Some Christians are confused by those who tell them the Bible is full of
lies, because there are inconsistencies in it. Additionally, some buy into the
idea that these inconsistencies disprove that Jesus is the Son of God. I
believe that God created you with a good mind to decide for yourself if any
inconsistencies in the Bible really are significant and if they disprove that
Jesus is the Son of God.
I will research Jesus telling His Disciples that it’s easier for a camel
to go through the eye of a needle than for a richman to enter the kingdom of
heaven to see if there are any significant inconsistencies.
I will use the New King James Version [NKJV] of the Bible and the
internet, as needed for clarification. Sometimes, it will say both He and Him
within the same Bible verse. I will put within brackets who is speaking and who
is being spoken to if it isn’t clear by the text. Additionally, I will put my
analysis, comments, and opinions within brackets for those who choose to get on
Biblical Proof! at https://BiblicalProof.blogspot.com or Do Biblical Inconsistencies Really Matter? at https://Biblicalinconsistencies.blogspot.com to read the thorough research I’ve shared.
Matthew 19:16-30 says: Now behold, one came and said to Him [Jesus],
“Good Teacher, what good thing shall I do that I may have eternal life?” So He
[Jesus] said to him, “Why do you call Me good?
No one is good but One, that is, God. But if you want to enter into life, keep
the commandments.” He said to Him [Jesus],
“Which ones?” Jesus said, “ ‘You shall not murder,’
‘You shall not commit adultery,’ ‘You shall not bear false witness.” ‘Honor
your father and your mother.” and, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ “ The young man said to Him [Jesus], “All these things I have kept from
my youth. What do I still lack?” Jesus said to him, “If you want to be perfect, go, sell what you have and give to the poor,
and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me.” But when the young man heard that saying, he went away sorrowful, for he
had great possessions. Then Jesus said to His disciples, “Assuredly, I say to you that it is hard for a rich man to enter the
kingdom of heaven. “And again I say to you, it is easier for a camel to go
through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.” When His disciples heard it, they were greatly astonished, saying, “Who
then can be saved?” But Jesus looked at them and said to them, “With men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.” Then Peter answered and said to Him [Jesus], “See, we have left all and
followed You. Therefore what shall we have?” So Jesus said to them, “Assuredly I say to you that in the regeneration when the Son of Man
sits on the throne of His glory, you who have followed Me will also sit on
twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. “And everyone who has left
houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or lands,
for My name’s sake, shall receive a hundredfold, and inherit eternal life. “But
many who are first will be last, and the last first.”
Mark 10:17-31 says: Now as He [Jesus] was going out on the road, one
came running, Knelt before Him [Jesus], “Good Teacher, what shall I do that I
may inherit eternal life?”So, Jesus said to him, “Why do you call Me good? No one is good but One, that is, God. “You
know the commandments: ‘Do not commit adultery,’ ‘Do not murder,’ ‘Do not
steal,’ ‘Do not bear false witness,’ ‘Do not defraud,’ ‘Honor your father and
your mother,’” And he answered and said to
Him [Jesus], “Teacher, all these things I have kept from my youth.” Then Jesus,
looking at him, loved him, and said to him, “One thing you lack: Go your way, sell whatever you have and give to the
poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, take up the cross, and
follow Me.” But he was sad at this
word, and went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions. Then Jesus looked
around and said to His disciples, “How hard it is for those
who have riches to enter the kingdom of God!” and the disciples were astonished at His words. But Jesus answered
again and said to them, “Children, how hard it is
for those who trust in riches to enter the kingdom of God! “It is easier for a
camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the
kingdom of God.” And they were greatly
astonished, saying among themselves, “Who
then can be saved?” But Jesus looked at them and said, “With men it is
impossible, but not with God; for with God all things are possible.” Then Peter began to say to Him[Jesus], “See, we have left all and
followed You.” So Jesus answered and said,
“Assuredly, I say to you, there is no one who has left house or brothers or
sisters or father or mother or wife or children or lands, for My sake and the
gospel’s, who shall not receive a hundredfold now in this time-houses and brothers
and sisters and mothers and children and lands, with persecutions-and in the
age to come, eternal life. But many who are first will be last, and the last
first.”
Luke 18:18-30 says: Now a certain ruler asked Him [Jesus], saying, “Good
Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?” So Jesus said to him, “Why do you call Me good? No one is good but One, that is God. “You know
the commandments: ‘Do not commit adultery,’ ‘Do not murder,’ ‘Do not steal,’
‘Do not bear false witness,’ ‘Honor your father and your mother.’” And he said, “All these things I have kept from my youth. So when Jesus
heard these things, He [Jesus] said to him, “You still lack one thing. Sell all that you have and distribute to the
poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me.” But when he heard this, he became very sorrowful, for he was very rich.
And when Jesus saw that he became very sorrowful, He [Jesus] said, “How hard it is for those who have riches to enter the kingdom of God!
“For it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich
man to enter the kingdom of God.” And those who heard it
said, “Who then can be saved? But He [Jesus] said, “The things which are impossible with men are possible with God.” Then Peter said, “See, we have left all and followed You.” So He [Jesus]
said to them, “Assuredly, I say to you,
there is no one who has left house or parents or brothers or wife or children,
for the sake of the kingdom of God “who shall not receive many times more in
this present time, and in the age to come eternal life.”
The Gospel of John does not have this recorded.
[First of all, I need to see if there are any inconsistencies.]
[It is inconsistent that the Gospel of John didn’t have it recorded that
Jesus said, “It’s easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than a
rich man to enter heaven,” and the Gospels of Matthew, Mark and Luke did, but
is it significant?]
Mark 3:14-15 says: Then He [Jesus] appointed twelve, that they might be
with Him and that He [Jesus] might send them out to preach, and to have power
to heal sicknesses and to cast out demons:
[In that Jesus sent out the disciples at different times to preach and
heal, not all of the disciples would necessarily be there to witness this or
any event. If this is the cause for it not being reported in the Gospel of
John, it’s not significant.]
[ Also, each writer of the Bible uses their own writing style, some
write with more detail, some with less and there are some who only add
information that hasn’t been included in what has already been written about an
event or situation. Some share eye-witness information and some record the
testimony of those who were eye-witnesses to an event or situation.]
[In that I can’t tell for sure why this information wasn’t included in
the Gospel of John, doesn’t appear to be significant. It was recorded in three
different Gospels of the New Testament and that is enough to determine if there
are significant differences between what has been recorded or not.]
[The next thing to examine, is where this took place. I will copy and
paste the portions below to better examine any differences to see if they are
significant.]
Matthew 19:16 says: Now behold, one came and said to Him [Jesus], “Good
Teacher, what good thing shall I do that I may have eternal life?”
Matthew 19:1 says: Now it came to pass, when Jesus had finished these
sayings, that He departed from Galilee and came to the region of Judea beyond
the Jordan.
Mark 10:17 says: Now as He [Jesus] was going out on the road, one came
running, Knelt before Him [Jesus], “Good Teacher, what shall I do that I may
inherit eternal life?”
Mark 10:1 says: Then He [Jesus] arose from there and came to the
region of Judea by the other side of the Jordan. And multitudes gathered to
Him again, and as He was accustomed, He taught them again.
Luke 18:18 says: Now a certain ruler asked Him [Jesus], saying, “Good
Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?
Luke 17:11 says: Now it happened as He [Jesus] went to Jerusalem that He
[Jesus] passed through the midst of Samaria and Galilee.
[I had to check this several times, to make sure, but Matthew and Mark
both say that Jesus came to the region of Judea. I checked on the
internet to check out Luke 17:11 to make sure that when Jesus was on his way to
Jerusalem, it was consistent with the Gospel of Matthew and Mark saying Jesus
came to the region of Judea.]
[ I found a map
on Good Morning God at:
[In critically analyzing this map in relation to the passages above, if
Jesus left from Galilee as stated in Matthew 19:1, Jesus would have gone
through Samaria to get to the region of Judea which is beyond the Jordan
[River]. Mark 10:1 doesn’t state Jesus’ starting point, but says He came to the
region of Judea by the other side of the Jordan [River], which is also
accurate. In checking out Luke 17:11 several times, Jesus would have gone
through both Galilee and Samaria on His way to Jerusalem, although it doesn’t
exactly say that Jesus stopped in the region of Judea. In my opinion, since
Jerusalem is in the region of Judea, if Jesus had arrived at Jerusalem, they
would have worded Luke 17:11 differently. So, Jesus’ stopping in the region of
Judea on the way to Jerusalem is very plausible, in that it is at least 62
miles from Galilee to Jerusalem and part of Samaria is rocky and hilly. They
would have had to stop periodically on the trip to Jerusalem.]
[The next inconsistency is to check out who the man was that asked Jesus
questions?]
Matthew 19:16-20 says: Now behold, one came and said to Him
[Jesus], “Good Teacher, what good thing shall I do that I may have eternal
life?” So He [Jesus] said to him, “Why do you call Me good?
No one is good but One, that is, God. But if you want to enter into life, keep
the commandments.” He said to Him [Jesus],
“Which ones?” Jesus said, “ ‘You shall not murder,’
‘You shall not commit adultery,’ ‘You shall not bear false witness.” ‘Honor
your father and your mother.” and, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ “ The young man said to Him [Jesus], “All these things I have
kept from my youth. What do I still lack?”
Mark 10:17 says: Now as He [Jesus] was going out on the road, one
came running, Knelt before Him [Jesus], “Good Teacher, what shall I do that
I may inherit eternal life?”
Luke 18:18 says: Now a certain ruler asked Him [Jesus], saying,
“Good Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?
[In examining these three passages, the Gospel of Matthew 19;1 says one
came and said to Him [Jesus], but in verse 20 refers to him as the young man.
Mark 10:17 one says one came running, but in verse 20 it says, And he
answered and said to Him [Jesus]. Luke 18:18 calls the person questioning
Jesus, a ruler. Are these inconsistencies significant? ]
[Well, does it really matter if the man questioning Jesus was young or
some other age range? Not really. Could it be that the man was young and a
ruler or some other age and a ruler? Sure, so none of these details are really significant
and don’t alter the conversation the man had with Jesus.]
[In evaluating the wording of the three Gospel passages, all three have
the person asking Jesus what has to be done to inherit eternal life. In all
three, when the person asks which Commandments to keep after Jesus told him to
keep the commandments, Jesus said, “‘You
shall not murder,’ ‘You shall not commit adultery,’ ‘You shall not bear false
witness.” ‘Honor your father and your mother.” and, ‘You shall love your
neighbor as yourself.’’ Those are all consistent.]
[The next portion to examine for inconsistencies is where the man tells
Jesus that he has kept the commandments all of his life and asks what more he
has to do.]
Matthew 19:20-22 says: The young man said to Him [Jesus], “All these
things I have kept from my youth. What do I still lack?” Jesus said to him, “If you want to be perfect, go, sell what you have and give to the poor,
and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me.” But when the young man heard that saying, he went away sorrowful, for he
had great possessions.
Mark 10:20-22 says: And he answered and said to Him [Jesus], “Teacher, all these things I
have kept from my youth.” Then Jesus, looking at him, loved him, and said to
him, “One thing you lack: Go your way, sell whatever you
have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, take
up the cross, and follow Me.” But he was sad at this
word, and went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions.
Luke 18:22-23 says: And he said, “All these things I have kept
from my youth. So when Jesus heard these things, He [Jesus] said to him, “You still lack one thing. Sell all that you have and distribute to the
poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me.” But when he heard this, he became very sorrowful, for he was very rich.
[The things I’m seeing are very minor. In Matthew, the man asks what he
still lacks. In Mark and Luke, it is Jesus that tells the man what he still
lacks. Are those inconsistencies significant? Not at all. It says the same
basic thing.]
[When Jesus responds to the man’s question, each of the three Gospels
have Jesus saying that the man should sell what he has and give the money to
the poor, telling him that he will have treasure in heaven and should come
follow Him [Jesus], but the man goes away sorrowful, because he has many
possessions/is rich. Those parts are all consistent. Next, we will look at when
Jesus talks about the camel going through the eye of a needle.]
Matthew 19:23-24 says: Then Jesus said to His disciples, “Assuredly, I say to you that it is hard for a rich man to enter the
kingdom of heaven. “And again I say to you, it is easier for a camel to go
through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.”
Mark 10:23-25 says: Then Jesus looked around and said to His disciples, “How hard it is for those who have riches to enter the kingdom of God!” and the disciples were astonished at His words. But Jesus answered
again and said to them, “Children, how hard it is
for those who trust in riches to enter the kingdom of God! “It is easier for a
camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the
kingdom of God.”
Luke 18:24-25 says: And when Jesus saw that he became very
sorrowful, He [Jesus] said, “How hard it is for those
who have riches to enter the kingdom of God! “For it is easier for a camel to
go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of
God.”
[In examining these, there are only minor differences in wording, in
keeping with the different Apostles, saying or paraphrasing what Jesus said,
but they all basically say the same thing. We will look at how the disciples
responded to Jesus’ comment about how it’s difficult for a rich man to enter
heaven and Jesus’ reply.]
Matthew 19:25-26 says: When His disciples heard it, they were greatly
astonished, saying, “Who then can be saved?” But Jesus looked at them and said
to them, “With men this is impossible, but with God all things
are possible.”
Mark 10:26-28 says: And they were greatly astonished, saying among
themselves, “Who then can be saved?”
But Jesus looked at them and said, “With men it is impossible, but not with
God; for with God all things are possible.”
Luke 18:26-27 says: And those who heard it said, “Who then can be saved?
But He [Jesus] said, “The things which are
impossible with men are possible with God.”
[The three Gospels are pretty consistent with this portion of the text.
Now, we will look at Peter’s question of Jesus.]
Matthew 19:20 says: Then Peter answered and said to Him [Jesus], “See,
we have left all and followed You. Therefore what shall we have?”
Mark 10:28 says: Then Peter began to say to Him[Jesus], “See, we have
left all and followed You.”
Luke 18:28 says: Then Peter said, “See, we have left all and followed
You.”
[All three Gospel passages are pretty consistent, although the Gospel of
Matthew spells out more precisely what the Peter’s was asking: What shall we
have? We will examine Jesus’ response to Peter.]
Matthew 19:28-30 says: So Jesus said to them, “Assuredly I say to you that in the regeneration when the Son of Man
sits on the throne of His glory, you who have followed Me will also sit on
twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. “And everyone who has left
houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or lands,
for My name’s sake, shall receive a hundredfold, and inherit eternal life. “But
many who are first will be last, and the last first.”
Mark 10:29-31 says: So Jesus answered and said, “Assuredly, I say to you, there is no one who has left house or
brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or lands, for My
sake and the gospel’s, who shall not receive a hundredfold now in this
time-houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and lands, with
persecutions-and in the age to come, eternal life. But many who are first will
be last, and the last first.”
Luke 18: 29-30 says: So He [Jesus] said to them, “Assuredly, I say to you, there is no one who has left house or parents
or brothers or wife or children, for the sake of the kingdom of God “who shall
not receive many times more in this present time, and in the age to come
eternal life.”
[Well, in examining Jesus’ response to Peter in the three Gospels,
Matthew’s report includes more information and Luke’s less, which is very
common for the writers of the Bible and for writers in 2020. Some write with
more detail and some with less, but pretty much, they are all saying the same
basic thing and are pretty consistent.]
[In conclusion, after evaluating all of the passages related to Jesus
telling His Disciples it’s easier for a camel to go through an eye of a needle
than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven, there are only minimal
inconsistencies, with little to no significance. There is nothing that
disproves that Jesus said this to His Disciples and there definitely is nothing
that even comes close to disproving that Jesus is the Son of God!]
[Additionally, I’ve heard some say that Jesus wasn’t talking about a
literal eye of a sewing needle, but instead, the narrow gate opening into
Jerusalem. Either way, it’s not significant. The point was that it was
difficult for a camel to go through it and it’s also difficult for a rich
person to give up their possessions, even when to do so would allow him eternal
life in the kingdom of God. Of course, none of this is impossible, because if
we give up worldly things that interfere in our focus of following Jesus, and
continue to love Him as our Savior, we can someday join Him in heaven. ]
[In parting, I would like to remind you that it’s important that we, as
Christians, don’t let others confuse us by their trying to focus on
insignificant inconsistencies in the Bible, which are often more related to
writing style or paraphrasing things, than anything of consequence.]
[Remember what John 3:16-21 says: “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 [Jesus] 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.”]
