Contradiction with Matthew 5:17
This verse states that Jesus came to fulfill the law and the prophets, which contrasts with Matthew 23:31, where acknowledging being the children of those who killed the prophets suggests a legacy of opposition to the prophetic law.
Matthew 5:17: Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil.
Contradiction with Romans 3:12
This verse declares that all have turned aside and none do good, contrasting with Matthew 23:31, where there is a specific group (fathers) blamed for killing prophets, implying not all are guilty of this.
Romans 3:12: They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one.
Contradiction with Hebrews 11:32-38
This passage honors prophets and righteous followers, differing from Matthew 23:31's acknowledgment of ancestors who killed prophets, highlighting a distinction between the righteous and the guilty.
Hebrews 11:32-38: And what shall I more say? for the time would fail me to tell of Gedeon, and [of] Barak, and [of] Samson, and [of] Jephthae; [of] David also, and Samuel, and [of] the prophets:
Contradiction with Acts 7:52
This verse directly accuses listeners of being the betrayers and murderers of Jesus and the prophets, reinforcing Matthew 23:31’s point rather than contradicting it, making it a supportive rather than contradictory text.
Acts 7:52: Which of the prophets have not your fathers persecuted? and they have slain them which shewed before of the coming of the Just One; of whom ye have been now the betrayers and murderers:
Paradox #1
The contradiction in Matthew 23:31 could be seen as the conflict between acknowledging the wrongdoing of past generations while continuing to engage in similar actions. It points out how people can recognize the mistakes of ancestors but still repeat those same mistakes, highlighting hypocrisy.