As a religious scholar, I’ve long been fascinated by the history of the Christian Bible – its flaws, contradictions, its turbulent history – and how most Christians came to believe that it was always one complete book, that it is “inerrant” (without errors) and somehow perfect. Many even still believe that the Bible was “written by God” or by Moses, or Paul even. Or that it was written by other men who were not only anonymous – but also “divinely inspired”. Some still view the Bible as a historical record of everything – which is how some people actually believe the entire universe is only about 6000 years old.
Not that I place any stock in the Bible
as a history book, or even as a religious text – I am an atheist who once was a
Christian. Nevertheless, the study of the Bible as a document – and not literal
“Bible study” in the Christian sense – is an area of study I’ve always found fascinating.
Of all the scholars who have made the Bible the focus of their life’s work, Dr.
Bart D. Ehrman is one of the most prominent and accessible scholars writing
today, and his work systematically challenges traditional views of the Bible’s
origins, accuracy, and historical reliability. His arguments are drawn from
decades of rigorous textual criticism, historical analysis, and linguistic
study. More importantly, he is also one of the most down-to-earth and
approachable scholars, making his work easily understandable to non-scholars.
He has at least one YouTube channel, is on Facebook, and his video series’ on
the subject are not only freely accessible online, but detailed, eye-opening
and thought provoking. If you’ve made it this far into my article, this is
clearly a topic you find interesting – and I highly recommend you go have a
look for yourself.
As a scholar and as an activist writer, I’ve
also undertaken to follow that example, because I believe that important
information (as in scholarship) should be free first of all, and secondly,
broadly accessible to everyone. (That won’t be a very popular principle with
any academic publishers I’ll be dealing with in future, but it will work out in
the end – just so you know!)
The problem with most scholarship is that
it uses elevated language, jargon and technical terms that most people would
not understand and be thoroughly confused by. They also generally wouldn’t find
those terms in a regular dictionary. Sometimes it’s not intentional, it’s just
that these various technical terms developed over years and years, are more
precise, and save the writer from using ten words instead of only one or two.
Sometimes it is intentional and is
meant to preserve the knowledge for an elite group while excluding everyone
else, for whatever purpose. It’s called “exclusivist language” – because it excludes
people who don’t grasp the language of the discussion, from the group who does.
Whether intentional or not, the effect is still the same.
So let’s move on. Here’s a comprehensive,
topic-organized reference guide to the major categories of biblical problems
Dr. Ehrman identifies, drawn from his major works and public debates. There are plenty more problems with the Bible, but let’s see
how your understanding of it holds up against the in-depth scholarly
scrutiny of an expert.
📜
Textual Corruption & Scribal Changes
Ehrman’s foundational argument is that the
modern Bible we have is not the original text. It is the product of centuries
of copying by fallible and sometimes theologically motivated scribes. (For
historical context, scribes of course, manually wrote the entire text over by
hand, copying it from another older copy, in the period before the invention of
the printing press. For most of that time, these scribes were often monks or
friars or priests.) Ehrman demonstrates this in works like “Misquoting Jesus”
and “The Orthodox Corruption of Scripture”.
The Fundamental Problem: No Originals,
Only Error-Ridden Copies:
There are no known original manuscripts (autographs) of any biblical book. What
there is, are thousands of later copies – and these disagree with one another
in countless places. Ehrman notes there are more variations among manuscripts
than there are words in the New Testament itself.
Accidental Errors: Many variants of these manuscripts arose
from simple scribal mistakes: misspellings, accidentally skipping a line
(haplography), accidentally repeating a line (dittography), or confusing
similar-sounding words with each other.
Intentional Theologically Motivated
Changes: Ehrman’s
key thesis is that scribes sometimes altered the text to make it conform to
their own theological views or to combat what they saw as heresy (“orthodox corruption”).
Key Examples of Scribal Alterations:
- · 1 John 5:7–8 (The Johannine Comma) – The explicit
Trinitarian formula (“the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these three
are one”) is not found in any ancient Greek manuscript. It was a later Latin
addition designed to support the doctrine of the Trinity. Ehrman calls this one
of the most important “late additions” affecting doctrine.
- · Mark 1:1 – The phrase “Son of God” is likely a
later addition by scribes aiming to affirm Jesus’s divine status from the very
beginning of the Gospel.
- · Passages Limiting Women’s Roles – Ehrman argues that certain verses,
such as 1 Corinthians 14:34–35 (which commands women to be silent in church),
are scribal insertions designed to suppress women’s leadership in early
Christian communities.
- · The Woman Caught in Adultery (John
7:53–8:11) – This entire
beloved story is absent from the earliest and best manuscripts, and is a later
addition to the Gospel of John.
- · The Ending of Mark (Mark 16:9–20) – The long ending, with its resurrection
appearances and signs, is not in the earliest manuscripts. It was added later
to provide a more satisfying conclusion.
✍
Forgeries & False Authorship
In “Forged” and “Forgery and Counterforgery”,
Ehrman argues that many books in the New Testament were not written by the
people whose names they bear.
Definition of Forgery – Ehrman defines this as a writing whose
author falsely claims to be someone else. This was a common practice in the
ancient world, but he argues early Christians embraced it with special
enthusiasm.
The Scale of the Problem – Of the 27 books of the New Testament,
Ehrman contends that at least 10 are
almost certainly forgeries:
- · Six Pauline Letters: Ephesians, Colossians, 2 Thessalonians,
1 Timothy, 2 Timothy, and Titus.
- · The Letters of Peter and Jude: 1 Peter, 2 Peter, and Jude are widely
considered to be pseudonymous.
- · The Number Climbs to 13 if one includes Acts (falsely presenting
its author as Paul’s companion), 1 John (misleadingly claiming eyewitness
status), and Hebrews (which may imply Pauline authorship).
- · The Seven Undisputed Pauline Letters – Ehrman accepts that Romans, 1 & 2
Corinthians, Galatians, Philippians, 1 Thessalonians, and Philemon are
genuinely by Paul.
🌍
Historical Inaccuracies & Contradictions
Ehrman argues that the Bible contains
numerous historical errors, contradictions, and legendary fabrications,
particularly in the Gospels and Old Testament.
Contradictions
in the Gospels
- · Jairus’s Daughter – In Mark 5, Jairus says his daughter is
sick and dying. In Matthew 9, he says she has already died. Ehrman argues this
is a clear contradiction, not a mere abbreviation.
- · The
Crucifixion – Mark says Jesus was crucified at the third hour (9 AM); John says
it was the sixth hour (noon). The accounts of who carried the cross and what
Jesus said on it also differ.
- · The
Resurrection – The accounts are “hopelessly contradictory” regarding who went
to the tomb first (one woman? multiple?), how many angels were there (one? two?
a young man?), and where Jesus first appeared to his disciples.
- · The
Birth Narratives – Matthew and Luke provide mutually incompatible genealogies
for Jesus. Matthew has the flight to Egypt; Luke has the presentation at the
Temple. Ehrman sees these as independent, later inventions.
Historical
Problems in the Old Testament
·
Moses
and the Pentateuch – Ehrman argues that Moses did not write the first five
books of the Bible (the Pentateuch), as they contain multiple, contradictory
sources and describe events after his death.
- · The
Conquest of Canaan – The biblical account of Joshua’s conquest of Canaan cannot be historically accurate, as
archaeological evidence does not support a sudden, total conquest.
- · Historical
Errors in Genesis – Ehrman points out “lots of mistakes” right from the
beginning of the Bible, including contradictions in the creation and flood
narratives.
- · Who
Killed Goliath? – The Bible presents contradictory accounts: David (1 Samuel
17) and Elhanan (2 Samuel 21:19).
📖
Doctrinal & Theological Problems
Ehrman shows how textual and historical
issues have profound implications for Christian doctrine.
- · The Trinity – The doctrine of the Trinity cannot be
supported by the original text of the New Testament, as its key proof text (1
John 5:7–8) is a later forgery.
- · The Divinity of Jesus – In the Synoptic Gospels (Mark,
Matthew, Luke), Jesus is portrayed as a human Messiah, but in the Gospel of
John, he is presented as divine. Ehrman argues this is a major theological
contradiction and a later development.
- · The Atonement – Some key passages used to support
substitutionary atonement are, in Ehrman’s view, later scribal additions or
modifications.
- · Women’s Ordination – Passages used to restrict women’s roles are, according to Ehrman, later scribal insertions reflecting a shift in church politics, not the original teachings of Paul or Jesus.
🚫
Omissions & Editorial Changes
Ehrman also discusses how later
translators and editors have either omitted or changed original texts.
- · Omissions of Jesus’s Words – Ehrman notes that some modern
translations omit words of Jesus found in later manuscripts, as they are not in
the earliest texts.
- · The “Misquoting” of Jesus – The title of his bestseller, “Misquoting
Jesus”, refers to how the words of Jesus have been changed, omitted, or added
to by scribes over centuries.
- · Modern
Translation Errors – Ehrman has also critiqued specific translation choices in
modern Bibles, such as the NRSV’s use of inclusive language where it changes
the meaning of the original text.
📚
The Canon: Included Books, Excluded Books, and Contradictions
Ehrman’s work on the canon is a central
pillar of his broader argument. In "Lost Christianities" and "Lost Scriptures",
he shows that the 27-book New Testament was not a divinely guided, inevitable
collection but the product of a long, messy, and politically charged process.
The books that “won” were not necessarily the oldest or most authentic; they
were the ones that best served the theological agenda of the group that
eventually became “orthodox.”
🏛️
The Criteria for Inclusion (and Exclusion)
Ehrman explains that the “orthodox” church
fathers who decided the canon applied several criteria to determine whether a
book should be included or excluded. A book had to pass the following tests:
- · Apostolicity – The single most important criterion. A
book had to be written by an apostle (Peter, Paul, John, etc.) or by someone
very closely connected with an apostle (e.g., Mark, the translator of Peter;
Luke, the traveling companion of Paul).
- · Antiquity – A book had to be ancient, going back
to the time of the first generation. Even a great book, if written recently,
would not be counted as canonical.
- · Orthodoxy – A book had to “toe the line”
theologically. No heresy was allowed. If a book’s contents seemed aberrant, it
was rejected.
- · Widespread Use – A book had to be widely used across
various geographical regions, not just a local favorite.
- · Centered on Christ – A book had to have a Christology that
viewed Jesus as possessing both a divine and human nature.
- · Continuity with the Old Testament – A book had to reflect continuity with the theology of the Hebrew Bible, particularly monotheism.
The problem, Ehrman argues, is that these
criteria were applied inconsistently and often retrospectively. Many books that
“made it in” did not actually meet the standards, while many that were excluded
did.
📜
Books That Almost Made It In
Ehrman highlights several early Christian
writings that were widely popular and considered authoritative by various
Christian communities but were ultimately left out of the New Testament canon.
- · The Shepherd of Hermas – A popular apocalyptic work that was
included in the fourth-century Codex Sinaiticus, one of our earliest complete
New Testament manuscripts. It was eventually excluded because it was written
too late to be apostolic and because it was associated with prophetic figures
that the emerging orthodoxy wanted to suppress.
- · The Epistle of Barnabas – Also included in Codex Sinaiticus,
this letter was highly regarded in some early Christian circles but was
eventually deemed non-canonical.
- · 1 Clement – A letter from the church in Rome to
the church in Corinth. It was included in the fifth-century Codex Alexandrinus
and was considered Scripture by some early Christians, but it was ultimately
excluded.
- · The Gospel of Thomas – A collection of sayings attributed to
Jesus. Ehrman notes that many early Christians valued it, but it was excluded
because its theology was seen as Gnostic and heretical.
- · The Gospel of Peter – A gospel that was widely used in some
communities but was eventually rejected because it contained docetic
Christology (the view that Jesus only appeared to be human) and was seen as
heretical.
- · The Apocalypse of Peter – An apocalyptic text that was
considered by some to be canonical but was ultimately left out.
- · The Letter of Paul to the Laodiceans – A letter claiming to be by Paul that
was circulated in some early Christian communities but was rejected as a
forgery.
- · 3 Corinthians – A correspondence attributed to Paul
and the Corinthians that was not accepted into the canon.
⚔️
Contradictions Between Canonical and Non-Canonical Books
Ehrman’s central point is that the books
that were excluded often contained theological views that directly contradicted
the books that were included. The canon was not a neutral collection of the
best and earliest Christian writings; it was a weapon in a theological war.
The
Nature of Christ
- · Canonical View – The New Testament presents a range of
Christologies, but the dominant view that emerged was that Jesus was both fully
human and fully divine.
- · Contradictory Views in Excluded Books – Some excluded books presented Jesus as
purely divine and not human (Docetism), while others presented him as purely
human and not divine (Adoptionism). The Gospel of Peter, for example, was
rejected because it seemed to teach that Jesus did not suffer on the cross (a
docetic view).
The
Nature of Salvation
- · Canonical View – Salvation was understood as coming
through faith in Jesus’s death and resurrection.
- · Contradictory Views in Excluded Books – Gnostic texts like the Gospel of
Thomas presented salvation as coming through secret knowledge (*gnosis*) of one’s
divine origin, not through faith in a crucified Messiah.
The
Authority of Peter vs. Paul
- · Canonical View – The New Testament includes letters
attributed to both Peter and Paul, presenting them as unified apostolic
authorities.
- · Contradictory Views – Ehrman notes that different Christian
groups claimed different apostolic authorities. The Ebionites claimed Peter and
James as their authorities, while the Marcionites claimed Paul. The
proto-orthodox claimed all of them, but in doing so, they had to harmonize
conflicting traditions.
The
Role of Women
- · Canonical View – The New Testament contains passages
that restrict women’s roles (e.g., 1 Corinthians 14:34-35, 1 Timothy 2:11-15),
which Ehrman argues are later scribal insertions.
- · Contradictory Views – Ehrman notes that the Acts of Paul and Thecla (an excluded
book) presents a very different picture of women’s leadership, with Thecla as a
prominent teacher and evangelist. This
text was rejected by the proto-orthodox because it supported women’s authority.
The
Resurrection
- · Canonical View – The canonical Gospels present
contradictory resurrection accounts (who went to the tomb, how many angels,
where Jesus appeared).
- · Contradictory
Views – The Gospel of Peter contains
a very different resurrection narrative, including a giant Jesus emerging from
the tomb and a walking, talking cross.
🏛 The Historical Process: How the Canon Was Formed
Ehrman emphasizes that the canon was not
formed in a single moment but over centuries. Key stages include:
- · Marcion’s Canon (c. 140 CE) – Marcion, a wealthy
shipowner and influential Christian teacher, was the first to propose a fixed
canon of Scripture. He accepted only an edited version of Luke and ten letters
of Paul, rejecting the entire Hebrew Bible. His actions forced the
proto-orthodox to define their own canon in response.
- · The Muratorian Fragment (c. 170-200 CE) – One of the earliest
known lists of New Testament books. It includes most of the books that would
eventually become canonical, but it also mentions disputed books like the
Apocalypse of Peter and the Shepherd of Hermas.
- · Eusebius of Caesarea (c. 325 CE) – In his Church History,
Eusebius categorized Christian writings into “recognized,” “disputed,” and “rejected”
books. He noted that some books, like James, 2 Peter, 2 and 3 John, and Jude,
were disputed but eventually accepted.
- Athanasius of Alexandria (367 CE) – In his Festal Letter,
Athanasius provided the first list of the 27 books of the New Testament that
exactly matches the modern canon. He also listed books that were “not canonical
but useful,” such as the Shepherd of Hermas and the Wisdom of Solomon.
📖
Summary
Ehrman’s analysis of the canon reveals
that the New Testament is not a unified, divinely inspired collection but a
human artifact shaped by theological controversy and political power. The books
that were included were those that supported the emerging orthodox view of
Christ, salvation, and church authority. The books that were excluded were
those that presented alternative views – views that were eventually labeled “heresy.”
The contradictions between the canonical and non-canonical books are not
incidental; they are the very reason why the canon was formed in the first
place: to define what Christianity would be and to exclude everything else.
I hope you find this article helpful. If you’d like a deeper dive into any specific area, feel free to look up books by Dr. Ehrman, or videos on Youtube.
📚
Further Resources
For those wanting to dig deeper, here are
some of Ehrman’s most relevant works:
- ·
Misquoting Jesus – A layperson’s introduction to textual
criticism and scribal changes.
- · Jesus, Interrupted – Focuses on the hidden contradictions
and historical problems in the Bible.
- · Forged – A compelling case for the prevalence of false authorship
in the New Testament.
- · How Jesus Became God – Traces the historical development of
the divinity of Jesus.
- · Did Jesus Exist? – A response to “mythicists,” in which
he defends the historical existence of Jesus while critiquing the reliability
of the Gospels.
- · Bart D. Ehrman (Youtube) – https://www.youtube.com/@bartdehrman
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