Bible Criticism

The Gospels - Matthew, Mark, Luke, John - are four accounts of Jesus' life and teachings while on earth. But should we accept them as historically accurate? What evidence is there that the recorded events actually happened? Presenting a case for the historical reliability of the Gospels, New Testament scholar Peter Williams examines evidence from non-Christian sources, assesses how accurately the four biblical accounts reflect the cultural context of their day, compares different accounts of the same events, and more.

Because you know it's nonsense, but were never sure why.

It is often said, even by critical scholars who should know better, that “writing in the name of another” was widely accepted in antiquity. But New York Times bestselling author Bart D. Ehrman dares to call it what it was: literary forgery, a practice that was as scandalous then as itis today. In Forged, Ehrman’s fresh and original research takes readers back to the ancient world, where forgeries were used as weapons by unknown authors to fend off attacks to their faith and establish their church.

This thought-provoking audiobook helps listeners reconcile the teachings of the Bible with the widely held evolutionary view of beginnings and will appeal to anyone interested in the Christianity-evolution debate.

The greatest of all Civil War campaigns, Gettysburg was the turning point of the turning point in our nation’s history. Volumes have been written about this momentous three-day battle, but recent histories have tended to focus on the particulars rather than the big picture: on the generals or on single days of battle—even on single charges—or on the daily lives of the soldiers. In Gettysburg Sears tells the whole story in a single volume.

How was the Bible written? Who wrote it? Was writing material available then? Who decided what the Canon included and what it did not include. Has anyone seen the original manuscripts of the Bible? How can we be sure that what we have today is a faithful reproduction? All the above, and many more, questions are answered in this book. It is a book meant for the informed layperson, and is not a technical work.

Interpreting the Bible is a comprehensive guide for believers who long to handle God’s Word with accuracy, reverence, and confidence. Grounded in the historical-grammatical method, this book equips readers to discover the single, Spirit-inspired meaning intended by the biblical authors, guarding against allegory, speculation, and modern distortions. From Genesis to Revelation, Scripture speaks with clarity and authority. Yet faithful interpretation requires careful attention to words, grammar, historical context, and literary form. This volume walks readers through each major genre of the...

In Hear Ye the Word of the Lord, biblical scholar D. Brent Sandy explores how oral communication shaped the ways that biblical writers received God's message—and even more importantly, how the ancient and modern faithful receive it through hearing.

What follows is not a translation in the ordinary sense of the word. It’s more like a paraphrase. Rather than worry over the letter of the text, the goal has been to illuminate the large scale patterns that structure it. The King James Version, for instance, renders Paul’s letter with uncanny beauty but is opaque as an argument. Modern translations tend to have the same problem. Their overriding concern is with the letter of the text, not with its logic. As a result, Paul’s forest is always getting sacrificed for the sake of his trees. But Paul’s work is too important, his good news...

In this addition to the Catholic Commentary on Sacred Scripture, two well-respected New Testament scholars interpret the Gospel of John in its historical and literary setting as well as in light of the Church's doctrinal, liturgical, and spiritual tradition. They unpack the wisdom of the Fourth Gospel for the intellectual and spiritual transformation of its followers and connect the Gospel with a range of witnesses throughout the whole history of Catholicism.

Forget what you think you know about the Good Book. The BC Bible is not a sermon—it’s a riotous, irreverent, and razor-sharp deep dive into the most bizarre, brutal, and brilliantly baffling stories in the Bible. Written with wit, bite, and a historian’s curiosity, Robert Ragnar takes you on a chronological journey through scripture with a scalpel in one hand and a shot of whiskey in the other. From talking snakes to cosmic floods, divine tantrums to circumcision revenge plots, Ragnar unpacks the ancient texts with equal parts skepticism, satire, and sincere wonder. Raised in the pews...

What was a Galilean? And if the question of the ancestry and nationality of Jesus is possible to answer, what are its political and theological implications? These questions are dealt with in this volume, featuring works by the composer Richard Wagner, the British Germanophile historian Houston Stewart Chamberlain, the German-American Bible translator and groundbreaking Middle East scholar Paul Haupt, and the Romanian law professor and politician A.C. Cuza.

Satan wants there to be cliques, factions, and denominations, but God wants us to have unity (1 Corinthians 1:10; Ephesians 4:1-6). Satan knows the strategy of divide and conquer. This problem occurs when members of the body of Christ do not follow Paul to follow the risen Lord Jesus Christ (1 Corinthians 11:1). God had some hidden wisdom and power in the cross that He kept secret from Satan and mankind until He saved Paul. Our ministry is not about us, but about what Christ accomplished by His death on the cross for our sins and resurrection. Our goal is to save the lost and share the ...

A comprehensive study guide. The Bible verses are given in bold with commentary in a lighter font to assist with an in-depth study of all chapters of these Bible books. The pictures, timelines, maps, tables, and other visuals make the information easy to grasp. Features: Information on Rightly Dividing, and summaries of each book. Articles: Fallen from Grace?; Women in the Ministry; What are “profane and old wives’ fables”?; Apostasy in the Church; The Three Mysteries that Sum Up the Entire Bible; A Brief History of the Body of Christ (Successes and Failures); copy ready Tracts and ...

John Shelby Spong, best-selling author and popular proponent of a modern, scholarly, and authentic Christianity, argues that this last gospel to be written was misinterpreted by the framers of the fourth-century creeds to be a literal account of the life of Jesus when in fact it is a literary, interpretive retelling of the events in Jesus' life through the medium of fictional characters, from Nicodemus and Lazarus to the "Beloved Disciple."

For over two thousand years, the Greek Septuagint has shaped the reading, translation, and understanding of Scripture—from ancient Jewish communities to the writers of the New Testament, the early Church Fathers, and modern Bible translators. Yet for many Christians, its story remains unfamiliar. In this comprehensive and accessible study, Edward D. Andrews guides readers through the origins, development, and significance of the Septuagint. You’ll explore its role in the ancient world, its use by Jesus and the apostles, its preservation in manuscripts and quotations, and its impact on ...

Uncover the ancient roots of the Latin Bible with The Old Latin Fragments (Vetus Latina)—a thoroughly evangelical and scholarly exploration of the pre-Vulgate Latin translations of the Old Testament. Edward D. Andrews delivers a meticulous textual analysis of six rare and significant manuscripts, including Codex Wirceburgiensis, Codex Lugdunensis, Codex Vindobonensis, the Constance Prophetic Fragments, and the bilingual Codex Veronensis. This volume also includes six in-depth appendices focused on Jerome’s Latin Vulgate and its most important manuscript witnesses: Codex Amiatinus, Codex...

Is the Bible truly without error? Can a book written over 1,600 years by more than 40 different authors remain perfectly consistent and reliable? These questions have been asked by skeptics and believers alike for centuries. Difficulties in the Bible: Alleged Errors and Contradictions takes a bold and thorough approach to examining the most frequently cited challenges against the Bible’s accuracy and divine inspiration. In this compelling work, each alleged contradiction and error is carefully analyzed using the Historical-Grammatical method of interpretation, a trusted approach that ...

First Corinthians is about how believers should think, live, and spend our time. The theme is sanctification (Christian living, walk, conduct). But also God’s wisdom, and the power of the cross. How can we live a life above sin and self? First Corinthians is such a great letter because it deals with the believer’s conduct, how we can live a life pleasing to God.Paul was grieved because the carnal Corinthians were living beneath their privileged position in Christ and not walking in a manner worthy of their calling. The Corinthians were guilty of conduct unbecoming of a saint. Ungodly ...

Dive deep into the Word of God with Bible Study Magazine: August 2025—a powerful tool for serious students, pastors, and defenders of the Christian faith. This issue offers clear, conservative evangelical analysis across six major sections: Christian Apologetics, Bible Translation, Textual Criticism, Biblical Archaeology, Bible Difficulties, and Bible Backgrounds. Each article is grounded in literal biblical chronology, faithful to the historical-grammatical method of interpretation, and committed to the inerrancy and authority of Scripture. Whether you're exploring the evidence for ...