Far away
Many women were there looking on from a distance, who had followed Jesus from Galilee while ministering to Him.
Matthew 27:55 NASB
There were also some women looking on from a distance, among whom were Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James the Less and Joses, and Salome.
Mark 15:40 NASB
And all His acquaintances and the women who accompanied Him from Galilee were standing at a distance, seeing these things.
Luke 23:49 NASB
Near the cross
But standing by the cross of Jesus were His mother, and His mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene.
John 19:25 NASB
Intro
The critic has found a new bone to pick, however without much meat. What was the place where the women stood? Near or far away from the cross? It is easy to come to a reply as the occurrences around the cross of Jesus have been delivered in detail. Let’s have a look.
Near the Cross
At the beginning of the crucifixion it happened that three women – one of them Mary, Jesus’ mother – came near the cross accompanied by the disciple John. There the famous words of Jesus were spoken to his mother: “Woman, behold, your son!” And to John: “Behold, your mother!” And then we are told: “From that hour the disciple took her into his own household.” That hour was the hour of crucifixion. Having Jesus crucified it was time for the soldiers to divide his possessions as reward for their work and that very moment they were throwing for Jesus tunic (John 19:24; KJV accurately translates: Now there stood by the cross of Jesus his mother …). It was round the sixth hour when Jesus was crucified, our time: round 12 o’clock, noon.
Three hours later: Far away
The other messages about women who had followed Jesus, are from three hours later, the moment after his death. There had been a darkness of three hours and Jesus had died. It was the ninth hour, our time: 3 o’clock p.m.
Matthew tells about the Roman centurion who said: “Truly this was the Son of God!” And then Matthew says that the women from Galilee who had followed him stood looking from a distance.
Mark gives the same information in his narrative at this point.
Luke tells about that moment that the people who had come to see “began to return, beating their breasts.” Then he writes about “His acquaintances and the women … standing at a distance”.
Indeed places differ, but also times. There could have been a Bible Contradiction here if the quoted texts all related to one defined moment, which is not the case.
It is difficult to keep one’s respect for a critic who so uncritically choses his arguments and who gives the impression to have not even read the passages of his “contradicting” texts.
No Bible Contradiction