Busted (4):  Did Luke Screw Up Pilate’s Job Title?

Busted 1In a previous article, we explored how critics falsely accuse Luke of gross inaccuracy in Luke 3:1.  Here, we return to the same verse to explore another alleged mistake.  Let’s review the relevant part of the passage, from the English Standard Version:

In the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar, Pontius Pilate being governor of Judea,…

Some critics have pointed out that Luke refers to Pontius Pilate as the governor or “hegemon” (ἡγεμών) of Judea, rather than by his actual title, which was prefect (νομάρχης).  If, the critics say, Luke was wrong about something that simple, then he surely was wrong about other things, too. Continue reading

Busted (3): Did Luke Get a Date Wrong by 60 Years?

Busted 1It seems that whenever one of the gospel accounts disagrees with that of a non-Christian historian, skeptical scholars assume it’s the gospel-writer who got it wrong.  That’s a dangerous thing to assume.

Luke 3:1 is a passage that many critics have used to “prove” Luke’s incompetence as an historian.  Here’s the passage (ESV): Continue reading