THE ATHEIST'S COMPLAINT:
Luke has Jesus appearing to "the eleven" on the same day as the resurrection (24:33), but John states Thomas was missing on this appearance and it was a week later that Jesus actually appeared to all eleven (20:24, 26). Is there a contradiction?

RESPONSE:
Indeed, Thomas was not present when Jesus first appeared to the apostles. However, that does not mean Luke's use of "the eleven" to describe the disciples is in error. Luke was accustomed to using the phrase to refer to the disciples after the decease of Judas (Luke 24:9, 33; Acts 1:26; 2:14). Does that necessitate that all eleven be present for the specific event mentioned? Apparently not.

Paul and John used "the twelve" in the same way. In John 20:24, we read, "Now Thomas, called the Twin, one of the twelve, was not with them when Jesus came." John used "the twelve", though it is obvious from the text he was actually referring to the eleven. Likewise, Paul wrote, "...He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures, and that He was seen by Cephas, then by the twelve." (1 Corinthians 15:4-5). Certainly, Paul did not mean that Jesus appeared to all of the twelve, for Judas was dead. However, he uses "the twelve" accommodatively. Luke's use of "the eleven" is the same.

There is no contradiction.

This article is a response to Skeptic's Annotated Bible, but original article is no longer listed

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