Author: temp a

Contradictions in the Old Testament


(According to an AI) I’ll try to provide an objective overview of some commonly cited inconsistencies:

  1. The Creation Account (Genesis 1 vs. Genesis 2): Genesis 1 and Genesis 2 seem to provide different orders of creation. Genesis 1 suggests a sequential creation of light and darkness, sky and sea, land and vegetation, sun and moon, birds and sea creatures, land animals, and finally humans (both male and female at once). However, Genesis 2 appears to suggest that man was created before vegetation and animals, and woman was created last.
  2. God’s Omniscience vs. God’s Questions: The Old Testament often affirms that God is all-knowing (omniscient). However, there are instances where God asks questions that suggest He doesn’t know something, such as in Genesis 3:9, when God asks Adam, “Where are you?” and in Genesis 4:9 when God asks Cain, “Where is Abel your brother?”
  3. God’s Omnipotence vs. God’s Regrets: Similarly, the Old Testament presents God as all-powerful and all-knowing, yet there are moments when God is depicted as regretting His actions. For instance, in Genesis 6:6, God regrets creating humans before the Great Flood, which seems to contradict the idea of an unchanging, perfect being.
  4. The Character of God – Mercy vs. Wrath: The Old Testament often presents God as merciful and slow to anger (Numbers 14:18), but there are also instances where God’s actions appear to be swift and severe, such as the Flood (Genesis 7) or the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah (Genesis 19).
  5. The Ten Commandments vs. Laws of Warfare: The Ten Commandments include prohibitions against killing (Exodus 20:13), yet there are parts of the Old Testament where God commands the Israelites to go to war and even wipe out entire cities, including every man, woman, and child (Deuteronomy 20:16-18).
  6. Laws of Animal Sacrifice vs. Criticisms of Sacrifice: The Old Testament law prescribes detailed rituals for animal sacrifices (Leviticus 1-7), yet later prophets, such as Isaiah (Isaiah 1:11) and Hosea (Hosea 6:6), quote God saying He does not desire sacrifices but rather obedience and mercy.

Contradictions in the New Testament

(According to an AI)

Here are some commonly cited inconsistencies:

  1. The Genealogy of Jesus (Matthew 1:1-17 vs. Luke 3:23-38): Matthew and Luke both provide a genealogy of Jesus, but they differ significantly. Matthew traces Jesus’s lineage through Joseph’s father, Jacob, while Luke traces it through Joseph’s father, Heli. They also differ in the number of generations listed.
  2. The Last Supper (Synoptic Gospels vs. Gospel of John): The Synoptic Gospels (Matthew, Mark, and Luke) seem to suggest that the Last Supper was a Passover meal (Matthew 26:17-30, Mark 14:12-26, Luke 22:7-23). However, the Gospel of John appears to indicate that the Last Supper took place before the Feast of Passover (John 13:1, 18:28).
  3. The Death of Judas Iscariot (Matthew 27:3-8 vs. Acts 1:18-19): Matthew and Acts provide two different accounts of Judas’s death. In Matthew, Judas hangs himself out of remorse, while in Acts, he falls headlong, and his body bursts open.
  4. The Sermon on the Mount vs. the Sermon on the Plain: Matthew and Luke present similar teachings of Jesus but in different settings. Matthew describes it as the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5-7), whereas Luke places it in a flat place or the Sermon on the Plain (Luke 6:17-49). While this might not seem like a direct contradiction, it does raise questions about the accuracy of the event’s details.
  5. The Ascension of Jesus (Luke 24:50-53 vs. Acts 1:3-12): In Luke, it appears that the ascension happens on Easter Sunday, right after Jesus’ resurrection. However, in Acts (also written by Luke), Jesus ascends to heaven 40 days after the resurrection.
  6. Who Visited Jesus’s Tomb? The Gospels provide different accounts of who visited Jesus’s tomb. Matthew mentions Mary Magdalene and the other Mary (Matthew 28:1), Mark cites Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome (Mark 16:1), Luke talks about Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Mary the mother of James, and other women (Luke 24:10), while John only mentions Mary Magdalene (John 20:1).