74 Questions on Biblical Contradictions, Theology, and the Crucifixion Claim

The Bible contains internal contradictions so numerous and so fundamental that they cannot be reconciled by any honest reading. This note documents the questions arising from these contradictions — covering theology, justice, the crucifixion narrative, biographical details, and the coherence of the redemption doctrine — presented one by one from the text of the Bible itself.

Question 1: Did God Become Incarnate, or Did He Send His Son?

The Orthodox claim that God Almighty took on a human body and brought Himself into the world. Yet the writer of the Gospel of John states:

John 3:16 (SVD) “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son.”

1 John 4:9 (SVD) “For God has sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him.”

1 John 4:14 (SVD) “And we have seen and bear witness that the Father has sent the Son as Saviour of the world.”

The question is: Did God become incarnate as claimed and come into the world, or did He send His only begotten Son into the world as the texts state? There is no doubt that the messenger is not the one who sent him, and the sender is not the one sent. Many texts state that God did not become incarnate and descend, but rather sent His Son into the world.

Question 2: If Christ Reconciled Us, Why Do the Punishments of the Fall Continue?

Christians believe in a just God. Their book records the punishment that befell Adam, Eve, and the serpent after the fall:

Genesis 3:14 (SVD) “Because you have done this, you are cursed more than all cattle, and more than every beast of the field; on your belly you shall go, and you shall eat dust all the days of your life.”

Genesis 3:17–19 (SVD) “Cursed is the ground for your sake; in toil you shall eat of it all the days of your life… In the sweat of your face you shall eat bread till you return to the ground.”

The four punishments were: the pains of pregnancy and childbirth for Eve [Genesis 4:2]; the continuity of enmity between the woman’s offspring and the serpent’s offspring; the curse of the soil; and the punishment of the serpent — made to walk on its belly [Genesis 3:14].

The question is: If God reconciled us through the alleged crucifixion of Christ — why have these punishments not ended? Why does the serpent still walk on its belly? Why does the woman still suffer the pains of pregnancy and childbirth — to the point that some use drugs because of the severity of the pain? Why does the enmity between the woman’s offspring and the serpent not end? Why is the soil still cursed and man still eating bread in the sweat of his face? Where is God’s justice according to your faith? Or are these punishments merely kept “for memory,” as Pope Shenouda said in one of his writings?

Question 3: Does God Break His Covenant or Not?

Psalm 89:34 (SVD) “My covenant I will not break, nor alter the word that has gone out of My lips.”

This is the word of God to David — that God does not break His covenant. Yet we find the following:

Zechariah 11:10–11 (SVD) “Then I took my staff, which was tender, and broke it, that I might break My covenant which I had made with all the tribes. (11) And it was broken that day, and thus the humblest of the sheep who waited for me knew that it was the word of the Lord.”

The Lord explicitly breaks His own covenant in Zechariah 11 — in direct contradiction of Psalm 89:34.

Question 4: Why Did Satan Not Die? The Wages of Sin Is Death

Paul claimed that the wages of sin is death [Romans 6:23]. If the wages of sin is death, then why did Satan — the main cause of sin, the author of all sin in the world — not die? We want a convincing answer according to the justice of God that you claim.

Question 6: Did Christ Ever Say He Is Both God and Man? Show the Text.

Did Christ ever tell his disciples that he consists of a divine part and a human part, and that he is a perfect God and a perfect man? We ask Christians for the textual evidence from the Holy Bible — on the tongue of Christ himself — that proves this. Support your answer with texts.

Question 7: Did Michal, Daughter of Saul, Give Birth or Not?

2 Samuel 6:23 (SVD) “And Michal the daughter of Saul bore no child to the day of her death.”

She never bore a child until the day of her death. Yet:

2 Samuel 21:8 (SVD) “So the king took Armoni and Mephibosheth, the sons of Rizpah the daughter of Aiah, whom she had borne to Saul, and the five sons of Michal the daughter of Saul, whom she had borne to Adriel the son of Barzillai the Meholathite.”

Did Michal bear children, or did she not? We want an answer.

Question 9: Does the Lord Go Back on His Word and Not Fulfil His Promise?

Jeremiah 33:17 (SVD) “For thus says the Lord: David shall never fail to have a man to sit on the throne of the house of Israel.”

A man from the lineage of David shall always sit on the throne of Israel. Yet in the same chapter:

Jeremiah 33:21 (SVD) “For my covenant also with David my servant shall be broken, so that he shall not have a son to reign on his throne, and with the Levites the priests my ministers.”

The Lord breaks His covenant with David so that David shall not have a son to rule — in the same chapter where He promised otherwise. Here there are only two options, and no third: either one of the two reports is false, or both are false. And you have the choice.

Question 11: Can a Person See God?

John 1:18 (SVD) “No one has ever seen God. The only begotten Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, He has declared Him.”

No one has ever seen God. Yet:

Exodus 33:11 (SVD) “And the Lord spoke to Moses face to face, as a man speaks to his friend.”

Job 42:5 (SVD) “I have heard of You by the hearing of the ear, but now my eye sees You.”

Psalm 63:2 (SVD) “That I may see Your power and Your glory, as I have seen You in Your sanctuary.”

Acts 7:2 (SVD) “The God of glory appeared to our father Abraham when he was in Mesopotamia, before he dwelt in Haran.”

We repeat the question: Did anyone see God, or did no one see Him? Please support your answer with Scripture texts.

Question 13: Where Did the Lost Books Go — Are They Not the Words of God?

Numbers 21:14 (SVD) “Therefore it is said in the Book of the Wars of the Lord: Wahab in the Red Sea and in the valleys of the Arnon.”

Joshua 10:13 (SVD) “Is this not written in the Book of Jasher? And the sun stood still in the midst of heaven, and did not hasten to set about a whole day.”

2 Samuel 1:18 (SVD) “And he said, ‘Let the children of Judah learn the song of the bow.’ Behold, it is written in the Book of Jasher.”

The Bible Dictionary says of the Book of Jasher: “It appears to the one who delves deeply into the Old Testament that the Song of Joshua and David’s Lamentation for Saul and Jonathan are taken from this lost book. Perhaps Solomon’s speech at the dedication of the temple and the Song of Deborah were also drawn from it.”

If these books are not divine inspiration, how can the perfect cite the imperfect? How can God cite the words of men and know that these words will later disappear from the world? And if they are divine inspiration — where have the words of God gone?

Question 14: Does God Need an Angel to Roll Away a Stone?

Matthew 28:2–3 (SVD) “And behold, a great earthquake occurred because the angel of the Lord descended from heaven and came and rolled back the stone from the door, and sat on it.”

If Christ is God — does God need an angel from heaven to remove the stone at the door of His tomb? And if He is a spirit, why does He need the stone removed in order to get out of the tomb?

Question 15: If Christ Is God, Why Did He Deny That He Is Good?

Matthew 19:17 (ESV) “And he said to him, ‘Why do you call me good? No one is good except One, that is, God.’”

By his own admission, Christ denies his own goodness — yet goodness is the nature of God. It is amazing that we find good people in the same Bible:

Luke 23:50 (SVD) “And behold, there was a man named Joseph, a counselor, a good and upright man.”

Acts 11:24 (SVD) “For he was a good man, and full of the Holy Spirit and of faith.”

If there were people described as good before and after Jesus, how could Jesus — their teacher or their God according to your claim — be not good by his own admission? And if Jesus is not good, then he is certainly not God, because goodness is the nature of God.

Question 16: Where Did You Get the Word “Trinity”? It Is Not in Your Bible.

The word “Trinity” does not appear anywhere in the Bible. Support your answer with a direct biblical text.

Question 17: What Were the Last Words of Jesus on the Cross?

The four Gospels give five different accounts:

Luke 23:46 (SVD) “And Jesus cried with a loud voice and said, ‘Father, into Your hands I commend my spirit.’ And having said this, He gave up the ghost.”

Matthew 27:46 (SVD) “And about the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, ‘Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani?’ — that is, ‘My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?’”

Matthew 27:50 (SVD) “And Jesus cried out again with a loud voice and gave up the ghost.”

Mark 15:34 (SVD) “And at the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, ‘Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?’ — which is interpreted: ‘My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?’”

John 19:30 (SVD) “So when Jesus had received the vinegar, He said, ‘It is finished.’ And He bowed His head and gave up the ghost.”

Five narrations from four Gospels — each different from the other. Was the revelation unable to convey to the disciples what the last words of Jesus were at this supposedly pivotal moment in history? We await the answer.

Question 18: Where Is Christ Saying, “I Came for the Sin of Adam”?

Show the text directly from the Gospels.

Question 20: The Lord Needs a Donkey?

Mark 11:2–3 (SVD) “And he said to them, ‘Go into the village opposite you, and immediately as you enter it you will find a colt tied, on which no man has ever sat. Loose it and bring it. (3) And if anyone says to you, Why are you doing this? Say, The Lord needs it; and immediately he will send it here.’”

Give one reason why the Lord needs a colt. And is it logical that he instructs his disciples to take the colt without telling the owners why — unless they ask? Is that not considered stealing? Glory be to God — a Lord, and He needs a colt?

Question 21: Are Donkeys Inspired?

2 Peter 2:16 (SVD) “But he received a rebuke for his transgression, for a dumb donkey speaking with a human voice prevented the prophet’s foolishness.”

The prophet referred to here is Balaam. Since your book called him a prophet, and you say that prophets are only from the children of Israel — from which tribe of Israel was Balaam? We await the answer.

Question 24: How Can a Man Ride a Donkey and a Colt Simultaneously?

Matthew 21:7 (SVD) “And they brought the donkey and the colt, and put their clothes on them, and he sat on them.”

How does one person sit on two animals at the same time?

Question 25: Why Was Salvation Not Accomplished During the Time of Adam?

If redemption was the plan from the beginning — why did God wait thousands of years, allowing all humanity between Adam and Christ to live and die without the benefit of this salvation?

Question 26: Where Is the Justice in Redemption?

In the matter of the crucifixion and redemption we see the following sequence: Man sins against God. God suffers. God makes Himself cursed and an atonement for sin:

Galatians 3:13 (SVD) “Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us.”

In this scheme: the sinner is the one whose sin is the reason for God’s suffering. Then God bears the sin of this sinner and puts Himself in his place in order to demonstrate His righteousness. What justice is this — where the innocent suffers for the guilty, and the guilty goes free?

Question 27: Does This Text Apply to John the Baptist and Zechariah?

Deuteronomy 18:20 (SVD) “But the prophet who presumes to speak a word in My name, which I have not commanded him to speak, or who speaks in the name of other gods, that prophet shall die.”

Does this mean that the Prophet of Allah John the Baptist — who was killed — is a liar? God forbid. Does this text also apply to the Prophet of Allah Zechariah and the other prophets who were killed? Or is the text distorted?

Question 28: How Do We Differentiate Between Blood and Water?

John 19:33–35 (SVD) “But when they came to Jesus, they did not break his legs, for they saw that he was already dead. (34) But one of the soldiers pierced his side with a spear, and immediately there came out blood and water. (35) And he who saw it testified, and his testimony is true, and he knows that he is telling the truth, so that you may believe.”

The first problem: How was the witness able to differentiate between water and blood from this wound with the naked eye? If water mixes with blood, the mixture becomes a less dark red — impossible to distinguish without laboratory analysis. And the incident occurred while:

Mark 15:33 (SVD) “And when it was the sixth hour, there was darkness over the entire earth until the ninth hour.”

Total darkness — and yet the witness distinguished blood from water.

The second and medically significant problem: the flow of blood from the wound is conclusive evidence that the crucified person did not die, because the blood of the dead does not flow. Cardiac activity is required to produce blood flow under pressure. This detail, presented as proof of death, is in fact strong evidence of the opposite.

Question 29: Who Is the Bride, the Lamb’s Wife?

Revelation 21:9 (SVD) “Come, I will show you the bride, the Lamb’s wife.”

Revelation 17:14 (SVD) “These will make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb will overcome them, because He is Lord of lords and King of kings.”

The Lamb, as the writer of Revelation makes clear, refers to God. The question is: who is the bride, the Lamb’s wife? Is she human or of another kind? Where will the wedding be held? Is this how the prophets in your book speak about God the Lord of Glory — describing Him as a Lamb?

Question 30: What Happened to the Piece Cut Off at the Circumcision of Christ?

Luke 2:21 (SVD) “And when eight days were accomplished for the circumcision of the child, his name was called Jesus, the name given by the angel before he was conceived in the womb.”

The question is: was the piece cut off from Jesus at his circumcision united with the divinity, or was it separated from him — and where did they dispose of it after the circumcision?

Question 35: Does Washing Feet Require Removing One’s Clothes?

John 13:4–5 (SVD) “He rose from supper and laid aside his garments, took a towel, and girded himself with it. (5) Then He poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples’ feet, and to wipe them with the towel with which He was girded.”

Does washing people’s feet require undressing and removing one’s clothes? He was forced to gird himself with the towel to cover his private parts — is this normal behaviour?

Question 37: What Is the Shape of Golden Hemorrhoid Statues?

1 Samuel 6:4–5 (SVD) “4 And they said, ‘What is the trespass offering that we shall return to him?’ And they said, ‘According to the number of the lords of the Philistines, five golden hemorrhoids and five golden mice; for the plague shall be the same upon you all and upon your lords. (5) And make images of your hemorrhoids and images of your mice that corrupt the land, and give glory to the God of Israel.’”

The question is: what is the shape of these hemorrhoidal images? What is the wisdom of making golden images of human hemorrhoids and golden images of mice? In what history is it recorded that humans made images of their hemorrhoids? Is this not a command to make idols?

Question 38: Was Christ One of the Wicked?

Proverbs 21:18 (SVD) “The wicked is a ransom for the righteous.”

1 John 2:2 (SVD) “And He Himself is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only, but also for the whole world.”

According to the Christian faith, the wicked is a ransom for the righteous — and Christ was crucified as an atonement for the sins of the whole world. Was Christ then one of the wicked?

Question 40: Explain the Belly-Swelling Water of the Curse

Numbers 5:22 (SVD) “And this water causing the curse shall enter into your bowels, to cause the belly to swell and the thigh to fall.”

And:

Revelation 6:6 (SVD) “And I heard a voice in the midst of the four living creatures saying, ‘An eighth of wheat for a penny, and three eighths of barley for a penny; but do not hurt the oil and the wine.’”

Question 42: No Barren or Sterile Woman — Yet Millions Exist?

Deuteronomy 7:14–15 (SVD) “Blessed shall you be above all peoples; there shall be no barren or sterile woman among you or among your cattle. (15) And the Lord will turn away from you all sickness, and will not put any of the evil diseases of Egypt that you have known upon you.”

This promise has self-evidently not been fulfilled. There have been barren women among the children of Israel throughout history, and the diseases of Egypt and all other diseases have continued. Either the promise was never given, or it was given and not kept.

Question 43: Is the Path of Jesus Easy or Narrow?

Matthew 7:14 (SVD) “How narrow is the gate and difficult is the way that leads to life, and few are those who find it!”

Matthew 11:29–30 (SVD) “Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. (30) For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.”

Is the path narrow and difficult, or is it easy and light?

Question 44: What Did Jesus Do After the Temptation — Go to Galilee or Stay in Nazareth?

Matthew 4:11–13 (SVD) “Then the devil left him, and behold, angels came and ministered to him. (12) Now when Jesus heard that John had been put in prison, He departed to Galilee. (13) And leaving Nazareth, He came and dwelt in Capernaum, which is by the sea.”

Luke 4:14 (SVD) “And Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit to Galilee… And He came to Nazareth, where He had been brought up.”

According to Matthew, Jesus was in Nazareth and departed from there to Galilee and settled in Capernaum. According to Luke, he returned to Galilee and settled in Nazareth. Two contradictory accounts of the same event.

Question 45: What Is the Statue of Jealousy?

Ezekiel 8:3–4 (SVD) “And he stretched out the likeness of a hand, and took me by the forelock of my head, and the Spirit lifted me up between earth and heaven, and brought me in visions of God to Jerusalem, to the entrance of the inner gate that faces toward the north, where the seat of the statue of jealousy that stirs up jealousy is. (4) And behold, the glory of the God of Israel was there, according to the vision that I saw in the plain.”

What is this statue? Does this not represent pagan content that the writers of the Bible absorbed from the civilisations they lived in?

Question 46: When Did Jesus Give the Disciples the Ability to Cast Out Demons?

According to Matthew: the story of the mute demoniac occurred first [Matthew 9:32–34], and then Jesus gave them the ability to cast out demons and heal the sick [Matthew 10:1–10].

According to Luke: he first gave them the ability to cast out demons and heal the sick [Luke 9:1–6], and only then did the Transfiguration occur [Luke 9:28–36].

The sequence of events is inverted between the two Gospels.

Question 47: How Was the Work Completed Before the Crucifixion?

John 17:3–4 (SVD) “3 And this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent. (4) I have glorified You on the earth; I have finished the work which You gave me to do.”

How can the work that God gave Christ be completed when Christ had not yet been crucified? According to Christian theology, the work for which he came was to be crucified to save humanity — yet he declares the work finished before the crucifixion. Was he lying?

And notice: Christ says to God “that they may know You, the only true God” — using the word “alone” — and then confesses that God sent him. If Christ were truly God, would he have said “that they may know You as the only true God” rather than “that they may know that You and I together are God”?

Question 49: Was Jesus in Paradise or in Hell After His Death?

Ephesians 4:9–10 (SVD) “Now that he ascended, what is it but that he also descended first into the lower parts of the earth? (10) He who descended is the same who also ascended far above all heavens.”

Jesus descended into Hades and hell after his death, to free sinners from the sin of Adam and Eve. Yet:

Luke 23:39–43 (SVD) “One of the criminals who were hanged blasphemed him, saying, ‘If you are the Christ, save yourself and us.’ (40) But the other rebuked him… (42) Then he said to Jesus, ‘Lord, remember me when you come into your kingdom.’ (43) Jesus said to him, ‘Truly I say to you, today you will be with me in Paradise.’”

Was Jesus in Paradise on the day of his death, as he promised the criminal — or in Hades and hell, as Paul claims?

Question 50: Is Christ’s Testimony About Himself True or Not?

John 5:31 (SVD) “If I bear witness about myself, my testimony is not true.”

John 8:14 (SVD) “Even if I bear witness about myself, my testimony is true.”

These two statements, attributed to the same speaker in the same Gospel, directly contradict each other.

Question 52: Did the Walls of Jericho Actually Fall from Shouting?

Joshua 6:5 (SVD) “And it shall come to pass, when the sound of the ram’s horn is sounded, when you hear the sound of the trumpet, that all the people shall shout with a great shout; and the wall of the city shall fall flat.”

The wall of a fortified city — the entire wall around it — collapsed from shouting. The question is: can you name one history book or one historian, outside the Bible, who mentions this event? The siege and fall of a city the size of Jericho, with its wall collapsing from sound alone, would be an event recorded by every historian who dealt with the region. Not one external historical source records this event.

Question 53: Does John 13 Contradict the Doctrine of Crucifixion and Redemption?

You claim that Christ came willingly to the world to be killed on the cross, to reconcile humanity with God, and to redeem them from the sin of their father Adam. Yet before his alleged crucifixion, Christ declared his disciples clean:

John 13:9–10 (SVD) “Simon Peter said to him, ‘Lord, not my feet only, but also my hands and my head.’ (10) Jesus said to him, ‘He who has washed does not need to wash except his feet, but is clean wholly; and you are clean, but not all of you.’”

If they were already clean before the crucifixion — what was the crucifixion for?

Question 54: Where in the Old Testament Does It Say There Is No Marriage in the Resurrection?

Matthew 22:29–30 (SVD) “Jesus answered and said to them, ‘You are mistaken, not knowing the Scriptures nor the power of God. (30) For in the resurrection they neither marry nor are given in marriage, but are like the angels of God in heaven.’”

Part one: Jesus told the Sadducees they did not know the Scriptures. Where in the Old Testament does it say that in the resurrection people are like angels and do not marry? Please support your answer with texts from the Old Testament.

Part two: Christ did not object to a woman being inherited by her husband’s brothers after his death — the levirate law of Moses. He said: “I did not come to abolish but to fulfil” [Matthew 5:17]. Why do Christians not apply this law today? What is the argument for abandoning it?

Question 55: Did Jesus Want to Be Crucified?

You claim that Christ came willingly to be crucified to reconcile humanity with God. Yet the Gospels show the opposite:

Matthew 26:36–44 (SVD) “Then Jesus came with them to a place called Gethsemane, and said to the disciples, ‘Sit here while I go and pray over there.’ Then He took with Him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, and began to be sorrowful and very sad. And He said to them: ‘My soul is exceedingly sorrowful, even to death. Stay here and watch with me.’ Then He went a little further and fell on His face and prayed, saying, ‘My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as You will.’”

This is confirmed by Mark 14:32–39 and Luke 22:41–44, in which Luke records that his sweat became like drops of blood falling to the ground from the intensity of his distress. A man who willingly came to die does not pray repeatedly to be saved from death, to the point that his sweat becomes like blood.

Question 56: Why Were the Disciples Sad — If Redemption Was Good News?

If the disciples knew about the lie of redemption and crucifixion — and if this was the joyful news of humanity’s salvation — why were they sad?

Luke 23:48 (SVD) “And all the crowds who were gathered together to that sight, when they saw what had happened, beat their breasts and returned.”

They beat their breasts in grief. Would the crowd react this way if they believed God had just accomplished the salvation of all mankind?

Question 57: Did the Major Prophets Before Paul Believe in the Trinity?

Did the major prophets before the religion of Paul believe in the Trinity — that God is three in one? Where is the evidence? Please support your answer with biblical texts from the prophets themselves.

Question 58: How Did the Lion Die Twice?

1 Samuel 17:34–35 (SVD) “And David said to Saul, ‘Your servant was keeping his father’s sheep, and there came a lion with a bear and took a lamb out of the flock. (35) So I went out after him and killed him and delivered it out of his mouth. And when he rose up against me, I caught him by the beard and struck him and killed him.’”

Notice: he caught the lion by the beard and struck him simultaneously. Notice also that the lion was killed — and then rose up against him — and was killed again. How does the lion die twice?

Question 59: If Christ Is God, Why Does He Come in the Name of the Lord Rather Than His Own Name?

Matthew 23:39 (SVD) “For I say to you, you will not see me from now on until you say, ‘Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!’”

If Christ is God — how will he come in the name of the Lord? Why does he not come in his own name?

Question 60: Who Is Speaking at the Baptism — and Why Does John Deny Anyone Heard God’s Voice?

Matthew 3:16–17 (SVD) “And when Jesus was baptized, He went up immediately from the water, and behold, the heavens were opened unto Him, and He saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting upon Him. And a voice from heaven said, ‘This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.’”

Matthew 17:5 (SVD) “While he yet spake, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them. And a voice from the cloud said, ‘This is My beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased. Listen to Him.’”

Yet:

John 5:37 (SVD) “And the Father Himself who sent Me has testified about Me. You have neither heard His voice at any time, nor seen His form.”

Matthew records people hearing the voice of God — John records Jesus himself saying no one has ever heard God’s voice. Whose revelation do we believe?

Question 61: God Commands a Man to Strike His Friend — and a Lion Kills the One Who Refuses?

1 Kings 20:35 (SVD) “And a man of the sons of the prophets said to his friend, ‘By the command of the Lord, strike me.’ But the man refused to strike him. But he said to him, ‘Because you did not obey the voice of the Lord, when you depart from me, a lion will kill you.’ And when he had departed from him, a lion met him and killed him.”

A man claiming to speak by God’s command tells his friend to strike him — the friend refuses to cause him harm — and is then killed by a lion as divine punishment for his mercy. Is this a reasonable account of divine justice?

Question 63: Is John the Baptist Elijah or Is He Not?

Jesus told the disciples that Elijah must come first before the Messiah:

Matthew 17:10–13 (SVD) “Elijah is coming first and will restore all things… But I say to you that Elijah has come, and they did not know him, but did to him whatever they wished. (13) Then the disciples understood that He spoke to them about John the Baptist.”

Yet John the Baptist explicitly denied being Elijah:

John 1:21 (SVD) “So they asked him, ‘What then? Are you Elijah?’ And he said, ‘I am not.’”

John 1:25 (SVD) “Why then do you baptize, if you are not the Christ, nor Elijah, nor the Prophet?”

It is not reasonable for John to be a prophet and not know whether he was Elijah or not. The most truthful statement is John’s own denial — for he knows himself better than the disciples’ interpretation of Jesus’ words. If Elijah did not come, then the precondition for the Messiah’s coming was not met — and Jesus cannot be the awaited Messiah according to this criterion.

Question 64: Which Zechariah Was Jesus Referring To?

2 Chronicles 24:20–21 (SVD) “And the Spirit of God came upon Zechariah the son of Jehoiada the priest… So they conspired against him and stoned him with stones at the king’s commandment in the court of the Lord’s house.”

Matthew 23:35 (SVD) “That all the innocent blood shed on the land may come upon you — from the blood of righteous Abel to the blood of Zechariah , whom you murdered between the temple and the altar.”

The writer of Matthew confused Zechariah son of Jehoiada the priest — who was murdered in the court of the Lord’s house [2 Chronicles 24:20] — with Zechariah son of Barachiah [Zechariah 1:1]. These are two different men. The margin of the Gospel of Matthew in the Einheitsübersetzung Bible, pages 6–11, acknowledges this error.

Question 65: Does God Want All People to Be Saved — or Does He Send Them Delusion to Condemn Them?

1 Timothy 2:3–4 (SVD) “For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour, who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.”

2 Thessalonians 2:11–12 (SVD) “And for this reason God will send them a powerful delusion, that they will believe a lie, (12) that all may be condemned who did not believe the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness.”

Does God desire all people to be saved, or does He actively send them delusion so they believe a lie and are condemned?

Question 66: Do God’s Angels Eat Meat and Bread?

Genesis 18:1–8 (SVD) “So Abraham ran into the tent to his wife Sarah and said, ‘Come, hurry and knead three measures of the best flour and bake it.’ Then Abraham ran to his flock and chose a tender, good calf… Then he took butter and milk and the calf that he had cooked and spread it out before them, standing at their service under the tree while they were eating.”

Angels are spirits, not bodies. Do spirits eat meat and bread? And if the angels who came to Abraham were God and with Him two other divine persons — as the Trinity interpretation claims — does the Trinity eat meat and bread?

Question 67: Did Peter Know That Christ Was God?

Mark 14:30–31 (SVD) “Jesus said to him, ‘Truly I say to you that today, this very night, before the cock crows twice, you will deny me three times.’ (31) But he said even more emphatically, ‘Even if I must die with you, I will not deny you.’ And so said they all.”

The statement of Peter and the disciples — “Even if I must die with you” — is evidence of the disciples’ knowledge that he was a human being exposed to destruction and death. If they truly believed he was God — the living, eternal, immortal One — how could they speak of dying with him as though death were equally possible for both of them?

Question 68: Why Did God Set a Punishment for Something He Supposedly Made Impossible?

Christians claim it is impossible to distort the Holy Bible. Yet God Himself set a punishment for exactly this act:

Revelation 22:18–19 (SVD) “For I testify to everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book, if anyone adds to these things, God will add to him the plagues that are written in this book. (19) And if anyone deletes from the words of the book of this prophecy, God will delete his portion from the Book of Life.”

Deuteronomy 4:1–2 (SVD) “You shall not add to the word that I command you, nor shall you take away from it, that you may keep the commandments of the Lord your God which I command you.”

Does God set a punishment for an impossible crime? If distortion of the Bible is impossible, why does God warn against it and attach severe punishment to it? The very existence of this warning proves that the possibility of distortion was acknowledged — and fulfilled.

Question 69: Who Are the Translators of the Gospels?

What is the name of the translator of each Gospel? What is his scientific and linguistic competence in both languages? What is the degree of his piety and specialisation? What is his nationality?

Question 70: What Is the Story of the Early Monotheists?

What is the story of the early monotheistic sects who lived from the first to the fourth century AD — such as the Ebionites, the Shinashtis, the Arians, and the Melinites? All of these sects proclaimed that there is no god but God and that Jesus is the servant and messenger of God. Why were they suppressed if they were following the original teaching of Jesus?

Question 72: Where Does Jesus Say He Is Both God and Man?

Did Jesus tell his disciples that he consists of a divine part and a human part — that he is a complete God and a complete man? Support your answer with evidence from the Holy Bible on the tongue of Christ himself.

Question 73: Where Does Jesus Say He Is God Who Came to Forgive Sin Through Crucifixion?

Where in the Gospels do we find Jesus himself saying to his disciples that he is God and that he came down to the world to forgive humanity their sins by crucifixion? If the answer is yes — support your answer from the Gospels directly.

Question 74: How Many Witnesses Testified About the Temple — Two or Some?

Matthew 26:60–61 (SVD) “But at the end came two false witnesses and said, ‘This fellow said, “I am able to destroy the temple of God and to build it in three days.”’”

Mark 14:57–58 (SVD) “Then some rose up and bore false witness against him, saying, ‘We heard him say, “I will destroy this temple that is made with hands, and in three days I will build another, not made with hands.”’”

According to Matthew, there were two witnesses. According to Mark, there were some — an indefinite number. This is a direct contradiction between the two Gospels on the same event.

Across theology, justice, biography, science, and the internal consistency of the text itself, the Bible presents contradictions that no honest reading can resolve — God keeping and breaking His covenant in the same chapter, eyewitnesses seeing and not seeing God, the last words of Jesus given in five conflicting versions, the sequence of events inverted between Gospels, punishments that continue after the supposed reconciliation, and a redemption doctrine whose central figure prayed to be saved from the very death it required. The Quran, by contrast, presents a coherent and consistent account of Jesus (peace be upon him) as the servant and messenger of Allah — free from these internal contradictions.