Author Archives: Craig Dunkley

04.15.15
by

Ben Witherington Critiques Bart Ehrman’s Book, Jesus Interrupted

Ben-Witherington

Dr. Ben Witherington

Below is the description from Amazon.com of Bart Ehrman’s book, Jesus, Interrupted:  Revealing the Hidden Contradictions in the Bible (And Why We Don’t Know About Them):

The problems with the Bible that New Testament scholar Bart Ehrman discussed in his bestseller Misquoting Jesus—and on The Daily Show with John Stewart, NPR, and Dateline NBC, among others—are expanded upon exponentially in his latest book: Jesus, Interrupted.  This New York Times bestseller reveals how books in the Bible were actually forged by later authors, and that the New Testament itself is riddled with contradictory claims about Jesus—information that scholars know… but the general public does not.  If you enjoy the work of Elaine Pagels, Marcus Borg, John Dominic Crossan, and John Shelby Spong, you’ll find much to ponder in Jesus, Interrupted.

Continue reading →

04.09.15
by

Ben Witherington Critiques Bart Ehrman’s Book, Forged

Bart Ehrman

Dr. Bart Ehrman

Bart Ehrman is the man that gives Christians more heartburn than any other academic these days.  Erhman is a well-known Professor of Religious Studies at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.  He is a specialist in New Testament textual criticism, and he has written a wide range of books that are, in my opinion, damaging the Christian faith by repeating and amplifying various false theories.

Ehrman is an agnostic, but he didn’t start out that way.  Raised with a fundamentalist background, he seems to have “rebelled” against that during his time as an academic, and now works to deconstruct the Christian faith. Continue reading →

04.04.15
by

Happy Easter

Disciples_running_by_EB (2)

The disciples Peter and John running to the tomb the morning of the resurrection, by Eugène Burnand, painted 1898

On Easter Sunday, we celebrate the resurrection of Jesus and the salvation of mankind.  Here, we share a condensed retelling of the resurrection event using all four gospels.  The full story is, of course, far more robust and inspiring than this shortened compilation.  We encourage you to read (or re-read) the accounts for yourself.  Happy Easter… Continue reading →

03.20.15
by

Who Wrote the Gospel of Matthew?

"The Evangelist Matthew Inspired by an Angel" by Rembrandt

The Evangelist Matthew Inspired by an Angel, by Rembrandt

Of the four gospels, critics direct most of their fire at those of Matthew and John.  This is, in part, because Matthew and John are the only two gospels that tradition says are direct, eyewitness accounts, written by original disciples of Jesus.  If Matthew and John are eyewitness accounts, then they greatly strengthen the case that the gospels are historically accurate documents…and some skeptics do not want that.  Critics also challenge the authorship of these gospels because the evidence regarding them is sometimes confusing, making it more difficult to discern who actually wrote what. Continue reading →

03.18.15
by

A Historical Case for The Resurrection of Jesus

Caravaggio_-_The_Incredulity_of_Saint_Thomas (2)

The Incredulity of Saint Thomas by Caravaggio

Easter is just around the corner, that time each year when Christians celebrate the death and resurrection of Jesus.  Christians believe that Jesus was God in the flesh, who came to earth and allowed himself to be sacrificed for the sins of each human being, paying the wages of sin on our behalf.  Three days later, the teaching goes, Jesus overcame death via the resurrection and, through Him, provides each one of us a path to eternal life.

It makes for an interesting—and quite incredible—story.  Skeptics down through the ages have attempted to disprove it, directing their fire at the key pieces of the story:  1.) Jesus’ death by crucifixion; 2.) His burial in a tomb; and 3.) Various elements related to the resurrection itself. Continue reading →

03.15.15
by

Defending the Gospel of John

Sculpture of Jesus and the “Beloved Disciple,” John, early 14th century

Of all the gospel accounts, the Gospel According to John is the most controversial.  It stands apart from the three “synoptic” gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke.  John is more sophisticated theologically and contains some of the most beautifully-written verses in the New Testament.  It was, according to Christian tradition, written by the Apostle, John.  John was one of Jesus’ 12 original disciples, and is referred to as the “Beloved Disciple” of Christ.  This work is important not only because of its theological insights, but also because it supposedly reflects an eyewitness account of Jesus’ ministry and teachings. Continue reading →

02.15.15
by

The Problem That Isn’t

Saint Luke, James Tissot, Brooklyn Museum

Saint Luke by James Tissot, Brooklyn Museum: Luke was the author of the Gospel of Luke, as well as Acts of the Apostles.

Some critics have used the so-called “Synoptic Problem” to cast doubt on the traditional belief that the gospels were actually written by apostles and by close associates of apostles.  They also cite the Synoptic Problem to cast doubt on the reliability of early church historians, such as Papias, Eusebius, Origen, Ireneaus, and others, all of whom attest to the traditionally understood authorship of the gospels.  If the critics are right, then the gospels do not reflect eyewitness testimony regarding the teachings and actions of Jesus.

Any person who is interested in becoming a Christian—or any Christian who wants to defend the faith—needs to understand a few things related to all of this.  Continue reading →

01.20.15
by

Book Review: The Canon of the New Testament

Bruce Metzger

Bruce Metzger

This week’s post is a relatively short one.  It’s a quick review of Bruce Metzger’s, The Canon of the New Testament:  It’s Origin, Development, and Significance.  Published in 1997 and reprinted in 2009 by Oxford University Press, this book is a good resource (288 pages plus four appendices) for those who wonder how the New Testament came to include the 27 books that we know today.

Bruce Metzger (1914-2007) was a New Testament scholar and textual critic, expert in Greek, and a longtime professor at Princeton Theological Seminary.  Continue reading →

12.31.14
by

Newsweek Blows It

Jesus Wept by Jerry WorsterWhy is it that every year around Christmas and Easter, popular media outlets tend to run articles that are clearly designed to discredit and undermine the Christian faith?  I am all for challenging one’s beliefs, digging out the facts, and learning the truth about how and why one’s faith is what it is.  However, I am totally opposed to using outright lies and misinformation in the process. Continue reading →