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:
#26 – Who Is For Jesus and Who Is Against Him?
Who Is For Jesus and Who Is Against Him? Another discrepancy that Bart Ehrman highlights in his book Jesus Interrupted involves two seemingly contradictory sayings of Jesus as recorded in Matthew and Mark. In Matthew 12:30, Jesus states, “Whoever is not with me is against me,” drawing a clear line between allegiance and opposition. Yet, in Mark 9:40, he appears to express the opposite sentiment: “Whoever is not against us is for us.” These sayings, while similar in structure, convey starkly different messages.
How Does Ehrman Err?
The supposed contradiction between Matthew 12:30 (“Whoever is not with me is against me”) and Mark 9:40 (“Whoever is not against us is for us”) disappears when each verse is read in its proper context — something essential to sound interpretation (the historical-grammatical method).
1. The Context of Matthew 12:30
“Whoever is not with me is against me, and whoever does not gather with me scatters.” — Matthew 12:30 (ESV)
Here, Jesus is confronting the Pharisees, who have accused Him of casting out demons by the power of Satan (Matthew 12:24). Christ is drawing a line in the sand: there is no neutral ground in the cosmic battle between God’s kingdom and Satan’s. To reject Jesus’ authority is to side against God.
In other words, He’s saying:
You either stand with the Messiah and God’s redemptive work — or you are opposing it.
This is an all-or-nothing statement about loyalty to Christ’s person and mission. The issue here is rebellion and unbelief.
2. The Context of Mark 9:40
“For the one who is not against us is for us.” — Mark 9:40 (ESV)
In Mark 9, the disciples complain that they saw a man casting out demons “in Jesus’ name” who was not part of their group, and they tried to stop him (Mark 9:38). Jesus corrects them, telling them not to hinder that man because he is actually working for the same cause — the advancement of God’s kingdom — even if he’s not part of the Twelve.
Here, Jesus is teaching tolerance and humility among genuine servants of God who may not be part of one’s own circle. The man wasn’t opposing Jesus; he was invoking Christ’s authority rightly. Thus, Jesus says, “Whoever is not against us is for us.”
The issue here is cooperation among believers or fellow workers in God’s kingdom, not rebellion.
3. No Contradiction, But Complementary Truths
Both sayings express perfectly consistent truths — just aimed at different audiences and situations:
| Passage | Audience | Issue | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| Matthew 12:30 | Pharisees (enemies) | Hostility to Christ | Neutrality equals opposition |
| Mark 9:40 | Disciples (allies) | Jealousy & exclusivity | Openness to legitimate cooperation |
In short:
- When dealing with rejection of Jesus → No neutrality: you’re either with Him or against Him.
- When dealing with others who serve in His name → Don’t rival other servants: if they’re not opposing Christ, they are with Him.
So, Jesus was not contradicting Himself — He was addressing two very different moral and spiritual postures.
4. Scripture Interprets Scripture
The principle that Scripture harmonizes with itself helps us see the balance in these teachings. The Apostle Paul later echoes this same idea:
“Some indeed preach Christ from envy and rivalry, but others from goodwill… What then? Only that in every way… Christ is proclaimed, and in that I rejoice.” — Philippians 1:15–18 (ESV)
Paul does not condemn those who, though imperfectly motivated, still proclaim Christ — echoing the spirit of Mark 9:40. Yet he fiercely condemns those who corrupt the gospel (Galatians 1:8–9) — echoing Matthew 12:30.
5. A Concluding Thought
Even agnostic scholars like Bart Ehrman have noted that the Gospels present Jesus as an authoritative teacher who sometimes varied His expression depending on circumstance. As cited in the Answering Islam Blog post “Bart Ehrman Agrees: John Describes Jesus as God Almighty!,” Ehrman himself admits that John portrays Jesus as “the Word of God made flesh… through which God created the universe… There is nothing like that in the Synoptics.”
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Even Ehrman acknowledges that the Gospel writers report Jesus’ words differently to highlight different aspects of His mission — not contradictions, but complementary records of His divine teaching.eep engagement with Israel’s history — and His authority to interpret Scripture properly, as the “Lord of the Sabbath” (Mark 2:28).