Is 2 Thessalonians a Forgery? From 132 CE? Platinum Guest Post by Omar Robb
The proposition that the 2 Thessalonians was forged in 132AD by a Thessalonian priest. Omar Abur-Robb omr-mhmd.yolasite.com There have been lot of arguments discussing the authenticity of the 2...
View ArticleWas Matthew Attacking Paul?
On my podcast this past week (Misquoting Jesus with Bart Ehrman) someone asked me if I thought any of the Gospels of the NT were influenced by Paul. It's an interesting question that I should post on...
View ArticleWas Paul Authorized to Persecute Christians?
Who gave Paul the authority to persecute Christians? The book of Acts suggests it was the authorities in Jerusalem. Can that be right? In fact, is Acts right in what it says about Paul generally?...
View ArticleAfter Paul Converted… Does the Book of Acts Contradict Paul Himself?
Is the account of Paul's life in Acts at odds with what Paul says himself? If not, are the stories in Acts just invented out of whole cloth? Some people who responded to my previous post on the...
View ArticleDid Paul Get Along with the Other Apostles?
I mentioned in my previous posts that there are discrepancies between Paul’s letters and the book of Acts in both major and minor ways, and in my last post I dealt with some differences that appear...
View ArticleIs It Better to Follow Christ or to Live a Contented Life? Paul vs. Epicurus
What would other deep thinkers in the ancient world have thought of Paul’s teachings? Short answer: not much. Earlier this year I posted on one of my favorite Greek philosophers, Epicurus (341 – 270...
View ArticleHow Paul’s Own Writings Show the Earliest Church Was Split Over “Orthodoxy”...
Are Christian "heresy" (that is, "false belief") and "orthodoxy" ("right belief") products of developments within Christianity after the New Testament? Or can they be detected in the New Testament...
View ArticleIs There Any Sarcasm in the New Testament?
Every now and then someone asks me if there is any sarcasm used in the New Testament. You would think the answer would be fairly obviously, No. But, well, I've dealt with the issue before, and my...
View ArticlePaul, the Apostate: a Platinum Post by Manuel Fiadeiro
Was Paul responsible for the split between gentile Christians and Jews? Did he have regular visits with Jesus after he converted? Did he consult the Alexandrian philosopher Philo about the issue?...
View ArticleHow To Make the New Testament Non-Patriarchal. Good Luck with *That* One....
I'm very pleased to post this second contribution by Jill Hicks-Keeton, professor of religious studies at the University of Oklahoma, and an author who does not appreciate "experts" who try to explain...
View ArticleHow to Sugarcoat Scripture but Seem Sophisticated. Final Guest Post by Jill...
It's amazing how committed New Testament scholars often try to tame the Bible, making it upbeat and relevant for today when, on the surface, it affirms views that most of us, when we're honest about...
View ArticleOur Controversial Sources About the Controversial Paul
Peter and Mary Magdalene are not the only early followers of Jesus whose lives are shrouded in mystery. What about Paul? As it turns out, of all of Jesus’ female disciples after his life, we have the...
View ArticleThe Heretic Marcion and Forgeries of Pauline Letters
If Christians made up stories about Paul, did they also make up writings allegedly by Paul? My two previous posts were about fabricated narratives connected with Paul both from outside the New...
View ArticleThe Two Gods of Marcion and the Forgeries in the Name of Paul
Here I continue my discussion of Marcion, the arch-heretic of the second century, whose followers forged writings in the name of Paul to support their view that the God of the Old Testament was not the...
View ArticlePaul’s *THIRD* Letter to the Corinthians? A Very Interesting Forgery
Even though we don’t have the forgeries of Pauline letters connected with Marcion (they’ve all been lost or destroyed by orthodox Christians), we have other letters forged in Paul’s name that appear to...
View ArticlePaul’s Letter to the … Laodiceans? Long Thought to be Part of the New Testament!
One of the most intriguing letters forged in the name of Paul is his alleged letter to the Laodiceans. As you’ll see, it’s intriguing both because some Christian churches accepted it as part of the...
View ArticleDid Paul Exchange Letters with the Greatest Roman Philosopher of His Day??
I've mentioned several non-canonical letters forged in Paul's name connected with the views of the second-century heretic Marcion. There are other letters out there that also (falsely) claim to be...
View ArticleWhat Did Paul’s Christian Enemies Write About Him?
In my upcoming course I'll be talking about whether Peter and Paul were at odds. That might seem like a strange and implausible idea to some people. But from a historical perspective, there is...
View ArticleIs the Message of Paul in Acts the Same as the Message of Paul According to...
In September I'm going to be hosting an online conference of Bible scholars discussing their work for laypeople at a level that most anyone will be able to follow easily. This will be the second of...
View ArticleIs the Paul of Acts at Odds with the Paul of His Own Letters?
Here I continue my few remarks on the differences between Paul’s proclamation as recorded in the speeches he gives in the book of Acts and the views he sets forth in his own letters. Again, this is...
View Article
