GOSPEL WARS: Matthew VS John
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A Listing of Various Contradictions Between The Two Gospels

Mark Smith 1995

Rule #1 of Evidence: Several Witnesses Required

The Apostle Paul sets up the principle that alleged evidence needs to be established by at least two or three witnesses (1st Timothy 5:19). If this can't be done, the "facts" are probably not facts, and should be tossed out and ignored. It is tainted evidence. To paraphrase from the famous OJ trial, the glove don't fit. This "multiple witness" principle of Paul means we need more than just one "eyewitness" all by his lonesome to establish a claim. If all we have is one "witness" claiming to have seen an event, the testimony from that one lone witness must be rejected, for ALL "facts" (no matter how tasty to Christians) must have more than one lone "witness" to hold up. This, to a Christian's horror, would also apply to Paul's claim (1st Cor. 15) to have witnessed a group of 500 all seeing the resurrected Jesus. Applying this principle, seeing how Paul is the "lone witness" to this alleged event, and it takes at lease two witnesses to establish an event, this fish-story of Paul's should have been cut out on the editing floor when the New Testament was put together and mailed to Nero's National Inquirer instead.

 

Rule #2 of Evidence: The Several Witnesses Must Agree

We also learn how to establish evidence from Jesus himself, for when he was on trial, he faced several "eyewitnesses" brought in to testify against him. But when the "facts" these various "eyewitnesses" swore to, turned out to contradict each other right and left, the validity of their alleged "eyewitness testimony" was rejected by the author of The Gospel of Mark, as seen in Mark 14:55-59. It should also be pointed out that no "multiple witnesses to a chariot crash" scenario was used to excuse the contradictory testimony.

 

Applying The Rules to Matthew & John

The above New Testament rules show that we need more than one person testifying, and these people damn well better not contradict each other, or all their testimonies should be thrown out and ignored.

As you read the following contradictions between two of the major "witnesses" who helped establish the Jesus story, keep  this principle in mind: to be intellectually honest, contradictory testimony FOR Jesus should be rejected just as fast as contradictory testimony AGAINST Jesus. 

 

 

Gospel Wars:   Matthew  -vs-  John
Event Matthew's Version John's Version
Calling of Peter1 In northern Israel at the Sea of Galilee while fishing. In southern Israel from John the Baptist.
Jailing of
John The Baptist2		 Before Peter's conversion. After Peter's conversion.
Jesus to Mountain3 After disciples got into boat and sailed. Before disciples got into boat and sailed.
Jesus Enters Boat4 With an "I.D." test of Jesus by Peter. Without an "I.D." test of Jesus by Peter.
Jesus Enters Boat5 While boat's in middle of lake. While boat's at shore of lake.
Boat Arrives6 On the empty shores of the boondocks of Gennesaret. On the bustling shores of the urban sprawl of Capernaum.
Donkey Ride Into Jerusalem7 Two donkeys. One donkey.
Donkey Ride Into Jerusalem7 Donkeys first, palm fronds second. Palm fronds first, donkey second.
Donkey Ride Into Jerusalem7 Donkeys  first, hosanna's second. Hosanna's first, donkey second.
Jesus Clears The Temple8 At end of public ministry. At beginning of public ministry.
Jesus Clears The Temple9 After death of John. Before death of John.
The Last Supper10 Passover Feast. Not Passover Feast.
Dipping in Bowl11 Jesus dipped with Judas. Jesus dipped without Judas
Prediction of Peter's Denial12 Outside, after Last Supper. Inside, during Last Supper.
Jesus Identified13 By Judas By Jesus
Ear Cut Off14 After Jesus arrested. Before Jesus arrested.
Jesus Taken To15 Caiaphas Annas
After First Trial, Jesus Taken To16 Pilate Caiaphas
Carried Cross to Golgotha17 Simon Jesus
Jesus Lead Away, Crucified By18 The Romans The Jews
Jesus Given Wine19 Before Crucifixion During Crucifixion
The Sign on The Cross20 Matthew's Version John's Version
Two Others Crucified21 After Sign Nailed On Before Sign Nailed On
At Twelve Noon22 Jesus Already Crucified Jesus Not Yet Crucified
Jesus' Last Words23 Yelled Spoken
Jesus Buried24 By Joseph  By Joseph and Nicodemus
Jesus Buried25 Specifically  In Joseph's Own Brand New Tomb Randomly In A Nearby Handy Tomb 
Jesus' Location Post Resurrecton26 Known By Mary Unknown By Mary
Quantity of Women at Tomb27 Two One
Jesus First Viewed By Apostles28 In Galilee In Jerusalem
1)Mt 4:18-21 // John 1:29-42     2)Mt 4:12-20 // John 1:35-42; 3:24     3)Mt 14:22,23 // John 6:15-17     4)Mt 14:27-32 // John 6:20,21     5)Mt 14:32-34 // John 6:21     6)Mt 14:34 // John 6:17-21     7)Mt 21:1-10 // John 12:12-14     8)Mt 21:12 // John 2:11-17    9)Mt 4:12 // John 3:24     10)Mt 26:17 // John 13:1; 19:14     11)Mt 26:23 // John 13:26     12)Mt 26:30-34 // John 13:38; 18:1     13)Mt 26:48,49 // John 18:5,8     14)Mt 26:50,51 // John 18:10-12     15)Mt 26:57 // John 18:12,13     16)Mt 27:2 // John 18:24     17)Mt 27:32 // John 19:17     18)Mt 27:31 // John 19:16,17     19)Mt 27:34 // John 19:29     20)Mt 27:37 // John 19:19     21)Mt 27:39 // John 19:18     22)Mt 27:45 // John 19:14     23)Mt 27:50 // John 19:30     24)Mt 27:59,60 // John 19:38-42     25)Mt 27:59,60 // John 19:41,42     26)Mt 28:1-10 // John 20:1,2     27)Mt 28:1 // John 20:1     28)Mt 28:7,16,17 // John 20:19

 

From The Gospel of Mark...

"Now the chief priests and the whole Council kept trying to obtain testimony against Jesus to put him to death; and they were finding none. For many were giving false testimony against him, and yet their testimony was not consistent. And some stood up and began to give false testimony against him, saying, 'We heard him say, "'I will destroy this temple made with hands, and in three days I will build another made without hands.'" And not even in this respect was their testimony consistent."  (The Gospel of Mark, NASB, 14:55-59)

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False testimony seems to have been widespread back then, and therefore something we need to watch out for when reading these ancient documents. So when we see contradictory testimony within these documents, BE IT FOR OR AGAINST JESUS, intellectual honesty demands that we reject it. The gospels contradict each other? Then their whole testimony should be rejected. The witnesses against Jesus at his trial contradicted each other? Their whole testimony should be rejected.

What say ye?

 

 

 
 
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