"Which came first: the calling of Peter and Andrew or the imprisonment of John the Baptist?" (Alleged Contradiction #E4448)
Now when Jesus had heard that John was cast into prison, he departed into Galilee … Matthew 4:18-19 And Jesus, walking by the sea of Galilee, saw two brethren, Simon called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea: for they were fishers. And he saith unto them, Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men. And they straightway left their nets, and followed him.
Matthew 4:12, 18-20
Now after that John was put in prison, Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God, And saying, The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe the gospel. Now as he walked by the sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and Andrew his brother casting a net into the sea: for they were fishers. And Jesus said unto them, Come ye after me, and I will make you to become fishers of men. And straightway they forsook their nets, and followed him.
Mark 1:14-18
One of the two which heard John speak, and followed him, was Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother. He first findeth his own brother Simon, and saith unto him, We have found the Messias, which is, being interpreted, the Christ. And he brought him to Jesus. And when Jesus beheld him, he said, Thou art Simon the son of Jona: thou shalt be called Cephas, which is by interpretation, A stone. … After these things came Jesus and his disciples into the land of Judaea; and there he tarried with them, and baptized. And John also was baptizing in AEnon near to Salim, because there was much water there: and they came, and were baptized. For John was not yet cast into prison.
John 1:40-42, 3:22-24
Response
The order of events:
Jesus meets Andrew and Peter for the first time
John is cast into prison
Jesus calls the twelve apostles, including Peter and Andrew
The story even indicates that Andrew and Peter knew Jesus before He called them as apostles. The Bible says after John had been cast into prison and Jesus called them, “straightway they forsook their nets, and followed him,” which makes sense if they already knew Jesus and had been following him somewhat (though not “full time”). Furthermore, John’s gospel makes it clear that it records Jesus’ first encounter with Andrew and Peter, since Andrew goes to tell Peter about Jesus. The other two accounts do not mention this but says that they were together when Jesus found them. Thus, these are two separate accounts—there is no contradiction.
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