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The Biblical Nativity Stories:

Possible Contradictions

and ErrorsBernie Dehler

Sciligion Presentation 12-16-09

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Three issues I’d like to raise:

1. Differences, but no similarities, in the Matthew and Luke accounts. Solution is a creating a third composite (new) gospel?

2. Genealogical issues.

3. Messianic Prophecies

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Matthew-- Story starts in Bethlehem

-- Magi (astrologers) read stars to determine birth of King and tell Herod-- Star guides Magi to the child, star stopped over place of the child, Magi give

expensive gifts-- Magi ignored Herod’s command to betray location

-- Angel tells Joseph to flee to Egypt… immediately… that night!-- Herod killed all babies when he discovered he was duped

-- Joseph/Mary decide to settle in Nazareth as the safest place in Israel

Luke-- Joseph/Mary travel to Bethlehem from Nazareth because of a census requirement-- Angels appear to shepherds, give sign as baby in manger (no manger in Matthew

account)-- After Bethlehem and purification, on to Jerusalem for the baby dedication

-- Testimony of prophet (Simeon) and prophetess (Anna)-- Return to Nazareth after Jerusalem rituals

Differences, but no similarities, in the Matthew and Luke gospel accounts.

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BackgroundI first heard of this controversy from a recent lecture by

visiting author and Prof. Bart Ehrman.

It is important to see the contradictions. But don’t stop there. Ask “Why are there contradictions?” Both writers

are trying to answer, in their own way, “How can Jesus be the Messiah if he was from Nazareth but prophesy says he

should be from Bethlehem?”

The gospel accounts were written to solve the problem. Independent solutions resulted in different answers.

One possible solution is to make a new, third gospel, which attempts to blend these two. Does that run the risk of being accused of “tampering with Scripture?” The usual Christian intellectual approach is to acknowledge the discrepancies

as not important in history, and focusing on only the theological meaning behind them.

Differences, but no similarities, in the Matthew and Luke gospel accounts.

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Source:http://theflamingheretic.wordpress.com/2009/01/18/genealogy-of-jesus-in-matthew/

"Matthew and Luke also agree that David was an ancestor of Jesus, but Matthew traces Jesus descent from the kings of Judah, beginning with Solomon. In contrast, Luke claims that it was David's son Nathan who was the ancestor of Jesus. Thus, almost every name

after David is different in Luke than in Matthew."

You can check for yourself. It is Matthew vs. Luke geneologies of Jesus; both from Joseph's line:

Matthew 16and Jesse the father of King David.

David was the father of Solomon, whose mother had been Uriah's wife, 7Solomon the father of Rehoboam,

Luke 3:31the son of Melea, the son of Menna,

the son of Mattatha, the son of Nathan, the son of David,

Genealogy Conflicts

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Prophecy:

1. The Messiah will be born of a virgin (Matt. 1:22)

2. The Messiah to be born in Bethlehem (Matt. 2:5)

3. “Slaughter of the innocents” (Matt 2:18)

4. The Messiah is to be a Nazarene(Matt. 2:23)

Look at the prophecies in the original context. To make them fit, it feels like trying to interpret Nostradamus. It is taking high liberty to bend

Scripture to make it fit, in my opinion. Look at any of these (and there are more). My invitation… pick one, and let’s read it in context and see.