authorship of the pastorals

Is Inspiration a Distorting Perception? A Response To Dan McClellan

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Recently in a video biblical scholar Dan McClellan said the doctrine of the inspiration of Scripture is a serious and harmful distortion. If you’re not familiar with Dan, he’s known on TikTok for debunking biblical misconceptions. I find him to be pretty hit-and-miss, but he’s clearly well-informed about current biblical scholarship. Dan: “The most distorting assumption that’s imposed on the Bible is inspiration….The classic biblical proof text for the doctrine of inspiration is 2 Timothy 3:16, which says, “All scripture is theopneustos,” which literally means “God-breathed.” Now, there are three issues with the use of this passage as a proof text for inspiration. The first issue is that it was not written by Paul. It … Read more

Subtle Clues in the Pastoral Letters That Point to Pauline Authorship

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The letters attributed to Paul have caused arguments about whether he really wrote them. Most scholars tend to think they are fake. However, some things inside these letters make it tricky for critics to say they’re fake. William Paley pointed out that there are parts in the letters that seem unrelated and practical, like advice about food and personal stories. These things make it harder to believe the letters are forged. Let’s dive in and take a look. Unexplained allusions In 1 Timothy 5:23, the advice is given, “Stop drinking only water, and use a little wine because of your stomach and your frequent illnesses.” When thinking about the chance of someone pretending to be Paul … Read more

Is Jesus Alive?