THE ATHEIST'S COMPLAINT:
Was Joseph the father of Jesus? Some texts indicate yes (Acts 2:30; 13:23; Romans 1:3; 2 Timothy 2:8; Hebrews 2:16; Revelation 22:16), but other texts indicated no (Matthew 1:18; 22:45; Mark 12:35-37; Luke 1:31-35). Is there a contradiction?

RESPONSE:
None of the texts listed by the questioner as indicating that Joseph was the father of Jesus say such. Each of them reveal that Jesus was the seed of David or Abraham. There are two texts which reveal Joseph as Jesus' father, Matthew 1:16 and Luke 3:23. These texts, and the question of Joseph's part in Jesus' ancestry are addressed in two previous articles (April 1 & October 21, 2001).

The other set of texts (Matthew 1:18; 22:45; Mark 12:35-37; Luke 1:31-35) all reveal that Jesus is deity, being the son of God. Jesus is both deity and human. He is "God with us" (Matthew 1:23), but we are told that "God sent forth His Son, born of a woman" (Galatians 4:4).

God is Jesus' divine Father, whom He has been with for eternity (John 1:1-2). Mary was Jesus' fleshly mother (Matthew 1:18), and Joseph was His legal father (Matthew 1:16). There is no contradiction.

This article is a response to Skeptic's Annotated Bible

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