[Have you ever heard someone say something about all the lies in the
Bible that disprove that Jesus Is the Son of God? They generally base this on
inconsistencies within the Bible which they call lies, but are any of the
inconsistencies significant enough to disprove Jesus Is the Son of God?]
[I will research the inconsistencies about Jesus walking on the water
and see if any inconsistencies are significant enough to disprove that Jesus
walked on water or that Jesus Is the Son of God, so you can make up your own
mind!]
[I will use the New King James Version [NKJV] of the Bible to do this
research and possibly internet resources, as needed. Sometimes he and him are
used within the same Bible verse, which can make it difficult to determine who
is talking and who is being spoken to. I will use brackets to tell who each
refers to, if it isn’t clear from the text. ]
[I will put my analysis, opinions, and comments of this research project
within brackets, as well. That allows you and others to go to either of these
two blogs I felt led to create, so you can read the research yourself and make
up your own mind: Biblical Proof! at https://BiblicalProof.blogspot.com/ or Do Biblical Inconsistencies Really Matter? at https://Biblicalinconsistencies.blogspot.com/ .]
[I will put the main New Testament Bible passages that relate to Jesus
walking on water, below. I will copy and paste portions of those passages that
relate to particular aspects I’m evaluating, so it makes analysis of those
portions easier to compare to see if there are any inconsistencies of
significance.]
Matthew 14:19-33 says: Then He [Jesus] commanded the multitude to sit
down on the grass. And He took the five loaves and the two fish, and looking up
to heaven, He blessed and broke and gave the loaves to the disciples; and the
disciples gave to the multitudes. So they all ate and were filled, and they
took up twelve baskets full of the fragments that remained. Now those who
had eaten were about five thousand men, besides women and children. Immediately
Jesus made His disciples get into the boat and go before Him to the other side,
while He sent the multitudes away. And when He had sent the multitudes away, He
[Jesus] went up on the mountain by Himself to pray. Now when evening came, He
[Jesus] was alone there. But the boat was now in the middle of the sea, tossed
by the waves, for the wind was contrary. Now in the fourth watch of the night
Jesus went to them, walking on the sea. And when the disciples saw Him walking
on the sea, they were troubled, saying, “It is a ghost!” And they cried out for
fear. But immediately Jesus spoke to them, saying, “Be of good cheer! It is I; do not be afraid.” And Peter answered Him and said, “Lord, if it is You, command me to
come to You on the water.” So He [Jesus] said, “Come.” And when Peter had come
down out of the boat, he walked on the water to go to Jesus. But when he saw
that the wind was boisterous, he [Peter] was afraid: and beginning to sink he
cried out, saying, “Lord, save me!” And immediately Jesus stretched out His
hand and caught him [Peter], and said to him, “O you of little faith, why did you doubt?” And when they [Jesus and Peter] got into the boat, the wind ceased.
Then those who were in the boat came and worshiped Him [Jesus], saying, “Truly
You are the Son of God.”
Mark 6:41-51 says: And when He [Jesus] had taken the five loaves and the
two fish, He looked up to heaven, blessed and broke the loaves, and gave them
to His disciples to set before them; and the two fish He divided among them
all. So they all ate and were filled. And they took up twelve baskets full of
fragments and of the fish. Now those who had eaten the loaves were about five
thousand men. Immediately He [Jesus] made His disciples get into the boat and
go before Him to the other side, to Bethsaida, while He [Jesus] sent the
multitude away. And when He had sent them away, He departed to the mountain to
pray. Now when evening came, the boat was in the middle of the sea; and He
[Jesus] was alone on the land. Then He [Jesus] saw them straining at rowing,
for the wind was against them. Now about the fourth watch of the night He
[Jesus] came to them, walking on the sea, and would have passed them by. And
when they saw Him [Jesus] walking on the sea, they supposed it was a ghost, and
cried out; for they all saw Him and were troubled. But immediately He talked
with them and said to them, “Be of good cheer! It is I;
do not be afraid.” Then He [Jesus] went up
into the boat to them, and the wind ceased. And they were greatly amazed in
themselves beyond measure, and marveled.
Luke 9:16-22 says: Then He [Jesus] took the five loaves and the two
fish, and looking up to heaven, He blessed and broke them, and gave them to the
disciples to set before the multitude. So they all ate and were filled, and
twelve baskets of the leftover fragments were taken up by them. And it
happened, as He was alone praying, that His disciples joined Him, and He asked
them, saying, “Who do the crowds say
that I am?” So they answered and said,
“John the Baptist, but some say Elijah; and others say that one of the old
prophets has risen again.” He [Jesus] said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” Peter
answered and said, “The Christ of God.” And He [Jesus] strictly warned and
commanded them to tell this to no one, saying, “The Son of Man must suffer many things, and be rejected by the elders
and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised the third
day.”
John 6:9-21 says: “There is a lad here who has five barley loaves and
two small fish, but what are they among so many?” Then Jesus said, “Make the people sit down.” Now
there was much grass in the place. So the men sat down, in number about five
thousand. And Jesus took the loaves, and when He had given thanks He
distributed them to the disciples, and the disciples to those sitting down; and
likewise of the fish, as much as they wanted. So when they were filled, He
[Jesus] said to His disciples, “Gather up the fragments
that remain, so that nothing is lost.”
Therefore they gathered them up, and filled twelve
baskets with the fragments of the five barley loaves which were left over by
those who had eaten. Then those men, when they had seen the sign that Jesus
did, said, “This is truly the Prophet who is to come into the world.” Therefore
when Jesus perceived that they were about to come and take Him by force to make
Him king, He [Jesus] departed again to the mountain by Himself alone. Now when
evening came, His disciples went down to the sea, got into the boat, and went
over the sea toward Capernaum. And it was already dark, and Jesus had not come
to them. Then the sea arose because a great wind was blowing. So when they had
rowed about three or four miles, they saw Jesus walking on the sea and drawing
near the boat; and they were afraid. But He [Jesus] said to them, “It is I; do not be afraid.” Then
they willingly received Him into the boat, and immediately the boat was at the
land where they were going.
[First of all, I think with this particular analysis, it’s important to
find out what happened just before Jesus walked on water.]
Matthew 14:19-23 says: Then He [Jesus] commanded the multitude to sit
down on the grass. And He took the five loaves and the two fish, and
looking up to heaven, He blessed and broke and gave the loaves to the
disciples; and the disciples gave to the multitudes. So they all ate and
were filled, and they took up twelve baskets full of the fragments that
remained. Now those who had eaten were about five thousand men, besides women
and children. Immediately Jesus made His
disciples get into the boat and go before Him to the other side, while He sent
the multitudes away. And when He had sent the multitudes away, He [Jesus] went
up on the mountain by Himself to pray. Now when evening came, He [Jesus] was
alone there.
Mark 6:41-47 says: And when He [Jesus] had taken the five loaves and
the two fish, He looked up to heaven, blessed and broke the loaves, and
gave them to His disciples to set before them; and the two fish He divided
among them all. So they all ate and were filled. And they took up twelve
baskets full of fragments and of the fish. Now those who had eaten the loaves
were about five thousand men. Immediately He [Jesus] made His disciples get
into the boat and go before Him to the other side, to Bethsaida, while He
[Jesus] sent the multitude away. And when He had sent them away, He departed to
the mountain to pray. Now when evening came, the boat was in the middle of the
sea; and He [Jesus] was alone on the land.
Luke 9:16-18 says: Then He [Jesus] took the five loaves and the two
fish, and looking up to heaven, He blessed and broke them, and gave them to
the disciples to set before the multitude. So they all ate and were
filled, and twelve baskets of the leftover fragments were taken up by them.
And it happened, as He [Jesus] was alone praying, that His disciples joined
Him, and He asked them, saying, “Who do the crowds say that
I am?”
John 6:9-21 says: “There is a lad here who has five barley loaves and
two small fish, but what are they among so many?” Then Jesus said, “Make the people sit down.” Now
there was much grass in the place. So the men sat down, in number about five
thousand. And Jesus took the loaves, and when He had given thanks He
distributed them to the disciples, and the disciples to those sitting down; and
likewise of the fish, as much as they wanted. So when they were filled, He
[Jesus] said to His disciples, “Gather
up the fragments that remain, so that nothing is lost.” Therefore they gathered
them up, and filled twelve baskets with the fragments of the five barley loaves
which were left over by those who had eaten. Then those men, when they had seen the sign that Jesus did, said, “This
is truly the Prophet who is to come into the world.” Therefore when Jesus perceived
that they were about to come and take Him by force to make Him king, He [Jesus]
departed again to the mountain by Himself alone. Now when evening came, His
disciples went down to the sea, got into the boat, and went over the sea toward
Capernaum. And it was already dark, and Jesus had not come to them.
[In this particular research project, I have to break the passages down
further into smaller chunks to better evaluate them.]
[Prior to the pertinent passages discussing Jesus walking on water, the
Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John all say that Jesus fed the people with
five loaves of bread and two fish. So, that is consistent.]
[In the passages from Matthew, Mark and John, all say that Jesus took
the five loaves of bread and two fish and fed about 5,000 people. Luke 9:16
says: Then He [Jesus] took the five loaves and the two fish, and
looking up to heaven, He blessed and broke them, and gave them to the disciples
to set before the multitude, but doesn’t specify a particular number. Is
this significant? In that three of the Gospels specify the miracle Jesus did
was feeding the people with only five loaves of bread and two fishes to 5,000
people, and Luke said that the multitude was fed, is pretty similar, so I see
no major inconsistency in this comparison of the passages.]
[The passage in Matthew says that there were 5,000 besides women and
children. The passages in Mark and John say they were men, and Luke doesn’t
say. Is that significant? Whether the people were all men, or men, women and
children shouldn’t really have any implication of whether Jesus walked on water
or that He Is the Son of God, so it’s of no real significance.]
[All four Gospel passages say that 12 baskets of fragments were
collected of the bread and fish after everyone had eaten their fill, so that is
consistent.]
[The Gospels of Matthew and Mark say that Jesus had His disciples go in
a boat to the other side of the sea while He sent the multitudes away. Jesus,
then, went by Himself to the mountain to pray. The Gospel of Luke says that
while Jesus was alone praying, His disciples joined Him and they had a
conversation with Jesus about who people say He is. John 6:14-17 says: Then
those men, when they had seen the sign that Jesus did, said, “This is truly the
Prophet who is to come into the world.” Therefore when Jesus perceived that
they were about to come and take Him by force to make Him king, He [Jesus]
departed again to the mountain by Himself alone. Now when evening came, His
disciples went down to the sea, got into the boat, and went over the sea toward
Capernaum. And it was already dark, and Jesus had not come to them. Are these
differences significant? That will depend on the results of the analysis of any
inconsistencies.]
[The Gospels of Matthew and Mark are pretty consistent with the
disciples going in a boat while Jesus sent the multitude home and then went on
the mountain to pray. The Gospel of John does say that Jesus went to the
mountain by Himself, but did not say that He went there to pray, although it does say that
His disciples got into the boat and went over the sea toward Capernaum. The
disciples getting on the boat without Jesus is consistent. Does it matter if
the Gospel of John didn’t mention Jesus praying while He was on the mountain
alone? Not really. Whether Jesus prayed while He was on the mountain alone or
didn’t pray while He was on the mountain alone, doesn’t have anything to do
with the disciples going in the boat without Jesus or whether Jesus walked on
water or that He Is the Son of God!]
[I want to look further at the passage in the Gospel of John 6:14-15
which says: Then those men, when they had seen the sign that Jesus did,
said, “This is truly the Prophet who is to come into the world.”
Therefore when Jesus perceived that they were about to come and take Him by
force to make Him king, He [Jesus] departed again to the mountain by
Himself alone. These two verses explain so much more. After Jesus’ performing
the miracle where He turned five loaves of bread and two fish into enough food
that 5,000 people could have their fill is pretty significant! That’s why the
men who had seen this miracle said, “That This [Jesus] is truly the Prophet who
is to come into the world.” That explains why they wanted to force Jesus to
become their king. Often, the Gospel writers add more detail to what others have
already written, for further clarification. There are those who call them
inconsistencies and lies, but really they say the same basic thing, but the
Gospel of John adds this clarifying information.]
[That brings us to the Gospel of Luke. Luke 9:18 says: And it happened,
as He [Jesus] was alone praying, that His disciples joined Him, and He asked
them, saying, “Who do the crowds say that
I am?” Although it says that Jesus had been alone praying,
His disciples joined Him and they had a conversation about who people say Jesus
Is. I will be delving into this a little further, but want to analyze the
portions of the passages about Jesus walking on water, first.]
Matthew 14:24-27 says: But the boat was now in the middle of the sea,
tossed by the waves, for the wind was contrary. Now in the fourth watch of the
night Jesus went to them, walking on the sea. And when the disciples saw Him
walking on the sea, they were troubled, saying, “It is a ghost!” And they
cried out for fear. But immediately Jesus spoke to them, saying, “Be of good cheer! It is I; do not be afraid.”
Mark 6:48-51 says: Then He [Jesus] saw them straining at rowing,
for the wind was against them. Now about the fourth watch of the night He [Jesus]
came to them, walking on the sea, and would have passed them by. And when they
saw Him [Jesus] walking on the sea, they supposed it was a ghost, and cried
out; for they all saw Him and were troubled. But immediately He talked with
them and said to them, “Be of good cheer! It is I;
do not be afraid.” Then He [Jesus] went up
into the boat to them, and the wind ceased. And they were greatly amazed in
themselves beyond measure, and marveled.
The Gospel of Luke says nothing about Jesus walking on water.
John 6:16-21 says: Now when evening came, His disciples went down
to the sea, got into the boat, and went over the sea toward Capernaum. And it
was already dark, and Jesus had not come to them. Then the sea arose because a
great wind was blowing. So when they had rowed about three or four miles, they
saw Jesus walking on the sea and drawing near the boat; and they were afraid.
But He [Jesus] said to them, “It is I; do not be
afraid.” Then they willingly
received Him into the boat, and immediately the boat was at the land where they
were going.
[ The Gospels of Matthew, Mark and John all say the crew members saw
Jesus walking on water toward their boat when they were being tossed about in
the wind. This is consistent. The Gospel of Luke doesn’t mention this which is
inconsistent with the other three Gospels, but I will evaluate this further
after I finish analyzing the portion of the passages that focuses on Jesus
walking on the water.]
[The Gospels of Matthew and Mark say that the crew members were afraid
when they saw Jesus walking on the water, because they thought it was a ghost.
The Gospel of John just says that they were afraid. These are just minor
differences of wording and are not significant.]
[ Matthew 14:28-31 says: And Peter answered Him and said, “Lord, if it
is You, command me to come to You on the water.” So He [Jesus] said, “Come.” And when Peter had come
down out of the boat, he walked on the water to go to Jesus. But when he saw
that the wind was boisterous, he [Peter] was afraid: and beginning to sink he
cried out, saying, “Lord, save me!” And immediately Jesus stretched out His
hand and caught him [Peter], and said to him, “O you of little faith, why did you doubt? Neither the Gospel of Mark nor the Gospel of John mention that
Peter asked to join Jesus walking on water. Is that significant?]
[Well, there are several explanations, but we will never know for sure
why this is the case. Remember in John 6:14-15 which says: Then those men,
when they had seen the sign that Jesus did, said, “This is truly the
Prophet who is to come into the world.” Therefore when Jesus perceived that
they were about to come and take Him by force to make Him king, He [Jesus]
departed again to the mountain by Himself alone? In these verses the Apostle
John added more detail than was recorded in the Gospel of Matthew or Mark. It
is often the case that the New Testament writers add to what has already been
recorded by others or say nothing about what has already been amply recorded.
So, Matthew and Mark may have felt that the Apostle John gave enough eyewitness
information that they didn’t need to add it to what they recorded.]
[Another hypothetical reason that wasn’t recorded was that, because the
boat was being tossed about in the storm, Mark and John may not have been near
when Peter asked Jesus if he could walk on water. If that’s the case,
Matthew recorded what he heard and saw, but the others were unaware of that
happening or they couldn’t hear what Peter and Jesus said, so they didn’t
record it. Again, we will never truly know why it wasn’t recorded in the Gospel
of Mark and John, but is it significant that it wasn’t recorded?]
[In that three different Gospels record that Jesus walked on water
toward their boat during a windy storm, is consistent proof that this happened.
The Gospels of Matthew, Mark and John record that the crew members saw Jesus
walking on water toward their boat during the windy storm and were afraid or
thought He [Jesus] was a ghost. This shows that not only were the Gospel
writers aware that Jesus walked on water during the windy storm, but the rest
of the crew witnessed this, as well. This means that there were lots of
eyewitnesses of Jesus’ walking on water toward their boat during a windy
storm.]
[Additionally, the Gospels Matthew, Mark, and John have been consistent
in recording this: But He [Jesus] said to them, “It is I; do not be afraid.”]
[Matthew 14:28-31 says: And Peter answered Him and said, “Lord, if it is
You, command me to come to You on the water.” So He [Jesus] said, “Come.” And when Peter had come down out of the boat, he walked on the water to
go to Jesus. But when he saw that the wind was boisterous, he [Peter] was
afraid: and beginning to sink he cried out, saying, “Lord, save me!” And
immediately Jesus stretched out His hand and caught him [Peter], and said to
him, “O you of little faith, why did you doubt?” Is this information significant, in that the Gospels of Mark and John
don’t have this information recorded ? It most certainly is significant
information! Not only did Jesus walk on water during a windy storm, which is a
monumental miracle in and of itself, but Jesus also allowed Peter to walk on
water, as well, which is another major miracle. Unfortunately, Peter became
afraid and started to sink, but Jesus reached out His hand to Peter and saved
him.]
[This is especially significant to all of us, because Jesus is there to
save all of us when we are afraid and doubt, just like He did Peter, if we let
Him. Back to my analysis of these passages...]
Matthew 14:33 says: And when they [Jesus and Peter] got into the
boat, the wind ceased. Then those who were in the boat came and worshiped Him
[Jesus], saying, “Truly You are the Son of God.”
Mark 6:51 says: Then He [Jesus] went up into the boat to them, and
the wind ceased. And they were greatly amazed in themselves beyond measure, and
marveled.
John 6:21 says: Then they willingly received Him [Jesus] into the boat,
and immediately the boat was at the land where they were going.
[The Gospels of Matthew and Mark have it recorded that when Jesus got
into the boat after walking there on the water, the wind ceased. The Gospel of
John has it recorded that when Jesus got into the boat that they were on land
at their destination. Are these inconsistencies significant? Well, could they
have arrived at land and the wind ceased, as well? Sure, but whether it did or
didn’t isn’t significant, because it doesn’t disprove that Jesus walked on
water to the boat in a windstorm, and that the crew witnessed this and that
they got there safely. Also, according to Matthew 14:33 And when they [Jesus
and Peter] got into the boat, the wind ceased. Then those who were in the boat
came and worshiped Him [Jesus], saying, “Truly You are the Son of God.”
So, this passage not only corroborates that Jesus walked on water, but that the
crew realized that after such a major miracle Jesus Is truly the Son of
God.]
[I promised to further delve into the inconsistencies between the Gospel
of Luke and what is recorded in the Gospels of Matthew, Mark and John.]
Matthew 16:6-8 says: “O you of little faith, why do you reason among yourselves because you
have brought no bread?” “Do you not yet understand, or remember the five loaves
of the five thousand and how many baskets you took up? “Nor the seven loaves of
the four thousand and how many large baskets you took up?
Mark 8:17-21 says: But Jesus, being aware of it, said to them, “Why do you reason because you have no bread? Do you
not yet perceive nor understand? Is your heart still hardened? “Having eyes, do
you not see? And having ears, do you not hear? And do you not remember? “When I
broke the five loaves for the five thousand, how many baskets full of fragments
did you take up?” They said to Him, “Twelve.” “Also, when I broke the seven for the four thousand, how many large
baskets full of fragments did you take up?” And they said, “Seven.” So He [Jesus] said to them, “How is it you do not understand?”
[Well, these two passages in the Gospel of Matthew and Mark prove that
there were two different times that Jesus did the miracle of feeding the
multitudes. The portion from the Gospel of Luke was talking about the second
time that Jesus fed the multitudes. I am going to paste the passage from the
Gospel of Luke here, so we can further analyze it for consistency along with
the passages in the Gospels of Matthew and Mark.]
[ It is always good, when you have someone quote something from the
Bible, that you read a chunk of text before the quote and a chunk of text after
the quote. There are people who take text from the Bible and turn it around to
support whatever they are trying to convince you of. It’s very important to
always check the context of the quote.]
[ I know! I had someone do this to me years ago and they had me
believing that my faith was all wrong, because of the Bible verses they quoted.
When I got home, I read the quotes they had shared, but read chunks of
information before and after the quoted Bible verses. They totally took those
Bible verses out of context! The quotes weren’t even talking about the things
the people had told me, but they took advantage of my trusting nature by using
the Bible out of context to support what they wanted. Don’t let people mess
with your faith! Always check things out for yourself! That’s why doing this
research is so very significant, so people can really see and hear for themselves that the inconsistencies
that they hear people talk about in the Bible have little to no significance
and don’t disprove that Jesus Is the Son of God!]
Luke 9:16-22 says: Then He [Jesus] took the five loaves and the two
fish, and looking up to heaven, He blessed and broke them, and gave them to the
disciples to set before the multitude. So they all ate and were filled, and
twelve baskets of the leftover fragments were taken up by them. And it
happened, as He was alone praying, that His disciples joined Him, and He asked
them, saying, “Who do the crowds say that
I am?” So they answered and said, “John the Baptist, but some
say Elijah; and others say that one of the old prophets has risen again.” He
[Jesus] said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” Peter
answered and said, “The Christ of God.” And He [Jesus] strictly warned and
commanded them to tell this to no one, saying, “The Son of Man must suffer many things, and be rejected by the elders
and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised the third day.”
[Let's compare this with the Bible passages in Matthew and Mark that
tell about the two different times that Jesus did the miracle of feeding the
multitudes. Additionally, I have included a portion of the Bible verses in
Matthew and Mark that tell about the second feeding of the multitudes. This is
before Jesus has the conversation with the disciples about the leaven of the
Pharisees which discusses the two times He fed the multitudes.]
[If by any chance you want to compare the Bible passages of the second
feeding of the multitudes with the first, they are all included at the
beginning of this research project or you can find them in your Bible at
Matthew 14:19-33, Mark 6:41-51.]
Matthew 15:36-39 says: And He [Jesus] took the seven loaves and the fish
and gave things, broke them and gave them to His disciples; and the disciples
gave to the multitude. So they all ate and were filled, and they took up seven
large baskets full of the fragments that were left. Now those who ate were four
thousand men, besides women and children. And He sent away the multitude, got
into the boat, and came to the region of Magdala.
Matthew 16:6-21 goes on to say: Then Jesus said to them, “Take heed and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees
and the Sadducees.” And they reasoned among
themselves, saying, “it is because we have taken no bread.” But Jesus, being
aware of it, said to them, “O you of little faith, why do you reason among yourselves because
you have brought no bread?” “Do you not yet understand, or remember the five
loaves of the five thousand and how many baskets you took up? “Nor the seven
loaves of the four thousand and how many large baskets you took up? “How is it
you do not understand that I did not speak to you concerning bread?-but to
beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and the Sadducees.” Then they understood that He [Jesus] did not tell them to beware of the
leaven of bread, but of the doctrine of the Pharisees and Sadducees. When Jesus came into the region of Caesarea Philippi, He asked His
disciples, saying, “Who do men say that I, the Son of Man, am?” So, they said, “Some say John the Baptist, some
Elijah, and the others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” He [Jesus] said to
them, “But who do you say that I am?” Simon Peter answered and said, “You are the Christ,
the Son of the living God.” Jesus answered and said to him, “Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah, for flesh and blood
has not revealed this to you, but My Father who is in heaven. “And I also say
to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the
gates of Hades shall not prevail against it. “And I will give you the keys of
the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven,
and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.” Then He commanded His disciples that they should tell
no one that He was Jesus the Christ. From that time Jesus began to show to His
disciples that He must go to Jerusalem, and suffer many things from the elders
and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised the third
day.
Mark 8:6-10 says: So He [Jesus] commanded the multitude to sit down on
the ground. And He took the seven loaves and gave thanks, broke them and gave
them to His disciples to set before them and they set them before the
multitude. They also had a few small fish; and having blessed them, He said to
set them also before them. So they ate and were filled, and they took up seven
large baskets of leftover fragments. Now those who had eaten were about four
thousand. And He sent them away, immediately got into the boat with His
disciples, and came to the region of Dalmanutha.
Mark 8:14-21 further says: Now the disciples had forgotten to take
bread, and they did not have more than one loaf with them in the boat. Then He
charged them, saying, “Take heed beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and the leaven of
Herod.” And they reasoned among themselves, saying, “It is because we have no
bread.” But Jesus, being aware of it, said to them, “Why do you reason because
you have no bread? Do you not yet perceive nor understand? Is your heart still
hardened? “Having eyes, do you not see? And having ears, do you not hear? And
do you not remember? “When I broke the five loaves for the five thousand, how
many baskets full of fragments did you take up?” They said to Him, “Twelve.”
“Also, when I broke the seven for the four thousand,
how many large baskets full of fragments did you take up?” And they said, “Seven.” So
He [Jesus] said to them, “How is it you do not understand?”
Mark 8:27-31 goes on to say: Now Jesus and His disciples went out to the
towns of Caesarea Philippi; and on the road He [Jesus] asked His disciples,
saying to them, “Who do men say that I am?” So they answered, “John the Baptist; but some say, Elijah; and others,
one of the prophets. He [Jesus] said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” Peter answered and said to Him, “You are the Christ.” Then He [Jesus]
strictly warned them that they should tell no one about Him. and He began to
teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things, and be rejected by the
elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and after three days rise
again.
[Now, that you are aware that there were two different times that Jesus
did the miracle of feeding the multitudes, I want to examine the last portions
of these Gospels of Matthew, Mark and Luke, to show further proof that they are
talking about a conversation in Luke that happened shortly after the second
feeding of the multitudes.]
Luke 9:18-22 says: And it happened, as He was alone praying, that
His disciples joined Him, and He asked them, saying, “Who do the crowds say that I am?” So they answered and said, “John the Baptist, but some say Elijah; and
others say that one of the old prophets has risen again.” He [Jesus] said
to them, “But who do you say that I
am?” Peter answered and said, “The Christ of God.” And He
[Jesus] strictly warned and commanded them to tell this to no one, saying, “The Son of Man must suffer many things, and be rejected by the elders and
chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised the third day.”
Matthew 16:13-21 says: When Jesus came into the region of Caesarea
Philippi, He asked His disciples, saying, “Who do men say that I, the Son of Man, am?” So, they said, “Some say John the Baptist, some
Elijah, and the others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” He [Jesus] said to
them, “But who do you say that I
am?” Simon Peter answered and
said, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” Jesus answered and said
to him, “Blessed are you, Simon
Bar-Jonah, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but My Father who
is in heaven. “And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I
will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it. “And
I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on
earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed
in heaven.” Then He commanded His disciples that they should tell no one that He was
Jesus the Christ. From that time Jesus began to show to His disciples that He
must go to Jerusalem, and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be
killed, and be raised the third day.
Mark 8:27-31 says: Now Jesus and His disciples went out to the
towns of Caesarea Philippi; and on the road He [Jesus] asked His disciples,
saying to them, “Who do men say that I am?” So they answered, “John the Baptist; but some say, Elijah; and others,
one of the prophets. He [Jesus] said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” Peter answered and said to Him, “You are the Christ.”
Then He [Jesus] strictly warned them that they should tell no one about Him.
And He [Jesus] began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things,
and be rejected by the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and
after three days rise again.
[Since the Bible passage from Luke doesn’t say where it takes place, I
went to Luke 9 and went backwards through the chapter to find out where they
were.]
Luke 9:10 says: And the apostles, when they had returned, told Him
[Jesus] all that they had done. Then He [Jesus] took them and went aside privately
into a deserted place belonging to the city of Bethsaida.
[I wanted to check to see if Bethsaida mentioned in Luke was on
the route to Caesaera-Philippi, as per Matthew and Mark, and it is. I got on
BibleWalks at https://www.biblewalks.com/bethsaida which included a map and
the following information:
“A Biblical map of Bethsaida and the area around
it is illustrated below. The site is located on the crossroads of major trade
routes: north to Caesarea-Philippi (Panias/Banias); south to Gadara and the Gilad;
east to Aram; west thru Capernaum, Genneserat (Kinnereth), Magdala (Migdal) to the Via Maris route which crossed
the land to the south.”
Remember you can see the rest of
this research project at Biblical
Proof! at https://BiblicalProof.blogspot.com/ or Do Biblical
Inconsistencies Really Matter? at https://Biblicalinconsistencies.blogspot.com/
[Matthew says that Jesus asked: “Who do men say that I, the
Son of Man, am?” Mark says Jesus asked: “Who do men say that I am?” Luke says that Jesus asked: “Who do
the crowds say that I am?” These are all pretty
consistent, since there is only some paraphrasing of the same thing with little
to no difference in the meaning. Now, we will analyze the response of the
disciples.]
Mathew 16:14 says: So, they said, “Some say John the Baptist, some
Elijah, and the others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.”
Mark 8:28 says: So they answered, “John the Baptist; but some say,
Elijah; and others, one of the prophets.
Luke 9:19 says: So they answered and said, “John the Baptist, but
some say Elijah; and others say that one of the old prophets has risen
again.”
[These three responses the disciples made to Jesus are consistent,
except for minor variations in wording style. Next, we will look at the Peter’s
response to when Jesus asked, “But who do you say that I
am?”]
Matthew 16:16 says: Simon Peter answered and said, “You are the Christ,
the Son of the living God.” Jesus answered and said to him, [I only included
the verse that pertains to our focus, at this time.]
Mark 8:2nd half of 29: Peter answered and said to Him, “You are the
Christ.”
Luke 9:20 says: Peter answered and said, “The Christ of God.”
[These three responses recorded of Peter in the Gospels of Matthew,
Mark, and Luke are almost the same and have the same basic meaning, so they are
also consistent. We’ll look at what Jesus told His disciples to do, next.]
Matthew 16:20 says: Then He commanded His disciples that they should
tell no one that He was Jesus the Christ.
Mark 8:30 says: Then He [Jesus] strictly warned them that they should
tell no one about Him.
Luke 9:21 says: And He [Jesus] strictly warned and commanded them to
tell this to no one,
[All three of these Bible verses are pretty consistent, other than minor
word differences. Now, we’ll look to see if there are significant
inconsistencies in the bigger message that Jesus had for the disciples.]
Matthew 16:21 says: From that time Jesus began to show to His disciples
that He must go to Jerusalem, and suffer many things from the elders and chief
priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised the third day.
Mark 8:31 says: And He [Jesus] began to teach them that the Son of Man
must suffer many things, and be rejected by the elders and chief priests and
scribes, and be killed, and after three days rise again.
Luke 9:22 says: “The Son of Man must
suffer many things, and be rejected by the elders and chief priests and scribes,
and be killed, and be raised the third day.”
[All three of these passages are consistent and explain how Jesus
foretold that He would suffer, be killed and would rise again on the third day.
Any differences are minor and are more in the order of paraphrasing or word
style differences which are of no significance.]
[As you can see, the original passage used from Luke was when Jesus fed
the multitude the second time when 4,000 people were fed. So, is it
significant that the Gospel of Luke did not have information recorded about
when Jesus fed the multitude (5,000) and when Jesus walked on the water during
the windy storm?]
Mark 3:14-15 says: And He [Jesus] appointed twelve, that they might be
with Him and that He might send them out to preach, and to have power to heal
sicknesses and to cast out demons.
[So all the disciples weren’t necessarily at every or all of the events,
because some were out preaching and healing, at different times. So, it appears
that Luke wasn’t with Jesus when He fed the 5,000 and walked on the water
during the windy storm, but Luke was present when Jesus fed the 4,000 and heard
Him foretell of His suffering, death and resurrection, which happens to be one
of the most significant things of all of the this research project. Who, but
the Son of God could feed 5,000 people with a few loaves of bread and a couple
fish or again feed 4,000 with a few loaves of bread and a few fish? Who, but
the Son of God could walk on water and in a windy storm? Who, but the Son of
God could allow Peter to walk on water with Him and save Peter when he started
to doubt? Who, but the Son of God could foretell of His suffering, death and
resurrection, before it ever happened?]
[Remember, don’t let people confuse you! Most inconsistencies in the
Bible are primarily related to writing style, one sharing more details, some
fewer, some sharing eyewitness accounts or recording the testimony of
eyewitnesses, and some adding to what others have already recorded for
additional information.]
[Most important of all, remember the message in John 3:16-21: ”“For God so Loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that
whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. “For God
did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world
through Him might be saved. “He who believes in Him is not condemned; but
he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in
the name of the only begotten Son of God. “And this is the condemnation, that
the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light,
because their deeds were evil. “For everyone practicing evil hates the light
and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed. “But he who
does the truth comes to the light, that his deeds may be clearly seen, that
they have been done in God.”]
