Bart D. Ehrman's Blog, page 167

The God Jesus, In Competition

I have started what will almost certainly be a long thread on where the idea of the Trinity came from within the Christian tradition.   In plotting out the thread I saw right away that the very BIG issue is not really about the “three” (Father, Son, and Holy Spirit) but about the “two”:   God and [...]

Gold Members Only Audio Q&A

Dear Gold Members, As you know, one of your perks is a monthly audio version of a Q&A, designed and created just for you.  Only those with Gold privileges can participate and benefit..  You submit the Q's and I do the A's.  Interested?   Now we are set to do the first one. I will announce [...]

Platinum Members Webinar!

Dear Platinum Members, As you know, one of the perks of having Platinum membership is that I will be doing a Platinum-only webinar four times a year.   I now want to announce the first one, ever.    It will be held on Thursday, January 21, 7:00 pm EST.   Some of you will be rejoicing that [...]

How the Trinity Got Into the New Testament: Part 2

I continue now with the story of how the doctrine of the Trinity as stated in 1 John 5:7 (the only passage in the entire Bible that states that there are three divine figures and “these three are one”) was actually not originally part of 1 John – or the Bible at all.  It was [...]

How the Trinity Got Into the New Testament

In my previous post I began to discuss the doctrine of the Trinity, which states that the godhead comprises three distinct persons, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, all of whom are completely and equally God, with no one superior to the others, all of whom have existed forever, and all of whom [...]

Is the Trinity in the Bible?

I recently did a webinar discussing the origins of the doctrine of the Trinity.  It’s an issue that I am often asked about.  Where did the idea come from?  How does it work?  If God the Father is God, and Christ is God, and the Spirit is God – how is it that Christians don’t [...]

No Virgin Births? Then How Were Demi-gods Born In Antiquity?

In my previous post I pointed out that there do not appear to be any instances in the other religions of antiquity of a virgin birth – where a woman gives birth without having sex.  In this post I’ll lay out the more typical view of how a “son of God” came into the world.  [...]

What About All Those *Other* Virgin Births in Antiquity?

I have devoted several posts to the issue of Jesus’ virgin birth, as recounted in Matthew and Luke.  As I pointed out, there is no account of Jesus’ virgin birth in the Gospel of John, and it appears that the idea is actually argued *against* (implicitly) in the Gospel of Mark. As happened last time [...]

With Respect to Others Who Did Not Like My Newsweek Article

When the editor at Newsweek asked me if I would be willing to write an article on the birth of Jesus, I was hesitant and wrote him back asking if he was sure he really wanted me to do it.  I told him that I seem to be incapable of writing anything that doesn’t stir [...]

The Blog Year in Review, 2020

Another year has passed.  Most of us are oh so happy to say goodbye to THIS one.  An awful year, in many many ways, and we are not out of the woods.  Even those who have weathered the storm well have faced hardship, suffering, and loss.  Whatever your own situation, please accept my best wishes [...]