Any big biblical scholars here?

Question

I read that there was this huge Christian conference of scientists, scholars, etc that compared different accounts of the gospel and said only 1/5 of Jesus' word could possible have been said by him due to so many contridictions. I was wondering if anyone knew which words they were? I'd like to learn more of what we know historically about Jesus.

The scientists were not Christians as the other scientists felt that the Christians would deny anything that didn't concur with their "truth" that they knew was definitly true.

Answer 1

Science and faith don't go together. But then again, religion and faith don't go together either especially if a belief is to be any useful to the person. I've personally read the so-called Roman Catholic Bible 6 times back to back, and I'm not even Christian. What do I think of everything written in the books? It all makes sense to me and I DO KNOW THAT THEY CONTRADICT WITH EACH OTHER. Contradictions are fine with me. And actually, contradictions are what makes the Bible interesting. One line says kill the enemy, and another one says forgive--life is like that. Full of choices. Full of developments and evolving.

If you have not been influenced by organized religions, you can see that Jesus is not at all what most religions say that he is. Jesus' real name is Joshua by the way. I just love it when everyone says "believe in the name of Jesus!" because it isn't even his real name. To believe in his name would be to pronounce Joshua "ye-SHU-a." I mean, if you are gonna follow a belief, at least stick to the closest one possible. Then again, I know that this, and following the name is all BS.

From all the versions I've read, including a Greek version (the New Testament was written originally in Greek, and was edited at least 23 times until the modern times) Joshua was an average looking man who was a genius whose belief was so strong that impossible things manifested physically in the world. I know a few people like that in this world who're alive, who aren't Christians and refused to be so. Joshua was against all forms of organized religions. His view of the Pharisees (a representation of all organized religions) tells us that if anyone is to go to hell, it would be them first.

Do I believe everything that the Bible says? Yes I personally do. Some stupid Christians may ask, "Then do you believe in Jesus? Because it's the only way to be saved." Then I'd say "I don't have to. I know a couple of CONFLICTING SCRIPTURES about that."

Putting all your faith into just one line is just really really stupid.

And by the way, the Bible you are familiar with was hand-picked by the Pope Augustus of Catholicism in the 8th century or so. Note that Joshua disliked all forms of organized religions. The Pope weeded out all the other scriptures written by the students of the Disciples mainly because the Scriptures would then have made no sense at all because of ALL KINDS OF CONFLICTS AND CONTRADICTIONS.

In one of the books, there's Joshua saying "if you do not sin you will go to hell." Conflicts? Yes. And they are everywhere.

Life is life. I cannot possibly just write an ANSWER to explain everything. I cannot explain anything. Even if I were to write everything I know, no one will believe me anyway.

My advice is live your life anyway you'd want to. Be happy. Have fun. Have lots and lots of sex with unmarried people if you are not married. Do not murder innocent people, but stand up for yourself if someone screws with you. And learn.

Humans learn fast. So I don't have to teach anyone anything at all.

Answer 2

I think that you are thinking about the Jesus Seminar, a project of the Westar Institute.

Remember that the Jesus Seminar is one of many such groups, not the only one. The Jesus Seminar tends to be on the edge, theologically, of such groups and tends to believe less of the "red words" are authentic than the average biblical scholar. Also, while some of the members of the Jesus Seminar are among the most respected biblical scholars, others are people who don't seem to be biblical scholars at all. That doesn't mean they're wrong of course! Just be aware that you should learn from many scholars and groups, not just one.

The Jesus Seminar has published many books that you can read to find out what their conclusions are. I have "The Five Gospels" which prints the verses in the 4 canonized gospels plus the Gospel of Thomas in different colors according to how many of the members thought they were authentic, and then explains why they reached the conclusion they do. I found it an interesting read, and it's the most summarized of their books - I think.

You can also attend their meetings - there is one coming up in Florida at the end of March. I think they're free - you can just go in and listen to their theological and historical arguments.

As for the accusation made in other answers that it is a totally useless group, as I said above and as wikipedia says, "Even critics acknowledge that over a dozen of the Jesus Seminar members are, in their own rights, leading figures in the field."

You can disagree with their conclusions, but these are respected, highly educated biblical scholars with dedication to the field of biblical studies.

Good luck :-)

~ Lib

Answer 3

The Bible's accuracy and reliability have been proved and verified over and over again by archaeological finds produced by both believing and nonbelieving scholars and scientists. This included verification for numerous customs, places, names, and events mentioned in the Bible.
One among many examples is the fact that for many years the existence of the Hittites (a powerful people who lived during the time of Abraham) was questioned because no archaeological digs had uncovered anything about them. Critics claimed the Hittites were pure myth. But today the critics are silenced. Abundant archaeological evidence for the existence of the Hittites during the time of Abraham has been uncovered.
Bible scholar Donald J. Wiseman notes, "The geography of Bible lands and visible remains of antiquity were gradually recorded until today more than 23,000 sites within this region and dating to Old Testament times, in their broadest sense, have been located." Nelson Glueck, a specialist in ancient literature, did an exhaustive study and concluded: "It can be stated categorically that no archaeological discovery has ever controverted a biblical reference." Well-known scholar William F. Albright, following a comprehensive study, wrote: "Discovery after discovery has established the accuracy of innumerable details, and has brought increased recognition of the value of the Bible as a source of History."

There are more than 24,000 partial and complete manuscript copies of the New Testament. These manuscript copies are very ancient and they are available for inspection NOW. there are also some 86,000 quotations from the early church fathers and several thousand lectionaries (church-service books containing Scripture quotations used in the early centuries of Christianity). In fact, there are enough quotations from the early church fathers that even if we did not have a single copy of the Bible, scholars could still reconstruct all but 11 verses of the entire New Testament from material written within 150 to 200 years from the time of Christ. Bottom line: The New Testament has an overwhelming amount of evidence supporting its reliability.

Answer 4

Not true, you have inaccurate information or inaccurate description.
If you want accurate info on this, unbiased and authoritative purchase:

What Have They Done with Jesus?: Beyond Strange Theories and Bad History--Why We Can Trust the Bible - Ben Witherington III;

Fabricating Jesus(Hardcover)
by Craig A. Evans

Reinventing Jesus: How Contemporary Skeptics Miss the Real Jesus and Mislead Popular Culture (Paperback)
by J. Ed Komoszewski, M. James Sawyer, Daniel B. Wallace

What does it matter what you have heard, what I want to know is what have you ascertained.

But even more importantly is the point you totaly miss.
The first principle of keeping your self from being deceived , is critical examination of everything.. You must do thorough research on both sides. Especially when it comes to religion or philosophy , because you will find that absolutely great and stunning defenses can be made for most things, so do not just fall for the apparent victory of a one sided vicious attack.
If you read the books I have listed then I would say you are truly prepared to make up your own mind, if not you are just an indoctrinated buffoon.
As one Christian scholar says, "knowing only one side means you are indoctrinated, knowing both sides means you are educated"

Some people know only one side. Be different. From a lover of Christ.

Answer 5

You may be referring to the Jesus Seminar, and trust me they do not represent the community of Biblical scholarship, but I think they actually think about 90% of the Biblical quotes are false. I've read some of their articles and such, but after learning Greek I saw for myself how obviously wrong they were. They say the closer you study the Bible the ore it will fall apart, but I have found exactly the opposite to be true. But you can surely do a google search on Jesus Seminar and find results........ Feel free to do so, I can only hope that you do not buy into their foolishness. I don't care what degrees they may have, I've studied their claims and they have absolutely no historical basis. History supports Christianity.

Answer 6

I believe there are over 7000 texts that overwhelmingly concur with each other. Of course there a accounts of many 2nd and 3rd century "gospels" sneaking in. these text were written and passed from church to church so my understanding is people would try to incorporate these later gospels and text in with the true gospels pass them of as authentic. there are certain things written for instance in the gospel of Matthew that prove how early it was written Matthew 24 talks about the coming destruction of the temple in AD70 Jesus said this around AD 33? remember when he says "this generation will see" a generation is considered to mean 40 years. There are also accounts of non christian writers and historians, authenticating the writing in the bible IE: Josephus. Don't worry about the skeptics, it's about faith not proof. God bless.

Answer 7

I agree completely... even regardless of the indisputable fact that for a lots less complicated reason.... The bible says we will not understand the day nor the hour and that it will come like a thief in the evening. SO, if the "stable e book" says we will not understand... then i think we will not understand. on each occasion the tip comes.. it particularly is going to possibly be on an afternoon, no one suspects... an afternoon not extra significant then the different day. consistent with risk 2PM on some idle Tuesday. Secondly, as a Christian (Catholic) what does it count? are not we as Christians assume to be constantly arranged for the 2d coming, Christ's return? are not all of us assume to be following God and in communion with him..to that end what does it count if the final day is at present, day after today, or 30 years from now? Thirdly, as a Catholic Christian, i'm critically skeptical of ANY new interpretations or diagnosis of scripture which appeared to elude the 1st 2,000 years of Christianity. particularly one's which in basic terms the author got here across and are not supported through the mainstream. IF this tips replaced into particularly meant for us to appreciate... how, why did it go neglected through all previous generations? Why did no longer the Apostles rapidly coach in this? Why replaced into it embedded for below Harold camping out to discover? Does this glorify God or Harold camping out? Does the guy offering this tips have something to income from it? (speaking engagements, books, web pages, community ministry, and so forth. ??) ultimately, the type of predictions relating to the tip situations that have been incorrect, so a procedures, is one hundred%. so a procedures, there has no longer been a single precise prediction, to that end the possibilities of any of those being precise is narrow.. statistically. His prediction seems variety very resembling a Jehovah Witness prediction relating to the "final era" which has been expected and shown incorrect a minimum of two situations, if not extra. in my opinion - As a Christian -- A) what does it count? B) what makes us think of THIS guy is sweet, verses anybody else, all previous generations, and the Apostles themselves? C) what's the statistical risk that he's sweet given previous "end of days" predictions?

Answer 8

Yeah, heard that too..
i even heard that most of the scholars don't believe Jesus is God, and they believe Jesus only a messenger.. some scholars even think that Jesus never existed.

Let us start from the beginning. No Biblical scholar on this earth will claim that the Bible was written by Jesus himself. They all agree that the Bible was written after the departure of Jesus peace be upon him by his followers. Dr. W Graham Scroggie of the Moody Bible Institute, Chicago, a prestigious Christian evangelical mission, says:


"..Yes, the Bible is human, although some out of zeal which is not according to knowledge, have denied this. Those books have passed through the minds of men, are written in the language of men, were penned by the hands of men and bear in their style the characteristics of men...."

"It is Human, Yet Divine," W Graham Scroggie, p. 17


Another Christian scholar, Kenneth Cragg, the Anglican Bishop of Jerusalem, says:


"...Not so the New testament...There is condensation and editing; there is choice reproduction and witness. The Gospels have come through the mind of the church behind the authors. They represent experience and history..."

"The Call of the Minaret," Kenneth Cragg, p 277


"It is well known that the primitive Christian Gospel was initially transmitted by word of mouth and that this oral tradition resulted in variant reporting of word and deed. It is equally true that when the Christian record was committed to writing it continued to be the subject of verbal variation. Involuntary and intentional, at the hands of scribes and editors"

Peake's Commentary on the Bible, p. 633


"Yet, as a matter of fact, every book of the New Testament with the exception of the four great Epistles of St. Paul is at present more or less the subject of controversy, and interpolations are asserted even in these."

Encyclopaedia Brittanica, 12th Ed. Vol. 3, p. 643


Dr. Lobegott Friedrich Konstantin Von Tischendorf, one of the most adamant conservative Christian defenders of the Trinity was himself driven to admit that:


"[the New Testament had] in many passages undergone such serious modification of meaning as to leave us in painful uncertainty as to what the Apostles had actually written"

Secrets of Mount Sinai, James Bentley, p. 117


After listing many examples of contradictory statements in the Bible, Dr. Frederic Kenyon says:


"Besides the larger discrepancies, such as these, there is scarcely a verse in which there is not some variation of phrase in some copies [of the ancient manuscripts from which the Bible has been collected]. No one can say that these additions or omissions or alterations are matters of mere indifference"

Our Bible and the Ancient Manuscripts, Dr. Frederic Kenyon, Eyre and Spottiswoode, p. 3

In the British newspaper the "Daily News" 25/6/84 under the heading "Shock survey of Anglican Bishops" We read


"More than half of England's Anglican Bishops say that Christians are not obliged to believe that Jesus Christ was God, according to a survey published today. The pole of 31 of England's 39 bishops shows that many of them think that Christ's miracles, the virgin birth and the resurrection might not have happened exactly as described in the Bible. Only 11 of the bishops insisted that Christians must regard Christ as both God and man, while 19 said it was sufficient to regard Jesus as 'God's supreme agent'"

try read this link.. it's a good articles. U should read it.

http://wings.buffalo.edu/sa/muslim/library/jesus-say/ch2.1.html
http://wings.buffalo.edu/sa/muslim/library/jesus-say/ch1.2.3.1.html
http://wings.buffalo.edu/sa/muslim/library/jesus-say/ch7.html

Answer 9

The Jesus Seminar is what you are referring to I guess. "The Bible Geek" Robert Price was part of that seminar and has written a great book. "The Incredible Shrinking Son of Man." He came to the conclusion that Jesus likely never existed. The Jesus story has too much in common with prior myths and the sheer lack of contemporary evidence makes the whole thing reek of concoction.

There was nothing at all written about Jesus until decades after he supposedly existed and very few extra-biblical mentions. One of which was a clear forgery.

http://www.robertmprice.mindvendor.com/
http://www.JesusNeverExisted.com
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jesus_myth

Answer 10

You have been misinformed about that, if indeed they were true Christian scientists, and scholars. What you speak of is actually old news, but still just as fascinating, only, you have it wrong, or whoever delivered the information to you is wrong. But, if your last statement is true, then I wish you well on your search for truth. The source you speak of is not going to be a good one for you. You have to be very picky about where you get your informmation, there is such a battle for truth going on out there. Good luck!