful anyway even if we don’t even know who the inspired authors are.
Others will adamantly refuse to believe that anyone has changed the word of God or that the Bible contains any conflictions whatsoever no matter how much evidence is presented. They are willing to either:
1) Explain it away using abstraction to explain the “true” meanings of the verses presented, or
2) Explain it based upon assumptions of their own not contained in the Bible, or
3) Claim that these matters are all insignificant and that the words remain the inspiration of God even if we don’t know who the “inspired” authors were and their narrations contradict one another.
Even at that, they don’t attempt to explain all the contradictions presented. They have developed a system where in one paragraph they manage to reduce many thousands of discrepancies to “only a handful which are at all important,” and even before reaching the end of the paragraph, even this “handful” is quickly brushed away as being “only apparent discrepancies.”
The problem in many cases is that it is human nature when given a choice between two matters, to take the simpler of the two, sometimes even against one’s better judgment. This is indeed how many people lose their life savings to people who tell them that they will invest it for them in a “sure thing,” or people who encourage others to participate in lotteries.
We would not expect that our land would grow fruit without our having to lavish upon it months of back breaking work. We would not expect that a large company would be willing to pay us a handsome weekly paycheck without our actually doing some useful work for them, however, when it comes to the ultimate reward and the ultimate prize, the Paradise of the Lord of creation, now we are told that it is no longer necessary to work for the ultimate prize.
Paul has made salvation a very easy commodity to come by in Christianity. They only have to “believe.” No actual work is required. No one has to work for their salvation (Romans 3:28, etc.). Paul has brought for them the “sure thing” and the short cut to salvation.
The commandments of Jesus which he himself observed faithfully and fully up until the crucifixion, are all discarded by Paul as old, decaying, and ready to vanish away (Hebrews 8:13, etc.). The fact that Jesus himself told his followers that observing the commandments and selling their belongings shall make them “perfect” is forgotten (Matthew 19:16-21).
The fact that Jesus himself commanded his followers to keep the commandments until the end of time is also forgotten (Matthew 5:17-19). All they need is “faith.” They have already been saved. The Law and commandments are merely “extra.”
Below is a small sampling of the many and varied contradictions between the verses of the Bible. These are only some of the very simple and obvious examples known today. Other more serious ones require comparisons of many passages with each other (see for example sections 5.2, 5.4 and 5.5) or with historical or scientific knowledge.
The reader is encouraged to investigate these examples and to try to analyze the excuses given for them objectively. Please do not accept any and all attempts to justify these contradictions without first analyzing them carefully. When someone tells you that something was a scribal error then remember that the transmitters of even the Old Testament claim that every word and every letter was faithfully counted and recorded and thus, it would be impossible for unintentional errors to creep in.
This claim by itself should refute all excuses.
I have seen many such claims of ‘numerical miracles’ and ‘Code finds’ in the Bible. Once such claim which I recently came across claimed that the Torah has recently been shown to be statistically valid to over 99.998%. One of those men who became obsesed with this issue was Ivan Panin who spent 50 years writing over 43,000 pages investigating Bible numerics in an attempt to prove that the Bible contains a numerical miracle regarding the numbers seven and eleven, and the position value of letters and other devices.
Firstly, as observed by Gary Miller, the Bible does not state that these things have any relevance. Nowhere has God said: “Behold the miracle of seven and eleven!” Second, these “numerical miracles” are cited in regard to the Bible in order to prove that it is “perfectly preserved.” Yet the Bible also contains numerical inconsistencies (see examples in table below) which are then brushed off by these same scholars as being “slips of the pen.” So, which is it?
Is the Bible so perfectly and flawlessly preserved that it contains hidden numerical miracles and messages, and every word and every letter has been counted and recorded, or has the Bible been exposed to “slips of the pen” such that our current Bibles are not 100% completely and fully the absolute unfailing and inerrant word of God?
Obviously, we can’t have it both ways.
For example, Panin himself revised the New Testament based on his ideas. In places where the text does not conform to his theory, he decides on the basis of that which fits his scheme. One author of “theomatics” maintained that the anonymous book of Hebrews was written by Paul because this would mean that the total number of books in the Bible credited to Paul would then be equal to fourteen -a multiple of seven.
Notice how the text is made to conform to the theory rather than vice-versa?
To take one example of the methods used to attempt to explain the contradictions which have crept into the Bible as a result of centuries of “correction” to its text; the contradiction between Matthew 17:13 and John 1:21 (point 16 below) is explained by Mr. J as:
“John is answering the question directly and literally, he is not Elijah, he is John the son of Zechariah…. John was not interested in promoting all kind of speculation about his identity, but to focus attention upon the one he had been sent to prepare the way for.”
So, if Joe is a vice principal, and someone asks the principal “Is Joe the vice principal?” and the principal says “yes,” then it is OK for Joe to say, “I am not the vice principal” because he is “talking within the context that he is Joe” and he wants to “focus attention” on the principal?
Does this sound logical? These apologists’ arguments are usually presented with such confidence that people don’t bother to analyze them or look any further.
The Jews acceptance of Jesus as the Messiah hinges on John admitting he is Elias (Mark 9:12). If John does not admit to being Elias then Jesusโ whole message will lose credibility. Is this how John “focuses attention” on Jesus?
It is inconceivable to think that John, peace be upon him, a prophet of God, would intentionally lie especially in a matter that can totally nullify Jesus’ whole message. It is also inconceivable that a prophet of God would remain a prophet of God for many years before the coming of Jesus, fulfilling many prophesies, but neither know that he was sent by God, nor be informed by God that He sent him.
The Qur’an tells us that if the word of God were ever to be tampered with by the hands of mankind, then it will be easy to detect this tampering by the contradictions which will inevitably result. We read
“Do they not consider the Qur’an (with care)? Had it been from other than Allah, they would have surely found therein much discrepancy. (The Noble Quran, 4:82)”
Even the Bible itself gives the same criteria for discovering such modifications,
“For many bare false witnesses against him (Jesus), but their witness agreed not together. (Mark 14:56)”
The “witness” of the Gospels in our hands today do indeed “agree not together.” This is a result of countless modifying fingers. Thus, as claimed in the Qur’an, this has resulted in it bearing “false witness against him (Jesus).” I hope you find these examples enlightening and informative.
Verse contradicting verse
1 Matthew 2:1 Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judaea in the days of Herod the king (So Jesus was born between the years 37 B.C. and 4 B.C.)
Luke 2:1-7And it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus, that all the world should be taxed. ([And] this taxing was first made when Cyrenius was governor of Syria.)… And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn. (so, Jesus was born about the year 7 C.E. More than ten years later)
2 Acts 9:26-29 and Acts 26:19-21(Paul is saved) Galatians 1:15-22(Was he really?)
3 Acts 9:7(heard voice, saw no man) Acts 22:9(no voice, saw light)
4 Matt.10:2-4, Mark3:16-19 (Jesus apostles’ names, the twelfth is Lebbeus who’s surname was Thaddeus) Luke 6:14-16 (apostles’ names now different, the twelfth in Luke is Judas the brother of James)
5 Matthew 27:5 (Judas hangs himself) Acts 1:18 (Judas falls headlong, his bowels gush)
6 Matthew 11:13-14,17:13 (Elias is John the Baptist) John 1:21 (Elias is not John the Baptist)
7 Luke 3:23-31 + Romans 1:3 (“according to the flesh” 41 men between Jesus and David) Matthew 1:6-16 + Romans 1:3 (“according to the flesh” 26 men between Jesus and David)
8 Matthew 21:12-18 (temple before passing fig tree) Mark 11:12-15 (temple After passing fig tree)
9 Mark 15:25 (crucified by third hour) John 19:14 (not crucified by sixth hour)
10 Matthew 27:32, Luke 23:26, Mark 15:21 (Simon carries the cross) John 19:17 (Jesus carries the cross)
11 Mark 15:23 (gave wine with myrrh to drink) Matthew27:34 (Gave vinegar with gall to drink)
12 Matthew 1:16 (Jesusโ son of Joseph son of Jacob) Luke 3:23 (Jesus son of Joseph son of Heli)
13 1 Corinthians 15:5 (Jesus seen by twelve) Matthew 28:16 (Jesus seen by eleven)
14 1 Chronicles 7:6 (Three sons), 1Chronicles 8:1 (Five sons), Genesis 46:21 (ten sons) (How many sons did Benjamin have and what are their names?)
15 Acts 9:6-7 Paul falls to ground, others remain standing. Paul receives very simple command. Acts 26-14-18 Paul falls to ground, and the others also fall to the ground. Paul receives a long sermon and detailed instructions.
16 Matthew 20:20-21 (The mother of the Zebedee’s sons makes the request) Mark 10:35-37 (The Zebedee’s sons make the request themselves)
17 (four different accounts of who visited the grave of Jesus)
Matthew 28:1 In the end of the Sabbath, as it began to dawn toward the first day of the week, came Mary Magdalene and the other Mary to see the sepulcher.
Mark 16:1 And when the Sabbath was past, Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James, and Salome, had bought sweet spices, that they might come and anoint him.
John 20:1 The first day of the week cometh Mary Magdalene early, when it was yet dark, unto the sepulcher, and seeth the stone taken away from the sepulcher.
Luke 24:10 It was Mary Magdalene and Joanna, and Mary the mother of James, and other women that were with them, which told these things unto the apostles.
18 (four different accounts of who saw what at Jesus’ grave) Matthew 28:2-5 And, behold, there was a great earthquake: for the angel of the Lord descended from heaven, and came and rolled back the stone from the door, and sat upon it. His countenance was like lightning, and his raiment white as snow:
And for fear of him the keepers did shake and became as dead men. And the angel answered and said unto the women, Fear not ye: for I know that ye seek Jesus, which was crucified.
Mark 16:5 And entering into the sepulcher, they saw a young man sitting on the right side, clothed in a long white garment; and they were affrighted.
Luke 24:4 And it came to pass, as they were much perplexed thereabout, behold, two men stood by them in shining garments:
John 20:12 And seeth two angels in white sitting, the one at the head, and the other at the feet, where the body of Jesus had lain.
19 Luke 24:9-10 And returned from the sepulcher, and told all these things unto the eleven, and to all the rest. It was Mary Magdalene and Joanna, and Mary the mother of James, and other women that were with them, which told these things unto the apostles. (Three women + speak) Mark 16:1-8 And when the Sabbath was past, Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James, and Salome, had bought sweet spices, that they might come and anoint him.
And very early in the morning the first day of the week, they came unto the sepulcher at the rising of the sun… And they went out quickly and fled from the sepulcher; for they trembled and were amazed: neither said they anything to any man; for they were afraid. (Three different women + afraid)
20 John 5:31 (my witness is not true) John 8:14 (My record is true)
21 Matthew 27:11-14 Mark 15:1-5, Luke 23:1-4 (Jesus said “Thou sayest” and NOTHING ELSE) John 18:33-38 (Jesus says many things and answers many questions in detail)
22 (Three different narrations of Jesus’ last words)
Luke23:46: “And when Jesus had cried with a loud voice, he said, “Father, unto thy hands I commend my spirit:” and having said thus, he gave up the ghost.”
John19:30: “When Jesus therefore had received the vinegar, he said, “It is finished:” and he bowed his head and gave up the ghost.”
Matt.27:46,50: “And about the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, “Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani?” that is to say, “My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?” …Jesus, when he cried again with a loud voice, yielded up the ghost.”
23 Acts 2:30 Therefore being a prophet and knowing that God had sworn with an oath to him, that of the fruit of his loins, according to the flesh, he would raise up Christ to sit on his throne; Matthew 1:18 Now the birth of Jesus Christ was on this wise: When as his mother Mary was espoused to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Ghost.
(Was Jesus the descendant of King David “according to the flesh” or the son of God?)
24 Matt.5:1,2: “And seeing the multitudes, he went up into a mountain: and when he was set, his disciples came unto him: And he opened his mouth, and taught them, saying….” Luke6:17,20: “And he came down with them, and stood in the plain, and the company of his disciples, and a great multitude of people…came to hear him. And he lifted up his eyes on his disciples and said…”
25 Exodus 24:9 “Then went up Moses, and Aaron, Nadab, and Abihu, and seventy of the elders of Israel: And they saw the God of Israel:”.
Amos 9:1 “I saw the LORD standing upon the altar”
Genesis 26:2 “And the LORD appeared unto him, and said”
Exodus 33:23: “And I will take away my hand, and thou shalt see my backparts.”
Exodus 33:11: “And the Lord spake to Mosesโ face to face, as a man speaketh to his friend.”
Genesis 32:30: “For I have seen God face to face, and my life is preserved.”
Also see Genesis 12:7, 17:1, 18:1, Exodus 3:16, 6:2-3, Numbers 12:7-8, 14:14, Job 42:5, Amos 7:7-8
(These verses claim that God can be seen) John 1:18: “No man hath seen God at any time.”
Exodus 33:20: “And he said, Thou canst not see my face; for there shall no man see me and live.”
1 John 4:12 No man hath seen God at any time.
1 Timothy 6:16: “Whom no man hath seen nor can see.”
(These verses claim that God cannot be seen)
26 Malachi 3:6 For I am the LORD, I change not; therefore, ye sons of Jacob are not consumed.
James 1:17 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.
Jonah 3:10 And God saw their works, that they turned from their evil way; and God repented of the evil, that he had said that he would do unto them; and he did it not.
Genesis 6:6 And it repented the LORD that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him at his heart.
27 Matthew 27:9 Then was fulfilled that which was spoken by Jeremy the prophet, saying, And they took the thirty pieces of silver, the price of him that was valued, whom they of the children of Israel did value; Jeremiah never said anything even remotely similar. Maybe Zechariah 11:11-13 is intended?
28 2 Chronicles 36:1 Then the people of the land took Jehoahaz the son of Josiah, and made him king in his father’s stead in Jerusalem. Jeremiah 22:11 For thus saith the LORD touching Shallum the son of Josiah king of Judah, which reigned instead of Josiah his father, which went forth out of this place; He shall not return thither any more:
(Who was Josiah’s successor? Jehoahaz, or Shallum?)
29 Matthew 27:28 And they stripped him and put on him a scarlet robe. John 19:2 And the soldiers platted a crown of thorns, and put it on his head, and they put on him a purple robe,
30 2 Kings 2:11: “And Elijah went up by a whirlwind into heaven.”
Genesis 5:22-24 And Enoch walked with God after he begat Methuselah three hundred years, and begat sons and daughters: And all the days of Enoch were three hundred sixty and five years:
And Enoch walked with God: and he [was] not; for God took him. John 3:13: “No man hath ascended up to heaven but he that came down from heaven, … the Son of Man.”
31 Genesis 22:1: “And it came to pass after these things, that God did tempt Abraham.” James 1:13: “Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God; for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man.”
32 Isaiah 14:21 Prepare slaughter for his children for the iniquity of their fathers; that they do not rise, nor possess the land, nor fill the face of the world with cities. Deuteronomy 24:16 The fathers shall not be put to death for the children, neither shall the children be put to death for the fathers: every man shall be put to death for his own sin.
33 Matthew 8:5: The centurion came in person. Luke 7:3 The centurion sent elders of the Jews
34 Matthew 26:6-9 “Now when Jesus was in Bethany, in the house of Simon the leper, there came unto him a woman having an alabaster box of very precious ointment, and poured it on his head, as he sat at meat.
But when his disciples saw it, they had indignation, saying, To what purpose is this waste? For this ointment might have been sold for much and given to the poor.” (Mark 14:3-7 is about the same)
Luke 7:36-39 “And one of the Pharisees desired him that he would eat with him. And he went into the Pharisee’s house, and sat down to meat. And behold, a woman in the city, which was a sinner, when she knew that Jesus sat at meat in the Pharisee’s house, brought an alabaster box of ointment, and stood at his feet behind him weeping, and began to wash his feet with tears, and did wipe them with the hairs of her head, and kissed his feet, and anointed them with the ointment.
Now when the Pharisee which had bidden him saw it, he spake within himself, saying, this man, if he were a prophet, would have known who and what manner of woman this is that toucheth him: for she is a sinner.”
John 12:1-6 “Then Jesus six days before the Passover came to Bethany, where Lazarus was, which had been dead, whom he raised from the dead There they made him a supper; and Martha served: but Lazarus was one of them that sat at the table with him.
Then took Mary a pound of ointment of spikenard, very costly, and anointed the feet of Jesus, and wiped his feet with her hair: and the house was filled with the odor of the ointment.
Then saith one of his disciples, Judas Iscariot, Simon’s son, which should betray him, why was not this ointment sold for three hundred pence, and given to the poor? This he said, not that he cared for the poor; but because he was a thief, and had the bag, and bare what was put therein.”
1) Matthew and Mark say it was the house of Simon the leper, Luke says that it was the Pharisee’s house, John on the other hand claims that it was the house of Martha, Mary, and Lazarus.
Paul said: “God is not the author of confusion,” (I Corinthians 14:33), yet never has a book produced more confusion than the Bible! Some clear contradictions which were compiled by a former Evangelical minister and Missionary.
Further small sampling of contradictions in the Bible:
2) Matthew and Mark claim that a random woman brought the ointment. Luke says that it was a sinful woman. John says that it was Mary, Lazarus’ sister.
3) Matthew and Mark say that the woman anointed Jesus’ head. Luke and John both say that she anointed his feet.
4) Mark claims that some were indignant. Matthew claims that the disciples were indignant. Luke claims that the Pharisee alone was indignant. John claims that Judas Iscariot alone was indignant.
35 Romans 5:12 Adam alone was responsible for the “original sin.” 1 Timothy 2:14 Eve alone, and not Adam, was responsible for the “original sin”
36 Matthew 28:7, 10, 16:20, Mark 16:7. Jesus appeared in Galilee. But Acts 1:4 commands them not to leave Jerusalem Luke 24:13-52, Acts 1:1-12. Jesus appeared in Jerusalem.
37 Matthew 2 (“Jesus was born in Bethlehem. Mary and Joseph took him to Egypt till Harod died. Then they went to Nazareth”). Luke 2 (“Jesus was born in Bethlehem. After Mary delivered Jesus “And when the days of her purification according to the law of Moses were accomplished, they brought him to Jerusalem.”
After the sacrifice “they returned into Galilee, to their own city Nazareth.” His parents went to Jerusalem every year at the feast of the Passover. When he was twelve years old, he stayed behind for three days without the knowledge of his mother.
38 Mark 11 (Jesus, spoke with the elders of the Jews on the third day after his arrival in Jerusalem) Matthew 21 (Jesus, spoke with the elders of the Jews on the second day after his arrival)
39 Matthew 8 (Jesus healed a leper, then the servant of the centurion, then healed the mother of Simon’s wife) Mark 4,5,7 (healed the mother of Simon’s wife, then a the leper, then the servant of the centurion)
40 Matthew 20:30-34 (Jesus healed two blind men after leaving Jericho) Mark 10:46-52 (Jesus healed one blind man called Bartimaeus after leaving Jericho)
41 Matthew 9:18 (the ruler came and said “My daughter is even now dead”) Mark 5:22-23 (the ruler said his daughter is near death. After they came near his house, someone came out and told him that his daughter had died while he was away)
42 Matthew 8:28 (When Jesus came into the country of the Gergesenes, he met two men possessed with devils coming out of the tombs) Mark 5:2 and Luke 8:27 (When Jesus came into the country of the Gadarenes., he met one man possessed with devils coming out of the tombs)
43 Matthew 21:2 (“Jesus sent two disciples “Saying unto them, go into the village over against you, and straightway ye shall find an ass tied, and a colt with her: loose them, and bring them unto me”). Mark 11:2 (Jesus said: “…ye shall find a colt tied, loose him, and bring him”).
Luke 19:30 (Jesus said “….ye shall find a colt tied, …: loose him, and bring him hither”).
John 12:14-15 (“And Jesus, when he had found a young ass, sat thereon; as it is written, Fear not, daughter of Sion: behold, thy King cometh, sitting on an ass’s colt”)
Did Jesus send anyone? What, and how many did they bring? Or did he find it/them alone?
44 Mark 1, Matthew 4, John 1 (Two different narrations of the conversion of the disciples) Mark/Matthew As he walked by the sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and Andrew. They followed him. And when he had gone a little farther, he saw James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, and they followed him too. All of them were mending their nets when they met Jesus.
John: On the banks of the Jordan, John the Baptist pointed out Jesus to two of his disciples, and they followed Jesus. One of the two which heard John speak, and followed Jesus, was Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother. Andrew found his brother Simon and brought him to Jesus. Jesus named him Cephas. The next day Jesus went into Galilee, and found Philip. Philip then found Nathanael. At no time was anyone mending nets.
45 Matthew 3:13-16 (Jesus came to John the Baptist to be baptized by him. John recognized Jesus and forbade him, saying, “I have need to be baptized of thee, and comest thou to me?” He then baptized Jesus. Once Jesus was baptized, the heavens were opened unto him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and lighting upon him).
John recognized Jesus before the dove descended. John 1:32-34 (“And John bare record, saying, I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and it abode upon him.
And I knew him not: but he that sent me to baptize with water, the same said unto me, Upon whom thou shalt see the Spirit descending, and remaining on him, the same is he which baptizeth with the Holy Ghost. And I saw, and bare record that this is the Son of God”………Only after the dove descended did John recognize Jesus.
Also: in Matthew 11:2-3 “Now when John had heard in the prison the works of Christ, he sent two of his disciples, And said unto him, Art thou he that should come, or do we look for another?” The first passage states that John knew Jesus before the dove descended. The second claims that he didn’t until it descended. The third takes a middle ground)
46 Mark 7:32-35 (After departing from the coasts of Tyre and Sidon, Jesus came unto the sea of Galilee. One man that was deaf and had an impediment in his speech was brought before Jesus. Jesus healed him). Matthew 15:29-31 (Jesus departed and came to the sea of Galilee.
“And great multitudes came unto him, having with them those that were lame, blind, dumb, maimed, and many others, and cast them down at Jesus’ feet; and he healed them: Insomuch that the multitude wondered, when they saw the dumb to speak, the maimed to be whole, the lame to walk, and the blind to see: and they glorified the God of Israel”).
47 John 13:21-27 (“Verily, verily, I (Jesus) say unto you, that one of you shall betray me. Then the disciples looked one on another, doubting of whom he spake. Now there was leaning on Jesus’ bosom one of his disciples, whom Jesus loved. Simon Peter therefore beckoned to him, that he should ask who it should be of whom he spake. He then lying on Jesus’ breast saith unto him, Lord, who is it?
Jesus answered, He it is, to whom I shall give a sop, when I have dipped it. And when he had dipped the sop, he gave it to Judas Iscariot, the son of Simon. And after the sop Satan entered into him. Then said Jesus unto him, that thou doest, do quickly”) Matthew 26:21-25 (“he (Jesus) said, Verily I say unto you, that one of you shall betray me. And they were exceeding sorrowful, and began every one of them to say unto him, Lord, is it I?
And he answered and said, He that dippeth his hand with me in the dish, the same shall betray me. The Son of man goeth as it is written of him: but woe unto that man by whom the Son of man is betrayed! it had been good for that man if he had not been born. Then Judas, which betrayed him, answered, and said, Master, is it I? He said unto him, Thou hast said”).
48 Matthew 27:38-44, Mark 15:32 (Both thieves mocked Jesus). Luke 23:39-43 (One of the thieves mocked Jesus while the other rebuked him and asked Jesus to remember him in heaven, Jesus promised him that he would be with him in heaven)
49 Acts 1:18 (Judas purchased a field with the pieces of silver). Matthew 27:6-7 (The chief priests purchased a field with the pieces of silver)
50 Matthew 4:5-8 (The devil took Jesus to the pinnacle of the temple, then to a high mountain.) Luke 4:5-7 (The devil took Jesus up into a high mountain, then to the pinnacle of the temple)
51 John 2:18-19 (“Then answered the Jews and said unto him, what sign shewest thou unto us, seeing that thou doest these things? Jesus answered and said unto them, destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.”) Matthew 26:60-61 (“At the last came two false witnesses, and said, This fellow (Jesus) said, I am able to destroy the temple of God, and to build it in three days.” How can they be false witnesses if Jesus did actually say it?)
52 Matthew 15:22 (The woman who cried for her daughter was from Canaan) Mark 7 (The woman who cried for her daughter was a Greek and a Syrophenician by tribe)
53 Matthew 26:48-50 (Now he that betrayed him gave them a sign, saying, Whomsoever I shall kiss, that same is he: hold him fast. And forthwith he came to Jesus, and said, Hail, master; and kissed him. And Jesus said unto him, Friend, wherefore art thou come?
Then came they, and laid hands-on Jesus and took him) John 18-3-12 (Judas then, having received a band of men and officers from the chief priests and Pharisees, cometh thither with lanterns and torches and weapons.
Jesus, therefore, knowing all things that should come upon him, went forth, and said unto them, Who seek ye?
They answered him, Jesus of Nazareth. Jesus saith unto them, I am he. And Judas also, which betrayed him, stood with them. As soon then as he had said unto them, I am he, they went backward, and fell to the ground. Then asked he them again, who seek ye?
And they said, Jesus of Nazareth. Jesus answered, I have told you that I am he: if therefore ye seek me, let these go their way: That the saying might be fulfilled, which he spake, of them which thou gavest me have I lost none. Then Simon Peter having a sword drew it, and smote the high priest’s servant, and cut off his right ear. The servant’s name was Malchus.
Then said Jesus unto Peter, put up thy sword into the sheath: the cup which my Father hath given me, shall I not drink it? Then the band and the captain and officers of the Jews took Jesus, and bound him)
54 Romans 3:28 (“Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law.”) James 2:14,20 (“What doth it profit, my brethren, though a man say he hath faith, and have not works? can faith save him? …….But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead?”)
55 Romans 4:2, Romans 5:12, Romans 5:14, 1Corintians 15:20 (Paul speaks and claims that all mankind inherited the sin of their father Adam) Ezekiel 18:20, Deuteronomy 24:16, Jeremiah 31:29-30, Ezekiel 18:1-9 (God speaks and emphatically declares that no human will be held accountable for their father’s sin. No human can inherit sin)
56 Genesis 6:6 And it repented the LORD that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him at his heart. Numbers 23:19 God is not a man, that he should lie; neither the son of man, that he should repent: hath he said, and shall he not do it? or hath he spoken, and shall he not make it good?
(Does God repent or not?)
57 2 Samuel 8:4 (7 hundred horsemen) 1 Chronicles 18:4 (7 thousand horsemen)
58 1 Chronicles 21:12 (Three years famine) 2 Samuel 24:13 (Seven years famine)
59 Deuteronomy 2:19 & Deuteronomy 2:37 (Moses deprived land of Ammon) Joshua 13:24-25 (Moses gives land of Ammon as inheritance)
60 2 Samuel 24:9 (800,000+500,000) 1 Chronicles 21:5 (1,100,000+470,000)
61 2 Chronicles 36:9 (Eight years, three months +10 days) 2 Kings 24:8 (Eighteen years, three months)
62 2 Samuel 10:18 (700, 40,000 horsemen) 1 Chronicles 19:18 (7000, 40,000 footmen)
63 1 Kings 7:26 (two thousand baths) 2 Chronicles 4:5 (Three thousand baths)
64 2 Samuel 6:23 (Michal had no children) 2 Samuel 21:8 (Michal had five sons)
65 Genesis6:3 (mankind shall not live past 120 years) Genesis 11:10-32 (500,438,433,464,…etc.)
66 2 Chronicles 9:25 (4,000 stalls) 1 Kings 4:26 (40,000 stalls)
67 Isaiah 40:28 (God does not faint nor weary) Exodus 31:17 (God rested and was refreshed.)
68 Genesis 1: (God creates Plants, then animals, then man and woman.) Genesis 2: (God creates man, then plants, then animals, then woman)
69 Ezekiel 45 and 46 (Doctrines of offerings and sacrifices) Numbers 28 and 29 (Contradictory doctrines of offerings and sacrifices)
70 1 Chronicles 8:29-38 (One list of names) 1 Chronicles 9:35-44 (A contradictory list of names)
71 2 Samuel 5 and 2 Samuel 6 (David brought the ark after fighting the Philistines) 1 Samuel 13 and 1 Samuel 14 (David brought the ark Before fighting the Philistines)
72 Genesis 6:19-20 (Noah was to bring onto the ark “of every living thing of all flesh, two of every sort shalt thou bring into the ark, to keep them alive …. male and female….of fowls….of cattle….of every creeping thing of the earth…”).
Genesis 7:2-3 (Noah was to bring onto the ark “Of every clean beast thou shalt take to thee by sevens, the male and his female: and of beasts that are not clean by two, the male and his female. Of fowls also of the air by sevens, the male and the female…”).
73 2 Samuel 8:1 (“David took Methegammah out of the hand of the Philistines”). 1 Chronicles 18:1 (“David…took Gath and her towns out of the hand of the Philistines”).
74 2 Samuel 8:8 (“And from Betah, and from Berothai, cities of Hadadezer, king David took exceeding much brass”). 1 Chronicles 18:8 (“Likewise from Tibhath, and from Chun, cities of Hadarezer, brought David very much brass”).
75 2 Samuel 8:10 (“Then Toi sent Joram his son unto king David”) 1 Chronicles 18:10 (“He sent Hadoram his son to king David”)
76 2 Samuel 8:12 (“Of Syria, and of Moab, and of the children of Ammon, and of the Philistines, and of Amalek”). 1 Chronicles 18:11 (“from Edom, and from Moab, and from the children of Ammon, and from the Philistines, and from Amalek.
77 2 Samuel 8:13 (“And David gat him a name when he returned from smiting of the Syrians in the valley of salt, being eighteen thousand men”). 1 Chronicles 18:13 (“And he put garrisons in Edom; and all the Edomites became David’s servants”).
78 2 Samuel 8:17 (“and Seraiah was the scribe”) 1 Chronicles 18:16 (“and Shavsha was scribe”)
79 1 Kings 15:33-16:6 (“In the third year of Asa king of Judah began Baasha the son Ahijah to reign over all Israel in Tirzah, twenty four years….. So Baasha slept with his fathers, and was buried in Tirzah”). 3+24=27. 2 Chronicles 16:1
(“In the thirty sixth year of the reign of Asa, Baasha king of Israel came up against Judah”). But he died in the twenty seventh year! Was he resurrected? So how did he invade Judah 10 years after his death?
80 Genesis 7:1 Noah was righteous
Job 1:1, Job 1:8, Job 2:3, Job was righteous.
Luke 1:6 Zechariah and Elizabeth were righteous
Genesis 17:1 Abraham was righteous
Ames 5:16 Some men are righteous, (which makes their prayers effective). Romans 3:10 no one is righteous, not one
1John 1:8-10 No one was or is righteous.
81 Genesis 11:12 Arpachshad (Arphaxad) was the father of Salah (Sala) Luke 3:35-36 Cainan was the father of Shelah. Arpachshad (Arphaxad) was the grandfather of Salah (Sala).
82 Matthew 19:26 with God all things are possible.
Mark 10:27 with God all things are possible. Judges 1:19 And the LORD was with Judah; and he drove out [the inhabitants of] the mountain; but could not drive out the inhabitants of the valley, because they had chariots of iron.
(If I sit in my “iron” train or submarine, will God be powerless against me?)
83 Exodus 20:14 God prohibits adultery. This is one of the ten commandments Hosea 1:2 God commands Hosea to “take a wife of harlotry.”
84 Numbers 33:38-42 Aaron died on Mount Hor. After Aaron’s death, the Israelites journeyed from mount Hor, to Zalmonah, to Punon, … etc. Deuteronomy 10:6-7 Aaron died in Mosera. After Aaron’s death, the Israelites journeyed from Mosera, to Gudgodah to Jotbath.
85 Judges 4:21 Sisera was sleeping when Jael, Heber’s wife, killed him with a nail to the forehead. Judges 5:24-27 Sisera was standing when Jael, Heber’s wife, killed him with a nail to the forehead. Then he fell to her feet.
86 JS 10:38-40 Joshua himself captured Debir. JG 1:11-15 It was Othniel, who captured Debir thereby obtaining the hand of Caleb’s daughter, Achsah.
87 2 Samuel 24:24 David paid 50 shekels of silver 1 Chronicles 21:22-25 David paid 600 shekels of gold
88 1 Kings 5:16 Solomon’s officers 3300 in number. 2 Chronicles 2:2 Solomon’s officers 3600 in number
89 1Kings 7:15: 18 cubits high. 2 Chronicles 3:15-17: 35 cubits high.
90 Numbers 25:9 (24000) 1 Corinthians 10:8 (23000)
91 Ezra 2:6 (2812) Nehemiah 7:11 (2818)
92 Ezra 2:8 (945) Nehemiah 7:13 (845)
93 Ezra 2:12 (1222) Nehemiah 7:17 (2322)
94 Ezra 2:15 (454) Nehemiah 7:20 (655)
95 Ezra 2:19 (223) Nehemiah 7:22 (328)
96 Ezra 2:28 (223) Nehemiah 7:32 (123)
The list goes on and on, however, hopefully this sampling shall prove sufficient so that the reader might see what has driven countless Christian scholars to recognize the evidence of tampering. God does not inspire contradictions. Some among mankind have been tampering with the words of the Bible and then passing them off to mankind as part of the
“faultless words of God.” Centuries of “correction” to the Bible in order to promote chosen doctrines has led to side-effects (Remember: some Christian scholars acknowledge that the “errors” actually number from 14,800-50,000 errors).
Any reputable scholar of the Bible will never attempt to claim to be able to convince the majority of the scholars of the Bible that all of these 50,000 errors are all only “apparent” and that he is able to provide logical explanations for them all, one by one, from the Biblical text itself. Reputable Biblical scholars who have even the most rudimentary knowledge of Church history and Biblical manuscript preservation know better than that.
The most they shall try to do is to claim that all 14,800-50,000 errors are all “insignificant” and “undeserving of attention” or that they “do not affect basic faith.” We have already seen examples of this in the last section. We are asked to understand that the Bible is an ancient book and “obviously” errors will eventually creep in sooner or later.
This however overlooks three crucial issues:
Firstly: We are not talking about a regular book here, rather we are searching for the authentic original word of God, and the Bible says:
“The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: but the word of our God shall stand forever.”
Isaiah 40:8.
So, if 14,800-50,000 errors have crept into the Bible then where is the unerring word of God which we have been promised? The answer is that God has sent it to us in His last Scripture, the Noble Qur’an.
Secondly: We are told in Luke 16:10 that Jesus said:
“He that is faithful in that which is least is faithful also in much: and he that is unjust in the least is unjust also in much.”
So, according to Jesus himself, there is no such thing as an “insignificant” error or an “insignificant” “slip of the pen.” This is especially the case with regard to the “Word of God,” and even more so when remembered in light of Isaiah 40:8, or
“How can you say we (the Jews) are wise, and the law of the Lord is with us, when in fact the false pen of the scribes has made it into a lie?”
Jeremiah 8:8 (RSV).
Thirdly: If one of us were to be charged with the task of preserving our chosen and cherished ancient scripture by transcribing a fresh copy of it for future generations, could we imagine, even in our wildest fantasies that we would be so lax and totally careless in our duties that we would allow ourselves to introduce not one or two, but many thousands upon thousands of errors into the new copy?
Is it possible that no one felt the need to review these scribe’s work? Did they have no superiors to double, and triple check their work? Did the scribes not review it themselves? To believe such claims is to assign to these scribes and their churches accusations of ineptitude and indifference of monumental proportions.
There is no two ways about it. If we are not able to explain each and every one of the 14,800-50,000 errors, no matter how “trivial” they may be, one at a time and within the context of the Biblical text alone, then either the errors were introduced intentionally, or else they were introduced through ineptitude and indifference towards their most holy scripture that truly defies imagination.
For more, you may read sections 2.1.12 and 2.1.13 as well as the following books:
The Orthodox Corruption of Scripture, by Bart D. Ehrman.
And The Life of Jesus Critically Examined, by David Friedrich Strauss, edited by Peter C. Hodgston, and translated by George Eliot.
“The Skeptical Review.” A magazine published in Canton, IL by scholars of the Bible and former Christian priests.
For a “Large Sampling” of Contradictions
Allah knows Best.
References:
I am the way, and the truth, and the life Explanation of John 14:6
Paul the False Apostle of Satan