Answering The Atheist
January 6, 2008 / Volume 8, Issue 1
THE ATHEIST'S COMPLAINT:
When was Jesus born? Was it before 4 BCE * (Matthew 2:1; Luke 1:5), or after 6 CE ** (Luke 2:1)? Is there a contradiction? | * wikipedia.org lists Herod the Great as living from 73-4 BC
** wikipedia.org indicates that Quirinius (Cyrenius) did not become governor over Iudaea until 6 AD |
RESPONSE:
If the dates supplied (which are generally accepted) are valid, then certainly there is a problem if the Scriptures tell us that Jesus was born during the latter years of the reign of Herod, and in the reign of Cyrenius as governor in Iudaea. The question is, do the Scriptures say such?
Certainly, a reading of the English text appears to produce a contradiction. We read:
"Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem." (Matthew 2:1)
"There was in the days of Herod, the king of Judea, a certain priest named Zacharias, of the division of Abijah. His wife was of the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth." (Luke 1:5)
"And it came to pass in those days that a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered. This census first took place while Quirinius was governing Syria." (Luke 2:1-2)
The text which is called into question is Luke 2:2. If Jesus was born in the days of Herod (who presumably died in 4 BC), then how could Quirinius be governing Syria (who presumably began his reign in 6 AD)?
The trouble is in the English translation of the text, not in the text itself. Keep in mind that the New Testament was written in Greek, not English. Since the translators were not inspired, there is the potential for erroneous translations. Should the Greek word protos have been translated "first" in this text?
The word can be translated "before" or "former" (ie. John 1:15, 30; Acts 1:1; Revelation 21:4). If it were so translated in Luke 2:2, we would read:"This is census took place before Quirinius was governing Syria."
Such a translation is true to the meaning of the Greek word, and in no way contradicts other details provided by Luke or any other New Testament writer, or the record of history.
There is no contradiction.
This article is a response to Skeptic's Annotated Bible
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