Bible Contradictions

errancy@freethought.tamu.edu errancy@freethought.tamu.edu
Thu, 3 Aug 95 02:56 CDT (00807458160, 950803035359_129385444@aol.com)


Brian@mailgate (Brian Henderson) wrote:
>I have recently been challenged to present one Bible contradiction by
>an inerrantist who will then attempt to disprove it. The current
>format is to be, I present the contradiction, he may send one message
>refuting it and then I may attempt to refute his refutation.


>Although I've done this many times before, I wanted to send an
>absolute zinger, something that there is no chance that he could
>effectively refute. Any ideas?

My favourite du jour is the Infancy narratives. Compare the following sequences:

Matthew: Jesus born in Bethlehem (B) (2:1) Family flees to Egypt (2:13) Return, warned in a dream not to go to Judea (2.22) Settle in Nazareth (N) (2.23)

Luke: Family goes from their home in N to B; Jesus born (2:4) Jesus brought up to the temple after the prescribed days of purification (2:21) Family returns promptly to "their own city" of N (2:39)

These two stories are laden with contradictions and internal problems, but to me the killer is figuring out how the flight to Egypt would fit in with Luke's story.

Has anyone every heard an apologist successfully "explain" this?

-Brian Griffin