Answers to Questions Muslims Ask
Isn't the Bible full of errors and contradictions?
While on the surface it may appear that the Bible has many errors and contradictions (Muslim authors have produced many supposed examples), if one takes the time to carefully investigate each case, it is apparent that reasonable explanations occur. Most of these problems occur in the comparison of parallel accounts of the same story from different parts of the Bible.
In the Old Testament, there are two parallel accounts of a large portion of the Jewish history (the first from the books of Samuel-Kings and the second from the books of Chronicles) and in the New Testament there are four parallel accounts of the life of Christ (in the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John).
Some of the "contradictions" can be explained as mere copying errors. For example, Jehoiachin was 18 years old when he became king according to 2 Kings 24:8 and 8 years old when he became king according to 2 Chronicles 36:9. In Hebrew, the difference between 18 and 8 is a single letter. Apparently the copyist omitted one letter by mistake. There are several other similar examples.
But considering the length of the Bible (five times longer than the Qur'an) the number of such copying errors is remarkably small. Moreover, careful study can easily reveal the correct number, and none of these contradictions are of any significance in changing the overall message of the Bible. The small number of contradictions between the parallel accounts is outweighed in significance by the fact that the presence of two (or four) parallel accounts strengthens the historical reliability of the accounts by providing more than one source to verify the events.
Not all the contradictions are due to copying errors. One such example is the supposed contradiction between the two genealogies of Jesus, one recorded in Matthew 1 and the other recorded in Luke 3. But this can be easily explained if one recognizes that Matthew traces Jesus' genealogy through Joseph (Jesus' legal but not actual father), and Luke traces Jesus' genealogy through Mary, Jesus' actual mother.
Both are important in establishing that Jesus was qualified to be the Messiah, for the Old Testament predicted that the Messiah must be a descendant of David. Matthew shows that legally Jesus descended from David through the royal line, and Luke shows that his actual physical descent also was from David through Nathan.
It should be recognized that the Qur'an is not exempt from the charge of contradictions. Surah 32:5 indicates that the Great Day of God will be a
thousand years of reckoning, whereas Surah 70:4 indicates it will be as 50,000 years. Surah 50:38 says that the heavens and earth were created in six days, whereas in Surah 41:9-12 two periods of two days plus a period of four days are indicated, for a total of eight days.
Books are available to answer many of the supposed errors and contradictions in the Bible. See for example, Encyclopedia of Bible Difficulties by Gleason Archer. In the future look for a book listed on the book order form of this website written especially to answer the charges of Muslim authors entitled, Is the Bible Full of Errors and Contradictions?
Next Question: Does the Bible predict Muhammad?
In the Old Testament, there are two parallel accounts of a large portion of the Jewish history (the first from the books of Samuel-Kings and the second from the books of Chronicles) and in the New Testament there are four parallel accounts of the life of Christ (in the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John).
Some of the "contradictions" can be explained as mere copying errors. For example, Jehoiachin was 18 years old when he became king according to 2 Kings 24:8 and 8 years old when he became king according to 2 Chronicles 36:9. In Hebrew, the difference between 18 and 8 is a single letter. Apparently the copyist omitted one letter by mistake. There are several other similar examples.
But considering the length of the Bible (five times longer than the Qur'an) the number of such copying errors is remarkably small. Moreover, careful study can easily reveal the correct number, and none of these contradictions are of any significance in changing the overall message of the Bible. The small number of contradictions between the parallel accounts is outweighed in significance by the fact that the presence of two (or four) parallel accounts strengthens the historical reliability of the accounts by providing more than one source to verify the events.
Not all the contradictions are due to copying errors. One such example is the supposed contradiction between the two genealogies of Jesus, one recorded in Matthew 1 and the other recorded in Luke 3. But this can be easily explained if one recognizes that Matthew traces Jesus' genealogy through Joseph (Jesus' legal but not actual father), and Luke traces Jesus' genealogy through Mary, Jesus' actual mother.
Both are important in establishing that Jesus was qualified to be the Messiah, for the Old Testament predicted that the Messiah must be a descendant of David. Matthew shows that legally Jesus descended from David through the royal line, and Luke shows that his actual physical descent also was from David through Nathan.
It should be recognized that the Qur'an is not exempt from the charge of contradictions. Surah 32:5 indicates that the Great Day of God will be a
thousand years of reckoning, whereas Surah 70:4 indicates it will be as 50,000 years. Surah 50:38 says that the heavens and earth were created in six days, whereas in Surah 41:9-12 two periods of two days plus a period of four days are indicated, for a total of eight days.
Books are available to answer many of the supposed errors and contradictions in the Bible. See for example, Encyclopedia of Bible Difficulties by Gleason Archer. In the future look for a book listed on the book order form of this website written especially to answer the charges of Muslim authors entitled, Is the Bible Full of Errors and Contradictions?
Next Question: Does the Bible predict Muhammad?