Seldom do we have concrete proof of the existence of anyone in the ancient past. Largely, we have to work on probability. What is the most probable situation based on the available evidence? As a whole, the general consensus among scholars and historians is that the probability of Jesus existing is virtually a certainty. We…
There is a new book published by Oxford University Press that has gotten mythicists in a tizzy. That book is none other than T.C. Schmidt’s Josephus and Jesus, New Evidence for the One Called Christ. As some may imagine, Richard Carrier is one such mythicist who has taken an issue with the new book. And…
When you lie about a person, its best to not lie about something when the proof to the contrary is so easily accessible. This is the situation that Jaaron Wingo, of Christ Before Jesus, has found himself in. In a recent TikTok Live, Wingo attacked me personally and made the claim that I was asking…
Before moving too far on, there is a point that I have to address, as it’s one that Britt and Wingo bring up multiple times, and is one that is all too common among mythicists. Why did no one write about Jesus earlier? Britt and Wingo put it like this: “This is one of the…
Most scholars argue that Mark was the first Gospel to be written. This seems rather obvious as it’s clear that both Matthew and Luke borrowed from Mark. It’s no surprise that a late date for Mark then is important for Britt and Wingo. If Mark were to be shown to be a product of the…
If one shows a clear unfamiliarity with what the mainstream scholarship states, one should be very wary when those individuals make claims about the mainstream. When those same people build up arguments based on that unfamiliarity, we have major issues. Those issues appear right away in chapter 2. Britt and Wingo begin their chapter on…
Citing sources is important. It helps a reader verify some information. For instance, when Britt and Wingo claim that “one of the ideas put forth by historicists is the idea that Jesus could have been multiple first-century teachers rolled into one,” by providing a citation, or even naming one of these individuals, would go a…
If you’re looking to summarize the mainstream view, you don’t look at Christian apologists or fundamentalist arguments. They aren’t part of the mainstream view. You also don’t look at fringe groups and act like they define what the mainstream is. And you definitely don’t make up arbitrary rules about what evidence you can accept. Honestly,…
When it comes to Jesus, virtually all scholars agree that he existed. This is a point that Britt and Wingo agree on. More importantly, they acknowledge that they are going up against the consensus here. There are a couple of scholars who stick out that do argue that Jesus most likely didn’t exist though. Quite…
As I finished off chapter 8, I drew attention to a view that Maurice Casey had presented about other mythicists: “They have had a conversion experience away from Christianity, and they are no more sympathetic to critical scholarship now than they were before.” In chapter 1, Britt and Wingo tell us that yes, they had…