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:
#49 – Who Went to Jesus’ Tomb?
It only seems natural to end our journey through the contradictions in the Bible by looking at the central element of Christianity: Jesus’ death and resurrection. These examples have been discussed for decades, even centuries, and are best explained in Bart Ehrman’s insightful and already mentioned book Jesus Interrupted. A well-known contradiction involves the identities of those who visited Jesus’ tomb on Easter morning. John 20:1 mentions Mary Magdalene alone, while Matthew 28:1 lists Mary Magdalene and “the other Mary.” Mark 16:1 adds a third woman, Salome, to the group. Luke 24:1 expands it further to include Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Mary the mother of James, and “other women.”
How Does Ehrman Err?
First, Bart Ehrman’s claim is that the Gospel writers disagree over who went to Jesus’ tomb: whether it was Mary Magdalene alone (John 20:1), Mary Magdalene and another Mary (Matthew 28:1), Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome (Mark 16:1), or a larger group of women (Luke 24:10).
However, when we examine the details more carefully — using sound hermeneutical method — we find that these texts do not contradict but rather focus on different aspects or different moments of the same event.
1. Mary Magdalene Was Not Alone — Even in John’s Account
John 20:1 says:
“Now on the first day of the week Mary Magdalene came to the tomb early, while it was still dark, and saw that the stone had been taken away from the tomb.” (ESV)
At first glance, it may seem like Mary was alone. But just two verses later, when she runs to Peter and John, she says:
“They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we do not know where they have laid him.” (John 20:2, ESV, emphasis added)
The Greek pronoun οἴδαμεν (“we know”) is plural, meaning that Mary was speaking for a group. This shows that John is focusing on Mary Magdalene as the key eyewitness, not claiming she was the only one there.
Sam Shamoun makes precisely this point in A Reply to Bart Ehrman’s Defense of Jesus, Interrupted:
“Mary’s use of the plural in this verse implies that there were in fact other women who had been present with Mary at the tomb” (source).
So rather than contradicting, John single out Mary Magdalene for narrative emphasis, while others record more of the group.
2. Each Gospel Emphasizes Different Witnesses
When we compare the four accounts, they fit together coherently when understood as multiple perspectives on the same event:
- Matthew 28:1–2 — mentions Mary Magdalene and “the other Mary” (Mary the mother of James), focusing on what they saw at the earthquake and angelic appearance.
- Mark 16:1 — adds Salome, providing a more complete list.
- Luke 24:10 — broadens to include Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Mary the mother of James, and other women, recording how the group, after seeing the empty tomb, reported to the disciples (see commentary in PreceptAustin’s Luke 24 Commentary).
- John 20:1–2 — focuses on the experience of Mary Magdalene, who ran first to inform Peter and John.
These are all different emphases, not contradictions. Each evangelist highlights particular witnesses for their theological or literary purpose.
3. A Coherent Chronology Emerges
The chronological harmony (as shown by PreceptAustin and GotQuestions.org) would look like this:
- Mary Magdalene goes to the tomb early, sees the stone rolled away, and runs back to tell Peter and John (John 20:1–2).
- During this time, the other women arrive (Matthew 28:1; Mark 16:1–3; Luke 24:1–10), encounter angels who proclaim Jesus’ resurrection.
- Peter and John run to the tomb, find it empty, and leave (John 20:3–10).
- Later, Jesus appears first to Mary Magdalene (John 20:14–17) and then to the other women (Matthew 28:9–10).
- The same resurrection day, Jesus appears to Cleopas and another disciple on the road to Emmaus (Luke 24:13–16; see GotQuestions.org, “Who was Cleopas in the Bible?”).
4. Theological Implication
Rather than undermining the Gospel, this diversity of witnesses actually enhances its credibility. These are independent testimonies from different perspectives converging on the same central truth:
The tomb was empty, and Jesus had risen bodily from the dead.
Scripture elsewhere insists that these witnesses are trustworthy:
- “He appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve… then he appeared to more than five hundred brothers at one time” (1 Corinthians 15:5–6).
- “This Jesus God raised up, and of that we all are witnesses” (Acts 2:32).
- “He is not here, but has risen.” (Luke 24:6).
In Summary
Bart Ehrman’s claim of contradiction fails once we:
- Recognize that John’s Gospel does not state Mary Magdalene was entirely alone.
- Understand that the other Gospels simply include additional names from the larger group.
- See that each writer selected details under inspiration to convey theological truth, not to provide a modern-style list of all witnesses.
Therefore, the accounts are complementary, not contradictory — and all testify to the same glorious fact: Jesus Christ has risen indeed.