Who are the elect in the Olivet discourse? For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been from the beginning of the world until now, no, and never will be. And if those days had not been cut short, no human being would be saved. But for…
In this posting, I want to remind us of how intentional God has always been in wanting His people to have a written record, memorial, or testimony of what He has said and done. That written record is then to be copied, taught, and memorized. Moses left behind a body…
I have asserted that the writings of the apostles were immediately recognized as Scripture (e.g., 1 Tim. 5:18; 2 Pet. 3:15–16; 2 Tim. 3:16). And further, that Galatians refers to something like Matthew’s Gospel, which was “previously written” prior to Paul’s first visit to Galatia. Here is my translation of…
In Acts 18 and 19, we continue to highlight the essential role which Matthew’s Gospel played in Paul’s evangelistic endeavors. But first, let’s recap some of our prior observations and assertions: Paul in Corinth (Acts 18:1–17) In Corinth, Paul could once again be found every Sabbath reasoning in the synagogue…
I have argued that during his first missionary journey, Paul grounded his ministry in the use of a published Gospel—whether he was preaching and teaching or strengthening and encouraging the churches. Now, in this blog post, we consider three encounters between Paul and those in Macedonia and Achaia during his…
In this “new insights into Acts” series, we are re-examining the text of the New Testament under the premise that Matthew was published coincident with the events of Acts 10–11, and that Mark was published shortly thereafter. Further, that these texts were immediately accepted as authoritative Scripture, as having been…
Tillemont was born in Paris in 1637 and became a priest in 1676. Shortly thereafter he retired to an abbey near Paris, but subsequently moved to his family estate (Tillemont) near Paris, where he completed two masterful works, one on ecclesiastical history and the other on the history of the…
Theologians of the 1800s wrote with a flowing eloquence and style which is foreign to the ears of our present generation. Upham begins chapter three, “The Received Date of the Gospels,” with a rebuke not only against unbelieving skeptics, but also against orthodox religious leaders, who undermine the Gospels not…
Trustworthy: Thirteen Arguments for the Reliability of the New Testament. By Benjamin C. F. Shaw. Forward by Gary S. Habermas. Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity, 2024, xiii + 142 pp. Benjamin Shaw’s Trustworthy is a welcome addition to a subgenre which aspires to provide confidence in the biblical text, while targeting…
Elsewhere, I have argued that Matthew was published for the benefit of the Jews, coincident with the events of Acts 10–11, as Peter and Paul began preaching in Rome, the empire. And further, that Mark was published shortly thereafter, leveraging both Matthew’s Gospel and the sermons of Peter, at the…