Todd Clippard

Topic(s): Bible Infallibility, Jesus

The contradictory dates given in the inquiry as received are as follows:

• 20 BCE (John)
• 4 BCE (Matthew and Luke)
• 1 BCE or c1 CE (Luke)
• 6 CE (Luke)

[NOTE!  BCE = before common era, CE = common era.  These are used by Jehovah’s Witnesses and other unbelievers who do not want to use BC (before Christ) and AD (anno Domini, Latin for “the year of the Lord”) in historical designations.]

Explanation of inquisitor’s reasoning:

Luke stated that Jesus was about thirty years old when he began to preach (Luke 3:23) and that was during the "fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberias Caesar" (Luke 3:1). Now we know that Augustus Caesar died in 14 CE and that Tiberias was his successor. Thus the fifteenth year of his reign would be around 29 or 30 CE. This sets his birthdate around 1 BCE or 1 CE.

In John we have a passage that implies that Jesus was close to fifty years old during the time of his ministry: John 8:57 "You are not yet fifty years old" the Jews said to Jesus "and you have seen Abraham."

Response to “Problem”:

Allow me to first address the contention from the Gospel of John.  In no way does John 8:57 imply that "Jesus was close to fifty years old."  In fact, it teaches the opposite. From His appearance, it was obvious to Jesus’ detractors that He was not yet fifty years old. Also, Jesus did not claim to have seen Abraham (though He did from heaven), but rather that Abraham rejoiced to see Jesus’ day (the coming of the seed through Whom all nations of the earth would be blessed - Gen 12:3; Gal 3:16).

Regarding the 4 BCE reference in Matthew. Matthew records Jesus as being born in the days of Herod the King (2:1, a.k.a. Herod the Great), who died (according to Josephus) around 4 B.C. In Matthew 2:22, we see Archelaus reigning in his father’s place. This gives us a general idea of when Jesus was born, but there is not enough information to identify a particular year for Jesus’ birth.

Luke’s reference to Tiberius doesn’t clarify the issue either. First, the text identifies the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius as the beginning of John the Baptizer’s ministry, not that of Christ. Before the ministry of Christ is mentioned in Luke 3:23, John has already completed his work, is in prison, and is soon to be beheaded by Herod. However, we know the ministries of John and Jesus ran concurrently for some time, so the account in Luke is not in any way given as a chronology of the life and work of Jesus.

Second, Tiberius ruled as co-regent with Augustus beginning in A.D. 13, but even this date is disputed by Mommsen, who says he began his reign as co-regent in A.D. 11. He assumed sole reign upon the death of Augustus on August 19 of A.D. 14. If Mommsen is correct, and if Luke’s reference to the fifteenth year of Tiberius’ reign was to his ascendancy to co-regent, adding 15 years to that figure would have Jesus beginning His public ministry sometime around A.D. 26. If Jesus was born in 4 B.C., in the year A.D. 26, Jesus would have been "about 30 years of age."

Even if Mommsen was not correct, the text simply says Jesus was about 30 years of age. Anyone between the ages of 27 and 33 would certainly qualify as being "about 30 years of age."

The point is this, God did not see fit to tell us the exact year Jesus was born, nor did He reveal to us the date of Jesus’ birth. These facts are not relevant to the records of the life and ministry of Jesus, nor are they relevant to the Gospel of Christ.