Since the Bible Can Not Contradict Itself, How Do We Reconcile Parallel Account Discrepancies or Clear Numerical Discrepancies?
1) Direct Answer
There are no contradictions in God’s Word. What people call “discrepancies” are differences of perspective, emphasis, time-reckoning, rounding of numbers, or transmission issues in copies and translations. When you take all the witnesses together, the record harmonizes.
2) Scriptural Explanation
- The Bible says all Scripture is inspired and cannot be broken (2 Timothy 3:16; John 10:35). God does not contradict Himself.
- God established truth by “two or three witnesses” (Deuteronomy 19:15). The Gospels give multiple witnesses. Different details are not denial; they are completion.
Samples of harmony:
- One or two? Demoniacs and blind men: Matthew mentions two (Matthew 8:28; 20:30). Mark and Luke highlight one (Mark 5:2; 10:46; Luke 8:27). Does any verse say “only one”? No. Then two were there; one was emphasized.
- Angels at the tomb: Luke records two (Luke 24:4), Matthew and Mark focus on one who spoke (Matthew 28:2-5; Mark 16:5). Does any verse say there was not a second? No. Then both are true—two present, one speaking.
- Judas’ death: He hanged himself (Matthew 27:5). His body later fell and burst (Acts 1:18). Do these exclude each other? No. They are two stages of one tragedy.
- Hours of the crucifixion: Mark uses Jewish daytime reckoning (third hour ≈ 9 a.m., Mark 15:25). John uses Roman civil time (sixth hour ≈ about 6 a.m. before the final sentence, John 19:14). Different clocks, same day.
- Genealogies: Matthew gives the royal/legal line through Joseph (Matthew 1). Luke traces the bloodline from Mary going back through David’s son Nathan (Luke 3). Two lines, one fulfillment—Jesus is truly David’s Son.
- Census or numerical variations (e.g., 2 Samuel 24:9; 1 Chronicles 21:5): writers may count different categories (men of war vs. valiant men), round numbers, or report at different points in the process. Where numerals in copies vary, that is in the hand of man, not a flaw in God’s revelation; no doctrine is touched.
3) Simple Clarifying Logic
- Silence is not contradiction. If one account mentions one person and another mentions two, the one is not denying the second; it is focusing.
- Different vantage points tell the same truth. Four witnesses around one event will not repeat every detail with the same wording.
- Time can be reckoned differently (Jewish sunrise day vs. Roman civil day). That explains hour differences without any conflict.
- Inclusive counting and round figures were common in Scripture. “Three days” can mean part of day one, all of day two, part of day three, as the Jews counted.
- God inspired the Word; men copied and translated it. If a digit looks different in a later copy, the Spirit still preserves the doctrine, the story line, and the prophetic harmony. The message stands perfect.
4) Reinforcing Statement
Now notice, when you ask the simple questions—Does any verse deny what the other affirms?—the supposed contradictions fall away. The Scripture is one voice. Read it with the Author’s Spirit, compare Scripture with Scripture, and the harmony appears every time.
Ask a Follow-up Question
What did the Laodicean Church Age (our age) Angel (- messenger) Say about this?
Ranked passages from the local William Branham sermon and Church Age Book database. Relevance is relative, not a statement of doctrinal certainty.
Jubilee Year
54-1003E §19
As we had this morning, on Isaiah, that the people... Though Jesus done many mighty works before them, yet, they could not believe, because Isaiah said, "Who has believed our report? To whom the arm of the Lord has been revealed?" He said, "They have ears but they can't hear, and they have eyes but they can't see, and they might be converted." Because Isaiah said that, then the people could not understand the miracles and things that Jesus was doing before them. Do you know, that same prophecy... Notice, prophecy r...
Why are we not a denomination?
58-0927 §128
if a man's in the wrong; go to him, and be reconciled! If you can't be reconciled, take somebody with you. No wonder God can't discipline His church, 'cause you're not doing it right. Instead of getting on the phone and talking about this one, what taken place, and little cults and so forth around like that; instead of doing that, why don't you do what the Bible says? If some brother's been overtaken in a fault, go to him! And see if you can't get reconciled with him. "Well, now he did me..." I don't care what he d...
Africa Trip Report
53-1114 §68
We don't have very much room here to stand many at a time. Now, how many's here for your first time, let's see your hands, first time? Where's everybody was here last night? Every night it's practically a brand new audience. You can just repeat the same thing over each time, it would do. All right, friends, I'm not a healer. I'm your brother. Please understand, I never come here to heal people, I come here to point them to One Who's already healed them, Jesus Christ. By Divine... but if He was here Hisself, He coul...
This day this Scripture is fulfilled
65-0125 §11
...a comparison with Esau and Jacob, and then bringing times down, and I won't go into that, but bring it down to the last part, and my last scripture to use was comparing it not unscripturally, but as Jesus said it would be. What the main doctor said the condition of the church would be in this last days: it would be a Laodicea, rich, blind, naked, poor church. And it would be compared with the days of Sodom. Now we know that's the truth. If you noticed it historically he brought in the days of Noah first, and then...
And then Jesus came
57-0302 §71
The Bible says, "There'll be a day when it will not be light or dark." Did the Bible say that? Right. "But in the evening it shall be light." Notice, this Bible is a Oriental book. The light geographically rises in the east; it sets in the west. And civilization has traveled from east, westward. We're at the west coast now, where the east and west meets. Look, when the sun rose in the eastern country, the baptism of the Holy Ghost fell upon the apostles and the Jews. Now, since then, there's been a dismal day. It h...