One Angel or Two at the Tomb?

Non-believers like to speak sometimes of the Bible contradicting itself. And sometimes, those who profess faith in Christ do, too. I'll be 60 years old in a few weeks and I've met COUNTLESS people both believers and non-believers who claim the Bible isn't all it's cracked up to be.

How does this happen? Simple answer. Two parts.

• People, usually non-believers, come to the Bible expecting it and desiring it to teach false things. The more "errors" one can "find" in the Bible - the less authority it holds and the less obedient one has to be to God. In fact, if one finds the Bible containing error, one can just pitch it in life's trash can.
• But the main reason this happens is that people who profess faith many times just DO NOT READ the Bible. Oh, they might half-way listen to a preacher or read commentaries or non-inspired books ABOUT the Bible from famous people old and new, but as for actually and intently READING it - it just isn't done on a daily and intense basis.

The Bible says about itself that it must be:

• Read = 2 Timothy 3:16
• Meditated upon = Joshua 1:8; Isaiah 26:3; Psalm 119:15
• Memorized = Psalm 119:11; Proverbs 6:21-22
• Studied = Deuteronomy 6:6-7; 1 Peter 3:15

I am in the process of writing my own and personal topical index. I'm doing it to make me a better teacher. I've taught the Bible for 40 years now to a variety of age groups from 3 to 99. Sunday School Vacation Bible School, Christian school, and a community-wide Bible study.

It's taking me a very long time. I thought it would take about one year, but I'm into my SECOND year and may not be finished on December 31 of this year.

I said that to say this. I study the Bible intently. I will never know it all or understand everything if I study it this intently until I die. If we could, then we could stop going to church and toss the Bible aside. Oh well, we read it once. That's enough, right? Dead wrong.

I find no error or contradiction. Yes, there may be a copyist error or some such as translations are not perfect, but as for the message and Word of God as a whole, I find it flawless.

Now, about those angels at the tomb. How many were there? All four gospel writers address this: It isn't that hard to answer. Here's what I see this morning as I read these four accounts.

Matthew and Mark address the angel that rolled the stone away He sat on the stone in front of the guards and the guards fainted. By the time the women got there, he was inside the tomb.

• He, singularly, told the women, [1] not to be afraid (amazed), [2] he knew that they were looking for Jesus, [3] he is not here, [4] he has risen, [5] come and see for themselves, [6] go tell, and [7] Jesus has gone on ahead of you.
• Matthew and Mark never claim that their was only one angel. It's just that they focus on one angel only.

Luke's focus is on the reaction of the women. He mentions the stone rolled away but not an angel doing so.

• Two angels appear inside the tomb.. Again, the reaction of the women is the focus. They bow down. They are told [1] Why are you looking for the living here, [2] he is not here, [3] he is risen, [4] remember how he told you that he would. And once again, their reaction. They remembered Jesus' words. Luke's focus is different - NOT contradictory.

John's focus is on Mary Magdalene and her encounter with the angels, but not the one that rolled the stone away and not the initial encounter!

• John skips her first encounter at the tomb entirely and describes, instead, her going back AFTER she told the men what had happened.
• At this second encounter, two angels ask her why she is crying. She tells them in tears, turns and THERE IS JESUS!

All it takes is a simple reading. It take TIME, but it's important to do.

I think people spend too much time picking the Bible apart and to death and not enough time turning and finding Jesus!!!

 

I wasn't harmonizing or forcing anything. I merely stated what the gospels clearly said. and made sure people understood the different focuses of each writer.

It is as plain as day - can you not see that? Or are you content to believe the Bible has mistakes in it? Mistakes authored by the Holy Spirit.

I have no idea what the secular historians who wrote about Hannibal have to do with God's holy Word.

If the Bible has blatant mistakes and is in error in one point, the whole thing is trash and we are all fools. If there are blatant contradictions, then the Holy Spirit of the Most High was wrong as he authored the scriptures in the first place.

I believe mortal men wrote the Bible under the direction of the Holy Spirit as the Bible CLEARLY states.