Replies

"...I write as author of a book ("Nearer, My God") in which I included a vision of the Crucifixion by an Italian mystic, Maria Valtorta. A learned priest cautioned against taking this liberty. "Valtorta seems to have solved the Synoptic problem that's been plaguing scholars for centuries, viz., the contradictions between Matthew, Mark and Luke. She has St. Dismas, the good thief, blessing Christ; Matthew (27:44) has him reviling him (Luke and Mark do not); she has Our Lord drinking gall mixed with vinegar (Mark 15:36 has him drinking just vinegar). I was amused to see Joseph of Arimathea boldly traversing the line of 50 soldiers and the angry Jews in order to get near the cross, since in Mark (15:43) we're told he 'took courage' to go to Pilate to retrieve the body."

Somewhat beside the main point here, but any Bible scholars out there that can reconcile what Buckley claims to be inconsistencies between the Gospels?

As for the movie criticism about violence, I also felt the scourging scene was a bit much, but overall I thought the film was very well done and generally true to the Gospels.

-- Joe

The inconsistencies are relatively minor. These were eyewittness accounts written by different people at different times and in different locations. The miraculous thing is that they have so many seemingly trivial details in common.

Somewhat beside the main point here, but any Bible scholars out there that can reconcile what Buckley claims to be inconsistencies between the Gospels?

I'm not a Biblical scholar but the minior inconsistancies -- the death of Judas or the Lord's genealogy -- helped lead me to conclude the Gospel was true.

I took the small descrepancies to mean there was no collaboration, which meant the important parts were corroborated by independent witnesses who were endevouring to tell the truth.

"Somewhat beside the main point here, but any Bible scholars out there that can reconcile what Buckley claims to be inconsistencies between the Gospels?"

They are not inconsistence!

We have 4 people writing what our Heavenly Father inspired them to write. If they all wrote the same thing what would be the purpose. Call it 4 witness and what they saw at the crime scene.