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 Books
The Testimony of the Beloved Disciple, Richard Bauckham
Jesus & The Eyewitnesses, Richard Bauckham
Magdala of Galilee: A Jewish City, Richard Bauckham
The Identity of John the Evangelist, Dean Furlong
Recommended Articles
The Identity of the Beloved Disciple, Shane Rosenthal
Authenticating The Fourth Gospel, Shane Rosenthal
Water Into Wine?, Shane Rosenthal
Outside The Gospels, What Can We Know About Jesus?, S. Rosenthal
Scribes of the New Covenant, Shane Rosenthal
Why Should We Believe The Bible?, Shane Rosenthal
Jesus & The Eyewitnesses: A Review, Shane Rosenthal
Other Related Resources
The Gospels As Eyewitness Testimony, Humble Skeptic Ep. #48
The Jesus of History, Humble Skeptic Ep. #12
Fake or Authentic?, Humble Skeptic Ep. #10
Authenticating the Book of Acts, Humble Skeptic Ep. #24
Faith Founded on Facts (1), Humble Skeptic Ep. #15
Faith Founded on Facts (2), Humble Skeptic Ep. #16
This 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 Review
If 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.
Questioning The Fourth Gospel