The third edition of Historical Accuracy must get challenged by the writings of M. David Litwa.
Did these early geniuses write about a Jesus of the late 20s/early 30s?

And Marselina?
Trained by Carpocrates who led a Carpocratian movment, a Christian church.

David Litwa
“I wish Marcion could have gone to Alexandria.”

= = = =

M. David Litwa’s video “Early Christianity in Alexandria” is being shared on my facebook page: The Greatest Bible Study in Historical Accuracy by Steefen.

So after being at ehrmanblog.org since 2012 – 2025, spending 6 months to a year with David Litwa’s youtube channel is what I want to do so there will be a third edition of Historical Accuracy or at least a third publication, depending on the input of publishing professionals negotiate with me.

Let’s see how things go with this plan of mine.

Robert
Steefen, you’ve exceeded the number of threads you can start in a week.

@Robert
What are the threads I started this week beginning when?
What are the threads I started this week beginning when?

Robert
I can give you retrospective permission to have an extra thread, but I would want to be assured that you will be more attentive to the rules moving forward.

Steefen
I’ve posted the topic on The Greatest Bible Study in Historical Accuracy by Steefen Facebook page.

Colin has
Colin’s Off-Topic or Otherwise Distracting Posts

Let me know if I can have
Steefen’s Threads over 3x a week

1st choice
I would prefer your suggestion especially since there was a question directed to you in it.

2nd choice
Make it public at the beginning of the start of next week.

3rd choice
“Steefen’s threads over 3x a week

Answering here because I cannot answer at the thread in question.

Which disciples of Jesus went to Alexandria?

Google:

According to tradition, Mark the Evangelist is the disciple most associated with Alexandria. He is credited with founding the first Christian church in Alexandria and becoming its first bishop. While other figures like Apollos and possibly Barnabas also had connections to the city, Mark’s role is the most prominent in establishing Christianity there.
Here’s a more detailed look:

Mark:
The Coptic Orthodox Church of Alexandria considers Mark the founder of their church and tradition holds that he was martyred in Alexandria. He is believed to have arrived in Alexandria around 49 AD and stayed for 19 years, establishing the church and spreading the Christian message.

Apollos:
Acts 18:24-28 mentions Apollos, a Jewish Christian from Alexandria, who was a skilled speaker and knowledgeable in the scriptures. He later traveled to Ephesus and Corinth, playing a role in the early Christian communities there. While Apollos was from Alexandria, there’s no specific tradition of him traveling with other disciples to the city, but he is known for his ministry there and elsewhere.

Barnabas:
Some traditions suggest that Barnabas also visited Alexandria, possibly sent by Peter to preach the gospel there. However, the evidence for this is less conclusive than for Mark’s presence.

= = =

Steefen:
Forum Members,

Does anyone have anything to add to what Google has answered?

Does everyone agree with tradition?
Does Bart, to your knowledge agree with tradition?

Thank you.

Litwa continued

a new way of thinking about Early Christianity in which
Orthodox Mythology was not allowed to dominate
The Apostles’ Creed was not preached from Day 1. Heresies did not follow from this.

There was no Consensus Model. There was a Conflict Model of Early Christianity.

In Early Christianity, there was no: I’m an orthodox Christian and another person would say I’m a heretic.

Steefen
(chuckle)

Litwa:
I’m expanding on Bauer and I’m using terms more neutral than heresy and orthodoxy.

In Alexandria, no one was clearly in the lead and no one knows how the story ends.

Steefen
(I would think the community/church led by Mark, Apollos, Barnabas would be in the lead.)

Litwa:
We should not tell the story from the view of the winners.

Jason / Lord Sobek (He?him) of YouTube Channel Restitutor Quadrangularis:
Start with Philo [since he was in Alexandria in the 1st century].

Steefen:
Wait!
Wikipedia says he was born 20 BCE and died 50 CE. So that is age 70.

Litwa:
[Philo] was doing things intellectually that Christians did a hundred years later.
It takes Christians a long time to get to the sophistication of Philo but they eventually do.

Steefen:
So, I see that the Synoptics aren’t as Greek as John and Acts of the Apostles.

Litwa:
After 117 CE, the Jews had lost their intellectual stronghold on the cultural scene.

Jason / Lord Sobek
Speaking of Alexandrian Philosophy, Intellectual Prowess and Currents, let’s go from Philo to Apollos.
How is Apollos portrayed in 1 Corintians vs. Acts.

Litwa:
Christianity chose to remember Apollos but subordinate to Paul.

Apollos was stronger than Paul in some ways. Apollos was of a higher caliber than Paul.
Paul was mid-grade while Apollos was stronger, intellectually.

Christian theology was being invented at the time.

Steefen:
Wait. Wikipedia only says he was born in the 1st century CE and died in the 1st century C.E.

Litwa:
Apollos was very sophisticated in the mid-1st century: complex thoughts about the resurrection, wisdom, secrecy.
So Paul becomes a mystagogue (A person who initiates others into mystic beliefs, and an educator or person who has knowledge of the sacred mysteries of a belief system.) Paul becomes a philosopher of the resurrection but Apollos was the philosopher first.

I have a 2-part video on my youtube channel.

Steefen:
Forum Members,

Does anyone have anything to add?

Does everyone agree?

Does Bart, to your knowledge agree?

Thank you.

Steefen:
I have no notes on Who Was Apollos? Part II because I did not find it important.

Paul and Apollos were not evangelizing current Jewish history or a biography, they were evangelizing meanings of Christ.

What is interesting to me is that Philo of Alexandria and Apollos of Alexandria came before Gospel of John but we do not see the mindset of Apollos in the Gospel of Mark.

= = =

Forum Members,

Does anyone have anything to add?

Thank you,
Steefen

= = =

I have something to add.

1 Corinthians Chapter 3, verse 6

“I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the increase.”

Apollos was not a follower of Paul.

Second, Jesus’ biography is an afterthought to both who cared more about their Platonic or Stoic worldview.

Apollos seems to have learned about John the Baptist and Jesus through Oral Tradition but before Jesus’ last week. Priscilla and Aquila taught him about the meaning of Christ’s death.

Even though Apollos was eloquent, there are no surviving documents or letters authored by Apollos. It is possible that he wrote the Epistle to the Hebrews but no ancient source attributes Hebrews to Apollos.

Acts 18: 24
Now a certain Jew named Apollos, an Alexandrian by race, an eloquent man,
came to Ephesus.
He was mighty in the Scriptures.

vs 25
He had been instructed in the way of the Lord, and he spoke with great fervor and taught about Jesus accurately, though he knew only the baptism of John.

vs 26
He began to speak boldly in the synagogue. When Priscilla and Aquila heard him, they invited him to their home and explained to him the way of God more adequately. // Priscilla and Aquila were associates of Paul.

vs 27
When Apollos wanted to go to Achaia, the brothers and sisters encouraged him and wrote to the disciples there to welcome him. When he arrived, he was a great help to those who by grace had believed.

vs 28
For he vigorously refuted his Jewish opponents in public debate, proving from the Scriptures that Jesus was the Messiah.

Acts 19: 1
While Apollos was at Corinth, Paul was in Ephesus. [What happened at Ephesus?]

vs 3
Paul asked, “Then what baptism did you receive?” “John’s baptism {the baptism of John the Baptist],” they replied.

vs 4
Paul said, “John’s baptism was a baptism of repentance.

vs 5 & 6
They (`12 men) were baptized again, in the name of the Lord Jesus. This time they did receive the Holy Spirit: spoke in tongues and prophesied.

v 8-10
Paul went to the synagogue and spoke persuasively for 3 months but some people were not convinced. So he left the synagogue and went to the lecture hall of Tyrannus for 2 yrs.

v21
Then Paul went to Jerusalem via Macedonia and Achaia

= = = = =
Paul wanted Apollos, as a brother in Christ, to come to Corinth, but that was not the desire of Apollos.

= = = = =

Litwa
We do not know where Apollos first encountered the lure about Jesus.

Apollos learned about the Way in Alexandria. – Metzger and Litwa

Apollos was from Alexandria
Paul from Tarsus
Aquila is from Pontus (a little claim to fame, a cultural backwater)

Steefen
So Apollos, though taught by Aquila, had more prestige than Aquila and Priscilla.

= = =

So what I’m getting at is this:

Apollos knew of Jesus and John the Baptist by Oral Tradition but did not know about Holy Week and Paul’s conversion.

Apollos knew of Jesus and John the Baptist by Oral Tradition but did not know about Holy Week and Paul’s conversion.

Well, the rest of Oral Tradition should have made it to Apollos in Alexandria, too.

It seems Mark made it to Alexandria after Apollos left Alexandria.

Still, I am not convinced the New Testament is legit or just the Mark to Alexandria tradition is legit.

Mark becomes bishop of Alexandria and Alexandrian Philosophy/Christology does not show up in the gospel of Mark ? ? ?