Contradictions in the Resurrection Narratives?

In Accounts we pointed to some passages which argue against a wholesale fabrication of the resurrection passages. However, there is a standing puzzle as to how they relate and came to be written as they are. They have a virtually unique problem for documents of their era, in that they are detailed, parallel accounts of the same events. This means they can be tested for discrepancy in ways that most historical sources cannot.

The following passages describe the period following Jesus resurrection, so it might be an idea to see what possible contradictions you can find between them on your own (make a list if you want to be thorough), before proceeding:

• Matthew 28
• Mark 16
• Luke 24
• John 20
• Acts 1:1-11
• 1 Corinthians 15:3-8

The following questions are sometimes put forward to show up contradictions in the accounts. If you made a list above, which of these topics appear on it? Do you need to make additions?

• How many women went to the tomb?
• When was it? Before or after dawn?
• What happened at the tomb? Who else was present? What was said and done?
• Who did the women tell, and when? Did they believe them? Which disciples then went to the tomb?
• Did Jesus tell them to wait in Jerusalem or go to Galilee?
• How many times did Jesus appear and in what order? Who did he appear to first? Where did Jesus' ascension occur? Who was there?
• Can you construct a plausible timeline combining these accounts, or does this seem impossible?

Why not try and figure these out, before you read further? What possible solutions do you come up with? Here are several ideas to get you started:

Are the accounts exhaustive or selective?

Must the accounts necessarily report (1) everyone who was present at an event (may they omit those of less significance?), (2) everything that was said on a certain occasion (might two authors report different parts of a conversation?), or (3) every significant event occuring over a period of time (cf. Acts 1:3, John 28:25), their order and spacing? For example, when John only mentions Mary Magdalene's visit to the tomb, was this because it was only she, running, who brought the news to himself and Peter in the following verse?

Could the same events have reasonably been described in both ways?

That is to say, how certain are the contradictions? For example, the described illumination of the women's journey to the tomb -- "at dawn", "just after sunrise", "very early in the morning", and "early on the first day of the week, while it was still dark" -- all indicate a time around daybreak, when the twilight both admits of several descriptions, and will change over the course of a short journey.

Has the author used reasonable freedom in structuring his account?

There are numerous examples of authorial license in the gospels, that is, the author's freedom to determine how material is best presented. (1) Paraphrasing may be used to better fit the flow, argument or length of a narrative, or to make its meaning clearer to a certain audience. (2) Material may be arranged differently for different purposes (compare Jesus' talks in Matthew, Mark and Luke, for example). Representative talks might be compiled from many given over time, and events might reasonably be arranged by time, topic or even locality.

We may recall that Greek and Roman historians normally invented whole speeches for the protagonists of their histories. They were expected to maintain the essential character of the people and events in question, but at the same time the oral reading of history had to be made interesting. Against this background the restraint of the gospel authors in handling their sources is all the more impressive: The care with which Matthew and Luke use the material they share with Mark (it is possible that this dependence follows a different order, but the point remains) suggests a similar care in their handling of other sources which have not survived, whether verbal testimony or documentary accounts such as the hypothetical Q, M, L, and so on.

One of the most illuminating exercises with concerns of this sort is following international sports matches through online media sources in opposing countries. The variations which appear through viewpoint, selectivity, and journalistic or nationalistic bias (especially when you've seen the game on TV) are extremely instructive for historicity arguments.

The account Paul gives of Jesus’ appearances in his letter to the church at Corinth (~54 CE) is presented as reminding them of the basics: It is a synopsis (only 6 verses). Paul describes six appearances (the last, to him, was several years later and different in other respects, so we pass over it here).

15:3-8 -- Paul: What I received and passed on to you (v.11: this is what we preached and what you believed): Jesus died, was buried, was resurrected on third day (all according to scripture). Appeared to Peter, then the Twelve, then to 500 people (most still living 24 yrs later), then to James, then all the apostles, then (Paul writes) to me, 'as to one abnormally born (ie. not at the proper time).

Presumably by 'the Twelve', Paul means the group of apostles, even though their number was briefly eleven at the time of the resurrection appearances (it depends when Mattathias started: Acts 1:15-26 seems to put it after the ascension, though).

Mark's account is simple, with either 14 or 25 verses, depending on whether you count the extended ending.  There are appearances to Mary Magdalene, to two people travelling in the country, and to the eleven, followed by Jesus’ ascension.

15:42-47 — Joseph of Arimathea buries Jesus in a tomb (after Pilate checks that he's dead). Mary Magdalene and Mary (Joses' mother) see the tomb.

16:1-8 — Mary Magdalene, Mary (James' mother) and Salome go to the tomb, despite uncertainty over who will move the stone away from the entrance (presumably they thought it at least possible that someone else might be there: apostles, guards, etc). However, the stone is gone, and 'a young man in a white robe' is sitting inside. He says: Jesus is risen, have a look, go tell the disciples 'and Peter' he'll see them in Galilee. The women 'trembling and bewildered' flee from the tomb, saying nothing to anyone because of fear.

This is, of course, an odd place for Mark to finish, so various theories exist as to why the following eleven verses are missing from the earliest manuscripts.  One of the more persuasive options is that the original ending was lost (and later reconstructed).

16:9-11 — Jesus appears to Mary Magdalene. She goes and tells 'those who had been with him and those who were mourning and weeping', who do not believe her.

16:12-13 — Jesus appears to two of his former aquaintances 'in a different form' while they are walking in the country (compare with Luke's account below). They aren't believed either.

16:14-20 — Jesus appears to the eleven as they are eating; tells them to stop doubting, and to go and tell everybody. 'After' (how long after?), he ascends.

The Gospel of Luke's account is quite extensive (60 verses).  The first appearance is to Mary Magdalene, Mary (James' mother) and Joanna.  Jesus then appears to two in the country, and the eleven in Jerusalem.  Jesus then ascends.

23:50-56 — Joseph buries Jesus in a previously unused tomb. The 'women who had come with Jesus from Galilee' see the tomb. They go and prepare spices and perfumes.

24:1-8 — The women go to the tomb, find the stone moved, and Jesus missing. 'Suddenly two men' in shining clothing appear, and say: Why do you look for the living among the dead?, Jesus is risen, remember he said he would? (They remember.)

24:9-12 — Mary M., Mary (James' mother), and Joanna go tell 'the eleven and the others', but 'their words seemed to them like nonsense'. Peter gets up and runs to the tomb, sees the strips of linen, leaves wondering what happened.

24:13-33 — Later on Sunday, Jesus appears to Cleopas and Simon (Peter? maybe, cf. 33-34, but if so 'the Eleven' is being used loosely) as they walk to Emmaus. They mention what the women told them that morning: 'they came and told us they had seen a vision of angels, who said he was alive. Then some of our companions went to the tomb and found it just as they had said, but him they did not see'. Jesus explains his death to them as if it should be obvious from the Old Testament, but they do not recognize him until he reenacts the last supper. They immediately turn back to Jerusalem and tell the others.

24:36-49 — While they are talking, Jesus appears among them, and says: snap out of it, I'm real. He eats some fish to prove it, and says: this is all in the Old Testament, go tell everybody (just not yet, stay in town).

24:50-52 — 'When he had led them out to the vicinity of Bethany' he ascends. The whole sequence appears to be on Sunday and Sunday evening, leaving no gap in between the command to wait in Jerusalem, and the day of Pentecost, so a trip to Galilee would seem out of the question. Acts 1, however (by the same author), locates this command 'on one occasion' in the 40 day interval.  It is likely then that Luke's earlier account is condensed, and only apparently continuous.

Acts 1 offers a short synopsis (12 verses) of this before resuming where the author had previously left off.  Numerous appearances to the apostles are stated to have occured, leading to the ascension.

1:1-12 — Jesus appears 'over a period of forty days'. He says:  Wait in Jerusalem for a bit, then go tell everybody. He ascends from the Mount of Olives (near Jerusalem / Bethany).

Matthew's account is very simple (only 29 verses, and much of that is the account of the guard, which is unique to Matthew).  He records appearances to the women at the tomb, and to the eleven in Galilee.  No ascension is noted.

27:57-61 -- Joseph buries Jesus in 'his own new tomb'. Mary Magdalene plus another Mary see the tomb.

27:62-65 -- the Pharisees arrange for the tomb to be sealed and guarded.

28:1-10 -- Mary Magdalene and another Mary go to the tomb at dawn. An angel rolls back the stone, [special FX], the guards collapse with shock. The angel says: Jesus is risen, have a look, go tell the disciples he’ll see them in Galilee. The women hurry back, ‘afraid yet filled with joy’.  Jesus meets them as they hurry away/back and says the same.

27:11-15 -- Guards report to the Pharisees, and are bribed to say the body was stolen while they slept.

28:16-20 -- ‘Then’ eleven disciples ‘went to Galilee, to the mountain Jesus had told them to go to’ (not mentioned in the dialogue thus far, so the dialogue is partial). When they saw him they worshipped him, but some doubted. Jesus says, go tell everyone.

John's account is the longest, over 3 chapters, comprising 61 verses.  He covers an appearance to Mary, and three to various sets of the disciples, but does not mention an ascension.

19:38-42 — Joseph ('accompanied by Nicodemus') buries Jesus in 'a new tomb', 'at the place where [he] was crucified', having prepared him for burial 'according to Jewish burial customs' with spices, and wrapped him in linen.  (It’s interesting to consider whether the women coming on Sunday morning saw that he had been prepared for burial or not, or perhaps whether the task was rushed and required completion.)

20:1-8 — Sunday: 'while it was still dark' Mary Magdalene went to the tomb, and saw the stone had been moved.  She runs to Peter and John (who always mentions himself obliquely like this, cf. 21:20) saying: they've taken Jesus, ‘we’ don't know where.  Peter and John run to the tomb; they see the strips of linen and separately, the head-cloth.  'He saw and believed' (without understanding it scripturally).

20:9-18 — 'the disciples' (an odd expression if it's only John and Peter) go home, while Mary Magdalene remains, crying. She sees two angels in white seated on the slab where Jesus had lain;  they ask why she's crying. Jesus, whom she sees behind her, asks her the same. She, not looking at or not recognizing him (thinking he's the gardener), says: if you've taken him away, tell me where. He says her name, and she turns and recognizes him. He says: don't hold onto me, I haven't returned to the Father;  go tell my brothers I'm doing that. Mary M. goes and tells the disciples.

20:19-23 — that night, Jesus appears to the disciples in a locked room, showing them his wounds. They, fearful, become overjoyed.

20:24-31 — Thomas, having been elsewhere, does not believe them. Jesus reappears a week later in the same manner, with Thomas present, and says 'stop doubting and believe'. Thomas says 'my Lord and my God'.

21:1-25 — Jesus’ next appearance (the third to the apostles overall) is to seven disciples, including John, by the sea of Galilee while they are fishing 'about a hundred yards from shore' in the early morning. He calls out to fish on the other side of the boat, and they catch a lot of fish (153), John then recognizes Jesus, and Peter jumps out and swims to the shore to meet him. When the others arrive, they cook breakfast. Afterward, Peter and Jesus have a discussion.

Acts 1:4 means that there are an indeterminate number of appearances over the forty days between Passover and Pentecost. However, some ordering of these is made possible by other references.

1. Joseph and Nicodemus (presumably with helpers) bury Jesus in the tomb on Friday night as the Sabbath approaches. Some of the women from the crucifixion vigil watch.
2. Nothing happens for something like thirty-six hours.
3. On Sunday morning (the third calendar day), around daybreak, the women return to the tomb with spices and perfumes.  Whether they are unaware that Jesus has been prepared for burial (cf. John 19:40, if they only saw the outside of the tomb), or that the task was rushed and requires finishing, is not clear.  They appear to have had some reason for expecting others to be at the tomb (to help move the stone), but no specific arrangement with anyone (cf. Mark 16:3).
4. Jesus appears to the women at the tomb;  they later tell the disciples, (perhaps after some delay? cf. Mark 16:8).  Some disciples arrive, but only see the tomb is empty;  variously, they feel doubt or wonder.
5. Jesus appears to Cleopas and Simon (is this Peter, or are they mentioning a separate appearance to Peter in Luke 24:34?) on the road to Emmaus.  They turn back to Jerusalem to tell the others.  When they get there…
6. Jesus appears to the apostles on Sunday night (Thomas isn't there).
7. Then again exactly a week later, with Thomas present
8. During one of the above mentioned appearances, he may have been seen by Paul’s 500, supposing that word got around, and supposing that Paul's account is in order of time as it seems to be (viz. then, lastly) -- also, on one of these occassions, he tells them to go to Galilee.
9. After this, he appears to seven of them on a beach in Galilee (his third appearance to the disciples as a group, according to John)
10. While in Galilee, on a mountain, as arranged (there may possibly be other appearances here, incl. one to James if 'my brothers' in Matthew 28:10 doesn't refer to his friends and followers more generally)
11. In Jerusalem once again, he tell them to remain there until Pentecost (the Feast of Harvest, forty days after Passover), as Luke records
12. After possible other appearances and teaching, Jesus ascends from the Mount of Olives, near Bethany.

So, in regard to the broad outlines of the events, there is little opportunity for confusion.  Some common questions on specific events follow.

Isn't the need for harmonization of details indicative of a deeper problem?

It depends on how much harmonization is required. One genuinely difficult objection would be worth more than a hundred that were merely apparent and easily resolved, but it seems to me that the most common allegations of inconsistency establish nothing more than reasonable authorial license in the selection and arrangement of material.

Was it just Joseph or Joseph and Nicodemus (in John) who buried Jesus?

It would be natural to say that Joseph buried him if he had personally done no more than arranged it or supplied the tomb. The actions of groups are very commonly ascribed to their leaders or instigators (Pharoah built a pyramid). And there can be no suggestion that Joseph would have carried Jesus’ body to the tomb, plus enough linen and spices to prepare it for burial, without some help. Whether comprised of his servants or some nameless others, a group would have been involved. It is not unusual that only John, who mentioned Nicodemus in John 3 and was present with the women at the crucifixion (John 19:25-27), should have recognized him in that company.

Who were the women at the tomb? Were there more than three, or are only the main ones being mentioned?

In total we have Mary Magdalene, Mary (James’ mother), Joanna and Salome. There was at least a third Mary at the crucifixion, however (cf. John 19:25: 'wife of Clopas', Mark 15:47: 'mother of Joses'), and Luke simply names a group of women from Galilee. I am inclined to suppose a small group, say four or five, with only one, two or three (as may be relevant to the narrative) being mentioned in any account.

Did the women arrive before or after sunrise?

The described illumination of the women's journey and arrival at the tomb — at dawn, just after sunrise, very early in the morning, and early on the first day of the week, while it was still dark — all indicate a time around daybreak.  Given the changing twilight that you would experience in meeting and making a short journey at this time, the situation could have easily been described in any of these ways.

Where does Jesus ascend from?

(And how does he normally come and go?) The question here is whether there was more than one ascension (difficult to resolve, but having just one seems to work), and whether Mark locates the ascension in Galilee, contra Luke/Acts, near Bethany? However, this view of Mark entails (1) that 'After' in Mark 16:19 means immediately after (whereas 'then' in the following verse obviously isn't immediate), and (2) that the preceding appearance to the Eleven was one that happened in Galilee -- which is not certain either.

Does Luke-Acts allow a trip to Galilee?

and if so, when does this happen? The timeline above suggests a trip between the second and fifth weeks of the forty day period between Passover and Pentecost.