Are there contradictions in the 4 gospels concerning the resurrection of Christ?

[Grailhunter]

This a lie. A title is given in every Greek Cursive manuscript of the gospels. The manuscripts which are all capitals seem to be forgeries. [And they have a differing title too.]

How were the titles of New Testament texts assigned

How New Testament Text Titles Were Assigned
The New Testament books, including the Gospels, were originally anonymous and without fixed titles; their modern names were assigned much later, mainly in the late 2nd–3rd centuries, to distinguish between different versions circulating in the church.

Original State: Anonymous and Untitled​

Early manuscripts of the Gospels and other New Testament writings show no author names in the text itself. The Gospel writers did not identify themselves, and the books were circulated without titles such as “According to Matthew” or “According to John”
Some internal evidence suggests that Mark may have given his work a descriptive heading in the opening verse (“The Beginning of the Gospel of Jesus Christ”), but this does not name him.

Why Titles Were Not Original​

Scholars note that in antiquity, a title naming the author (“According to Luke”) would imply that the title was added by someone after the text was written, not by the author themselves. This makes sense only when there was a recognized need to distinguish between multiple versions of the same material.

When and How Titles Were Assigned​

• Gospels: The familiar titles (“Gospel according to Matthew,” etc.) appear in manuscripts only around 200 CE, roughly a century after the Gospels were written.
• This timing aligns with the period when the church was aware of several competing accounts of Jesus’ life and needed to identify them.
• Titles were likely assigned by church leaders, scribes, or later copyists to mark which version they were copying, not by the original authors.

Other New Testament Books​

Other New Testament writings (Acts, epistles, Revelation) also lacked original titles. Over time, they were identified by the name of the attributed author (e.g., “Romans” for the letter attributed to Paul) or by descriptive phrases, but these attributions were also added later, often in the 2nd–3rd centuries.

Summary​

• No original titles in the earliest manuscripts.
• Titles added later to distinguish between versions.
• Gospels’ author-based titles emerged ~200 CE, after the church recognized multiple accounts.
• Other NT books were similarly identified by later attribution, not by the original authors.

In short, the titles we see today are later scholarly and ecclesiastical labels, not original book titles, and they reflect the historical process of standardizing and distinguishing the New Testament texts as they were transmitted.

 

[MonoBiblical]

So are you saying that the Bible is the word of God and is to be taken literally?
If so, you must agree that abortion is moral under certain circumstances.

It is inspired by God, has words of YHWH in it. Forced abortion was impossible then, and miscarriages are easily forgiven. I don't believe in the pre-existence of souls.

 

[MonoBiblical]

Early manuscripts of the Gospels and other New Testament writings show no author names in the text itself.

There are no early manuscripts, and carbon-dating has not been done for them.

 

[Grailhunter]

There are no early manuscripts, and carbon-dating has not been done for them.

Keep telling yourself that. There is no place like home! There is no place like home!

 

[shepherdsword]

Keep telling yourself that. There is no place like home! There is no place like home!

The fact is....no one knows if the authors were added later. It is inferred but not proven. The only way to know proof positive is to find an orginal or a text that omits them, older than what we have now. Simon Gathercole wrote a peered reviewed article in 2018 that explains why we can be certain the given authors are authentic.

 

[Grailhunter]

The fact is....no one knows if the authors were added later. It is inferred but not proven. The only way to know proof positive is to find an orginal or a text that omits them, older than what we have now. Simon Gathercole wrote a peered reviewed article in 2018 that explains why we can be certain the given authors are authentic.

The real fact is that the older texts do not have titles.

 

[Grailhunter]

The fact is....no one knows if the authors were added later. It is inferred but not proven. The only way to know proof positive is to find an orginal or a text that omits them, older than what we have now. Simon Gathercole wrote a peered reviewed article in 2018 that explains why we can be certain the given authors are authentic.

See post 61.
Sometimes the author identifies themselves as in the case of some of Paul's and John's writings.
Of the four Gospels Luke is the most likely titled correctly.
In the Gospel of John he refers to himself as the most beloved and that would lack humility. So it was probably written by someone else.
Either way some New Testament texts were dictated to scribes.

Where New Testament Texts Dictated to Scribes​

In the ancient world, most New Testament books were not written by the authors themselves in full, but dictated to a professional scribe known as an amanuensis This was the standard practice in the Roman and Jewish worlds for important documents, especially religious and legal texts.

The amanuensis role
An amanuensis was a trained secretary or scribe whose job was to record the author’s words exactly as spoke The author would dictate the text, often in a group or public setting rather than in isolation, and then review the scribe’s work, making final editorial adjustments before it was sent or circulated This method allowed the author to focus on the content and message, while the scribe handled the technical task of writing.

Examples in the New Testament

• Paul and Tertius – The epistle to the Romans ends with “Greet Tertius, the scribe” (Romans 16:22), identifying him as the amanuensis who wrote the letter under Paul’s direction House Blog.
• Peter and Silvanus – 1 Peter 5:12 notes that Silvanus, a “brother and deacon,” was the one who sent the greeting, indicating he acted as Peter’s scribe
• Other New Testament letters and gospels also show evidence of scribes recording the author’s dictated words, sometimes with the author’s later review and correction Version+1.

Where and how this happened
The dictation could occur in various settings:

• In the author’s home or office – For example, Paul may have dictated letters while traveling or in a community setting
• In public or communal gatherings – Early Christians often read and shared texts in congregations, and scribes could record the text during these events
• In monastic or scribal centers – By the later centuries, monasteries in the Middle East and Europe became major centers for copying and preserving New Testament texts

Why this method was used
In the first centuries AD, there were no printing presses; every copy had to be made by hand Using an amanuensis ensured accuracy, speed, and preservation of the text, while also allowing the author to maintain control over the message.

In summary:
New Testament texts were often dictated by the author to an amanuensis (scribe), sometimes in a home, sometimes in a public or communal setting, and then reviewed and finalized by the author before distribution This process was standard in the ancient world and was essential for the preservation and spread of the New Testament writings.

 

[shepherdsword]

See post 61.
Sometimes the author identifies themselves as in the case of some of Paul's and John's writings.
Of the four Gospels Luke is the most likely titled correctly.
In the Gospel of John he refers to himself as the most beloved and that would lack humility. So it was probably written by someone else.
Either way some New Testament texts were dictated to scribes.

Where New Testament Texts Dictated to Scribes​

In the ancient world, most New Testament books were not written by the authors themselves in full, but dictated to a professional scribe known as an amanuensis This was the standard practice in the Roman and Jewish worlds for important documents, especially religious and legal texts.

The amanuensis role
An amanuensis was a trained secretary or scribe whose job was to record the author’s words exactly as spoke The author would dictate the text, often in a group or public setting rather than in isolation, and then review the scribe’s work, making final editorial adjustments before it was sent or circulated This method allowed the author to focus on the content and message, while the scribe handled the technical task of writing.

Examples in the New Testament

• Paul and Tertius – The epistle to the Romans ends with “Greet Tertius, the scribe” (Romans 16:22), identifying him as the amanuensis who wrote the letter under Paul’s direction House Blog.
• Peter and Silvanus – 1 Peter 5:12 notes that Silvanus, a “brother and deacon,” was the one who sent the greeting, indicating he acted as Peter’s scribe
• Other New Testament letters and gospels also show evidence of scribes recording the author’s dictated words, sometimes with the author’s later review and correction Version+1.

Where and how this happened
The dictation could occur in various settings:

• In the author’s home or office – For example, Paul may have dictated letters while traveling or in a community setting
• In public or communal gatherings – Early Christians often read and shared texts in congregations, and scribes could record the text during these events
• In monastic or scribal centers – By the later centuries, monasteries in the Middle East and Europe became major centers for copying and preserving New Testament texts

Why this method was used
In the first centuries AD, there were no printing presses; every copy had to be made by hand Using an amanuensis ensured accuracy, speed, and preservation of the text, while also allowing the author to maintain control over the message.

In summary:
New Testament texts were often dictated by the author to an amanuensis (scribe), sometimes in a home, sometimes in a public or communal setting, and then reviewed and finalized by the author before distribution This process was standard in the ancient world and was essential for the preservation and spread of the New Testament writings.

It's just conjecture. Produce a text that doesn't have the authors listed that predates Vaticanus and Siniaticus. That would be positive proof. All you did is was copy/paste AI output. That's not evidence. Read Simon Gathercole's article from 2018

 

[MonoBiblical]

Keep telling yourself that. There is no place like home! There is no place like home!

There is no place like dumb. There is no place like dumb. Satisfied, eh?

 

[Matthias]

Somewhere this afternoon, a British atheist is delighted.

 

[Mancunian]

Somewhere this afternoon, a British atheist is delighted.

I'm saying nothing.

 

[Grailhunter]

It's just conjecture. Produce a text that doesn't have the authors listed that predates Vaticanus and Siniaticus. That would be positive proof. All you did is was copy/paste AI output. That's not evidence. Read Simon Gathercole's article from 2018

I will let you do your own homework. There are pictures on the internet of texts in museums and there are books that have photographs of the existing old texts. It is obviously not my opinion.

 

[shepherdsword]

I will let you do your own homework. There are pictures on the internet of texts in museums and there are books that have photographs of the existing old texts. It is obviously not my opinion.

Yes...it is. Any text that contains the page where the author is listed, has it. Any.

 

[Grailhunter]

Yes...it is. Any text that contains the page where the author is listed, has it. Any.

You are definitely wrong. The good thing, the readers can look it up and know the truth.

 

[shepherdsword]

You are definitely wrong. The good thing, the readers can look it up and know the truth.

Prove I am wrong. Produce the text. You cannot present a single surviving manuscript copy of one of the four canonical Gospels that contains the complete Gospel but has no author-identifying title at all. Missing title pages and missing manuscript leaves do not establish anonymity.

 

[Grailhunter]

Prove I am wrong. Produce the text. You cannot present a single surviving manuscript copy of one of the four canonical Gospels that contains the complete Gospel but has no author-identifying title at all. Missing title pages and missing manuscript leaves do not establish anonymity.

No I am not talking about missing title pages and I am not going to take your homework. The readers can look it up for themselves.
I have already given you what scholars say.....Titles and chapters, and verse numbers were added later.
The New Testament books, including the Gospels, were originally anonymous and without fixed titles; their modern names were assigned much later, mainly in the late 2nd–3rd centuries, to distinguish between different versions circulating in the church.

Original State: Anonymous and Untitled​

Early manuscripts of the Gospels and other New Testament writings show no author names in the text itself. The Gospel writers did not identify themselves, and the books were circulated without titles such as “According to Matthew” or “According to John”
Some internal evidence suggests that Mark may have given his work a descriptive heading in the opening verse (“The Beginning of the Gospel of Jesus Christ”), but this does not name him.

Why Titles Were Not Original​

Scholars note that in antiquity, a title naming the author (“According to Luke”) would imply that the title was added by someone after the text was written, not by the author themselves. This makes sense only when there was a recognized need to distinguish between multiple versions of the same material.

When and How Titles Were Assigned​

• Gospels: The familiar titles (“Gospel according to Matthew,” etc.) appear in manuscripts only around 200 CE, roughly a century after the Gospels were written.
• This timing aligns with the period when the church was aware of several competing accounts of Jesus’ life and needed to identify them.
• Titles were likely assigned by church leaders, scribes, or later copyists to mark which version they were copying, not by the original authors.

Other New Testament Books​

Other New Testament writings (Acts, epistles, Revelation) also lacked original titles. Over time, they were identified by the name of the attributed author (e.g., “Romans” for the letter attributed to Paul) or by descriptive phrases, but these attributions were also added later, often in the 2nd–3rd centuries.

Summary​

• No original titles in the earliest manuscripts.
• Titles added later to distinguish between versions.
• Gospels’ author-based titles emerged ~200 CE, after the church recognized multiple accounts.
• Other NT books were similarly identified by later attribution, not by the original authors.

In short, the titles we see today are later scholarly and ecclesiastical labels, not original book titles, and they reflect the historical process of standardizing and distinguishing the New Testament texts as they were transmitted.

 

[Grailhunter]

Why titles came later
The formal naming of works like “Gospel of Mark” or “Epistle to the Romans” developed as the canon was defined in the 4th century, especially after councils such as Nicaea (325 CE) and the work of church fathers like Eusebius. Before that, the same text could be called by different names in different regions, or simply referred to by its content.

In summary
Before standardized titles, early Christian texts were recognized by their content, audience, or language. This fluidity reflects the diversity of early Christian communities and the gradual process of canon formation, where many works were preserved, others lost, and only a few became the fixed “New Testament” we know today

 

[Grailhunter]

How do scholars know a Christian text is a true copy?
As it is now museums are full of antient Christian texts as a whole or fragments.
Those that date before 250 AD are thought to be closer to the originals.
So how do they know what are true copies.
1. They do not have titles.
2. They know the errors in the older texts and if those errors are corrected they know it is not a true copy.
3. The older Texts do not include the additional verses and stories found in texts after 250 AD.

 

[MonoBiblical]

You are definitely wrong. The good thing, the readers can look it up and know the truth.

All the cursives have the titles. This is evidence enough, unlike your dumb AI.