Comparative Theology · Internal Contradictions
The Two Criminals and the Inscription
Handle with care. Avoid mocking the thief on the cross — it is a beloved passage. Present it as a question of sources, not of sentiment.
In short
- 1.Mark and Matthew: both criminals revile him
- 2.Luke: one rebukes the other and is promised paradise
- 3.The inscription is worded differently in all four Gospels
The claim being examined
Two small crucifixion details — what the criminals said and what the placard read — are reported four different ways.
The Islamic position
These are not doctrinal points. They are simply tests of whether the accounts behave like eyewitness testimony. They do not.
Analysis
Mark and Matthew say plainly that both men crucified alongside Jesus (PBUH) insulted him. Luke turns one of them into a believer promised paradise that same day — a scene no other Gospel has. The sign fixed above the cross is just as unsettled: all four Gospels claim to report what was written on it, and no two give the same wording. A sign is a physical object that many people read, so its wording is exactly the kind of detail a firsthand record would get right.
Side by side
| Mark | 15:26 | 'The King of the Jews.' |
|---|---|---|
| Matthew | 27:37 | 'This is Jesus (PBUH), the King of the Jews.' |
| Luke | 23:38 | 'This is the King of the Jews.' |
| John | 19:19 | 'Jesus (PBUH) of Nazareth, the King of the Jews.' |
From the Bible
καὶ οἱ συνεσταυρωμένοι σὺν αὐτῷ ὠνείδιζον αὐτόν
Those who were crucified with him also reviled him.
Read it in their Bibleσήμερον μετ' ἐμοῦ ἔσῃ ἐν τῷ παραδείσῳ
Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in paradise.
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