The Bible Difficulties and Answers Podcast

In Episode 279, Lance Smith examines the apparent contradiction in Numbers 35:19 between God's command, "You shall not murder," and His authorization of the avenger of blood to execute a convicted murderer.
He explains the biblical distinction between unlawful murder and lawful capital punishment, explores the purpose of the cities of refuge, and shows how God's law balanced justice with mercy through careful safeguards and due process.
Finally, Lance demonstrates how the cities of refuge point forward to Christ as our ultimate refuge and how the New Testament continues to affirm both God's justice and His mercy through the teachings of Jesus and the role of governing authorities.
References to items discussed and/or used on this podcast may be found at the following:
buymeacoffee.com/lancesmith 
The Bible Difficulties and Answers Website
The Bible Difficulties and Answers Facebook Page
Email Address: bibledifficultiesandanswers@gmail.com 
Geisler, Norman L., and Thomas Howe. The Big Book of Bible Difficulties. Baker Books, 1992. Available at: https://a.co/d/7shn4hI 
Guzik, David. “Numbers 35 Commentary.” Enduring Word. https://enduringword.com/bible-commentary/numbers-35/
Janković, S. “The Rationale Behind the Homicide Law in Numbers 35:30–34.” Andrews University. https://digitalcommons.andrews.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1009&context=papers
“The Cities of Refuge Law in Numbers 35:9-34: A Study of Its Sources.” University of Haifa. https://cris.haifa.ac.il/en/publications/the-cities-of-refuge-law-in-numbers-35934-a-study-of-its-sources-/
“The Good News of the Death Penalty.” Knowing Scripture. https://knowingscripture.com/articles/the-good-news-of-the-death-penalty
Jackson, James. “Day 069: Cities of Refuge (Numbers 35).” https://jamesjackson.blog/2025/03/10/day-069-a-shelter-and-a-savior-numbers-35-36/
Garrett, Charlie. “Numbers 35:9-21 (A Place of Refuge).” Superior Word. https://superiorword.org/numbers-35-9-21-a-place-of-refuge/
“Avenger of Blood.” GotQuestions.org. https://www.gotquestions.org/avenger-of-blood.html

Episode 278 examines the apparent contradiction in Matthew 23:35 concerning the identity of Zechariah's father. Was Jesus referring to Zechariah the son of Jehoiada in 2 Chronicles, the prophet Zechariah son of Berekiah, or someone else entirely?
Lance Smith explores the leading explanations, including ancient naming conventions, possible textual variants, the case for the prophet Zechariah, and other historical traditions. He weighs the evidence behind each view and explains why he finds the connection to the Zechariah of 2 Chronicles the most convincing.
Ultimately, the episode shows that the passage presents no genuine contradiction and that Jesus' primary purpose was not to identify Zechariah's father, but to condemn a long history of rejecting and persecuting God's messengers.
References to items discussed and/or used on this podcast may be found at the following:
buymeacoffee.com/lancesmith 
The Bible Difficulties and Answers Website
The Bible Difficulties and Answers Facebook Page
Email Address: bibledifficultiesandanswers@gmail.com 
Skeptics Annotated Bible: https://www.skepticsannotatedbible.com/contra/zechariah.html 
Eric Lyons, “Zechariah Who?” Apologetics Press, January 28, 2007: https://apologeticspress.org/zechariah-who-2078/
Dr. Tim Chaffey, “Contradictions: Was Jesus Wrong About Zechariah’s Father?” Answers in Genesis, February 28, 2012: https://answersingenesis.org/jesus/jesus-is-god/was-jesus-wrong-about-zechariahs-father/
Franklin, “Who Was the Zechariah Referred to in Matthew 23:35?” Reformed Baptist Christian Blogger, April 6, 2023: https://reformedbaptistchristianblogger.wordpress.com/2023/04/06/who-was-the-zechariah-referred-to-in-matthew-2335/
James Bradford Pate, “Two More Ideas on the Identity of Zechariah in Matthew 23:35,” April 6, 2016: https://jamesbradfordpate.wordpress.com/2016/04/06/two-more-ideas-on-the-identity-of-zechariah-in-matthew-2335/
Lynne Hilton Wilson, “The Confusing Case of Zacharias,” Religious Educator 14, no. 2 (2013): 107–123 (BYU Religious Studies Center): https://rsc.byu.edu/vol-14-no-2-2013/confusing-case-zacharias
John MacPherson, “Zacharias: A Study of Matthew 23:35,” The Biblical World, Vol. 9, No. 1 (January 1897): https://www.journals.uchicago.edu/doi/pdf/10.1086/472016 (and reprint discussion at American Vision)

Episode 277 unpacks C.S. Lewis's chapter "The Perfect Penitent," showing how humanity's rebellion makes true repentance impossible on our own and why only God becoming man in Jesus can accomplish our rescue.
Host Lance Smith highlights Lewis' rescue metaphor, the necessity of Christ's dual nature, and the central Christian claim that Christ's death puts us right with God.
References to items discussed and/or used on this podcast may be found at the following:
buymeacoffee.com/lancesmith 
The Bible Difficulties and Answers Website
The Bible Difficulties and Answers Facebook Page
Email Address: bibledifficultiesandanswers@gmail.com 
Lewis, C.S. Mere Christianity. HarperOne, 2001. Available at: https://a.co/d/0eXcvERk

In Episode 276, Lance Smith tackles an apparent contradiction between the wilderness itineraries in Numbers 21 and Numbers 33. Why do the lists of Israel's campsites differ if they're describing the same journey?
Drawing from The Big Book of Bible Difficulties by Norman Geisler and Thomas Howe, along with additional biblical and scholarly sources, Lance explains how the two passages serve different purposes—Numbers 21 highlights key events along Israel's journey, while Numbers 33 preserves the official travel record Moses kept at God's command.
Along the way, he explores selective reporting, alternate place names, the realities of moving a nation through the wilderness, and why ancient itineraries weren't meant to function like modern GPS directions. Rather than revealing a contradiction, the two accounts complement one another and provide a powerful reminder of God's faithful guidance through every step of Israel's forty-year journey.
References to items discussed and/or used on this podcast may be found at the following:
buymeacoffee.com/lancesmith 
The Bible Difficulties and Answers Website
The Bible Difficulties and Answers Facebook Page
Email Address: bibledifficultiesandanswers@gmail.com 
Geisler, Norman L., and Thomas Howe. The Big Book of Bible Difficulties. Baker Books, 1992. Available at: https://a.co/d/7shn4hI 
Guzik, David. “Numbers 33 Commentary: Review of the Exodus.” Enduring Word. https://enduringword.com/bible-commentary/numbers-33/
Precept Austin. Numbers 33 Commentary. https://www.preceptaustin.org/numbers-33-commentary
Superior Word. “Numbers 33:16-49 – The Journeys of Israel, Part II.” https://superiorword.org/numbers-33-16-49-the-journeys-of-israel-part-ii-from-sinai-to-the-plains-of-moab/
Ben-Gad HaCohen, David. “Ironing Out Israel’s Itinerary Through the Transjordan.” TheTorah.com. https://www.thetorah.com/article/ironing-out-israels-itinerary-through-the-transjordan
DiMattei, Steven. “The Wilderness Itinerary from the Exodus to the Plains of Moab: An Introduction to Numbers 33.” contradictionsinthebible.com. http://contradictionsinthebible.com/wilderness-itinerary-numbers-33/
DiMattei, Steven. “Borders of Moab or Amorite.” contradictionsinthebible.com. (Relevant discussion tied to the itinerary; see related posts on the site). https://contradictionsinthebible.com/borders-of-moab-or-amorite/ 
Baden, Joel S. “The Narratives of Numbers 20-21.” JSTOR. https://www.jstor.org/stable/43728525

Did Jesus contradict Himself?
In Matthew 23, Jesus tells the crowds to obey the Pharisees. Yet elsewhere He warns His disciples to beware of their teaching. At first glance, those statements seem impossible to reconcile.
In Episode 275, Lance Smith examines the historical context behind "Moses' seat," explains the difference between God's Law and the traditions the Pharisees added to it, and shows why Jesus could both affirm their role as teachers and condemn their hypocrisy.
Along the way, you'll discover what legalism really is, why truth doesn't depend on the character of the person speaking it, and how reading these passages in context completely resolves this alleged contradiction.
References to items discussed and/or used on this podcast may be found at the following:
buymeacoffee.com/lancesmith 
The Bible Difficulties and Answers Website
The Bible Difficulties and Answers Facebook Page
Email Address: bibledifficultiesandanswers@gmail.com 
Skeptics Annotated Bible: https://www.skepticsannotatedbible.com/contra/do_what.html
David Guzik, Enduring Word Bible Commentary, Matthew 23 (https://enduringword.com/bible-commentary/matthew-23/)
John F. Walvoord, "Jesus Condemns the Scribes and Pharisees," bible.org (https://bible.org/seriespage/23-jesus-condemns-scribes-and-pharisees)
Precept Austin, Matthew 23 Commentary (https://www.preceptaustin.org/matthew-23-commentary)
Phillip J. Long, "Pharisees and Religious Hypocrisy – Matthew 23:1-12," Reading Acts (https://readingacts.com/2022/05/03/pharisees-and-religious-hypocrisy-matthew-231-12/)
Tim MacBride, "Pharisees in the hot seat (Matt 23:1-4)" (https://timmacbride.com/2016/05/11/pharisees-in-the-hot-seat-matt-231-4/)
Ross K. Nichols, "The Seat of Moses: A Note on Matthew 23:2-3 According to Shem Tob's Hebrew Matthew," Bible and Interpretation (https://bibleinterp.arizona.edu/opeds/nichols357923)
Jordan B. Cooper, "Does the Pharisees Sitting in Moses's Seat Prove Papal Authority?" (https://jordanbcooper.substack.com/p/does-the-pharisees-sitting-in-mosess)
Noel S. Rabbinowitz, "Matthew 23:2-4: Does Jesus Recognize the Authority of the Pharisees and Does He Endorse Their Halakhah?" Journal of the Evangelical Theological Society 46/3 (2003) (https://etsjets.org/wp-content/uploads/2010/06/files_JETS-PDFs_46_46-3_46-3-pp423-447_JETS.pdf)
Kent T. Maitland, "The Pharisees: Their History, Character, and New Testament Portrait," Liberty Theological Review (https://digitalcommons.liberty.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1257&context=eleu)

In episode 274 Lance Smith walks through Chapter 3 of C.S. Lewis' Mere Christianity, explaining why God gave creatures free will, how that freedom made evil possible, and why true happiness requires union with God.
Lewis’ famous “Lord, Liar, or Lunatic” argument is highlighted: Jesus’ claims demand a response. The episode challenges listeners to choose how they understand Jesus and to keep asking honest questions.
References to items discussed and/or used on this podcast may be found at the following:
buymeacoffee.com/lancesmith 
The Bible Difficulties and Answers Website
The Bible Difficulties and Answers Facebook Page
Email Address: bibledifficultiesandanswers@gmail.com 
Lewis, C.S. Mere Christianity. HarperOne, 2001. Available at: https://a.co/d/0eXcvERk

Numbers 31 contains one of the most difficult passages in the entire Old Testament. How could a holy and loving God command the destruction of the Midianites?
In this episode, Lance Smith examines the historical and biblical context behind this challenging chapter, tracing the story back to Israel's rebellion at Baal Peor in Numbers 25. Along the way, he addresses common skeptical objections, explores what respected Christian scholars have said about the passage, and explains why Scripture presents these events as a unique act of divine judgment rather than arbitrary violence.
If you've ever struggled with Numbers 31, or wondered how Christians should respond to questions about it, this episode offers a thoughtful, biblical perspective while ultimately pointing to God's justice, mercy, and redemption through Jesus Christ.
References to items discussed and/or used on this podcast may be found at the following:
buymeacoffee.com/lancesmith 
The Bible Difficulties and Answers Website
The Bible Difficulties and Answers Facebook Page
Email Address: bibledifficultiesandanswers@gmail.com 
Geisler, Norman L., and Thomas Howe. The Big Book of Bible Difficulties. Baker Books, 1992. Available at: https://a.co/d/7shn4hI 
“Why did God command the Israelites to completely destroy the Midianites in Numbers 31:17?” GotQuestions.org. Available at: https://www.gotquestions.org/Numbers-31-17-Midianites.html
Guzik, David. “Numbers 31 – Vengeance on Midian.” Enduring Word Bible Commentary. Available at: https://enduringword.com/bible-commentary/numbers-31/
“Numbers 31 Commentary.” Precept Austin (includes material from Gleason Archer). Available at: https://www.preceptaustin.org/numbers-31-commentary
“The Killings of Numbers 31.” Apologetics Press. Available at: https://apologeticspress.org/the-killings-of-numbers-31-763/
Engheta, Matthew. “Did God Command Genocide in Numbers 31?” Reasonable Apologetics (Medium). Available at: https://medium.com/reasonable-apologetics/did-god-command-genocide-in-numbers-31-984e715df861
“What about God’s cruelty against the Midianites?” Christian Think Tank. Available at: https://www.christian-thinktank.com/midian.html
Dawkins, Richard. The Root of All Evil? (Channel 4 documentary, 2006). Widely available on video platforms.
Hitchens, Christopher. God Is Not Great: How Religion Poisons Everything (2007); also 2007 debate with Al Sharpton.
Andrews, Seth. Deconverted: A Journey from Religion to Reason (2012); also content on The Thinking Atheist channel.

Episode 272 examines the difficult charge that the Bible endorses slavery by distinguishing ancient biblical servitude from modern chattel slavery, reviewing key Old and New Testament passages, and noting protections and limits found in Scripture.
The episode also connects the biblical trajectory toward human dignity with the church’s role in opposing historical and contemporary forms of slavery, including human trafficking and forced labor.
References to items discussed and/or used on this podcast may be found at the following:
buymeacoffee.com/lancesmith 
The Bible Difficulties and Answers Website
The Bible Difficulties and Answers Facebook Page
Email Address: bibledifficultiesandanswers@gmail.com 
Skeptics Annotated Bible: https://www.skepticsannotatedbible.com/contra/slavery.html 
Apologetics Canada. Does the Bible Endorse Slavery? YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qemsox_PlCo
CARM. Does the Bible Approve of Slavery? https://carm.org/does-the-bible-approve-of-slavery
Global Slavery Index 2023. Walk Free Foundation. https://www.walkfree.org/global-slavery-index/
Mako A. Nagasawa. Slavery in the Bible and Slavery Today. New Humanity Institute. http://www.newhumanityinstitute.org/pdfs/article-slavery-in-the-bible.pdf
Midtown Columbia. Does God Condone Slavery? https://midtowncolumbia.com/blog/does-god-condone-slavery
Gavin Ortlund. "Is the Bible Pro-Slavery?" The Gospel Coalition, July 2, 2024.
Skeptics Annotated Bible. Does God Approve of Slavery? https://www.skepticsannotatedbible.com/contra/slavery.html
U.S. Department of State. Trafficking in Persons Report (annual edition). https://www.state.gov/trafficking-in-persons-report/
United Nations and International Labour Organization. Global Estimates of Modern Slavery.
Human Rights Watch. Reports on slavery and human trafficking in Mauritania and Libya. https://www.hrw.org/
BBC News. Investigative reporting on slavery in Libya and Mauritania. https://www.bbc.com/ 
Hochschild, Adam. Bury the Chains: Prophets and Rebels in the Fight to Free an Empire's Slaves. Houghton Mifflin, 2005.
Copan, Paul. Is God a Moral Monster? Making Sense of the Old Testament God. Baker Books, 2011.