How Many Women, Men, and Angels Were at the Tomb of Jesus?

by Eric Lyons, M.Min.
In his debate with Michael Horner on “Did Jesus Really Rise From the Dead?” atheist Dan Barker asked:
Who were the women who came to the tomb? Matthew said it was Mary Magdalen and the other Mary.
Mark said it was Mary Magdalen, Mary the mother of James, and Salome. Luke said it was Mary Magdalen, Joanna, Mary the mother of James, and other women. John said Mary Magdalen….
Who was at the tomb when they arrived? Mark said there was one “young man.”… Luke said there was
[sic] two men. Matthew said there was one angel, and John, the last writer, said, there’s two angels. See
what’s happening here? See how the myth is growing and getting more exaggerated?1
Indeed, two of the most frequently cited reasons for questioning (and perhaps rejecting, as in the case of
Barker) the four resurrection accounts have to do with the identity and number of women who went to the
empty tomb of Jesus, as well as who (and how many) they actually found there.

THE WOMEN

Many fail to recognize in their critique of the Bible that additional information is not necessarily contradictory
information. Was it essential for the apostle John to mention every woman who came to the tomb of Jesus on
the morning of His resurrection, or was he at liberty to mention as few as he wanted (John 20:1)? If Mary
Magdalene was at the tomb on that Sunday morning, and John recorded that she was there, without ever
denying the presence of others (some of whom were mentioned by Matthew, Mark, and Luke), could his record
of the events be truthful? Of course. Differences exist among the Gospel writers’ accounts, but no one has proven that they are discrepant. Just as a person might say, “I went to the ball game with Bill, Bob, and Bubba,”
he might also truthfully say, “I went to the game with Bill and Betty.” These statements are not necessarily
contradictory. One can easily (and honestly) supplement the other. A person may only mention Bill and Betty in
one setting when talking to one group (e.g., at worship where the church knows the married couple), while at
another setting when talking to a different group (e.g., at the office where only the men are known), he may

truthfully just mention the men. We must keep in mind that Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John wrote at different
times, to different people, for different reasons.
Consider the scenario where four different newspaper reporters are covering the 2021 NBA finals (between the Phoenix Suns and the Milwaukee Bucks). All four writers are from different cities, including Phoenix, Milwaukee, Charleston, South Carolina, and Athens, Greece. Here are the four different headlines from the Bucks’ third win
in the series:
• From Phoenix: “Timely Team Effort Lifts Bucks Over Suns”
• From Milwaukee: “Jrue Holiday’s Big Night on Offense and Defense Leads to W”
• From Charleston: “Hometown Hero Kris Middleton Shoots Lights Out in Win”
• From Athens: “Greece’s Giannis Leads the Way for Another Bucks Win”
All four reporters focused on different people in their headlines (and stories) for different reasons for their
different audiences. Yet, all four reports were truthful. No reasonable person would accuse the writers of contradicting one another. Similarly, no rational, fair-minded individual should assume the Bible writers were
errant in their accounts of the events on the morning of Jesus’ resurrection.
Furthermore, if the Bible writers always told every detail of every account the same way (mentioning the same
people, places, things, and events exactly alike), the criticism would then be, “They all copied each other’s
accounts. They conspired with one another!” When an experienced detective interviews various suspects
regarding a crime, and all four suspects have the exact same alibi (down to the smallest details), the detective will be highly suspicious of such “perfect” repetitiveness—wondering if collusion has taken place to cover up a
crime.
One of the many marvels of the Gospel accounts is how similar they are so as not to be contradictory, yet how
different they are so as not to be guilty of collusion. This perfect balance of various truthful differences is what
should be expected by independent truth-tellers, especially those who were inspired by God.
THE NUMBER AND NATURE OF THOSE ALREADY AT THE TOMB

The Gospel writers also differ in their accounts of who was at the tomb of Jesus when the women arrived.
Regarding the number of individuals present, if there were “two” (as Luke and John specify), then there was at least one (on whom Matthew and Mark focus). Matthew and Mark do not say “there was only one,” but they do mention one individual. As with the number of women who came to the tomb, the number of individuals who
were already at the tomb is not contradictory but supplementary. If I tell someone, “I have an old car with a lot
of miles on it,” and I tell someone else, “I own two old cars you should check out,” I have not contradicted myself. Both statements are factual. Simply because I did not mention both cars in the first conversation is not a
denial of owning more than one older car. It’s quite telling how easily skeptics can understand the legitimacy of
supplementation not being equivalent to a contradiction in their own everyday-life scenarios, yet not give the
Bible writers the same fair treatment.
Still, what about the nature of the individuals at the tomb of Jesus? Were they men or angels? The answer is simply, “They were both.” Lest someone scoff at such an answer, pause for a moment to consider how versatile certain things are (as well as the description of those items). In one setting, a person may refer to his handheld
device as a “phone,” and in another setting, his “flashlight.” He may take out this device at a meeting to check his “calendar,” while later on that night he uses it as an “alarm clock.” (Imagine telling someone in 1950 that his
“phone” would one day also be his flashlight, calendar, alarm clock, camera, directory, etc. He would have thought you had gone mad. Yet, to those in the 21st century, it all makes perfect sense.) Many things are not either/or; they are both/and.
Similar to how Jesus was both God and man (John 1:15,14; Philippians 2:5-11), the individuals at the tomb of Jesus on the day of His resurrection were both angels and men. Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John were all correct
in their accounts. The angels were in human form. Mark and Luke referred to their humanity (in their appearance), while Matthew and John referred to their angelic nature. Consistent with what Scripture teaches
elsewhere (e.g., Genesis 18:1-33; 19:1,5,15), in the past, both God and angels have come to Earth in the form of
human beings.
The four Gospel accounts independently testify that various women arrived at the tomb of Jesus on the morning
of His resurrection and were greeted by angels who were in the form of men. Such differently worded statements are without contradiction. In truth, they stand as perfectly harmonious accounts with different,
supplemental material from four different independent writers.
ENDNOTES
1 Dan Barker (1996), “Did Jesus Really Rise from the Dead?” Debate with Michael Horner at the University of
Northern Iowa, April 2, http://www.infidels.org/library/modern/dan_barker/barker_horner.html.
The article above was taken from the following URL: https://apologeticspress.org/APContent.aspx?

What Must I Know to Be Saved?

by Eric Lyons, M.Min.
The question frequently is asked by those who are contemplating becoming a child of God, “How much do I have to
know in order to become a Christian?” Some feel like they have to know virtually every detail in the Bible before
submitting to the Savior to get rid of sin in their lives. Others believe they need every question under the Sun answered
before becoming a Christian. Some want to know about the origin of the races. Others want to know whether or not
there is life on other planets. The Bible, however, never indicates that for one to become a Christian, he has to know
every detail about every book in the Bible, or that a person has to be able to answer every question that arises. But
what, if anything, is necessary for a person to know before becoming a disciple of Christ?
First, an individual contemplating his spiritual life must understand that the reason there is even something for him to
do is because he has sinned. Everyone who has reached the level of mental maturity (sometimes referred to as “the age

of accountability”) so that he or she understands what sin is (cf. 1 John 3:4; 5:17), has sinned (Romans 3:10,23; 1 John
1:8). [The one exception, of course, was Jesus—1 Peter 2:22.] Sin is that which separates man from God (Isaiah
59:1-2). For a person to be saved, he first must have knowledge that he is a sinner, and as such stands in a lost
condition. One of the reasons Jesus condemned certain Jewish priests, elders, and sects was because they did not admit
their sinfulness after hearing the preaching of John the baptizer (Matthew 21:31-32)—though the tax collectors and
harlots (i.e., sinners) did acknowledge their sin, and believed.
Second, the one who aspires to become a Christian must know something about Jesus—the One Who came to save us
from our sins (Luke 19:10; John 3:16; Romans 5:6-8). A person does not have to know every one of Jesus’ parables, or
be able to quote the Sermon on the Mount, but he must know that Jesus is the Son of God Who died and was raised so
that all men might have their sins forgiven and live eternally with Him in heaven (Titus 2:11-14; Hebrews 2:9). In other
words, before becoming a Christian, a person must have heard the Gospel (Good News) of Jesus Christ (cf. 1
Corinthians 15:1-4).
Finally, the individual who aspires to become a child of God must realize there is something for him to do (cf. Acts
2:38; 16:30; 8:36). If one understands that the Bible says he must believe that Jesus is the Son of God (John 8:24),
repent of his sins (Luke 13:3,5), confess that Jesus is God’s Son (Romans 10:10), and be baptized for the remission of
his sins (Acts 2:38), he or she then possesses enough knowledge to put on Christ in baptism (Galatians 3:27) and
become a Christian, being added by God to the church that Christ established (Acts 2:47; Matthew 16:18; Romans
16:16).
Contrary to the belief of some, a person who desires to become a Christian does not have to know the whole Bible
thoroughly before he takes action. Nor is there a need to have every question imaginable answered. The Ethiopian
eunuch heard one Christ-centered lesson from Philip before asking, “What hinders me from being baptized” (Acts
8:35-36)? The three thousand on Pentecost heard only one Gospel sermon before accepting the grace of God and
obeying the plan of salvation (Acts 2:41). They did not wait around for years, thinking they were not knowledgeable
enough to be followers of Christ. Rather, they were convinced of their sins (Acts 2:37), heard the Gospel, believed it,
and obeyed it. It is after one becomes a Christian that God commands us a person to “grow in the grace and knowledge
of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ” (2 Peter 3:18), and to continue to study the Word in order to teach others
(Hebrews 5:12; 1 Peter 3:15).

The above article was taken from the following URL: https://apologeticspress.org/APContent.aspx?
category=11&article=895

Hoover Update – August

Dear Friends and Family,

  Some of the beautiful children at Safe Home!!

 

Kelvin Hoover

Orphan Advocacy & Church Relations

Orphan’s Lifeline Int’l

www.orphanslifeline.org

406-220-2143 (mobile)

Does God REALLY Know Everything?

By: Eric Lyons, M.Min.

Numerous passages of Scripture clearly teach that God is omniscient. The Bible declares that God “knows the secrets of the heart” (Psalm 44:21), that His eyes “are in every place” (Proverbs 15:3), and that “His understanding is infinite” (147:5). Of Jehovah, the psalmist also wrote:

O Lord, You have searched me and known me. You know my sitting down and my rising up; You understand my thought afar off. You comprehend my path and my lying down, and are acquainted with all my ways. For there is not a word on my tongue, but behold, O Lord, You know it altogether…. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is high, I cannot attain it. Where can I go from Your Spirit? Or where can I flee from Your presence? If I ascend into heaven, You are there; if I make my bed in hell, behold, You are there (139:1-4,6-8).

The New Testament reemphasizes this truth: “God is greater than our heart, and knows all things” (1 John 3:20, emp. added). Not only does He know the past and the present, but the future as well (Acts 15:18; cf. Isaiah 46:10). According to the Bible, there is nothing outside of the awareness of God.

Atheist Dan Barker, however, alleged in his February 12, 2009 debate with Kyle Butt that the Bible paints a contradictory picture of God and His knowledge. Whereas some scriptures indicate that God knows the future, supposedly, the God of the Bible cannot exist because other passages reportedly teach that God does not know the future. Twelve minutes and 54 seconds into his first speech, Barker exclaimed:

Look what God said after he stopped it [Abraham’s sacrifice of Isaac—EL]. He said: “Lay not thine hand upon the lad, neither do thou any thing unto him: for I know now, I now know, that you fear God, seeing that you have not withheld thy son.” I know now? I thought God knew everything. The Bible says God knows the future but here He is saying, “I didn’t even know.” The Bible even says that God searches and understands all the imaginations of the heart. The God of the Bible knows the future. The God of the Bible does not know the future (2009).

Is Barker correct? Does the Bible paint a contradictory picture of God’s knowledge? Do some passages testify to the omniscience of God, while others indicate that He is finite in His understanding?

The kind of language found in Genesis 22:12 actually is present throughout Scripture. As early as Genesis chapter three, God asked Adam, “Where are you?” (3:9). In Genesis four, He asked Cain, “Where is Abel your brother?” (4:9). The book of Job reveals that at the beginning of God’s first speech to Job, God asked the patriarch, “Where were you when I laid the foundations of the earth?” (38:4, emp. added). Are we to assume questions like these or statements like those found in Genesis 22:12 and 18:21 (“I will know”) imply a lack of knowledge on God’s part?

First, one must acknowledge that questions often are asked and statements frequently are made for a variety of reasons. Are we really to assume that the Creator of heaven and Earth was ignorant of Adam’s whereabouts when He asked him, “Where are you?” (Genesis 3:9)? Are we to believe that God did not know where Job was when He made the world (Job 38:4)? Certainly not! What father, having seen his son dent a car door, would imply ignorance by asking, “Who did that?” Obviously, the father did not ask the question to obtain information, but to see if the son would admit to something the father knew all along. On occasion, Jesus used questions or made statements for the same purpose. When He questioned the Pharisees’ disciples and the Herodians regarding whose inscription was on a particular coin, it clearly was not because He did not know (Matthew 22:15-22). Likewise, when Jesus asked the multitude that thronged Him, “Who touched Me?” (Luke 8:45), it was not because the woman who touched Him was hidden from Him (Luke 8:47). Jesus knew the woman who was made well by touching His garment before she confessed to touching Him (Mark 5:32). His question was intended to bring attention to her great faith and His great power (Mark 5:34). In no way are the questions God asks or the statements He makes an indication of Him being less than omniscient.

Second, the term “know” (Hebrew yada, Greek ginosko) or one of its derivatives (i.e., knew, known, etc.) is used in Scripture in a variety of ways. Several times it is used in reference to a man and woman having sexual intercourse (Genesis 4:1,17,25; Judges 11:39; 19:25). Jesus used the term to refer to His regard for His sheep (i.e., people—John 10:27). In contrast to the way of the wicked that will perish, the psalmist wrote that God “knows” (i.e., approves, takes delight in, etc.) the way of the righteous (Psalm 1:6). Paul used the term “know” in Ephesians 3:19 in the sense of knowing “experimentally what intellectually is beyond our powers of knowing”—the love of Christ (Jamieson, 1997). The fact is, like so many words in Scripture (and in modern times) the word “know” has a variety of meanings. What’s more, neither Dan Barker nor any Bible critic can prove that the term “know” in Genesis 22:12 directly contradicts God’s omniscience.

Third, the Bible’s usage of phrases such as “now I know” (Genesis 22:12) or “I will know” (Genesis 18:21) in reference to God actually are for the benefit of man. Throughout the Bible, human actions (such as “learning”) frequently are attributed to God for the purpose of helping us better understand His infinity. When Jehovah “came down to see the city and the tower” built at Babel (Genesis 11:5), it was not for the purpose of gaining knowledge. Anthropomorphic expressions such as these are not meant to suggest that God is not always fully aware of everything. Rather, as in the case of Babel, such wording was used to show that He was “officially and judicially taking the situation under direct observation and consideration” (Morris, 1976, p. 272). Almighty God visited Sodom and Gomorrah likely “for appearance’ sake, that men might know directly that God had actually seen the full situation before He acted in judgment” (p. 342). “These cities were to be made ensamples to all future ages of God’s severity, and therefore ample proof given that the judgment was neither rash nor excessive (Ezek 18:23; Jer 18:7)” [Jamieson, 1997]. Similarly, in the case of God testing Abraham regarding Isaac, although God already knew what Abraham would choose to do, there still was a reason to allow Abraham the opportunity to actually show his great faith and know that God indeed had witnessed (in real time and not just in His foreknowledge), Abraham’s actions. God came “to know” of Abraham’s faith by actual experiment. The meaning of the phrase, “now I know” (Genesis 22:12), therefore, “is not that God had, by the events of this probation, obtained information regarding Abraham’s character that He did not previously possess; but that these qualities had been made apparent, had been developed by outward acts” (Jamieson, 1997).

Similar to how God instructs man to pray and make “known” to Him our petitions for our benefit (Philippians 4:6), even though He actually already knows of our prayers and needs before they are voiced (Matthew 6:8), for our profit the all-knowing God sometimes is spoken of in accommodative language as acquiring knowledge.

REFERENCES

Butt, Kyle and Dan Barker (2009), Does the God of the Bible Exist? (Montgomery, AL: Apologetics Press).
Jamieson, Robert, et al. (1997), Jamieson, Fausset, Brown Bible Commentary (Electronic Database:
Biblesoft).

Morris, Henry M. (1976), The Genesis Record (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker).

The above article was taken from the following: https://apologeticspress.org/AllegedDiscrepancies.aspx?article=787&b=Genesis

Nalley News from Brazil

Seann and Luiz preparing to baptize Marcio.

Growing Cantagalo congregation an hour drive from Guarapuava.

Jacob, Natalie and Heidi Cleverdon

Grandpa (Vovô – in Portuguese).

Grandma (Vóvi – in Portuguese)

Natalie, Nathanael and Elise with baby Heidi

Quick visit with Naiane.

Some of the Nalley Tribe.

Ree, her mom Hazel and sisters Ronda and Roma

PowerPoint, Zoom online and simple equipment.  God has blessed us.

Saturday Youth Group Bible Study

Henrique and Jhenifer have several Bible studies in progress for the salvation of souls.

Second floor of construction underway.

Brick on frozen bucket of water as temperatures fall to 32 degrees.

Second floor walls going up, barbeque pit being built in kitchen area, as sister in Christ has come to help her husband build.

Roof begins.

Workers rest at home with Brazilian hot tea (Chimarrão) and some have wood burning cook stove to hover over.

“The Sun Stood Still”—Really?

By Eric Lyons, M.Min.

In compliance with God’s will to punish the terribly wicked nations of Canaan (Deuteronomy 9:5; Joshua

10:8), Joshua and his army of Israelites engaged in battle with the “five kings of the Amorites” and their armies

at Gibeon (Joshua 10:5,10). In the midst of the battle, which poured into other areas of southern Palestine,

Joshua spoke to the Lord, saying: “Sun, stand still over Gibeon; and moon, in the Valley of Aijalon” (10:12). The

inspired writer goes on to acknowledge: “So the sun stood still, and the moon stopped till the people had

revenge upon their enemies” (10:13). Even more emphatically, the writer testifies: “So the sun stood still in the

midst of heaven, and did not hasten to go down for about a whole day. And there has been no day like that,

before it or after it, that the Lord heeded the voice of a man; for the Lord fought for Israel” (10:13-14).

What does the text mean when it says, “the Sun stood still”? Did the Sun literally stand “still,” or did the

Earth stop its approximate 1,000-mph rotation on its axis in order to give the Israelites more time to defeat

their enemies? And what about the Moon; did it actually stop, too? What are we to make of such language?

First, is it possible that the same God Who miraculously created the entire Universe out of nothing could

supernaturally (and literally) stop the Sun (or any other part, or all parts, of the Universe that He so chooses)?1

Could the same God Who made light, as well as mornings and evenings on Earth, without a Sun (on days 1-3

of Creation; Genesis 1:3-19)2 also cause the Moon to “stop”?3 Is it possible for the omnipotent Creator, Who

currently “upholds the Universe by the word of His power” (Hebrews 1:3, ESV), to miraculously manipulate a

day on Earth to His liking? Is it possible for God to refract light or to specially create some kind of light to

illuminate a part of the Earth for a longer period of time than the normal daylight hours? Though skeptics

often ridicule the idea of miracles, in truth, if a supernatural God exists, then supernatural miracles are

possible. Could God Almighty work an astronomical miracle on behalf of the Israelites when they faced the

armies of the Amorites if He so chose? Indeed, He could.

But how, exactly, could God have “stopped” the Sun and Moon? The fact is, we are not told how God could

have worked such a miracle any more than we are told how He miraculously fed several thousand people with

merely five loaves of bread and two fish (Matthew 14:13-21), how He made an iron ax head float in water (2

Kings 6:4-7), or how exactly Jonah could have survived for three days in the belly of a fish. The recognition of

God’s unlimited knowledge and power should be a logically sufficient explanation.

Bible students must keep in mind that the book of Joshua is a historical composition, full of real people,

places, dialogue, and events, and is written in ordinary language. Joshua is not a book of prophecy or poetry

filled with extensive amounts of figurative language. Nothing in Joshua 10 suggests that we should interpret

the account as highly figurative or symbolic. That said, one common element of normal, “everyday” speech

and writing, both in Bible times and today, is the description of things as they appear (and not necessarily in

the scientifically precise manner that we would expect in a geometry or chemistry classroom). Since to

everyone on Earth (both in Bible times and today) it appears that the Sun moves from the east to the west, man

has long referred to the Sun rising and setting (though technically what we see is the result of the Earth’s

rotation on its axis). Could it be that the miracle God worked in Joshua 10 had less to do with the Sun than

one might initially think? Certainly. As Hebrew scholar Justin Rogers commented: “Indeed, it appeared to them

that ‘the sun stopped in the middle of the sky.’ This is clear use of phenomenological language, and it simply

means this day was unusually long. Daylight was halted miraculously so as to allow God’s forces more time to

conquer their foes.”4 God did not inform us of the precise manner in which He chose to work this marvelous

miracle, but rest assured, it happened, and it was amazing. In fact, “there has been no day like that, before it

or after it, that the Lord heeded the voice of a man” (Joshua 10:14).5

ENDNOTES

1 The Sun literally moves. It rotates about every 27 days at its equator (www.nasa.gov/sun), while traveling through the Milky Way

Galaxy at an estimated 514,000 miles per hour (starchild.gsfc.nasa.gov/docs/StarChild/questions/question18.html).

2 Keep in mind that “the Father of lights” (James 1:17), Who is “light” (1 John 1:5), could create light easily without first having to

create the Sun, Moon, and stars. Just as God could produce a fruit-bearing tree on day three without seed, He could produce light

supernaturally on Day 1 without the “usual” light bearers (which subsequently were created on Day 4). For more information, see Eric

Lyons (2006), “When Were the Sun, Moon, and Stars Created?” www.apologeticspress.org/AllegedDiscrepancies.aspx?

article=1990&b=Genesis.

3 The Moon also rotates on its axis as it revolves around Earth (moon.nasa.gov/about/in-depth).

4 Justin Rogers (2017), “Does the Bible Teach a Flat Earth?” Reason & Revelation, July, 37[7]:74-77, apologeticspress.org/

APContent.aspx?category=11&article=5428&topic=82, emp. in original.

5 A story has circulated on the Internet for many years that NASA discovered Joshua’s “missing day.” This story is a hoax. Although

some (such as C.A.L. Totten and Harry Rimmer) have alleged to have discovered a “missing day” (in connection with Joshua 10), their

calculations and differing conclusions are highly questionable and unproven at best and laughable at worst. Rimmer goes so far as to

“arrive at the conclusion that the day of battle was Tuesday…July 22” [Rimmer (1944), The Harmony of Science and Scripture (Grand

Rapids, MI: Eerdmans), pp. 251-283].

The above article was taken from the following URL: https://apologeticspress.org/APContent.aspx?category=11&article=5529