A Reconciliation of the 4 Empty Tomb Accounts in the Gospels

Some have claimed that Jesus' empty tomb accounts by Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John are contradictory and impossible to reconcile. Yet such claims are riddled with underlying assumptions that are not given in the text, such as the women visited the empty tomb only once or they traveled in a pack and never separated from …

“Fishers of People” or “Fishers of Men?” Problems with the Gender-Neutral NRSV Bible.

In 1989, a group of academics and church leaders decided to rewrite and update English translations of the Bible with the New Revised Standard Version (NRSV). According to the National Council of Churches, this translation is a revision of the 1971 “Revised Standard Version,” which is a revision of the 1901 “American Standard Version,” which …

Internal Evidence for John, the Disciple Whom Jesus Loved & Gospel Author

Who wrote the Gospel according to John? Many scholars believe the author is John, the brother of James and son of Zebedee, who was a fisherman who initially encountered Jesus in Matthew 4:21-22. Significant internal evidence supports this assertion. This intention of this blog is to provide this evidence, which should help to refute faulty …

When and By Whom Were the Gospels Written?

Skeptics often call into question the dating of the Gospels, making the claim that they were written by “anonymous” authors “decades” or even “centuries” after Jesus was crucified. Yet we have much evidence to discount such assertions. Anonymous authors The names of the Gospels to whom the Gospels are attributed include two apostles (Matthew and …

Are the Synoptics in Conflict with John on Jesus’ Crucifixion Timing? No! Sorry Bart Ehrman…

I recently listened to a debate between Bart Ehrman and Mike Licona where Ehrman claimed the Synoptic Gospels contradict the Gospel of John on the timing of Jesus' crucifixion. He is incorrect, so below I have explained why. I have also made this response into a video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h-DWEwfb_Q0&t=51s. It was a dark day when Jesus …

Bart Ehrman’s Blunders in His Debate with Mike Licona

I listened to a debate between Bart Ehrman and Mike Licona where Ehrman cited what he considered to be Bible contradictions and in several cases, Licona seemed to agree with him. Both questioned the dating of Quirinius' census, which is reported in Luke's gospel. Licona did say that scholars have offered some solutions, yet he …

Bart Ehrman’s Biblical Blunders on “Unbelievable” with Justin Brierley

On October 25, 2019, I listened to Peter Williams and Bart Ehrman on a podcast on the “Unbelievable” YouTube channel of Jason Brierley entitled “The Story of Jesus: Are the Gospels Historically Reliable?” I found the podcast interesting, yet noted numerous contradictions within Ehrman’s own assertions. You can access the podcast here: https://youtu.be/ZuZPPGvF_2I Access my …

Did the Author of Mark NOT Believe in Jesus’ Divinity?

The original version of the Gospel of Mark may have ended at Mark 16:8. This point is not disputed by Christians as multiple versions in English of Mark’s Gospel explicitly state that the earliest manuscripts and some other ancient witnesses do not have verses 9-20. Atheists use this point to claim the author of Mark …