Since the Gospels are Greco-Roman biographies, we should not be surprised that their authors would want to include eyewitness testimony. After all, the principle that historical accounts should be based on eyewitness reports (either directly indirectly) was an established value among all the ancient historians ranging from Herodotus to Thucydides to Polybius and even to...

High school graduation is almost here. I know what that’s like, because I’ve been through it three times. As parents, we have one simple question on our mind: Have I done a good job preparing my child for college? Every Christian parent wonders this. We pray that we’ve adequately prepared our high school graduate to...

It goes without saying that not all academic sub-disciplines (especially in the field of biblical studies) generate the same level of scholarly interest. Some fields are more active; others less so. And it can change from generation to generation. When I was doing my work with Larry Hurtado years ago at the University of Edinburgh,...

As you might have noticed, Bart Ehrman has been making the rounds again this recent Easter season regarding his new book, Love Thy Stranger: How the Teachings of Jesus Transformed the Moral Conscience of the West.  Most notable was his appearance on the podcast of New York Time’s columnist, Ross Douthat. In this new book,...

In a prior blog post, I announced the forthcoming release of my new book, co-authored with my wife Melissa, entitled: The Good News Family Devotional: 52 Weeks in the Gospel of Mark. This book is designed to fill a gap in family devotionals because it is written by both a mom and a dad, and...

In a prior blog post, I announced the forthcoming release of the new book I co-authored with my wife Melissa, entitled: The Good News Family Devotional: 52 Weeks in the Gospel of Mark. This book is designed to fill a gap in family devotionals because it is written by both a mom and a dad,...

Well, soon it will be Easter. That wonderful time of the year when we remember (and celebrate) the resurrection of Jesus from the dead. But, not all will be celebrating. There are many that find Easter to be a senseless holiday—apart from, perhaps, the joys of Sunday brunch or chocolate eggs. After all, it is...

Every parent feels it. They know they should be studying the Bible with their children and just don’t know how to take the next step. So, the years tick away and the guilt piles up. And it’s not just the problem of being too busy. For many parents, they just don’t know where to begin....

In the earliest centuries of the church, the burgeoning Christian movement had its fair share of critics. And their complaints were wide and varied. Christians worshipped a criminal crucified by the Romans. Christians were a threat to the empire because of their refusal to pay homage to the gods. Christian books were filled with errors...

For those regular readers of this blog (or my books), you will know that my research has focused largely on the second century of early Christianity. It is a forgotten century of sorts. Much attention is paid to the first century (for obvious reasons!), and by the time the third and fourth centuries roll around,...

Before the holiday season kicked in, I began a new 5-part series exploring what the phenomenon of miniature codices teaches us about the early Christian movement. This series is designed to draw out some practical implications (for a lay audience) from my new book with Oxford University Press, Miniature Codices in Early Christianity. Having already...

What is the real meaning of Christmas?  During this festive time of the year, many are busy reminding us that the meaning certainly has nothing to do with presents.  Let’s not buy into the materialistic side of Christmas, we are told.  Let’s not focus on the gifts. Now let me say that the sentiment behind...

As I mentioned in a prior post, I am in the middle of a new 5-part series exploring what the phenomenon of miniature codices teaches us about the early Christian movement. This series is designed to draw out some practical implications (for a lay audience) from my new book with Oxford University Press, Miniature Codices...

As I mentioned in a prior post, I am in the middle of a new 5-part series exploring what the phenomenon of miniature codices teaches us about the early Christian movement. This series is designed to draw out some practical implications (for a lay audience) from my new book with Oxford University Press, Miniature Codices...

As I mentioned in a prior post, I am starting a new 5-part series exploring what the phenomenon of miniature codices teaches us about the early Christian movement. This series is designed to draw out some practical implications (for a lay audience) from my new book with Oxford University Press, Miniature Codices in Early Christianity....

As I mentioned in a prior post, my new book with Oxford University Press is now out in both the UK and US: Miniature Codices in Early Christianity. It’s part of Oxford’s long-standing Early Christian Studies series. I have been working on the subject of miniature codices for more than twenty years now, ever since...

“There is no second-century manuscript evidence.” —Helmut Koester When it comes to the transmission of the New Testament text, the second century has been long recognized as a critical time period. And it is not hard to see why. If the New Testament books were written (more or less) in the first-century, then the extant...

For a number of years now, Queens University of Charlotte has hosted the Tarwater Lectures, an annual event focused on the intersection of faith and science or the social sciences. Named after RTS Charlotte alumna, Ann Tarwater, the lecture is normally delivered by a professor at Reformed Theological Seminary. Over the years, I have had...