Category Archives: Contradictions

How long was Jesus dead?

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Three days and three nights

Before Jesus died, he told his disciples he would be in the heart of the earth for three days and three nights. He said he would rise again after three days. In other words, he would rise three days later, and he would raise his body again in three days.

Other times, he told his disciples he would be raised to life “on the third day“. That’s a rather ambiguous way to say it. It’s not really clear which day he’s counting from as the first day here. But let’s just assume he meant the same thing as when he said it more precisely.

The day Jesus came back to life, some disciples mentioned that it was the third day since Jesus had been crucified. And then when Jesus appeared to some other disciples, he claimed that the scriptures said the Messiah would rise from the dead on the third day. And Peter and Paul both later stated that Jesus was raised from the dead on the third day. So that’s what Jesus and his followers said, but what does the Bible say actually happened?

Two days and two nights

The gospels disagree with each other on most of the details of the resurrection story. But one thing they all agree on is that Jesus was not dead for three days and three nights. The gospels say Jesus died in the afternoon on Preparation Day, the day before the Sabbath. By the time the women went to visit his tomb around sunrise on the first day of the week, after the Sabbath, Jesus had risen.

Preparation day starting in the afternoon + night + the Sabbath day (the seventh day of the week) + one more night before Jesus rises early on the first day of the week = less than two days and two nights.

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Will everyone die?

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Yes.

God says humans are mortal. When Joshua was very old and about to die, he said he was about to go the way of all the earth. Because dying is what everyone on earth does. Solomon says all come from dust and all return to dust, because death is the destiny of everyone. People are destined to die. Isaiah says all people are like grass that withers.

The Bible says all people are subject to death, because all people have sinned. No matter how rich you might be, no payment can ever be enough to redeem your life so that you can live forever. Isaiah suggests that even in the afterlife, people will still die. It will just take longer before they do.

Zephaniah says not only is everyone mortal, but one day everyone is going to die at the same time and leave no one alive! God is going to sweep away everything from the face of the earth, destroying all mankind. The whole earth will be consumed with fire, and God will make a sudden end of all who live on the earth.

No.

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Had David killed Saul’s relatives against God’s will?

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In 2 Samuel 16, Shimei accuses David of having murdered Saul’s relatives, and says God is punishing him for it. David makes no objection to this claim, and accepts that this message and curse are from God. But what Shimei claimed David had done is not at all what the Bible says actually happened.

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Should people envy?

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No.

Envy leads to the death of the simple-minded people who indulge in it, at least according to Eliphaz.

One of the Ten Commandments is: You shall not covet anything that belongs to your neighbor. Moses also warned the Israelites not to covet the Canaanite idols. When Achan coveted some of the plunder from Jericho and took it for himself, God refused to help Israel anymore until they killed Achan’s whole family. And when some other Israelites envied Moses’s authority, God made the earth open up and swallow them.

David says you shouldn’t be envious of those who do wrong. And Solomon says you shouldn’t envy the violent. He says envy rots your bones, and jealousy is worse than cruel and overwhelming anger. He says greed brings ruin to your whole household, and anyone who is eager to get rich will be punished with poverty. Asaph envied the wicked and arrogant when he saw how well-off they were, but he considered that a mistake. The wise will tell you not to let yourself envy sinners, because those people are going to die.

Isaiah says greed is sinful and enrages God. Jeremiah says people should be ashamed of their greed, and God will punish them for it. Ezekiel says God will judge people for wanting to take possession of countries. And Micah says God will inflict disaster on people who covet and seize fields and houses.

Jesus says envy is an evil thought that defiles people. And he warns people to be careful not to be greedy.

Paul says greed and envy are among the evils that people become filled with when they have depraved minds, and those people deserve death. People who get jealous are “acting like mere humans“, which is a bad thing, apparently. Paul says we should walk in the way of love, and love doesn’t envy. He says envy is a result of arguments from corrupt minds that understand nothing. People who live in envy are foolish and disobedient.

Paul says anyone who is greedy isn’t a real Christian, and can’t be part of the Christian community. Greedy, jealous, selfishly ambitious, and envious people can’t enter the kingdom of God, either. Paul says the greedy part of your nature must be put to death, before it brings on God’s wrath. Eagerness to gain money is a root of all kinds of evil, causing people to leave the faith and come to grief.

Paul instructed his followers to behave decently, as opposed to indulging in jealousy. He didn’t want there to be any jealousy among his followers. He told them not to envy each other, and not to be full of greed. It would be improper to have even a hint of greed among them.

James says envy and selfish ambition are demonic, and invariably go along with every other evil practice. He says violent fights are the result of covetous desires. And Peter tells his followers to rid themselves of all envy. He says experts in greed are accursed, and greedy false teachers will be destroyed.

Yes.

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Does everyone who loves others fulfill the law?

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Paul states that whoever loves others has fulfilled the law. He goes on to explain that what he’s saying is that what all the commandments amount to is loving people. And that’s why love is the fulfillment of the law. 1 John says that to love God is to keep his commands. And it also says everyone who loves others has been born of God, and that means they can’t sin anymore. So let’s look at a few examples of people in the Bible who loved others.

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What was Joseph’s position relative to Pharaoh?

Contradictions

After Joseph gave Pharaoh explanations for his dreams, Pharaoh put Joseph in charge of his palace. And Pharaoh declared that all the Egyptians would have to submit to Joseph’s orders. But that doesn’t mean Joseph would be above even Pharaoh, does it?

Since Pharaoh was still the king, Pharaoh would still be greater than Joseph. Joseph was second-in-command. Joseph still had to ask Pharaoh for permission to leave the country temporarily. He couldn’t even easily speak to Pharaoh in person.

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Is it better to be rich or poor?

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It’s better to be poor.

It is wrong to seek money so that you can spend it on your pleasures. You should be content with what you already have. And having food and clothing is enough. David, who always did what God wanted him to, was poor and needy. So being poor must be something God wants people to do. Nebuchadnezzar forced most of the people of Judah out of their land, but the poorest people got to stay.

Those who trust in their riches are not righteous, and they will not continue to thrive. The rich occupy low positions. So don’t set your heart on your riches. If you want to get rich, you will be ruined. And if you do get rich, you will disown God!

Don’t hoard wealth. That’s unforgivable. If you do, you will bring harm on yourself. You will lose it all and be tortured and killed. It is much better to fear God and have wisdom, knowledge, righteousness, and a good reputation than to have gold and silver. Which means you have to choose between them, apparently, or else there would be no point in comparing them like that. So don’t store up treasures on earth, only in heaven.

If you’re rich, God will demand a lot more from you. To be perfect and to have eternal life and lasting treasure in heaven, you have to get rid of everything you own. You can’t be a Christian unless you give up everything you have. Worldly wealth will prevent you from getting into the kingdom of God, at least without divine intervention.

God doesn’t feed rich people, and if you’re rich, people won’t be allowed to give you gifts. But if you’re poor, people won’t be allowed to deny you justice. If they do, God will defend you to the death.

Everyone will be legally required to be generous to you if you’re poor. Christians definitely won’t treat you worse if you’re poor, but they might have something against you if you’re rich. Christians only invite poor people to their banquets, not rich people. Poor people get free food! People who don’t give the poor whatever they want deserve to lose an arm!

It’s better to be rich.

Gaining wealth is a good thing, and losing wealth is a bad thing. Being rich makes you much more popular. If you use your wealth to honor God, you will be rewarded with more wealth. But if you use your wealth to gain friends for yourself, you will be rewarded with eternal life! Only people who are good with money will be rewarded in the afterlife. Money is the answer for everything.

Wealth comes from God. It’s a reward for trusting, fearing, and obeying him and doing good. Being righteous and wise will make you get rich and stay rich. Abraham, who always did what God wanted him to do, was wealthy. So being rich must be something God wants people to do.

Being poor is a bad thing. The poor are foolish, and don’t know the way of the Lord. You will not be poor if you are righteous. Being poor makes you vulnerable, forces you to steal, and makes everyone shun you.

If you’re rich, people won’t be allowed to curse you, or to be biased against you. But if you’re poor, you won’t get any mercy from the rich. Only the poor are at risk of being punished with slavery under God’s law. Jesus will solve all your problems for you, unless you’re poor. Then he’ll just tell you “good news”.

It’s… unclear what’s better.

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Do wisdom and wealth always go together?

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Yes.

Solomon, the wisest man ever, says if you hold onto his teachings, they’ll bring you prosperity. He says Wisdom holds riches in her hand, and that she calls out offering to make people’s treasuries full with a rich inheritance of riches and enduring wealth. He says anyone who loves understanding will soon prosper. He contrasts fools and the rich, taking it for granted that those are not the same people.

Jeremiah wasn’t surprised that some people were foolish, because they were just poor people. And according to Hosea, God says any nation that lacks understanding will inevitably come to ruin.

No.

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Had the Spirit been given before?

Contradictions

Fairly early in the gospel of John, it mentions that believers would later receive the Spirit, but that up to that time it had not been given to anyone, because Jesus hadn’t been “glorified” yet. Later in John, shortly before Jesus was arrested, he stated that he had to go away before “the Advocate” would come to his disciples. So it sounds like no one was ever given the Spirit until after Jesus died. Later, Paul says the Spirit has revealed insights about Christ to certain people like him, but not to anyone in any other generations.

But there are plenty of passages in the Bible before those, that indicate that people had already been given the Spirit, most of them having received it many generations before this. Or at least Christian translators like to make it look that way. And some of those people had insights into Christ, long before he was even born. Or at least that’s how Christians like to interpret their prophecies.

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