1001 Errors in the Christian Bible
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Mark -- Errors 168-174
#168
Mark 6: (KJV)
8 “And commanded them that they should take nothing for their
journey, save a staff only; no scrip, no bread, no money in their purse:”
Compare to:
Matthew 10: (KJV)
10 “Nor scrip for your journey, neither two coats, neither shoes,
nor yet staves: for the workman is worthy of his meat.”
“Mark” expressly says a staff is permitted while “Matthew”
expressly says staffs (“staves” is the same as “staffs”)
are prohibited. “Matthew” likes to make things more extreme.
The exact same Greek word is used in both places for “staff”
and every major translation except for KJV translates both as either staff
or walking stick. KJV has translated the exact same word for the exact
same stories differently in order to hide/deny the contradiction. Pathetic.
#169
Mark 6: (KJV)
9 “But be shod with sandals; and not put on two coats.”
Compare to:
Matthew 10: (KJV)
10 “Nor scrip for your journey, neither two coats, neither shoes,
nor yet staves: for the workman is worthy of his meat.”
“Mark” says sandals are okay. “Matthew” says no. Matthew
is tough.
#170
Mark 6: (KJV)
14 “And king Herod heard of him;”
This was Herod Antipas who technically was a tetrarch and not a king.
In “Matthew’s” related story Matthew uses “tetrarch”.
I may be approaching nitpicking here but the underlying Greek word used
by “Mark” (“king”) was almost never used to describe
a tetrarch by other authors of the time period.
#171
Mark 6: (KJV)
17 “For Herod himself had sent forth and laid hold upon John”
The underlying Greek says “sent forth arrested” which is an
incomplete phrase and therefore a grammatical error. Apologists claim
that the phrase was an idiom in Koine Greek whose meaning would have been
understood but almost every major translation translates the phrase differently
indicating it was no known idiom.
#172
Mark 6: (KJV)
17 “For Herod himself had sent forth and laid hold upon John,
and bound him in prison for Herodias' sake, his brother Philip's wife:
for he had married her.”
According to Josephus Philip was married to Salome and this was the only
marriage of Philip reported by Josephus. Presumably Josephus would have
reported all the marriages he was aware of for such an important person
of the time period such as Philip. There are a few manuscripts of “Mark”
and “Matthew” (Matthew likely copied Mark’s error) that
omit the reference to Philip which “Luke” has also done indicating
that some early Christians realized that Philip was never married to Herodias.
Accordingly, the most popular apology is that the Herod (according to
Josephus Herodias was married to Herod, son of Mariamme II) that Herodias
was married to was named Herod Philip.
#173
Mark 6: (KJV)
17 “For Herod himself had sent forth and laid hold upon John,
and bound him in prison for Herodias' sake, his brother Philip's wife:
for he had married her. 18 For John had said unto Herod, It is not lawful
for thee to have thy brother's wife.”
Most of the details of John’s arrest according to “Mark”
don’t agree to Josephus’ account. According to Josephus John
was arrested for inciting the people to the point of sedition.
#174
Mark 6: (KJV)
19 “Therefore Herodias had a quarrel against him, and would have
killed him; but she could not: 20 For Herod feared John, knowing that
he was a just man and an holy, and observed him; and when he heard him,
he did many things, and heard him gladly.”
Compare to:
Matthew 14: (KJV)
3 “For Herod had laid hold on John, and bound him, and put him
in prison for Herodias' sake, his brother Philip's wife. 4 For John said
unto him, It is not lawful for thee to have her. 5 And when he would have
put him to death, he feared the multitude, because they counted him as
a prophet.”
According to “Mark” Herod feared/respected John and didn’t
want to kill him. According to “Matthew” Herod wanted to kill
John but feared “the multitude”. In predictable fashion Matthew
has eliminated the ambiguity from the Markan account.
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