Journal: Bibliotheca Sacra
Volume: BSAC 169:675 (Jul 2012)
Article: An Alternate Solution To An Alleged Contradiction In The Gospels
Author: Monte A. Shanks

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BSac 169:675 (July-September 2012) p. 317

An Alternate Solution To An Alleged Contradiction In The Gospels

Monte A. Shanks

Monte A. Shanks is Assistant Professor, Liberty Baptist Theological Seminary, Lynchburg, Virginia.

Many alleged contradictions in the Bible are just that—”alleged,” and not without explanations. One such alleged contradiction involves the differences between Jesus’ instructions to His disciples as to whether they were allowed to carry a staff during their missionary journeys.1 Matthew 10:9-10 states, “Do not acquire . . . a staff,” and Luke 9:3 says, “Take nothing for your journey, neither a staff.” But Mark 6:8 records that Jesus said His disciples “should take nothing for their journey, except a mere staff.” Stein wrote concerning this conundrum that “no fully convincing explanation has yet arisen that explains these differences.”2 This article seeks to provide a resolution to these differences.

Vocabulary

Some feel that an answer to this apparent contradiction can be found by focusing on the vocabulary in the passages in question.

BSac 169:675 (July-September 2012) p. 318

Ahern categorized this type of approach to this discrepancy as “verbal harmonizations.”3 One theory employing this approach involves Matthew’s use of “acquire” and Mark’s use of “take,” the argument being that Matthew was describing what the disciples should not accumulate while on their journeys, whereas Mark recorded what the Twelve could procure as they began their mission. Concerning this solution France wrote the following: “One apparently promising avenue of harmonization is to note the different verbs used: Mark allows the taking (αἴρω) of a staff, whereas Matthew forbids the acquiring (κτάομαι) of one—i.e., perhaps the procuring of a new one rather than taking the one which the disciple is assumed to have already. Unfortunately, however, Luke forbids them to take (αἴρω) a staff and in any case the use of κτάομαι rather than αἴρω in Matthew covers the whole list of prohibited items.”4

France concludes that “the disagreement about the staff remains unresolved.”5...

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