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- Part Two:
Alleged Discrepancies Examined And Answered…
6) God created man first (Gen 2:18, 19)/God created animals first (Gen 1:24-27).
- a) In Gen 2:19 the verb used is yâtsar, which is properly, translated “had formed.”
- i) “Without any emphasis on the sequence of acts the account here records the making of
the various creatures and the bringing them to man. That in reality they had been made
prior to the creation of man is so entirely apparent from chapter one as not to require
explanation. But the reminder that God had ‘molded’ them makes obvious His power to
bring them to man and so is quite appropriately mentioned here. It would not, in our
estimation, be wrong to translate yatsar as a pluperfect in this instance” (Herbert Leupold).
ii) Hebrew scholars are in agreement on this translation.
iii) The NIV is the only which makes the proper translation.
- b) The Bible does not say that there were no animals formed before and after Adam was created.
- i) It is possible that in Genesis 1, the record is correct that animals were created before
man.
ii) It is also possible that God created a special group of animals to be named by Adam in
making the point that man is in need of a helpmeet.
7) Marriage is good (Gen 2:18; Heb 13:4; Prov 18:22)/Marriage is not good (1 Cor 7:1, 7, 8, 26).
- a) 1 Cor 7 has been removed from its context.
b) When viewed properly, considering all things pertaining to it, there is no contradiction of which
to speak.
8) The Sea could hold 2,000 baths (1 Kngs 7:26)/The Sea could hold 3,000 baths (2 Chron 4:5).
[Difference of 6,000 gallons].
- a) The Sea is not a reference to a body of water, but rather a reference to a basin used to wash
the priests (1 Kngs 7:23-26, 39; 2 Chron 4:2-5, 10).
- i) A bath is not a reference to a washing, but rather is a unit of measuring liquids.
ii) It was the largest liquid measurement in Hebrew culture.
iii) It roughly equals 4.5 US gallons.
- b) Possibilities:
- i) Some have suggested an error on the part of copyist seeing as the number 2 and 3 are
similar in Hebrew.
ii) Another has suggested that the measurement changed from the time the first was written
to that of the second.
- (1) London=1475 a furlong was 625 ft.
(2) 1600 it was 660 ft.
- c) Realistically:
- i) A word is used in 2 Chron 4:5 which does not appear in 1 Kngs 7:26, machziyq.
- (1) Hence, 2 Chron 4:5 says it “received and held.” (ASV).
(2) 1 Kngs 7:26 simply says, “it held.”
- ii) The differences in the phrases indicates that the Sea ordinarily contained 2,000 baths,
but when filled to its capacity it received and held 3,000 baths.
- (1) It took 3,000 to fill it.
(2) It typically held 2,000.
- a) Mrk 14:68—after first denial, rooster crows.
- i) Mrk 14:72—after third denial a second crow.
ii) Peter remembered, “before the rooster crows twice.”
- b) These numbers are dependent on emphasis.
- i) The only crowing that mattered was the last.
ii) Hence, Matthew, Luke and John only mention the one crow, the final one.
iii) Mark, on the other hand, was more specific and mentioned them both.
- (1) Hence, the three writers mention the last and Mark includes the first with the last.
(2) According to Hebrew historian Fausset, the Hebrews rarely acknowledged the first
crowing, hence little emphasis is hardly ever given to it.
- iv) The second crowing was commonly called by the Hebrews, “the cockcrowing.”
- (1) This is when the roosters would crow the loudest, it was just before daybreak
(McClintock and Strong; 2:398).
(2) See Mrk 13:35 where Jesus references the second crowing as the only crowing.
(3) During the first century when speaking of the rooster crowing, it was known what
was meant, the second crow.
- v) This refers back to the rule of supplementation.
- (1) One writer adding truthful events is not a contradiction.
(2) I could say that Michael Jordan made many shots before the buzzer.
(3) Another person could add, He made many shots before the fourth buzzer.
(4) There are four buzzers in the NBA, but only the fourth one is of significance.
10) One thief reviled Jesus (Lk 23:39)/ Two thieves reviled Jesus (Matt 27:44; Mrk 15:32).
- a) Possibility of synecdoche.
- i) A whole can be put for a part.
ii) A part can be put for a whole.
iii) Time might be put for a part of time.
iv) The singular can be put for the plural.
v) The plural can be put for the singular.
- (1) Gen 8:4—on one mountain or many?
(2) Gen 21:7—one child or many?
- b) Possibility or repentance.
- i) The one might have been reviling Jesus, then turn penitent toward Him and ask for
forgiveness.
- (1) This may have been brought about by hearing the words of Jesus.
(2) By witnessing the signs.
- ii) Have we not all made a statement and retracted it only a short time after having made it?
- c) The two writers speak of both.
- i) Luke focuses on the penitent man.
ii) Only Luke records his forgiveness.