JAMES 5:12—Is oath-taking forbidden or blessed? PROBLEM: This and many other verses (cf. Hosea 4:2; Matt. 5:33–37) condemn oath-taking. In James’ words, “Above all, my brethren, do not swear, either by heaven or by earth…
MATTHEW 5:29—Is hell the grave or a place of conscious torment? PROBLEM: Jesus refers here to the “body” being “cast into hell,” and the psalmist speaks of “bones” being “scattered at the mouth of hell…
MATTHEW 5:14—Are believers the light of the world, or is Jesus? PROBLEM: In this passage, Jesus said to His disciples, “You are the light of the world.” However, in John 9:5, Jesus declared, “I am…
MATTHEW 4:14–16—Why does Matthew incorrectly quote Isaiah? PROBLEM: Matthew does not seem to quote Isaiah 9:1–2 accurately. Rather, he seems to have changed it. SOLUTION: It is not necessary to quote a passage verbatim to…
Is there a mistake in recording the wilderness temptation of Christ by Matthew or Luke? MATTHEW 4:5–10 – cf. Luke 4:5–12
MATTHEW 2:6—How can we explain Matthew’s apparent misquotation of Micah 5:2? PROBLEM: Matthew 2:6 quotes Micah 5:2. However, the words Matthew uses are different than those used by Micah. SOLUTION: Although Matthew seems to have…
MATTHEW 2:2—Why does the Bible commend the Magi for following the star, when it condemns astrology? PROBLEM: The Bible condemns the use of astrology (see Lev. 19:26; Deut. 18:10; Isa. 8:19), yet God blessed the…
How many generations were listed between the captivity and Christ, 14 or 13? MATTHEW 1:17
MATTHEW 1:9—Did Matthew make a mistake concerning the father of Jotham? PROBLEM: In 2 Kings 15:1–7, the Bible mentions the father of Jotham as Azariah, and in 2 Kings 15:32 and 34, Jotham’s father is…
MATTHEW 1:8—Is Joram the father of Uzziah or of Ahaziah? PROBLEM: Matthew says “Joram begot Uzziah.” However, 1 Chronicles 3:11 lists “Joram [and then] his son, Ahaziah.” Which one is correct? SOLUTION: Ahaziah was apparently…