Page 106 – The Bart Ehrman Blog

How Manuscripts Matter for Knowing What an Author Wrote

In this thread I am addressing the question several readers have asked me about: if I think that the Christ poem of Philippians 2:6-10 is not something Paul himself wrote (as I have argued; see for example https://ehrmanblog.org/how-ancient-is-the-idea-of-christs-incarnation/), but has been quoted by him from some other text, why not just think a scribe inserted it into Philippians? That is, maybe it wasn't in the letter in the first place; why not thing a scribe stuck it in after the letter was placed in circulation? It's an extremely important issue. If the passage (or any other passage) was not originally in the letter, then we don't know if it represents what Paul himself thought; moreover, we can't know when the ideas of the inserted passage originally appeared -- an important issue when trying to figure out how quickly Christians developed their theological views. Did Christians think of Jesus as a pre-existent divine being already in the 50s CE? Or was it not until 100 CE or so? Etc. I have differentiated between "textual variants" and [...]

BDEhrman2025-09-10T12:48:20-04:00March 9th, 2020|New Testament Manuscripts, Reader’s Questions|

Intimate Relationships: Nonbelievers and Believers

Over the past couple of months I’ve received maybe seven or eight emails from readers – some on the blog and others not – about marriage (two in the past 24 hours). Not about what the New Testament says about marriage, but about what these emailers should do with *their* marriage. Each of these was married to someone who was a faithful, committed, religiously conservative Christian of one kind or another (evangelical, Catholic, Mormon), but the emailer had, a while back, moved away from their earlier faith commitments, and now considered themselves agnostic or atheist or both, and weren’t sure how to handle it the marriage situation. In some cases the question was: should I tell my spouse? In others it was: how can this work? In others it was: how can I convince them that their views are full of problems and help them see the truth? I am not a marriage counsellor, as some of you may have noticed. But I do have a lot of experience with questions like this, and have [...]

BDEhrman2025-09-10T12:48:20-04:00March 8th, 2020|Public Forum, Reader’s Questions, Reflections and Ruminations|

What Did Ancient People Think (a) God Was?

A number of people have asked me how anyone could imagine a human being or becoming God in the ancient world, based on my claims that for Paul and other early Christian writers Jesus was a divine human. But if he was human, how could he be God? To answer that I have to stress a point I made repeatedly in my book How Jesus Became God. Anyone who wants to say that “Jesus is God” according to an early Christian text, has to explain “in what *sense*” is he God? Now is a good time for me to lay out how again how ancient people understood the divine realm. It was very different from the way most people today do – at least the people I run across. People today think of God as completely Other than us humans. We are mortal and limited in every respect; he is immortal and unlimited. He is all-powerful, all-knowing, and everywhere-present. We are by comparison weak, ignorant, and in one place at a time. He is infinite [...]

BDEhrman2025-09-10T12:48:20-04:00March 6th, 2020|Book Discussions, Early Christian Doctrine, Greco-Roman Religions and Culture|

How Can You Tell If the Text Has Been CHANGED?

There are some passages in the New Testament that have been either added or omitted by scribes in the process of copying them. This is not some kind of “opinion.” It is a fact. In know full well that there are always readers who have said: “Scribes would never do that! This was the Word of God for them!” The logic in this objection is that anyone who held the Bible to be a holy book would not change it. Hey, think about the Jewish scribes in the Middle Ages with the Torah, or the Muslim scribes from as far back as we can go with the Qur’an! Scribes don’t change the texts they are copying if they think they are straight from God! It’s an intriguing argument – I hear it on occasion -- but I’m afraid it is based on complete ignorance. In reality, it is an undeniable fact that scribes sometimes omitted or added to the texts of the NT, whether we are talking about a a word, a phrase, a sentence, [...]

BDEhrman2025-09-10T12:48:20-04:00March 4th, 2020|New Testament Manuscripts|

Maybe the Passage wasn’t “Original”!!

How do we know if a passage in the New Testament was “originally” in the New Testament? Scholars are widely agreed, for example (there is not a whole lot of serious debate about the matter) that the appearances of Jesus after his resurrection at the end of Mark’s Gospel (the last twelve verses of Mark 16) were not originally there. The Gospel ends with the announcement that he has been raised and will meet his disciples in Galilee (so that, contrary to what a lot of people say – there definitely *is* a resurrection in Mark); but no one sees him. That makes Mark very different from the other Gospels. So too the famous story of the woman taken in adultery in John 7:53-8:11 – arguably the most famous story from the life of Jesus in the entire New Testament, but almost certainly not originally there. It was added later. So how ‘bout *other* passages? How can we know? I’m addressing this question because ... At the end of this post I explain why it [...]

BDEhrman2025-09-10T12:48:19-04:00March 3rd, 2020|New Testament Manuscripts, Paul and His Letters|

Paul’s Incredibly High Christology

I have been trying to explain the unusually important statement about Christ in Paul's "Christ Poem" in Phil. 2:6-10. It's an extremely high Christology. Christ is a divine being before coming into the world; and at his exaltation he was made *equal* with God. Wow. Just 20 years earlier Jesus was a virtually unknown peasant with a few followers in a remote part of rural Galilee. Now he's equal to the Lord God Almighty?? How did *that* happen??? That, of course, is the topic of my book How Jesus Became God. I try to explain how it happened. In the book I talk about other passages in Paul that have similarly remarkable things to say about Christ. Here is how i discuss it there. (I do refer back to some of my earlier discussions in the book here -- e.g., about how some Jews thought of another power being on God's level; I can post some of those too if anyone is interested.) *********************************************************************** Other Passages in Paul The incarnational Christology that lies behind the [...]

BDEhrman2025-09-10T12:48:19-04:00March 2nd, 2020|Early Christian Doctrine, Paul and His Letters|

Authors and the Fiasco of Book Tours

With the advent of social media, author book tours have more or less gone the way of the stegosaurus. Some authors do them, but mainly only the celebrities, Hilary or David Sedaris. And you might be surprised to know that most authors think their demise is a very good thing. A book tour sounds exotic – at least it always did to me: “An Eleven-City National Book Tour!!!” How good can it get? Well, actually, it can get a lot better… Let me preface this by saying that right now is an absolutely awful time to be publishing a book, the worst time in recorded history (well, OK, in my recorded history). The only way to sell a book seriously is to get serious media attention. That means TV, radio, and front covers. But at this stage of human evolution, if your name is not Donald, Bernie, or Corona, it just ain’t gonna happen. The media can’t squeeze it all in, and books are at the bottom of the heap. Even if your book is [...]

BDEhrman2025-09-10T12:48:19-04:00March 1st, 2020|Book Discussions, Public Forum, Reflections and Ruminations|

A Fuller Exposition of the Christ Poem in Philippians

I’ve been talking about the Christ poem in Philippians 2:6-10, and given some keys to it’s interpretation. If you are new to the discussion, here is the poem itself, about “Jesus Christ…. Who, although he was in the form of God Did not regard being equal with God Something to be grasped after. But he emptied himself Taking on the form of a slave, And coming in the likeness of humans. And being found in appearance as a human He humbled himself Becoming obedient unto death – even death on a cross. Therefore God highly exalted him And bestowed on him the name That is above every name. That at the name of Jesus Every knee should bow Of those in heaven, and on earth, and under the earth. And every tongue confess That Jesus Christ is Lord To the glory of God the Father. I’ve said some things about it’s interpretation, but here I want to give a fuller explication of its meaning. I’ve drawn this from my book How Jesus Became God [...]

BDEhrman2026-04-24T10:38:49-04:00February 28th, 2020|Early Christian Doctrine, Paul and His Letters|

Brief Video Promotion of Heaven and Hell

I finally have my grubby paws on a copy of my new book Heaven and Hell: A History of the Afterlife. Looks great, I'm really pleased. It will not be available publicly until the publication date of March 31. But in preparation, my publisher Simon & Schuster has had me do a brief video promotion of it, taped in their studio in New York. In it they ask me five key questions that I address in the book (among the many many!) -- just to give a taste of the sorts of things I deal with there. Here is the promo, for your viewing interest! Please adjust gear icon for 1080p High-Definition:

BDEhrman2025-09-10T12:48:18-04:00February 26th, 2020|Book Discussions, Video Media|

Did Paul Think Jesus Was a New Adam, Not a Divine Being?

In my last post I started talking about Paul’s “understanding of Christ” – that is, his Christology. It will take several posts to fill out the picture, and in this one I need to return to the Christ Poem that I talked about last week, expanding my discussion of it from what I said then. Just so you don’t have to flip back through to find the former post, here is what the poem says, set in poetic lines. It comes from Phil 2:5-7. It is introduced by Paul’s exhortation to his readers to “Have this mind in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus”: And then he says Who, although he was in the form of God Did not regard being equal with God Something to be grasped after. But he emptied himself Taking on the form of a slave, And coming in the likeness of humans. And being found in appearance as a human He humbled himself Becoming obedient unto death – even death on a cross. Therefore God highly exalted him [...]

BDEhrman2025-09-10T12:48:19-04:00February 25th, 2020|Early Christian Doctrine, Paul and His Letters|

Was Christ an Angel, According to Paul?

I have received a number of comments and questions on last week’s about Paul’s understanding of who Christ was, based especially on the key passage called the “Christ Poem” in Philippians 2:6-11. An intriguing passage! But very puzzling in light of what Paul says elsewhere about Christ, as readers have pointed out, and asked about. So I thought I should return to the matter and lay out how I understand Paul’s “Christology” – his “understanding of Christ.” I talked about it at length in my book How Jesus Became God, and have dealt with it on the blog on occasion. But here I want to address it head on. To make sense of my comments it is important to remember two sets of terms that scholars have long used for early understandings of Christ. A “low Christology is one that understands Christ primarily as a HUMAN who somehow and in some way became divine. A “high” Christology is one that understands him primarily as GOD in some sense from before his birth. [...]

BDEhrman2025-09-10T12:48:19-04:00February 24th, 2020|Early Christian Doctrine, Paul and His Letters|

Fund-Raising Blog Dinner on March 13, Washington D.C.

On March 13, I will be holding a fund-raising dinner for the blog in Washington DC from 7:00 - 9:00 pm.. It will be at a nice restaurant to be named later (either the Bistro Bis at the Kimpton Hotel George or somewhere near by). We will have a maximum of seven places at the table (along with me, making eight). For the fund-raising: the event is $200 per plate, the money to be donated directly to the blog. Each person will also pay for his or her own meal. There will be no set agenda for the dinner. It will be a chance to get to meet each other and talk about matters of mutual interest and importance, especially as they relate to the blog –anything connected, even remotely, with the New Testament and early Christianity. The basic idea is that you will be able to pick my brain at will, and I may pick yours. We did a similar event in December in Durham, and a good time was had by all. Or [...]

BDEhrman2025-09-10T12:48:19-04:00February 23rd, 2020|Public Forum|

Buddhist Interview Questions on Suffering

Here is the final bit of my interview with the South Korean Buddhist editors The Monthly YangWoo Magazine 3/2020. Not surprisingly they were particularly interested in my views of why there is suffering in the world. As you know, that is a central component of Buddhist thought. I know many people who find Buddhist approaches highly satisfying; many others who simply do not think that way. My own writings about suffering – especially my book God’s Problem -- have all been connected in one way or another with the western tradition, rooted in both Judaism and Christianity, especially as these are seen in the Bible itself. I make no qualms about the fact that these are the traditions I resonate with. I do not think that is either good or bad, in part because I do not believe it is *possible* to have a neutral position on important questions – any important question (arguably any question at all!). Even if you try. And even if you claim you do have a neutral position. And so [...]

BDEhrman2025-09-10T12:48:19-04:00February 21st, 2020|Reader’s Questions|

More Buddhist Questions on the Bible

I continue now with the interview I did with the Buddhist editors of the Korean magazine: The Monthly YangWoo Magazine 3/2020. They had some interesting questions, as outsiders to Christianity but who see Christian churches, pastors, and believers in their environment, and they wanted my opinion as someone who knows the Christian world but is not longer committed to it. This will be the second of three posts. Q5. We feel that some of the paragraphs in the Bible are correct and some of them are not. Moreover, we feel priests and/or pastors, who know and don't know the facts mentioned above, provide incorrect and non-reasonable opinions and sermons about the Bible to Christians and others. And the reason they do so is only to pursue their own profits by blinding their followers' eyes and ears. For example, Martin Luther who is famously known as a religion reformer said “Reason is the greatest enemy that faith has. Reason should be destroyed in all Christians. Reason is the Devil's greatest whore.” What do you think [...]

BDEhrman2025-09-10T12:48:19-04:00February 20th, 2020|Reader’s Questions|

Great Deal on My New Book!!

Are you interested in pre-ordering my new book: Heaven and Hell: A History of the Afterlife? Here's a fantastic deal. As you may know, I have done eight courses over the years with the Great Courses (starting back when they were called The Teaching Company!). If you pre-order the book (or have already done so), you can receive an 80% discount on any of them. That's a pretty rippin' serious discount. Just click on this address. https://simonandschusterpublishing.com/heavenandhell The Great Courses I've done over the years. The New Testament The Historical Jesus Lost Christianities: Christian Scriptures and the Battles over Authentication From Jesus to Constantine: A History of Early Christianity The History of the Bible: The Making of the New Testament Canon After the New Testament: The Writings of the Apostolic Fathers The Greatest Controversies in Early Christianity How Jesus Became God For full descriptions of each of these courses, go here: https://www.thegreatcourses.com/professors/bart-d-ehrman/?pid=150 Are you familiar with the Great Courses? They really are great -- not mine necessarily, but in general. I've watched a ton of them, on [...]

BDEhrman2025-09-10T12:48:19-04:00February 19th, 2020|Public Forum|

Interview with Buddhists on the New Testament

I was recently asked to do an interview with a magazine in South Korea, produced by (and for, I assume) Buddhists interested in other religious traditions. As you may know, Christianity also has a significant footprint in Korea; even back in the late 70s I had Korean classmates studying for ministry at Princeton Theological Seminary. The editor asked me a range of questions, and I provided relatively short answers, on a range of interesting and important topics. The interview was published last week and the publisher has graciously given me permission to post them here, on the assumption that most of you will not be reading South Korean magazines! But if you do, you can catch the questions (in Korean) and my answers (in English): The Monthly YangWoo Magazine 3/2020. This will take two posts. To see this interview, join the blog! It's easy to do and costs very little -- less than a burger at Five Guys a *month*. And so much better for you. The little you pay does a lot of good, [...]

BDEhrman2025-09-10T12:48:19-04:00February 18th, 2020|Reader’s Questions|

How Ancient is the Idea of Christ’s “Incarnation”?

Last week I was asked about the famous passage often known (among scholars) as the "Christ Hymn" of Philippians, 2:6-11. For a very long time (mid 20th c?) scholars have argued that it is a passage Paul did not write himself, but one that he is actually *quoting*. The passage seems to affirm the idea that Christ existed *before* he came into the world. That may not seem weird to modern Christians, but in fact the only place where the idea is (otherwise) explicitly stated is in the Gospel of John. In Mark's Gospel there is not a word about Jesus existing before his birth, or, remarkably in Matthew or Luke either! In those Gospels Jesus is born of a virgin. But *nothing* suggests that he existed before then. When God made Mary pregnant through the spirit, that is when the Son of God came into being -- for those Gospels. Only with John is Jesus said to be a pre-existent being: and in John there is not a word about Jesus' mother being a [...]

BDEhrman2025-09-10T12:48:18-04:00February 17th, 2020|Canonical Gospels, Paul and His Letters|

How Do I Get To Know What Is In the Bible?

There are a lot of people, billions, actually, who are interested in the Bible -- either because of their personal beliefs or because they they realize its historical and cultural importance -- but don’t actually know what it’s about. The broader interest makes a good deal of sense, and not just for committed Jews and Christians. After all, a good deal of the history of the West is tied closely to the Christian tradition rooted in the Bible. And how can one understand Western culture without it? Think about the history of art, music, and literature, for example. Still, most people really don’t know the Bible. By that I don’t mean they don’t know what scholars have come to learn about the Bible (that virtually goes without saying!); I just mean they don’t know what’s actually in the Bible. One reason, of course, is that most people don’t read the Bible. But an even more important one is that those who do read the Bible do not do so in order to learn what it’s [...]

BDEhrman2025-09-10T12:48:02-04:00February 14th, 2020|Reflections and Ruminations, Teaching Christianity|

Heaven and Hell: Press Release!!

I am happy to say as that we move toward publication of my book, my publisher has just issued a press release to announce that it's coming soon. The release includes several endorsements by experts, which are always gratifying to see, and brief comments taken from the early reviews done by journals that announce and evaluate forthcoming books to booksellers, bookstores, and publishers. It's a a nice release, I think. Here 'tis. News from Simon & Schuster 1230 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10020 Publicity Contact: Cat Boyd (212) 698-7183 / [email protected] From the New York Times Bestselling Author of Misquoting Jesus and The Triumph of Christianity HEAVEN AND HELL A History of the Afterlife Bart D. Ehrman Simon & Schuster | March 31, 2020 | $28 | Hardcover | 9781501136733 “Ehrman’s twin strengths are deep knowledge and an accessible style. This displays both in spades.” — Booklist “Ehrman’s eloquent understanding of how death is viewed through many spiritual traditions is scintillating, fresh, and will appeal to scholars and lay readers alike.” [...]

BDEhrman2025-09-10T12:48:02-04:00February 12th, 2020|Book Discussions|

Jesus Kissing Mary Magdalene: A Bizarre Scene in the Gospel of Philip

A number of readers responded to my post about whether Jesus and Mary Magdalene were intimate by pointing out that the non-canonical Gospel of Philip sure does seem to *say* they were! So, what do I have to say about that? I've dealt with the issue on the blog before, but a lot of you were just a twinkle in our eye at the time, so here I'll deal with it again. I have a reasonably full discussion of the relevant issues in my book Peter, Paul, and Mary Magdalene. In the book I put the discussion in the context of – yes, you guessed it -- Dan Brown’s Da Vinci Code, the one source many people turn to for the Gospel of Philip (!). Few people who talk about the relevant passage have actually read the book. It strikes many readers today as unusually strange. But in any event, this is what I say about the book and the Kissing Passage there. ************************************************************** Some of the historical claims about the non-canonical Gospels in the [...]

BDEhrman2025-09-10T12:48:02-04:00February 11th, 2020|Christian Apocrypha, Historical Jesus, Reader’s Questions, Women in Early Christianity|

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