Class on the Origin and Authority of the New Testament Canon
This week, Aug 4-8, I am teaching my long-running elective at RTS Charlotte entitled, “The Origin and Authority of the New Testament Canon.”
In this class, we will be covering not just the history and development of the canon, but also its theological meaning, and its epistemological foundation. In other words, we will not only discuss when these books were recognized, but we will explore how we know which books belong and which do not.
So, the class will cover the various canonical models present in theological circles today, as well as responding to modern historical-critical scholars who attack its integrity.
One other interesting part of the course is that
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Headed to San Diego for the Annual Meeting of the Evangelical Theological Society
This week I’m headed to San Diego for the annual meetings of the Evangelical Theological Society (ETS)—the largest gathering of evangelical scholars in the world. In addition to the normal meals, coffees, and meeting with old friends, here’s a little preview of what I will be up to.
1. RTS Faculty Dinner. Every year, all of the Reformed Theological Seminary faculty attending ETS gather for a faculty dinner. Normally I have to miss the faculty dinner because I have been attending the ETS banquet for the last seven years as a member of the executive committee. But this year I will finally be able to join my colleagues again
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How Do We Know We Have the Right Gospels?
As I indicated in a prior post, I am starting a new 10-part video series on big questions related to the faith, and particularly the origins and reliability of the New Testament.
So, here’s the next installment in the series: “How Do We Know We Have the Right Gospels?”… Continue reading...
Is P.Oxy. 5575 the Only Manuscript that Mixes Synoptic Material with the Gospel of Thomas?
Back in September of 2023, I published an article on the newly discovered “gospel” manuscript from Oxyrhynchus: “New ‘Gospel’ Manuscript Discovered? (What it Is and Why it Matters).”
That manuscript, labelled P.Oxy. 5575, is a small papyrus manuscript dated to the second-century that exhibits a most notable feature, namely that it apparently contains a conglomeration of material from Matthew (6:25-26, 28-33) and Luke (12:22, 24, 27-31), and this Matt/Luke material is laid alongside portions from the Gospel of Thomas (27, 36, 63).
Indeed, it is this feature that has generated all the online buzz. Why? Because this is purportedly the only known manuscript that mixes Synoptic material with material from … Continue reading...
Why Are People So Fascinated with ‘Lost’ Books of the Bible?
Exactly one month ago, I published a TGC article on the recently discovered ‘gospel’ manuscript from Oxyrhynchus, P.Oxy. 5575. This new manuscript is noteworthy for many reasons (which I cover in the article), but mostly because it includes material from the Gospel of Thomas laid alongside material from Matthew and Luke.
While such a discovery certainly deserves academic attention, the internet “buzz” generated by this new manuscript has been fascinating to watch. Indeed, it reminds me that there always seems to be a disproportionate cultural fascination with “lost” Gospel or “hidden” texts about Jesus. Write an article about the canonical Gospels and you might get a few hits. Write an … Continue reading...