A: Here are some of the passages leading to this charge, with possible explanations.

Acts 7:14 vs. Gen 11:26 and Gen 11:32 - the alleged or apparent problem is that Gen 11:26 seems to say that Terah became the Father of Abraham at the age of 70 and that he died at the age of 205, whereas Stephen claims in Acts 7 that Abraham at left Haran "after the death of his Father," at the age of 75. 70 + 75 = 145, which is far less than 205. This could seem to be a pretty large mistake, however it is possible the mistake lies in our own reading of the text. Gen 11:26 actually mentions three sons - not just Abraham. How likely is it they were all actually born the same year? Compare Genesis 5:32, where Noah is stated to have become the father of his three sons at the age of 500. Although Ham is named in the middle, according to Gen __ he was the youngest. Apparently, Gen 5:32 means that Noah became the father of his three sons beginning at the age of 500. Likewise, Gen 11:26 could be read as saying that Terah became a father at the age of 70, and had - over the course of time - three sons. That Abraham is mentioned first does not necessarily mean he was the first born, just as Ham was not born in the order he is named. Abraham may have been born 60 years after his oldest brother, in which case Stephen would be correct.

Acts 7:14 vs. Gen. 46:27 - How many people left for Egypt? Was it 70 as Genesis says or 75 as Stephen says? Both are correct, depending on which people "count." The Septuagint includes 2 sons of Manasseh and 2 of Ephraim, plus a grandson for each. That's five extra people, for a total of 75.

Acts 7:15, 16 vs. Gen 49:33 and Gen 50:13 Apparent confusion on Stephen's part regarding the family tomb purchased by Jacob at Shechem and the tomb in Hebron purchased by Abraham. The NIV Study Bible claims that Stephen was using a rhetorical device of historical compression which would not have been unusual at the time. The point is that all the patriarchs were returned to the land of Canaan.

Mark 2:26 vs. I Sam 21:1 Was Abiathar the High Priest or was Ahimelech? Jesus is not necessarily saying that Abiathar was High Priest at the time of the incident, but that Abiathar, who was at some time High Priest, was alive at the time. It is similar to saying "the house where President Lincoln was born." Obviously, he was not president at the time.

Matthew 23:35 vs. II Chronicles 24:20-21 -- Zechariah son of Berachiah or Zechariah son of Jehoiada?

Zechariah son of Berachiah was the prophet who wrote the book of that name. The Zechariah who was killed between the temple and the altar was called -- Zechariah son of Jehoiada. Jesus is citing the first and last murders in the Hebrew Bible, since II Chronicles is at the end of the Jewish Bible. In the Septuagint, however, II Chronicles is near the middle, whereas the prophet Zechariah is placed near the end.

It is self-evident that the New Testament does not preserve the words of Jesus verbatim. It is a translation into Greek for a Diaspora/Gentile audience of things probably originally uttered in Aramaic for a Palestinian Jewish audience. Possibly, (and I am only guessing here - there may well be a better answer), the Septuagint-reading Greek speakers assumed he meant the prophet Zechariah, and "helpfully" inserted the surname "son of Berachiah" as the copied the text.