Misquoting Jesus with Bart Ehrman

Have you ever read something in the New Testament, maybe the Book of Revelation, and wondered why on earth it's included in the Bible? Why were these specific books included, and why are they considered inspired by God while the non-canonical writings are just the work of humans? Today we're talking about the formation of the New Testament, using listeners' questions.

Did you know that scribes made changes to all of the books of the New Testament? Some of them were accidental, but some of them were very deliberate. The gospel of John is no exception - but what was changed, and why?

Atheists often accuse people of religious faith of uncritically accepting a bunch of myths - but do atheists do the same? How closely do people actually examine their dearly-held views and beliefs, regardless of their religious persuasion?

In the gospels, Jesus' suffering is on a sliding scale - from sweating blood, to calmly accepting his fate. What did Jesus think about his own suffering, and is it even possible to answer that question from the evidence we have?

Ever wondered what the first Christian praise and worship service sounded like? Join us as Dr. Charles Cosgrove unveils the mystery of the Oxyrhynchus Hymn, the earliest known Christian hymn with musical notation!

The resurrection of Jesus is probably one of the most well known stories from the New Testament. But how do historians deal with this miraculous event? Should it be discounted in its entirety, or can it be investigated using the historical method? Today, we're talking about what historians can and can't say about the resurrection.

The Old Testament wasn't written in a cultural vacuum, but who and what influenced its writers. Today we're talking about the cultural background of the Old Testament and how the literature and societies of the surrounding cultures impacted its creation.

Love him or hate him, if you're listening to this podcast then you're probably familiar with some of Dr. Bart Ehrman's beliefs - but how familiar are you with the ideas he used to hold when he was an evangelical Christian?

The doctrine of the Trinity - that there's one single God who is father, son, and holy spirit - is central to modern Christianity. But is it even in the Bible?

The discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls shook the field of biblical studies to its core. But did they actually change how we view the Old Testament? Today we're talking about the Dead Sea Scrolls, what they are, what they can tell us about the editorial history of the Old Testament, and whether they really show the perfect error-free transmission of the Hebrew Bible.

Hell – the fiery eternal torment known from many Baptist pulpits – is maybe the ultimate consequence for misbehaviour. But is it an afterlife that is present in the Bible? Today, Dr. Bart Ehrman joins me to to discuss what Jesus believed about life after death, where the idea of hell came from, and whether we can even find it in the Bible.

The Rapture, the ascent of Jesus' faithful flock to heaven at the end of the world is enthusiastically anticipated by many evangelical Christians. But is this expectation grounded in what the Bible actually says? Today, Dr. Bart Ehrman joins me to talk about the Rapture, what it is and whether it actually appears in the Bible. 

Different Christian denominations have different beliefs about the Bible, and those who leave the faith have different ideas again. Today, Dr. Bart Ehrman joins me to talk about how his changing beliefs impacted his views on the Bible, and why he finally changed his mind about all of them.

The 10 Commandments are the most famous laws in the Bible, despite the fact that most people can't name more than a few. Today, I'm joined by Bart Ehrman to discuss why the 10 commandments are so famous, and why Christians still see them as important, even though most of the other 600 Old Testament laws are ignored.

Easter is fast approaching, and while children everywhere are looking forward to chocolate eggs, the minds of many Christians are turning to Jesus' resurrection. Today, Dr. Bart Ehrman joins me to answer audience questions about Jesus' crucifixion, and what happened after.

We've been talking a lot about the revolutionary message of altruism in Jesus' teachings recently - but how do we know what the historical Jesus actually taught? Today, Dr. Bart Ehrman joins me to discuss exactly how scholars reconstruct his message.

Jesus' most famous commandment might be to "love thy neighbour" - but what exactly does "love" mean, and how do you love your neighbour? Today, Dr. Bart Ehrman joins me to talk about the different meanings of love in the New Testament, and how that informs our understanding of Jesus' teachings.

Bart's newest book, Love Thy Stranger, will be released on March 24th - but really, how much can you say about Jesus' impact on the moral conscience of the west? As it turns out, quite a lot - and this week, we'll be getting into exactly what you can expect to read.

The difference between right and wrong and how to live a good life has been a matter of debate for millennia. In the ancient world, different schools of philosophers subscribed to different theories - but were these discussions something that Jesus would have been aware of? Today, Dr. Bart Ehrman joins me to discuss ethics in Jesus' time.

What did it mean to be a good person in the ancient world, and what did ancient cultures say about how we should treat one another? Today, Dr. Bart Ehrman joins me to discuss Jesus' teachings, the cultural norms of his time, and how early Christians changed his message.

The writer of Luke's gospel drew heavily on the gospel of Mark - but was very careful to remove any idea of atonement - the concept that Jesus died in the place of others. Today, Dr. Bart Ehrman joins me to discuss why he did that, and what purpose he thought Jesus' death served instead.

It's well-known Christian tradition that the apostles Peter and Paul were both crucified as a result of their Christian faith, but what does history have to say about those legends? Today, Dr. Bart Ehrman joins me to talk about the texts behind the tradition, and what we know about the execution of early Christian leaders.

Q is a hypothetical source for the gospels of Matthew and Luke - but did it exist, and if it did, why are there no fragments of it? Today, Dr. Bart Ehrman joins me to answer YOUR questions about Q.

The original manuscript of the gospel of Luke may have looked entirely different from the one you might be familiar with - to start with, it might have lacked the first two chapters entirely. Today, Dr. Bart Ehrman joins me to discuss what was added - or removed - and why.

The first followers of Jesus were Jewish, and followed Jewish law. After Jesus' death, gentiles started to convert to Christianity - along with additional Jewish members. Did these new converts need to follow Jewish law, and keep kosher? Today, Dr. Bart Ehrman joins me to discuss Matthew's take on keeping kosher as a Christian.