What are the contradictions in Matthew?

Answer 1

Another answer from our community:

There are none. There are some things hard to understand and especially many deep spiritual truths, but no contradictions. Since Matthew, like the rest of scripture is divinely inspired, God knew what He wanted written through the mind and pen of Matthew. He did not forget as He went nor did He contradict what He said previously in other places.

Answer 2

There are many contradictions between Matthew and the other gospels, but relatively few (as one would expect) within the same gospel.

A relatively minor example of a contradiction within Matthew's Gospel: (8:4) "And Jesus said to him, See that you say nothing to any one; but go, show yourself to the priest, and offer the gift that Moses commanded, for a proof to them." In one sentence, Jesus says to tell no one, then to tell the priest.

Matthew 1:1-17 contradicts the Old Testament, by leaving Jehoash, Amaziah and Uzziah out of the king list, in order to achieve a perfect numerology - fourteen generations from David to the Babylonian Exile.

The story of the empty tomb (Matthew 28:1-8) contradicts all the other gospels as to which women were present, whom they spoke to and what happened.

• Matthew says that Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to the tomb, whereas (for example) John says that only Mary Magdalene went to the tomb.
• Matthew says that the stone was in place, but an angel came down and moved the stone in their presence, then sat on it. All the other gospels are quite clear in saying that the stone was already moved before they arrived.
• Taking the angel's word that Jesus was risen, the women in Matthew's Gospel did not look inside, but ran back joyfully to tell the disciples. Mark's Gospel says the women did go right inside the tomb and saw a young man there; they fled in terror, telling no one. Luke's Gospel also says the women went into the tomb, but they saw two men in shining garments. John says that Mary Magdalene (who had come alone to the tomb) saw the stone had been moved and simply assumed that they had stolen the body.