Christians - what do you say about this contradiction ?

Question

Jesus instructions before sending the twelve .

matt 10:10 take no bag for the journey, or extra tunic, or sandals or a staff; for the worker is worth his keep .

mark 6:8 These were his instructions: "Take nothing for the journey except a staff—no bread, no bag, no money in your belts.

so what do you say?

what about the staff , take or take not ...??!!

so bible's not the word of god . but words of matthew en mark . you know god can't be forgetful . please do not tell me you're quoting tese outta the context i'm tired of this silly answer .

Answer 1

It appears as though many Christians are hearing about the "staff" for the very first time and assume it's the only contradiction in the Bible. Why don't you list the other 20,000?

Of course, you can come up with a rationalization. But if God really existed, why did he write the Bible in such confusing manner that people would need "The Bible Knowledge Commentary" to make sense of it? And aren't these rationalizations being made by the same Christians who ridiculed Clinton over the whole "depends on what the definition of 'is' is" thing? Aren't they doing the same thing?

So if you are forbidden from "buying" a staff, but it's OK to take a staff that you already own, what about borrowing a staff from a friend. Or what if you happen to find a staff just laying on the ground after you start your travels? Can you pick it up? What does "The Bible Knowledge Commentary" say about that?

Answer 2

if you notice, the scriptures say "all Scripture is inspired by God".

the Gospels tell the same story, but the easiest thing to say would be they have different focuses.

If you notice, Mark liked to get straight to the point. He liked to get straight to the spirit (focus) of the message very quickly.

John liked to focus on the Divinity of Jesus. Luke liked to show how human Jesus was. Matthew liked to express sermons in full, going into detail about God's promises, Jesus' Lordship, and that He was the Messiah.

so really, they were God-inspired men who wrote down what happened and what they learned. If a lesson about God (don't make a "God isn't real or the Bible is fake comment!") couldn't be learned from this, it wouldn't be there.

I have to check with the Holy Spirit on this one, but here's a human answer: God does work through man. Christianity is a many faceted faith: we all have different roles to play, some just grasp concepts quicker than others and are meant to share so the diamond shines flawlessly.

Answer 3

Actually if you look in the original Greek it's "rhabdos" in Matthew 10:10...i.e. plural of staff (staves in the King James if you want to be technical)...in other words the disciples were to take one staff, but not two.

This at least is the general consensus amongst the Christian scholars. Personally I don't have a problem with Matthew saying no staff, and Mark (which was really Peter using Mark as his scribe) saying take one...after all, it isn't like it's critical to Christianity in general. No major contradictions exist in terms of Christian doctrine (that I've seen anyway), so I'm not too worried. Most supposed "contradictions" are easily explainable if one only takes the time to do some research.

--Josh

Answer 4

I don't see a contradiction, in that after I read the two in my King James regarding the staff. And it isn't a clear contradiction to me in my King James. I could also take a more closer look by looking up the words in my exhaustive.

But also that is it the same time & incident in Matthew as it is in Mark 6:8. Jesus sent His disciples out different times with different instructions. These two times seem very similar.

Answer 5

When you look at the actual Greek texts for these verses, you see there are textual differences that answer your question.

The Greek word translated as "take" in both Mark 6:8 and a similar passage at Luke 9:3 is "airo." This word means "to bring along or carry."

However, in Matthew 10:10, the word translated as "take" is "ktaomai" (in the KJV, it is Matt. 10:9 and is translated as "provide.") In Greek, "ktaomai" means "to aquire."

By looking at the actual Greek text, it is plain that Matthew tells us Jesus' instruction was essentially "don't buy anything for your journey." Mark tells us Jesus' parallel instruction: "but it's ok to bring what you already own."

Answer 6

I'm not a Christian, but here's one possible answer. The Bible has so many contradictions partially because it was written by so many different authors.

The original Bible had 37 gospels, not twelve. It was edited down to twelve, and then King James chopped out 17 books, if I remember correctly. Before the Magna Carta, the kings had the legal authority to alter it, so they did so to suit their own political ends. By the time it reached the King James version, it had also been translated through about fifteen languages, losing accuracy each time. For instance, the Hebrew word for 'reed', 'suph', confused the Greeks when they translated it. The Greeks had no reeds, however Egypt at that time was dotted with hundreds of saltwater lakes, and reeds were indigenous to the area.

According to the ORIGINAL Bible, Moses and the Hebrews only crossed a 'reed sea'. On top of that, King James translated the Bible to be more poetic than accurate.

Answer 7

It doesn't seem that the question was asked because the detail itself....whether or not the staff was permitted...was important. It's obviously an insignificant detail and not earth shattering.

The point is that so many people insist the bible is infallible. The question was posted as a means to show people why there is a shadow of doubt for so many others. Even many Christians who are honest with themselves, I would wager, must concede that there are several places in the bible that are difficult to reconcile.

If you are comfortable or secure in your belief in the bible, good for you. It is a blessing. But please don't try to tell others that it is infallible and that those who do not believe in it are going to suffer a horrific eternity. I just don't believe God is that horrible.

Answer 8

Are you really asking? If you are you need to think about it more carefully. The quotes are from two different gospals. The gospals are not mirrors of each other, but report different events in different orders. One gospel will report event A and not mention B. The other will mention B and not A. The third wil report A and B. And John will come out with C.

An obvious answer would be that Jesus sent his disciples out on missions more than once, and gave them different instructions each time. Matthew is recording one instance, Mark is reporting another. It's that simple.

I'm not Christian BTW. Errors in logic just bother me.

Answer 9

"In Mark the use of a walking stick (Mark 6:8) and sandals (Mark 6:9) is permitted, but not in Matthew 10:10 nor in Luke 10:4. Mark does not mention any prohibition to visit pagan territory and to enter Samaritan towns. These differences indicate a certain adaptation to conditions in and outside of Palestine and suggest in Mark's account a later activity in the church. For the rest, Jesus required of his apostles a total dependence on God for food and shelter; cf Mark 6:35-44; 8:1-9."

Answer 10

If you are looking for contradictions in God's Word you will find none.

60 or so years ago a man named George Beverly Shea set out to disprove the Bible.

It was his own project going through collage. At the end of four years he became a born again Christian. Do you know what he has been doing since?

He has been a leading member of Billy Graham's evangelical team.

I have looked closely at the passages in question. It is not a contradiction. It is a complete list.