Knowing when something was written helps to better understand answers to other questions - like why it was written, and how it relates to other texts from that time. Unfortunately, ancient authors rarely wrote the date at the top of the page when they started writing, which makes working out when something was written a somewhat challenging process. Today, Dr. Bart Ehrman is going to guide us through how biblical scholars tackle this challenging process, and look at why it is that the Gospel of Mark is understood to be the first gospel.

If I start talking about “the law”, many of you are going to have certain ideas pop into your heads - a police force, trials, prison. But what about if I’m talking about the law in a religious sense?

Maybe you’ll think of the ten commandments, veiling women, or practices of abstinence. Today, Dr. Bart Ehrman talks about the Jewish Law as presented in the New Testament, exploring whether it’s possible to even keep it, and what agenda the NT authors had when talking about it.

The disciples were Jesus’ closest companions during his ministry, the collective Robins to his Batman. As such we might expect them to be more enlightened, more intelligent, more attuned to God’s divine plan than other people Jesus’ came across.

The Gospel of Mark, however, seems to defy that expectation. Today, we talk about how the author of Mark portrays the disciples, how that treatment advances his aims for the gospel, and whether this portrayal is representative of a personal vendetta.

The question of how much of the Bible is historically accurate, and how much is myth or legend, is both interesting and important to a lot of people - believer and atheist alike.

Some insist it’s accurate down to the last detail, while others label it as fairy tales from beginning to end. In this episode, Dr. Bart Ehrman unravels how scholars distinguish history from myth within the Gospels of the New Testament, why it’s important to do so, and exactly what a “myth” is.

Start talking about the Gospels, and most people will have a rough idea of what you’re talking about - a narrative account of Jesus’ life.

Today, however, we throw all of that familiarity out of the window and talk about one of the most non-Gospel Gospels I’ve ever read, the enigmatic apocryphal Gospel of Thomas! 

Is there a difference between how the New Testament is taught in church versus a university?

In this episode, New Testament scholar Hugo Mendez joins us to explore the devotional approach to the Bible often found in churches and how it contrasts with the critical, historical methods used in academia.

We discuss what surprises students about studying the New Testament in a classroom setting, whether one approach is ‘right,’ and how both can offer valuable insights for Christians, skeptics, and truth-seekers alike.

It’s not every day that you get to talk about an exciting new discovery in biblical studies - the ravages of time mean that it’s rare for a text to survive, especially a complete text! Even rarer is a complete text that records an entire sermon given by Jesus. Well, I’m excited to say that today is one of those days! Dr. Bart Ehrman is with me to talk about his take on a fascinating new text discovered recently in Egypt!

In this episode, we sit down with Bible scholar John Edwards to explore how critical scholarship can deepen one’s faith.

John shares his personal journey of reconciling faith and academia, offering insights into how studying the Bible critically can inspire and enrich Christian belief.

Join us as we discuss the positive impact of Jesus and the Bible in the modern world.

What was the world like just before Jesus was born?

In this special Christmas Eve episode, we explore the political, cultural, and religious climate of 1st-century Palestine with world-renowned archaeologist Dr. Jodi Magness.

From Roman rule and Jewish life to messianic expectations, Dr. Magness helps us understand the historical backdrop that shaped the world Jesus entered.

Most Christians would likely agree that Jesus and the Gospels provide us with guidance for how we should be living our lives. People of non-Christian faith traditions, or those with no religious belief at all, might have a somewhat different response...but our guest today, Dr. Amy-Jill Levine, is here to talk about how non-Christians can find value in Jesus and the Gospels, and why they should take another look at the New Testament!