Category Archives: Biblical Studies

Did Moses Literally See the Face of God?

Posted on June 24, 2019 by robbowman

Exodus 33:11 says that the Lord spoke “face to face” with Moses, but Exodus 33:20 says that Moses could not see the Lord’s face. Is this a contradiction? Two preliminary observations may be helpful. First, we should notice that Exodus … Continue reading →

Posted in Biblical Studies, Mormonism | Tagged , , | 6 Comments

Enoch, Jude, the Canon, and the Sons of God: Some Notes for the Curious

Posted on February 4, 2019 by robbowman

In an odd coincidence, I was asked twice in one day to comment about the canonicity of the Book of Enoch and some related matters. I will not attempt to resolve all of the issues here, but instead will offer … Continue reading →

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Six Hints that the “Baby Jesus Stories” of the Gospels Were Not Late Additions

Posted on December 23, 2018 by robbowman

Gerard van Honthorst, Adoration of the Shepherds (1622)   Every December, articles circulate online (and often in major news magazines) calling into question the truth of the virgin birth of Christ. This year, a blog article posted on December 19, … Continue reading →

Posted in Biblical Studies, Jesus and Christology | Tagged , , , , , | 3 Comments

Yea, Verily, Yea: The Word Yea and the Book of Mormon’s Imitation of the King James Version

Posted on July 31, 2018 by robbowman

  Yesterday I posted a short article here summarizing the first three articles on IRR’s website in a new series entitled “Moroni’s New Testament.” In those articles, I showed that the author of the writings attributed to Moroni in the … Continue reading →

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Moroni’s New Testament: Proof that the Author of the Book of Mormon Used the King James Version

Posted on July 30, 2018 by robbowman

Many passages of the Book of Mormon are demonstrably dependent on the New Testament. The most obvious use of the New Testament in the Book of Mormon comes in 3 Nephi 12–14, most of which is copied nearly verbatim from … Continue reading →

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Jesus the Divine Bridegroom: Michael Tait’s Case for a High Christology in Mark

Posted on July 24, 2018 by robbowman

  Tait, Michael. Jesus, the Divine Bridegroom, in Mark 2:18-22: Mark’s Christology Upgraded. Analecta Biblica 185. Rome: Gregorian & Biblical Press, 2010.       Michael Tait is a former schoolteacher and headmaster with two doctorates who sought but never … Continue reading →

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Is the Expression “Make a Record” Evidence for the Book of Mormon? A Case Study in Testing Mormon Apologetic Arguments

Posted on July 16, 2018 by robbowman

The “Book of Mormon Central” website, founded by LDS scholars Lynne Wilson and John W. Welch in 2015 and operated by the Book of Mormon Archaeological Forum, has quickly become a popular source for apologetic arguments in defense of the … Continue reading →

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Lydia McGrew on Credentials and New Testament Scholarship

Posted on May 28, 2018 by robbowman

Lydia McGrew is a scholar trained in the study of literature (her Ph.D. was in English literature), an accomplished author of peer-reviewed publications in philosophy (including epistemology and philosophy of religion) including some directly relevant to Gospel scholarship, and recently … Continue reading →

Posted in Biblical Studies, Christian apologists, Jesus and Christology | Tagged , , , , | 19 Comments

Looking for a Low Christology in the Gospel of John: A Review Article

Posted on May 23, 2018 by robbowman

Kim, Yung Suk. Truth, Testimony, and Transformation: A New Reading of the “I Am” Sayings of Jesus in the Fourth Gospel. Eugene, OR: Cascade Books, 2014.   Yung Suk Kim is Associate Professor of New Testament and Early Christianity at … Continue reading →

Posted in Biblical Studies, Jesus and Christology | Tagged , , , , , | 3 Comments

Did Jesus Exist before He Was Born?

Posted on May 19, 2018 by robbowman

Critics of the Trinitarian view of Jesus Christ as God incarnate sometimes argue that Jesus could not have existed before he was born. They point out that Jesus received his name “Jesus” when he was born (Matt. 1:21, 25; Luke … Continue reading →

Posted in Biblical Studies, Jesus and Christology, Oneness, Uncategorized, Unitarianism | Tagged , , , , , , | 4 Comments