"So," they say, "nobody's perfect!"
But the Vinedresser won't buy that.
Given the opportunity, He will trim the unproductive suckers and shape the branches so each one will bask in Sonlight.

Wednesday, April 24, 2013

The Cock-Crowing Controversy

What of the controversy over the number of times the rooster crowed, reminding Apostle Peter of Jesus' prophesy that he would deny him three times on the morning of his betrayal? Matthew 26:34 agrees with Luke’s account, while Mark 14:30 seems to contradict both passages. Though I hate to admit it, I must confess my past concern over what turns out to be a non-issue. A little research, a little careful thought, and this is what I came up with:
        First, this is controversy for its own sake, as those who love God's Word trust him who gave it to us. And that’s not blind trust at all, but trust in God’s perfect faithfulness, demonstrated over years of walking in his way.
        Second, "cock crowing" simply relates to a certain time of day, that is, just before dawn. Anyone who has witnessed a rooster announcing dawn realizes he will crow multiple times, not just once or twice.
        Third, Mark's specifying the rooster crowing twice changes none of the narration’s salient facts. It only serves to demonstrate Mark's proximity to the actual situation described. More or less detail simply indicates differing points of view, not a conflicting account.
        Skeptics are desperate to "debunk" God's Word. Though they claim to be the open-minded ones, if they spent as much time studying the Bible open-mindedly as they do searching for contradictions, they would soon come to faith in Jesus.

1 comment:

Harold Key said...

Only a contentious disposition would attempt to make a mountain out of a molehill. The argument of contradiction stems not from logic but emotion.