He did not answer directly.
63 “I adjure You by the living God, that You tell us whether You are the Christ, the Son of God.”
64 Jesus said to him, “You have said it yourself;…”
NASBu Matthew 26:63-64
70 And they all said, “Are You the Son of God, then?” And He said to them, “Yes, I am.” [KJV correctly: “Ye say that I am.”]
NASBu Luke 22:70
He answered directly “I am.”
61 Again the high priest was questioning Him, and saying to Him, “Are You the Christ, the Son of the Blessed One?”
62 And Jesus said, “I am;…”
NASBu Mark 14:61-62
SAB contradiction 893 (by book)
SAB’s Bible Contradiction
According to SAB there is a clear contradiction in the gospels concerning Jesus’ reply when the high priest questioned him. SAB says: ‘He did not answer directly (Matthew, Luke), or he answered directly by saying “I am.” (Mark)’
Are Christians really supposed to be impressed by this argument?
Putting the reader on the wrong foot
The comment of SAB is rather poor. Everybody who reads the three passages completely, immediately sees that Jesus’ answers differ in many ways. Moreover the so called direct or indirect answering is rather irrelevant, as in all cases it was clear to all that the replies were confirmative, as they all resulted in a judgement of the death penalty.
So two times SAB puts his reader on the wrong foot and that is reproachful.
First consideration to the solution
What is the problem? Jesus was brought before two assemblies that night. During the night there was a priestly Council (together with scribes and some elders; Matthew, Mark) and at the break of dawn there was a Council of elders of the people (with chief priests and scribes; Luke).
Second consideration
Another consideration is of major importance here. In case of a death penalty based on a personal confession, it was common procedure that the confession was given at least two times. This was necessary to exclude mistakes.
– Pilate asked two times whether Jesus was the ‘King of the Jews’, as this was a serious accusation with regard to the Roman government in the Jewish land.
– Plinius Minor wrote about the Christians: ‘I interrogated them whether they were Christians; if they confessed it I repeated the question twice again, adding the threat of capital punishment; if they still persevered, I ordered them to be executed.’ (Epistulae ad Trajanum).
– Polycarp, who was examined by the proconsul, before he died as a Christian martyr, was asked three times to give up his faith.
And so …
In the priestly Council, Jesus was asked at least two times to confess. Jesus made at least two confessions; Mark gives the first and Matthew the second. In the judicial inquiry at dawn, the matter was finished quickly, as the testimony of the priests about Jesus’ confessions earlier that night was followed by a new confession from Jesus (Luke).
Of course the stenographers who worked in these councils were Nicodemus and Joseph of Arimathaea, who were members of the Sanhedrin, but who did not need to vote for Jesus’ death, certainly to guarantee their independence in their work as clerks.
Who is contradicting?
SAB is only contradicting itself.
No Bible Contradiction