Posted on 08/17/2005 11:56:02 AM PDT by TheTruthess
BTTT
NO
My reply was that the Gospels were mostly eye-witness accounts and the worst witnesses are eye-witnesses. Furthermore, if the Gospels did agree word-for-word with each other, he would probably call it collusion.
And you and I will understand that answer soon. (Soon, relative to God's time line)
5.56mm
You are right: The differences are strong evidence against collusion. I would add several other points:
(1) In some cases, the authors were probably not eye-witnesses. (Were Matthew, Mark, Luke, or John present at the birth of Jesus or the Transfiguration?) In such instances, they had to rely on the reports of those who were present.
(2) Even eye-witnesses will remember and describe the same events differently.
(3) The Gospels were written down decades after the events they report. People's memories fade, and their interpretation of events change.
(4) The Gospels appear to have been written to different readerships. Therefore, the authors might have chosen to emphasize different aspects of Jesus' life.
Matthew 1:2-16 The legal inheritance of the Hebrews always passed through the men, that's why this genealogy is reckoned through Joseph who was not the father of Christ, but legally was able to pass the Scepter Promise on....Genesis 49:10
The genealogy in Luke 3:23 is through Mary. The Hebrews always did both because they were always sure who the mother was.
There is a book written by a Greek professor called, "The life of Christ in Stereo". It puts the four gospels together to read as one book; including all portions from each gospel, omitting none. Great book.
?..................Does the Koran Contradict Itself?
Abraham's ONLY 'son'.......Isaac or Ishmael?
?....a public school education?
Another good book is 'The Four-Fold Gospel'. It even puts the events in chronilogical order.
Mark 9:2 And after six days Jesus taketh with him Peter, and James, and John, and leadeth them up into an high mountain apart by themselves: and he was transfigured before them.
You are, of course, correct. Nevertheless, my original point still stands. Matthew, Mark, and Luke all wrote about the Transfiguration, yet none of them were said to be present when it happened. They must have relied on the word of those who were there. (Strangely, John was present at the Transfiguration, but his Gospel does not mention the event.)
Just as Matthew is the only gospel that mentions that Matthew was previously a tax collector. I find these incidences also to be a testament to the truthfullness of the accounts. These authors were inspired by the HS to tell the gospel accounts but the individual humanity is still seen.
Or they wrote what the Holy Spirit told them to write.
Depends on your interpretaion I guess.
I believe the Bible cover to cover...and even the dust on the cover.
Well, the Holy Spirit was undoubtedly present at the Transfiguration!
Of course, that is not exactly what I had in mind when I said the Gospel writers relied on the word of those who were present. Whenever possible, the authors reported what they themselves saw and heard. However, when writing about events that they had not witnessed, they spoke to others who had been present.
Although I believe that the writers of the Gospels were inspired, that does not mean that they merely wrote what the Holy Spirit dictated to them. I agree with what asformeandformyhouse said (Post 16): "These authors were inspired by the HS to tell the gospel accounts but the individual humanity is still seen."
Most of the differences in the Gospel accounts are minor, but there are differences. Consider again, for example, the Transfiguration. This occurred after Jesus spoke about the requirements of discipleship. ("If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me.") Matthew and Mark say that it was "after six days" that Jesus took Peter, James, and John up to the mountain; Luke says "about an eight days after these sayings."
Now, did the Holy Spirit tell Matthew and Mark to write six days and Luke to write (about) eight days? Or were they relying on someone's recollection of the events, perhaps told many years after the events? The latter explanation seems more reasonable to me.
Either way, the Gospel writers agree on the main point, which is that Jesus took Peter, James, and John up to a mountain, where they saw Moses and Elias and heard the voice of the Father.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.