<Here are some of the discrepancies among the resurrection accounts:

<What time did the women visit the tomb?

Matthew: "as it began to dawn" (28:1)
Mark: "very early in the morning . . . at the rising of the sun" (16:2, KJV); "when the sun had risen" (NRSV); "just after sunrise" (NIV) Luke: "very early in the morning" (24:1, KJV) "at early dawn" (NRSV) John: "when it was yet dark" (20:1) >

These objections strike me as frivolous and are a really weak part of the argument. In any case, here's what John 20:1 says in total:

NKJV Now on the first day of the week Mary Magdalene went to the tomb early, while it was still dark, and saw that the stone had been taken away from the tomb.

NIV After the Sabbath, at dawn on the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to look at the tomb.

John is recording the situation at the time Mary Magdalene headed out, while the others are addressing the situation when she got to the tomb.

<Who were the women?>

Matthew: Mary Magdalene and the other Mary (28:1)
Mark: Mary Magdalene, the mother of James, and Salome (16:1) Luke: Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Mary the mother of James, and other women (24:10) John: Mary Magdalene (20:1) >

The women were Mary Magdalene, the other Mary (who I think is Mary the mother of Jesus and his brothers, James, Joses, Jude and Simon), Salome, Joanna, and other women. This is borderline ridiculous to suggest as a contradiction. Each writer happened to mention some of who went, but not all. People routinely recount events without all the details. I will note that Mr. Barker prepped people to overlook that by his previous statements about the elephant and car accident witnesses. When he proposed those solutions, he was appealing to issues that <were> black and white. And then he suggested going back to the beginning. I don't know if he's that clever, but it seems to me he was trying to implant in the mind of his readers a bias about the elephant and accident scenarios <ever> being true. They <are> true in this case.

Consider the recently completed team game. A person on Team Black might say "YouRang and Dan Langlois did a lot of postgame analysis of 31. Kd2. A person on Team White might say "Nickster and WinKing really looked at 31. Kd2. Another person might say "YouRang, DanLanglois, Nickster, and WinKing spent a lot of time reviewing 31. Kd2." And another person might mention those 4 and a slew of others who took part in the postmortem. Such statements are clearly not contradictory.

<What was their purpose?

Matthew: to see the tomb (28:1)
Mark: had already seen the tomb (15:47), brought spices (16:1) Luke: had already seen the tomb (23:55), brought spices (24:1) John: the body had already been spiced before they arrived (19:39,40) >

This is pretty ridiculous. They came to see the tomb and to anoint the body, again, with spices.

<Was the tomb open when they arrived?

Matthew: No (28:2)
Mark: Yes (16:4)
Luke: Yes (24:2)
John: Yes (20:1) >

Matthew: One angel (28:2-7)
Mark: One young man (16:5)
Luke: Two men (24:4)
John: Two angels (20:12) >

There were two angels. The Bible routinely describes angels as men. Here's one example.

Judges 13:6 Then the woman went to her husband and told him, “A man of God came to me. He looked like an angel of God, very awesome. I didn’t ask him where he came from, and he didn’t tell me his name."

As for the mention of one or two, people routinely describe incidents with differences in such details. I am certain I could find a recap of a football game that says "Peyton Manning led the Broncos to victory" while another says "Peyton Manning and ________ (some defensive star) led the Broncos to victory." This is clearly not contradictory.

<Where were these messengers situated?

Matthew: Angel sitting on the stone (28:2)
Mark: Young man sitting inside, on the right (16:5)
Luke: Two men standing inside (24:4)
John: Two angels sitting on each end of the bed (20:12)>

<What did the messenger(s) say?

Matthew: "Fear not ye: for I know that ye seek Jesus, which was crucified. He is not here for he is risen, as he said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay. And go quickly, and tell his disciples that he is risen from the dead: and, behold, he goeth before you into Galilee; there shall ye see him: lo, I have told you." (28:5-7) Mark: "Be not afrighted: Ye seek Jesus of Nazareth, which was crucified: he is risen; he is not here: behold the place where they laid him. But go your way, tell his disciples and Peter that he goeth before you into Galilee: there shall ye see him, as he said unto you." (16:6-7) Luke: "Why seek ye the living among the dead? He is not here, but is risen: remember how he spake unto you when he was yet in Galilee, Saying, The Son of man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, and be crucified, and the third day rise again." (24:5-7) John: "Woman, why weepest thou?" (20:13) >

The messengers said all those things.

<Did the women tell what happened?>

Matthew: Yes (28:8)
Mark: No. "Neither said they any thing to any man." (16:8) Luke: Yes. "And they returned from the tomb and told all these things to the eleven, and to all the rest." (24:9, 22-24) John: Yes (20:18) >

Mark 16:8 says

So they went out quicklyfn and fled from the tomb, for they trembled and were amazed. And they said nothing to anyone, for they were afraid. and is referencing the women not speaking to one another on the way back to the apostles.

<When Mary returned from the tomb, did she know Jesus had been resurrected?

Matthew: Yes (28:7-8)
Mark: Yes (16:10,11)
Luke: Yes (24:6-9,23)
John: No (20:2) >

Matthew: Before she returned to the disciples (28:9) Mark: Before she returned to the disciples (16:9,10) John: After she returned to the disciples (20:2,14) >

Mary saw Jesus after meeting Peter and John running to the tomb. Then she ran back to the rest of the disciples.

<Could Jesus be touched after the resurrection?

Matthew: Yes (28:9)
John: No (20:17), Yes (20:27) >

The Matthew account doesn't mention Jesus telling them to <stop> holding him. The objection based on the 2 passages in John is ridiculous. Here's the 2 verses that Mr. Barker conveniently doesn't quote:

John 20:17 Jesus said, “Do not hold on to me, <for I have not yet ascended to the Father.> Go instead to my brothers and tell them, ‘I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’ ”

John 20:26-27 A week later his disciples were in the house again, and Thomas was with them. Though the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you!” Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here; see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side. Stop doubting and believe.”

Sometime during the intervening week, Jesus ascended to the Father.

<After the women, to whom did Jesus first appear?

Matthew: Eleven disciples (28:16)
Mark: Two disciples in the country, later to eleven (16:12,14) Luke: Two disciples in Emmaus, later to eleven (24:13,36) John: Ten disciples (Judas and Thomas were absent) (20:19, 24) Paul: First to Cephas (Peter), then to the twelve. (Twelve? Judas was dead). (I Corinthians 15:5) >

It is difficult to pin this down, but I think the best guess is Jesus appeared to Cephas first, or possibly the two disciples in Emmaus. None of the writers mentioned <all> of the appearances, and it is possible there were appearances <none> of the writers mentioned. This is hardly contradictory.

<Where did Jesus first appear to the disciples?

Matthew: On a mountain in Galilee (60-100 miles away) (28:16-17) Mark: To two in the country, to eleven "as they sat at meat" (16:12,14) Luke: In Emmaus (about seven miles away) at evening, to the rest in a room in Jerusalem later that night. (24:31, 36) John: In a room, at evening (20:19) >

The Galilee appearance has already been addressed. Matthew didn't record many of the appearances, but that doesn't mean the first appearance he records was the first in actuality. Mark and Luke seem to be in perfect accord. John doesn't happen to mention the appearance to the two in Emmaus. This is hardly contradictory.

<Did the disciples believe the two men?

Mark: No (16:13)
Luke: Yes (24:34--it is the group speaking here, not the two) >

Some believed and some did not believe. Is Mr. Barker suggesting "the group speaking" meant every single person present was saying the same thing at the same time?

<What happened at the appearance?

Matthew: Disciples worshipped, some doubted, "Go preach." (28:17-20) Mark: Jesus reprimanded them, said "Go preach" (16:14-19) Luke: Christ incognito, vanishing act, materialized out of thin air, reprimand, supper (24:13-51) John: Passed through solid door, disciples happy, Jesus blesses them, no reprimand (21:19-23) >

These are references to different appearances.

<Did Jesus stay on earth for a while?

Mark: No (16:19) Compare 16:14 with John 20:19 to show that this was all done on Sunday Luke: No (24:50-52) It all happened on Sunday John: Yes, at least eight days (20:26, 21:1-22)
Acts: Yes, at least forty days (1:3) >

Jesus stayed on earth at least 40 days. Mark describes a passage of much time in either Mark 16:15 with the "And" statement, or Mark 16:19 with the "So then" statement.

<Where did the ascension take place?

Matthew: No ascension. Book ends on mountain in Galilee Mark: In or near Jerusalem, after supper (16:19) Luke: In Bethany, very close to Jerusalem, after supper (24:50-51) John: No ascension Paul: No ascension
Acts: Ascended from Mount of Olives (1:9-12)>

The local news station was interviewing an 80-year-old lady because she had just gotten married for the fourth time. The interviewer asked her questions about her life, about what it felt like to be marrying again at 80, and then about her new husband's occupation. "He's a funeral director," she answered.

"...Interesting," the newsman thought.

He then asked her if she wouldn't mind telling him a little about her first three husbands and what they did for a living. She paused for a few moments, needing time to reflect on all those years. After a short time, a smile came to her face and she answered proudly, explaining that she had first married a banker when she was in her 20's, then a circus ringmaster when in her 40's, and a preacher when in her 60's, and now - in her 80's - a funeral director.

The interviewer looked at her, quite astonished, and asked why she had married four men with such diverse careers.

She smiled and explained,

Thank you sir.

I did in fact follow and read your <Easter series> with great interest, from the day you began it.

Just my opinion, but this is some fine "close reading" of The Bible.

I found it interesting at any rate. I think the "Easter narrative" is absolutely crucial, and often misunderstood. Or worse, not even read in the first place.

Also I was so happy to see you back in the WCC Forum.

LOL <scormus> of course that joke makes me want to sing:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T1On...

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0058715...

Pasolini's <The Gospel According to St. Matthew> is an understated, moving film with an extraordinarily beautiful/tragic account of The Passion.

"Nevertheless I tell you the truth; It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you. And when he is come, he will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment: Of sin, because they believe not on me; Of righteousness, because I go to my Father, and ye see me no more; Of judgment, because the prince of this world is judged. I have yet many things to say unto you, but ye cannot bear them now. Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, [that] shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come. He shall glorify me: for he shall receive of mine, and shall shew [it] unto you." John 16: 7-14.

John 14:26 "But the Comforter, [which is] the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you."

John 14:6 And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever;

John 14:26 But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.

John 15:26 But when the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, which proceedeth from the Father, he shall testify of me:

John 16:7 Nevertheless I tell you the truth; It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you.