#48 – The Timing of Jesus’ Temple Cleansing: Early or Late?
In John (2:13-16), this dramatic event occurs early in Jesus’ ministry, shortly after his first miracle at the wedding in Cana. John uses this event to underscore Jesus’ divine authority and mission right from the start.
The Synoptic Gospels, however, place the temple cleansing near the end of Jesus’ ministry, during the final week of his life (Mark 11:15-17; Matthew 21:12-13; Luke 19:45-46). In these accounts, the cleansing is a catalyst for the events leading to Jesus’ arrest and crucifixion.
#49 – Who Went to Jesus’ Tomb?
It only seems natural to end our journey through the contradictions in the Bible by looking at the central element of Christianity: Jesus’ death and resurrection. These examples have been discussed for decades, even centuries, and are best explained in Bart Ehrman’s insightful and already mentioned book Jesus Interrupted.
A well-known contradiction involves the identities of those who visited Jesus’ tomb on Easter morning. John 20:1 mentions Mary Magdalene alone, while Matthew 28:1 lists Mary Magdalene and “the other Mary.” Mark 16:1 adds a third woman, Salome, to the group. Luke 24:1 expands it further to include Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Mary the mother of James, and “other women.”
#50 – Where Did the Disciples Go After the Resurrection?
A final example concerns Jesus’ post-resurrection instructions to his disciples and their immediate actions. In Luke’s Gospel (24:49-53), Jesus explicitly tells his disciples to stay in Jerusalem until they are “clothed with power from on high,” referring to the coming of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost.
In contrast, Matthew 28:10, 16-20 records Jesus instructing his disciples to go to Galilee, where they meet him on a mountain and receive the Great Commission: “Go and make disciples of all nations.”
#48 – The Timing of Jesus’ Temple Cleansing
It is not a contradiction because many scholars argue Jesus could have cleansed the temple twice—once early (as in Gospel of John) and once later (as in the Synoptic Gospels)—or that the authors arranged events thematically rather than strictly chronologically.
#49 – Who Went to Jesus’ Tomb
These accounts are not contradictory because each Gospel writer (e.g., Gospel of John, Gospel of Matthew, Gospel of Mark, Gospel of Luke) highlights different individuals present, with John focusing on Mary Magdalene without excluding the others mentioned elsewhere.
#50 – Where Did the Disciples Go After the Resurrection
This is not a contradiction because Jesus could have instructed the disciples to both remain in Jerusalem temporarily (as in Gospel of Luke) and later go to Galilee (as in Gospel of Matthew), describing different moments rather than mutually exclusive commands.
Moving on to the next.