Matthew 4 and Luke 4 record the temptations of Jesus in different sequences. Matthew places the pinnacle of the temple second and the high mountain third, while Luke places the high mountain second and the pinnacle third. Skeptics see this as an unresolvable error.

A careful look at the Greek text reveals the literary mechanics at play. Matthew uses the adverb 'then' (tote) and 'again' (palin), which linguistically mandate a strict chronological sequence of events. Luke, however, merely links the events using the simple conjunction 'and' (kai). The repetitive use of 'and' is a recognized marker of an original Semitic oral source, where stories were frequently arranged topically rather than strictly chronologically. Luke is not attempting to establish a timeline, only a thematic theological list.

Luke 4:1–13
—Is there a mistake in the temptation of Jesus recorded by Matthew and Luke?
(See comments on
Matt. 4:5–10
.)

Problem: According to both Matthew and Luke, the first temptation was to turn stones into bread to satisfy Jesus’ hunger. The second temptation listed by Matthew took place at the pinnacle of the temple. The third temptation listed by Matthew involved all the kingdoms of the world. However, although Luke mentions these same two events, he lists them in reverse order—the kingdoms of the world are mentioned second and the pinnacle of the temple is mentioned third. Which is the correct order?

Solution: It may be that Matthew describes these temptations chronologically while Luke lists them climactically, that is, topically. This may be to express the climax he desired to emphasize. Matthew 4:5 begins with the word “then” while verse 8 begins with the word “again.” In Greek, these words suggest a more sequential order of the events. In Luke’s account, however, verses 5 and 9 each begins with a simple “and” (see nasb). The Greek in the case of Luke’s account does not necessarily indicate a sequential order of events. Furthermore, there is no disagreement on the fact that these temptations actually happened.