A Virtual File Cabinet for Our Studies of Christian Origins & Hebraic Faith
This post contains an original short post at BSA and very substantive responses by Schaun Wheeler, Schaun’s responses are the reason for this posts. All emphasis and subheadings are mine. The next post is Part 2 and contains two responses by Claude.ai with the first summarizing Wheeler’s thesis below and the next comparing it to […]
Continue ReadingThis post contains extracts from Bart Ehrman’s post on October 20, 2026 An Even Stranger View of Eternity in the Book of Revelation. All emphasis is mine. All references to “I” is Dr. Ehrman. In my previous post I pointed out that there seems to be an irony in the teachings of Jesus about the […]
Continue ReadingThis post has a Claude.ai summary of three posts by Bart Ehrman addressing the different levels in heaven one couold reach as described in the Bible and later texts. PDF’s of the three papers are in the Levels of Heaven directory of Barts’s directory in DropBox. In addition to the citations below, Jesus in the […]
Continue Reading9/19/2026. Prompt to ChatGPT – The hebrew bible and the NT contain stories that critical bible scholars define as Apocalyptic. Provide a list with a brief context of the primary players and settings of each. Cite all sources in line Response: The important qualification is that “apocalyptic” is a genre designation, not simply a synonym […]
Continue ReadingChatGPT Prompt –– What relationship do critical bible scholars see in the cluster of earthquakes, political upheaval, and plagues in the Mediterranean area that led to the apocalyptic beliefs in the 1st century BCE to 1st century CE? Cite all sources in line. Critical biblical scholars generally do not argue that earthquakes, political upheaval, and […]
Continue ReadingFrom Claude.ai is this brief comparative sketch of other NT/early Christian eschatological scenarios: 1 Thessalonians 4-5 — Imminent, undelayed parousia. Christ descends with a shout; dead in Christ rise first, then living believers are “caught up” (the rapture passage) to meet him. No restrainer, no antichrist figure — just sudden, unpredictable arrival (“like a thief […]
Continue ReadingThis post contains an Original Post at BSA/General Discussion titled Who holds back the Man of Lawlessness? by Michael Waddell. Credit for this work is wholly Michael’s. If you want to start a spirited debate at a New Testament academic conference, ask what the katechon [is. Literally meaning something like “That which restrains” or “He […]
Continue ReadingExtracts from a Forum post at BSA here. Below the extracts is a long Response from Claude.ai. Original Post from a new member: I noticed there are strikingly extensive overlaps between Jewish Apocalypticism and Zoroastrianism, the religion of ancient Persia. These overlapping beliefs include (somewhat simplifying): It seems hard to believe that all of this […]
Continue Reading10/9/2025 – This post contains ChatGPT responses that have not been fully vetted. See three other related posts on this date. 1st Prompt – Cite the scriptures in Paul’s authentic letters where he talks about the Kingdom of God. Focusing on Paul’s letters widely recognized as authentic by critical scholars (1 Thessalonians, 1 & 2 […]
Continue ReadingFrom ChatGPT 10/9/2025. Note the two related posts this date. 1st Prompt – Cite the scripture where Jesus said the Kingdom of God is now. The phrase “the Kingdom of God is now” does not appear verbatim in any of the canonical Gospels. However, Jesus does make statements indicating that the Kingdom of God has […]
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