The gospels are the Christians most sacred doctrine, yet neither one of them can fully agree as to certain accounts, especially when speaking of the crucifixion and resurrection.  Because the gospels were written many, many years after the said events, they are based on a lot of hearsay and stories being blown out of proportion.

See also problems with  MATTHEW    |  MARK    |  LUKE

John 1:18 No man hath seen God at any time, the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him.

Here it says that no man has seen God at any time, but throughout the Old Testament, men saw God a lot.

Genesis 32:30
"And Jacob called the name of the place Peniel: for I have seen God face to face, and my life is preserved."

Exodus 24:9-11
"Then went up Moses and Aaron, Nadab and Abihu, and seventy of the elders of Israel. And they saw the God of Israel ... They saw God, and did eat and drink."

Exodus 33:11
"And the Lord spake to Moses face to face, as a man speaketh to his friend."

Judges 13:22
"And Manoah said unto his wife, We shall surely die, because we have seen God."

John 2:19  Jesus answered and said unto them, Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.

In Mark, it says that "false witnesses" claim he said these words.  How can their testimony be false if they quoted him correctly?

John 3:13  And no man hath ascended up to heaven, but he that came down from heaven, even the Son of man which is in heaven.

Here it says that no man has ascended into heaven, but in the Old Testament, it says that Elijah and Enoch did.

John 5:46  For had ye believed Moses, ye would have believed me; for he wrote of me.

Where did Moses ever write about Jesus?

John 6:46  Not that any man hath seen the Father, save he which is of God, he hath seen the Father.

Here again, Jesus says that no one has ever seen God.

John 6:53  Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink his blood, ye have no life in you.  Whoso eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, hath eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day.  For my flesh is meat indeed, and my blood is drink indeed.  He that eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, dwelleth in me, and I in him.

Jesus says you must cannibalize his body in order to be saved.

John 7:1  After these things Jesus walked in Galilee: for he would not walk in Jewry, because the Jews sought to kill him.

Jesus actually thought he could be killed?

John 8:15  Ye judge after the flesh; I judge no man.

This contradicts with what Jesus says in John 5:22, where he said "all judgment is committed to him".

John 14:13  And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son.  If ye shall ask any thing in my name, I will do it.

Many times Jesus says he will always do anything you ask of him, yet prayers always go unanswered.  See also John 15:7, 16 & John 16:23.

John 14:28  Ye have heard how I said unto you, I go away, and come again unto you. If ye loved me, ye would rejoice, because I said, I go unto the Father: for my Father is greater than I.

Jesus says that God is greater than he, indicating that he and God are not the same being.

John 15:15  Henceforth I call you not servants; for the servant knoweth not what his lord doeth: but I have called you friends; for all things that I have heard of my Father I have made known unto you.

Jesus says that he told his disciples everything that he has learned from his father, yet in the next chapter (John 16:12), Jesus says that he still has many thing to tell them, but they just can't bear it right now. 

John 16:12  I have yet many things to say unto you, but ye cannot bear them now.

See John 15:15.

John 16:30  Now are we sure that thou knowest all things, and needest not that any man should ask thee: by this we believe that thou camest forth from God.

Here Jesus' disciples say that Jesus knows everything, but in Matthew 13:32, Jesus says that there are some things that even he doesn't know.  Matthew 13:32   "But of that day and that hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels which are in heaven, neither the Son, but the Father."

John 19:25  Now there stood by the cross of Jesus his mother, and his mother's sister, Mary the wife of Cleophas, and Mary Magdalene.

This contradicts with Matthew 27:55-56 "And many women were there beholding afar off, which followed Jesus from Galilee, ministering unto him:  Among which was Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James and Joses, and the mother of Zebedees children."

Did they stand near the cross or view from afar?

John 19:30  When Jesus therefore had received the vinegar, he said, It is finished: and he bowed his head, and gave up the ghost.

What were Jesus' last words?

Matthew 27:46  Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani?
Mark 15:34  Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?
Luke 23:46  Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit.
John 19:30  It is finished.

John 20:1  The first day of the week cometh Mary Magdalene early, when it was yet dark, unto the sepulchre, and seeth the stone taken away from the sepulchre.

John says that Mary Magdalene was the only woman to visit the tomb, but the other gospels say there were more.

John 20:27  Then saith he to Thomas, Reach hither thy finger, and behold my hands; and reach hither thy hand, and thrust it into my side: and be not faithless, but believing.

Jesus tells Mary Magdalene not to touch him (John 20:17) because he has not yet ascended, but here he tells Thomas to touch him.

© 1998 Derrick Miller