What are the contradictions in John's Gospel?

Answer 1

Another answer from our community:

There are none. There are some things hard to understand and especially many deep spiritual truths, but no contradictions. Since John, like the rest of scripture is divinely inspired, God knew what He wanted written through the mind and pen of John. He did not forget as He went nor did He contradict what He said previously in other places.

Answer 2

1. Matthew says that Jacob was the father of Joseph (Matthew 1:16);

   Luke says that Heli was the father of Joseph (Luke 3:23).

   New Testament scholars accept that at least one, and probably both, evangelists had to be in error at this point.

2. The two genealogies then go back in time through quite different lines to the great Zorobabel, son of Salathiel.
3. Matthew says that Jechonias was the father of Salathiel;

   Luke says that Neri was the father of Salathiel.

4. Matthew then goes back through the line of kings to Solomon and then David, although it omits the Old Testament Kings Uzziah, Amaziah and Jehoash;

   Luke goes back through a line of commoners to Nathan and then David.

5. Matthew gives Aram as the father of Aminadab;

   Luke inserts Admin as the father Aminadab, and so Aram is the grandfather of Aminadab.

6. Matthew's Gospel starts with Abraham; Luke's Gospel starts with Adam.
7. Some of the differences in the two accounts result from the way each gospel uses numerology to prove that Jesus was destined for greatness:

• Matthew said that there were 14 generations: from Abraham to David; from David to Josiah; from Josiah to Jesus;
• Luke had great men occur in multiples of 7 generations starting from Adam, with: Enoch at 7; Abraham at 21; David at 35; Jesus at 77.

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Answer 3

A:It is important in understanding the differences between the canonical gospels and the non-canonical gospels to know that all the gospels were either anonymous or pseudoepigraphical. Not even one was written by the person to whom it is now attributed. Mark's Gospel was the primary source used for Matthew and Luke, and indirectly for John so, in this respect, they form a 'set'. Probably all the non-canonical gospels except Thomas (and 'Q') are also at least loosely based on the canonical gospels.

Most of the non-canonical gospels were gnostic, even if only mildly so, compared to the synoptic gospels (Matthew, Markand Luke). Actually John's Gospel is thought to be mildly gnostic and was probably more so before being accepted into the centrist Church in the second century, when some material appears to have been altered.

An almost universal attribute of gnostic gospels is the theme that Jesus did not suffer on the cross, as he either escaped physical pain or was replaced by a surrogate such as Simeon of Cyrene. In John's Gospel we see a little of this. In Marks Gospel, Jesus prayed for three hours in the Garden of Gethsemene, his soul sorrowful unto death, praying that his destiny be taken from him, whereas John has Jesus praying almost cheerfully before going to the garden, then arrested almost as soon as he arrives in the garden. Mark has Jesus on the cross for six hours, then let out a great cry and his last words, "My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?" For John the crucifixion was mercifully short (less than three hours), with Jesus in full control, he did not cry out and his last words were more dignified, "It is finished." This is an almost 'centrist' account compared with most of the non-canonical gospels.

Thomas is known as a Sayings Gospel, because it contains only sayings attributed to Jesus, with no narrative and no crucifixion reference. John Dominic Crossan (The Birth of Christianity) makes the case that there was an original Common Sayings Tradition that contained neither Gnosticism nor apocalypticism, and that this was the source for Thomas, which turned the emphasis towards Gnosticosm, and for the 'Q' Gospel, which turned the emphasis of that tradition towards apocalypticism. The hypothetical 'Q' Gospel was the second major source used for Matthew and Luke.

Many of the gospels were rejected not so much because of direct contradictions with those accepted into the New Testament, but because of material not even found in Matthew, Mark, Lukeand John. They contain theology that was never accepted into the centrist Church.

Answer 4

There are many contradictions between John's Gospel and the synoptic gospels, although fewer within the gospel itself. For an example of a contradiction between John and the other gospels, just look at the story of the empty tomb:

• Mark's Gospel says that Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James and Salome went to the tomb.Mark describes a young man who was sitting in the tomb when the women arrived and went inside. He told them that Jesus was risen, and they fled in terror, telling no one.
• John's Gospel says that Mary Magdalene went alone to the tomb, but only seeing the stone moved, ran back and told the disciples.

For an example of a contradiction within John's Gospel itself:

• John 20:17: "Jesus saith unto her, Touch me not; for I am not yet ascended to my Father..."
• A little later, Jesus decided that it was fine to touch him, 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."