You were correct.I was in error.Misread? Not sure.
This is the contradiction that was brought up:
"Mat 8:5-13
5And when Jesus was entered into Capernaum, there came unto him a centurion, beseeching him,
6And saying, Lord, my servant lieth at home sick of the palsy, grievously tormented.
7And Jesus saith unto him, I will come and heal him.
8The centurion answered and said, Lord, I am not worthy that thou shouldest come under my roof: but speak the word only, and my servant shall be healed.
9For I am a man under authority, having soldiers under me: and I say to this man, Go, and he goeth; and to another, Come, and he cometh; and to my servant, Do this, and he doeth it.
10When Jesus heard it, he marvelled, and said to them that followed, Verily I say unto you, I have not found so great faith, no, not in Israel.
11And I say unto you, That many shall come from the east and west, and shall sit down with Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, in the kingdom of heaven.
12But the children of the kingdom shall be cast out into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth. 13And Jesus said unto the centurion, Go thy way; and as thou hast believed, so be it done unto thee. And his servant was healed in the selfsame hour.
Quote:
Luke 7:2-10
2And a certain centurion’s servant, who was dear unto him, was sick, and ready to die.
3And when he heard of Jesus, he sent unto him the elders of the Jews, beseeching him that he would come and heal his servant.
4And when they came to Jesus, they besought him instantly, saying, That he was worthy for whom he should do this:
5For he loveth our nation, and he hath built us a synagogue.
6Then Jesus went with them. And when he was now not far from the house, the centurion sent friends to him, saying unto him, Lord, trouble not thyself: for I am not worthy that thou shouldest enter under my roof:
7Wherefore neither thought I myself worthy to come unto thee: but say in a word, and my servant shall be healed.
8For I also am a man set under authority, having under me soldiers, and I say unto one, Go, and he goeth; and to another, Come, and he cometh; and to my servant, Do this, and he doeth it.
9When Jesus heard these things, he marvelled at him, and turned him about, and said unto the people that followed him, I say unto you, I have not found so great faith, no, not in Israel. 10And they that were sent, returning to the house, found the servant whole that had been sick.
So Matthew has the Centurion coming to Jesus in person, while Luke has him sending others and doesn’t talk directly to Jesus.
Possible explanations:
Code:
* One of the two saw the incident first hand (or completely invented it), and the other heard it second or third hand and that version was distorted.
* Both heard it second or third hand from different sources.
* Each decided to stress a different part...either the Centurion did come in person but Luke decided to stress the esteem Jesus was held in so changed it to intemediaries or the Centurion used intemedaries, and Matthew thought it had a bigger impact if it was in person.
* The Centurion sent intermediaries, but Matthew simply didn't distinguish and considered it the same as if the Centurion came in person.
The truth doesn’t really matter…it doesn’t change the message or really change the story. But to claim that there is no contradiction because the last explanation must be the correct one (because it allows both Matthew and Luke to have been first hand witnesses without any creative or literary license) is just poor reasoning."
