Biblical Criticism & History Forum - earlywritings.com

That's really what "mythical Jesus" came to mean on this board and others similar. Jesus was described in myths like the other gods: Mithras, Dionysos, Osiris, etc. Just as no-one thought those other gods actually existed, the similarities in the myths suggested that Jesus also didn't exi...

I like my "time machine" test. If you had a time machine and travelled back through time, would you expect to see the proposed person? If the answer is "yes", then that is a "historicist" position. That would include docetists. Though even there, the category may be fud...

Paul's Letters, Taken at Face Value, Reveal that He was not a Typical Early Christian! Rather, he was constantly trying to assert, against other Christian believers and leaders, that his Christianity was the true Christianity. Why did it take me so long to realize this? :oops: Thinking about this: ...

I am uncertain about this matter, but evidence could suggest not. Yes, I'd agree. You can't have heresy without orthodoxy, and you can't have orthodoxy without power. Small groups of Christians no doubt enforced beliefs within the group, but it seems that there were a lot of Christian groups doing ...

I've looked through all five books by Tertullian against Marcion as well as "The Prescription against Heretics", and Tertullian only seems to have praise for Paul, at one point claiming that Genesis prophecised the coming of Paul. Perhaps it is in another book? Do you have a reference to ...

In circa 210 CE did Tertullian (in a rant against Marcion) question Paul's claim to legitimate status as an Apostle, in addition to wondering why a late-comer 13th Apostle was even needed when there were already 12? And if so, would this imply that as late as Tertullian's putting this to the pen th...

The Lamb in Revelation is clearly a name/title of Christ. Is it? MrMacSon, I'd be interested in your view of what is meant by "Lamb" if this isn't a reference to Jesus? Jesus is called "Lamb of God" in gJohn a couple of times: John 1:29 The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto ...

Intellectual honesty requires admitting the obvious: in the Ascension of Isaiah the demons crucify directly Jesus. There is no reference to demons directly killing the Beloved (Jesus) in the AoI. The key passage is this: 9.13. Nevertheless they see and know whose will be thrones, and whose the crow...

If you are killed by Russian soldiers, then probably you are killed in Ucraina. If Jesus was killed by only demons, then probably he was killed in outer space. Actually, for the logic to match, wouldn't the logic be: if you are killed by Russian soldiers, then you are probably killed in Russia? The...

The Book of Revelation is hardly a Christian text A bit of a rant, I'm afraid: Revelation is very much a Christian text, dealing in concerns with the end times and what will happen then, written as prophetic visions. A similar text is the Shepherd of Hermas. Both the Book of Revelation and the Shep...