Chapter 1

1:1, 14 - These verses imply that Jesus is God, but this is denied elsewhere in the bible. But how could Jesus be with God in the beginning, as this verse says, Jesus was created by God? And how could Jesus be "a god" and yet be with God during the creation if God was speaking truthfully in Dt.32:39 when he said, "there are no gods with me"?

* Since the beginning, Jesus was in Heaven.  He made many appearances in the Old Testament.  The gospels record Jesus becoming a man and dwelling among us.

* This passage does not assert that God created Jesus.

* In Deuteronomy 32:39, the Hebrew word for "God" is "Elohim" which is the plural form of God; designating the trinity (God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit).

1:18 - This verse says that no human has ever seen God. But elsewhere, the Bible says that many have seen him.

* John correctly states that no earthly person, on the Earth, has ever seen God the Father.  The Greek word for God in this passage is "theos."  God has shown Himself to people in Heaven and to some people on Earth, in the form of Jesus Christ.

* Genesis 32:30 is when Jacob names a place "Peniel" because he wrestled with God ("face to face").  God is a Spirit.  He actually wrestled the second person in the trinity of God: Jesus Christ.

* In Exodus 24:10, the Hebrew word for God is "Elohim."  This is a plural form of God, indicating that the person of God wasn't necessarily seen.  Furthermore, God's feet were mentioned.  God is a Spirit and has no feet.  Consequently, this passage must refer to the person of Jesus Christ.

* Exodus 33:9 clearly states that God talked to Moses from a cloud.  Therefore, the expression "face to face," in Exodus 33:11, doesn't mean he talked to God's literal face.

* Deuteronomy 34:10 is another passage like Exodus 33:11.  The clarifying passage is Exodus 33:9.  Incidentally, the English word in Deuteronomy 34:10 is "knew" (face to face) and not "saw."

* Isaiah 6:1 tells us that Isaiah was ushered into Heaven, where the "Lord" was seated on the throne.  Isaiah 6:5 reveals Isaiah's concern about seeing the king and the remedy for this situation.  Note that this interaction was a supernatural one and in Heaven.  Therefore, since Isaiah was cleansed and in Heaven, the Lord allowed him to approach Him; only with cleansed lips.

1:21 - Was John the Baptist Elijah? In this verse, John clearly says no. But Jesus just as clearly says yes in Mt.11:14, 17:12-13 and Mk.9:13.

* No, John the Baptist was not the same person as Elijah.  In John 1:21-23, John clearly says he is not Elijah.

* Elijah prophesied about John the Baptist and the coming Messiah.  John the Baptist prophesied about Jesus.  Therefore, this verse makes perfect sense.  This is a better, English translation of Matthew 11:14 (with verse 13): "For all the prophets and the law prophesied until John.  And if you are willing to receive (his message), he is like Elijah, (prophesying about the one) who is to come."  Jesus is drawing a connection between Elijah and John the Baptist, but He isn't saying that they are the same person.

* In Matthew 17:12 and 13, Jesus is telling His disciples about John the Baptist who had the "spirit of Elijah" and a similar mission as Elijah the prophet - a forerunner of Jesus Christ.  John the Baptist wasn't the same person as Elijah.  Mark 9:13 is the same as this passage in Matthew.

* Matthew 3:3 and Luke 3:4 and 5 help clear up the confusion.  Elijah prophesied about John the Baptist coming and being a forerunner of Jesus Christ.  In fact, his prophecy is included in these verses in Matthew and Luke.

* Jesus never says plainly or specifically that Elijah the prophet is the same person as John the Baptist.

1:28 - "These things were done in Bethabara beyond Jordan, where John was baptizing." But no such site is known in history. Some translations (ASV, NAB, NIV, RSV, NRSV) rename Bethabara as Bethany, but Bethany is a suburb of Jerusalem and, therefore, not "beyond the Jordan."

* Bethabara was a place "beyond the Jordan."  This place was found a few years ago and it was excavated.  The Jordanians are preparing it for public visitations.

1:29-35 - John baptizes Jesus and declares him to be "the Son of God." But later, as he is about to be beheaded, John is no longer sure what to think about Jesus. So he sends his own disciples to ask, "Art thou he that should come, or do we look for another?" (Mt.11:3) Well, if he isn't sure after seeing and hearing the events at Jesus' baptism, then how can anyone else be?

* John the Baptist simply had a time where he doubted.  He was in prison and lost some of his faith.  This doesn't indicate anything about Jesus' divinity; one way or another.

1:35, 43, 2:1 - Jesus spends three busy days after his baptism -- calling his disciples and attending a wedding. But the gospel of Mark (1:12-13) disagrees, claiming that Jesus was tempted by the devil in "the wilderness" for forty days immediately after his baptism.

* John does not record Jesus' temptation in the wilderness.  Therefore, this is simply an argument from silence.  The gospels overlap and record different events.  They do not contradict, though.

* If the gospel of John recorded Jesus' temptation in the wilderness and asserted it happened at a different time than the accounts of Matthew or Mark, then there may be a contradiction.  However, this is not the case.

* In short, Jesus was tempted in the wilderness after his baptism (like it says in John).  The busy days after His baptism happened afterwards.  This is evidenced by Mark 1:16 where Jesus, after His time in the wilderness, began calling His disciples; like it says He did in John 1:40.

1:36 - Was Jesus a lamb or a lion? (Rev.5:5)

* In John 1:35 and 36, John the Baptist calls Jesus the "Lamb of God."  Revelation 5:5 records another one of Jesus' names: "the Lion of the Tribe of Judah."  Jesus has many names and titles.

1:40 - John the Baptist is imprisoned after Peter and Andrew are called in John, but the order is reversed in Mark (1:14-16).

* Mark and John are recording different times when John the Baptist was thrown in prison.  Neither of these accounts specify any details about when or why he was imprisoned.  Therefore, it is impossible to say they are both recalling the same time.

1:45 - Here Nathaniel is listed as one of the apostles; Nowhere else in the New Testament is he so included.

* Nathanael is mentioned in this passage (and a couple of others) as a follower of Jesus Christ.  However, he was never named an apostle.  The names of the 12 apostles are recorded in Matthew 10:2-4.

Chapter 2

2:3-10 - Is it ok to drink alcohol?

* In the scriptures, we only see drinking condoned when it is either consumed when a person is dying or celebrating. Strong drink was given to people who were very sick because they didn't have medication or pills.  During celebrations, drinking a little wine without getting drunk was acceptable.

* Many times, especially in the book of Proverbs, we see warnings against drunkenness. It is clearly foolish and wrong to get drunk.  We don't see drunkenness condoned anywhere in the scriptures.

2:4 - Jesus speaks rudely to his mother, saying: "Woman, what have I to do with thee?"

* This wasn't a rude statement.  It may appear rude in 21st century vernacular, but a better translation is: "Excuse Me, Ma'am?  It isn't time for me to do this, yet."

* This Greek word for "Woman" is used in numerous other New Testament passages and it's not used in a rude connotation.

2:19 - Jesus says, "Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up." Mark (14:57-58) says that "false witnesses" claimed he said these words. But how is their testimony false if they correctly quoted Jesus?

* Jesus spoke this in John 2:19 and was referring how He would die and be raised from the dead.  The temple was His body.  This correlates with other scriptures like 1 Corinthians 6:19.

* Jesus accusers misquoted him in Mark 14:57-59.  This passage states, "Then some rose up and bore false witness against Him, saying, 'We heard Him say, I will destroy this temple made with hands, and within three days I will build another made without hands.’ But not even then did their testimony agree."  Jesus was not referring to the literal temple, so He never used the phrase "made with hands."  Therefore, both of these passages are correct, true, and congruent.

2:19-21 - Jesus claimed that he would raise himself from the dead. But other verses say that he was raised from the dead by God.

* Since Jesus is also God and the second person in the triune Godhead, both Jesus and God raised Jesus Christ from the dead.

* See "Special Questions" for more on this.

Chapter 3

3:2 - Nicodemus says he knows that God is with Jesus since he performed so many miracles. Yet the other gospels (Mt.12:39, 6:4; Mk.8:12; Lk.11:29) say that Jesus refused to perform any miracles.

* In John 3:2, Nicodemus says that he knows that Jesus came from God because nobody else could do these kinds of miracles.

* In Matthew 12:39, Jesus refused to give the Pharisees a sign that He was the Messiah.  Jesus had already done many miracles and He wouldn't be manipulated by the Pharisees who were sinful and only wanted to criticize Him and/or use Him.

* Matthew 6:4 isn't talking about Jesus' miracles.

* In Mark 8:12, the Pharisees are seeking a sign.  This passage parallels Matthew 12:39.

* In Luke 11:29, Jesus refuses to give them a sign.  He had already done miracles, like healing people and casting out demons, and He wouldn't give them their sign to make them feel good.  Essentially, He was telling them He wouldn't be their genie in a bottle.  He had a purpose for His miracles.  He also used this opportunity to remind them of His upcoming death and resurrection.

3:3, 5 - Jesus says that to be saved a person must "be born again." But in other places he claims that salvation depends upon other things.

* Being born again involves trusting, believing, and accepting Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior.  This corresponds to many other passages of scripture and doesn't contradict any.

* See "Special Questions" for more on this.

3:5 - What must you do to be saved? Be born of water and spirit.

* One is born of the spirit when he or she repents and trusts in Jesus Christ for salvation.  See 1 John 5:1.

3:13 - John says that no one has ever ascended into heaven. But according to the Bible both Enoch and Elijah did so.

* Nobody has ascended into Heaven.  Enoch was "translated, raptured, (or) assumed" into Heaven. God took Him and he did not ascend with his own power.  The same is true of Elijah.

3:16 - Was Jesus God's only son?

* Yes, Jesus was God's only Son. 

* Genesis 6:2-4, Job 1:6, and 2:1 all call angels "sons of God."  They are not His sons in the sense that they are equal with Him and part of the Godhead.  However, they were created by Him, therefore they are labeled His sons.  Incidentally, this Hebrew word that is translated "son" also means "subject."  It surely doesn't refer to a literal son.

3:16 - Does God love everyone?

* This verse shows God's great love. He loved people enough to send His Son to die for their sins. This doesn't mean that He can't hate sin or even sinners that reject Him and lead others astray.

3:16 - What must you do to be saved? Believe in Jesus.

* This is a summation of the gospel message that is consistent with the rest of the scriptures about salvation.  One must believe in Jesus Christ to be saved.

3:18, 36 - Here we are told that people are damned or saved depending only on what they believe. But this contradicts Mt.12:37 which says that salvation depends upon what people say; Lk.10:26-28, obeying the commandments; 1 Jn.4:7, by loving others; and Jn.5:29, by doing good, or, in any case, not by faith alone.

* In these verses, John is emphasizing how one must believe in Jesus Christ in order to be saved.  This is correct and correlates to many other passages of scripture.

* This passage in Matthew 12:37 is better understood by reading the two verses that precede it.  Matthew 12:35-37 read, "A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good things, and an evil man out of the evil treasure brings forth evil things.  But I say to you that for every idle word men may speak, they will give account of it in the day of judgment.  For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned."  The last words are better translated, "Words justify and words condemn."

* Matthew 12:35-37 correlates with John 3:18 and 36 because John is simply cutting to the chase.  How can a person have a silent, saving belief?  A belief in Jesus Christ involves repentance and admitting He is Lord and Savior.  Saying these words justifies a person and not saying these words leaves a person in their state of condemnation.

* In Luke 10:26-28, Jesus gives the lawyer an ambiguous answer with two, important meanings.  The first is this: He is telling the lawyer that he must flawlessly obey the entire Old Testament law (summed up in verse 27 - therefore, Jesus is telling him that he must be perfect) in order to go to Heaven without trusting Jesus Christ.  The second is this: Jesus is telling the lawyer that he must love God with all his heart, soul, strength and mind and love his neighbor as himself.  Doing this surely included loving Jesus, which involved believing and trusting Him as his Lord and Savior.  Both messages complement each other and do not contradict any passages of scripture.

* In 1 John 4:7, John is talking to believers.  Therefore, he is not telling them how to be saved.  They are already saved.  John says that "everyone who loves is born of God."

* In John 5:29, this entire passage is prefaced with this statement in verse 24: "Most assuredly, I say to you, he who hears My word and believes in Him who sent Me has everlasting life, and shall not come into judgment, but has passed from death into life."  Therefore, the "good" person in verse 29 is the one who believes, trusts and accepts Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior.

3:18 - Those who, for whatever reason, do not believe in Jesus will be tormented forever in hell.

* This is true and consistent with the entire New Testament.

3:22-24 - John the Baptist is imprisoned after Peter and Andrew are called in John, but the order is reversed in Mark (1:14-16).

* Mark and John are recording different times when John the Baptist was thrown in prison.  Neither of these accounts specify any details about when or why he was imprisoned.  Therefore, it is impossible to say they are both recalling the same time.

3:22 - Did Jesus baptize anyone?

* John 3:22 doesn't make a clear statement about Jesus baptizing people.  In fact, one translation reads, "Afterwards Jesus and his disciples left Jerusalem and stayed for a while in Judea and baptized there."

* In John 4:2, the scriptures indicate that Jesus was not baptizing.

* Neither of these verses make definitive statements about Jesus' entire ministry.  However, since there is no mention of Jesus baptizing people and the statement in John 3:22 is likely referring to His disciples, it is believed that He never baptized anyone.

3:32-33 - Does anyone receive his testimony? Verse 32 says that no one does; the next verse says that some do.

* A better English translation of this passage is this: "And Jesus testifies of the things He has seen and heard.  And nobody has received this (special) testimony (from God).  Jesus received God's testimony and will attest that God is true."

* This passage is better understood by reading the verses before and after it.  John 3:31-36 reads, "He who comes from above is above all; he who is of the earth is earthly and speaks of the earth.  And Jesus testifies of the things He has seen and heard.  And nobody has received this (special) testimony (from God).  Jesus received God's testimony and will attest that God is true.  For He whom God has sent speaks the words of God, for God does not give the Spirit by measure.  The Father loves the Son, and has given all things into His hand."

3:36 - The "wrath of God" is on all unbelievers.

* God punishes sin and those who reject Him.

3:36 - What must you do to be saved? Believe in Jesus.

* This is a summation of the gospel message that is consistent with the rest of the scriptures about salvation.  One must believe in Jesus Christ to be saved.

Chapter 4

4:2 - Did Jesus baptize anyone?

* John 3:22 doesn't make a clear statement about Jesus baptizing people.  In fact, one translation reads, "Afterwards Jesus and his disciples left Jerusalem and stayed for a while in Judea and baptized there."

* In John 4:2, the scriptures indicate that Jesus was not baptizing.

* Neither of these verses make definitive statements about Jesus' entire ministry.  However, since there is no mention of Jesus baptizing people and the statement in John 3:22 is likely referring to His disciples, it is believed that He never baptized anyone.

4:24 - If "God is a spirit" and spirits don't have bodies (Lk.24:39), then how can Hab.3:4 claim that God has a body of flesh and bones, or could Moses have seen God's "back parts" (Ex.33:23)?

* God is a spirit and spirits don't have bodies.  This verse is correct and correlates with Luke 24:39.

* Habakkuk 3:4 does not state that God has a body of flesh and bones.  However, this passage in Habakkuk relates God to light and metaphorically mentions the "hand of God."  This verse reads, "His brightness was like the light, He had rays flashing from His hand, and there His power was hidden."  This passage begins with a simile: "His brightness was 'like' the light."  There is obviously a metaphorical comparison here and not a literal statement.

* In Exodus 33:23, God's "back" was symbolizing a part of His glory that Moses was able to see without dying.  This passage isn't referring to His literal, physical back.

4:39-40 - These verses say that the Samaritans believed in Jesus, but Luke (9:52-53) says the Samaritans rejected him.

* John 4 records Jesus and His visit to the woman at the well.  In this situation, many Samaritans believed in Him.  This passage states, "many Samaritans in that city believed."

* Luke 9:52 and 53 is recording a different occasion and location.  This is evidenced by many things, like the omitted account of Jesus meeting the woman at the well; and the preceding and following events were different.  This passage also states that the "people of this village did not accept Him."

* The Greek word for "city" in John 4:39 is different than the Greek word for "village" in Luke 9:52.  This further illustrates how these are two, different occasions, in two, different locations.

Chapter 5

5:4 - Whoever enters a pool after it is stirred up by angels will be cured of "whatsoever disease he had."

* This passage mentions a specific pool that God allowed to be stirred by angels.  He also allowed diseases to be cured here.

5:14 - Jesus believes people are crippled by God a punishment for sin. He tells a crippled man, after healing him, to "sin no more, lest a worse thing come unto thee."

* John 5:14 reads, "Afterward Jesus found him in the temple, and said to him, 'See, you have been made well.  Sin no more, lest a worse thing come upon you.'"  According to this passage, Jesus never said that He believed this man or any other person was crippled as a punishment for their sin.  Jesus simply warns this man to avoid sin or "a worse thing (may) come upon you."

5:16, 18 - John, with his usual anti-Semitism, says that the Jews persucuted Jesus and "sought to slay him."

* John's historical record of the Jews trying to kill Jesus (which they ultimately did) is not anti-Semitic.

5:16-17 - Jesus didn't observe the sabbath, so I guess we don't have to either.

* Jesus interpreted the Sabbath law correctly.  The point of the Sabbath law was not to have people starve or avoid helping people.

* Incidentally, this is the only one of the ten commandments that wasn't repeated in the New Testament.  Read John 4:19-24 to see one reason for this.

5:22, 27 - In this verse Jesus says that he judges all men. But later, in Jn.8:15 and 12:47, he denies this and says that he judges no one.

* This verse indicates that Jesus is God's appointed judge.  This can be seen in Revelation 20: the white throne judgment.

* John 8:15 is talking about a specific moment.  In that moment, Jesus wasn't judging anyone.  Verse 16 clearly indicates that Jesus has the right to judge.

* John 12:47 also talks about a specific moment in time; which is referring to Jesus' earthly ministry, too.  Jesus' purpose on Earth was not to condemn people to Hell.  His purpose was to share the truth with them, die for the sins of all people, and rise from the dead.  Jesus will be the judge, as evidenced in Revelation 20.  However, at this time His mission was not to condemn, but to teach and to love.

* This Greek word for "judge," in John 5:22, 27, John 8:15, and 12:47, is better translated "condemn."  Jesus did judge some people's works and told them so.  However, Jesus did not condemn people to Hell like He will at the white throne judgment.  This was His right, but this was not His mission, now.

5:24 - What must you do to be saved? Hear the words of Jesus and believe in whoever sent him.

* This is a summation of the gospel message that is consistent with the rest of the scriptures about salvation.  One must believe in Jesus Christ (and God, of course) to be saved.

5:25 - Jesus says that "the hour is coming, and now is, when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God: and they that hear shall live." But this never happened.

* The word "dead" is used figuratively, here.  Jesus is talking about the spiritually dead; not the literally dead.  This correlates with many other passages of scripture.  See Hebrews 9:27, 1 Peter 4:6, etc.

5:28-29 - Does Hell exist? Yes.

* This verse doesn't explicitly mention Hell, but it implies it when it refers to "condemnation."

5:29 - Here Jesus says that people are saved by doing good works. But Paul vehemently disagrees (Rom.3:28, Gal.2:16, 3:11), insisting that salvation comes not through good works, but through faith alone.

* In these verses, John is emphasizing how one must believe in Jesus Christ in order to be saved.  This is correct and correlates to many other passages of scripture.

* This passage, in Matthew 12:37, is better understood by reading the two verses that precede it.  Matthew 12:35-37 read, "A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good things, and an evil man out of the evil treasure brings forth evil things.  But I say to you that for every idle word men may speak, they will give account of it in the day of judgment.  For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned."  The last word is better translated, "Word justify and words condemn."

* Matthew 12:35-37 correlates with John 3:18 and 36 because John is simply cutting to the chase.  How can a person have a silent, saving belief?  A belief in Jesus Christ involves repentance and admitting He is their Lord and Savior.  Saying these words justifies a person and not saying these words leaves a person in their state of condemnation.

* In Luke 10:26-28, Jesus gives the lawyer an ambiguous answer with two, important meanings.  The first is this: He is telling the lawyer that he must flawlessly obey the entire Old Testament law (summed up in verse 27 - therefore, Jesus is telling him that he must be perfect) in order to go to Heaven without trusting Jesus Christ.  The second is this: Jesus is telling the lawyer that he must love God with all his heart, soul, strength and mind and love his neighbor as himself.  Doing this surely included loving Jesus, which involved believing and trusting Him as his Lord and Savior.  Both messages complement each other and do not contradict any passages of scripture.

* In 1 John 4:7, John is talking to believers.  Therefore, he is not telling them how to be saved.  They are already saved.  John says that "everyone who loves is born of God."

* In John 5:29, this entire passage is prefaced with this statement in verse 24: "Most assuredly, I say to you, he who hears My word and believes in Him who sent Me has everlasting life, and shall not come into judgment, but has passed from death into life."  Therefore, the "good" person in verse 29 is the one who believes, trusts and accepts Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior.

* See "Special Questions" for more on this.

5:29 - What must you do to be saved? Do the right things.

* In order to discover what Jesus meant by "those who have done good will rise to live", in John 5:29, we need to consider several things.  First, Jesus had already revealed the way to be saved in John 5:24.  He said, "Most assuredly, I say to you, he who hears My word and believes in Him who sent Me has everlasting life, and shall not come into judgment, but has passed from death into life."  What did God (who sent Jesus) say?  In Matthew 17:5, God said, "This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. Hear Him!"  What did Jesus say was the way to be saved?  We find this in verses such as John 3:16 and John 3:36.  The former reads, "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."

* John 5:28-30 reads, "Do not be amazed at this, for a time is coming when all who are in their graves will hear his voice and come out—those who have done good will rise to live, and those who have done evil will rise to be condemned.  By myself I can do nothing; I judge only as I hear, and my judgment is just, for I seek not to please myself but him who sent me."  If Jesus judges only as He hears (e.g. implying that a confession until salvation was necessary), then how would a person who has done good rise to live and go to Heaven?  The answer is simple and it has been revealed in the scriptures.

* In Matthew 19, Jesus is talking to the rich man who wants to know what he needs to do to go to Heaven.  Jesus tells him several things that must precede his saving faith and the man says he cannot do them, so he fails to have faith.  In Matthew 19:17, Jesus says, "Why do you ask me about what is good?'  Jesus replied.  'There is only One who is good.'"

* John 5:29 was only part of an answer to the Jews that wanted to kill Jesus.  We discover this context in John 5:18 and 19; when His response begins.  In light of the context of these scriptures and the other words of Jesus, we discover that the words "those who have done good will rise to live" are correct.  However, in this context, the word "good" is referring to someone completely perfect and sinless; just as Jesus articulated in Matthew 19:17.  This person did not exist except in the triune Godhead (God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit).  That was His message to the Jews that intent on killing Him.  John 5:24 explained the way of salvation and John 5:29 reminded them that if they insisted on following the Old Covenant and rejected Him, then they needed to live a completely blameless life in order to be saved.

5:29 - Has anyone ever done anything good? Yes.

* Yes, people can be good.  They can also be bad.

5:31 - Jesus says that if he bears witness for himself, then his witness isn't true. But in Jn.8:14 he contradicts this by saying: "Though I bear witness of myself, yet my witness is true."

* John 5:31 can also be translated, "If only I bear witness of Myself, then my witness may not be true."  Jesus isn't saying that He had to have someone corroborate His story in order for it to be true.  This is illustrated by the next two verses.  They read, "There is another who bears witness of Me, and I know that the witness which He witnesses of Me is true.  You have sent to John, and he has borne witness to the truth."

5:46 - Jesus claims that Moses wrote about him. Where? It's a shame he didn't give us chapter and verse.

* There are many prophecies about the Messiah in Genesis.  Genesis 12:3 is one of them.

* This Greek word for "wrote" is also translated "describe."  Moses indeed wrote about the coming Messiah and described who He would be.

Chapter 6

* It's absurd to pull this single verse from John 6 and say it and it alone refers to the way of salvation.  It is a general verse about predestination and simply omits the faith response that one must have to the person of Christ and the gospel.  Only three verses later, in verse 40, we read the way of salvation.

6:42 - The people of Nazareth, who knew Jesus well, did not believe in him.

* At this point, these particular people are questioning Jesus.  The scriptures say they had a vague knowledge of Jesus' parents (they knew who they were).  However, the scriptures don't indicate if these people knew Jesus and if they did, how well they knew Him.

6:46 - Here we are told that no one has ever seen God. But other passages in the Bible claim that many people have seen him.

* John correctly states that no earthly person, on the Earth, has ever seen God the Father ("theos" in this passage, because it is in the Greek language).  God has shown Himself to people in Heaven and to some people, on Earth, in the form of Jesus Christ.

* Genesis 32:30 is when Jacob names a place "Peniel" because he wrestled with God ("face to face").  God is a Spirit.  He actually wrestled the second person in the trinity of God: Jesus Christ.

* In Exodus 24:10, the Hebrew word for God is "Elohim."  This is a plural form of God, indicating that the person of God wasn't necessarily seen.  Furthermore, God's feet were mentioned.  God is a Spirit and has no feet.  Consequently, this passage must refer to the person of Jesus Christ.

* Exodus 33:9 clearly states that God talked to Moses from a cloud.  Therefore, the expression "face to face," in Exodus 33:11, doesn't mean he talked to God's literal face.

* Deuteronomy 34:10 is another passage like Exodus 33:11.  The clarifying passage is Exodus 33:9.  Incidentally, the English word in Deuteronomy 34:10 is "knew" (face to face) and not "saw."

* Isaiah 6:1 tells us that Isaiah was ushered into Heaven, where the "Lord" was seated on the throne.  Isaiah 6:5 reveals Isaiah's concern about seeing the king and the remedy for this situation.  Note that this interaction was a supernatural one and in Heaven.  Therefore, since Isaiah was cleansed and in Heaven, the Lord allowed him to approach Him; only with cleansed lips.

6:53-56 - Jesus says we must eat his flesh and drink his blood if we want to have eternal life.

* Jesus is giving us a metaphor.  This metaphor is explained in the preceding verses of John 6.  Jesus is comparing Himself to the manna that fell from Heaven.  He is saying that people must consume His message, that He is God's only Messiah, in order to have eternal life.

6:70 - Jesus chose "a devil" for an apostle. Oh well, everyone makes mistakes.

* Jesus came to Earth to die on the cross for our sins.  He purposely chose Judas and knew that He would betray Him to death.

Chapter 7

7:1 - John says that Jesus "would not walk in Jewry, because the Jews sought to kill him."

* Jesus came to the Jews, first.  When the Jews sought to kill Him, He ministered to the Gentiles.  This correlates with other scriptures.

7:5 - Even Jesus' family didn't believe in him.

* This verse clearly says that "his brothers" did not believe Him.  Interestingly, it does not say that His parents did not believe Him.

* Later, his brothers did believe Him.  They even became important figures in the early, Christian churches.  After the resurrection and His 40 days on the Earth, many were convinced that He was the Messiah.

7:8-10 - Jesus tells his family that he wasn't going to the feast, but he was lying, as he later goes "in secret."

* John 7:8 clearly says, "Go up to the feast (without me), I'm not going, yet."  Jesus simply decided to wait until His brothers left before He went to the feast.

7:13 - No one could speak openly about Jesus "for fear of the Jews."

* This is correct.  The religious Jews, like the Pharisees, hated Jesus and His followers.  They had social power and influence and the people at the feast feared them.  Verse 11 even says that the religious Jews tried to find Him.  Perhaps this was one reason why He went in secret.

7:19-20 - Jesus falsely accuses people of trying to kill him. But the people he accuses say to him, "Thou hast a devil: who goeth about to kill thee?"

* Verse 25 verifies that there were people trying to kill Jesus.  Jesus either overheard their plans, read their minds, or both.

7:24 - In this verse, Jesus tells us to judge, but in Mt.7:1 he tells us not to judge.

* In John 7:24, Jesus tells the people to stop judging by appearances and make a righteous judgment (based on the facts).  In Matthew 7:1, Jesus tells the people not to condemn other people.  Only Christ can condemn people to Hell; and in a real way, people condemn themselves by rejecting Jesus Christ.

7:38 - Jesus says that those who believe in him will, as the scripture says, have living waters flowing out of their bellies. Well that sounds like fun, but what is the scripture that he was referring to?

* Jesus is using a metaphor to describe the life that flows from the hearts of believers.

* Many scriptures prophesy about this living water (which is the Holy Spirit).  Here are some: John 4:10, Ezekiel 11:19, Exodus 17:6, etc.

7:39 - Luke claims that Elizabeth, Zechariah, and Simeon were all filled with the Holy Ghost (Lk.1:41, 67, 2:25-26). But if this verse is true, they couldn't have been, since the Holy Ghost was not given until after Jesus' ascension.

* Before the Holy Spirit came at Pentecost, people would not continually possess the Holy Spirit.  However, the Holy Spirit would "come on them" or "fill them."  This is consistent with many other passages of scripture.  See Psalm 51:11, Numbers 24:2, Judges 3:10, Judges 6:34, etc.

7:53 - 8:11 - This is one of the best-known and most-loved of all Bible stories, but it shouldn't be in the Bible. For although some manuscripts put it here, others after John 7:36 or 21:35, or Luke 21:38, it is not found anywhere in the oldest and best manuscripts.

* These verses are in some manuscripts, but they are absent from other manuscripts.  Whether they belong in the Bible or not is debatable.  However, this is hardly an error or contradiction.  Each reader can read the evidence for and against this passage's inclusion and can make their own decision on whether or not they should be included.

Chapter 8

8:7 - Jesus tells those who'd like to stone to death an adulteress that whoever among them that is without sin should "cast the first stone." Good advice -- but it directly contradicts the teachings of the Old Testament (Lev.20:20). If that wasn't a good law then why did God make it? Has he since changed his mind? Shouldn't it then be removed (along with most of the OT) from the bible?

* Jesus came to Earth to show people the way, the truth, and the life.  He also came to die for their sins and rise from the grave.  As it was stated above, Jesus did not come to condemn the world.  During the white throne judgment in Revelation 20, He will judge and condemn the sinners.  Now, He was showing sinners mercy.  Now, He was forgiving people and giving them time to repent.

* This Old Testament law was surely given as a stern warning and a deterrent.  God would much rather see people obey Him and live than reject Him and die.

* This punishment was directed toward the Israelites and not the New Testament believers.  God still hates this sin, but He has decided to delay His condemnation and have mercy on people who commit terrible sins, in the hope that they will choose to repent and have life.

8:14 - Jesus says, "Though I bear witness of myself, yet my record is true." But in Jn.5:31 he says, "If I bear witness of myself, my witness is not true."

* John 5:31 can also be translated, "If only I bear witness of Myself, then my witness may not be true."  Jesus isn't saying that He had to have someone corroborate His story in order to be true.  This is illustrated by the next two verses.  They read, "There is another who bears witness of Me, and I know that the witness which He witnesses of Me is true.  You have sent to John, and he has borne witness to the truth."

8:15 - Jesus says that he judges no one. But in Jn.5:22 he says that he judges everyone.

* This verse indicates that Jesus is God's appointed judge.  This can be seen in Revelation 20: the white throne judgment.

* John 8:15 is talking about a specific moment.  In that moment, Jesus wasn't judging anyone.  Verse 16 clearly indicates that Jesus has the right to judge.

* John 12:47 also talks about a specific moment in time - which is referring to Jesus' earthly ministry, too.  Jesus' purpose on Earth was not to condemn people to Hell.  His purpose was to share the truth with them, die for the sins of all people and rise from the dead.  Jesus will be the judge, as evidenced in Revelation 20.  However, at this time, His mission was not to condemn, but to teach and to love.

* This Greek word for "judge," in John 5:22, 27, John 8:15, and 12:47, is better translated "condemn."  Jesus did judge some people's works and told them so.  However, Jesus did not condemn people to Hell like He will at the white throne judgment.  This was His right, but this was not His mission, now.

8:24 - Jesus says we must believe in him or we will "die in our sins."

* This is true.  We can repent and believe, trust, and accept Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior or we can die in our sins.  He is the only way to be redeemed.

8:40 - Jesus says that he is "a man." But in other New Testament verses he is portrayed as a god.

* Jesus is part of the trinity and God's Son.  He is also fully God.  In addition to His divinity, Jesus came to Earth in the form of a man.  These facts are proven by numerous passages of scripture.

8:41 - "We be not born of fornication" -- implying that Jesus was.

* This passage is clearly talking about the Pharisees.  The preceding verses verify this.  John 8:39-41 read, "They answered and said to Him, 'Abraham is our father.'  Jesus said to them, 'If you were Abraham’s children, you would do the works of Abraham.  But now you seek to kill Me, a Man who has told you the truth which I heard from God.  Abraham did not do this.  You do the deeds of your father.'  Then they said to Him, 'We were not born of fornication; we have one Father—God.'  Jesus proceeds to tell them that they would love Jesus if God were their Father, but the Devil was truly their father.

8:44 - Jesus calls his opponents (the Jews) the sons of the devil.

* This is correct.

8:44 - This verse says that there is no truth in the devil. If so, then why did the devils call him "the Christ, Son of God"? Were they lying then too?

* Jesus is referring to the Devil.  There is no truth in the Devil.  The demons acknowledged Jesus Christ as the Son of God because they were in the presence of God.  In Philippians 2:10 and 11, the scriptures say that "at the name (or authority) of Jesus, every knee will bow and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord."  They also say that even the demons know there is a God (James 2:19).

* This truth wasn't "in" the demons.  They simply had to admit the truth in the presence of Jesus Christ.

8:51 - Those who believe in Jesus will never die, contrary to Rom.5:12 and Heb.9:27 which say that all must die.

* Yes, everyone dies, once.  If you believe, trust, and accept Jesus Christ, there will not be a second death, though.

* Genesis 5:24 and Hebrews 11:5 mention Enoch.  Enoch was assumed into Heaven.  Therefore, he didn't die.  However, there are two witnesses in Revelation that do many miracles, die, then come back to life.  Many people believe these two people are Enoch and Elijah; the only two Bible characters that did not die.

* In John 8:51 and John 11:26, Jesus is explaining how Christians will never die.  He is referring to the second death.  See Revelation 2:11, 20:6, 20:14, and 21:8.

8:52 - After Jesus makes the foolish claim that those who believe in him will never die, his listeners reply, "now we know that thou hast a devil."

* Jesus is talking about the second death.  The Pharisees weren't understanding these spiritual matters.

8:58 - In this verse, by saying "before Abraham was, I am," Jesus claims to be God. 

* Yes, Jesus claims to be God.  This is consistent with other passages of scripture.  Jesus was fully man and He has always been fully God, too.

Chapter 9

9:6 - Jesus spits on the ground, mixes his spit with the dirt, and rubs the muddy spit on a blind man's eyes.

* This is how Jesus chose to heal this man.

9:39 - Jesus says that he has come to judge people, contrary to his other statement (Jn.8:15, 12:47). He also says that he has come to make people blind.

* John 9:39 reads, "And Jesus said, 'For judgment I have come into this world, that those who do not see may see, and that those who see may be made blind.'"  Jesus did make righteous judgments.  He called sin what it was.  However, He did not condemn people to Hell yet, but He will at the white throne judgment.

* John 8:15 is talking about a specific moment.  In that moment, Jesus wasn't judging anyone.  Verse 16 clearly indicates that Jesus has the right to judge.  

* "The just shall live by faith."  "Walk by faith and not by sight."  "Abraham believed and it was counted to him as righteousness."  This is the spiritual wavelength that Jesus Christ was on.

Chapter 10

10:8 - Jesus claims that all who lived before him were thieves and robbers.

* Jesus is talking about the false Messiahs that preceded Him and made false claims.

10:16 - Jesus falsely prophesies that "there shall be one fold, and one shepherd." This will never happen as long a Christian beliefs are based on the Bible.

* Jesus is prophesying about the gift of salvation that was also for the Gentiles.  The one fold refers to all saved Christians.  The one shepherd refers to Jesus Christ.

10:28 - Is it possible to fall from grace?

* It is impossible to lose one's salvation.  This scripture shows it and it is consistent with many other passages. 

* Hebrews 6:4-6 and 2 Peter 2:20 and 21 aren't talking about Christians.

10:30-31, 38-39 - After Jesus claims to be God, "the Jews took up stones again to stone him."

* This is true.

10:33-34 - The Jews threatened to execute Jesus for blasphemy, since he claimed be God. But Jesus defended himself by quoting Ps.82:6: "Is it not written in your law, I said, Ye are gods?" So how many gods are there anyway?

* Psalm 82:6 uses the Hebrew word "Elohim" for "gods."  This is better translated "God" (which is referring to the trinity: God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit.

* Jesus quotes this passage and He is indicating to them that there is a Godhead.  Jesus is part of the Godhead, but the Pharisees weren't understanding it.

Chapter 11

11:4 - Lararus must suffer and die so that Jesus can show off his magic tricks by raising him from the dead.

* Jesus did a number of miracles; raising Lazarus from the dead was one of them.  Lazarus was supposed to die because death is the ordinary pattern of life.  However, Jesus raised him from the dead because he loved him.  This miracle authenticated Jesus as the Messiah because it was an awesome miracle.

11:8 - Once again, "the Jew" are accused of trying to kill Jesus.

* This is an accurate record.  Many other passages verify the Jews' plot (and eventual success) of killing Jesus.

11:26 - Must everyone die?

* Yes, everyone dies, once.  If you believe, trust, and accept Jesus Christ, there will not be a second death, though.

* Genesis 5:24 and Hebrews 11:5 mention Enoch.  Enoch was assumed into Heaven.  Therefore, he didn't die.  However, there are two witnesses in Revelation that do many miracles, die, then come back to life.  Many people believe these two people are Enoch and Elijah - the only two Bible characters that did not die.

* In John 8:51 and John 11:26, Jesus is explaining how Christians will never die.  He is referring to the second death.  See Revelation 2:11, 20:6, 20:14, and 21:8.

11:39-44 - Jesus raises Lazarus from the dead, contrary to many bible verses say that there is no afterlife.

* Yes, Jesus raises Lazarus from the dead.  It was within His power to do so.  See "Special Questions" for more on this.

Chapter 12

12:8 - In Matthew (28:20), Jesus says he will be with his disciples always; but here he says the opposite.

* Both statements are correct.  Jesus would not always be present in the person of Jesus Christ.  However, Jesus would be present in the form of the Holy Spirit (Matthew 28:20).

12:14 - John says that Jesus rides into Jerusalem on a young ass, but Mark (11:7) and Luke (19:35) say he rode ito town on a colt, and Matthew (21:7) insists that he rode on both an ass and a colt.

* John 12:14 states that Jesus rode into Jerusalem on a young ass.  This Greek word in Mark 11:7 and Luke 19:35 indicates that Jesus rode on a "young ass," also.

* Matthew 21:7 tells us that there was a "young ass" for Jesus and also another animal for the other disciples.

12:15 - This verse claims that Jesus fulfils the prophecy in Zechariah 9:9. But this cannot be since the person referred to in Zechariah (see verses 10-13) was both a military leader and the king of an earthly kingdom.

* Jesus does fulfill this prophecy.  The king mentioned in Zechariah 9:10-13 is a spiritual king and not an earthly one.

12:40 - The reason people didn't believe in Jesus was that God had "blinded their eyes, and hardened their heart." God did this so that they would not "understand with their heart, and be converted." This way God could damn more people to hell.

* God isn't referring to a desire to make people blind to the truth.  Like He said to Elijah, He wanted the Word to be given to the people, until they accepted God or rejected Him.

* John 12:40 reads, "He has blinded their eyes and hardened their hearts, lest they should see with their eyes, lest they should understand with their hearts and turn, so that I should heal them."  The "He" in this verse is referring to the Devil and the "I" in this verse is referring to God.  The Devil wants to blind and destroy people, but God desires to heal and restore them.

12:47 - In this verse Jesus says that he judges no one, but elsewhere in John (5:22, 27; 9:39) he says that he judges everyone.

* John 12:48 clearly states that Jesus will judge people, later.  His mission was not to come to Earth and condemn it.  In verse 47, the word "judge" is also translated "condemn."  Jesus surely gave us a criteria that should be used in judging all things.  Jesus even used God's Word to judge evil people.  However, He did not condemn them, yet.

* John 9:39 reads, "And Jesus said, 'For judgment I have come into this world, that those who do not see may see, and that those who see may be made blind.'"  Jesus did make righteous judgments.  He called sin what it was.  However, He did not condemn people to Hell yet, but He will at the white throne judgment.

* John 8:15 is talking about a specific moment.  In that moment, Jesus wasn't judging anyone.  Verse 16 clearly indicates that Jesus has the right to judge.  

* "The just shall live by faith."  "Walk by faith and not by sight."  "Abraham believed and it was counted to him as righteousness."  This is the spiritual wavelength that Jesus Christ was on.

12:48 - If you don't believe in Jesus you are going to hell.

* This is absolutely correct and verified by many other scriptures, contradicted by none, and already addressed.

Chapter 13

13:2 - The devil "was put into the heart of Judas." But by whom? By God?

* Judas betrayed Jesus Christ because he did not trust Jesus and sinned.  Since Judas did not have faith in Jesus Christ, he was an open vessel for Satan's influence.

13:27 - John says that Satan entered Judas after the last supper, but Luke (22:3, 7) says the devil entered Judas before supper.

* John 13:27 states that Satan entered Judas during the last supper.

* Luke 22:3-7 clearly states that Satan entered Judas on a day that preceded the last supper.  Luke's account of the last supper did not include Judas.  Therefore, it is obvious that Satan entered Judas before the last supper, left him for a time, and reentered him during it.

13:38 - Jesus tells Peter that "the cock shall not crow, till thou hast denied me thrice." But according to Mark (14:68, 72) the cock crowed after Peter's first denial.

* In John 11:38, the plural form of "cock" is implied and not denied in any way.  A better translation of this passage is as follows: "Truly, truly I say to you, (both) cocks will not have crowed until you have denied me three times."  This passage correlates perfectly with all of the others that contain scriptures regarding the cock and Peter's denial of Jesus Christ.

Chapter 14

14:2 - Jesus says that heaven wasn't prepared until after his ascension, but in Mt.25:34 he says that heaven was prepared from all eternity.

* Jesus says that He will go and prepare a place for believers in Heaven.

* Matthew 25:34 states that the "kingdom" has been provided and ready since the foundation of the world.  These two passages are congruent.  Since the foundation of the world, the kingdom of Heaven has been in existence and ready.  Jesus specifically states the He will go and prepare a special place for Christians.

14:9 - Jesus says that whoever has seen him has seen the father (God?). But this contradicts many Bible verses that say that no one has ever seen God.

* John correctly states that no earthly person, on the Earth, has ever seen God the Father ("theos" in this passage, because it is in the Greek language).  God has shown Himself to people in Heaven and to some people, on Earth, in the form of Jesus Christ.

* Genesis 32:30 is when Jacob names a place "Peniel" because he wrestled with God ("face to face").  God is a Spirit.  He actually wrestled the second person in the trinity of God - Jesus Christ.

* In Exodus 24:10, the Hebrew word for God is "Elohim."  This is a plural form of God, indicating that the person of God wasn't necessarily seen.  Furthermore, God's feet were mentioned.  God is a Spirit and has no feet.  Consequently, this passage must refer to the person of Jesus Christ.

* Exodus 33:9 clearly states that God talked to Moses from a cloud.  Therefore, the expression "face to face," in Exodus 33:11, doesn't mean he talked to God's literal face.

* Deuteronomy 34:10 is another passage like Exodus 33:11.  The clarifying passage is Exodus 33:9.  Incidentally, the English word in Deuteronomy 34:10 is "knew" (face to face) and not "saw."

* Isaiah 6:1 tells us that Isaiah was ushered into Heaven, where the "Lord" was seated on the throne.  Isaiah 6:5 reveals Isaiah's concern about seeing the king and the remedy for this situation.  Note that this interaction was a supernatural one and in Heaven.  Therefore, since Isaiah was cleansed and in Heaven, the Lord allowed him to approach Him - only with cleansed lips.

14:13-14; 15:7,16; 16:23 - Jesus says that whatever you ask either him or his father for you will receive. Now how's that for a big lie?

* Jesus doesn't say that He will give anything to those that ask.  Jesus says that He will give anything to those that ask "in His name."  This indicates that a person must ask for something that is in line with God's will.  John 16:23 uses this same phraseology.

* John 15:7 prefaces God's answers and gifts with this phrase: "if you abide in Me."  This means that a person must obey God to receive God's blessings and answers to prayers.  When a person is obeying God, it is much easier to discern His will.  When a person can discern God's will, he or she will ask according to it and will receive what they have requested.

14:19 - Will Jesus' second coming be visible to all?

* This passage is a response to Philip's request to see God.  Jesus predicts His death, but tells him that he will see Him, again.  Jesus is referring to His resurrection.  After He rose from the dead, Jesus appeared to Philip and thousands of others.

14:26 - Who will send the Holy Ghost? Jesus or his father? (Jn.15:26)

* This passage states that God will send the Holy Spirit in Jesus' name.  This is consistent with John 15:26.

14:27 - This verse claims that Jesus came to bring peace, but this is denied in Mt.10:34 and Lk.12:51.

* Jesus tells His disciples that He will give them peace through the Holy Spirit.  

* In Matthew 10:34, Jesus is giving His apostles the charge to do miracles and minister in His name.  In this speech, Jesus tells them that He did not come to give peace on Earth.  He is telling them that there will be animosity and fighting when they tell people about Him.  This was a prophecy that came true.  This verse doesn't disagree with John 14:27 because it is being used in a different context.

* In Luke 12:51, Jesus is conveying the same, simple truth.  Houses would be divided over Him.  This has come true, too.

14:28 - Jesus implies that he is not God by saying that his father is greater than he. But this contradicts other New Testament statements implying that he is God.

* While Jesus was on Earth, He had a mission and a purpose.  His purpose was not to perform the functions of God the Father, but to perform the functions of God the Son.

* Jesus was both fully human and fully God.  However, He was God the Son and not God the Father.  The Holy Spirit, Jesus Christ, and God complete the triune Godhead (also called the trinity).

Chapter 15

15:6 - Those who do not believe in Jesus will be cast into a fire to be burned.

* This is true and it correlates with many other scriptures.

15:15 - Jesus told the disciples "all things" that he had learned from his father. Yet in Jn.16:12 he says that there are many things that he has not told them.

* In John 15:15, Jesus states how He has made known to them the things God has desired them to know.  This doesn't conflict with John 16:12 or any other scriptures.  According to John 16:12, God had simply told Him more things to tell the disciples, but He couldn't tell them, yet.

15:26 - Who will send the Holy Ghost? Jesus or his father? (Jn.14:26)

* John 14:26 states that God will send the Holy Spirit in Jesus' name.  This is consistent with John 15:26.

Chapter 16

16:12 - In Jn.15:14, Jesus told his disciples everything he had learned from his father. Yet in this verse he says that there are many things he has not told them.

* In John 15:15, Jesus states how He has made known to them the things God has desired them to know.  This doesn't conflict with John 16:12 or any other scriptures.  According to John 16:12, God had simply told Him more things to tell the disciples, but He couldn't tell them, yet.

16:30 - In this verse the disciples claim that Jesus knows everything, but Jesus says in Mk.13:32 that there are some things about which he knows nothing.

* The statement the disciples made was likely a subjective statement.  Compared to them, Jesus knew everything.  Incidentally, the Greek words in John 16:30 don't unequivocally state that Jesus knows all things.  They also refer to knowing everything within a framework; everything about an issue at hand.  This issue was, of course, salvation and God's will for them.

Chapter 17

17:3 - This verse says that there is only one God. But other Bible verses imply that there are several gods.

* There is one God in three persons: the trinity.  There are many "gods" or idols.

Chapter 18

18:3-5 - Did Jesus identify Judas with a kiss? No, Jesus identifies himself.

* Theses verses omitted Judas' kiss.  However, since the interaction and betrayal still took place, we see no reason why this is nothing more than a simple omission and not an error.  We read in Matthew, Mark, and Luke that Judas kissed Jesus.

18:13 - Was Jesus taken to Caiaphas or Annas first? Annas.

* This verse tells us that they took Jesus to Annas' house first.

18:17-18, 25-27 - To whom did Peter deny knowing Jesus?

* According to the scriptures, Peter denied knowing Jesus before a female servant, another female servant, and one of the high priest's servants.  This was all done in a crowd of people.

* See "Special Questions" for more on this.

18:19-23 - In Matthew (27:14), Jesus "answered to him never a word" when questioned by Pilate. But here, in the same situation, Jesus makes a rather long speech.

* In this passage, Jesus is speaking to the high priest.  In Matthew 27:14, Jesus is abstaining from speaking to Pilate (in a different location, at a different time).

18:38 - Pilate asked Jesus a very good question: "What is truth?"

* John 14:7 reads, "I am the way, the truth and the life.  No man comes to the Father except through Me."

Chapter 19

19:2 - Did the soldiers put a purple or a scarlet robe on Jesus? (Mt.27:28)

* These were two, different robes.  In Matthew 27:28, Jesus was given a scarlet robe, then they put a crown of thorns on His head.  In John 19:2, it states that the soldiers put a crown of thorns on His head, then had Him wear a purple robe.  In Matthew 27:31, it states that after Jesus was mocked, smote and spit on, they removed the purple robe and put the old robe on Him.  If you read these two accounts closely, you can see how they fit perfectly together and do not contradict.  They overlap.

19:7, 12, 14-15 - John blames the Jews for the death of Jesus.

* The Jews cried "Crucify Him!" and demanded that He die.

19:14 - When was Jesus crucified? This verse says it was sometime after the sixth hour, but Mk.15:25 says it was at the third hour.

* John 19:14 clearly says it was "about the sixth hour."  In this verse, there are even distinct Greek words used for "about," "sixth" and "hour."  John forgot his watch, so he had to guess.  This is why he was approximately 2-3 hours off.

19:14-16 - Was Jesus crucified the day before or the day after the Passover meal? The day before.

* These verses don't mention the Passover meal.  In John, the disciples' Passover meal was mentioned in chapter 13.

* John 19:14 says Jesus was before Pilate on the Preparation Day of the Passover.  This was the day before Passover and it's the same day that Jesus was crucified.  This day was also called the first day of Unleavened Bread.

19:17 - John says that Jesus bore his own cross, but the other gospels (Mt.27:32, Mk.15:21, Lk.23:26) say that Simon the Cyrenian carried it for him.

* In the Greek text, John 19:17 doesn't clearly state that Jesus carried His own cross.  There are two, different, Greek words here. too.  Matthew, Mark and Luke use "airo" for "bearing" as Simon was "bearing" Jesus' cross.  This word means "to lift."

* John uses the Greek word "bastazo" for "bearing," which can mean "enduring."  It can be used figuratively, and in this case, it surely was.

19:19 - In this verse we are told that the sign on the cross said, "Jesus of Nazareth the King of the Jews." But this disagrees with the other gospels. (Mt.27:37, Mk.15:26, Lk.23:38)

* All of these accounts mention an inscription that was written in Latin, Greek, and Hebrew.  Mark and Luke record it saying "The King of the Jews."  Matthew records, "Jesus the King of the Jews."  John records, "Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews."  These differences are negligible and are not contradicting.  A disagreement or contradiction would be one saying, "Jesus of Lebanon, King of the Greeks."  All of the gospels record similar and congruent statements.

19:23-24 - Does the Bible condemn gambling?

* This passage of scripture mentions the Roman soldiers and how they cast lots for Jesus' clothing. This passage says nothing about gambling. Since there was no risk involved in casting these lots, this wasn't gambling.

19:25 - John says that there were women who "stood by the cross." But Mathew (27:55) says that the watched from "afar off."

* These two passages of scripture complement each other.  In John 19:25, the women are standing by the cross before Jesus dies.  This is proven by them clearly being there before Jesus is given the vinegar (John 19:29) and His death in verse 30.  In Matthew, He was given the vinegar in Matthew 27:48 and died in verse 50.  In Matthew 27:55, after Jesus' death, the women are "afar off."

19:29 - What did the soldiers give Jesus to drink?

* Jesus was given fermented wine which was also called vinegar.  According to the Greek words, in all of the gospels, this is consistent.  Mark mentions myrrh and Matthew mentions gall being mixed with this fermented wine.  These are synonymous because both came from a tree and were used for the same purposes.

* Simply because John didn't mention it being mixed, this isn't a contradiction.  It is an omission and expected from a different person's perspective.

19:30 - John disagrees with Matthew (27:46) and Luke (23:46) on the last words of Jesus.

* After He received the vinegar, John states that Jesus said (in a regular voice), "It is finished."  Matthew 27:46 records Jesus crying, before receiving the vinegar, in a loud voice, "My God, why have you forsaken Me?," but clearly says He said something else in a loud voice (Matthew 27:50) before He died.  Luke 23:46 records Jesus crying, in a loud voice, "Into your hands, I commit my Spirit."

* These are all complementary statements that happened at different times.  They are clearly given by people who are in different proximities from Jesus' crucifixion.  John was near Jesus, but only recorded one of His statements.  Matthew was in the general vicinity of Jesus, before He said, "My God, why have you forsaken Me?," then He moved further from Him and couldn't record anything else He said.  Luke was eventually in the general vicinity and recorded Jesus' very last words.

* None of the disciples made "mutually exclusive" statements that would nullify any of the other accounts.  All of these statements were made my Jesus Christ and Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John compiled an account of them.  Were there more statements that were not recorded?

19:33,36 - Verse 33 says that during Jesus' crucifixion, the soldiers didn't break his legs because he was already dead. Verse 36 claims that this fulfilled a prophecy: "Not a bone of him shall be broken." But there is no such prophecy.
It is sometimes said that the prophecy appears in Exodus 12:46, Numbers 9:12 and Psalm 34:20. This is not correct. Exodus 12:46 and Numbers 9:12 are not prophecies, they are commandments. The Israelites are told not to break the bones of the Passover lamb, and this is all it is about. And Psalm 34:20 seems to refer to righteous people in general (see verse 19, where a plural is used), not to make a prophecy about a specific person.

* Many passages of scripture were applicable to the people to whom they were written, but they also had a dual, prophetic significance.  This passage in Psalm 34:20 is surely prophetic and profitable for the original readers.

* Jesus was the eternal, Passover lamb.  He was crucified on Passover!  He was the spotless Lamb of God!

Chapter 20

20:1 - John says that only one woman visited the tomb on Sunday morning. But Matthew (28:8) claims there were two women, while Mark (16:1)says there were three, and Luke (24:10) says there were five or more.

* John does not say that only one woman visited the tomb.  John records Mary Magdalene's visit to the tomb (in the dark).

* Matthew 28:1 reports that Mary Magdalene and the other Mary were visiting the tomb at dawn.

* Mark reports that Mary Magdalene, the other Mary and Salome were visiting the tomb while the sun was rising.

* Luke uses the word "they" and does not indicate who was visiting the tomb.  He only indicates who told the account to the disciples.

* These accounts do not contradict.  First, there can be no argument from silence.  With this in mind, there are no conflicting stories, only separate accounts.  In order for a true conflict, one author would need to say that one of the women listed, in one or more of the gospels, was not there.

* If we take these accounts literally and assume each author knew exactly who was where at all times, then Mary Magdalene went to the tomb first.  Next, the other Mary joined her.  Immediately thereafter, Salome joined them.  After this, they returned and told the disciples what had happened.

20:9 - Jesus, in the other gospels (Mt.20:18-19; Mk.8:31, 10:34; Lk.18:33, 24:6-8), repeatedly tells the disciples of his impending death and resurrection, but this verse claims that the disciples had never hard any of this before.

* John 20:9 states that the disciples at the tomb had not understood, from the scriptures, that Jesus would be resurrected.  Nonetheless, Jesus had told them and this verse does not contradict this fact.

20:11-12 - John says that Mary Magdalene saw two angels. But Matthew says there was only one angel (28:2), Mark claims it was a young man (16:5), and Luke says the women saw two men (24:3-4).

* John records that Mary saw two angels (no sex mentioned), in white, sitting in the tomb.  Matthew mentions a conversation with a different angel - a male angel that was sitting on the stone (outside the tomb).  Mark records a young man sitting in the right side of the tomb.  Luke records two, male angels inside the tomb.

* These are all complementary stories.  None of them contradict each other.  John and Luke record two, male angels inside the tomb.  Mark only records one of them because only one spoke.  Matthew records a conversation with an angel that was outside of the tomb.  This doesn't contradict any of the other accounts - it complements them.

20:14 - Did Mary Magdalene recognize Jesus when she first saw him? John says she didn't, but Matthew says she did (28:9). And to whom did Jesus appear to first after the resurrection?

* John 20:14 simply records a detail that Matthew 28:9 does not.  This is not unusual for the gospel accounts.  It would be incredibly weird if all four gospel accounts contained exactly the same details - no more and no less.

* As they were weeping at the tomb, Jesus met and spoke to Mary Magdalene, like it says in John 20:14 and Mark 16:9.  After this meeting, on the way to tell the disciples, He appeared to the women (Matthew 28:9), then to two of them who were going to the country (Mark 16:12), then He appeared to the rest of the disciples (Luke 24:36).

20:17 - Jesus tells Mary Magdalene not to touch him because he hasn't yet ascended -- as if the touch of a woman would defile him and somehow prevent him from ascending into heaven. One wonders why he insisted that Thomas touch him later that evening (Jn.20:27), and why he permitted his apostles to touch him and hold him by the feet before his ascension (Mt.28:9).

* There is no conflict here.

20:19 - This verse says that Jesus first appeared to the eleven in a room in Jerusalem, but Matthew (28:16-17) says that the first meeting took place on a mountain in Galilee.
Notice that John, with his usual anti-Semitism, says tht the disciples hid in locked room "for fear of the Jews."

* Neither Luke 24, Mark 16, John 20, or Matthew 28 use the word "first."  Therefore, it is impossible to argue that one claimed their recorded appearance by Jesus came first.

* There is a large difference between a Bible writer omitting a particular event and that Bible writer claiming that a particular event occurred before another event written by a different Bible writer.

20:20 - Were the disciples glad, as it says here, or terrified, as it says in Lk.24:36, when they first saw the risen Jesus?

* Both of these verses are correct and complementary.  These are two, different appearances and situations.

20:22 - When was the Holy Ghost given?

* Before the Holy Spirit came at Pentecost, people would not continually possess the Holy Spirit.  However, the Holy Spirit would "come on them" or "fill them."  This is consistent with many other passages of scripture.  See Psalm 51:11, Numbers 24:2, Judges 3:10, Judges 6:34, etc.

20:27 - In John 20:17 Jesus tells Mary Magdalene not to touch him because he hasn't yet ascended, yet now, just a few hours later, he demands that Thomas touch him.

* This isn't a contradiction or a problem.

20:28 - If Jesus didn't believe himself to be God, then why didn't he correct Thomas when he said, "My Lord and my God"?

* Jesus was God, therefore He was one with God.  He is God the Son; a part of the Godhead called the trinity.

* Jesus came to Earth in the form of a man.  He took on this flesh to show us the way, fulfill prophecy, die for our sins, and rise from the dead.  He was both God and man.

20:30 - John claims that Jesus performed many signs, but Jesus, in Mt.8:12, said he would not give any signs.

* Jesus performed many signs and miracles in the presence of His disciples.  This is exactly what this verse says and this is exactly what He did.  Jesus declined to give the Pharisees extra signs.  Incidentally, Matthew 8:12 doesn't say anything about signs.

Chapter 21

21:7 - Peter is caught fishing naked.

* Peter had removed his garment because he was in the water.

21:17 - Peter says that Jesus knows everything, but Jesus denies it in Mk.13:32.

* Peter makes this statement to the resurrected Christ.

* The statement the disciples made was likely a subjective statement.  Compared to them, Jesus knew everything.  Incidentally, the Greek words in John 16:30 don't unequivocally state that Jesus knows all things.  They also refer to knowing everything within a framework - everything about an issue at hand.  This issue was, of course, salvation and God's will for them.

21:22 - Jesus implies that he will return to earth during the lifetime of John.

* This passage is better understood by reading verse 23, too.  John 21:22 and 23 read, "Jesus said to him, 'If I will that he remain till I come, what is that to you?  You follow Me.'  Then this saying went out among the brethren that this disciple would not die.  Yet Jesus did not say to him that he would not die, but, 'If I will that he remain till I come, what is that to you?'"  Jesus is using a figure of speech to answer Peter.  He is telling Peter not to worry about others and to let God take care of things because it is God's will that shall be done.