Lecture 1: Historical reliability of the Gospels, part 1
Category Archives: Historical reliability questions
Good cultural backgrounds helps us trust Scripture
Lots of skeptics today criticize the Bible, oblivious to the cultural setting that it was addressing. Instead of seeing how biblical texts improved values of their surrounding culture, skeptics condemn the Bible for not promoting twenty-first century values that (whether we agree with those values or not) no one had heard of in biblical times. When Christians read the Bible in an ahistorical way, ignoring the cultural settings that it originally addressed, we play into skeptics’ hands. Just as God communicated the divine message to people in their specific languages, God also communicated to them in concrete cultural settings. Recognizing those settings helps us reapply the Bible’s message more concretely and appropriately in our often different situations today. If you want to apply the Bible rightly, knowing the first situation helps you recognize what kinds of situations are and are not analogous today.
Miracles interview with Scott Sullivan
For those who are not tired of hearing my interviews concerning miracles, here is my interview on Scott Sullivan’s podcast:
http://www.scottmsullivan.com/does-human-experience-really-count-against-miracles/
Was Paul really a Roman citizen?–Acts 16:37
Paul’s Roman citizenship. 13.4-minute lecture by Acts scholar Craig Keener. For 23 free lectures on Acts, see http://faculty.gordon.edu/hu/bi/ted_hildebrandt/DigitalCourses/00_DigitalBiblicalStudiesCourses.html#Acts_Keener
Paul and the Jerusalem Council
Paul and the Jerusalem Council–Acts 15, and how Galatians 2 fits this. 9-minute lecture by Acts scholar Craig Keener. For 23 free lectures see http://faculty.gordon.edu/hu/bi/ted_hildebrandt/DigitalCourses/00_DigitalBiblicalStudiesCourses.html#Acts_Keener
All about the African empire that the official in Acts 8:27 was from
Official from the African kingdom of Meroë–Acts 8:27. 6.5-minute lecture from Acts scholar Craig Keener. (Part of a larger segment.)
For 23 free lectures on Acts, see http://faculty.gordon.edu/hu/bi/ted_hildebrandt/DigitalCourses/00_DigitalBiblicalStudiesCourses.html#Acts_Keener. Craig’s Acts commentary treats the passage about this African official in vol. 2, pp. 1534-1596.
Herod Agrippa I–Acts 12
Information about Herod Agrippa I in Acts 12:1-4. 4.4 minutes from Acts scholar Craig Keener.
For 23 free lectures on Acts, see http://faculty.gordon.edu/hu/bi/ted_hildebrandt/DigitalCourses/00_DigitalBiblicalStudiesCourses.html#Acts_Keener
Gospels not making things up–Luke 1:4
5-minute video on the Gospel writers not freely inventing events:
This is excerpted from a larger argument about the Gospels as valuable historical sources about Jesus, the first two parts of a series on Matthew’s Gospel available free at: http://faculty.gordon.edu/hu/bi/ted_hildebrandt/DigitalCourses/00_DigitalBiblicalStudiesCourses.html#Matthew_Keener
Were Gospel biographies fictitious?
Once a professor told me that ancient biographies, including the Gospels, were fictitious. Can you always believe everything your professor tells you? (Maybe some professors more than others …) Find out more on this 1-minute clip:
This is excerpted from a course on Matthew available for free at: http://faculty.gordon.edu/hu/bi/ted_hildebrandt/DigitalCourses/00_DigitalBiblicalStudiesCourses.html#Matthew_Keener
Exorcism stories
Although scholars from various disciplines and worldviews explain the experiences differently, there are many firsthand accounts of exorcism experiences around the world. This 10-minute video excerpts material from a larger discussion on spirit possession experiences reported around the world.
It comes from a larger series available for free at: http://faculty.gordon.edu/hu/bi/ted_hildebrandt/DigitalCourses/00_DigitalBiblicalStudiesCourses.html#Matthew_Keener.