A Christian Response by Stephen J. Bedard
When we discuss the Jesus Myth Theory, the idea that Jesus was not a historical figure but is a fictional character based on pagan god-men and heroes, there is one question that rises above the others. Did the earliest Christians believe that Jesus was a historical figure or that he was a myth? How Bad … Read More “What Did the Earliest Christians Believe About Jesus?” »
It is not just that I have intellectual disagreements with the Jesus Myth Theory. There are things about it that really bug me. There are two things in particular that really get under my skin. In this video and podcast I share what really bugs me about this theory.
When looking for evidence for the historical Jesus, it is natural for us to look at what Romans were saying at the beginning of the second century. What did Suetonius, Pliny the Younger and Tacitus say? And how helpful is if for building the case for the historical Jesus. Support this podcast through Patreon or by downloading … Read More “Jesus and the Roman Historians” »
Did the Apostle Paul believe in the historical Jesus? Or did he only believe in a heavenly being or symbol? In this episode, I look at the evidence in Paul’s letters. Part of this episode is based on article, You can support the podcast through Patreon or through Audible.
I recently came across a post called The Gospels are Unreliable and the Gospel Jesus is Not a Historical Person on a blog named Naturalist Philosophy. The author of the blog does not provide their name but seems to be well educated. The author may be well read in philosophy but the post makes a … Read More “The Gospels Are Reliable and the Gospel Jesus is a Historical Person” »
Is there any evidence for the historical Jesus? What about the Gospels? Can they be used as historical sources? This episode looks at these questions. Books Mentioned in This Episode: What Are the Gospels? Quest of the Historical Jesus Relevant Posts: The Dirty Little Secret About Dating the Gospels
Philo of Alexandria lived between 20 BC and 50 AD, meaning all of Jesus’ life was within his lifetime. Philo was also a Jewish writer who left behind more first century writings than any other Jew. So why didn’t Philo mention Jesus? For some Mythicists this is a major nail in the coffin of the … Read More “3 Reasons Why Philo Never Mentioned Jesus” »
One of the arguments by Mythicists against using the New Testament as historical evidence for Jesus is that is Scripture for a living religion. Scripture (of any religion) cannot be used as a historical source. Or can it? This is related to the idea of the New Testament being too biased. Ignatius and Clement of … Read More “Can Scripture Be a Valid Historical Source?” »
One of the disagreements between most scholars and Mythicists is about how appropriate it is to use the Gospels as evidence for the historical Jesus. The problem, according to Mythicists, is that the Gospels are obviously biased. They are not unbiased historians or biographers. John 20:31 makes it clear: “But these are written that you … Read More “Aren’t the Gospels Too Biased?” »
Are Christians even able to do historical Jesus studies? After all, Christians have a religious commitment to Jesus and so their scholarship will be “tainted” by their faith. Bias is a real thing and we should be aware of it. But let me turn this around. Can a Jesus Mythicist do historical Jesus studies? Aren’t … Read More “Can Christians Do Historical Jesus Studies?” »
