Yes, there are contradictions in the Gospels. It is common for atheists to compile a list of contradictions and other difficulties, and for a Christian to respond. See here and here for a good example of the back-and-forth. Some Christians will try to defend each and every alleged contradiction as not being a contradiction at all, since they have committed themselves to the proposition that scripture is free from error (I have not). I think that a fair-minded reading of any of these debates will result in Continue reading “Are there contradictions in the Gospels?”
Tag: Luke
Why did Jesus die for us?
For me, this is one of the most mysterious issues in Christianity. Like many of the other posts on this blog, this one is not going to provide a precise answer, but rather some possibilities to consider.
Nevertheless, while I’m unclear as to the why and the how of it, I affirm that Jesus did indeed die for us. This is not a peripheral part of the Christian message. It does not at all appear to be something added on by the biblical writers or later Church leaders, nor is it something where Jesus has been misunderstood. Rather, it seems to be the abundantly clear teaching of the New Testament that Jesus gave up his life for our sake.
It is true that Jesus taught a lot about morality. But He didn’t present Himself as a moral innovator, but rather as one who illustrates (and calls us back to) timeless moral truths that we already knew inside our hearts. For example, Continue reading “Why did Jesus die for us?”
What kind of God would punish people in hell forever?
The whole idea of hell is a complicated one. It’s also very important, and I would encourage readers to work through the material in this post and read the scriptures to which I have added links.
There is first of all difficulty in defining what hell is. Conservative Protestants generally consider it to be a place, while Catholic, Orthodox, and Anglican theologian typically define hell as a state of separation from God. The influential King James Version of the Bible translates three different biblical terms – Hades, Gehenna, and Tartarus – as “hell”, masking shades of meaning in each term.
The basic premise, outlined by Jesus in the Gospel of Matthew, Continue reading “What kind of God would punish people in hell forever?”
Did early Christians expect the end of the world in their own lifetime?
Many of them probably did. Clearly, throughout all of the Christian centuries, we find many examples of individuals or groups thinking that the “end is near”. The clear teaching of the New Testament is that each Christian should be prepared for the end to come at any time.
There is one passage in the Gospels that might seem to suggest that Jesus predicted that the world would end within the lifetime of the first disciples. Some skeptics point out that the world is still here, and claim this as evidence that Jesus was a false prophet.
The verse in question is “truly I tell you, this generation will Continue reading “Did early Christians expect the end of the world in their own lifetime?”