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The Humble Skeptic On this podcast, Shane Rosenthal discusses the beliefs and ideas that shape our lives.

Many (πολλοὶ) narratives about Jesus had already been written in Luke's day (Lk 1:1). Matthew and Mark were certainly ea...
14/06/2026

Many (πολλοὶ) narratives about Jesus had already been written in Luke's day (Lk 1:1). Matthew and Mark were certainly earlier, but does the word πολλοὶ imply that other Gospels have been lost?

Many (πολλοὶ) narratives about Jesus had already been written in Luke's day (Lk 1:1). Matthew and Mark were certainly earlier, but does the word πολλοὶ imply that other Gospels have been lost?

Have you noticed the parallel structure of Luke's prologue?
08/06/2026

Have you noticed the parallel structure of Luke's prologue?

The importance of recognizing the parallel structure of Luke's opening statement.

Some years ago, Richard Bauckham told me that the world of New Testament scholarship is not necessarily a progressive sc...
25/05/2026

Some years ago, Richard Bauckham told me that the world of New Testament scholarship is not necessarily a progressive science. In some cases, important mistakes have been made which ended up taking the field in the wrong direction for a century or more. When this happens, perhaps the best way forward is actually to go back and to reflect on writers from previous generations (before key mistakes were made, etc.). Along those lines, here’s a forgotten view of Luke’s prologue from Johann L. Hug (1808).

Selections from Johann L. Hug (1765-1846), a German Catholic theologian who taught Old Testament and New Testament exegesis at the University of Freiberg.

In the prologue of his Gospel, Luke indicates that he wrote to Theophilus to give him “certainty” concerning things he h...
13/05/2026

In the prologue of his Gospel, Luke indicates that he wrote to Theophilus to give him “certainty” concerning things he had already been informed about (Lk 1:4). This, of course, implies that stories of Jesus had already been circulating at the time of Luke’s writing, just as the author himself admits in the first two verses when he says that many had already compiled narratives of “the things fulfilled among us.” Theophilus, however, appears to have had doubts of some kind, at least when it came to Luke’s version of the story. It was perhaps this “uncertainty” that motivated Luke to write his narrative about Jesus, which he anchored in eyewitness testimony (Lk 1:2).

This emphasis on external evidence inevitably leads to questions like, “How do we know that Luke’s narrative—or any of the Gospels for that matter—can be trusted as real history?” Nate Hanson, recently asked me to join him for a Faith Lab conversation of these issues with New Testament scholar Craig Keener.

A Faith Lab Conversation with Craig Keener, Nate Hanson & Shane Rosenthal

Nate Hanson asked me to join him for some of his Faith Lab conversations, and the first episode is now available.
01/05/2026

Nate Hanson asked me to join him for some of his Faith Lab conversations, and the first episode is now available.

Nate Hanson recently invited me to participate in some of his recent Faith Lab conversations featuring interviews with a wide variety of Christian scholars.

In his latest book, Cambridge NT scholar George van Kooten calls for a radical redating of the Fourth Gospel (before the...
01/05/2026

In his latest book, Cambridge NT scholar George van Kooten calls for a radical redating of the Fourth Gospel (before the Jewish War), and says that since the author was known to the high priest, he cannot have been John the son of Zebedee.

In his new book, Dr. van Kooten calls for a radical redating of the Fourth Gospel and says that since the author was known to the high priest, he cannot have been John the son of Zebedee.

This article I wrote was published in The Federalist:
28/04/2026

This article I wrote was published in The Federalist:

Far from demanding blind faith, the world-altering events at the heart of Christianity invite our investigation and lifelong reflection.

Thirty years ago today, a diverse group of pastors and theologians met in Cambridge, Massachusetts, to address a number ...
21/04/2026

Thirty years ago today, a diverse group of pastors and theologians met in Cambridge, Massachusetts, to address a number of really important issues in contemporary Christianity. The result was The Cambridge Declaration.

Episode 85 • Featuring R.C. Sproul, Jim Boice, David Wells, Michael Horton & others

Happy Easter! In this brief article, I explore the implications of Luke's opening verse and discuss some of the intrigui...
05/04/2026

Happy Easter! In this brief article, I explore the implications of Luke's opening verse and discuss some of the intriguing ways it ends up mirroring the early Christian creed in 1st Corinthians 15.

Exploring the implications of Luke's opening verse.

This new episode, featuring Richard Bauckham and T.C. Schmidt, highlights some of the intriguing parallels between the p...
03/04/2026

This new episode, featuring Richard Bauckham and T.C. Schmidt, highlights some of the intriguing parallels between the parable of Lazarus recorded in Luke 16 and the raising of Lazarus in John 11.

Episode 84 • Featuring Richard Bauckham & T.C. Schmidt

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