Bart Ehrman on the Historical Jesus

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Your post is directly applicable to you "I hope you don't expect anyone to take these lies seriously."

You just keep using those grade-school arguments as if you expect them to be convincing. They are actually amusing, as they reveal that you have no argument.

Myself, I don't intend on going further with our discussion until you admit your failures and lies in this debate.
 
Your post is directly applicable to you "I hope you don't expect anyone to take these lies seriously."

No it isn't.

I'm not the one who has been boasting of their own dishonesty in these threads.

That's you.

Don't expect serious responses from anyone. You have shown that you won't give considered replies to others, so others have given up even trying to communicate sensibly with you.

Your participation in this debate is superfluous. Carry on if you must, but you have already been defeated.
 
Tim - I do not understand what you are trying to say in the above. Why do you think its’ indicating a real Jesus if extant copies of g-Mathew and g-Luke (which afaik, probably date from 4th century and later) say that Jesus was born in Bethlehem but that he did many things in a place called Galilee? Why is that indicative of Jesus being a real person?
You really do not understand, do you? You really do not know the significance of the Bethlehem birth story and why Matthew and Luke have to get him born there, though they go about it in two irreconcilably different ways? You really do not understand why the later Synoptics have to jump through such hoops, as TimCallahan says, to get a Galilean born in Bethlehem, a most improbable circumstance? And how the birth stories, absent from Mark and John, can't possibly be true? So if he has to be born in Bethlehem, it would suit Matthew and Luke better to state that he was really from Bethlehem, and always lived there. Why then do we keep getting told he was a Galilean? Is it because he really was one, and the evidence for that is ineluctable?

This is the sort of argument I offered earlier, in the post you won't read, about Jesus' baptism by John, another embarrassing story that the later gospels would like to omit, but they can't. Why can't they? Because it really happened? Can you see the force of arguments of that kind? They may be wrong, but they depend in no way on the assumption that the NT is infallible, or any such rubbish.

The Bethlehem clue, by the way, is in John 7:41-43
Others said, "He is the Messiah." Still others asked, "How can the Messiah come from Galilee? Does not the Scripture say that the Messiah will come from David's family and from Bethlehem, the town where David lived?" Thus the people were divided because of Jesus.
The Scripture that says it is Micah 5:2
But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are small among the clans of Judah, out of you will come for me one who will be ruler over Israel, whose origins are from of old, from ancient times.
Yet he is located in Galilee as John points out. Why? Well a very parsimonious way of explaining this is to suggest that a mythical Jesus was born in Bethlehem for ideological reasons, and the one resident in Galilee is a real one. Is that an insane idea? No. Does it depend on the infallibility of the gospels? No.
 
You just keep using those grade-school arguments as if you expect them to be convincing. They are actually amusing, as they reveal that you have no argument.

Myself, I don't intend on going further with our discussion until you admit I don't intend on going further with our discussion until you admit your failures and lies in this debate.[/ in this debate.

Your one and two sentence posts have no substance except your failures and lies in this debate

Please, that is your best option. I expected you to run away a long time ago.
 
Why then do we keep getting told he was a Galilean? Is it because he really was one, and the evidence for that is ineluctable?

It's a very real possibility. Another, of course, is that the story wall well-circulated already and they didn't think they could get away by changing the story so thoroughly.
 
Your one and two sentence posts have no substance except your failures and lies in this debate

Oh, so now it's three sentences or more ? You don't read any more than a few words in each post, anyway, so you'll forgive me if I don't believe for a second your lie that I need to make my posts longer. Doing so would only be a waste of time.

Please, that is your best option. I expected you to run away a long time ago.

I don't run away from liars, especially when I'm right and they have proven that they are wrong.

Now, are you planning on addressing your lie ?
 
You really do not understand, do you? You really do not know the significance of the Bethlehem birth story and why Matthew and Luke have to get him born there, though they go about it in two irreconcilably different ways? You really do not understand why the later Synoptics have to jump through such hoops, as TimCallahan says, to get a Galilean born in Bethlehem, a most improbable circumstance? And how the birth stories, absent from Mark and John, can't possibly be true? So if he has to be born in Bethlehem, it would suit Matthew and Luke better to state that he was really from Bethlehem, and always lived there. Why then do we keep getting told he was a Galilean? Is it because he really was one, and the evidence for that is ineluctable?

This is the sort of argument I offered earlier, in the post you won't read, about Jesus' baptism by John, another embarrassing story that the later gospels would like to omit, but they can't. Why can't they? Because it really happened? Can you see the force of arguments of that kind? They may be wrong, but they depend in no way on the assumption that the NT is infallible, or any such rubbish.

The Bethlehem clue, by the way, is in John 7:41-43 The Scripture that says it is Micah 5:2 Yet he is located in Galilee as John points out. Why? Well a very parsimonious way of explaining this is to suggest that a mythical Jesus was born in Bethlehem for ideological reasons, and the one resident in Galilee is a real one. Is that an insane idea? No. Does it depend on the infallibility of the gospels? No.



I'll wait and see if Tim has a more coherent and credible explanation than that thanks.
 
You really do not understand, do you? You really do not know the significance of the Bethlehem birth story and why Matthew and Luke have to get him born there, though they go about it in two irreconcilably different ways? You really do not understand why the later Synoptics have to jump through such hoops, as TimCallahan says, to get a Galilean born in Bethlehem, a most improbable circumstance? And how the birth stories, absent from Mark and John, can't possibly be true? So if he has to be born in Bethlehem, it would suit Matthew and Luke better to state that he was really from Bethlehem, and always lived there. Why then do we keep getting told he was a Galilean? Is it because he really was one, and the evidence for that is ineluctable?

Your reasoning lacks logic.

It is not claimed that President Obama was born in Chicago because he was a Senator of Chicago and lived there.

It is highly illogical to assume that all or any person was born where they lived. In the Jesus story, the Jesus character is merely identified by the location where he lived not by where he was born.

I am known by where I have lived--hardly anyone knows where I was born.

The author of the story is the one who tells about his character. You cannot change the story with your imaginination.

The authors specifically identified Bethlehem as the birth place of Jesus.

Jesus, conceived by a Ghost and a Virgin, was born in Bethlehem, then went to Egypt and afterwars lived in Nazareth in gMatthew.

Why are you assuming that the story is an historical account when the author clearly stated his Jesus was conceived by a Ghost and a Virgin??

Why, why, why??

In gLuke's Jesus was also born of a Ghost so I do not understand why you are assuming that BLATANT Ghost stories that were circulated by the ILLITERATE are historical accounts.

The Jesus story was propagated by the ILLITERATE in antiquity. It is not history just pure myth fables of the Son of God born in Bethlehem as predicted in so-called prophecies in the Septuagint.
 
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I'm not charging you with anything in this, so please, for the love of god man, chill out in the response....PLEASE!!

Now, Dejudge, I'm not against your idea that the Pauline corpus was entirely forged; even if Paul did exist, that is a possibility to examine.

But I wonder if you have an opinion on the possibility that the texts did exist because:
1) Early founders didn't know of them because they weren't as popular as the later Orthodox formation ended up holding them as.
or
2) Early founders considered them as far lesser texts, some possibly considering them apocrypha perhaps, and only considered them valuable as a secondary or tertiary reading source which did not hold great value to their theological constructs.

I ask this because many texts existed, but most were never cited by early commentators simply because the texts were sparse, considered of little integral value, considered to be not of agreement with the commentator's views, or considered to be apocrypha.

With an interest in POLITE and INFORMATIVE discussion, I ask these things and hope...good hell I hope...that you can return the favor and not see this as some attack you need to showboat and beat down and drum your chest over.

Can we do that please?
 
It's a very real possibility. Another, of course, is that the story wall well-circulated already and they didn't think they could get away by changing the story so thoroughly.
Yes, indeed. But why was such a non-messianic characteristic already well circulated if Jesus was pure invention? There are various possibilities, but one of these is that he really did exist, and really did live in Galilee. I never said the story definitely proved anything. We don't have certainty, or anything like it, I agree.
 
I'll wait and see if Tim has a more coherent and credible explanation than that thanks.
Again, you're not going to make any constructive comment, are you? Mere unsubstantiated disparagement, that's your policy when you have nothing to say. Silence is always best in that situation, however.
 
I'm not charging you with anything in this, so please, for the love of god man, chill out in the response....PLEASE!!

I did not come to this forum to chill out. I came to expose the abundance of logical fallacies and lack of knowledge of those who argue that there was an historical Jesus of Nazareth WITHOUT a shred of evidence from antiquity.

JaysonR said:
Now, Dejudge, I'm not against your idea that the Pauline corpus was entirely forged; even if Paul did exist, that is a possibility to examine.

My argument that the entire Pauline Corpus is a forgery is based on the evidence.

1. The author of the short gMark did not acknowledge any apostle called James the Lord's brother and did not acknowledge the Pauline post-resurrection story about the visits by the resurrected Jesus to over 500 PEOPLE plus the disciples and Paul.

2. The authors of gMatthew did not acknowledge any apostle called James the Lord's brother and did not acknowledge the Pauline post-resurrection story about the visits by the resurrected Jesus to over 500 PEOPLE plus the disciples and Paul.

3. The author of Acts did not acknowledge any Pauline letter up to at least c 62 CE when Festus was procurator of Judea.

4. c 117-138 CE, Aristides did not acknowledge Paul as the one who evangelized the Roman Empire but credited the 12 disciples of Jesus.

5. c 138-161 CE, Justin Martyr did not acknowledge Paul as an evangelist but attributed the spreading of the Gospel to ILLITERATES from Jerusalem and that it was the Memoirs of the Apostles [the Gospel] that was used in the Churches.

6. c 180 CE--Celsus wrote nothing about Paul in True Discourse according to Origen in Against Celsus.

7. c 180 CE, Theophilus of Antioch wrote nothing of Paul and the Pauline Corpus in "To Autolycus"

8. c 180 CE, Athenagoras of Antioch wrote nothing of Paul and the Pauline Corpus in "A Plea to the Christians".

9. c 180 CE, Ireanaeus claimed that the Gospel, the Elders of the Church and the disciples TAUGHT in the Churches that Jesus was crucified when he was FIFTY years c 50 CE which means Paul and the Pauline Corpus was unknown c 180 CE.

10. In the 2nd -3rd century Minucius Felix wrote nothing of Paul and the Pauline Corpus in "Octavius".

11. In the 3rd-4th century, Arnobius wrote nothing of Paul and the Pauline Corpus in "Against the Heathen".

12. In the 2nd-4th century, in the Muratorian Canon it is claimed the Pauline letters were composed AFTER Revelation by John.

JaysonR said:
... I wonder if you have an opinion on the possibility that the texts did exist because:
1) Early founders didn't know of them because they weren't as popular as the later Orthodox formation ended up holding them as.
or
2) Early founders considered them as far lesser texts, some possibly considering them apocrypha perhaps, and only considered them valuable as a secondary or tertiary reading source which did not hold great value to their theological constructs.

I ask this because many texts existed, but most were never cited by early commentators simply because the texts were sparse, considered of little integral value, considered to be not of agreement with the commentator's views, or considered to be apocrypha.

Please, name the texts which you KNOW existed but were never cited?

If the texts were never cited how could you possibly know that they existed?

Texts which did not exist could not be cited

In other words, you cannot argue that unknown TEXTS existed while admitting they were not mentioned.

My argument is not based on texts which I believe may have or may not have existed but on texts which are presently available.

Once it is understood that apologetic sources are riddled with forgeries and fiction then it cannot be assumed that texts did exist and that they were written at the time period as claimed by apologetics.

Now, my position on the possibility that Pauline letters existed pre 70 CE is less than zero or a smaller number since the sources that mention the Pauline Corpus are either fiction or forgeries.
 
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I did not come to this forum to chill out. I came to expose the abundance of logical fallacies and lack of knowledge of those who argue that there was an historical Jesus of Nazareth WITHOUT a shred of evidence from antiquity.



My argument that the entire Pauline Corpus is a forgery is based on the evidence.

1. The author of the short gMark did not acknowledge any apostle called James the Lord's brother and did not acknowledge the Pauline post-resurrection story about the visits by the resurrected Jesus to over 500 PEOPLE plus the disciples and Paul.

2. The authors of gMatthew did not acknowledge any apostle called James the Lord's brother and did not acknowledge the Pauline post-resurrection story about the visits by the resurrected Jesus to over 500 PEOPLE plus the disciples and Paul.

3. The author of Acts did not acknowledge any Pauline letter up to at least c 62 CE when Festus was procurator of Judea.

4. c 117-138 CE, Aristides did not acknowledge Paul as the one who evangelized the Roman Empire but credited the 12 disciples of Jesus.

5. c 138-161 CE, Justin Martyr did not acknowledge Paul as an evangelist but attributed the spreading of the Gospel to ILLITERATES from Jerusalem and that it was the Memoirs of the Apostles [the Gospel] that was used in the Churches.

6. c 180 CE--Celsus wrote nothing about Paul in True Discourse according to Origen in Against Celsus.

7. c 180 CE, Theophilus of Antioch wrote nothing of Paul and the Pauline Corpus in "To Autolycus"

8. c 180 CE, Athenagoras of Antioch wrote nothing of Paul and the Pauline Corpus in "A Plea to the Christians".

9. c 180 CE, Ireanaeus claimed that the Gospel, the Elders of the Church and the disciples TAUGHT in the Churches that Jesus was crucified when he was FIFTY years c 50 CE which means Paul and the Pauline Corpus was unknown c 180 CE.

10. In the 2nd -3rd century Minucius Felix wrote nothing of Paul and the Pauline Corpus in "Octavius".

11. In the 3rd-4th century, Arnobius wrote nothing of Paul and the Pauline Corpus in "Against the Heathen".

12. In the 2nd-4th century, in the Muratorian Canon it is claimed the Pauline letters were composed AFTER Revelation by John.



Please, name the texts which you KNOW existed but were never cited?

If the texts were never cited how could you possibly know that they existed?

Texts which did not exist could not be cited

In other words, you cannot argue that unknown TEXTS existed while admitting they were not mentioned.

My argument is not based on texts which I believe may have or may not have existed but on texts which are presently available.

Once it is understood that apologetic sources are riddled with forgeries and fiction then it cannot be assumed that texts did exist and that they were written at the time period as claimed by apologetics.

Now, my position on the possibility that Pauline letters existed pre 70 CE is less than zero or a smaller number since the sources that mention the Pauline Corpus are either fiction or forgeries.

You are wasting your time if you expect anyone to take your nonsense seriously.
 
... In gLuke's Jesus was also born of a Ghost so I do not understand why you are assuming that BLATANT Ghost stories that were circulated by the ILLITERATE are historical accounts.
I said the miracle birth tale was definitely not a historical account, but never mind.
The Jesus story was propagated by the ILLITERATE in antiquity. It is not history just pure myth fables of the Son of God born in Bethlehem as predicted in so-called prophecies in the Septuagint.
Absolutely. That's exactly what I said. But Septuagint? The Micah text is not in MT, only in LXX? Are you saying that? Bethlehem is not mentioned in MT Micah? I didn't know that. See http://jfisher777.blogspot.co.uk/2013/02/matthew-26-and-micah-52.html
... it might be worthwhile to look at the Hebrew of the Masoretic Text: And you Bethlehem Ephratah, little to be in the thousands of Judah, from you to me will go to be ruler in Israel, and his going forth from long ago days of forever.
Perhaps you don't mean Bethlehem is not in MT Micah, however. Perhaps you really mean the LXX "Virgin" mistranslation in Isaiah 7:14, but have got muddled and confused that with the Bethlehem reference. Isaiah 7 says nothing about Bethlehem of course, and it's specifically Jesus' birthplace we're talking about here.
 
I'll wait and see if Tim has a more coherent and credible explanation than that thanks.

I enjoy your sense of humor.

You want us to see how Myths are made.

Craig B's Myth fable about where his Jesus was born was not impressive.
 
I enjoy your sense of humor.

You want us to see how Myths are made.

Craig B's Myth fable about where his Jesus was born was not impressive.
Saying things are not coherent or credible without explaining why; that was an example of IanS's humour, was it? Dear Heaven!
 
I said the miracle birth tale was definitely not a historical account, but never mind.

Well, why are you trying to invent fables from your imagination for the birth place of Jesus the Son of the Ghost?

Why are you attempting to historicise the Ghost story and do so WITHOUT a shred of evidence?

Please, tell me where, and what source from antiquity states Jesus of Nazareth was born in Galilee?

There is no source.

You are a modern Myth Maker who is attempting to historicise Ghost stories of antiquity that were propagated by the ILLITERATE.

I have a source that state ILLITERATES spread the Gospel to the world ---See Justin's First Apology.

You have NOTHING to show that your Jesus was born in Galilee--you are a Myth maker.


Justin's First Apology
For from Jerusalem there went out into the world, men, twelve in number, and these illiterate, of no ability in speaking: but by the power of God they proclaimed to every race of men that they were sent by Christ to teach to all the word of God
 
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Well, why are you trying to invent fables from your imagination for the birth place of Jesus the Son of the Ghost? Why are you attempting to historicise the Ghost story and do so WITHOUT a shred of evidence?
On the contrary, I've denied it and shown why I think it's not true.
Please, tell me where, and what source from antiquity states Jesus of Nazareth was born in Galilee?
Never said by me. I gave my reasons for denying the Bethlehem story, and noted that the Gospels make him a resident of Galilee.
You are a modern Myth Maker who is attempting to historicise Ghost stories of antiquity that were propagated by the ILLITERATE.
As just stated, but I'll repeat it as often as you want: I deny these stories and give my reasons for doing so.
You have NOTHING to show that your Jesus was born in Galilee--you are a Myth maker.
As I have just stated ... Oh, what's the point? It's déjà vu all over again!
 
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