Clear contradictions in the New Testament

Gospel Account Contradictions

Event	Gospel/Passage	Conflicting Details	Other Gospel/Passage	Conflicting Details
Jesus' Genealogy	Matthew 1	Through Solomon, 28 generations from David	Luke 3	Through Nathan, 43 generations from David
Nativity Story	Matthew 2	Flight to Egypt, Herod's massacre	Luke 2	Peaceful return to Nazareth after temple presentation
Temple Cleansing	John 2:13-16	Beginning of ministry	Matthew 21:12-13	End of ministry
Judas' Death	Matthew 27:5	Hanged himself	Acts 1:18	Fell, burst open
Who Bought Field	Matthew 27:6-7	Chief priests bought it	Acts 1:18	Judas bought it

Detail	Matthew 28	Mark 16	Luke 24	John 20
Women at Tomb	Mary Magdalene, other Mary	Mary M., Mary mother of James, Salome	Mary M., Joanna, Mary mother of James, others	Mary Magdalene alone
Time of Visit	Dawn	After sunrise	Very early dawn	Still dark
Angels/Men	One angel	One young man	Two men	Two angels
Initial Reaction	Women told disciples	Said nothing to anyone	Told the eleven	Mary told Peter and John

Detail	Gospel/Verse	Description	Gospel/Verse	Description
Time	Mark 15:25	Third hour (9am)	John 19:14	About sixth hour (noon)
Last Words	Matthew 27:46/Mark 15:34	"My God, why have you forsaken me?"	Luke 23:46	"Father, into your hands..."
Last Words	John 19:30	"It is finished"	(Different from above)	(Different from above)
Centurion's Words	Mark 15:39	"Truly this man was the Son of God"	Luke 23:47	"Certainly this was a righteous man"

Issue	Paul's Version	Reference	Other Version	Reference
Post-Conversion	Went to Arabia, didn't consult apostles	Galatians 1:17	Went to Jerusalem, met apostles	Acts 9:26
Jerusalem Visits	Two visits in 17 years	Galatians 1-2	Three or more visits	Acts 9, 11, 15
Peter's Behavior	Peter ate with Gentiles, then withdrew	Galatians 2:12	Peter initially refused unclean food	Acts 10:14

Topic	Passage 1	Teaching	Passage 2	Teaching
Salvation	Romans 3:28	Justified by faith apart from works	James 2:24	Justified by works and not faith alone
Jesus' Knowledge	John 21:17	Jesus knows all things	Mark 13:32	Son doesn't know day/hour
Seeing God	John 1:18	No one has seen God	Acts 7:55-56	Stephen saw God
All Saved?	1 Timothy 2:4	God desires all to be saved	Matthew 7:14	Few find life

Issue	NT Text	Claim	Historical Record	Problem
Census	Luke 2:1-2	Quirinius census when Jesus born	Historical records	Quirinius governed Syria 6-7 CE, Herod died 4 BCE
Theudas	Acts 5:36-37	Theudas before Judas the Galilean (6 CE)	Josephus' Antiquities	Theudas' revolt was 44 CE
High Priest	Mark 2:26	Abiathar was high priest	1 Samuel 21:1-6	Ahimelech was high priest

Event	Gospel	Number	Gospel	Number
Blind Men at Jericho	Matthew 20:30	Two blind men	Mark 10:46/Luke 18:35	One blind man
Demoniacs	Matthew 8:28	Two demoniacs	Mark 5:2/Luke 8:27	One demoniac
Donkeys	Matthew 21:2-7	Donkey and colt	Mark 11:2/Luke 19:30	Only colt
Angels at Tomb	Matthew 28:2	One angel	John 20:12	Two angels