A Virtual File Cabinet for Our Studies of Christian Origins & Hebraic Faith
From ChatGPT on 6/16/2025. Prompt – When do critical bible scholars believe that Jesus’ followers began calling him Christ? Cite all sources. Critical Bible scholars generally believe that Jesus’ followers began calling him “Christ” (Greek: Christos, meaning “Anointed One,” equivalent to Hebrew Mashiach or “Messiah”) only after his death and the emergence of resurrection belief—not […]
Continue ReadingWhy I Think That Historical-Critical Jesus Scholarship Enriches Rather Than Diminishes the Value of Jesus for Our Spirituality by Charles Bledsoe, May 31 post at BSA. The following is his very insightful post and the follow-up comments. I [Charles] should say up front that I have a particular outside-of-the-mainstream theological and philosophical point of view, […]
Continue ReadingFrom ChatGPT 6/10/2025. Here is a table comparing the events of each day in the Genesis 1 creation story (1:1–2:3) with the creation narrative in Genesis 2 (2:4–25). These two accounts differ significantly in structure, emphasis, and theological purpose. Day Genesis 1 Creation Story (Priestly Source, Gen 1:1–2:3) Genesis 2 Creation Story (Yahwist Source, Gen […]
Continue ReadingThe following is from a transcript of part of Bart Ehrman’s Q&A to his 8th lecture in his series The Maverick Gospel of Luke. The lecture is at BSA here. Son of Man – Three Questions and Answers [Megan] It’s possible that Jesus actually did consider himself to be the Son of Man as opposed […]
Continue ReadingWho Is Satan? – The many forms of the devil in the Bible By John Drummond in BAS, June 07, 2025. Extracts Below: In the Hebrew Bible, YHWH’s greatest enemies are not fallen angels commanding armies of demons, nor even the gods of other nations, but, rather, human beings. It isn’t the devil that spreads evil across […]
Continue ReadingWere living Children Sacrificed to the Gods? Yes. The thousands of individual burials, the several mass burials and the animal burials all demonstrate that these were sacrificial offerings to the gods. By Lawrence E. Stager, Joseph A. Greene This article at BAS is primarily about Carthage but acknowledges the Tophet at Jerusalem. Evidence from the Hebrew Bible. […]
Continue ReadingFrom ChatGPT on 6/9/2025. Here is a comparative chart showing how Luke differs from Paul, Matthew, Mark, and John, based on the analysis of Bart D. Ehrman and other critical scholars: COMPARISON CHART: Luke vs. Paul and the Other Gospels Topic Luke Paul Mark Matthew John Christology Exaltation at resurrection (Acts 2:36); avoids pre-existence Jesus […]
Continue ReadingFrom ChatGPT on 6/7/2025. The Hauptbriefe (German for “chief letters” or “main letters”) refers to a group of Pauline epistles that many critical New Testament scholars consider to be the core or most theologically central writings of the Apostle Paul. These letters are also the ones that are most widely accepted as undisputedly written by […]
Continue ReadingFrom ChatGPT on 6/7/2025. The Beit HaMikdash (Hebrew: בֵּית הַמִּקְדָּשׁ, meaning “House of the Sanctuary” or more commonly, “The Holy Temple”) refers to the Jewish Temple that stood on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem. It is one of the most important religious sites in Judaism, both historically and spiritually. There were two main Temples in […]
Continue ReadingBelow are consecutive responses from ChatGPT. Why do critical bible scholars think the coming of the holy spirit during passover was portrayed as the first annotting of the Holy Spirit when there are so many references in the Hebrew Bible to the Holy Spirit, or the Spirit of Yhwh? ChatGPT said: Critical Bible scholars recognize […]
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