Welcome to “Ehrman Errs,” a blog series devoted to using our conversational AI to refute each alleged biblical contradiction that is posed in the article on Bart Ehrman’s website: 50 Contradictions in the Bible: The Biggest, Most Shocking Differences.
Today’s alleged contradiction:
#23 – The Implied Hometown of Mary and Joseph In Matthew’s Gospel
The Hometown of Mary and Joseph In Matthew’s Gospel, is implied to be Bethlehem. The narrative begins with Jesus’ birth in Bethlehem and continues with the family fleeing to Egypt to escape Herod’s massacre (Matthew 2:1-15). Only later, after returning from Egypt, do they settle in Nazareth, presented as a new location chosen to avoid Herod’s successor (Matthew 2:22-23). Luke, however, explicitly states that Mary and Joseph were living in Nazareth before Jesus’ birth. The couple travels to Bethlehem for a census, as Joseph is said to be of the house of David (Luke 2:4-5). After Jesus is born in Bethlehem, the family returns directly to Nazareth, with no mention of Egypt or Herod’s massacre (Luke 2:39-40).
How Does Ehrman Err?
What Bart Ehrman raises as a “contradiction” between Matthew and Luke regarding the hometown of Joseph and Mary is actually a matter of perspective and narrative selectivity, not true disagreement.
1. Luke Presents Nazareth as Their Hometown Before Jesus’ Birth
Luke explicitly states that Mary and Joseph lived in Nazareth before traveling to Bethlehem:
“And Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the town of Nazareth, to Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David” (Luke 2:4, ESV).
Mary and Joseph’s purpose in going to Bethlehem was to register for the census. Jesus was then born there (Luke 2:6–7).
Luke focuses on this event because his audience—Theophilus and other Gentiles—would have cared about the historical and legal setting of Jesus’ birth. The emphasis is to show that Jesus, the Messiah, was born in David’s city according to prophecy (Micah 5:2), yet from ordinary Galilean parents.
2. Matthew Emphasizes Bethlehem First, Then the Move to Nazareth
Matthew begins his narrative with the statement:
“Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king…” (Matthew 2:1, ESV).
Matthew then recounts the visit of the Magi, Herod’s attempt to kill the infant Messiah, and the family’s flight into Egypt (Matthew 2:13–15). After Herod’s death, Joseph is told:
“Go to the land of Israel… And he went and lived in a city called Nazareth” (Matthew 2:20, 23, ESV).
So Matthew describes how the Holy Family came to live in Nazareth after returning from Egypt. But note — he never says they were originally from Bethlehem. He simply begins his story at the point of Jesus’ birth there. His concern is theological — to show fulfillment of messianic prophecy (Micah 5:2; Hosea 11:1; Isaiah 11:1).
3. Harmonizing the Accounts
According to both Gospels, the chronology most naturally is:
- Mary and Joseph live in Nazareth (Luke 1:26–27; 2:4).
- They travel to Bethlehem for the census (Luke 2:1–5).
- Jesus is born in Bethlehem (Luke 2:6–7; Matthew 2:1).
- The shepherds visit Him there (Luke 2:8–20).
- Sometime after, the Magi visit (Matthew 2:1–12).
- They then flee to Egypt to escape Herod (Matthew 2:13–15).
- After Herod’s death, they return to Nazareth (Matthew 2:19–23; Luke 2:39).
As GotQuestions.org notes in explaining this very issue:
“Luke’s omission in his narrative of the flight to Egypt cannot be construed as evidence that it never happened. Silence does not equal denial.”
(Source: Do the narratives of Jesus’ birth contradict each other?)
Luke simply chose not to include the Egypt episode; Matthew, conversely, omits the temple visit (Luke 2:22–39). Both writers, therefore, select details to suit their purpose and audience, not to offer exhaustive biographies.
4. No Contradiction, but Complementary Perspectives
The Gospel writers are like two witnesses describing the same event from different angles—each drawing attention to distinct but complementary truths:
- Matthew emphasizes Jesus as King of the Jews, threatened by Herod, fulfilling prophecy.
- Luke emphasizes Jesus as Savior of all humanity, born humbly, yet in fulfillment of God’s promises to David.
Both agree that Nazareth became the family’s home and that Jesus “would be called a Nazarene” (Matthew 2:23; Luke 2:39–40).
5. What This Teaches Us
Far from being contradictory, the accounts together give a fuller picture of God’s sovereign orchestration:
- Prophecy was perfectly fulfilled (Micah 5:2 – born in Bethlehem; Hosea 11:1 – called out of Egypt; Isaiah 11:1 – “branch” from Nazareth).
- Jesus shared in humanity’s weakness and suffering from the very start, a refugee child who would later redeem all nations.
As Luke affirms:
“And the child grew and became strong, filled with wisdom. And the favor of God was upon him.” (Luke 2:40, ESV)