Contradictions and Paradoxes in Matthew 23:21

Check out Contradictions Catalog of Matthew 23:21 for the comprehensive list of verses that contradicts Matthew 23:21. Some key contradictions and paradoxes are described below.

According to Matthew, if someone makes a promise by the temple, they are also making a promise by God who lives there. This means we should keep our promises as if we are making them to God.

Matthew 23:21: And whoso shall swear by the temple, sweareth by it, and by him that dwelleth therein.

Contradiction with Exodus 20:4-5

Commands against making or worshipping idols, contradicting the idea that anything associated with an altar or temple inherently carries divine significance.

Exodus 20:4-5: Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness [of any thing] that [is] in heaven above, or that [is] in the earth beneath, or that [is] in the water under the earth:

Contradiction with Acts 7:48

States that God does not dwell in temples made with hands, contradicting the idea that swearing by the temple involves God.

Acts 7:48: Howbeit the most High dwelleth not in temples made with hands; as saith the prophet,

Contradiction with Isaiah 66:1

Declares that heaven is God’s throne and the earth is His footstool, challenging the notion that God can be bound to a specific location like a temple.

Isaiah 66:1: Thus saith the LORD, The heaven [is] my throne, and the earth [is] my footstool: where [is] the house that ye build unto me? and where [is] the place of my rest?

Contradiction with Jeremiah 7:4

Warns against putting trust in the temple of the Lord, contrasting the implication in Matthew 23:21 of the temple’s inherent holiness.

Jeremiah 7:4: Trust ye not in lying words, saying, The temple of the LORD, The temple of the LORD, The temple of the LORD, [are] these.

Contradiction with Mark 14:58

Jesus prophesies the destruction of the temple, suggesting that the physical temple is not of lasting or ultimate spiritual significance.

Mark 14:58: We heard him say, I will destroy this temple that is made with hands, and within three days I will build another made without hands.
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