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To: Dr. Crane [eaglechristianchurch.com]

Subject: Are the Genealogies of Jesus Contradictory?

---Original Message---

In reading the genealogies of Jesus in Matthew 1 and Luke 3, they appear to be contradictory. Is there something here that I don’t understand?

Reply:

This is a question that has long perplexed readers of the New Testament. At first glance, it does appear that there is a contradiction because Matthew 1:16 indicates that Jacob is Joseph’s father, while Luke 3:23 mentions the name of Heli. The usual practice of a Jewish genealogy is to give the name of the father, grandfather, great-grandfather, and so on (either in an ascending or descending order). When comparing the two, one quickly realizes that the names of the two genealogies are not the same.

The best way to understand this is by realizing that while Joseph was the “legal” father of Jesus, he was not the “actual” father of Jesus (cf. the virgin birth, Matthew 1:20). Matthew traces the line through Joseph’s father (Jacob), while Luke traces the line of Jesus through Joseph’s father-in-law—the father of Mary (Heli).

Take a close look at Luke’s account, and you will see an interesting phrase that you might have previously missed. “He [Jesus] was the son, so it was thought, of Joseph” (Luke 3:23). In so doing, Luke reminds us of what he has already told us in chapter 1—that Jesus is not the physical son of Joseph, but only of Mary. Joseph is clearly portrayed not as the literal father, but as the supposed father. Luke then proceeds to give us the genealogy of Jesus through Mary’s family line.