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How Do we Know the Gospels are Historical?
http://www.strangenotions.com ^ | Fr. Dwight Longenecker

Posted on 03/11/2014 6:32:04 PM PDT by NKP_Vet

Among Catholics and atheists, is easy to exchange convinced assertions: “The gospels are 100% God’s holy Word and every bit is historically accurate!” or “The gospels are fairy tales!” However there is a discipline called “Biblical scholarship” in which scholars do some very interesting work determining just which parts of the gospels they think are reliable and which they think are not. Their conclusions are, of course, debated. That’s what scholars do. Their work is fascinating and it is worth taking some time to look at just a smidgen of their methodology and conclusions.

Bible scholars are most interested in trying to determine whether the original gospels record eyewitness accounts, and whether those original versions have been transmitted accurately. To do this scholars consider several factors: 1) authorship and date of composition, 2) intention and genre, 3) gospel sources and oral tradition, 4) textual criticism, 5) historical authenticity of specific sayings and narrative events.

One of the difficult aspects for modern people to understand is just what kind of document the gospels are. Everyone can admit that they are not written as purely historical documents, but neither are they simply fabulous fables, myths, or fairy tales. In continuity with the Old Testament, and consistent with their Jewish origins, we have documents which are presented as history and have plenty of historically verifiable details, but which also have supernatural and otherworldly elements to them

(Excerpt) Read more at strangenotions.com ...


TOPICS: Apologetics; History; Moral Issues; Theology
KEYWORDS: apologetics; bible; historicity; historicityofchrist; historicityofjesus
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To: MamaB
You are being deceived and are deceiving others.

Nah; merely TRYING to...

241 posted on 03/15/2014 4:56:25 AM PDT by Elsie (Heck is where people, who don't believe in Gosh, think they are not going...)
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To: fabian

242 posted on 03/15/2014 5:18:29 AM PDT by Elsie (Heck is where people, who don't believe in Gosh, think they are not going...)
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To: fabian
MASTERful job...


Obey me; minions!!!


If you have the spirit; why do you need a resurrection?


I sure hope this clears my engrams...


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Sunday Conversations

Dynamic group conversations, usually hosted by Roy Masters

 
 
 

243 posted on 03/15/2014 5:39:34 AM PDT by Elsie (Heck is where people, who don't believe in Gosh, think they are not going...)
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To: Elsie

nice..thank you!


244 posted on 03/15/2014 8:45:06 AM PDT by fabian (" And a new day will dawn for those who stand long, and the forests will echo in laughter")
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To: fabian

Fabian, I hope you will answer a question for me.

If you condemn those who learn and follow the written Word, then from what does your Pastor(?) get his material to teach you? I don’t understand.


245 posted on 03/15/2014 9:02:25 AM PDT by SouthernClaire
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To: fabian

OBVIOUSLY; you did NOT let your cursor linger over the images...


246 posted on 03/15/2014 9:46:25 AM PDT by Elsie (Heck is where people, who don't believe in Gosh, think they are not going...)
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To: SouthernClaire

Personages???


247 posted on 03/15/2014 9:46:47 AM PDT by Elsie (Heck is where people, who don't believe in Gosh, think they are not going...)
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To: Elsie

I reckon I’m not bright enough to understand, Elsie. If a person claims to be Christian but then says, in a way, to not cling to the Word that instructs on how to be a Christian, then how ...

Ah. I don’t think I can make sense of it. I just don’t get how that is supposed to work.


248 posted on 03/15/2014 9:56:26 AM PDT by SouthernClaire
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To: SouthernClaire

Yes, that is like reading a manual for a Ford when you have a Chevy.


249 posted on 03/15/2014 10:43:21 AM PDT by MamaB
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To: Elsie

LOL! You’re good. ;o)


250 posted on 03/15/2014 2:29:21 PM PDT by boatbums (Simul justis et peccator.)
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To: SouthernClaire

I guess it’s kinda like levitating in the TM movement...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Transcendental_Meditation_movement


251 posted on 03/15/2014 3:33:23 PM PDT by Elsie (Heck is where people, who don't believe in Gosh, think they are not going...)
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To: boatbums
LOL! You’re good. ;o)


Aw...  shucks...
 


252 posted on 03/15/2014 3:34:41 PM PDT by Elsie (Heck is where people, who don't believe in Gosh, think they are not going...)
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To: NKP_Vet

The argument is circular.

1. The Bible says it is the Word of God.
2. We know what the Bible says is true because it’s the Word of God.

IOW, it is because it says it is and it says so because it is. This is standard evangelical theology, but it’s horrible logic.


253 posted on 07/01/2014 3:07:42 PM PDT by TBP (Obama lies, Granny dies.)
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To: winodog
the entire Bible meshes together

That's suspect. You don't think the writers (whoever they were) knew of the prophecies and framed the story accordingly?

254 posted on 07/01/2014 3:10:27 PM PDT by TBP (Obama lies, Granny dies.)
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To: TBP; NKP_Vet
They’re not. They’re pseudepigraphic and they’re not history — they’re inspirational works pitched to specific audiences.

They’re based on the oral tradition, which tends to be a long game of telephone, as it gets distorted through being passed along from one source to another.

And they have scribal errors, some accidental and often incidental, but some both deliberate and significant.

Isn't that what Longnecker/the OP just said?

255 posted on 07/01/2014 4:50:53 PM PDT by Zionist Conspirator (Throne and Altar! [In Jerusalem!!!])
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