Historians usually have reasons for what they say; that is, when they make a historical claim, it is almost always based on a close reading of the surviving sources. When it’s not, they’re just blowin’ smoke. But if they’re reputable scholars AND are blowin’ smoke – that is, taking a guess –they’ll usually tell you. I suppose that’s one difference between an expert (in any field) and an amateur: the expert actually has a deep and nuanced reading of the sources that informs his/her views.
I have to say, as you probably have noticed in your own areas of expertise, it is pretty easy if you are an expert to know who else is an expert and who is not. I say that as someone who is an expert in one or two areas, but an amateur in thousands. When I have an interpretation of Hamlet or Lear that I bounce off my wife – who really is a recognized expert on Shakespeare – I realize that, for the most part, I’m just taking a stab at something that she can take apart in a flash. As I have experienced on many an occasion.
If I understand correctly: before Paul was converted, the Christians said:
“Jesus was crucified; but he is the Messiah and God resurrected him from the dead”.
That sentence alone would already shock Jewish-Paul and be potential reason for persecution.
How then can we know that they said anything *else* beyond this very basic sentence?
There is, for instance, nothing in this sentence concerning salvation by faith in Jesus
(or in his death or resurrection).
Well, I presume they did more than just repeat the sentence. Surely they would expound on it and explain what they meant, especially to anyone they were trying to convince.
How about “Jesus was a lower class peasant”? You can conjecture that, with reasons, but I don’t see how you could possibly _know_ that.
It’s disputed. J.P. Meier has argued that Jesus was educated.
History is always a matter of figuring out what is most probably. He may have been educated to read, but that would not mean he was not a lower-class peasant. One way to figure out what he must have been like is to consider what we know about where he grew up based on archaeological evidence and considering what we know from literary sources that discuss education at the time and place.
I am an expert in one or two things — solely outside the the realm of our household.
My wife, however, is an expert in everything else. And I’d better not forget it! 🙂
Dear Dr. Ehrman,
What does the Jewish scriptures specifically say about the expected Messiah?
I know how Christians cherry pick Jewish scripture to support their claim for Jesus as Messiah, but what does Jewish scripture say?
I love the ten books of yours that I’ve read!
I am a big fan of your podcast!
Please tell Megan she has the most precious laugh I have ever heard!
Best regards,
Dale W. Rueger
The Jewish Scriptures do not talk about a future messiah per se. Later Jewish writings to (such as the dead sea scrolls)
Has one sun-like star in the Milky Way died?
ChatGPT said:
Yes, many Sun-like stars in the Milky Way have already reached the end of their life cycles.
Steefen
This means. there was light before God and Jesus created the Earth and Our Sun.
List the planets in our Solar System in order of oldest to youngest
ChatGPT said:
Jupiter
Saturn
Neptune
Uranus
Earth…
Steefen
Thank you, Chat GPT4
…There were days and nights on other planets before Earth-days of creation.
Steefen
In the beginning, God and Jesus more likely created
galaxy JADES-GS-z14-0, 33.6 billion light years away
(including expansion of the universe which is only 13.7 bn years of age),
before creating the Earth, its Solar System, and its galaxy.
If the creator-god (the Father and Jesus) is all-knowing. Genesis’ creation myth is wrong.
Would you agree, Dr. Ehrman?
I don’t agree that we know which galaxies God created first….
Steve Campbell with the help of Chat GPT-4 (AI):
The Milky Way galaxy definitely was not the first galaxy created.
(So, there were stars and “created light” in the beginning when God created the Sun in Genesis.
The Milky Way is part of the Laniakea supercluster.
The Laniakea supercluster is not the first supercluster of galaxies.
For examples, the Shapley, Coma, and Hercules Superclusters are older than ours.
Is galaxy JADES-GS-z14-0, 33.6 billion light years away, one of the more distant galaxies and therefore one of the oldest galaxies?
Answer from Chat GPT-4 (AI):
This galaxy is located approximately 13.4 billion years in terms of “lookback time,” meaning we see it as it was 13.4 billion years ago, shortly after the Big Bang. Its current distance from us, however, is around 33.6 billion light-years due to the expansion of the universe.
As of now, JADES-GS-z14-0 is among the most distant galaxies discovered, along with other high-redshift galaxies identified by the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST).
This makes it one of the oldest known galaxies, formed very close to the time when galaxy formation first began [in the beginning when God (and Jesus, the Word) …].
computer Ai’s can be drastically incorrect
Hey Dr. Ehrman! I made this for you:
https://youtube.com/shorts/qhQKbpLrVHA?si=ohHETay9h_FvXyuf
I hope you find it funny, or cool. I assume this is what well-adjusted college students do with their free time.
For a good time, look up the origins of the phrase “blowing smoke”.
This is the kind of stuff that makes me think that the message around Jesus (in this case proclaimed by Paul) is actually something the author believes to be true. Who would invent such a counterintuitive and unappealing message? And for what purpose if it’s not buying a big following?
This post are comforting theme:
“I have often indicated that most Jews rejected the claims of Jesus’ followers that he was the messiah because Jesus was just the opposite of what the messiah was expected to be. As I sometimes put it: “Rather than a powerful figure who destroyed God’s enemies, Jesus was lower class peasant who got on the wrong side of the law & *squashed* by God’s enemies.” Some readers have wondered if I’m blowin’ smoke on this one: and that indeed is worth asking.”
In the context of that letter he wants to stress, early on, that all the infighting & attempts to show one’s own spiritual power & superiority are completely wrong & misguided. For Paul, the gospel is not about earthly power. Being a follower of Jesus means a life of weakness & pain. The gospel is not wise in the eyes of the world but foolish.& that’s why Jews have rejected it. Jews, says Paul, expected to see “signs” from God proving the powerful truth of the gos pel (1:22); but instead, all they got was “Christ crucified.” Not exactly a show of strength
Dr. Ehrman,
I found a couple of quotes in a commentary that I think are accurate in describing Paul’s understanding of his encounter with Jesus, do you agree?:
Paul himself did not think the encounter was merely an internal experience: “…the whole proof which Paul brings for his apostolic parity rests upon the fact that he had really and truly had an appearance of the Risen One.” Also, in re Gal. 1:16, Paul does not indicate that the experience of Jesus itself was merely internal but that the result was that he became: “…inwardly enlightened concerning Christ.”
Yes,that’s my view as well.