Dr Bart Ehrman
The Scandal of Christian Forgeries in the Bible
“Arguably the most distinctive feature of the early Christian literature,” writes Dr Bart Ehrman, “is the degree to which it was forged: The Homilies and Recognitions of Clement; Paul’s letters to and from Seneca; Gospels by Peter, Thomas, and Philip;… Read More ›
Other Jewish Miracle-working Sons of God – besides Jesus.
Anyone who called Jesus a miracle-working Jewish rabbi, the Son of God, would have been easily understood: other righteous Jews, both before Jesus, and afterward, were similarly portrayed.
Bart Ehrman & Peter J Williams debate how the Gospels portray the claims Jesus made about himself.
Moses parted the Red Sea.. Is he God? No.
The Institution of the Lord’s Supper in the Gospel of Luke
3 Minute Academic Soundbites. In the gospel of Luke does Jesus claim his death is a sacrifice that brings salvation? Probably not, according to professor Bart D Ehrman, a leading expert of the New Testament. The implications for an Islamic… Read More ›
Biblical Truths: The Meaning of Scripture in the Twenty First Century
In 3 Minute Academic Sound bites I discuss the recent work of Professor Dale B. Martin of Yale University and why I believe it fails in its objective to bring together historical scholarship and orthodox Christian doctrines. Biblical Truths: The… Read More ›
The meaning of Son of God/Son of Man
The way most people understand the terms “Son of God” and “Son of Man” today is probably at odds with how they would have been understand by many Jews in the first century. In our way of thinking, a “son… Read More ›
Beating your children: Proverbs from the Bible and Assyria compared
In liberal child-rearing circles in our day and age, “spanking” a child is very much looked down on and even condemned; not so in many ancient societies. As a demonstration that ancient “Wisdom” differed very much, in places, from modern,… Read More ›
The text of the Bible: its corruption and uncertainty
Modern translations of the Hebrew Bible are largely based on a single manuscript called Codex Leningradensis, dating to the year 1000 C.E. The text of the Hebrew Bible was preserved and protected through the work of the Masoretes (500 –… Read More ›
If Jesus did all the miracles attributed to him, then surely he must be God in the flesh. Right?
The miracle-working prophets Many readers of the New Testament Gospels today believe that if Jesus did all the miracles attributed to him, then surely he must be God. Who else would be able to make nature obey him, or heal… Read More ›
The historical value of Acts
Does Luke give us an accurate account of what actually happened in the early years of the church and in the life and teachings of Paul? Here I will take just one example: both Acts and Paul lay out the… Read More ›
Paul on the road to Damascus: the confused and contradictory accounts
The book of Acts narrates the events of Paul’s conversion on the road to Damascus on three separate occasions. The event itself is narrated in Acts 9:1-19; Paul later recounts it to a hostile Jewish crowd after his arrest in… Read More ›
The Golden Rule
The most familiar form of the golden rule is “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.” Many people think that Jesus was the first to propound this ethical principle, but in fact it was given a… Read More ›
Other Jewish miracle-working Sons of God
Jesus was not the only one thought to be a miracle-working son of God, even within Judaism in his own day. His two most famous peers were probably Honi the “circle-drawer” and Hanina ben Dosa, both of whom are known… Read More ›
