Contradictions of the LORD's final words

AK - Jeff

IF the day Jesus died is the most important in the history of man, providing 'salvation' - then I have to ask two questions: Why did the gospel writers wait decades to record those final hours, instead of doing so immediately? If God later 'inspired' them to do so, why couldn't they agree on what Jesus said in his absolute final words?

MATT 27:46,50: "And about the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, "Eli, eli, lama sabachthani?" that is to say, "My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?" ...Jesus, when he cried again with a loud voice, yielded up the ghost."

LUKE 23:46: "And when Jesus had cried with a loud voice, he said, "Father, unto thy hands I commend my spirit:" and having said thus, he gave up the ghost."

JOHN 19:30: "When Jesus therefore had received the vinegar, he said, "It is finished:" and he bowed his head, and gave up the ghost."

new light

The bible is the unerrant word of god. Surely the problem is with you, the reader. If you had more faith, and perhaps committed fewer sins, the holy spirit would abide moreso within you, blessing you with the understanding you seek. LOL.

Chalam

Matthew 27:45-50 (New International Version)

The Death of Jesus

45 From the sixth hour until the ninth hour darkness came over all the land. 46 About the ninth hour Jesus cried out in a loud voice, "Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?"—which means, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?"

47 When some of those standing there heard this, they said, "He's calling Elijah."

48 Immediately one of them ran and got a sponge. He filled it with wine vinegar, put it on a stick, and offered it to Jesus to drink. 49 The rest said, "Now leave him alone. Let's see if Elijah comes to save him."

50 And when Jesus had cried out again in a loud voice, he gave up his spirit.

Luke 23:44-46 (New International Version)

Jesus' Death

44 It was now about the sixth hour, and darkness came over the whole land until the ninth hour, 45 for the sun stopped shining. And the curtain of the temple was torn in two. 46 Jesus called out with a loud voice, "Father, into your hands I commit my spirit." When he had said this, he breathed his last. John 19:28-30 (New International Version)

The Death of Jesus

28 Later, knowing that all was now completed, and so that the Scripture would be fulfilled, Jesus said, "I am thirsty." 29 A jar of wine vinegar was there, so they soaked a sponge in it, put the sponge on a stalk of the hyssop plant, and lifted it to Jesus' lips. 30 When he had received the drink, Jesus said, "It is finished." With that, he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.

Matthew 27:50 says this 50 And when Jesus had cried out again in a loud voice, he gave up his spirit which occurs after the "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?" utterance.

There is nothing to say that Jesus didn't cry out again loud voice "It is finished" which was recalled by John and "Father, into your hands I commit my spirit" in a soft voice which was heard/recalled by Luke. THE final words are likely to be softly spoken and only heard by those who are in close proximity.

If you are looking for a transcript of the events then the bible is not that document. new light is probably somewhat correct in that those wishing to find "faults" in the bible can find them easily and other like myself see no contradictions.

Blessings,

Stephen

AK - Jeff

other like myself see no contradictions

Interesting admission that. WOW

designs

Witnesses and Fundamentalists are more alike than they care to admit.

bohm

The key question here is not if the bible contain an inexplainable contradiction - some make that out to be the issue but its really a strawman and because they are not thinking logically.

The question one should ask him/herself is this: "based on which assumption does this quote in isolation make the most sence?", the assumptions being "the bible is historical correct" and "the bible is not historically correct".

Now here is the beef: If the quote makes more sence ASSUMING the bible IS NOT factually correct than it does ASSUMING the bible IS factually correct, that must deminish our belief the bible is correct. Notice i only use "more" or less".

I think its quite hard to say apparent contradictions in a text is easier explained if the text is factually correct than if it is not.

snowbird

The rest of the story:

Do we have different and contradictory stories here? We refer the reader as usual to our essays on Harmonization. Before declaring error or contradiction, there are a number of issues of perspective to consider:

What is the effect of oral tradition and/or literary selection?
Could John know things the others did not because he was near the cross (John 19:25), and in a position at that time to hear things that people farther away - which would include perhaps Matthew, or people interviewed by Matthew and Luke - did not?
Is John supplementing the Synoptics and therefore purposely reporting different things?
What is each writers' purpose? Might they not have selected from a wide range of things Jesus said? If Jesus spoke from the cross at all it is hardly unlikely that he said more than one sentence.
Here's a sensible reconstruction. Matthew is in red, Luke in blue, John in green. Matthew/Luke equities are in maroon. Matthew/John equities are in black. (Mark reports more or less the same thing as Matthew.)
About the ninth hour Jesus cried out in a loud voice, "Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?" which means, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?"
When some of those standing there heard this, they said, "He's calling Elijah."
Jesus said, "I am thirsty." A jar of wine vinegar was there, so (i)mmediately one of them ran and got a sponge. He filled it with wine vinegar, put it on a stick, and offered it to Jesus to drink (MT)/ they soaked a sponge in it, put the sponge on a stalk of the hyssop plant, and lifted it to Jesus' lips (JN). The rest said, "Now leave him alone. Let's see if Elijah comes to save him."
When he had received the drink Jesus said, "It is finished." With that, he bowed his head andgave up his spirit. (JN)/And when Jesus had cried out again in a loud voice(MT)/ Jesus called out with a loud voice (LK)/"Father, into your hands I commit my spirit." When he had said this,he breathed his last(LK)/gave up his spirit(MT).
So by reasonably equating John's "giving up" of the spirit with total event of the final cry, the problem is resolved. We need only recognize that John is focusing on what Jesus said that was not shouted publicly - the plea of thirst, the statement of completion, and the turning over of responsibility for Jesus' mother to John. This fits in with his station at the foot of the cross.
-JPH

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Syl

Perry

I have to ask two questions: Why did the gospel writers wait decades to record those final hours

Who says they waited decades? What does it matter if they did?

If God later 'inspired' them to do so, why couldn't they agree on what Jesus said in his absolute final words?

Where does the bible claim that any of those quotes are his "absolute final words". Those are your words, not God's.

PSacramento

Well, it is an interesting thing to wonder.

Why the different, not necessarily contridicting, testaments.

Supposedly only JOHN was there, so perhaps we should only take his view, but then again John wrote AFTER the others so perhaps he just didn't want to rewrite what was already written, we don't know.

Matthew certainly wasn't there and we know that Luke wasn't either and that he admist witing his gospel base don the available tradtions of the time.

The reason that the Bible contains 4 Gospels is that they represented, to the early church fathers, the best representations of the existing tradtions of their time.

You can view these different tellings as contridictions or you can view them as different tellings of the same event.

Perry

The preservation of scripture is a biblical doctrine.

Contradictions of the LORD's final words

The Death of Jesus

Luke 23:44-46 (New International Version)

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