By Gavin G.
Muslims arguing against Christianity often claim the four Gospels are riddled with contradictions. Since they cannot answer the Islamic Dilemma, they redirect to alleged problems in the biblical text. This is actually self-defeating, because the Quran itself affirms the authority of the Christian scriptures, meaning Muslims are obligated to accept them regardless. What follows are four of the most common objections they raise, and why none of them hold up.
The Death of Judas Iscariot
Before addressing the specifics, it is worth establishing a general principle: differences in narration are not the same as contradictions. Multiple witnesses to the same event will naturally recall and emphasize different details. That is not error; that is how eyewitness testimony works.
With that in mind, the authors of these accounts had different backgrounds. Luke was a physician (Colossians 4:14). Matthew was a tax collector (Matthew 9:9). John was a fisherman (Matthew 4:21-22). Their professional lenses shaped what they noticed and recorded.
The alleged contradiction is between Matthew 27:5 and Acts 1:18.
Matthew 27:5 says, "And throwing down the pieces of silver into the temple, he departed, and he went and hanged himself."
Acts 1:18 says, "Now this man acquired a field with the reward of his wickedness, and falling headlong he burst open in the middle and all his bowels gushed out."
These are not competing accounts. They are sequential. Matthew records that Judas hanged himself. Luke, writing Acts as a physician, records what happened to the body afterward. Jerusalem's heat would have accelerated decomposition rapidly. A body hanging for hours or days in that climate would bloat from internal gases. When the branch snapped and the body fell, it burst open. Luke is giving the medical aftermath of the same death Matthew already described. There is no contradiction here.
Did Jesus Lie About Wine?
The argument here is that Jesus promised in Matthew 26:29 not to drink wine again, then appears to drink wine on the cross in John 19:28-30, which would make him a liar. Since Numbers 23:19 says God cannot lie, critics claim this disproves the deity of Christ.
The answer is in the Greek.
Matthew 26:29 says, "I tell you I will not drink again of this fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father's kingdom."
The context is the Last Supper, where Jesus is instituting the Eucharist. He takes a vow specifically abstaining from Passover wine until the kingdom comes.
John 19:28-30 says, "After this, Jesus, knowing that all was now finished, said (to fulfill the Scripture), 'I thirst.' A jar full of sour wine stood there, so they put a sponge full of the sour wine on a hyssop branch and held it to his mouth. When Jesus had received the sour wine, he said, 'It is finished,' and he bowed his head and gave up his spirit."
The drink offered at the crucifixion is not Passover wine. The Greek word used is oxous, meaning sour wine or vinegar, a cheap soldiers' drink entirely distinct from ceremonial wine. Jesus receiving this drink was a fulfillment of Psalm 69:21, not a violation of his vow. The vow in Matthew 26:29 concerned the Passover cup specifically. The drink in John 19:28-30 is a different substance in a different context for a different purpose. There is no contradiction.
Joseph's Father
Matthew 1:16 says, "and Jacob the father of Joseph the husband of Mary, of whom Jesus was born, who is called Christ."
Luke 3:23 says, "Jesus, when he began his ministry, was about thirty years of age, being the son (as was supposed) of Joseph, the son of Heli."
Two different fathers are listed for Joseph: Jacob in Matthew, Heli in Luke. Critics treat this as a flat contradiction. The explanation lies in understanding both Levirate marriage and the distinct purposes of the two genealogies.
Luke traces the lineage of Jesus through Mary, while Matthew traces it through Joseph.1 Levirate marriage, described in Deuteronomy 25:5-6, required a man to marry his deceased brother's widow if the brother died childless, in order to carry on the family line.2
Jacob and Heli were brothers, possibly half-brothers according to Christian tradition. Heli married a woman and died without children. Jacob then married Heli's widow under Levirate law and fathered Joseph biologically. This means Joseph had two fathers in the legal and genealogical sense: Heli as his legal father through Levirate succession, and Jacob as his biological father. Both genealogies are accurate within their own framework. There is no contradiction.
Jesus' Final Words
The objection is that the Gospels record different final words for Jesus on the cross. This is resolved by understanding what "final words" actually means in context.
Jesus did not say one thing and fall silent. He spoke throughout the crucifixion. These statements, traditionally called the Seven Last Words, are drawn from all four Gospels together:
Luke 23:34 — "Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do."
Luke 23:43 — "Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in paradise."
John 19:26-27 — "Woman, behold your son... Behold, your mother!"
Matthew 27:46 / Mark 15:34 — "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?"
John 19:28 — "I thirst."
John 19:30 — "It is finished."
Luke 23:46 — "Father, into your hands I commit my spirit!"
Each Gospel author recorded what was meaningful and relevant to his audience and purpose. No Gospel claims to contain every word Jesus spoke on the cross. The objection only works if someone assumes one Gospel should have recorded all seven statements and ignores the rest, which is not a reasonable standard to apply to any ancient historical text. The accounts complement each other rather than conflict.