Differences In The Gospels

• Luke 6:20 has, “Blessed are you who are poor . . .”

• Explanation: Matthew gives a “thought for thought” rather than “word for word” translation of the original. He adds “in spirit” to help his readers understand that in this context “poor” refers to spiritual humility. A similar usage of “poor” occurs in Psalm 86:1, where King David (who was financially wealthy) speaks of being “poor and needy.”

• In Mark 15:25 Jesus is crucified at “nine in the morning” (the third hour).

• In John 19:14 Jesus is crucified at “about noon” (the sixth hour).

• Mark tells his readers of Peter’s denial in Mk 14:53-54 and 14:66-72. Wedged between this two-part account is the story of Jesus’s trial.

• Luke completes the entire account of Peter’s denial before telling of Jesus’s trial.

• Explanation: Rather than a chronological discrepancy, these are two different ways of telling two separate stories. Mark follows one of his favored stylistic techniques and “sandwiches” Jesus’s trial between the two halves of the story of Peter’s denial. Luke chooses to treat them separately.

We have avoided terms such as “discrepancy” and “contradiction” when discussing differences among the Gospels. When we seek to understand what the Evangelists are doing as interpreters of Jesus’s life, we often find that their different approaches help clarify and draw out implications from Jesus’s acts and teachings. This often entails sharing the stories of Jesus’s life in a topical or logical order, not chronological. In this light, alleged “discrepancies” and “contradictions” are seen as mere “differences.”