Expert: Clifford H. Readout, Jr. - 1/22/2007

Question
Hi there I was wondering if you could help because this question is a little tricky. It regards Mathew 24 and mark 113.I has noticed differences in what they say. They both record Jesus using different words and I was wondering why this is if they are both meant to be accurate accounts of what Jesus had said. Surly because they are God breathed they God would know what was actually said. I understand why there are differences between Mathew 24 and Luke 21 because it would seem that one is talking about what would happen prior to 70 A.D. but the differences between Mathew 24 and mark 13 i do not understand. God bless U and thanks from John.

Answer
Dear John,

Thank you for your question.  It makes me wonder if you have been listening to the Podcasts of my Sunday morning lessons series I’ve been teaching for the last thirteen weeks, titled “Introduction to Prophecy.”  I have been going through Matthew 24, Mark 13, and Luke 21.

Consider these factors:

1. If we believe the gospel accounts “are God breathed” we ought to also believe that God chose to have exactly what He wanted written in each account. There would be no reason for Him to cause each writer to record the same events using exactly the same words, nor is there a reason for Him to override their own vocabularies and speaking/writing styles.  This is often the reason one account’s wording is slightly different than another’s.  As a minor example, consider that Luke claims that his account is the one God intends for us to use to obtain the correct chronological sequence of events, something the other three accounts do not claim to do.  If we attempt to determine the chronology of events in the fleshly life of Jesus Christ from Matthew and/or Mark and/or John without using Luke as the guide, we will fail.

2. If God had each writer include something different, He must want us to combine everything they wrote in order to get the whole message He is giving through the gospel accounts.  This means that we should not set the different wordings against each other, attempting to decide which is correct, but for us to accept that all are correct, and are necessary for us to get the full message the Lord is giving us through their accounts.

3. Just as Luke specialized in the chronological sequence, the other gospel accounts were written to different audiences and for different purposes. For example, Mark, the first of the accounts to be written was written to the Gentiles.  There is no mention of “the law,” and very little that would require much knowledge of the Hebrew manners and customs.  Matthew was written primarily to Jews, and constantly uses Old Testament prophecies to validate the ministry and claims of Jesus Christ.  John wrote with the express purpose of strengthening the confidence of Christians in their Lord and Saviour, and to give a closer and personal account of His words and works.  The accounts compliment, not contradict.

These considerations make me believe that everything each writer wrote is completely true, and that the combination of everything they wrote gives us the full exposition of what the Lord said and meant.

With this in mind, consider that the disciples asked the Lord Jesus four questions which led to the answers He gave them, and which Matthew, Mark, and Luke recorded. (Each may record some of the same things, and each may record some things the others did not.)  Here are the questions:
1. When will this temple be destroyed? (Matthew and Mark: “Tell us, when shall these things be?”  Luke: “Master, but when shall these things be?”)
2. What sign will there be to tell us this temple is about to be destroyed? (Mark: “and what shall be the sign when all these things shall be fulfilled?” Luke: “and what sign will there be when these things shall come to pass?”)
3. What will be the sign of your coming? (Matthew: “and what shall be the sign of thy coming”)
4. what will be the sign of the end of the world? (Matthew: “and of the end of the world?”)

Did you notice that only Matthew records the asking of the last two questions?  Wouldn’t this be a reasonable explanation for why the answers he records encompass more than that of Mark and Luke?  If you combine the answers recorded by all three inspired writers, you will find the answers to all four of the questions.

I hope this is helpful to you.  You have every reason to be completely confident that the whole record is God breathed, without contradictions or conflicts.

Yours for Truth,

CR