What About Bible Contradictions? Understanding Apparent Discrepancies in Scripture
Why the Bible Isn't Broken, Even When Critics Say It Is
The Story of Scripture: How the Bible Came to Be
What About Bible Contradictions? Understanding Apparent Discrepancies in Scripture
Why the Bible Isn't Broken, Even When Critics Say It Is
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Are There Contradictions in the Bible?
At some point, every Christian will encounter the claim that the Bible is full of contradictions — that it’s unreliable because it supposedly contains conflicting stories, commands, or facts.
This accusation has shaken the faith of some and bolstered the skepticism of many. But when examined carefully, the so-called contradictions are either misunderstandings, contextual issues, translation limitations, or superficial observations.
In this post, we’ll confront some of the most common examples cited as Bible contradictions and see how Scripture, logic, and sound scholarship resolve them.
What Is a Contradiction?
A true contradiction is when two statements are logically impossible to reconcile. For example, if one text says "Jesus was crucified" and another says "Jesus was not crucified," that would be a contradiction.
However, most alleged contradictions in the Bible fall into categories such as:
Apparent contradictions: Which seem conflicting but are reconcilable when understood fully.
Perspective differences: Accounts written by different authors focusing on different details.
Translation nuances: Some issues arise from language shifts or translation choices.
Copyist errors: Minor manuscript differences that do not affect doctrine or core facts.
📝 Note: None of these undermine the Bible’s reliability because the core truths of Scripture remain consistent across manuscripts and translations.
Commonly Cited "Contradictions" — And Their Resolutions
How Many Women Were at the Tomb?
1 Now after the Sabbath, toward the dawn of the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to see the tomb. (ESV)
1 When the Sabbath was past, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought spices, so that they might go and anoint him. (ESV)
10 Now it was Mary Magdalene and Joanna and Mary the mother of James and the other women with them who told these things to the apostles, (ESV)
1 Now on the first day of the week Mary Magdalene came to the tomb early, while it was still dark, and saw that the stone had been taken away from the tomb. (ESV)
At first glance, these accounts seem inconsistent, but a careful reading shows they are complementary, not contradictory. Each Gospel writer mentions some of the women, but not always the full group.
For instance:
Matthew emphasizes Mary Magdalene and the other Mary.
Mark adds Salome to the list.
Luke includes Joanna and "other women" in addition to Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of James.
John only mentions Mary Magdalene, but he focuses solely on her encounter, not intending to provide a comprehensive list.
📝 Note: In ancient historical writing, it was common for authors to highlight particular individuals without listing every person present. The fact that the lists differ does not mean the authors are reporting opposing facts — rather, each emphasizes different women for their narrative purpose.
What all four Gospels agree on is that Mary Magdalene was present in every account, serving as the consistent anchor in the resurrection narrative.
Additionally, it is entirely plausible that the women arrived in groups or at slightly different times, and the Gospel writers may be focusing on specific encounters or moments.
📖 Source: Blomberg, C. (1987). The Historical Reliability of the Gospels. IVP Academic.
📝 Note: This is an example of multiple eyewitness perspectives converging to provide a richer, fuller account of the resurrection morning, rather than a rigid, identical sequence of details.
How Did Judas Die?
5 And throwing down the pieces of silver into the temple, he departed, and he went and hanged himself. (ESV)
18 (Now this man acquired a field with the reward of his wickedness, and falling headlong he burst open in the middle and all his bowels gushed out. (ESV)
At first glance, these accounts seem contradictory — but they are actually complementary details of the same tragic event.
Matthew records that Judas hanged himself, a direct action of suicide. Luke, writing in Acts, describes the aftermath of Judas' death: his body fell and burst open, spilling his insides.
📝 Note: In the warm climate of the Middle East, a decomposing body would quickly become bloated and fragile. It is likely that after Judas hanged himself, either the branch or rope broke, or his body was eventually cut down or fell, causing it to rupture on impact.
Additionally, 📜 Acts 1:18 mentions that Judas "acquired a field" — which aligns with Matthew's account that the priests bought the field with the money Judas returned (📜 Matthew 27:6-8). Because it was his betrayal money, the field was commonly associated with Judas as if he "acquired" it.
7 So they took counsel and bought with them the potter’s field as a burial place for strangers. 8 Therefore that field has been called the Field of Blood to this day. (ESV)
Thus, both accounts together provide a fuller picture: Judas hanged himself, and later, either by decay, accident, or intentional action, his body fell and was gruesomely torn open — further associating his death with the Field of Blood (Akeldama).
📖 Source: Archer, G. L. (1982). Encyclopedia of Bible Difficulties. Zondervan.
Did God Tempt Abraham?
1 After these things God tested Abraham and said to him, “Abraham!” And he said, “Here I am.” (ESV)
13 Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am being tempted by God,” for God cannot be tempted with evil, and he himself tempts no one. (ESV)
At first glance, this seems like a contradiction — but it is not. The Hebrew word used in 📜Genesis 22:1 is "nāsāh" (נָסָה), which means "to test, try, or prove." It is used in the sense of testing character, faith, or obedience, not enticing someone to sin.
In contrast, the Greek word for "tempted" in 📜James 1:13 is "peirazō" (πειράζω), which can mean either "to test, try, or tempt", depending on context. However, James clarifies that God does not tempt with evil — His testing is never designed to entice sin.
📝 Note: In James, "peirazō" refers specifically to the enticement to sin, whereas in Genesis, "nāsāh" refers to proving faith and obedience.
17 By faith Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac, and he who had received the promises was in the act of offering up his only son, (ESV)
This shows that God’s purpose with Abraham was a test of faith, not a temptation to disobedience or evil.
Is Salvation by Faith Alone or Works?
8 For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, 9 not a result of works, so that no one may boast. (ESV)
24 You see that a person is justified by works and not by faith alone. (ESV)
At first glance, Paul and James appear to contradict each other, but context reveals they are addressing different audiences and concerns.
Paul, in Ephesians and elsewhere, emphasizes that salvation is entirely by God’s grace through faith, not something we earn by good deeds. His primary concern is with people who believe works of the law (like circumcision or ritual observance) can earn salvation — a mindset common among the Jews of his time.
James, on the other hand, is addressing believers who claim to have faith but lack any evidence of it in their lives. His point is that genuine, saving faith inevitably produces good works as its fruit.
26 For as the body apart from the spirit is dead, so also faith apart from works is dead. (ESV)
In other words:
Paul answers the question: How is a person saved? → By grace through faith alone.
James answers the question: What does saving faith look like? → It is alive and demonstrated through works.
📝 Note: Justification in James' context refers to being vindicated or shown to be righteous before others, not the initial moment of salvation before God.
16 You will recognize them by their fruits. Are grapes gathered from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? (ESV)
Thus, works are the evidence, not the cause, of salvation.
📖 Source: Schreiner, T. R. (2015). Faith Alone—The Doctrine of Justification: What the Reformers Taught…and Why It Still Matters. Zondervan.
Who Killed Goliath?
50 So David prevailed over the Philistine with a sling and with a stone, and struck the Philistine and killed him. There was no sword in the hand of David. (ESV)
19 And there was again war with the Philistines at Gob, and Elhanan the son of Jaare-oregim, the Bethlehemite, struck down Goliath the Gittite, the shaft of whose spear was like a weaver’s beam. (ESV)
5 And there was again war with the Philistines, and Elhanan the son of Jair struck down Lahmi the brother of Goliath the Gittite, the shaft of whose spear was like a weaver’s beam. (ESV)
At face value, 📜 2 Samuel 21:19 in the KJV suggests that Elhanan killed Goliath, which conflicts with the well-known account of David slaying Goliath in 📜 1 Samuel 17.
However, the parallel account in 📜 1 Chronicles 20:5 provides crucial clarity: Elhanan killed Lahmi, the brother of Goliath, not Goliath himself.
📝 Note: The confusion in 📜 2 Samuel 21:19 likely arises from copyist or scribal error in some manuscript traditions. The original phrase possibly included the Hebrew word “ach” meaning "brother of," which may have been accidentally omitted in some textual traditions.
Additionally, modern translations such as the ESV, NIV, and NASB harmonize 📜 2 Samuel 21:19 with 📜 1 Chronicles 20:5, rendering the text to reflect that Elhanan killed the brother of Goliath, not Goliath himself.
This clarification is consistent with:
7 The shaft of his spear was like a weaver’s beam, and his spear’s head weighed six hundred shekels of iron. And his shield-bearer went before him. (ESV)
This same description links the references to Goliath’s family lineage, suggesting the giant warrior family of Gath, which included Goliath and his brother Lahmi.
📖 Source: Archer, G. L. (1982). Encyclopedia of Bible Difficulties. Zondervan.
Understanding Cultural Context
Many supposed contradictions are due to modern readers imposing current standards on ancient texts. Genealogies, chronology, and storytelling in ancient cultures were often thematic, not strictly linear.
For example, Matthew’s genealogy of Jesus (📜 Matthew 1) traces Joseph’s legal line, while Luke’s genealogy (📜 Luke 3) traces Mary’s bloodline.
📖 Source: Keener, C. S. (1993). The IVP Bible Background Commentary: New Testament.
The Role of Textual Variants
Textual variants across manuscripts do exist, but:
They comprise less than 1% of the entire Bible.
None impact any essential doctrine of the Christian faith.
Modern textual criticism helps ensure we have the most accurate reconstruction of the original text.
📝 Note: Modern Bibles often provide footnotes that acknowledge textual variants transparently.
📖 Source: Wallace, D. B. (2011). Revisiting the Corruption of the New Testament.
Final Thought
The Bible is a divinely inspired yet humanly written collection spanning thousands of years. Apparent contradictions invite us to study deeper, not dismiss Scripture altogether.
5 Every word of God proves true; he is a shield to those who take refuge in him. (ESV)
What seems like contradiction often reflects perspective, purpose, or translation differences — not error.
Ask Yourself:
How can I equip myself to answer when others question the Bible’s consistency?
Have I avoided studying difficult parts of Scripture because I assumed they couldn’t be explained?
Join the Discussion:
What Bible "contradiction" have you encountered that challenged you the most, and how did you seek an answer?
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