Digest

This episode of the Catholic Bible Study Podcast begins with Dr. Brant Petri, a research professor of Sacred Scripture at the Augustine Institute, introducing a Lexio Bible Study on Jesus. He emphasizes the importance of understanding the historical evidence for Christ, particularly in a secular world. Dr. Petri challenges listeners to move beyond simply believing in Jesus and delve into the reasons for their faith. He then delves into the question of the anonymity of the Gospels, exploring the theory that they were originally published without names and circulated anonymously for a century before titles were added in the late second century. Dr. Petri, drawing from his own academic journey, presents evidence against this theory, highlighting the lack of anonymous copies of the Gospels and the implausibility of scribes independently assigning the same titles to the same books across the Roman Empire. He argues that the internal evidence of the Gospels themselves, including the titles and the texts, points to their authorship by Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, each of whom was either an apostle or a companion of an apostle. Dr. Petri concludes by acknowledging the existence of other Gospels, such as the Gospel of Thomas and the Gospel of Mary Magdalene, and promises to address them in the next session, explaining why Christians accept the four canonical Gospels as reliable accounts of Jesus.

Outlines

00:00:26

Introduction: The Case for Jesus

This Chapter introduces the Lexio Bible Study on Jesus, focusing on the biblical and historical evidence for Christ. Dr. Petri emphasizes the importance of understanding the reasons for believing in Jesus, particularly in a secular world. He highlights the study's focus on examining Jesus through the lens of history and exploring questions about the Gospels, the Messiahship of Jesus, and the resurrection.

00:05:42

The Anonymity of the Gospels: A Historical Perspective

This Chapter delves into the theory of the anonymous Gospels, which suggests that the Gospels were originally published without names and circulated anonymously for a century before titles were added in the late second century. Dr. Petri, drawing from his own academic journey, presents evidence against this theory, highlighting the lack of anonymous copies of the Gospels and the implausibility of scribes independently assigning the same titles to the same books across the Roman Empire.

00:21:13

Internal Evidence for Gospel Authorship

This Chapter focuses on the internal evidence for the authorship of the Gospels, examining the titles and texts of each Gospel. Dr. Petri argues that the internal evidence points to the authorship of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, each of whom was either an apostle or a companion of an apostle. He addresses the common argument that Jesus' disciples were illiterate fishermen and presents Matthew, a tax collector, as a plausible candidate for writing down Jesus' teachings. He also discusses the roles of Mark, Luke, and John, highlighting their connections to the apostles and their potential for writing down the stories of Jesus.

Keywords

Q&A

• What is the main argument presented in this episode of the Catholic Bible Study Podcast?

  The main argument is that the Gospels were not originally anonymous, as some scholars have theorized, but were actually written by the traditional authors: Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. Dr. Petri challenges the theory of anonymity by pointing to the lack of anonymous copies of the Gospels and the implausibility of scribes independently assigning the same titles to the same books across the Roman Empire.

• What evidence does Dr. Petri present to support his claim that the Gospels were not anonymous?

  Dr. Petri presents two main pieces of evidence: 1) the lack of anonymous copies of the Gospels in the earliest manuscripts, and 2) the implausibility of scribes independently assigning the same titles to the same books across the Roman Empire. He also points to the internal evidence of the Gospels themselves, including the titles and the texts, which point to their authorship by Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John.

• Why is the question of the anonymity of the Gospels important?

  The question of the anonymity of the Gospels is important because it relates to the reliability of the Gospels as historical accounts. If the Gospels were originally anonymous, it could be argued that they were written later and by unknown authors, potentially distorting the historical events they describe. However, Dr. Petri argues that the historical evidence points to the Gospels being written by eyewitnesses or companions of eyewitnesses, making them more reliable sources for understanding the life of Jesus.

• What is the significance of the internal evidence of the Gospels?

  The internal evidence of the Gospels is significant because it provides clues about the authorship, date, and purpose of the texts. Dr. Petri argues that the internal evidence of the Gospels themselves, including the titles and the texts, points to their authorship by Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, each of whom was either an apostle or a companion of an apostle. This evidence supports the traditional understanding of the Gospels as reliable accounts of Jesus' life and teachings.

• What is the next step in this Lexio Bible Study?

  The next step in this Lexio Bible Study is to examine the evidence for accepting the four canonical Gospels as reliable accounts of Jesus, while rejecting other Gospels, such as the Gospel of Thomas and the Gospel of Mary Magdalene. Dr. Petri promises to address this issue in the next session, exploring both internal and external evidence.

Show Notes