Atheism is Dead: Bart Ehrman’s Millions and Millions of Variants, part 1 of 2

Bart Ehrman via last.fm

Ever read something so well-done, so awesome, so organized, so obviously inspired by God that you just marvel? This one of those kinds of posts I'm highlighting with the one read now. Mariano does something that i have never thought about - apply Bart Ehrman's method of analyzing the New Testament to one of Ehrman's own books. In Mariano's case, he picked Misquoting Jesus and documents 16 errors. He then goes on and show because there are at least 100,000 copies in circulation, according to the logic Ehrman uses, there are at least 1,600,000 variants.

The error that he points out that made me roll-on-floor-laughing was that although the book was about analyzing Greek manuscripts, the cover has Hebrew in its background printed upside down! I know some people might point out that we can't say that it's a mistake it may have been purposeful You may have a point. But many of them would also argue against God's existence because of the way nature work does not make sense to them. Their objection is answered the same way: you don't know what the intended purpose was.

Mariano is a very gifted writer and this post especially contains very quotable sections. Here is the main point of the post in Mariano's words:

Now, if you are paying attention—or are you like me and simply cannot afford to pay attention? :o)—you may be thinking 1) that is only 16 errors, 2) they are mostly merely misspellings, 3) they do not affect the contents of the text and certainly do not affect any major point which the book seeks to make.
As for 2) and 3); thank you for noticing as this is precisely, word for word, how many of us feel about Bart Ehrman’s criticisms of the New Testament manuscripts.

Mariano also quoted Ehrman's interviews - things i have heard or read Ehrman say myself - about Ehrman's own path to agnosticism and how he really had no good reason to leave (if he ever truly was born-again) Christianity. I think Mariano is spot on.

People like Ehrman must be answered because so many people are taking his conclusion as proof that there is no God and that Christianity is a false religion. People are looking for reasons to ignore God and Ehrman is giving it to them. In talking to atheist myself I have had Ehrman's work waved at me as if he mattered. People like Mike Licona, William Lane Craig, James White, and Mariano are literally doing the work of God in showing that Ehrman is not correct in his conclusions and why.

I can't wait to read Mariano's part 2.

Atheism is Dead: Bart Ehrman’s Millions and Millions of Variants, part 1 of 2

Brennon's Thoughts: William Lane Craig on Romans 9

Image via Wikipedia

Brennon has posted the following quote from William Lane Craig summing up the meaning of Romans 9.

Paul's burden, then, in Romans 9 is not to narrow the scope of God's election but to broaden it. He wants to take in all who have faith in Christ Jesus regardless of their ethnicity. Election, then, is first and foremost a corporate notion: God has chosen for Himself a people, a corporate entity, and it is up to us by our response of faith whether or not we choose to be members of that corporate group destined to salvation

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Read the entire article this comes from here: http://www.reasonablefaith.org/site/News2?page=NewsArticle&id=6675

I admire William Lane Craig a great deal. I believe he loves Jesus and that he is saved. i do have to differ on how he is reading corporate election into Romans 9. I mean is it possible to choose a group of people without also designation who is in that chosen group? Is it really like two empty rooms with an open doors, and God says, I'm saving all those who choose to go in to that door and all those in the other room are going to hell? That is what I understand Dr. Craig to be saying. There are two problems. One: no one has the ability to go into that room for salvation, nor wants to go into that room, unless God enables him/her. (John 6:44). Two: The truth is that hell is the default destination for each and every human being. Often times we make it sound like a person's eternal destiny is up in the air until they make a choice for or against God. The Bible teaches that each one of us chooses to reject God from the get go. How we change unless God "takes out that heart of stone and replaces it with a heart of flesh"? We don't. A better picture is an empty room that God fills with those selected - predestined - from outside the room who are on their way to hell - us.

11In him we were also chosen, having been predestined according to the plan of him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will, 12in order that we, who were the first to hope in Christ, might be for the praise of his glory. 13And you also were included in Christ when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation. Having believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, 14who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God's possession—to the praise of his glory. Ephesians 1:11-14

1As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, 2in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient. 3All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our sinful nature[a] and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature objects of wrath. 4But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, 5made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved. 6And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, 7in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus. 8For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— 9not by works, so that no one can boast. 10For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. Ephesians 2:1-10

Okay, given what Paul wrote to the Ephesians, I can't see how he intended to give us the idea that the elect was something you joined of your own free-will in Romans 9. It is true that God is telling us that it has nothing to do with who your daddy is but His choice in choosing you. He's not rejecting those who are no chosen, they are doomed before there is any choice is made.

Brennon's Thoughts: William Lane Craig on Romans 9

Christian Apologetics - Life and Doctrine: Trinity : Who is Glorious?

Continuing his great series on the Trinity, Mariano considers the question: Which member of the Trinity is Glorious? He goes to answer this question by showing what the Bible says about each one. God is one Being. If God is Glorious than the 3 persons sharing the same being must each be Glorious!   He did another excellent job!!!!!


Christian Apologetics - Life and Doctrine: Trinity : Who is Glorious?

YouTube - Sarah Palin, Barbara Walters: Good Morning America (Part 2 of 2)

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Here is Barbara Walters interviewing Sarah Palin









YouTube - Sarah Palin, Barbara Walters: Good Morning America (Part 2 of 2)

Responses to the Deen Show

Dr. James White promised a playlist of his responses to claims made on the Islamic show - The Deen Show. He posted today on his blog!





Responses to the Deen Show

Table of Nations by Tim Osterholm

My father-in-law found this great article showing how all the languages and races can be shown to have been described in Genesis 10. It's real interesting, contains an exhaustive bibliography and I have seen the material presented elsewhere and this is one of the best concise form.

Table of Nations by Tim Osterholm