Forged:
Writing in the Name of God --
Why the Bible's Authors
Are Not Who We Think They Are
by Bart D. Ehrman
Kindle Edition
by Bart D. Ehrman
Audible Unabridged Audiobook
Posted on 05/19/2011 11:50:25 AM PDT by Renfield
Nearly half of the New Testament is a forgery, according to a provocative new book which charges that the Apostle Paul authored only a fraction of letters attributed to him, and the Apostle Peter just wrote nothing.
Written by Bart Ehrman, a former evangelical Christian and now agnostic professor of religious studies at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, the book claims to unveil "one of the most unsettling ironies of the early Christian tradition:" the use of deception to promote the truth.
"The Bible not only contains untruths of accidental mistakes. It also contains what almost anyone today would call lies," Ehrman writes in "Forged: Writing in the Name of God -- Why the Bible’s Authors Are Not Who We Think They Are."....
(Excerpt) Read more at news.discovery.com ...
What was the primary reason he gave in the book?
How do they work on all the computer controllers? How do they run an ODB II reader?
Mechanical is one thing - computer controls is (from my understanding) not something used in Amish society.
And, for clarification, I did say “That to me is akin to an Amish teaching automotive repair.” (Operative words, to me).
Still, it’s an oxymoron, if I’ve ever heard one.
Maybe not a forgery, just a bunch of relevant stuff left out. (like the time of the rapture, was Jesus married, etc)
The primary reason he gave was quite complicated.
Basically, as his knowledge of ancient languages and familiarity with early Christian missives grew, the more it was obvious to him that errors in transliteration, translation, and outright fraud, had been committed during the past 1700 years. This has resulted in a New Testament much different than the ancient source originals available to scholars today.
Simply put, what we have today in the New Testament is not the original testament of 200-300 ad.
If one is an Evangelical Christian who believes the Holy Bible to be the word of God - period! - discovering that there are beloved sections in the New Testament created and added in later centuries, and not originating in the ancient source originals, is no doubt shocking.
The conspiracy among the Christian community would have had to been incredibly large to falsely attribute authorship. A great example of how quickly forgeries were discredited is the "Protoevangelium of James" which Christians immediately proclaimed a fraud. Where is the same evidence of this with these letters?
Fascinating insights, dear brother in Christ! Thank you so much for sharing.
Thus decided that there was no truth in Jesus dying for our salvation. Sounds like he went to a ‘literal’ hell on earth. Oh well, that’s his decision.
Thus decided that there was no truth in Jesus dying for our salvation. Sounds like he went to a ‘literal’ hell on earth. Oh well, that’s his decision.
And Thank You for the summary of ‘why.’
You’re welcome.
“I think lots of Biblical scholars date these writings to 40 years plus after the events. One thinking is, the followers thought Jesus was coming back soon,... “
I may be wrong, but I think the “scholars” that push that do so based on what archaeologists have found... so far.
Using handwriting analysis to date the stuff found, certain letters tended to be shaped in certain ways during certain decades iirc, and the assumption that archeology as found everything there is to find on the subject.
If the earliest found manuscript is 40 years post, then the earliest possible written account must have been 40 years post.
Also, iirc, not so long ago, it was a hundred years or so post for the earliest possible.
If it aint been dug up, it can not ever have existed.
Feeding the goats.
Forged:
Writing in the Name of God --
Why the Bible's Authors
Are Not Who We Think They Are
by Bart D. Ehrman
Kindle Edition
by Bart D. Ehrman
Audible Unabridged Audiobook
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