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- Part Two:
Alleged Discrepancies Examined And Answered…
16) The centurion came to Jesus (Matt 8:5-13)/The centurion sent others to Jesus (Lk 7:1-10).
- a) Did he go himself, or did he send others instead?
- i) Both cannot be right, can they?
ii) Isn’t it one or the other?
- b) Consider:
- i) Jn 19:1—did Pilate himself or others?
ii) Jn 4:1, 2—Did Jesus or didn’t He?
iii) He who has the authority is often given credit for the work done by others.
- c) Those speaking where speaking with the authority of him who sent them.
- i) Note what the US Law states: “What a man does through duly constituted agency, he
himself actually and legally does.”
ii) Upon such grounds was Charles Manson convicted.
- d) Matthew used a common form of speech where one attributes a certain act to a person, which
he does not do himself, but he authorizes to be done, or what is done by his authority.
e) Luke was simply more specific than Matthew.
f) See also Matt 27:5, 6; Ac 1:18—who bought the field?
17) Take no staff (Matt 10:9, 10; Lk 9:3)/Take a staff (Mrk 6:8, 9). Go barefoot (Matt 10:9, 10)/Wear
sandals (Mrk 6:8, 9)
- a) First note the verb “provide.”
- i) It is translated from the Greek word κτήσησθε, meaning to procure for one’s self.
ii) It appears as an indirect middle aorist subjunctive, meaning that Jesus was not saying,
“do not posses or own one,” but rather, “do not go through the effort of getting one.”
iii) Hence, the ASV 1901 says, “do not acquire.”
iv) So it is, then, that Matthew has Jesus saying, “do not acquire anything in addition to
what you already have.”
- b) In Mark’s account the verb αἴρωσιν is used, which is translated “take.”
- i) It literally means to take what you already have.
ii) Hence, the apostles were not to take time gathering things, but were to take what they
already possessed.
iii) He did not mean for them to discard what they had, just not to get more.
- c) Note this example:
- i) I tell my wife, we have to fly to IN immediately.
ii) I say, “don’t take any clothes or makeup.”
iii) Is so to remove her clothes and makeup that she is wearing at present, or does she
understand me to mean not to take anything other than what she has?
iv) Or, I may say we have to leave, don’t take anything except what you are wearing.
v) Is there a contradiction?
- d) Though this may seem to put all to rest, we have not considered Luke’s account.
- i) Matthew states, “provide neither…nor” and Luke says, “take nothing…neither.”
ii) Luke uses the same word Mark used.
iii) So, is Luke saying, “don’t even take what you have”?
iv) Or, does Matthew help us understand Luke’s perspective?
- e) In essence Jesus was simply saying, “Move along quickly to the work.”
18) Jairus’ daughter was dead (Matt 9:18)/Jairus’ daughter was nearly dead (Mrk 5:23; Lk 8:42).
- a) The verb used by Matthew.
- i) Matthew used the verb ἄρτι, which does not speak of a present reality, but an inevitable
reality.
ii) Matt 23:39—did they continue to see Him?
- b) The phrase could be translated, “my daughter is just now dying.”
- i) My daughter is so sick that death is certain; so certain that it is spoken of as a reality.
ii) A brother with cancer commented to me that he was “dead.”
iii) I asked how that could be when he is talking with me.
iv) He said, “Death is certain, I have cancer.”
v) That brother died several months later.
- c) The English translation is not the standard is such cases.
19) The Scripture saith (Jms 4:4-7)/Where?
- a) There is no quotation which says that which James quotes.
b) In reality, James makes no quotation in the original language, and the manner of the translation
is incorrect.
c) Rather, James rightly says, ἢ δοκεῖτε ὅτι κενῶς ἡ γραφὴ λέγει, meaning, in a generality,
the Scriptures do not speak vainly or in an empty manner.
- i) Hence, “saith in vain” should be translated, “speaketh in a vain manner.”
ii) The reference is to the concept of verse 4, “a friend of the world is the enemy of God.”
iii) This is a general truth taught in Scripture.
- d) Another possibility is the fact that often quotations are used as extrapolations and are not
quoted word for word.
e) Thus, James may be references Gen 6:5.
- a) Jesus went into Jerusalem on one donkey.
b) Jesus went on two donkeys.
c) How can one man ride two donkeys at one time?
d) To what does the “them” in Matthew’s account refer?
e) Matt 21:1-9; Mrk 11:1-7.