What do Evangelicals make of the different Biblical stories about where Mary went just after Jesus' birth?Did she go to Egypt or just go home?Is one story the true one or can both be combined into another narrative?Does the seeming conflict carry some special meaning?

[QUOTE=davelaw40;913451]Have you read my response to your other thread? Evangelicals by definition-harmonize scripture and believe it can be read together without conflict-that each author emphasized different details to tell his own story-but that all can be harmonized.[/QUOTE]


Harmonization typically means that the facts are ignored, which is the fundamentalist's favorite pastime.

If the Gospels are so perfect, why is harmonization necessary?

Shalom,

[QUOTE=koolpoi;913323]What do Evangelicals make of the different Biblical stories about where Mary went just after Jesus' birth?Did she go to Egypt or just go home?Is one story the true one or can both be combined into another narrative?Does the seeming conflict carry some special meaning?[/QUOTE]
The Bible says it and they did it!
Mat 2:13       And when they were departed, behold, the angel of the Lord appeareth to Joseph in a dream, saying, Arise, and take the young child and his mother, and flee into Egypt, and be thou there until I bring thee word: for Herod will seek the young child to destroy him.
Mat 2:14       When he arose, he took the young child and his mother by night, and departed into Egypt:

Shalom,

What about it?
Luk 2:39       And when they had performed all things according to the law of the Lord, they returned into Galilee, to their own city Nazareth.

After the shepherds visit they went back to Nazareth and one night while they were sleeping...
Mat 2:13 And when they were departed, behold, the angel of the Lord appeareth to Joseph in a dream, saying, Arise, and take the young child and his mother, and flee into Egypt, and be thou there until I bring thee word: for Herod will seek the young child to destroy him.
Mat 2:14 When he arose, he took the young child and his mother by night, and departed into Egypt:

Then comes...
Luk 2:40   And the child grew, and waxed strong in spirit, filled with wisdom: and the grace of God was upon him.

Shalom,

No. From one gospel to another there are often different things left out. One person sees one thing as important while another sees it as no big deal.

Here are some things left out of Matthew that are in some of the other gospels:
1) Members of the MESSIANIC line prior to Abraham

2) During the thirty years prior to the start of the ministry of Y'SHUA we have missing...
a) the annunciation to Mary and Mary's visit to Elisabeth
b) the birth of John the Baptist
c) the angels and the shepherds
d) Circumcision and presentation at The Temple
e) the visit to Jerusalem at the age of twelve
f) the years at Nazareth

3) The early Judean ministry

4)During the first period of the Galilean ministry missing is...
a) the nobleman's son
b) the first rejection at Nazareth
c) the impotent man at the pool of Bethesda

5) During the second period
a) raising the widow's son
b) anointing of Y'SHUA in Simon's house
c) companions on the second preaching tour

6) During the third
a) the blind man near Bethsaida

7) Events in Jerusalem prior to the Perean ministry
a) Feast of Tabernacles
b) the woman taken in adultery

8) The Perean ministry
a) Matthew has no recod of the events from the departure from Galilee until after the withdrawal to Ephraim yet these are recorded by Luke and a few of them by John.

9) During the passion week
a) the widow's two mites
b) Gentiles seeking Y'SHUA
c) the Jews rejection of The CHRIST

10) After the resurrection missing is...
a) the walk to Emmaus
b) the appearance when Thomas was absent
c) the appearance to Thomas when he was with the others

Remember unlike The Torah this was not a direct dictation from YHVH. This was four different men at four different times and in four different locations giving their own accounts of the life of Y'SHUA.