Replies

Me: How many copies of books about Tom Sawyer exist? What about the Wizard of Oz? What about Sherlock Holmes? Tarzan? James Bond? Does this mean these were real people?

You: Do these stories claim to record historical events?

Do the Gospels ever specifically claim to record historical events. If they did, they would say what year Jesus was crucified, would they not?

Me: Paul supposedly lived in Jersualem when Jesus was welcomed by "multitudes" shouting "hosheanna," and yet he seemed to have no personal recollection of Jesus. How can that be?

You: He was an enemy of Jesus at the time. He became a Christian after the Resurrection.

I realize he was supposedly an enemy of Jesus, but he should have remembered his entrance to Jerusalem, should he not? He should have remembered the driving of the money changers out of the Temple and the execution.

Me: Does Paul ever meet anyone who knew Jesus in life, other than Peter, John and James? Do any of the thousands of people who met Jesus in life ever appear in the later books of the New Testament?

You: I don't know, I wasn't there. What difference would it make? Paul was concerned with handing on Christ's teaching.

You did not have to be there to know if any of the people who met Jesus in life are mentioned later in the New Testament. I truly do not know the answer to that. My impression is that these people seem to disappear.

Me: The year of the crucifixion has to be theorized because the Gospel writers obviously did not know it. How is that possible?

You: Are you talking about the timing of the crucifixion in relation to Passover?

No. I was asking about the YEAR it happened. What year of Tiberius' reign? What year of Pilate's reign? The gospels never say.

Do the Gospels ever specifically claim to record historical events.

LOL. I thought you claimed to be Jew who had read the New Testament. Perhaps you missed this?

"Therefore, since I myself have carefully investigated everything from the beginning, it seemed good also to me to write an orderly account for you, most excellent Theophilus, so that you may know the certainty of the things you have been taught." Luke 1:3-4