The Bible tells us lovely stories about our creation, the prophets that spread God’s messages, and the messianic gospel of Jesus Christ. However, due to complexities, some of these events have been falsely narrated for centuries. Here are 17 stories we’d love to clarify for you today.
Adam and Eve Eating an Apple
Everyone believes that Adam and Eve’s forbidden fruit, which stripped us of our immortality, was an apple. The Latin words “malum” (evil) and “mālum” (apple) make it even harder to dispel this conspiracy. However, the Book of Genesis only describes it as a “forbidden fruit” and nothing more.
Jonah and the “Whale”
Many people believe that Jonah was swallowed up by a whale for his disobedience, but the Bible doesn’t specify what fish Jonah was stuck in. It only says that God sent a “great fish”; the confusion started when English translations of the “big fish” as a whale became popular.
Jesus Was Born in a Stable
Contrary to the popular belief that Mary gave birth in a horse stable, no one knows for sure where Jesus was born. Some believe he was born in a cave, while The Guardian argues that Jesus was born in a family house. However, why would he have been born in a stable!?
Sodom and Gomorrah Were Destroyed for Homosexuality
Attraction to the same sex may have been one of the reasons God sent down sulfur and fire on Sodom and Gomorrah, but you shouldn’t take it as the only reason. We see in Genesis that God expresses his distaste for other transgressions like inhospitable behavior, murder, robberies, mockery, and idolatry.
Noah and the Animals in the Ark
For a long time, we’ve all believed that Noah took two of every animal in the world into his ark. Reading carefully, you see that he took two pairs of every “unclean animal” and seven pairs of clean animals—which are animals regarded as suitable for rituals and food. That’s disappointing!
Samson and Delilah
People misinterpret the story about Samson and Delilah as showing Delilah as the villain. Don’t get us wrong; she was still an evil temptress, but the main antagonist was Samson himself, who couldn’t set aside his moral delinquencies in obedience to God.
The Disciples and the Pentecost
The Day of Pentecost witnessed the descent of the Holy Spirit on the Disciples, representing the start of the church’s mission. Many believe this was the first contact between the Holy Spirit and the disciples, which isn’t true. As seen in John 20:22, Jesus already breathed the Holy Spirit upon his resurrection.
Moses’ Rod and the Serpents
If you believed Moses’ staff turned into a snake and swallowed Pharaoh’s magicians’s staff, you’re wrong. It was Aaron’s rod that was used for this miracle; as seen on Bible.com’s Exodus 7:10–12, “each man threw down his staff, and they all turned into snakes. But then Aaron’s staff swallowed their staff.”
Jesus Was Born on December 25
The 25th day of December has been celebrated since 336 AD as the day Jesus was born, thanks to efforts from Roman Emperor Constantine. However, the accurate date actually falls between June and October. Bible verses about Mary shaking the palm tree for ripe palm fruits are used as references to prove this.
First Miracle at Cana
It’s also a popular belief that Jesus’ first miracle was turning water into wine at a wedding in Cana. While this has huge significance to the gospel, the miracle at Cana was only Jesus’ first public miracle. He had already performed wonders before, healing people and driving out an evil spirit.
The Length of Jesus’ Ministry
When asked how long Jesus’ public ministry lasted, most people confidently state it to be three years. In actuality, the Bible doesn’t mention the exact length of ministry. Experts have only estimated that it lasted between one and 3.5 years, but it’s impossible to find the exact dates.
Baby Jesus and the Wise Men
It’s “common knowledge” that the wise men who brought gifts to baby Jesus were three in number. The Bible didn’t state any specific number, though, and Eastern tradition believes there were actually 12 men. Brittanica attributes the belief of three men to the three gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh.
The Miracle of Five Loaves and Two Fish
Believe it or not, Jesus didn’t turn five loaves into 5,000 loaves; his miracle brought more than enough loaves to feed 5,000 men, as well as many women and children. The loaves and fish didn’t appear out of nowhere but were supplied by a boy suggested by a disciple, Andrew.
Where Jesus’ Baptism Took Place
While many believe John’s baptism of Jesus took place at the Jordan River, the truth is that it took place at “Al-Maghtas”—known as “Bethany Beyond the Jordan.” Still located in Jordan today, it’s an isolated water body on the east bank of the Jordan River.
The Conversion of Saul
Due to depictions in popular culture, mostly through art from Caravaggio, many now think that Saul fell from his horse upon seeing a flash of light and hearing a baptismal voice. However, the Bible only mentions that Saul fell to the ground, which may have happened when he was on his feet.
Judas’ Betrayal
Did Judas have an unavoidable destiny to betray Jesus? If he hadn’t, Jesus’ resurrection and the spread of the church may not have happened. Regardless, Judas’ internal battles with himself, which caused him to return the Romans’ money and take his own life, show that he had free will to choose.
Jesus’ Resurrection
Finally, contrary to what you may think, Deseret reminds us that before ascending into the heavens, Jesus actually stayed among his disciples for 40 days after resurrecting! We understand how easy it is to believe that he ascended immediately, as there aren’t many celebrated accounts about what happened in between. However, this is the real truth!
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