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Lydia McGrew has written a book titled, Hidden In Plain View, in which she describes undesigned coincidences in the Gospels and Acts.  This book was published in 2017 and draws on two previous books that explore undesigned coincidences as proof of the veracity of the writers of the Old and New Testaments.  The previous two books are:  William Paley’s work, Horae Paulinae first published in 1790 and John James Blunt who wrote, Undesigned Coincidences, in 1847.  Blunt shows undesigned coincidences in both the Old and New Testaments.  I have written a book review of his work which can be accessed on the Book Reviews page.  McGrew gives a broad definition of an undesigned coincidence, “An undesigned coincidence is a notable connection between two or more accounts or texts that doesn’t seem to have been planned by the person or people giving the accounts.  Despite their apparent independence, the items fit together like pieces of a puzzle” (Hidden in Plain View, p. 12).  Undesigned coincidences in the Bible are evidence not only of the truthfulness of the accounts of the men who wrote them, but also, of the inspiration of the Scriptures.  They are a testimony to the fact that the Bible has one author: God, the Holy Spirit (II Tim. 3:16-17).  The argument regarding undesigned coincidences needs to be utilized more today among Christian apologists simply because it refutes the skepticism of many who claim that the Bible is full of contradictions or contains statements that are contrary to facts. Let’s consider a few examples.
He Was Before Me
John records the words of John the baptist in John 1:15, 30, “John bare witness of him, and cried, saying, “This was he of whom I spake, He that cometh after me is preferred before me: for he was before me.”  “This is he of whom I said, After me cometh a man which is preferred before me: for he was before me.”  The phrase “he was before me” spoken by John the baptist is illuminated by the fact that in Luke 1:23-26 we learn that Elizabeth, John the baptist’s mother, was with child six months prior to Mary, the mother of Jesus’ becoming pregnant.  This means that John the baptist was six months older than Jesus in the human sense.  But, Jesus was “before” John the baptist referring to the eternal existence of Jesus.  John in his gospel is emphasizing the eternality of Jesus (John 1:1-14) and the statement by John the baptist that Jesus was “before” him indicates that John the baptist realizes who Jesus is.  He is the Son of God and existed prior to His physical birth.  Luke records the historical information about the births of both John the baptist and Jesus.  John uses John the baptist’s statement about Jesus as proof of Jesus’ eternality and includes that information in his gospel.  Luke wrote before John.  However, both the historical information and the theological information fit together perfectly.
How Did John the Baptist Know that Jesus was the Son of God?
In John 1:34, John the baptist declares, “And I saw, and bare record that this is the Son of God.”   How did John the baptist know that Jesus was the Son of God?  John does not tell us in his gospel.  Matthew, Mark and Luke record the historical account of the baptism of Jesus.  Matthew writes, “And Jesus, when he was baptized, went up straightway out of the water: and, lo, the heavens were opened unto him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and lighting upon him: And, lo a voice from heaven, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.”  John the baptist and all who witnessed the scene at the baptism of Jesus had reason to think that Jesus was the Son of God because a voice from heaven said that He was the Son of God.  John in his gospel never mentions the voice from heaven.  John the baptist had been given a sign.  This is the sign, “Upon whom thou shalt see the Spirit descending, and remaining on him, the same is he which baptized with the Holy Ghost” (John 1:33).  John the baptist is able to put all of this information together and correctly conclude that Jesus is the Son of God.  John uses John the baptist’s testimony as a witness to this important spiritual truth.  Later, in John 5:33-35, Jesus Himself uses John the baptist as a witness to His true identity and adds John the baptist’s testimony to the works; God, the Father; the Scriptures; and Moses to give irrefutable evidence by many witnesses to His identity as God’s Son.  This information adds strength to the apostle John’s apologetic in John 1.  Those who deny that Jesus is the Son of God must affirm that John the baptist and all of the other witnesses given in John 5 including God, are liars!
There are many such undesigned coincidences in both the Old and New Testaments.  This field of study is very important and should not be overlooked by Christian apologists today.  All three of the books mentioned in the beginning of this blog are available from various sources and can be secured, read, and studied.