Question 1

How old was Ahaziah when he became king?

Accepted Answer

2 Kings 8:26 (NKJV)
"Ahaziah was twenty-two years old when he became king..."

2 Chronicles 22:2 (NKJV)
"Ahaziah was forty-two years old when he became king..."

Contradiction: 22 vs. 42 — the 42 would make him older than his own father (who died at 40).

- Christians may try and justify that this isn't a contradiction by claiming Ahaziah ruled at two different time periods. But when you check the modern translations such as the NIV/ESV etc, 2 Chronicles has been updated to 22 years of age instead of 42 because of the earlier manuscripts.

Question 2

How Did Judas Die?

Accepted Answer

Matthew 27:5 (NKJV)
“Then he threw down the pieces of silver in the temple and departed, and went and hanged himself.”

This verse plainly states that Judas hanged himself after returning the blood money he received for betraying Jesus.

Acts 1:18 (NKJV)
“Now this man purchased a field with the wages of iniquity; and falling headlong, he burst open in the middle and all his entrails gushed out.”

Here, Judas is said to have fallen headlong (face-first), and his body burst open, spilling his intestines.

Conclusion: Matthew says Judas died by hanging himself, while Acts says he died by falling headfirst and bursting open and two conflicting accounts that differ in cause, sequence, and details, making them irreconcilable without inserting assumptions.

Question 3

Who Was Joseph’s Father?

Accepted Answer

Matthew 1:16 (NKJV)
“And Jacob begot Joseph the husband of Mary, of whom was born Jesus who is called Christ.”

Luke 3:23 (NKJV)
“Now Jesus Himself began His ministry at about thirty years of age, being (as was supposed) the son of Joseph, the son of Heli...”

Conclusion: Matthew says Joseph was the son of Jacob, while Luke says he was the son of Heli. Two incompatible genealogies that cannot both be true without speculative assumptions.

Question 4

How many fighting men were in Israel?

Accepted Answer

2 Samuel 24:9 (NKJV)
“Then Joab gave the sum of the number of the people to the king. There were in Israel eight hundred thousand valiant men who drew the sword, and the men of Judah were five hundred thousand men.”

1 Chronicles 21:5 (NKJV)
“Then Joab gave the sum of the number of the people to David. All Israel had one million one hundred thousand men who drew the sword, and Judah had four hundred and seventy thousand men who drew the sword.”

2 Samuel says Israel had 800,000 fighting men and Judah 500,000, but 1 Chronicles says Israel had 1.1 million and Judah 470,000—clear numerical contradictions in the same census event.

Question 5

How Many Angels Were at the Tomb?

Accepted Answer

Matthew 28:2–5 (NKJV)
“And behold, there was a great earthquake; for an angel of the Lord descended from heaven... and came and rolled back the stone... But the angel answered and said to the women…”
1 angel is explicitly mentioned.

Mark 16:5 (NKJV)
“And entering the tomb, they saw a young man clothed in a long white robe sitting on the right side...”
1 angel-like figure, described as a “young man”. Traditionally understood to be an angel, but only one is mentioned.

Luke 24:4 (NKJV)
“And it happened, as they were greatly perplexed about this, that behold, two men stood by them in shining garments.”
2 angels (appearing as men in radiant clothing).

John 20:12 (NKJV)
“And she saw two angels in white sitting, one at the head and the other at the feet...”
Clearly states 2 angels.

Matthew and Mark say there was one angel at the tomb, while Luke and John say there were two angels, creating a direct numerical contradiction in eyewitness accounts of the resurrection. Both cannot be correct.

Question 6

How Many Marys Were at the Tomb?

Accepted Answer

Matthew 28:1 (NKJV)
“Now after the Sabbath, as the first day of the week began to dawn, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary came to see the tomb.”
2 women: Mary Magdalene and the other Mary (likely mother of James).

Mark 16:1 (NKJV)
“Now when the Sabbath was past, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought spices...”
3 women: Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome.

Luke 24:10 (NKJV)
“It was Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Mary the mother of James, and the other women with them...”
At least 5 women: Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, Joanna, and unnamed others.

John 20:1 (NKJV)
“Now on the first day of the week Mary Magdalene went to the tomb early, while it was still dark...”
Only 1 woman is mentioned: Mary Magdalene.

John presents Mary Magdalene alone at the tomb, while the other Gospels list two, three, or even more women, creating an inconsistent and contradictory picture of who discovered the empty tomb.

Question 7

Was the Stone Rolled Away Before or After the Women Arrived?

Accepted Answer

Matthew 28:1–2 (NKJV)
"Now after the Sabbath, as the first day of the week began to dawn, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary came to see the tomb.
 And behold, there was a great earthquake; for an angel of the Lord descended from heaven, and came and rolled back the stone from the door, and sat on it."
In Matthew, the women witness the stone being rolled away. It happens after they arrive.

Mark 16:3–4 (NKJV)
"And they said among themselves, 'Who will roll away the stone from the door of the tomb for us?'
But when they looked up, they saw that the stone had been rolled away, for it was very large."
In Mark, the stone is already rolled away before they arrive.

Luke 24:2 (NKJV)
"But they found the stone rolled away from the tomb."
In Luke, the stone is also already rolled away when they get there.

John 20:1 (NKJV)
"Now the first day of the week Mary Magdalene went to the tomb early, while it was still dark, and saw that the stone had been taken away from the tomb."
In John, the stone is already moved when Mary arrives.

Matthew says the women saw the angel roll the stone away after arriving, while Mark, Luke, and John all say the stone was already rolled away before they got there. Creating a clear contradiction in the resurrection timeline.

Question 8

Do Insects Have Four Legs?

Accepted Answer

Leviticus 11:20–23 (NKJV)
“All flying insects that creep on all fours shall be an abomination to you.
 Yet these you may eat of every flying insect that creeps on all fours: those which have jointed legs above their feet with which to leap on the earth.
 These you may eat: the locust after its kind, the destroying locust after its kind, the cricket after its kind, and the grasshopper after its kind.
 But all other flying insects which have four feet shall be an abomination to you.”

Contradiction with Reality:
The text repeatedly refers to insects that “creep on all fours” or have “four feet.”
But all insects have six legs, not four — this includes locusts, crickets, and grasshoppers, which are specifically named here.

Question 9

Did Michal Have Children or Not?

Accepted Answer

2 Samuel 6:23
“Therefore Michal the daughter of Saul had no children to the day of her death.”

2 Samuel 21:8
“So the king took Armoni and Mephibosheth, the two sons of Rizpah, whom she bore to Saul, and the five sons of Michal the daughter of Saul, whom she brought up for Adriel...”

Some claim she merely “raised” the kids. But the Hebrew verb "yalad" used here means to give birth, not adopt.
Contradiction: One verse says Michal had no children ever; another says she had five sons.

Question 10

Who Killed Goliath?

Accepted Answer

1 Samuel 17:50
“So David prevailed over the Philistine... and killed him(Goliath).”

2 Samuel 21:19
“...Elhanan... killed Goliath the Gittite…”

Contradiction: Both can't have killed Goliath. Some Bibles quietly alter 2 Samuel to say Elhanan killed the brother of Goliath, but that word “brother” does not exist in the Hebrew text.

Question 11

What were Jesus last words?

Accepted Answer

Matthew 27:46,50 (NKJV)
"And about the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, 'Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani?' that is, 'My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?'
 ...And Jesus cried out again with a loud voice, and yielded up His spirit."
Last words: Unspecified loud cry after “Why have You forsaken Me?”

Mark 15:34,37 (NKJV)
"And at the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, 'Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?'...
 And Jesus cried out with a loud voice, and breathed His last."
Last words: Same as Matthew: “Why have You forsaken Me?” then an unspecified loud cry.

Luke 23:46 (NKJV)
"And when Jesus had cried out with a loud voice, He said, 'Father, into Your hands I commit My spirit.' Having said this, He breathed His last."
Last words: “Father, into Your hands I commit My spirit.”

John 19:30 (NKJV)
"So when Jesus had received the sour wine, He said, 'It is finished!' And bowing His head, He gave up His spirit."
Last words: “It is finished!”

CONTRADICTION:
Each Gospel reports a different final saying:
Matthew & Mark: "My God, why have You forsaken me?" followed by another loud cry (not quoted).
Luke: “Father, into Your hands I commit My spirit.”
John: “It is finished.”

If all of these were said together, it is not explicitly stated in any single account. Each Gospel presents its version as the final words, implying a contradiction in what Jesus’ actual last words were.

Question 12

Timing Jesus' Crucifixion and Passover

Accepted Answer

Mark 14:12
"On the first day of the Festival of Unleavened Bread, when it was customary to sacrifice the Passover lamb, Jesus’ disciples asked him, 'Where do you want us to go and make preparations for you to eat the Passover?'"

John 19:14
"It was the day of Preparation of the Passover; it was about noon. 'Here is your king,' Pilate said to the Jews."

Explanation:
 Mark indicates that Jesus ate the Passover meal with his disciples, suggesting the crucifixion occurred after Passover. John, however, places the crucifixion on the day of Preparation, before the Passover meal. This presents a chronological contradiction.

Question 13

Was Jesus Silent at His Trial?

Accepted Answer

Matthew 27:12–14 (NIV)
"When he was accused by the chief priests and the elders, he gave no answer... But Jesus made no reply, not even to a single charge..."

John 18:19–21 (NIV)
"Meanwhile, the high priest questioned Jesus about his disciples and his teaching. 'I have spoken openly to the world,' Jesus replied..."

Explanation:
 Matthew portrays Jesus as completely silent. John shows him defending himself in detail.

Christian Refute:
 Jesus was silent in front of Pilate but spoke to the high priest earlier. They refer to different moments.

Muslim Refutation:
 Both texts describe the same trial period. Matthew claims “not even a single word”, yet John gives a full conversation. This is a contradiction in what Jesus actually said during his trial.

Question 14

Colour of Jesus’ Robe

Accepted Answer

Matthew 27:28 (NIV)
"They stripped him and put a scarlet (Red) robe on him..."

Mark 15:17 (NIV)
"They put a purple robe on him..."

Explanation:
 One says scarlet, the other says purple. These are clearly not the same colour.

Christian Refute:
 The robe may have been a blend of red and purple, or it appeared different depending on the light.

Muslim Refutation:
These are eyewitness accounts. “Scarlet” and “purple” are not vague shades, they had symbolic meanings in Roman context. If the robe’s colour can’t be consistently described, it questions the reliability of the sources.

Question 15

Who Paid for the Potter's Field?

Accepted Answer

Matthew 27:6–7 (NIV)
"The chief priests picked up the coins and... bought the potter’s field as a burial place for foreigners."

Acts 1:18 (NIV)
"With the payment he received for his wickedness, Judas bought a field..."

Explanation:
 Matthew says the priests bought the field. Acts says Judas bought it.

Christian Refute:
 They argue the priests bought it in Judas’s name, using his money.

Refutation:
 This isn’t stated in either verse. The texts present two separate purchasers, both explicitly. Reading Judas as a proxy is an assumption.

Question 16

How Did King Saul Die?

Accepted Answer

1 Samuel 31:4–6 (NIV):
“Saul said to his armour-bearer, ‘Draw your sword and run me through...’ But his armour-bearer was terrified and would not do it; so Saul took his own sword and fell on it... So Saul and his three sons and his armour-bearer and all his men died together that same day.”
2 Samuel 1:8–10 (NIV):
“‘Who are you?’ he asked me. ‘An Amalekite,’ I answered. Then he said to me, ‘Stand here by me and kill me! I’m in the throes of death...’ So I stood beside him and killed him...”

Explanation:
 1 Samuel says Saul killed himself. 2 Samuel has an Amalekite claiming he killed Saul. The stories are mutually exclusive.

Christian Refute:
 The Amalekite was lying to gain favour with David, thinking it would be a reward-worthy story.

Refutation:
The narrator never says the Amalekite lied. David believes the account and executes him. If it was clearly false, the text would say so. Two accounts, two deaths, one contradiction.

Question 17

Who Was Shealtiel’s Father?

Accepted Answer

Matthew 1:12 (NIV):
“After the exile to Babylon: Jeconiah was the father of Shealtiel, Shealtiel the father of Zerubbabel.”
Luke 3:27 (NIV):
“...the son of Joanan, the son of Rhesa, the son of Zerubbabel, the son of Shealtiel, the son of Neri.”

Explanation:
 Matthew says Shealtiel’s father was Jeconiah. Luke says his father was Neri. One man cannot have two biological fathers.

Christian Refute:
 One is the legal line, one is biological.  Perhaps through adoption or levirate marriage.

Muslim Refutation:
The text does not say anything about adoption or legal lineage. That’s a later invention to reconcile the contradiction.

Question 18

Who incited David to count Israel?

Accepted Answer

2 Samuel 24:1 (NIV):
"Again the anger of the Lord burned against Israel, and he incited David against them, saying, 'Go and take a census of Israel and Judah.'"

1 Chronicles 21:1 (NIV):
"Satan rose up against Israel and incited David to take a census of Israel."

Explanation:
In 2 Samuel, God incites David to take a census, whereas in 1 Chronicles, Satan is the one who incites David.

Christian Refute:
God allowed Satan to tempt David as a form of judgment; thus, both statements are true from different perspectives.

Refutation:
The two accounts attribute the action to entirely different beings without clarification, suggesting a contradiction in the narrative.

Question 19

Was Jesus crucified at the third or sixth hour?

Accepted Answer

Mark 15:25 (NIV)
"It was nine in the morning when they crucified him."

John 19:14–16 (NIV)
"It was the day of Preparation of the Passover; it was about noon.
 'Here is your king,' Pilate said to the Jews...
 Finally Pilate handed him over to them to be crucified."

SIMPLE EXPLANATION:
Mark says Jesus was crucified at 9:00 AM.
John says Jesus was still on trial at around 12:00 PM (noon) — before the crucifixion.
That’s a 3-hour contradiction — in a timeline that only spans a few hours total.

HOW DID PEOPLE TELL TIME BACK THEN?
Jewish Timekeeping (used by Mark):
The day started at sunrise (around 6 AM).
Hours were counted from that point.
So:
3rd hour = 9:00 AM
6th hour = 12:00 PM (noon)
9th hour = 3:00 PM

Roman Timekeeping (possibly used by John):
Some scholars argue John may have used a Roman system, starting at midnight.
But this is debated, because elsewhere John’s Gospel doesn’t consistently use Roman time.
Most modern scholars agree John was using Jewish time too.

SO WHY IS THIS A PROBLEM?
If both authors are using the same Jewish time system (which most believe they are), then:
Mark has Jesus already on the cross at 9:00 AM.
John has Jesus still before Pilate at noon... not yet crucified.

That’s a conflict. You can’t be crucified before you’re sentenced.

CHRISTIAN REFUTE:
Many Christian scholars say:
“The time references were estimates, not precise. The Gospel writers didn’t have watches. One writer rounded to 9 AM, another to noon.”
Or they might say:
“John was using Roman time (starting at midnight), so his ‘sixth hour’ means 6 AM, which fits.”

REFUTATION:
That explanation has major issues:
1. If the Bible is divinely inspired, shouldn’t such a critical moment of Jesus’ death be clearly recorded?
2. Timekeeping might have been approximate, but this isn’t a 10-minute rounding. It’s a 3-hour contradiction.
3. John doesn’t show signs of using Roman time elsewhere. This defence is speculative, not based on the text.
4. If a text can’t get the hour of execution right, how can it be fully trusted on theological claims?

FINAL SUMMARY FOR BEGINNERS:
Two Gospels say different times for the crucifixion.
Most likely, both used the same clock system.
One says Jesus was already on the cross at 9 AM, the other says he was still on trial at 12 PM.
This is a clear contradiction, not a minor detail.
Attempts to reconcile it involve guessing which system John used. But the Bible itself doesn’t say.

What is a contradiction?

A contradiction is a situation where two or more statements, ideas, or actions are logically incompatible they cannot all be true at the same time.