Joseph Francis Alward © Copyright 2004 The Bible contains an apparent contradiction between two different accounts of Peter's alleged denial that he knew Jesus.

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In the dialogue below, Jesus scoffs at Peter’s claim that he will give his life for Jesus. He tells Peter that before the sun comes up in the morning--before the rooster crows--Peter would that very night pretend not to even know Jesus.

Readers should note especially that in the John passage below, Jesus is predicting that the rooster would not crow until after Peter has denied knowing Jesus three times.

Jesus answered him (Simon Peter), Wilt thou lay down thy life for my sake? Verily, verily, I say unto thee, The cock shall not crow, till thou hast denied me thrice.

John 13:36-38

As you will see below, another gospel writer confirmed that there were three denials by Peter, just the Jesus in John's gospel predicted there would be, but contradicts the John author by claiming that the cock crowed after the first denial, not the third:

And as Peter was beneath in the palace, there cometh one of the maids of the high priest: And when she saw Peter warming himself, she looked upon him, and said, And thou also wast with Jesus of Nazareth. But he denied (Denial #1), saying, I know not, neither understand I what thou sayest. And he went out into the porch; and the cock crew. And a maid saw him again, and began to say to them that stood by, This is one of them. And he denied it again (Denial #2). And a little after, they that stood by said again to Peter, Surely thou art one of them: for thou art a Galilaean, and thy speech agreeth thereto. But he began to curse and to swear, saying, I know not this man of whom ye speak (Denial #3).

Mark 14:66-72 KJV

Thus, either one or the other of the two gospel writers was in error, and therefore the Bible is in error, or else both writers were correct, and the Son of God, an allegedly omniscient being, made a false prediction.