A Virtual File Cabinet for Our Studies of Christian Origins & Hebraic Faith
This post contains the “We” passages from Acts extracted in order to show how they flow as one script, indicating they were inserted from a source who knew the Mediterranean and seafaring. This post stemmed from the post with a summary of a Dom Crossan interview here. Many scholars consider these passages central to the […]
Continue ReadingThis post contains Claude.ai’s summary of the transcript of JD Crossan’s interview on the History Valley podcast titled Luke Lied: He Never Traveled With Paul And Acts is Fictional!. That title does not represent what I found in the interview. Dom was explaining his view that Luke/Acts must be read as one 2-volume work with […]
Continue ReadingThis post contains the Claude.ai summary of the transcript of an interview on Dec 12, 2025 of Steve Mason by C.J. Cornwaithe on YouTube here. The transcript is in Steve Mason’s directory in Dropbox. Mason cites five cases where Luke/Acts apparently used Josephus, as that is the simplest reason for the parallels.
Continue ReadingDr. Bart Ehrman answered the question as asked by one of his blog followers. Below is an extract of his post here. Any emphasis below is mine. June 24, 2026 I’ve [Bart] received some interesting and important questions involving the Gospel of John — who actually wrote it and whether it’s record of Jesus’ claims […]
Continue ReadingFrom Claude.ai on 6/21/2026. The Theudas–Judas chronological problem in Acts 5:36–37 is widely regarded among critical scholars as one of the most damaging historical errors in Luke-Acts, precisely because it is not a minor slip but a structural anachronism embedded in a speech Luke attributes to a historical figure. The Text Acts 5:36–37 (NRSV): “For […]
Continue ReadingFrom ChapGPT on 6/14/2026. The portrayal of Paul in Acts differs in several structurally important ways from the self-portrait that emerges in his undisputed letters (Romans, 1–2 Corinthians, Galatians, Philippians, 1 Thessalonians, Philemon). The divergence is not merely biographical detail—it reflects different theological agendas, narrative aims, and ecclesial contexts. Below are the main areas of […]
Continue ReadingBelow is a summary by Claude.ai of the transcript of C.J. Cornthwaite’s YouTube video, Luke Knew Josephus. This is the verse that convinced me. The transcript is in his Dropbox directory. The Key Text: Acts 21 and the “Egyptian” Pericope Cornthwaite’s central exhibit is Acts 21, where a Roman tribune confronts Paul with the question […]
Continue ReadingThis post contains two responses from Claude.ai about why scholars believe Luke borrowed from Josephus and not the reverse. 1st Prompt – Why do critical bible scholars date Luke/Acts to the 2nd century. Cite sources and scholars’ names? This is a nuanced question with a genuinely contested scholarly landscape. The majority critical consensus still places […]
Continue ReadingFrom Claude.ai on 6/6/2026. Prompt – Some critical bible scholars say that when the Gospel of Luke and Acts begin addressing Theophilus, the reference is not to a person but a group. Cite those scholars and their rationale and context. Claude responded: Theophilus as a Symbolic Address: The Collective/Generic Interpretation The two relevant passages are […]
Continue ReadingIn addition to below, see Did Luke & Acts use Josephus? on this site. From Claude.ai in response to the prompt: Cite Critical Bible Scholars’ rationale for Luke-Acts’ literary dependence on Josephus. This is a rich topic with a well-documented critical debate. Here is a comprehensive survey of the major arguments advanced by critical biblical […]
Continue Reading