Behind... Behind the Gospels
A Special Offer on the Archives
Are you interested in the study of the historical Jesus?
Do you love learning about the literary and historical origins of the gospels?
Curious about how the academic field of gospel studies is developing?
If like me, your answer to any of these questions is a nerdy and resounding Yes! you might be interested in what lies behind the Behind the Gospels archive.
Every month, I write two or three pieces which are exclusive for supporters of the blog. Here are some of the kind things these readers have had to say:
“This is well-written, solid scholarship summarizing of a calibre all too rare these days.”
“As a lifelong Catholic who only recently started really diving into my faith as well as biblical scholarship, your writing has helped me to bridge the gap between the two. Please keep pumping out your interesting work.”
“Honestly, I've considered master's programs that are less insightful and informative than this blog! Super interesting stuff.”
“I appreciate the scholarly approach to the Bible and different aspects to learn from its history.”
To give you a taste of the thirty-or-so essays nestled within the Behind the Gospels’ archives, I have attached an extensive précis on the BTG’s pay-walled content.
For a limited time, the blog is now 25% off for an annual subscription.
The 2025 Archives (So Far…)
Is the Gospel of John Historical? Historians of Jesus generally do not consider John to have the same historical value as Matthew, Mark or Luke (the ‘Synoptic’ Gospels). The primary reason for this is that John paints a portrait of Jesus which is – in some ways – quite at odds with the earlier accounts. In this piece, I explore five ways in which John diverges from the Synoptic portrait of Jesus.
Suetonius - A Roman Source for Jesus? There are a number of extra-biblical sources for Jesus. Yet some of these – including the Roman writer, Suetonius – are heavily disputed. In his biography of the Emperor Claudius, Suetonius refers to a certain ‘Chrestus’, which scholars generally take to be a botched reference to Christ(us). Yet in this post, I look at some reasons for questioning that view.
Did Luke Use Josephus? It is increasingly common for scholars of Luke-Acts to think that Luke depended upon Josephus’ Antiquities. This is used to date Acts after 93 CE. In this post, I give a summary of some of the key arguments for and against the view that Luke was reliant upon the first-century Jewish historian.
Dating the Gospels Early. For most gospel scholars, the gospels should be dated after the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 CE. Yet there is a significant minority who would dare to date the gospels earlier. In this post, I lay out the case for thinking that the Gospels may date even earlier than the Temple’s destruction.
Christology: An Annotated Bibliography. This is an annotated bibliography of the kind you might find on an undergraduate or master’s level university course. Aware that the academic literature on the gospels’ Christologies is a minefield, it points to scholarly and popular resources which may help you find your way.
Was Jesus Tempted in the Wilderness? One of the most curious episodes in the Synoptic Gospels is Jesus’ temptation in the wilderness by Satan. This post weighs argument in favour and against the story’s historicity, considering the story in relation to dialogues in rabbinic literature and the rest of Jesus’ ministry.
Seeing Double in Matthew’s Gospel. This post considers Matthew’s tendency to ‘double’ characters and episodes found in Mark. Here I consider a variety of explanations for this curious phenomenon and propose one of my own.
Fact-Checking the Gospels on Joe Rogan. Recently, PhD student Wesley Huff went on Joe Rogan and spoke on on Gospels. Here I offer a critique of Huff’s overall approach to the data of early Christianity, and question whether we should be getting our biblical scholarship from Joe Rogan.
Worshipping Jesus in the Gospels. In a number of places in the Gospels, Jesus is said to be ‘worshipped’. The word here is proskunéin, referring to prostration before a superior. Yet the word can also have religious connotations. In this post, I consider whether this ‘worship’ points to the divinity of Jesus.
Feeding the Five Thousand: Fact or Fiction? There is an argument doing the rounds online that the feeding of the five thousand from ‘undesigned coincidences’. These are subtle connections between texts which point to their truth. In this post, I offer a critical analysis of this popular apologetic argument.
Improving the Gospel of Mark: One of the reasons why scholars are convinced that Mark was written before Matthew and Luke is that the latter texts seem to ‘improve’ the Gospel. It is easier to explain why these improvements were made to Mark than vice versa. Here I unpack a number of these improvements.
Is Jesus Divine in the Gospels? Almost all gospel scholars believe that the gospels present Jesus as ‘divine’. But what they mean by Jesus’ divinity often differs. In this piece, I offer a primer on the divinity of Jesus in the gospels, looking at some of Jesus’ words, deeds and the question of his ‘blasphemy.’
Seven Evidences for Jesus’ Resurrection (Part Two). Here I look at four more evidences surrounding the resurrection of Jesus: the argument from the disciples’ belief in the resurrection, the conversion of Jesus’ brother, James, the appearance to the 500, and the argument from what I call the ‘weirdness’ of the resurrection.
The 2024 Archives
Who were the Magi (Q&A)? I answer a reader’s question about the mysterious magioi who come to visit the infant Jesus. Who were the ‘magi’, what role do they play in Matthew’s narrative, and how do we misunderstand them today?
The Nativity: Seven Historical Problems. A rare point of broad agreement among gospel scholars today is that the infancy narratives of Matthew and Luke have little historical value. In this post, I unpack the reasons for this view.
Did Matthew Fabricate the Virgin Birth from a Mistranslation? Richard Dawkins once popularised the idea that Matthew invented the virginal conception of Jesus on the basis of a mistranslation of Isaiah 7:4: ‘A virgin (Greek: virgin; Hebrew: young maid) shall conceive.’ Here I challenge this idea.
Five Facts about the Gospels (You Might not Hear in a Pew) This post is about five facts which are accepted broadly by scholars across the theological spectrum, but which you might not hear if you have grown up in Church. They include the anonymity of the gospels, their literary relationship and literary character.
What Contradictions Teach us about the Gospels Some people read the gospels as though they do not contradict one another. Here I argue that appreciating contradictions in the gospels helps us to understand their origins and meaning.
Destroying the Jerusalem Temple. This is part two in a series of posts on Mark’s Jesus and the Emperor Vespasian. Here I look at another comparison between the two figures: both were believed to be responsible for the destruction of Jerusalem.
Four More Gospels Number Puzzles (You’ve Probably Never Noticed). Part two looking at the hidden meaning behind four gospel numbers: the paralysed man who had his infirmity for thirty-eight years; the feeding of the five thousand; the four soldiers at Jesus’ crucifixion; and John’s hundred and fifty-three fish.
Why are the Gospels Anonymous? It is common for scholars to claim that the gospels are anonymous. What is rarely understood is why they think this. In this post, I unpack some of the lesser-known reasons for this popular claim.
Christ the Construction Worker? Classical art often portrays Jesus as a carpenter, who learnt the trade in his father’s workshop. But what exactly was a tektōn? Here I consider if ‘carpenter’ is an accurate translation of the Greek word.
How to Write an Infancy Narrative. Ancient birth stories of heroes followed a set of common conventions. And the Gospel stories of Jesus’ birth in Matthew and Luke are no different. This seven-step guide introduces you to the conventions of ancient infancy narratives and relates them to the gospels’ own accounts.
Jesus, Dionysus, and Olympic Outrage. The Parisian Olympics caused an outcry across the globe for its Bacchan parody of Da Vinci’s Last Supper. Yet the clash between Christian and Dionysan imagery is a long-standing tradition. In this essay, I explore some connections between Dionysus/Bacchus and Jesus in John.
Could Jesus Read and Write? One of the more contested questions in the study of Jesus as a historical figure is whether he could read or write. This gives a summary of the arguments for and against, exploring recent work on the subject.
Vanishing bodies, Ascending gods. In the ancient world, there were many stories of bodies disappearing upon a hero(ine)’s death. In this post, I compare one such story from the first-century novel, Callirhoe, to the empty tomb account in John.
Did a Woman Write Luke-Acts? It was rare for women to write in the ancient world. Yet in a provocative chapter, Joan Taylor has argued that a woman may have been involved in the composition of Luke-Acts. I take a look at this theory.
Jesus’ Seamless Tunic: A High Priestly Vestment? We are only afforded fleeting glimpses into Jesus’ wardrobe in the Gospels. But one garment is described by John in some detail: Jesus’ seamless tunic. Here I consider whether John uses this garment to present Jesus as the High Priest, who wore a similar vestment.
Jesus’ Seamless Tunic: A Symbol of Unity? Another ancient interpretation of Jesus’ seamless tunic is that it is a symbol of unity. While this reading has fallen foul in modern commentaries, I do my best here to give it a hearing.
Bart Ehrman’s ‘Telephone Game’. The world’s most famous New Testament Professor, Bart Ehrman, is well-known for likening the traditioning process behind the gospels to a game of telephone. This piece looks at the strengths and weaknesses of this view, drawing upon the work of gospel scholar, Alan Kirk.
The Real Meaning of Doubting Thomas. Jesus’ disciple Thomas is dubbed ‘doubting Thomas’ for not believing in the resurrection. Yet I question here whether this moniker is deserved, or whether his character holds greater depths.
Why Matthew Didn’t Write Matthew: Part Three. Gospel scholars today do not believe that the apostle Matthew wrote our Greek gospel. But does that mean he had no connection to the gospel at all? Here I unpack one potential connection of the apostle to our Matthew: that he was behind one of the gospel’s sources, ‘Q.’
Why Matthew Didn’t Write Matthew: Part Two. Some scholars have tried to resuscitate Mathean authorship by supposing that the references to money in the Gospel point to Matthew as a tax collector. I don’t think this theory quite adds up.
Can We Know What Jesus Really Said? A reader asked how we can know what Jesus taught. Here I look at some problems and prospects for recovering Jesus’ thought.
Can the Dates of Jesus’ Death be Reconciled? One of the most glaring contradictions in the Gospels concerns the timing of Jesus’ death. The Synoptics place it after Passover, while John times it before. Here I consider a more promising attempt to reconcile the two accounts.
The Gospels are Bíoi - So What? It is now widely agreed that the gospels resemble ancient biographical literature. Yet what is less widely discussed is how this genre affects our reading of the Gospels. Here I offer some suggestions.