In What Hour?

From: Subject: In What Hour? Date: Mon, 23 Feb 2004 08:07:53 -0500 MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: multipart/related; boundary="----=_NextPart_000_0000_01C3F9E4.23947F20"; type="text/html" X-MimeOLE: Produced By Microsoft MimeOLE V6.00.2800.1165 This is a multi-part message in MIME format. ------=_NextPart_000_0000_01C3F9E4.23947F20 Content-Type: text/html; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Content-Location: http://www.apologeticspress.org/abdiscr/abdiscr25.html In What Hour?

IN WHAT HOUR?

Trevor Major, M.Sc., M.A.

A skeptic argued the following: Mark 15:25 says = that Jesus=20 was crucified at =93the third hour,=94 but John = 19:14 says=20 that Pilate presented Jesus to the Jews at =93about = the=20 sixth hour.=94 Thus it appears that Jesus was = on the=20 cross three hours before His trial. How do we = resolve=20 this alleged biblical discrepancy?

The Jews and the Romans used different standards = for=20 reckoning the hours of the day, although both systems = split=20 the day into two periods of 12 hours. A new day for = the Romans=20 began at midnight (as it does for us today), whereas a = new day=20 for the Jews began in the evening at what we would = call 6=20 p.m.

Various clues within the fourth gospel indicate = that John=20 was using the Roman system (Geisler and Howe, 1992, p. = 376).=20 This makes sense given that John was writing outside = of=20 Palestine to a Hellenistic audience. That Mark used a = Jewish=20 system makes sense in light of the strong tradition = that his=20 gospel account follows sermons delivered by the = apostle Peter=20 (Eusebius, Ecclesiastical History, 3.39). As = always, we=20 have to take into account the context, as well as = cultural=20 differences between the Jewish and Gentile worlds.

Given this distinction, the problem disappears. = John has=20 Pilate handing Jesus over for crucifixion at 6 a.m., = and Mark=20 has Jesus on the cross three hours later at 9 a.m. = (i.e., =93=20 the third hour=94). In fact, John begins his whole = account of=20 Jesus=92 audience with Pilate by noting that it was = =93early=20 morning=94 (18:28). This reference follows immediately = after=20 Peter and the rooster crowing incident. Roosters, of = course,=20 can crow at any time, but are most famous for = signaling the=20 beginning of a new day.

This is perfectly consistent with Mark=92s account. = The=20 previous evening, Jesus and the disciples traveled = from the=20 upper room to the Mount of Olives and then to = Gethsemane. The=20 disciples fell asleep, and Jesus had to wake them in = order to=20 meet the arresting mob. Mark records the rooster = crowing=20 incident, and notes that the Jews delivered Jesus to = Pilate=20 =93in the morning=94 (15:1). A skeptic might doubt = that the events=20 at the Pr=E6torium took place at such an early hour = (i.e.,=20 before 6 a.m.), but there is no evidence for this = objection,=20 and there is no inconsistency in the Gospel = accounts.

I would like to end with a word of warning. = Skeptics are=20 notorious for raising a dozen objections in as many = minutes.=20 As you can see, it takes a lot more time and work to = answer an=20 objection than it does to raise it. And yet, if we do = not=20 answer every objection, no matter how frivolous it may = be, the=20 skeptic claims victory. We should recognize that most = skeptics=20 have no interest in making sense out of Scripture. The = powers=20 of comprehension and interpretation they would bring = to an=20 average newspaper are left behind in the case of the = Bible.=20 Perhaps this uneven treatment should not be = surprising. After=20 all, the skeptic has much to lose if the Bible is = right.=20

REFERENCES

Geisler, Norman and Thomas Howe (1992), When = Critics=20 Ask (Wheaton: IL: Victor).

We are happy to grant permission for items in the = =93Alleged=20 Bible Discrepancies=94 section to be reproduced in = their=20 entirety, as long as the following stipulations are = observed:=20 (1) Apologetics Press must be designated as the = original=20 publisher; (2) the specific Apologetics Press Web site = URL must be noted; (3) the author=92s = name must=20 remain attached to the materials; (4) any references,=20 footnotes, or endnotes that accompany the article must = be=20 included with any written reproduction of the article; = (5)=20 alterations of any kind are strictly forbidden (e.g.,=20 photographs, charts, graphics, quotations, etc. must = be=20 reproduced exactly as they appear in the original); = (6)=20 serialization of written material (e.g., running an = article in=20 several parts) is permitted, as long as the whole of = the=20 material is made available, without editing, in a = reasonable=20 length of time; (7) articles, in whole or in part, may = not be=20 offered for sale or included in items offered for = sale; and=20 (8) articles may not be reproduced in electronic form = for=20 posting on Web sites (although links to articles on = the=20 Apologetics Press Web site are permitted).

For catalog, samples, or further information, = contact:

Apologetics Press
230 Landmark = Drive
Montgomery,=20 Alabama 36117
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Phone (334)=20 = 272-8558
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