The Humble Skeptic Truth Isn't Afraid of Questions

May scholars over the past century have claimed that John’s Gospel is the least historically reliable since it was written in the late first century. Essentially, they’ve argued that this text tells us more about the beliefs of the church in that period than it does about the historical Jesus. On this episode, Shane talks with New Testament scholar Daniel Wallace about evidence that points to a much earlier date, along with other matters related to the historical reliability and faithful transmission of the Fourth Gospel. Note: A few clips of this interview were featured on episode 16, but here we’re presenting the entire conversation.
SHOW NOTES
Recommended BooksRevisiting the Corruption of the New Testament, Daniel WallaceRedating the New Testament, John A.T. RobinsonThe Priority of John, John A.T. RobinsonRethinking the Dates of the New Testament, Jonathan BernierRedating Matthew, Mark & Luke, John WenhamNICNT Commentary on The Gospel of John (1995), Leon MorrisConcordia Commentary: John 1:1-7:1, William WeinrichCan We Trust The Gospels? Peter J. WilliamsThe Testimony of the Beloved Disciple, Richard BauckhamJesus & The Eyewitnesses, Richard BauckhamGreek Grammar Beyond the Basics, Daniel Wallace
Recommended ArticlesJohn 5:2 & The Date of The Fourth Gospel, Daniel WallaceJohn 5:2 (Part 2) & John 5:2 (Part 3), Daniel WallaceThe Gospel of John: An Introduction, Daniel WallaceThe Authenticity & Genuineness of the Fourth Gospel, J.B. LightfootAuthenticating The Fourth Gospel, Shane RosenthalWater Into Wine? Shane RosenthalThe Identity of the Beloved Disciple, Shane RosenthalOutside The Gospels, What Can We Know About Jesus? Shane RosenthalCan We Trust Luke’s History of the Early Jesus Movement? Shane RosenthalSimon of Cyrene: An Intriguing Archaeological Discovery, Shane Rosenthal
Other Related ResourcesHas the Bible Been Miscopied or Mistranslated? Daniel Wallace, WHI #1377Which John Wrote John? Humble Skeptic #50 Questioning The Fourth Gospel, Humble Skeptic #49The Gospels As Eyewitness Testimony, Humble Skeptic #48The Jesus of History, Humble Skeptic #12New Evidence for the Gospels, Peter J. Williams (video)Are the Gospels Reliable? Peter J. Williams & Bart Ehrman (video)An Interview with D.A. Carson, WHI #1456The Historical Reliability of John’s Gospel, Craig Blomberg, WHI #1462
Additional Notes for this Episode• In a recently discovered commentary on John’s Gospel, nineteen-century Cambridge scholar J.B. Lightfoot noted that: “This is the narrative of a person who was an eyewitness of the events he relates, and who writes not half a century later, but within a very few years of the occurrence” (p. 197). Click here to read Lightfoot’s excellent essay on the Authenticity of John’s Gospel.
• In his discussion of John 5:2, Hubert E. Edwards observed that “If words mean anything…these words were first uttered at a time when the sheep gate and the pool, and its five porches were still…standing, and the ‘desolation’ which the Romans left behind in A.D. 70 had not yet taken place.” He also says that if a man spoke of a building in the present tense that had been destroyed decades earlier, we’d probably assume him to be senile. This is from his thoughtful (but hard-to-obtain) book, The Disciple Who Wrote These Things (London: James Clark & Co, 1953), pp. 126-127.
• In the revised edition of his commentary on The Gospel of John (NICNT, 1995), Leon Morris changed his view of the date of the Fourth Gospel and ended up siding with scholars who suggest that it may have been written as early as the 50s or 60s (pp. 25-30).
• In the introduction of his commentary on John 1:1-7:1, (2015), Lutheran theologian William Weinrich provides several compelling reasons for dating John well before the Jewish War in 66 AD (pp. 44-51).
• In his book, Can We Trust The Gospels? (2018), Peter J. Williams says that all four Gospels “are so influenced by Judaism in their outlook, subject matter, and detail th

On this episode, Shane walks through some of the internal and external evidence related to his investigation of The Identity of the Beloved Disciple. This builds on some of the ideas introduced on the last episode with Richard Bauckham, but this discussion of the authorship of the Fourth Gospel takes a significantly deeper dive. As you’ll see, the result of this exploration has surprising implications for the authenticity and historical reliability of all four Gospels—and, of course, John in particular.
SHOW NOTES
Recommended BooksThe Witness of St. John to Christ, Stanley Leathes (FREE)The Testimony of the Beloved Disciple, Richard BauckhamJesus & The Eyewitnesses, Richard BauckhamThe Identity of John the Evangelist, Dean FurlongThe New Testament in Its World, N.T. Wright & Michael BirdThe Gospel of St. John: A Newly Discovered Commentary, J.B. LightfootJohn The Son of Zebedee, The Life of a Legend, Alan CulpepperThe Johannine Question, Martin Hengel
Recommended ArticlesThe Identity of the Beloved Disciple, Shane RosenthalAuthenticating The Fourth Gospel, Shane RosenthalWater Into Wine?, Shane RosenthalOutside The Gospels, What Can We Know About Jesus?, S. RosenthalCan We Trust Luke’s History of the Early Jesus Movement?, S. RosenthalSimon of Cyrene: An Intriguing Archaeological Discovery, S. RosenthalScribes of the New Covenant, Shane RosenthalThe Parable of Lazarus, Shane RosenthalWhy Should We Believe The Bible?, Shane Rosenthal
Other Related ResourcesQuestioning The Fourth Gospel, Humble Skeptic Ep. #49The Gospels As Eyewitness Testimony, Humble Skeptic Ep. #48The Jesus of History, Humble Skeptic Ep. #12Fake or Authentic?, Humble Skeptic Ep. #10Authenticating the Book of Acts, Humble Skeptic Ep. #24Faith Founded on Facts (1), Humble Skeptic Ep. #15Faith Founded on Facts (2), Humble Skeptic Ep. #16This above episode makes a case for an earlier dating of John’s Gospel
Upcoming Events• Shane will be discussing the question, “Is Faith Blind & Irrational?” at Third Presbyterian Church in Birmingham, Alabama on Sunday, April 28th at 11 am. For directions, visit the church website: thirdpca.org.
• Shane will be speaking at the ReThink315 College Camp which will take place on the campus of St. Louis University, July 16-19, 2024.
• On Wed. Sept. 18th, Shane will discuss the question, “Is Faith Blind & Irrational?” at an event in Cedar City, Utah (more details coming soon).
• For more information, or to invite Shane Rosenthal to speak at your next event, send an email to: INFO at HUMBLESKEPTIC dot COM. 
Write a Positive ReviewIf you’re a fan of the show, consider writing a brief review to let others know what you like about it (preferably via the Apple Podcast app since their reviews can be seen in other podcast portals). The more positive reviews we get, the more exposure we get!
We Need Your Help!Consider supporting The Humble Skeptic podcast by making a one-time gift or upgrading to a paid subscription via Substack ($5.95 per month, $59 per year). Use the button below for more information about giving options.



Get full access to The Humble Skeptic at www.humbleskeptic.com/subscribe

Many scholars over the centuries have questioned the historical value of John’s Gospel. Since it is assumed to be very late, it’s often argued that John’s narrative contains “theology, not history.” Richard Bauckham argues that the author of this text should be seen as a credible eyewitness of the events he reports, but that a careful look at both the internal and external evidence reveals that this Gospel was written by a lesser-known figure named John the Elder. Shane discusses this with Professor Bauckham and interacts with other scholars (including D.A. Carson, Craig Blomberg, Andreas Kostenberger, and Lydia McGrew) who take the traditional view of authorship.
SHOW NOTES
Recommended BooksThe Testimony of the Beloved Disciple, Richard BauckhamJesus & The Eyewitnesses, Richard BauckhamMagdala of Galilee: A Jewish City, Richard BauckhamThe Identity of John the Evangelist, Dean Furlong
Recommended ArticlesThe Identity of the Beloved Disciple, Shane RosenthalAuthenticating The Fourth Gospel, Shane RosenthalWater Into Wine?, Shane RosenthalOutside The Gospels, What Can We Know About Jesus?, S. RosenthalScribes of the New Covenant, Shane RosenthalWhy Should We Believe The Bible?, Shane RosenthalJesus & The Eyewitnesses: A Review, Shane Rosenthal
Other Related ResourcesThe Gospels As Eyewitness Testimony, Humble Skeptic Ep. #48The Jesus of History, Humble Skeptic Ep. #12Fake or Authentic?, Humble Skeptic Ep. #10Authenticating the Book of Acts, Humble Skeptic Ep. #24Faith Founded on Facts (1), Humble Skeptic Ep. #15Faith Founded on Facts (2), Humble Skeptic Ep. #16This above episode makes a case for an earlier dating of John’s Gospel
Upcoming Events• Greg Koukl, Shane Rosenthal & Jeremy Smith will be speaking on apologetics-related topics at The Fellowship of Wildwood in the St. Louis area on April 7, 2024. While in town, Greg Koukl will also be speaking at the Creating Confident Ambassadors conference at First Baptist Church—St. John on Saturday, April 6th in St. Louis.
• Shane will be discussing the question, “Is Faith Blind & Irrational?” at Third Presbyterian Church in Birmingham, Alabama on Sunday, April 28th at 11 am. For directions, visit the church website: thirdpca.org.
• Shane will be speaking at the ReThink315 College Camp which will take place on the campus of St. Louis University, July 16-19, 2024.
• On Wed. Sept. 18th, Shane will discuss the question, “Is Faith Blind & Irrational?” at an event in Cedar City, Utah (more details coming soon).
• For more information, or to invite Shane Rosenthal to speak at your next event, send an email to: INFO at HUMBLESKEPTIC dot COM. 
Write a Positive ReviewIf you’re a fan of the show, consider writing a brief review to let others know what you like about it (preferably via the Apple Podcast app since their reviews can be seen in other podcast portals). The more positive reviews we get, the more exposure we get!
We Need Your Help!Consider supporting The Humble Skeptic podcast by making a one-time gift or upgrading to a paid subscription via Substack ($5.95 per month, $59 per year). Use the button below for more information about giving options.


Get full access to The Humble Skeptic at www.humbleskeptic.com/subscribe

Many New Testament scholars argue that the Gospels were told orally for the better part of a century before they were finally written down, and as such, they tell us more about later Christian beliefs than they do the life of Jesus. Cambridge scholar Richard Bauckham has argued that this entire approach to Jesus research has officially reached a dead end and that the Gospels are rooted in reliable eyewitness testimony. Shane discusses these claims with Dr. Bauckham.
SHOW NOTES
Recommended BooksJesus & The Eyewitnesses, Richard BauckhamJesus: A Very Short Introduction, Richard BauckhamThe Testimony of the Beloved Disciple, Richard BauckhamGospel Women, Richard BauckhamCan We Trust The Gospels?, Peter J. WilliamsTestimonies to the Truth, Lydia McGrew
Recommended ArticlesThe Gospels as Authentic Testimony, Richard BauckhamIs Luke a Trustworthy Historian?, William RamsayOutside The Gospels, What Can We Know About Jesus?, S. RosenthalScribes of the New Covenant, Shane RosenthalCan We Trust Luke’s History of the Early Jesus Movement?, S. RosenthalWater Into Wine?, Shane RosenthalOn Faith & History, Shane RosenthalWhy Should We Believe The Bible?, Shane RosenthalAuthenticating The Fourth Gospel, Shane RosenthalJesus & The Eyewitnesses: A Review, Shane RosenthalConsidering Alternatives to the Resurrection, Shane Rosenthal
Other Related ResourcesThe Jesus of History, Humble Skeptic Ep. #12Faith Founded on Facts, Humble Skeptic Ep. #15Fake or Authentic?, Humble Skeptic Ep. #10Authenticating the Book of Acts, Humble Skeptic Ep. #24New Evidence for the Gospels, Peter J. Williams (video)Evidence for the Resurrection, Peter J. Williams (video)Are the Gospels Reliable?, Peter J. Williams & Bart Ehrman (video)
Upcoming Events• On Wed. March 27th at 6:30 pm, Shane will be discussing “Objections to the Resurrection” at Christ Presbyterian Church in St. Charles, MO.
• Greg Koukl, Shane Rosenthal & Jeremy Smith will be speaking on apologetics-related topics at The Fellowship of Wildwood in the St. Louis area on April 7, 2024. While in town, Greg Koukl will also be speaking at the Creating Confident Ambassadors conference at First Baptist Church—St. John on Saturday, April 6th in St. Louis.
• Shane will be discussing the question, “Is Faith Blind & Irrational?” at Third Presbyterian Church in Birmingham, Alabama on Sunday, April 28th at 11 am. For directions, visit the church website: thirdpca.org.
• Shane will be speaking at the ReThink315 College Camp which will take place on the campus of St. Louis University, July 16-19, 2024.
• On Wed. Sept. 18th, Shane will discuss the question, “Is Faith Blind & Irrational?” at an event in Cedar City, Utah (more details coming soon).
• For more information, or to invite Shane Rosenthal to speak at your next event, send an email to: INFO at HUMBLESKEPTIC dot COM. 
Write a Positive ReviewIf you’re a fan of the show, consider writing a brief review to let others know what you like about it (preferably via the Apple Podcast app since their reviews can be seen in other podcast portals). The more positive reviews we get, the more exposure we get!
We Need Your Help!Consider supporting The Humble Skeptic podcast by making a one-time gift or upgrading to a paid subscription via Substack ($5.95 per month, $59 per year). Use the button below for more information about giving options.


Get full access to The Humble Skeptic at www.humbleskeptic.com/subscribe

What did ancient Jews believe about the mission of their Messiah? Were they expecting a kind of warrior king who would defeat the Gentiles and reign as king over all the earth, or one who would atone for sin through his own sacrificial death? On this episode, Shane discusses these questions as he interacts with a variety of texts from the Dead Sea Scrolls and other sources that give us insight into the way Jews before and after the time of Jesus attempted to interpret some of the messianic prophecies recorded in the pages of the Old Testament.
To download a PDF copy of the lecture slides for this presentation, use the link below:
SHOW NOTES
Related ArticlesSprinkled Nations & Speechless Kings, Shane RosenthalA Dead Sea Scroll Hymn on the Suffering Servant, Shane RosenthalFinding Christ in All The Scriptures, Shane RosenthalProof of the Gospel, Quotes from Eusebius, Augustine & othersWhy Should We Believe The Bible? (PDF), Shane RosenthalDid Palm Trees Grow in Jerusalem at the Time of Jesus?, Shane RosenthalWhere Was Jesus Crucified?, Shane RosenthalConsidering Alternatives to the Resurrection, Shane RosenthalRelated BooksHolman Quicksource Guide to the Dead Sea Scrolls, Craig EvansA Handbook on the Jewish Roots of the Christian Faith, Craig EvansA Handbook on the Jewish Roots of the Gospels, Craig EvansJosephus, Jewish War Vol. III, (This edition includes some Slavonic material)Josephus’ Jewish War and its Slavonic Version, Henry & Kate LeemingThe Gospel According to Isaiah 53, Darrell Bock & othersThe Jewish Gospels, Daniel BoyarinThe Jewish Annotated New Testament, Daniel Boyarin & others“Son of Man” in Early Jewish Literature, Richard BauckhamThe Jewish Targums & John’s Logos Theology, John RonningThe Angel of the Lord. Doug Van Dorn & Matt ForemanThe Moody Handbook of Messianic Prophecy, Rydelnik & BlumThe Life & Times of Jesus The Messiah, Alfred EdersheimProof of the Gospel, Eusebius of Caesarea
Related AudioJewish Views of the Messiah, with Daniel BoyarinWhat Did the Earliest Christians Believe?, Humble Skeptic #25The Earliest Gospel, Humble Skeptic #45 Were Jews Expecting a Divine Messiah?, WHI 1243 with Craig EvansThe Gospel Creed, Humble Skeptic #9Locating Golgotha, Humble Skeptic #17What Child Is This?, a bonus episode of the Humble Skeptic
Upcoming Events• Shane will be the keynote speaker at The Cross & Resurrection conference in the greater Memphis region on March 22-24, 2024 (click here for more info or to register).
• On Wed. March 27th at 6:30 pm, Shane will be discussing “Objections to the Resurrection” at Christ Presbyterian Church in St. Charles, MO.
• Greg Koukl, Shane Rosenthal & Jeremy Smith will be speaking on apologetics-related topics at The Fellowship of Wildwood in the St. Louis area on April 7, 2024. Greg Koukl will also be speaking at the Creating Confident Ambassadors conference at First Baptist Church—St. John on Saturday, April 6th in St. Louis.
• Shane will be discussing the question, “Is Faith Blind & Irrational?” at Third Presbyterian Church in Birmingham, Alabama on Sunday, April 28th (more info will be available soon).
• Shane will be one of the speakers at the ReThink315 College Camp which will take place on the campus of St. Louis University, July 16-19, 2024.
• On Wed. Sept. 18th, Shane will discuss the question, “Is Faith Blind & Irrational?” at an event in Cedar City, Utah (more details coming soon).
• For more information, or to invite Shane Rosenthal to speak at your next event, send an email to: INFO at HUMBLESKEPTIC dot COM. 
Write a Positive ReviewIf you’re a fan of the show, consider writing a brief review to let others know what you like about it (preferably via the Apple Podcast app since their reviews can be seen in other podcast portals). The more positive reviews we get, the more exposure we get!
We Need Your Help!Consider supporting The Humble Skeptic podcast by making a one-time gift or upgrading to a paid subscription v

Galatians is one of the earliest NT epistles and it records one of the oldest controversies in church history. Surprisingly, these early Christians weren’t involved in a dispute about Jesus’ divinity, his death, burial, or even his resurrection from the dead. Rather, the controversy was specifically rooted in the implications of all these foundational beliefs. If Jesus was indeed the promised Messiah, then how should we apply the Law of Moses moving forward? Should Gentiles be circumcised, keep Kosher, and rest on the Sabbath? Shane Rosenthal discusses these questions with T. David Gordon, author of Promise, Law, Faith: Covenant-Historical Reasoning in Galatians.
SHOW NOTES
Recommended BooksPromise, Law, Faith, T. David GordonChoose Better, T. David GordonPaul & The Law, Brian S. Rosner40 Questions About Christians & Biblical Law, Thomas SchreinerSacred Bond: Covenant Theology Explored, Mike Brown & Z. Keele
Related ArticlesThe Coin & The Covenant, Shane RosenthalThe Acts 2 Controversy, Shane RosenthalA New Way of Reading Scripture, Shane RosenthalFinding Christ in All The Scriptures, Shane RosenthalWhat’s the Most Important Thing in the Bible?, S RosenthalWhy Johnny Can’t Preach, T. David Gordon
Related AudioThe Earliest Gospel, Humble Skeptic #45 How to Read & Interpret The Bible, Humble Skeptic #37What Did the Earliest Christians Believe?, Humble Skeptic #25The Gospel Creed • Humble Skeptic #9The Effect of Media & Technology, Humble Skeptic #30Distracting Ourselves to Death, T. David Gordon on WHI
Upcoming Events• Shane will be the keynote speaker at The Cross & Resurrection conference in the greater Memphis region on March 22-24, 2024 (click here for more info or to register).
• On Wed. March 27th at 6:30 pm, Shane will give a talk on “Objections to the Resurrection” at Christ Presbyterian Church in St. Charles, MO.
• Greg Koukl, Shane Rosenthal & Jeremy Smith will be speaking on apologetics-related topics at The Fellowship of Wildwood in the St. Louis area on April 7, 2024. Greg Koukl will also be speaking at the Creating Confident Ambassadors conference at First Baptist Church—St. John on Saturday, April 6th in St. Louis.
• Shane has been invited to lead a discussion of the question, “Is Faith Blind & Irrational?” at Third Presbyterian Church in Birmingham, Alabama on Sunday, April 28th (more info will be available soon).
• On Fri. May 3rd at 7 pm, Shane will talk with David Van Drunen about his books, Natural Law and Politics After Christendom. This conversation will take place at Christ Presbyterian Church in St. Charles, MO.
• Shane will be one of the speakers at the ReThink315 College Camp which will take place on the campus of St. Louis University, July 16-19, 2024.
• On Wed. Sept. 18th, Shane will discuss the question, “Is Faith Blind & Irrational?” at a public forum in Cedar City, Utah (more details coming soon).
• Shane will be discussing “The Thing of First Importance” at Chiesa Reformata Filadelfia in Milan, Italy on Sunday, Oct. 13th (more details coming soon).
• For more information, or to invite Shane Rosenthal to speak at your next event, send an email to: INFO at HUMBLESKEPTIC dot COM. 
Write a Positive ReviewIf you’re a fan of the show, consider writing a brief review to let others know what you like about it (preferably via the Apple Podcast app since their reviews can be seen in other podcast portals). The more positive reviews we get, the more exposure we get!
We Need Your Help!Consider supporting The Humble Skeptic podcast by making a one-time gift or upgrading to a paid subscription via Substack ($5.95 per month, $59 per year). Tax-deductible giving options are also available.


Get full access to The Humble Skeptic at www.humbleskeptic.com/subscribe