The Bible Difficulties and Answers Podcast

Tuesday Contradictions: Matthew 10:10 – Shoes, Staffs, and Scripture: Untangling the Gospel Sending Instructions

In this episode of The Bible Difficulties and Answers Podcast, host Lance Smith tackles a fascinating tension in the Gospels: When Jesus commissions the Twelve for their first mission, did He send them out barefoot and staff-less, as Matthew and Luke suggest, or equipped with sandals and a walking stick, per Mark? Drawing from the New Living Translation, Lance explores the parallel accounts in Matthew 10, Mark 6, Luke 9, and the bonus sending of the seventy-two in Luke 10.
Unpack the Greek nuances—like ktaomai ("acquire") vs. airo ("carry")—with insights from scholars Dave Miller (Apologetics Press), Stacia McKeever (Answers in Genesis), Bill Mounce, and The Veritas Domain. Discover how these aren't contradictions but complementary emphases: "No extras—use what you have and trust God's provision." Lance also fairly addresses skeptical views from Joseph Alward and the Skeptics Annotated Bible, grounding it all in the mission's context of radical dependence.
More than a Bible puzzle, this is a call to lighten your load today—whether in career steps, tough talks, or daily doubts. Travel light; let faith lead. Perfect for Bible study groups, seekers, or anyone wrestling with Scripture's depths.
References to items discussed and/or used on this podcast may be found at the following:
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/barefoot.html 
Dave Miller, "Take It or Leave It," Apologetics Press, 2004: https://apologeticspress.org/take-it-or-leave-it-295/
Stacia McKeever, "A Staff or Not," Answers in Genesis, January 12, 2009: https://answersingenesis.org/contradictions-in-the-bible/a-staff-or-not/
Veritas Domain Blog, "Bible Contradiction? Did Jesus tell his apostles to go barefoot and without a staff?," May 20, 2025: https://veritasdomain.wordpress.com/2025/05/20/bible-contradiction-did-jesus-tell-his-apostles-to-go-barefoot-and-without-a-staff/
Bill Mounce, "Bible Contradiction: Staff or No Staff?," Bill Mounce Blog, 2024: https://www.billmounce.com/blogs/bible-contradictions/staff-or-no-staff
Joseph Francis Alward, "Should Disciples Carry a Staff?," Skeptical Views of Christianity, September 5, 1999: https://skepticalviewsofchristianity.com/disciples_staff.html

Leviticus 3:2 – Splatter and Salvation: Why Leviticus Sprinkles and Pours

Ever stared at your Bible and thought, "Sprinkle? Pour? Is this a holy contradiction or just ancient wordplay?" Buckle up, truth-seekers—welcome to Episode 183 of The Bible Difficulties and Answers Podcast, where we turn Leviticus' ritual riddles into revelations of grace.
From The Big Book of Bible Difficulties by Norman Geisler and Thomas Howe comes today's head-scratcher: Leviticus 3:2 commands priests to "splatter the blood against all sides of the altar" (NLT), while Deuteronomy 12:27 insists on "pour[ing] it out on the altar." Contradiction in the peace offering? Spoiler: Nope! Drawing on Jewish sage Maimonides, we unpack the two-step choreography—sprinkle the top (zārak: scatter like divine confetti), pour the base (shaphak: full release)—no conflict, just sacred precision. It's like two camera angles on a steakhouse sizzle: dash for flavor, pool for depth.
But we don't stop at harmonizing verses. Dive deeper with P.M. Venter's "Atonement through Blood in Leviticus" (Verbum et Ecclesia, 2005), revealing blood as life's costly bridge in priestly reconciliation: "Sacrifice and blood are the main means…for reconciling man with God."  Then, Joshua M. Vis's Duke dissertation (The Purification Offering of Leviticus and the Sacrificial Offering of Jesus, 2012) flips the script: Blood purges both sanctuary and sinner in a two-stage dance—from guilt to forgiveness (Lev 4–5), sanctuary cleanse to purity (Lev 16)—echoing Hebrews' heavenly offering.
Bridge to today with David Mathis (Desiring God, 2017) on Paul's "poured out" life (Phil 2:17) as modern peace offering, Cornelis van Dam's burnt-offering parallels (1991), and Daniel J. Brege's eucharistic ties in Hebrews (2002): From external sprinkles to internal feast—tabernacle to Lord's Table.
Messy mercy? Absolutely. But every drop points to Christ's ultimate pour-out. Laugh at dad-joke analogies (IKEA holiness, anyone?), ponder your "splatter" stories, and emerge with faith fortified. Perfect for skeptics, seekers, and Sunday school pros.
Listen now—grace awaits in the gore! Subscribe, rate, and share your Bible "gotcha" at bibledifficultiesandanswers@gmail.com.
References to items discussed and/or used on this podcast may be found at the following:
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 
Venter, P.M. "Atonement through Blood in Leviticus." Verbum et Ecclesia 26(1), 2005, pp. 275-279. Available at: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/266529232_Atonement_through_blood_in_Leviticus
Vis, Joshua M. "The Purification Offering of Leviticus and the Sacrificial Offering of Jesus." PhD Dissertation, Duke University, 2012. Available at: https://www.academia.edu/71249791/The_Purification_Offering_of_Leviticus_and_the_Sacrificial_Offering_of_Jesus
Mathis, David. "Poured Out for Others: The Meaning of a Sacrificial Life." Desiring God, 2017. Available at: https://www.desiringgod.org/articles/poured-out-for-others
Brege, Daniel J. "Eucharistic Overtones Created by Sacrificial Concepts in the Epistle to the Hebrews." Concordia Theological Quarterly 66(1), 2002, pp. 61-78. Available at: https://ctsfw.net/media/pdfs/bregeeucharistic.pdf
van Dam, Cornelis. "The Burnt Offering in Its Biblical Context." Canadian Reformed Theological Seminary, 1991. Available at: https://canadianreformedseminary.ca/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/1991-Burnt-Offering.pdf

Tuesday Contradictions: Matthew 10:5-6 – Jesus Said ‘Not Yet’ — Then Told Them to Go Everywhere

In this episode Lance Smith unpacks the apparent contradiction between Jesus' instruction to limit ministry to Israel (Matthew 10:5–6) and the later Great Commission to all nations (Matthew 28:19). He shows that the difference is one of timing and strategy—not a change of mind—describing Jesus' mission as a staged relay that begins with Israel and expands to the Gentiles.
Drawing on examples from Matthew, Acts, Old Testament prophecy, and everyday analogies like farming and relay races, the episode traces how the gospel moved from Jerusalem to the ends of the earth and explains what that sequence teaches about discipleship and God’s timing today.
References to items discussed and/or used on this podcast may be found at the following:
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/samaritans.html 
Perriman, Andrew. "Why did Jesus instruct his disciples not to preach the kingdom of God to Gentiles and Samaritans?" Postost.net, November 2015. https://www.postost.net/2015/11/why-did-jesus-instruct-his-disciples-not-preach-kingdom-god-gentiles-samaritans
SendU Blog. "Why did Jesus prohibit his disciples from going to the least reached?" March 7, 2019. https://sendublog.com/2019/03/07/why-did-jesus-prohibit-his-disciples-from-going-to-the-least-reached/
Robinson, Laura. "Mission, Jews, and Gentiles in the Gospel of Matthew." PhD Dissertation, Duke University, 2010. https://dukespace.lib.duke.edu/server/api/core/bitstreams/d8f0d12e-0ca2-4f1e-a861-356e2d360d2b/content
Staples, Jason. "Matthew's 'Lost Sheep of the House of Israel'." Substack, October 2024. https://jasonstaples.substack.com/p/matthews-lost-sheep-of-the-house 
Konradt, Matthias. "Israel, Church, and the Gentiles in the Gospel of Matthew." (Referenced in Robinson).
Pentecost, J. Dwight. "The Great Commission." Doctrine.org. https://doctrine.org/the-great-commission
Bauer, David R. "Jesus and the Jewish Commission." Anglican Compass. https://anglicancompass.com/jesus-and-the-jewish-commission/
"How do we reconcile John 4:39-40 with Matthew 10:5-7?" Biblical Hermeneutics Stack Exchange. https://hermeneutics.stackexchange.com/questions/66627/how-do-we-reconcile-john-439-40-with-matthew-105-7
"Is The Great Commission Not For The Church Because It's In Matthew?" Believer.com. https://believer.com/frequently-asked-questions/is-the-great-commission-not-for-the-church-because-its-in-matthew
Matthew 10:5 Verse-by-Verse Commentary. StudyLight.org. https://www.studylight.org/commentary/matthew/10-5.html

Sunday Series-Finale: The Priority of the Search

In the finale of the 20-week series on J. Steve Miller's Faith That's Not Blind, Lance Smith walks through the epilogue and appendices, highlighting Miller’s challenge called the "priority of the search" and the black swan analogy that disrupts naturalistic certainty.
The episode emphasizes faith as an active, lifelong pursuit of truth, explains how multiple lines of evidence can stack and mutually support one another, and recommends practical ways to rate and tally arguments.
Smith also points listeners to further resources in the appendices and issues a personal call to keep learning, seeking, and allowing the search to shape a deeper, growing faith.
References to items discussed and/or used on this podcast may be found at the following:
The Bible Difficulties and Answers Website
The Bible Difficulties and Answers Facebook Page
Email Address: bibledifficultiesandanswers@gmail.com 
Miller, J. S. (2016). Faith That’s Not Blind: A Practical Guide to Evaluating Spiritual Beliefs. Wisdom Creek Press. Available on Amazon: https://a.co/d/gTR0odd 
Plantinga, A. (n.d.). Two Dozen (or so) Theistic Arguments. Available at: https://appearedtoblogly.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/plantinga-alvin-22two-dozen-or-so-theistic-arguments221.pdf
Craig, W. L. Suggested Readings List: https://www.reasonablefaith.org/christian-apologetics-books
Apologetics Book Directory: https://apologetics315.com/2009/11/recommended-apologetics-book-directory/
Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy: https://plato.stanford.edu/
Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy: https://iep.utm.edu/
Philosophy of Religion Journal List: http://philosophyofreligion.org/?page_id=488

Exodus 34:20 – The Donkey Dilemma: Redeem, Sacrifice, or Break Its Neck?

Episode 180 unpacks Exodus 34:20 and the curious law about firstborn donkeys—why a lamb can substitute, when the donkey must be killed, and how later law allows monetary redemption.
Host Lance Smith explains the theological principle that the firstborn belong to God, explores historical and practical reasons for the changing method from livestock to silver, and connects the ritual to themes of substitutionary redemption and devotion.
References to items discussed and/or used on this podcast may be found at the following:
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 
Fraser, Andrew. "Exodus 34: Covenantal Ethnotheology and the (Re-)Birth of the First Holy Nation." The Occidental Quarterly, vol. 16, no. 3, Fall 2016, pp. 71-80.
Frankel, Rabbi Dr. David. "Laws of the Firstborn: How They Were Connected to the Tenth Plague." TheTorah.com, 2023. https://www.thetorah.com/article/laws-of-the-firstborn-how-they-were-connected-to-the-tenth-plague
Danam, Gnanadas. "The Sacrifice of the Firstborn in the Hebrew Bible." PhD thesis, University of Leeds, 2018. https://etheses.whiterose.ac.uk/id/eprint/21729/1/The%20Sacrifice%20of%20the%20Firstbron%20in%20the%20Hebrew%20Bible.pdf
"Exodus 34:20." StudyLight.org Commentary. https://www.studylight.org/commentary/exodus/34-20.html
"Morning Musing: Exodus 34:19-20." The-Nexus.blog, October 22, 2024. https://the-nexus.blog/2024/10/22/morning-musing-exodus-3419-20/
"Meaning of Exodus 34:20." Bible.art. https://bible.art/meaning/exodus-34:20

Tuesday Contradictions: Matthew 10:2 – Who Were the Twelve? Solving the Gospel Name Mix-Up

Hey there, scripture fans! In episode 179 Lance Smith explores apparent discrepancies in the lists of the twelve apostles across Matthew, Mark, Luke, and Acts. He explains why names like Thaddeus, Judas son of James, Simon the Canaanite, and Simon the Zealot actually refer to the same people through nicknames, language shifts, and oral memory, showing these variations confirm authenticity rather than contradiction.
References to items discussed and/or used on this podcast may be found at the following:
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/apostles.html 
"Who Were the 12 Apostles? The Complete Guide," OverviewBible (overviewbible.com/12-apostles/)
"List of the Twelve Apostles of Jesus: Names & Facts," Encyclopædia Britannica (www.britannica.com/topic/list-of-the-Twelve-Apostles-of-Jesus)
"Introducing and Ranking the Twelve Apostles," Nathan Albright, Edge Induced Cohesion (www.edgeinducedcohesion.blog/2011/01/30/introducing-and-ranking-the-twelve-apostles/)
"An Almost Definite List of the Twelve Apostles," Jonathan McLachlan, The Reign of God (www.thereignofgod.com/2020/06/13/an-almost-definite-list-of-the-twelve-apostles/)

Sunday Series-Episode 20: Betting Eternity: Pascal's Wager Explained

In this finale episode of the 20-week series, Lance Smith and J. Steve Miller’s Exhibit 20 unpack Blaise Pascal’s famous wager—why fence-sitters might prudently ‘bet’ on God when the eternal stakes vastly outweigh finite costs.
Through vivid analogies, personal stories, and practical steps for exploring faith, the episode treats belief as a reasoned choice, not blind faith, and asks whether living as if God exists is the wise course when evidence feels evenly balanced.
References to items discussed and/or used on this podcast may be found at the following:
The Bible Difficulties and Answers Website
The Bible Difficulties and Answers Facebook Page
Email Address: bibledifficultiesandanswers@gmail.com 
Miller, J. S. (2016). Faith That’s Not Blind: A Practical Guide to Evaluating Spiritual Beliefs. Wisdom Creek Press. Available on Amazon: https://a.co/d/gTR0odd 
Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy. (n.d.). Pascal’s Wager. Available at: https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/pascal-wager/ 
Voltaire. (1764). Philosophical Dictionary.
Schaefer III, H. F. (2007). Science Came of Age: A Christian View of Science and Origins.
James, W. (1897). The Will to Believe and Other Essays in Popular Philosophy.

Exodus 33:3 – Did God Change His Mind? Exodus 33 Unpacked

Host Lance Smith dives into Exodus 33:3 to tackle whether God really changed His mind about going with the Israelites after the golden calf incident.
The episode explains how God’s warning was conditional, how Moses’ intercession led to God’s relenting, and why this is better seen as relational responsiveness—not contradiction.
Listeners will come away with a clearer view of prayer’s power, God’s faithfulness, and practical hope when God seems distant.
References to items discussed and/or used on this podcast may be found at the following:
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 
Opade, Ochenia Faith. "Historical Grammatical Analysis of Exodus 33:1-6 as a Response to Contemporary Interpretations of Ornaments." Pharos Journal of Theology, Vol. 103, No. 2 (2022). Available at: https://www.pharosjot.com/uploads/7/1/6/3/7163688/article_42_vol_103_2__2022_nigeria.pdf 
Kent, Hannah. "How Moses’ Intercession Changed the Trajectory of Israel (Exodus 33:12-23)." Belmont Undergraduate Research Symposium (2019). Available at: https://repository.belmont.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1003&context=burs 
Stewart, Don. "Did Moses Persuade God to Change His Mind?" Blue Letter Bible. Available at: https://www.blueletterbible.org/Comm/stewart_don/faq/does-god-know-everything/24-did-moses-persuade-god-to-change-his-mind.cfm 
Various Commentators. "Exodus 33:3 Commentary." StudyLight.org. Available at: https://www.studylight.org/commentary/exodus/33-3.html 
"Exodus 33." Walking With Giants Bible Study Notes. Available at: https://www.walkingwithgiants.net/bible-study-notes/old-testament/exodus/exodus-33/ 
Lamb, David T. "The Immutable Mutability of YHWH." Southeastern Theological Review, Vol. 2, No. 1 (2023). Available at: https://www.sebts.edu/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/STR_2_1_Lamb.pdf