Was There a 'Virgin Birth' Story in the First Christian Bible of 144 A.D.?
Today's episode is a deep dive on the virgin birth story - where did it come from? Which bible/gospel features it? Who benefits from its narrative and why did the Catholic bishops replace the word 'virgin' with 'young woman' when issuing a revised bible in 2011? No stone is left unturned nor sacred cow spared in this episode of Presbyter Chat - hosted by Darren Kelama.
Timestamps: Introduction to the Episode (00:00:00) Presbyter Darren Kelama introduces the topic of the virgin birth in the first Christian Bible. Full Disclosure and Background (00:00:19) Discussion on Pre-Nicene Christian beliefs and the significance of the first Christian Bible. Jesus's Arrival on Earth (00:01:21) Details on Jesus's descent to Earth in 29 A.D., emphasizing His fully human form. The First Christian Gospel (00:01:21) Introduction to the Gospel of the Lord, received by Apostle Paul, as the basis for later gospels. Simplicity of the Gospel Message (00:02:39) Emphasis on the clarity and truthfulness of the gospel, contrasting it with complex theological narratives. Christmas Celebrations (00:03:56) Discussion on different dates for celebrating Jesus's arrival, stressing the importance of family over specific dates. The Virgin Birth in Gospels (00:05:21) Analysis of the absence of the virgin birth story in the gospels of John and Mark. Source Material for Gospels (00:05:21) Explanation of the source material for Matthew and Luke, linking it to Paul’s revelation. Meeting of Paul, Peter, and James (00:06:32) Overview of the meeting in 37 A.D. where early apostles may have discussed the gospel narratives. Editing of the Gospel Narratives (00:06:47) Discussion on how subversive groups edited the gospel to fit a messianic Jewish narrative. Matthew's Gospel as a First Attempt (00:07:44) Critique of Matthew's narrative as clumsy and aimed at convincing non-Jews of Jesus's imaginary Jewish identity. Galatians on Different Gospels (00:08:17) Reference to Galatians, highlighting the concern over altering the original gospel message. Motivation Behind Gospel Edits (00:08:50) Exploration of the motivations behind the creation of gospels aimed at non-Jewish audiences. The Virgin Birth Prophecy (00:10:21) Introduction of Isaiah 7:14, discussing the implications of the term "virgin." Changes in Biblical Translations (00:11:37) Reference to the Catholic bishops’ admission regarding the translation of "virgin" to "young woman." Matthew's Birth Narrative (00:12:16) Reading of the passage from Matthew regarding Jesus's birth, allegedly linking it to Hebrew prophecy. Luke's Account of Jesus's Birth (00:13:42) Overview of Luke’s narrative and its implications for Jesus’s identity. Jesus's Response to the Davidic Lineage (00:14:21) Jesus rebukes the notion of being David's son, challenging the Hebrew narrative. Final Thoughts on Jesus's Arrival (00:15:22) Reiteration of Jesus's descent as the same way he left, emphasizing his divine nature. Conclusion and Call to Faith (00:16:10) Encouragement to reconnect with Christian faith and the teachings of the first Bible. Links: Catholic bishops drop the word 'virgin' in recognition of a translation error: https://archive.ph/pZ24H (Washington Post 12/11/2012) The First New Testament: Marcion’s Scriptural Canon by Jason D. BeDuhn: https://www.researchgate.net/publicat... The Gospel of The Lord:
https://www.theveryfirstbible.org/
Marcionite Church:
https://www.marcionitechurch.org/
Podcast format: https://t.co/lEz4zRHPpe The Very First Bible:
https://www.theveryfirstbible.org
Pre-Nicene Free Bookstore: https://payhip.com/TheVeryFirstBible