Reliability of the Bible

Did Luke Botch the Census? A Historical Look at Luke 2

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Manuscript Illumination with the Evangelist Luke

Critics love to point out that Luke’s Christmas story is riddled with contradictions and historical goofs. That there’s a 10-year gap between Matthew and Luke’s timelines. That there was no census. That Quirinius wasn’t in charge. That Rome wouldn’t have done a census under a client king. That nobody traveled for registration. And that Luke was just making stuff up to get Jesus to Bethlehem to fulfill prophecy. As usual, Bart Ehrman leads the charge, claiming “Luke’s Christmas story is filled with historical problems” and laughing off the idea of people returning to their ancestral towns. Let’s walk through the charges against Luke and see if they stick. 1. Luke is not confused. His chronology … Read more

The Historical Challenge of Surah 3:55 and 61:14: Who Were Jesus’ True Followers?

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an open koran book

The Quran makes several claims about the fate of Jesus’ followers after his departure. Two particularly striking verses are Surah 3:55 and Surah 61:14, which state that those who followed Jesus were made superior or dominant over disbelievers. This raises a historical question: Who were these true followers, and when did they achieve dominance? While these verses are often interpreted by Muslim scholars to affirm Islam’s eventual victory, they present a major historical challenge: there is no clear record of an Islamic-style monotheistic movement among Jesus’ followers that was both dominant and continuous until Muhammad’s time. Instead, the overwhelming historical evidence shows that the dominant followers of Jesus were Trinitarian Christians who affirmed his divinity … Read more

Who Actually Did Miracles—Paul or Muhammad?

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a statue of saint paul

Paul’s followers believed he worked miracles. His own letters say it. Acts records them in detail. Even skeptics admit the early church believed it. Muhammad? The Quran flat-out says he did no miracles. The only place you’ll find them is in Hadith—written over a century later. So if miracles are a sign of a true prophet, and we’re going by actual historical evidence, let’s be real—Paul has way more proof than Muhammad. Let’s break this down. Paul didn’t just claim to work miracles—he actually used them as proof that he was a real apostle. In 2 Corinthians 12:12, he tells the Corinthians: “The signs of a true apostle were performed among you with utmost patience, … Read more

The New York Times and Ivy League Professor Team Up To Debunk Christmas

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Hate to barge in on your Christmas joy as you reflect on the miracle of the Incarnation, but The New York Times is back with its annual dose of skepticism wrapped in tinsel. This time, it’s an interview with Elaine Pagels, a famed Ivy League biblical scholar. You’d expect some highbrow insights from the Times, but instead, we get baseless speculation that Jesus was a rape baby, dressed up as serious scholarship. Kristof of the NYT starts with this question: So let’s go back to the Nativity. Of the four gospels, two describe the virgin birth of Jesus and two don’t mention it. The Gospel of Mark has people of Galilee referring to Jesus as … Read more

No, DeenResponds. Muhammad Ain’t the Paraclete.

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A while back, I dropped a video breaking down why Muhammad isn’t the Paraclete Jesus promised in John 14-16. Fast forward a few months, and now DeenResponds and his buddy are trying to hit me with a rebuttal. Spoiler alert: it’s… well, let’s just say creative is putting it kindly. Let’s take a look at some of his “top-tier” critiques and claims. Sorry this isn’t a video—edited response videos aren’t really my thing. Maybe I’d do one live, but honestly, I don’t have tons of spare time, so you’re stuck with this for now. For context, here’s Deen’s video and my original breakdown: Here’s my original video: The Paraclete would be a Prophet like Moses? … Read more

Farhan Ahmed Zia: Clueless About Islam’s Biggest Contradiction

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So, my buddy Farhan is back at it again, calling me a “liar” and “delusional” and questioning my ability to read the Quran. Let’s see if his response is more impressive than his previous attempt, where he totally missed the mark. Here’s my original video: And here is his “response” video: First up, Farhan’s big accusation: I’m being dishonest for suggesting that Surah 3:3-4 hints at the inspiration and trustworthiness of the Gospels. But his accusation doesn’t even hold water. Here’s the āyah: 3:3  He has revealed upon you this Scripture with the Truth, confirming that which was before it; and He revealed the Tawrât and the Injîl, 3:4  in the past as a guidance … Read more

What Would It Be Like for the Pastorals to Be Forgeries?

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In my recent video about undesigned coincidences between 1 & 2 Timothy and Acts, Dr. Kipp Davis, a biblical scholar (and someone I like and respect despite our differences), commented. He wrote: “In this video, @Testify demonstrates that he is just as clever as second-century Christian writers were in crafting their highly convincing forgeries. If you can connect a few of the same dots, Erik, then so could anyone familiar enough with early Christian writings, no?” Now I get that a blog reply seems like overkill for a single comment. Initially, I was planning to just leave a comment, but then I thought, why not dive deeper into Kipp’s theory and see where it takes … Read more

Recommended Books on Historical Apologetics

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I am often asked which books I recommend for defending the reliability of the Gospels/Acts and Christianity in general, so here is my list. It is not exhaustive, but it will definitely give you a good start. The categorized as “mandatory” are more basic, while some of those labeled as “recommended” or “supplementary” delve into more profound and scholarly content. Any item marked with a * can be accessed for free online as PDF files. A significant number of these works are downloadable from http://historicalapologetics.org, http://books.google.com, or http://archive.org. Mandatory Reading: Author Book Title Bennett, Edmund * The Four Gospels from a Lawyer’s Standpoint Lewis, CS Modern Theology and Biblical Criticism (Essay in Christian Reflections) McGrew, … Read more

Timothy’s Tale: Unveiling Undesigned Coincidences in Paul’s Journeys

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Because Paul crisscrossed paths with many folks, some repeatedly, it’s quite enlightening to compare how these people are portrayed in the book of Acts with what Paul hints at in his own letters. Among these characters, Timothy stands out as a particularly intriguing figure. In 1 Corinthians 4:17, Paul mentions sending Timothy, his “beloved and faithful child in the Lord,” to jog the Corinthians’ memory about Paul’s ways in Christ. Now, from this passage alone, it’s a bit tricky to figure out if Timothy was sent before the letter or with it. In 1 Corinthians 16:10-11, though, Paul makes it clear that Timothy was dispatched before the letter was penned. He talks about Timothy’s impending … Read more

What Does the Talmud Say About Jesus and Gospel Reliability?

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Christian apologists frequently turn to sources beyond the New Testament to support the existence of Jesus and verify historical aspects of his life. Among these sources, although less commonly cited than Tacitus or Josephus, is the Talmud. For those of you who don’t know, the Talmud is a central text in Judaism, consisting of rabbinic discussions and teachings on Jewish law, ethics, customs, and history. It comprises two main parts: the Mishnah, which presents legal discussions and principles, and the Gemara, which contains commentaries and analysis on the Mishnah by various rabbis. The Talmud was composed over several centuries, primarily between the 3rd and 6th centuries AD, but its origins trace back to earlier oral … Read more

Is Jesus Alive?