Video Time: 26:05, skip book review 3:27 – 4:32
Video Author: Gavin Ortlund
From Grok: Who is Bart Ehrman?
Bart Ehrman is a prominent American New Testament scholar, author, and professor. He is the James A. Gray Distinguished Professor of Religious Studies at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Ehrman specializes in early Christianity, the historical Jesus, and the textual criticism of the New Testament.
He has written numerous books, many of which are accessible to general audiences, including Misquoting Jesus and How Jesus Became God. His work often explores the historical development of Christian texts, the diversity of early Christian beliefs, and the problem of suffering from a biblical perspective. Ehrman is known for his critical approach to the Bible, arguing that the New Testament contains contradictions and was shaped by human scribes over time.
Originally an evangelical Christian, Ehrman became an agnostic atheist, partly due to his struggles with the problem of evil and his scholarly findings. He is a frequent speaker, debater, and media commentator on issues related to Christianity and biblical scholarship.
BOA would call Ehrman a prominent agnostic particularly in the field of textual criticism.
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From Grok: Who is Alex J. O’Connor
Alex J. O’Connor, born March 27, 1999, is an English YouTuber, podcaster, and public speaker known as CosmicSkeptic. He hosts the Within Reason podcast and runs a YouTube channel with over 1.4 million subscribers, focusing on atheism, philosophy, and theology. A graduate of St John’s College, Oxford, with degrees in philosophy and theology, O’Connor critiques theistic belief systems and engages in debates with prominent figures like Richard Dawkins, Jordan Peterson, and Ben Shapiro. Raised Catholic in Oxford, he became an atheist and is noted for his nuanced approach, moving beyond “New Atheism” to explore topics like morality and free will. He previously advocated for veganism but announced in 2023 that he resumed eating animal products. O’Connor has debated topics like Jesus’ divinity and the existence of God, including a notable discussion with Bart Ehrman on biblical scholarship. He describes himself as a “professional fence-sitter” on some issues, emphasizing intellectual humility.
BOA would call Alex O’connor the new but more nuanced Richard Dawkins
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From Grok: Who is Gavin Ortlund?
Gavin Rutherford Ortlund, born June 30, 1983, is an American Reformed Baptist theologian, pastor, and Christian apologist. He is the president of Truth Unites, a ministry focused on promoting gospel assurance through theological depth, and serves as Theologian-in-Residence at Immanuel Nashville, a church founded by his father, Raymond C. Ortlund Jr. He is also a Visiting Professor of Historical Theology at Phoenix Seminary. Ortlund holds a Ph.D. in historical theology from Fuller Theological Seminary, an M.Div. from Covenant Theological Seminary, and a B.A. in philosophy and religion from the University of Georgia.
Ortlund is known for defending conservative evangelical Protestantism with an irenic approach, engaging with Roman Catholicism, Eastern Orthodoxy, and liberal Protestantism through his YouTube channel, Truth Unites, which has amassed millions of views. He has authored several books, including Why God Makes Sense in a World That Doesn’t (2021) and What It Means to Be Protestant (2024), the latter winning Christianity Today’s 2024 Book of the Year award. His work often emphasizes theological humility, biblical inerrancy, and historical theology, with notable studies on Augustine and Anselm.
He has sparked debate within evangelical circles, particularly for advocating a regional view of Noah’s flood and addressing issues like climate change from a Christian perspective, which led to criticism in Megan Basham’s Shepherds for Sale (2024). Ortlund has denied accusations of theological liberalism, affirming his commitment to conservative Christian doctrine. He is married to Esther, with whom he has five children, and is the grandson of evangelical speakers Ray and Anne Ortlund.
BOA recommends Gavin Ortlund and frequently includes his content.
Biblical Verses referenced in the videos of this lesson ( English Standard Version):
Matthew 2:11
11 And going into the house, they saw the child with Mary his mother, and they fell down and worshiped him. Then, opening their treasures, they offered him gifts, gold and frankincense and myrrh.
Matthew 14:31-33
31 Jesus immediately reached out his hand and took hold of him, saying to him, “O you of little faith, why did you doubt?” 32 And when they got into the boat, the wind ceased. 33 And those in the boat worshiped him, saying, “Truly you are the Son of God.”
Matthew 28:9
9 And behold, Jesus met them and said, “Greetings!” And they came up and took hold of his feet and worshiped him.
Matthew 28:17
17 And when they saw him they worshiped him, but some doubted.
Mark 2:5-12
5 And when Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, “Son, your sins are forgiven.” 6 Now some of the scribes were sitting there, questioning in their hearts, 7 “Why does this man speak like that? He is blaspheming! Who can forgive sins but God alone?” 8 And immediately Jesus, perceiving in his spirit that they thus questioned within themselves, said to them, “Why do you question these things in your hearts? 9 Which is easier, to say to the paralytic, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Rise, take up your bed and walk’? 10 But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins”—he said to the paralytic— 11 “I say to you, rise, pick up your bed, and go home.” 12 And he rose and immediately picked up his bed and went out before them all, so that they were all amazed and glorified God, saying, “We never saw anything like this!”
Mark 14:61-64
61 But he remained silent and made no answer. Again the high priest asked him, “Are you the Christ, the Son of the Blessed?” 62 And Jesus said, “I am, and you will see the Son of Man seated at the right hand of Power, and coming with the clouds of heaven.”63 And the high priest tore his garments and said, “What further witnesses do we need? 64 You have heard his blasphemy. What is your decision?” And they all condemned him as deserving death.
Luke 24:52
52 And they worshiped him and returned to Jerusalem with great joy,
John 8:58
58 Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I am.”
John 10:28-30
28 I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand. 29 My Father, who has given them to me,[a] is greater than all, and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand. 30 I and the Father are one.”
Philippians 2:9-11
9 Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, 10 so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
BOA Questions:
1. Is it a big problem that the exact phrase “I am God” or similar is never attributed to Jesus in the gospels?
2. Is it a problem that John’s gospel, being the latest gospel, is where the strongest references to Jesus’ divinity are mentioned?
3. Mark 2, story of the paralytic:
Is the claim by Jesus to have the authority to forgive sins, a legitimate claim to deity, why or why not?
Is Jesus only proclaiming God’s forgiveness to the paralytic, as Ehrman asserts?
How does the scribes concern “He is blaspheming! Who can forgive sins but God alone”, affect your understanding of the passage?
4. What mistakes are Bart Ehrman and Alex O’connor making?
5. Do the numerous places in the gospels, where people worship Jesus, confirm his deity?
6. What verses or concepts in scripture are most confirming to you concerning Christ’s deity?
7. Why doesn’t Jesus say “I am God” directly? Does the concept of Jesus hiding his identity in the gospels affect your answer?
8. Do you find the Lord, Liar, Lunatic or Legend argument compelling?
For a reference on the phrase Son of Man see:
Hint: “Son of Man is a title of deity“
Other videos concerning the Deity of Jesus?
Did Jesus Claimed to be God? Cliff Knechtel, references the I am verse: 37 seconds:
Wes Huff: Gospel of Mark calls Jesus God in every chapter: 7 minutes
Drcraigvideos: Did the Historical Jesus Claim to be God? Time 6:40
Sean McDowell, asks William Lane Craig to critique Alex O’Connors’ objections:
Was Jesus God? From: “What Would You Say”: Time 4:03
BOA considers this an excellent summary of this topic.
What do you say?
BOA final question:
Matthew 16:15 He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?”
Jesus asked this question, what is your answer?
Additional References:
What is the Q gospel:
https://www.gotquestions.org/Q-Gospel.html
“When considering the possibility of a Q gospel, it is important to remember that no evidence whatsoever has ever been found for the existence of a Q gospel. Not even a single manuscript fragment of Q has ever been found. None of the early church fathers mentioned anything that could have been the Q gospel.”
ChatGPT: What are the Q M L gospels?
In New Testament studies, the Q, M, and L gospels aren’t separate books you can read — they’re hypothetical sources scholars use to explain how the first three Gospels were written.
Q (from German Quelle = “source”)
M (Material unique to Matthew)
L (Material unique to Luke)