Can the New Testament documents be trusted? Do the Gospels accurately report what Jesus said and did? In this presentation, I investigate the historical data bearing on the dating of the New Testament documents, and ask whether there is good reason to think the four canonical gospels are written by the individuals with whom they are traditionally associated, and whether they … [Read more...]
Convince Me There’s A God – Archaeology 20
If you were fortunate enough to be able to visit The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City the last few months of 2014, you could have visited the amazing exhibition titled – “Assyria to Iberia at the Dawn of the Classical Age.” One of the extraordinary archaeological objects available to view was the House of David Stele from the 9th century BC. The year was 1993 AD. … [Read more...]
Answering Jewish Objections: “Jewish People Don’t Believe in a Suffering/Atoning Messiah”: Part Four
This is our final post in our series on Answering Jewish Objections: “Jewish People Don’t Believe in a Suffering/Atoning Messiah." See Part One, Two, and Three. Here are some more rabbinical sources: Messiah of Justice [Meshiah Tsidenu], though we are Thy forebears. Thou are greater than we because Thou didst bear the burden of our children’s sins and our great opresssions … [Read more...]
The Mysterious Magi of Matthew 2, Part One.
In chapter two of the gospel according to Matthew, we read that magi (Zoroastrian priests of the ancient Medes and Persians1) studied the stars, and upon seeing a particular astrological phenomenon, left their homeland and set off for Israel to worship the “new born king of the Jews.” The story has been derided as legend by Bible critics as a fanciful birth legend, invented … [Read more...]
Convince Me There’s A God – Archaeology 19
“Now the Lord said to Joshua: ‘Do not be afraid, nor be dismayed; take all the people of war with you, and arise, go up to Ai. See, I have given into your hand the king of Ai, his people, his city, and his land. And you shall do to Ai and its king as you did to Jericho and its king.’" Joshua 8:1-2 Investigating what the Bible claims Joshua and the army of Israel did in Canaan … [Read more...]
Was Jesus Born in a Stable?
Nativity scenes dotting the coffee tables of most Christian homes or the brightly lit lawns of churches display the holy family gathered in a stable beside a lowly ox and a few sheep. Most people probably assume this stems from Luke 2:7, which reads: “And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no … [Read more...]
Answering Jewish Objections: “Jewish People Don’t Believe in a Suffering/Atoning Messiah”: Part Three
This is the third part in our series. To see Part One, click here. To see Part Two, click here. Remember the following: Targums are the Aramaic Translations of the Jewish Scriptures (The Tanakh), that were read in the synagogues on the Sabbath and on feast or fast days. Scholars usually assume the Targums were … [Read more...]
Convince Me There’s A God – Archaeology 18
“And Joshua said to the people, ‘Sanctify yourselves, for tomorrow the Lord will do wonders among you.” Joshua 3:5 Here we go again with the supernatural. Atheists don’t believe in the supernatural, so it’s time to close the book. But I didn’t close the book – I kept reading. This series, Convince Me There’s A God, is my answer to questions atheists have been asking me for … [Read more...]
Answering Jewish Objections: “Jewish People Don’t Believe in a Suffering/Atoning Messiah”: Part Two
To See Part One, Click Here Peter uses Old Testament prophecy in Acts 3:18, where he declares: “But what God foretold by the mouth of all the prophets, that this Christ should suffer, he thus fulfilled.” Where in the prophets are we told that God’s “Christ (or Messiah) should suffer”? Isaiah 53 is probably what Peter is alluding to. Probably the most explicit case for Isaiah … [Read more...]
Answering Jewish Objections: “Jewish People Don’t Believe in a Suffering/Atoning Messiah”: Part One
Introduction Over the years, I have had the chance to talk to several Jewish people about spiritual issues. A common Jewish objection that I continue to hear is that Jewish people don’t believe that a human can be sacrificed for sins. In other words, a human can’t atone for the sins of the Jewish people. First, let me give some background to the idea of atonement in Judaism. … [Read more...]