For today’s post we will tackle the question the Skeptic Annotated Bible asked: Does the gospel of Luke contain everything that Jesus did?
Here are the two answers which the skeptic believes shows a Bible contradiction:
Yes.
“The first account I composed, Theophilus, about all that Jesus began to do and teach, 2 until the day when He was taken up to heaven, after He had by the Holy Spirit given orders to the apostles whom He had chosen.” (Acts 1:1-2)
No.
“And there are also many other things which Jesus did, which if they *were written in detail, I suppose that even the world itself *would not contain the books that *would be written.” (John 21:25)
(All Scriptural quotation comes from the New American Standard Bible)
Here’s a closer look at whether or not there is a contradiction:
- When dealing with skeptics’ claim of Bible contradictions it seems one can never be reminded enough of what exactly is a contradiction. A contradiction occurs when two or more claims conflict with one another so that they cannot simultaneously be true in the same sense and at the same time. To put it another way, a Bible contradiction exists when there are claims within the Bible that are mutually exclusive in the same sense and at the same time.
- Context of what is going on in both Acts 1:1-2 and John 21:25 matters.
- In Acts 1:1-2 Luke is writing here addressing a Christian name “Theophilus.” Luke refers back to his previous writing, the Gospel of Luke. The Gospel of Luke of course records the life of Jesus. Luke tells us that in details that it record events up to the day Jesus was going to ascend back to heaven.
- John 21:25 is the ending of the Gospel of John. The Gospel of John like the Gospel of Luke record the life and ministry of Jesus.
- John 21:25 makes it clear that everything that Jesus did cannot be contained in any given book. That is because as John stated it “even the world itself *would not contain the books that *would be written.” John is very clear here that no literary work can contain all that Jesus has done.
- John 21:25 at first seems to contradict Acts 1:1-2. In order for their to be a contradiction between the two passages it hinges on the meaning of the Greek word πάντων in Acts 1:1 that is translated in English as “all.” In our English vocabulary and meaning “all” can be understood as “everything without exception.” But we want to know what the Greek word means and its lexical range rather than just the English word to translate the Greek term. The Greek word does not necessarily mean English sense that we often understand it. That is the Greek term can mean “all sorts of… (various categories)” in a sense that doesn’t require the meaning of “every/all (with no exceptions).” The use of the Greek adjective of πάντων and its various declined form does not necessarily have to take the meaning of “every/all (with no exceptions)” in its usage.
- 1 Corinthians 13:7 is one example. See our discussion in our response to the alleged Bible contradiction “Should we believe in unseen things?“
- 1 Timothy 6:10 is another example. See our discussion in our response to the alleged Bible contradiction “Is money good or bad?“
- In light of the meaning of πάντων being “all sorts of…(various categories)” we don’t have a contradiction because Luke is not trying to tell us he’s written every single details about Jesus with no exception of anything being left out.
- Just in case someone think our consideration of the lexical range of the meaning of the Greek term πάντων is illegitimate because we are saying the word has more than one meaning consider how English and any other natural language also have words with more than one meaning. Consider the example of the English word “whopper,” “love” and ““left.“
Nice post for meditation..
[…] Does the gospel of Luke contain everything that Jesus did? […]
Thanks for the examination of this alleged contradiction. You’ve provided a reasonable rebuttal via the word study. Surely Luke was not claiming to have recorded every single act and teaching of Jesus in his gospel.
Thanks you Tom! Sometimes doing word studies take some more time to write a post…but sometimes having previous posts evaluate the use of the same word pay dividends as in this case! I search on Twitter and see many skeptic present themselves like they are are intellectual and rational but they simply parrot “all” (in this case literally “everything”) the contents from the Skeptic Annotated Bible without any of their discernment down to the same phrases and question. Ironic don’t you think?
RE: Ironic don’t you think?
Yes, I have seen examples where a really bad argument was posited by a Catholic apologist and then adopted by the masses (no pun intended).
I might wrong in this Brother, but in addition to your helpful post, we aren’t literalists. There are all kinds of literary devices we use all the time without batting an eye. Does anyone seriously think Luke should have recorded absolutely everything! For example: Jesus got up in the morning and then got dressed beginning with his undergarments then his outergarments and then he put on his sandals and then went outside. Then he began to walk, left foot first then his right then his left…. Seriously!
Mike I appreciated the latest post from your blog by the way. Its crazy how some of these skeptic suffer from an overly “letterism” in their hermeneutics without taking into account literary forms, literary devices and lexical range of meaning of words in its original languages in addition to not considering the context. Then they present their conclusion of a contradiction as free “thinkers” without blushing. Incredible isn’t it?
Their freedom, sadly, is a bias towards unbelief and rebellion. As was ours.
Reblogged this on Talmidimblogging.
Thanks for the reblog!
Yankee Whiskey Bravo
They really grasp at straws in some of these supposed contradictions. Yet, those who read their lists take no time to research and immediately start repeating what they’ve been told are contradictions. It baffles me until I remember that I was exactly the same before God saved me. The wicked heart looks for any means out of obedience. That makes these posts so very important, Pastor, and I can’t thank you enough for taking the time to address each of these false claims!
You’re welcome! Praise God for saving you. The skeptic is grasping at straws here…to make a strawman of the Bible (I’m reminded of your logical fallacy series!).
Witty. And good Scriptural response.
Reblogged this on Anonymous Controversy.
Thanks for the reblog!
I have a fantasy of being in The Kingdom of Heaven, sitting at the foot of The Throne of Power, and listening to all The Things Christ Did which aren’t mentioned in The Bible.
Amen-Amein!! ❤
[…] John 21:25 is a third example. See our discussion in our response to the alleged Bible contradiction “Does the gospel of Luke contain everything that Jesus did?“ […]
[…] Does the gospel of Luke contain everything that Jesus did? […]
Dude the skeptics are desperate if they say this is a contradiction
[…] John 21:25 is a fourthl example. See our discussion in our response to the alleged Bible contradiction “Does the gospel of Luke contain everything that Jesus did?“ […]
Can I laugh at the skeptics to their face?
That might be good medicine for some to show their folly
[…] John 21:25 is a fourth example. See our discussion in our response to the alleged Bible contradiction “Does the gospel of Luke contain everything that Jesus did?“ […]
[…] John 21:25 is a fourth example. See our discussion in our response to the alleged Bible contradiction “Does the gospel of Luke contain everything that Jesus did?“ […]
How many atheist who says there’s a Bible contradiction actually read the passage in context? Most probably just googled and found the skeptic annotated Bible
[…] John 21:25 is a fourth example. See our discussion in our response to the alleged Bible contradiction “Does the gospel of Luke contain everything that Jesus did?“ […]
[…] John 21:25 is a fourth example. See our discussion in our response to the alleged Bible contradiction “Does the gospel of Luke contain everything that Jesus did?“ […]
[…] Does the gospel of Luke contain everything that Jesus did? […]
[…] in the Greek; see “Should we believe in unseen things?“, “Is money good or bad?“, “Does the gospel of Luke contain everything that Jesus did?“, “Did Jesus tell his disciples everything?“, “Should we believe everything?“, “Was […]