The Skeptics' Overrated Bible on John as analyzed by Sheila Rangslinger

• 1:1, 14 These verses imply that Jesus is God, but this is denied elsewhere in the bible. SAB is confused by his JW background. See here.
• 1:18 This verse says that no human has ever seen God. But elsewhere, the Bible says that many have seen him. See here.
• 1:21 Was John the Baptist Elijah? In this verse, John clearly says no. But Jesus just as clearly says yes in Mt.11:14, 17:12-13 and Mk.9:13. See here.
• 1:28 "These things were done in Bethabara beyond Jordan, where John was baptizing." But no such site is known in history. Some translations ASV, NAB, NIV, RSV, NRSV) rename Bethabara as Bethany, but Bethany is a suburb of Jerusalem and, therefore, not "beyond the Jordan." Bethany beyond Jordan is a different city.
• 1:29-35 John baptizes Jesus and declares him to be "the Son of God." But later, as he is about to be beheaded, John is no longer sure what to think about Jesus. So he sends his own disciples to ask, "Art thou he that should come, or do we look for another?" (Mt.11:3) Well, if he isn't sure after seeing and hearing the events at Jesus' baptism, then how can anyone else be? See above link.
• 1:35, 43, 2:1 Jesus spends three busy days after his baptism -- calling his disciples and attending a wedding. But the gospel ofMark (1:12-13) disagrees, claiming that Jesus was tempted by the devil in "the wilderness" for forty days immediately after his baptism. See here.
• 1:36 Was Jesus a lamb or a lion? (Rev.5:5) Is SAB a father or a husband?
• 1:40 John the Baptist is imprisoned after Peter and Andrew are called in John, but the order is reversed in Mark (1:14-16). Mark does not depict the initial call; he depicts a call for the mission.
• 1:45 Here Nathaniel is listed as one of the apostles; Nowhere else in the New Testament is he so included. John does not say that Nate is one of the Apostles.
• 2:4 Jesus speaks rudely to his mother, saying: "Woman, what have I to do with thee?" See here.
• 2:19 Jesus says, "Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up." Mark (14:57-58)says that "false witnesses" claimed he said these words. But how is their testimony false if they correctly quoted Jesus? They didn't. In Mark they say Jesus said he would be the destroyer, which is not what this says.
• 2:19-21 Jesus claimed that he would raise himself from the dead. But other verses say that he was raised from the dead by God. As Jesus refers actually to his body, it makes no difference: that meaning lies as a figure behind the literal reference to the Temple, so that the self-referent would have to be used.
• 3:2 Nicodemus says he knows that God is with Jesus since he performed so many miracles. Yet the other gospels (Mt.12:39, 6:4; Mk.8:12; Lk.11:29) say that Jesus refused to perform any miracles. Um yet he did. See here.
• 3:3, 5 Jesus says that to be saved a person must "be born again." But in other places he claims that salvation depends upon other things. See here.
• 3:13 John says that no one has ever ascended into heaven. But according to the Bible both Enoch and Elijah did so. See here.
• 3:16 Was Jesus God's only son? Only begotten son, yes.
• 3:18, 36 Here we are told that people are damned or saved depending only on what they believe. But this contradicts Mt.12:37 which says that salvation depends upon what people say; Lk.10:26-28, obeying the commandments; 1 Jn.4:7, by loving others; and Jn.5:29, by doing good, or, in any case, not by faith alone. See 3:3, 5 link.
• 3:18 Those who, for whatever reason, do not believe in Jesus will be tormented forever in hell. And the problem is, what? This is just argument by outrage.
• 3:22-24 John the Baptist is imprisoned after Peter and Andrew are called in John, but the order is reversed in Mark (1:14-16). See above.
• 3:22 Did Jesus baptize anyone? Did Pilate scourge Jesus personally? SAB has not learned about the language of representation.
• 3:32-33 Does anyone receive his testimony? Verse 32 says that no one does; the next verse says that some do. SAB also seems to have problems with generalizing hyperbole, as in, "Nobody likes coconut!"
• 3:36 The "wrath of God" is on all unbelievers. Mere outrage.
• 4:2 Did Jesus baptize anyone?
• 4:24 If "God is a spirit" and spirits don't have bodies (Lk.24:39), then how can Hab.3:4 claim that God has a body of flesh and bones, or could Moses have seen God's "back parts" (Ex.33:23)? See chapter 1 of The Mormon Defenders.
• 4:39-40 These verses say that the Samaritans believed in Jesus, but Luke (9:52-53) says the Samaritans rejected him. And they were the same exact Samaritans? Indeed. There were only about a dozen around in Jesus' time.
• 5:4 Whoever enters a pool after it is stirred up by angels will be cured of "whatsoever disease he had." Plain bias against miracles.
• 5:14 Jesus believes people are crippled by God a punishment for sin. He tells a crippled man, after healing him, to "sin no more, lest a worse thing come unto thee." Mere outrage. Would SAB have objected to Hitler being crippled to keep his plans from being done? Yet he also would undoubtedly object that God did nothing to stop Hitler.
• 5:16, 18 John, with his usual anti-Semitism, says that the Jews persecuted Jesus and "sought to slay him." See here.
• 5:16-17 Jesus didn't observe the sabbath, so I guess we don't have to either. Jesus didn't observe the niggling Pharasic view of the Sabbath; otherwise see here.
• 5:22, 27 In this verse Jesus says that he judges all men. But later, in Jn.8:15 and 12:47, he denies this and says that he judges no one. See here.
• 5:25 Jesus says that "the hour is coming, and now is, when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God: and they that hear shall live." But this never happened. It did. See Ch. 6 of The Mormon Defenders. SAB has problems with metaphor again.
• 5:29 Here Jesus says that people are saved by doing good works. But Paul vehemently disagrees (Rom.3:28, Gal.2:16, 3:11), insisting that salvation comes not through good works, but through faith alone. See above.
• 5:31 Jesus says that if he bears witness for himself, then his witness isn't true. But in Jn.8:14 he contradicts this by saying: "Though I bear witness of myself, yet my witness is true." See here.
• 5:46 Jesus claims that Moses wrote about him. Where? It's a shame he didn't give us chapter and verse. They didn't exist yet. Try Deut. 18:15.
• 6:42 The people of Nazareth, who knew Jesus well, did not believe in him. The people of Nazareth rejected Jesus' claim to honor, because in this society, to make such a claim was viewed as detracting honor from others. It was not a matter of them having the knowledge to say whether his claims were true or not.
• 6:46 Here we are told that no one has ever seen God. But other passages in the Bible claim that many people have seen him. See above.
• 6:53-56 Jesus says we must eat his flesh and drink his blood if we want to have eternal life. SAB doesn't like metaphor again, because of his bloodophobia. Does he eat steak rare?
• 6:70 Jesus chose "a devil" for an apostle. Oh well, everyone makes mistakes. Like giving a probationer a second chance at redemption? Yep, wouldn't want to do that.
• 7:1 John says that Jesus "would not walk in Jewry, because the Jews sought to kill him." See above.
• 7:5 Even Jesus' family didn't believe in him. See above plus here.
• 7:8-10 Jesus tells his family that he wasn't going to the feast, but he was lying, as he later goes "in secret." See here.
• 7:13 No one could speak openly about Jesus "for fear of the Jews." See above.
• 7:19-20 Jesus falsely accuses people of trying to kill him. But the people he accuses say to him, "Thou hast a devil: who goeth about to kill thee?" Falsely accuses? So says SAB the Palestinian Police Detective. I guess they sought to take him (7:3) to play pinatas.
• 7:24 In this verse, Jesus tells us to judge, but in Mt.7:1 he tells us not to judge. See here.
• 7:38 Jesus says that those who believe in him will, as the scripture says, have living waters flowing out of their bellies. Well that sounds like fun, but what is the scripture that he was referring to? See here.
• 7:39 Luke claims that Elizabeth, Zechariah, and Simeon were all filled with the Holy Ghost (Lk.1:41, 67, 2:25-26). But if this verse is true, they couldn't have been, since the Holy Ghost was not given until after Jesus' ascension. See entry on Luke.
• 8:7 Jesus tells those who'd like to stone to death an adulteress that whoever among them that is without sin should "cast the first stone." Good advice -- but it directly contradicts the teachings of the Old Testament (Lev.20:20). If that wasn't a good law then why did God make it? Has he since changed his mind? Shouldn't it then be removed (along with most of the OT) from the bible? See here.
• 8:14 Jesus says, "Though I bear witness of myself, yet my record is true." But in Jn.5:31 he says, "If I bear witness of myself, my witness is not true." See above.
• 8:15 Jesus says that he judges no one. But in Jn.5:22 he says that he judges everyone. See above.
• 8:24 Jesus says we must believe in him or we will "die in our sins." And the problem is, what?
• 8:32 "The truth shall make you free." He likes it.
• 8:40 Jesus says that he is "a man." But in other New Testament verses he is portrayed as a god. SAB still seems to not have a grip on the Incarnation as a sort of hybridization.
• 8:41 "We be not born of fornication" -- implying that Jesus was. Yes, and what? Is every insult thrown at SAB true? What a rotten guy.
• 8:44 Jesus calls his opponents (the Jews) the sons of the devil. Typical polemic for the time, despite SAB's political correctness.
• 8:44 This verse says that there is no truth in the devil. If so, then why did the devils call him "the Christ, Son of God"? Were they lying then too? Ever thought of polemical hyperbole? If the Devil identifies himself as the Devil, does this mean he is lying?
• 8:51 Those who believe in Jesus will never die, contrary to Rom.5:12 and Heb.9:27 which say that all must die. SAB still doesn't get death as a word capable of metaphorical meaning -- as it has been throughout Biblical and secular works.
• 8:52 After Jesus makes the foolish claim that those who believe in him will never die, his listeners reply, "now we know that thou hast a devil." Yes, and what's the issue?
• 8:58 JW issue, we pass.
• 9:6 Jesus spits on the ground, mixes his spit with the dirt, and rubs the muddy spit on a blind man's eyes. Yes, the spittle of holy men was thought to have powerful qualities. What's the problem?
• 9:39 Jesus says that he has come to judge people, contrary to his other statement (Jn.8:15, 12:47). He also says that he has come to make people blind. See above. The blindness bit is a metaphor for overturning expectations.
• 10:8 "All that ever came before me are thieves and robbers." All the prophets, kings, and heroes of the Old Testament; everyone that ever lived before him was a thief and a robber. Where he got that, who knows. It refers to Messianic pretenders of the first century, most or all of whom were literally robbers.
• 10:16 Jesus falsely prophesies that "there shall be one fold, and one shepherd." This will never happen as long a Christian beliefs are based on the Bible. Vague generalization and sound bite.
• 10:28 Is it possible to fall from grace? See here.
• 10:30-31, 38-39 After Jesus claims to be God, "the Jews took up stones again to stone him." And the problem is, what? If it is alleged anti-Semitism, see above.
• 10:33-34 The Jews threatened to execute Jesus for blasphemy, since he claimed be God. But Jesus defended himself by quoting Ps.82:6: "Is it not written in your law, I said, Ye are gods?" So how many gods are there anyway? See here.
• 11:8 Once again, "the Jew" are accused of trying to kill Jesus. See above.
• 11:26 Must everyone die? See above.
• 11:39-44 Jesus raises Lazarus from the dead, contrary to many bible verses say that there is no afterlife. See here.
• 12:8 In Matthew (28:20), Jesus says he will be with his disciples always; but here he says the opposite. See here.
• 12:14 John says that Jesus rides into Jerusalem on a young ass, but Mark (11:7) and Luke (19:35) say he rode into town on a colt, and Matthew (21:7) insists that he rode on both an ass and a colt. See here.
• 12:15 This verse claims that Jesus fulfils the prophecy in Zechariah 9:9. But this cannot be since the person referred to in Zechariah (see verses 10-13) was both a military leader and the king of an earthly kingdom. Get clues here.
• 12:40 The reason people didn't believe in Jesus was that God had "blinded their eyes, and hardened their heart." God did this so that they would not "understand with their heart, and be converted." This way God could damn more people to hell. People who had already decided "against" and were getting what they desired. If SAB wants to engage more detail, and show us someone who was damned but wanted salvation in reality, let's have it.
• 12:47 In this verse Jesus says that he judges no one, but elsewhere in John (5:22, 27; 9:39) he says that he judges everyone. See above.
• 12:48 If you don't believe in Jesus you are going to hell. And the problem is what?
• 13:2 The devil "was put into the heart of Judas." But by whom? By God? Oops. There's no "was" in that verse. It says, "the devil having now put into the heart of Judas Iscariot, Simon's son, to betray him..."
• 13:27 John says that Satan entered Judas after the last supper, but Luke (22:3, 7) says the devil entered Judas before supper. He can't enter more than once? What is Judas, a locked door?
• 13:34 "Love one another." He likes it.
• 13:38 Jesus tells Peter that "the cock shall not crow, till thou hast denied me thrice." But according to Mark (14:68, 72) the cock crowed after Peter's first denial. See here.
• 14:2 Jesus says that heaven wasn't prepared until after his ascension, but in Mt.25:34 he says that heaven was prepared from all eternity. John 14:2, however, refers not to the preparation of heaven but the preparation of a place; the Greek word signifies a spot limited by occupancy. John is more specific in locale than Matthew.
• 14:9 Jesus says that whoever has seen him has seen the father (God?). But this contradicts many Bible verses that say that no one has ever seen God. See here.
• 14:13-14; 15:7,16; 16:23 Jesus says that whatever you ask either him or his father for you will receive. Now how's that for a big lie? How's that for a spoiled child? See here.
• 14:19 Will Jesus' second coming be visible to all? See here.
• 14:26 Who will send the Holy Ghost? Jesus or his father? (Jn.15:26) See here.
• 14:27 This verse claims that Jesus came to bring peace, but this is denied in Mt.10:34 and Lk.12:51. Read Matt and Luke carefully. The lack of peace comes from others. Jesus gives his peace to believers. Big diff.
• 14:28 Jesus implies that he is not God by saying that his father is greater than he. But this contradicts other New Testament statements implying that he is God. See 1:1 link.
• 15:6 Those who do not believe in Jesus will be cast into a fire to be burned. Mere outrage.
• 15:12, 17 "This is my commandment, That ye love one another." If this is what it takes to be a Christian, then count me in. Unfortunately, Christians often take Jesus' commandment to mean that Christians should love other, like minded, Christians, and to hell with everybody else. Social commentary by SAB, who should dial 1-800-SYMPATHY.
• 15:15 Jesus told the disciples "all things" that he had learned from his father. Yet in Jn.16:12 he says that there are many things that he has not told them. From the Father? So much for that one.
• 15:19 JW issue, we pass.
• 15:26 Who will send the Holy Ghost? Jesus or his father? (Jn.14:26) See above.
• 16:12 In Jn.15:14, Jesus told his disciples everything he had learned from his father. Yet in this verse he says that there are many things he has not told them. See above.
• 16:30 In this verse the disciples claim that Jesus knows everything, but Jesus says in Mk.13:32 that there are some things about which he knows nothing. See here and anyway, SAB takes a compliment pedantically literalistically.
• 17:3 This verse says that there is only one God. But other Bible verses imply that there are several gods. See here.
• 17:14 JW issue, we pass.
• 18:17-18, 25-27 To whom did Peter deny knowing Jesus? See principles here.
• 18:19-23 In Matthew (27:14), Jesus "answered to him never a word" when questioned by Pilate. But here, in the same situation, Jesus makes a rather long speech. Matthew refers to a different stage in the trial, before accusers.
• 18:38 Pilate asked Jesus a very good question: "What is truth?" It was also a sarcastic question.
• 19:2 Did the soldiers put a purple or a scarlet robe on Jesus? (Mt.27:28) "Purple" actually refers generically to a type of dye (cf. Acts 16:14) used to make cloth that ranged in color from scarlet to what we call purple.
• 19:7, 12, 14-15 John blames the Jews for the death of Jesus. See above.
• 19:14 When was Jesus crucified? This verse says it was sometime after the sixth hour, but Mk.15:25 says it was at the third hour. See here.
• 19:17 John says that Jesus bore his own cross, but the other gospels (Mt.27:32, Mk.15:21, Lk.23:26) say that Simon the Cyrenian carried it for him. See 18:17-18 link.
• 19:19 In this verse we are told that the sign on the cross said, "Jesus of Nazareth the King of the Jews." But this disagrees with the other gospels. (Mt.27:37, Mk.15:26, Lk.23:38) Ditto.
• 19:25 John says that there were women who "stood by the cross." But Mathew (27:55) says that the watched from "afar off." Ditto. Plus here Item 49.
• 19:29 What did the soldiers give Jesus to drink? See here.
• 19:30 John disagrees with Matthew (27:46) and Luke (23:46) on the last words of Jesus. See here.
• 19:33,36 Verse 33 says that during Jesus' crucifixion, the soldiers didn't break his legs because he was already dead. Verse 36 claims that this fulfilled a prophecy: "Not a bone of him shall be broken." But there is no such prophecy. It is sometimes said that the prophecy appears in Exodus 12:46, Numbers 9:12 and Psalm 34:20. This is not correct. Exodus 12:46 and Numbers 9:12 are not prophecies, they are commandments. The Israelites are told not to break the bones of the Passover lamb, and this is all it is about. And Psalm 34:20 seems to refer to righteous people in general (see verse 19, where a plural is used), not to make a prophecy about a specific person. Get clues from the article linked above, Zech. 9:9 issue.
• 20:1 John says that only one woman visited the tomb on Sunday morning. But Matthew (28:8) claims there were two women, while Mark (16:1)says there were three, and Luke (24:10) says there were five or more. See link above.
• 20:9 Jesus, in the other gospels (Mt.20:18-19; Mk.8:31, 10:34; Lk.18:33, 24:6-8), repeatedly tells the disciples of his impending death and resurrection, but this verse claims that the disciples had never hard any of this before. See here.
• 20:11-12 John says that Mary Magdalene saw two angels. But Matthew says there was only one angel (28:2), Mark claims it was a young man (16:5), and Luke says the women saw two men (24:3-4). See link above on harmonizing.
• 20:14 Did Mary Magdalene recognize Jesus when she first saw him? John says she didn't, but Matthew says she did (28:9). Ditto.
• 20:17 Jesus tells Mary Magdalene not to touch him because he hasn't yet ascended -- as if the touch of a woman would defile him and somehow prevent him from ascending into heaven. One wonders why he insisted that Thomas touch him later that evening (Jn.20:27), and why he permitted his apostles to touch him and hold him by the feet before his ascension (Mt.28:9). Non-lucid guess at cause and effect by SAB. The word used means not to cling to him, as though he were staying permanently.
• 20:19 This verse says that Jesus first appeared to the eleven in a room in Jerusalem, but Matthew (28:16-17) says that the first meeting took place on a mountain in Galilee. See link above. Lots of principles of ancient lit SAB is missing out on. See above on anti-Semitic charge.
• 20:20 Were the disciples glad, as it says here, or terrified, as it says in Lk.24:36, when they first saw the risen Jesus? See above.
• 20:22 When was the Holy Ghost given? See above.
• 20:25 JW issue, we pass.
• 20:27 In John 20:17 Jesus tells Mary Magdalene not to touch him because he hasn't yet ascended, yet now, just a few hours later, he demands that Thomas touch him. See above.
• 20:28 JW issue, we pass.
• 20:30 John claims that Jesus performed many signs, but Jesus, in Mt.8:12, said he would not give any signs. See above.
• 21:7 Peter is caught fishing naked. SAB got another cheap jolly.
• 21:17 Peter says that Jesus knows everything, but Jesus denies it in Mk.13:32. See above.
• 21:22 Jesus implies that he will return to earth during the lifetime of John. See here -- he did return.