For today’s post we will tackle the question the Skeptic Annotated Bible asked: Were the men or angels inside or outside the tomb when the women arrived?
Here are the answers which the skeptic believes indicate a Bible contradiction:
Outside.
“And behold, a severe earthquake had occurred, for an angel of the Lord descended from heaven and came and rolled away the stone and sat upon it.” (Matthew 28:2)
Inside.
“Entering the tomb, they saw a young man sitting at the right, wearing a white robe; and they were amazed.” (Mark 16:5)
“but when they entered, they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. 4 While they were perplexed about this, behold, two men suddenly stood near them in dazzling clothing” (Luke 24:3-4)
“But Mary was standing outside the tomb weeping; and so, as she wept, she stooped and looked into the tomb; 12 and she saw two angels in white sitting, one at the head and one at the feet, where the body of Jesus had been lying.” (John 20:11-12)
(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.
- One should be skeptical of whether this is a Bible contradiction given the Skeptic Annotated Bible’s track record of inaccurately handling the Bible. See the many examples of their error which we have responded to in this post: Collection of Posts Responding to Bible Contradictions. Of course that does not take away the need to respond to this claim of a contradiction, which is what the remainder of this post will do. But this observation should caution us to slow down and look more closely at the passages cited by the Skeptic Annotated Bible to see if they interpreted the passages properly to support their conclusion that it is a Bible contradiction.
- The skeptic here raises a side question of whether it was men or angel the women saw at the tomb. We dealt with the question here: Whom did the women see at the tomb?
- The skeptics cited Mark 16:5, Luke 24:3-4 and John 20:11-12 as recording the fact that the angels were inside when the women arrived. This is pitted against Matthew 28:2 which the skeptics cited as recording the fact that the angels were outside when the women arrived.
- The skeptics did correctly cite Mark 16:5, Luke 24:3-4 and John 20:11-12 as recording the fact that the angels were inside when the women arrived.
- Notice Mark 16:5 stated the women “saw a young man sitting.”
- Luke 24:4 stated angels “suddenly stood near them.“
- John 20:11b-12a stated how one of the woman, Mary, “looked into the tomb; 12 and she saw two angels.“
- The skeptic hasn’t established that Matthew 28:2 as recording the fact that the angels were outside when the women arrived.
- It is true that this verse tells us “an angel of the Lord descended from heaven and came and rolled away the stone” which would have meant the angel was outside. Yet Matthew 28:2 record events before the women arrived at Jesus’ tomb and thus this event was before the women saw what the angel was doing outside of the tomb.
- For the reason why we interpret Matthew 28:2 as parenthetical in describing events before the women arrived at Jesus’ tomb and not what they saw and head, check out our argument here: Was the tomb opened or closed when the women arrived?
- Since it is shown that the skeptics are incorrect in interpreting Matthew 28:2 as teaching that the angels were outside the tomb when the women arrived then we don’t have a Bible contradiction. Thus we can conclude there is not a contradiction here. The skeptic needs to learn How to Handle Bible Contradictions.
- We shouldn’t miss that worldviews are at play even with the skeptic’s objection to Christianity. The worldview of the author of the Skeptic Annotated Bible actually doesn’t even allow for such a thing as the law of non-contradiction to be meaningful and intelligible. In other words for him to try to disprove the Bible by pointing out that there’s a Bible contradiction doesn’t even make sense within his own worldview. Check out our post “Skeptic Annotated Bible Author’s Self-Defeating Worldview.”
[…] Were the men or angels inside or outside the tomb when the women arrived? […]
Excellent analysis. Case closed. Would it be possible for you to debate this guy?
Blessings.
That’s an awesome idea. Never thought of that before. I would want to refute some more on his list (which I have been doing weekly!) before I debate him though. I know you debate online have you yourself organized a formal debate or been a participant yourself Michael?
I haven’t done any online debates. Not sure that would be my strong point. I have been on with SJ before.
Thanks for refuting another one of Steve/Stephen Wells’ cherry-picking contradictions. Wells painfully tries to manipulate Matthew 28:2 to support his agenda.
You’re welcome and thanks for reading this post. Originally last week I was going to refute this contradiction but then I realized logically I need to refute his assumption of when the women arrived relative to the angels activity outside the tomb which he also thinks is a contradiction of what the women saw. Seems like his list builds on one faulty assumptions after another. It’s like untying a whole mess of knots of a whole bunch of jumbled ropes. Yet it’s also a delight refuting them! Praying for you and your job search and also your wife’s health this morning here in LA!
RE: untying knots
I know the feeling! I just got done writing the refutation of Broussard for next week’s installment. He has four chapters on baptism and it’s one error built upon another, just as you stated.
Thanks for your prayers, Jimmy! Job postings have slowed way down because of the virus, but I was able to apply to one job today and started an online training class that I’ll chip away at the rest of the week. My wife was born with scoliosis/skeletal asymmetry, which was aggravated by the femur break. There’s no medical “cure” for her condition but the doctors are working on providing some relief. She’s a high-strung personality naturally, and this pushes her anxiety to the edge. Hope you’re having a good day!
Excellent work shooting down yet another failed attempt by the skeptics.
Thanks Crissy! Trying to refute all of them on their website one contradiction at a time every week. Was that preacher you shared on your blog from Australia?
No he is from the Phillipines. A friend sent it to me.
The way they keep cranking out the errors, I don’t think you’ll run out of things to write about any time soon. 😉
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Thank you.
You’re welcome praying still for your health
I pray for your health also.:) I am doing well.
I’m enjoying these weekly posts where you tackle one of the contradictions and showing they ain’t what the atheists say they are.
[…] Also there’s another alleged Bible contradiction similar to this one that’s on the Skeptic Annotated Bible that we responded to; see Were the men or angels inside or outside the tomb when the women arrived? […]
Good job!
It really seems like a person has to ‘play dumb’ to see any contradiction here…
I agree gotta play real dumb to force a contradiction here; was just praying for you and your wife with the respiratory condition (and hoping it isn’t at all for sure with the virus)
Right
Thanks Jim! Doc says it isn’t corona so thank The Lord.
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You make good assessment that is hard to argue. Your conclusion that this is not a contradiction is spot on
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Without starting with a Biblical worldview the atheist has no basis to say contradictions is a problem according to his worldview. Gotta ask the guy “This isn’t a contradiction but how does the law of non-contradiction exists in your materialists worldview?
Your last point reminds me of the video game Mortal Combat. In the end of some challenges the game tells you “Finish him!” and it ends graphically. That’s what you did with a worldview defeat on the atheists!
The best to insult an atheist attacking the Bible? Showing them the logical fallacies they commit while they read the BIble. That will get them work up
I can’t read the Skeptic Annotated Bible anymore. The way they approach the Bible is sophomoric. Sadly atheists online parrots everything it says.
[…] Were the men or angels inside or outside the tomb when the women arrived? […]
[…] Were the men or angels inside or outside the tomb when the women arrived? […]
I assume these secular “scholars” are the same ones who don’t believe the Bible is inerrant. And their examples are found insufficient to prove their point
[…] Were the men or angels inside or outside the tomb when the women arrived? […]
Glad you are taking the skeptics head on and refuting this. Some are erecting idols to doubt and uncertainty = Pete Enns and friends. So keep writing such kind of informative posts on your page.
[…] Were the men or angels inside or outside the tomb when the women arrived? […]
Great job that this blog is doing. Writer is in control of the facts and presenting this logically 👏👏👏
It’s beyond ironic that the atheists would even make this up when their worldview are a massive contradiction
Bible study posts with highly intellectual people is fascinating to read and share. We need more of this format out in public. Critical thinking have been silenced for far too long