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…
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…
What is being taught to students of the Bible, to future pastors and Christian teachers, concerning when the first Gospel was published? First, here is what is taught by some of the apologetic works which are addressed in my book: Bauckham (2017): Mark was published in the 60s CE, thirty…
Those who argue for an early date for Matthew’s Gospel must contend with Irenaeus’s claim that “Matthew also issued a written Gospel among the Hebrews in their own dialect, while Peter and Paul were preaching at Rome, and laying the foundations of the Church.” My approach for dealing with the…
To the chorus of those who assert that Matthew was written within a decade of the resurrection and ascension, I have added four more voices: Samuel Ellwood (1709), Samuel Humphreys (1746), Thomas Horne (1825), and Arthur Carr (1898). An extended excerpt from Horne has been included, which provides a nice…
In chapter 2, on the “Intent to Have a Written Gospel,” Upham begins with a quick allusion to Milton’s Paradise Lost: Surely it was not the “Archangel ruined” who deluded men into saying that the Witnesses [of Christ] never thought of putting their witness into writing! … The ancient genealogies…
Sitting atop one of my bookshelves is a collection of older works—some were treasures discovered at used bookstores and others were sought out. One of my favorites is a small hardback by Francis W. Upham, published in New York in 1881. This was almost 150 years ago! To put this…
What does it do to the trustworthiness of the witness testimony contained within the Gospels, when it is asserted that the Gospel of Matthew was not written until four, five, or six decades after the dialogues and events contained therein? First, I want to highlight the dating claims made by…
In my search for historical authors who have speculated concerning the early date of Matthew’s Gospel, it is tempting to latch onto every author who might be “on my team.” However, there is need for circumspection. This morning, I found this interesting book from James Sheridan Knowles, Irish actor and…