A Virtual File Cabinet for Our Studies of Christian Origins & Hebraic Faith
Summary extracted from below. the heart of Mason’s argument From Claude.ai in Response to the Prompt: Why does Dr. Steve Mason believe that The Gospel of Luke & Acts of The Apostles Used Josephus? Cite all sources. Here is a comprehensive breakdown of Dr. Steve Mason’s argument that the Gospel of Luke and the Acts of […]
Continue ReadingThe following is a transcript of his very insightful 7-minute talk. Justin Martyr will say quite rightly, well, you guys believe that your emperors can descend into heaven, what’s wrong with us believing Jesus could ascend into heaven? We’re doing the same thing. What Luke-Acts did was come up with a counter-narrative. In the entire […]
Continue ReadingFrom Marg Mowczko here. Footnotes [1] Widows are always presented in a sympathetic and honourable light in Luke-Acts:
Continue ReadingFrom ChatGPT on 1/4/2026 and below that are extracts from a good BAR article. Prompt: When did Saul become Paul in the New Testament? In the New Testament, Saul does not undergo a formal “name change” moment like Abram→Abraham. Instead, the shift from Saul to Paul happens quietly and narratively in the book of Acts. […]
Continue ReadingBorg, Marcus J.. The God We Never Knew: Beyond Dogmatic Religion To A More Authentic Contemporary Faith (p. 105). HarperCollins. Kindle Edition. Luke 24:45-53 — 45 Then he opened their minds to understand the scriptures, 46 and he said to them, “Thus it is written, that the Messiah is to suffer and to rise from the dead on […]
Continue ReadingFrom ChatGPT on 11/27/2025. Short answer: No.Nowhere in Acts does the author ever acknowledge, refer to, or even hint that Paul wrote letters. Below is a scripture-cited explanation. 1. Acts never references any letter-writing by Paul In the seven undisputed letters (Romans, 1–2 Corinthians, Galatians, Philippians, 1 Thessalonians, Philemon), Paul frequently mentions writing letters. But […]
Continue ReadingFrom ChatGPT on 11/27/2025. Prompt: In the seven letters by Paul that critical bible scholars believe to be authentic, those scholars say there are tensions with Acts that reflect Luke’s anti-Jewish narrative pattern, not history. Cite those scriptures. Response: Below is a concise, practical list of the specific scriptures in the seven undisputed letters of […]
Continue ReadingBelow is a ChatGPT summary of the interview with John Dominic Crossan about his upcoming book, Paul the Pharisee; the version told by Paul and that in Luke/Acts. Below that is ChatGPT’s side-by-side comparison of Paul’s reference to Nabatean ethnarch and the differing accounts of Paul’s escape from Damascus: Paul’s own narrative (2 Corinthians 11:32–33) […]
Continue ReadingFrom ChatGPT on 7/7/2025 Prompt – Provide the bible scripture where it says two of Jesus’s desciples are unlettered and what critical bible scholars say is the meaning. Cite all sources. The passage you’re referring to is found in the Book of Acts, specifically: Acts 4:13 (NRSV) “Now when they saw the boldness of Peter […]
Continue ReadingFrom Claude.ai on 2/24/2025. Reconciling Salvation Models in Luke and Acts: Critical Scholarship Perspectives When examining Luke-Acts as a two-volume work by the same author, scholars have long noted an apparent theological tension between the salvation models presented in each book. Luke’s Gospel often emphasizes salvation through redemption and ethical living, while Acts appears to […]
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