Writing
Theology and apologetics
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A Reply to Bart Ehrman’s Defense of Jesus, Interrupted on the MythVision Podcast
Multiple times throughout the podcast, Ehrman points out that it is possible to make nearly any two contradictory texts harmonize if you try hard enough. This is true, but it is likewise possible to make nearly any two complementary texts contradict if you try hard enough.
On Matthew Hartke’s Five Reasons to Doubt the Resurrection
Matthew L. Hartke is a former Christian who hosts the blog “Resurrection Review,” on which he analyzes and discusses the origins of Christianity. A correspondent recently brought to my attention an article posted on Hartke’s site, provocatively titled “Five Reasons to Doubt the Resurrection” and asked me if I could respond to it.
Yes, Bart Ehrman, Jesus is Yahweh
Ehrman published two blog posts, claiming that the idea that Jesus is Himself Yahweh is a recent doctrinal innovation, completely foreign to the New Testament and the ancient church. Ehrman even goes so far as to say that this is the view of only “some conservative evangelical Christians” and that “I’ve never even heard the claim (let alone a discussion of it) until very recently.”
Book Review: Canon Revisited – Establishing the Origins and Authority of the New Testament Books, by Michael J. Kruger
What is the proper epistemological paradigm for determining the content of the New Testament canon? On what basis can a Christian confidently assert that the twenty-seven books that now comprise what we call the New Testament are divinely endowed with Scriptural authority?
The Historicity of the Feeding of the Five Thousand: An Appraisal of the Evidence
It is one of the most iconic incidents in Jesus’ life. We are all familiar with the famous story of Jesus miraculously feeding the five thousand from five loaves and two fish, with no fewer than twelve basketfuls of leftovers. But just how historical is this story?
Book Review: Justification and the New Perspectives on Paul — A Review and Response, by Guy Waters
Proponents of the New Perspective maintain that the Jewish soteriology was based not on righteousness merited by works but on covenantal nomism – that is, the view that initial justification is by faith, whereas one remains justified, in part, through works.
Who Wrote the Pastoral Epistles? The Case for Traditional Authorship
Among the epistles traditionally attributed to the apostle Paul, none has been subjected to as much controversy concerning their authorship as the Pastoral epistles. There is a near-consensus among critical scholars that the Pastoral letters are pseudepigraphal.
Is the Bible Without Error? Inspiration, Inerrancy, and Christian Epistemology
A common litmus test for Christian orthodoxy is adherence to the doctrine of Biblical inerrancy, which maintains that the Biblical text, in the original autographs, is completely without error in all that it affirms.
A Commentary on Romans — Longing to Go to Rome (1:8-15)
Paul’s intended trip to Rome, a journey that he purposed to eventually take him to Spain (Rom 15:22-29), had two basic objectives. The first was to enjoy fellowship with the believers in Rome (Rom 1:11-12), and the second was to preach the gospel to those who were in Rome (Rom 1:13, 15).