Do you know what these people have in common: The widow of Zarephath’s son The Shunammite woman’s son An unnamed man — After Elisha’s death and burial, some men burying another body threw the corpse into Elisha’s tomb to escape raiders. When it touched Elisha’s bones, the man came back to life and stood up … (3/3) My Third and Final Easter Weekend Post.

Jesus said to sell all your possessions and give the money to the poor, and you would be judged by how you treat the destitute. We are pretty confident he said this because it goes against the bias of the gospels to promote salvation through the cross/resurrection. He said to love your enemies, and he … Secularism and the Meaning of Easter

Some time ago in my Nina Livesey essays I wrote about Detering and Price placing the abomination of desolation reference to the time of Bar Kokhba in the second century (a pagan statue erected in a Jewish holy site) – providing a late date for the Gospels.  Vridar has extended the commenter list who make … The High Holy Days: Have a Happy Secular Good Friday and Easter!

PREVIOUSLY: EHRMAN / GOICOECHEA BLOG SERIES LANDING PAGE For the most part, in this series I have left alone the second half of Ehrman’s book and Goicoechea’s last chapter on Paul, so if the reader is interested those are the places to go next. Here is Jacon Berman of History Valley Podcast interviewing Ehrman on … APPENDIX: Ehrman / Goicoechea Series: Jacob Berman Interviews Ehrman on “Love Thy Stranger”

This blog series looks at Bart Ehrman and David Goicoechea on the central concept of Agape (love/self-sacrifice/altruism), typified by Jesus dying to save his enemies. The Posts: Bart Ehrman on the Absence of Atonement in Luke-Acts Ehrman on Jesus’ Revolutionary Ethics Bart Ehrman and did Jesus Found Modern Morality? New Blog Series: A New Christian … (BLOG SERIES INDEX) Agape: Bart Ehrman and David Goicoechea in Conversation

Ehrman notes the peculiarity of Luke-Acts is that it does not have the doctrine of substitutionary atonement, but rather repentance and forgiveness (e.g., the soldier at the cross declares Jesus innocent; The destruction of the temple is seen as God’s punishment for the Jewish elite orchestrating Jesus’ death; etc.).  Ehrman figures Mark has substitutionary atonement … (Blog Series Conclusion) The Servant Model: A Contrite Heart Pays What a Sacrifice Cannot with Ehrman and Goicoechea

In Galatians 5:13–15 Paul writes: My brothers, you were called, as you know, to liberty, but be careful, or this liberty will provide an opening for self indulgence. Serve one another, rather, in works of love, since the whole of the Law is summarized in a single command: Love your neighbor as yourself. So, the … Goicoechea (Paul) and Ehrman (Gospels) on the path to the Kingdom of God

Goicoechea introduces the concept of reconciliation as one of Paul’s key concept that is worked out also in his own life with the other competing Christ factions of his day, So Paul’s task is to love his enemies, Cephas and Apollos, and yet to contest them at the same time in the spirit of love.  … Goicoechea on Reconciliation and Ehrman’s Egoistic Jesus

Goicoechea’s Lukan Jesus and his Universalism will frustrate substitutionary atonement and should, as such philosophy entails the absurdity that if Hitler converted on his deathbed he gains paradise, whereas if a good and noble atheist is unable to find faith after a lifetime of trying (you can’t force yourself to believe any more than you … Goicoechea and Ehrman on Jesus and the Kingdom

Ehrman draws a helpful distinction between the traditional view of Jesus dying on the cross as atonement vs the forgiving dying Jesus and Stephen of Luke-Acts where no payment to God is needed or implied. The argument is the historical Jesus taught forgiveness, and his disciples changed the message to atonement when they thought they … Ehrman on Atonement vs Forgiveness