Contradictions/Discrepancies in the Four Gospels
1. Geneology of Jesus:
Matthew: 1:17 Abraham-David 14 generations;
David-exile 14 generations
Exile-Jesus 14 generationMark: No geneology
Luke: 3:23 radically different from Matthew
John: No geneology
2. Mary engaged to Joseph
Matthew: 1:18
Mark: No report of engagement
Luke: 1:27 radically different from Matthew
John: No report of engagement
3. Call the baby Immanuel (fulfillment of scripture)
Matthew: 1:23
Mark: No report (about Jesus' early life altogether)
Luke: No report
John: No report (about Jesus' early life altogether)
4. Call the baby Jesus
Matthew: 1:21
Mark: No report
Luke: 1:31; 2:21
John: No report
5. Angel says that Jesus will be given the throne of DavidMatthew: No report
Mark: No report
Luke: 1:33
John: No report
6. Where was Jesus born? Bethlehem.Matthew: 2:1
Mark: No report
Luke: No specific report
John: No report
7. Astrologers seeking baby JesusMatthew: 2:1-2
Mark: No report
Luke: No report
John: No report
8. Herod seeking to destroy young children and did the massacreMatthew: 2:13; 2:16
Mark: No report
Luke: No report
John: No report
9. Appearance of star at the time of Jesus' birthMatthew: 2:7
Mark: No report
Luke: No report
John: No report
10. Angel's appearance to Joseph warning about HerodMatthew: 2:13
Mark: No report
Luke: No report
John: No report
11. Joseph took his family to Egypt and his return with Jesus is a fulfillment of prophecyMatthew: 2:14
Mark: Mark doesn't know about it
Luke: Luke doesn't know about it
John: John doesn't know about it.
12. Jeremiah's prophesy regarding Rachel's weeping in RamahMatthew: 2:17-18 (an unrelated prophecy)
Mark: Mark doesn't know about it
Luke: Luke doesn't know about it
John: John doesn't know about it
13. Joseph returned "after" the death of Herod (contradiction)Matthew: 2:20 (contradicts itself by 14:1; Herod is not dead)
Mark: 6:14 (contradicted by Matthew 2:20)
Luke: 9:7 (contradicted by Matthew 2:20)
John: ???
14. Birth and early childhood of John the BaptistMatthew: No report
Mark: No report
Luke: 8:8-24
John: No report
15. Pregnant Mary, visits and resides with Elizabeth, pregnant with John the BaptistMatthew: No report
Mark: No report
Luke: 1:39-40
John: No report
16. John the Baptist while in womb knew Jesus in wombMatthew: No report (contradicts Matthew 11:3 and Luke 1:41-44 by showing uncertainty about Jesus as the Messiah?
Mark: No report
Luke: 1:41-44
John: No report
17. Isaiah's (40:3) prophesy regarding John the Baptist (contradiction)Matthew: 3:3 Matthew took liberty of paraphrasing it
Mark: 1:2 Mark took liberty of paraphrasing it (also Malachi is confused with Isaiah: Mark 1:2; Malachi 3:1)
Luke: 3:4-6 Luke's paraphrase is much longer than Matthew/Mark
John: 1:23 John paraphrased similar to Matthew/Mark
18. Who reported the above prophecy?
Matthew: Gospel writer
Mark: Gospel writer
Luke: Gospel writer
John: John the Baptist himself
19. What will Jesus will baptize with? (contradiction)Matthew: 3:11 (with holy spirit and fire)
Mark: 1:8 (with holy spirit only)
Luke: 3:16 (with holy spirit and fire)
John: 1:33 (with holy spirit only)
20. Did Jesus ever baptize anyone? (contradiction to #19)Matthew: ???No report
Mark: ???No report
Luke: ???No report
John: ???No report
21. Who reported the descending of dove after baptizing of Jesus?Matthew: 3:16 Gospel writer
Mark: 1:10 Gospel writer
Luke: 3:22 Gospel writer
John: 1:32-34 John the Baptist22. What did the voice say? (example of Gospel writers' liberty)
Matthew: 3:17 "This is my Son, the beloved, whom I have approved."
Mark: 1:11 "You are my Son, the beloved; I have approved you."
Luke: 3:22 as in Mark
John: 1:33-34 John the Baptist said, "...the very One who sent me to baptize said to me, 'Whoever it is upon whom you see the spirit coming down and remaining, this is the one that baptizes in holy spirit. And I have seen (it), and I have borne witness that this one is the Son of God."
23. Devil tempted Jesus?Matthew: 4:1
Mark: 1:13 Mark, the earliest gospel, has no details
Luke: 3:3
John: No report
24. What did the Devil say and Jesus reply about bread? (contradiction)Matthew: 4:3 "tell THESE STONES to become loaves of bread." 4:4 Jesus' reply is in greater detail
Mark: no details
Luke: 4:3 "tell THIS STONE to become a loaf of bread" 4:4 Jesus' reply is much shorter compared to Matthew
John: No report
25. What temptation took place next? (contradiction)Matthew: 4:5 In Jerusalem, devil asked to be worshipped
Mark: no details
Luke: 4:5 In a high place
John: No report
26. When did Simon and few others became disciples? (discrepancy)Matthew: 4:18-22 before 4:23 (Before teaching in Synagogues)
Mark: 1:16-20 before 1:21 (Before teaching in Synagogues)
Luke: 5:8-11 after 4:31 (after teaching in synagogues)
John: No report
27. What was the sequence of inducting disciples? (discrepancy)Matthew: 4:18-22 (Simon the Peter, Andrew, James and John the sons of Zebedee)
Mark: 1:16-20 (As in Matthew 4:18-22)
Luke: 5:8-11 (As in Matthew 4:18-22)
John: 1:35-42 (Andrew, Simon; then 1:43 Phillip, Nathanael ...)
28. The beginning of discipleship (discrepancy)Matthew: 4:18-22 (Simon and Andrew fishing (no presence of John the Baptist)
James and John of Zebedee were also fishing
Mark: 1:16-20 (As in Matthew 4:18-22)
Luke: 5:8-11 (As in Matthew 4:18-22)
John: 1:35 Andrew and Simon were in the presence of John the Baptist (and no fishing)
29. Did Jesus seek disciples and they obliged immediately? (discrepancy)Matthew: 4:18-22 Yes
Mark: 1:16-20 Yes
Luke: 5:2-11 No. Jesus had a long conversation. Simon even said to Jesus "Depart from me" 5:8
John: 1:37 No. Andrew followed Jesus and brought Simon to him.
30. His speech to the crowd up in the mountainMatthew: Chapter 5-7
Mark: ???No report of such an unified, long speech
Luke: 6:12-49 A speech much shorter than reported by Matthew
John: ???No report of such an unified, long speech
31. Did he come to destroy the Law?Matthew: 5:17 No. Obey the commandments
Mark: ???No report of such statements regarding keeping the Law
Luke: ???No report of such statements regarding keeping the Law
John: ???No report of such statements regarding keeping the Law
32. Paralysis of army officer's manservant (discrepancy)Matthew: 8:5-9 (an army officer came to Jesus)
Mark: No report
Luke: 7:2-3 (Older men of the Jews were sent by the army officer to Jesus)
John: 4:46-53 (The incident was related to the son of an attendant of the king)
33. Healing the fever of Simon's monther-in-law (discrepancy)Matthew: 8:14-15 Jesus touched her hand and fever left
Mark: 1:30 Jesus took her by the hand and fever left
Luke: 4:38 Jesus rebuked the fever and fever left
John: ???No report
34. Expelling Demons (discrepancy)Matthew: 8:28 - two demon-possessed men
- no report about obeisance to Jesus
- addressed as "son of God" 8:29
Mark: 5:2 - one demon-possessed man
- did obeisance 5:6
- addressed as "Jesus, Son of the Most High God" 5:7
Luke: 8:27 - one demon-possessed man
- did obeisance 8:28
- addressed as in Mark 5:7
John: ???No report
35. Healing of a woman with flow of blood (discrepancy)Matthew: 9:19-22 - the woman was healed after the conversation with Jesus
- no record of Jesus' loss of powerMark: 5:25-29 - the woman was healed as soon as she touched Jesus' outer garment.
- Jesus lost power as a result of her touching him. 5:30Luke: 8:42-48 - as in Mark
- lost power as in MarkJohn: ???No report
36. Healing blindness (discrepancy)Matthew: 9:27-31 - TWO blind men.
- an example of possible error of scribing as the story is repeated in 20:30-34
Mark: ??? No report
Luke: ??? No report
John: ???No report
37. Twelve disciples (discrepancy)Matthew: 10:2-4 - Andrew, Simon's brother?
Mark: 3:16 Similar to Matthew, but Andrew isn't identified as Simon's brother
Luke: 6:13-16 (TWO Judas, while Thaddaeus is droppped)
John: ???No report
38. Twelve disciples ordered to go to the children of Israel only?Matthew: 10:5-6 "go continually"
Mark: 6:7 No report
Luke: 9:2-6 No report
John: ???No report
39. Consequence of disowning or denying JesusMatthew: 10:33 Anyone denying Jesus will be denied before the Father (did Peter not deny him? 26:33-34, 69-75)
Mark: ???No report
Luke: 22:55-62 Peter's Denial
John: ???No report
40. Did Jesus come to put peace on earth?Matthew: 10:34-35 Not to put peace, but a sword; and cause division.
Mark: ???No report
Luke: 12:51-53 To start a fire, not to give peace; rather cause division.
John: ???No report
41. The prophecy about "my messenger" (interpolation)Matthew: 11:10 (adds "who will prepare your way ahead of you") to Malachi 3:1
Mark: ???No specific reference
Luke: No specific reference
John: No specific report
42. Is John the Baptist the promised Elijah?Matthew: 11:14 (Yes); 17:10-13
Mark: ???No specific reference
Luke: No specific reference
John: 1:21 (denies it)
43. The prophecy of Isaiah regarding "My servant"Matthew: 12:18-21 (does not fully correspond to Isaiah 42:1-4, especially 42:4)
Mark: ???No specific reference
Luke: No specific reference
John: No specific reference
44. Dispelling demonMatthew: 12:22 (Blind and dumb)
No mention of people seeking sign as in Luke 11:16; 12: 29 differs with Luke 11:22
Mark: ???No specific report
Luke: 11: 14 (dumb)No mention of "Son of David" as in Matthew 12: 23
John: No specific report
45. Speaking against Son of Man vs. Holy SpiritMatthew: 12: 31 (blasphemy against Son of Man will be forgiven)
Mark: 3: 26 (no mention of Son of Man)
Luke: 12: 10 (the context 12: 8-9 and the narrative is different)
John: No specific report
46. The narrative of the good treeMatthew: 12: 33-36 (differs)
Mark: No specific report
Luke: 6: 43-45 (differs from Matthew and no mention of Judgment Day)
John: No specific report
47. No sign?Matthew: 12: 39 (no sign except Jonah's)
Mark: 8: 11-12 (absolutely no sign; no mention of adulterous/wicked
Luke: 11: 29
John: No specific report
48. Mother/brothersMatthew: 12: 46-50
Mark: 3: 31-34
Luke: 8: 19-21 (shorter)
John: ???2: 1249. Preaching by the sea (discrepancy)
Matthew: 13: 1-3 (Jesus initially sitting by the sea; then went on boat to teach)
Mark: 4: 1-2 (already teaching by the sea; then seeing the crowd went on a boat)
Luke: Chapter 8 (no mention of the sea or the boat)
John: No report50. How many folds did the seeds yield?
Matthew: 13: 8 (some hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty)
Mark: 4: 8 (the sequence is different from Matthew: some thirty-fold, some sixty, and some hundred-fold)
Luke: 8: 8 (all yielded hundredfold)
John: No report51. Jesus is questioned about preaching using illustrations (discrepancy)
Matthew: 13: 10 (disciples asked: "Why is it you speak to them by the use of illustrations?)
Mark: 4: 10 (those around him with the twelve simply asks about use of illustrations - when he is alone)
Luke: 8: 9 (disciples ask him about the "meaning" of this illustration)
John: No report52. How did Jesus reply to the questions about illustrations (extensive discrepancy)
Matthew: 13: 11-23 (much longer with greater details; reference to prophecy of Isaiah; mentions hundredfold/ sixtyfold/ thirtyfold again)
Mark: 4: 11-20 (somewhat shorter; no reference to prophecy of Isaiah; mentions thirtyfold, sixtyfold, hundredfold again.)
Luke: 8: 10-15 (the shortest of the three; no reference to prophecy of Isaiah; Only Luke says: "illustration means: The seed is the word of God"; no mention again of how many folds)
John: No report53.