Biblical Criticism & History Forum - earlywritings.com

But are you suggesting that the Pauline epistles were wholly counterfeit? No historical apostle? Even if the Pauline epistles were wholly counterfeit, it's possible that there was an authority figure in the tradition (maybe even a real person) who existed prior to the attribution of letters to him ...

But I am willing to accept Jesus as a heavenly man because there is evidence for it. I am willing accept Paul went by a different name for the same reason. I am an intellectual whore. I will go where the evidence leads me. How is it reasonable that a wholly fictitious narrative (Gal 2) developed ab...

But I am willing to accept Jesus as a heavenly man because there is evidence for it. I am willing accept Paul went by a different name for the same reason. I am an intellectual whore. I will go where the evidence leads me. How is it reasonable that a wholly fictitious narrative (Gal 2) developed ab...

But why isn't it appropriate to extend your arguments against Paul to Marcion, Polycarp, Irenaeus etc? Why are Paul and Jesus unique for mythicist attention? You really underestimate the importance of the role played by genre and canon. Judeo-Christian Biblical literature is narrative theology: ahi...

I hate it when people cite meaningless scholarly cliches like "special pleading." Your examples weren't close enough to the case of the Pauline letters to allow for using them as a parallel. It's like Jay's use of comic books and movies to defend mythicism. Paul wasn't legendary or famous...

I guess the only scenario that works for you is if Marcion invented Paul inventing Jesus. But is that really the most likely scenario given the state of the evidence? By your logic we also have to consider Polycarp inventing Marcion inventing Paul inventing Jesus and Irenaeus inventing Polycarp inv...

You said, "I can't think of an example of a wholly invented figure having letters attributed to him." I gave you two examples of epistolary literature, known to Christians, where wholly invented figures had letters attributed to them. You said, "That's not the same thing." This i...

Until today, I thought Jeremiah was a legendary figure. But we have an epistle attributed to him. Hallelujah! Jeremiah is real.

Until today, I thought Enoch was a legendary figure. But we have an epistle attributed to him. Hallelujah! Enoch is real.

Is that an argument? Theologians only invent stuff that happened a long time ago. They don't invent stuff that happened recently. I know this because the author is an eyewitness.