# How did early Christians reconcile divinity of the bible with it's human authors? **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [December 26, 2018, 7:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-early-christians-reconcile-divinity-of-the-bible-with-its-human-authors/826751 "2018-12-26T19:57:40Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Bullitt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bullitt/32/5725_2.png) [@Bullitt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bullitt)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2018, 4:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-early-christians-reconcile-divinity-of-the-bible-with-its-human-authors/826751/41 "2018-12-27T16:41:10Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#): > > It is nice that you believe what you believe, but would you mind presenting this evidence that you rate as “good” so that we may form our own beliefs as to its veracity? There can’t be evidence. It is faith, corroborated by testimonials. ---
**Author:** ![EscAlaMike](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/escalamike/32/4177_2.png) [@EscAlaMike](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EscAlaMike)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2018, 4:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-early-christians-reconcile-divinity-of-the-bible-with-its-human-authors/826751/42 "2018-12-27T16:43:58Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#): > > This basically boils down to “Christians that believe what I believe agree with what I believe.” > I don’t suppose you’ve every heard of the “No True Scotsman” fallacy? I’m just making a distinction between what I referred to as “traditionally Christian” versus other. What’s wrong with stating the traditional view re: the concept of divine inspiration, when that’s what this thread is about? ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2018, 4:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-early-christians-reconcile-divinity-of-the-bible-with-its-human-authors/826751/43 "2018-12-27T16:44:13Z")
> [@Bullitt](#): > > There can’t be evidence. It is faith, corroborated by testimonials. I never dismiss out-of-hand. If he says he’s got good evidence, I will take a good look at it. ---
**Author:** ![Bullitt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bullitt/32/5725_2.png) [@Bullitt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bullitt)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2018, 4:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-early-christians-reconcile-divinity-of-the-bible-with-its-human-authors/826751/44 "2018-12-27T16:44:22Z")
Even the contents of ‘the bible’ is not agreed to between Catholics who have 73 books in their bibles and Protestants, who have 66 books in their bibles. ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2018, 4:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-early-christians-reconcile-divinity-of-the-bible-with-its-human-authors/826751/45 "2018-12-27T16:45:12Z")
> [@Bullitt](#): > > There can’t be evidence. It is faith, corroborated by testimonials. Testimony _is_ a type of evidence. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2018, 4:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-early-christians-reconcile-divinity-of-the-bible-with-its-human-authors/826751/46 "2018-12-27T16:46:10Z")
> [@EscAlaMike](#): > > I’m just making a distinction between what I referred to as “traditionally Christian” versus other. > > What’s wrong with stating the traditional view re: the concept of divine inspiration, when that’s what this thread is about? Just establishing that your definition of “Traditionally Christian” means “Christians that follow my beliefs and traditions”. ---
**Author:** ![Bullitt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bullitt/32/5725_2.png) [@Bullitt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bullitt)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2018, 4:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-early-christians-reconcile-divinity-of-the-bible-with-its-human-authors/826751/47 "2018-12-27T16:46:17Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#): > > I never dismiss out-of-hand. If he says he’s got good evidence, I will take a good look at it. I’m a believer, a Christian, and I’ve been studying the bible for decades. I think I know what he means by ‘evidence’, but I’m pretty sure it’s not evidence. But I’ll let him speak. I’ll look, too. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2018, 4:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-early-christians-reconcile-divinity-of-the-bible-with-its-human-authors/826751/48 "2018-12-27T16:48:25Z")
> [@Thudlow\_Boink](#): > > Testimony _is_ a type of evidence. It is yet to be established what **EscAlaMike** means by “good evidence”. ---
**Author:** ![Bullitt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bullitt/32/5725_2.png) [@Bullitt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bullitt)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2018, 4:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-early-christians-reconcile-divinity-of-the-bible-with-its-human-authors/826751/49 "2018-12-27T16:49:07Z")
> [@Thudlow\_Boink](#): > > Testimony _is_ a type of evidence. Right, but it’s the type of evidence that one can choose to believe, or not. Testimony certainly is not fact accepted by most all people, like the earth is round (okay, oblate spheroid). Forget the flat earthers, here. ---
**Author:** ![EscAlaMike](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/escalamike/32/4177_2.png) [@EscAlaMike](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EscAlaMike)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2018, 4:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-early-christians-reconcile-divinity-of-the-bible-with-its-human-authors/826751/50 "2018-12-27T16:55:12Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#): > > It is nice that you believe what you believe, but would you mind presenting this evidence that you rate as “good” so that we may form our own beliefs as to its veracity? We’ve been down this road before. A rabbit trail like that might get shut down by a mod. I believe the evidence supports the apostolic authorship of the Gospels during the first century, and I believe that they were written as biographies, not embellishments. Brant Pitre makes very good arguments to this effect. I’ve read competing arguments from scholars like Bart Ehrman, and don’t find them convincing. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2018, 5:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-early-christians-reconcile-divinity-of-the-bible-with-its-human-authors/826751/51 "2018-12-27T17:00:11Z")
> [@EscAlaMike](#): > > We’ve been down this road before. A rabbit trail like that might get shut down by a mod. So it is okay to state that there is good evidence, but it becomes troublesome for you when it comes to presenting it? Disappointed…but not surprised. ---
**Author:** ![EscAlaMike](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/escalamike/32/4177_2.png) [@EscAlaMike](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EscAlaMike)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2018, 5:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-early-christians-reconcile-divinity-of-the-bible-with-its-human-authors/826751/52 "2018-12-27T17:06:18Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#): > > Just establishing that your definition of “Traditionally Christian” means “Christians that follow my beliefs and traditions”. LOL, ok then. I’m not the arbiter of truth. I follow “traditional Christianity” because I believe it to be true. It’s not true because I follow it. It’s not the least bit dependent on me. There was a time when I didn’t follow traditional Christianity, and I would have said that traditional Christianity was corrupt and possibly evil. ---
**Author:** ![EscAlaMike](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/escalamike/32/4177_2.png) [@EscAlaMike](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EscAlaMike)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2018, 5:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-early-christians-reconcile-divinity-of-the-bible-with-its-human-authors/826751/53 "2018-12-27T17:10:00Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#): > > So it is okay to state that there is good evidence, but it becomes troublesome for you when it comes to presenting it? > > Disappointed…but not surprised. I’m not a scholar myself. All I can do is read other people’s arguments and make a judgment. I have some books at home. I’m not at home right now. Maybe this evening I can find you some citations. ---
**Author:** ![Bullitt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bullitt/32/5725_2.png) [@Bullitt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bullitt)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2018, 5:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-early-christians-reconcile-divinity-of-the-bible-with-its-human-authors/826751/54 "2018-12-27T17:11:04Z")
All religions are followed by people, and led by people, and thus are inherently flawed by the human condition — greed, power, corruption, and sex and drugs and rock-and-roll. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2018, 5:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-early-christians-reconcile-divinity-of-the-bible-with-its-human-authors/826751/55 "2018-12-27T17:12:10Z")
> [@EscAlaMike](#): > > LOL, ok then. > > I’m not the arbiter of truth. I follow “traditional Christianity” because I believe it to be true. It’s not true because I follow it. It’s not the least bit dependent on me. > > There was a time when I didn’t follow traditional Christianity, and I would have said that traditional Christianity was corrupt and possibly evil. I’m sorry, but without evidence all I’ve got to go on is that you believe what you believe when it come to Christianity, and thus define it according to those beliefs. There is no dictionary definition of “Traditional Christianity” that aligns with the definition that you have provided. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2018, 5:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-early-christians-reconcile-divinity-of-the-bible-with-its-human-authors/826751/56 "2018-12-27T17:16:30Z")
> [@EscAlaMike](#): > > I’m not a scholar myself. All I can do is read other people’s arguments and make a judgment. And other people that follow other sects pretty much do the same, and most of them do not consider themselves to be non-traditional 15th or 16th century Johnny-Come-Latelys. ---
**Author:** ![EscAlaMike](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/escalamike/32/4177_2.png) [@EscAlaMike](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EscAlaMike)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2018, 5:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-early-christians-reconcile-divinity-of-the-bible-with-its-human-authors/826751/57 "2018-12-27T17:19:56Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#): > > I’m sorry, but without evidence all I’ve got to go on is that you believe what you believe when it come to Christianity, and thus define it according to those beliefs. There is no dictionary definition of “Traditional Christianity” that aligns with the definition that you have provided. Well sure, the term “traditional Christianity” could mean very different things to different people. When I say “traditional Christianity” I am referring to the deposit of faith that has been handed down from the Apostles from the 1st Century and preserved in the Catholic Church. Therefore, the Protestant Reformation and all of its products are a deviation from “traditional Christianity”. There is such a thing as “traditional Protestant Christianity”, though that can be imprecise as well, but that’s not what I mean. ---
**Author:** ![EscAlaMike](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/escalamike/32/4177_2.png) [@EscAlaMike](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EscAlaMike)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2018, 5:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-early-christians-reconcile-divinity-of-the-bible-with-its-human-authors/826751/58 "2018-12-27T17:21:00Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#): > > And other people that follow other sects pretty much do the same, and most of them do not consider themselves to be non-traditional 15th or 16th century Johnny-Come-Latelys. Maybe so. Maybe they need to be more critical of what they believe and why. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2018, 5:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-early-christians-reconcile-divinity-of-the-bible-with-its-human-authors/826751/59 "2018-12-27T17:25:31Z")
> [@EscAlaMike](#): > > Well sure, the term “traditional Christianity” could mean very different things to different people. > > When I say “traditional Christianity” I am referring to the deposit of faith that has been handed down from the Apostles from the 1st Century and preserved in the Catholic Church. Therefore, the Protestant Reformation and all of its products are a deviation from “traditional Christianity”. > > There is such a thing as “traditional Protestant Christianity”, though that can be imprecise as well, but that’s not what I mean. So when you say “Traditional” you actually mean “Catholic”. Why not just use the term “Catholic”…unless this is to establish that, if it isn’t of your particular sect, it can’t be traditional? ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2018, 5:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-early-christians-reconcile-divinity-of-the-bible-with-its-human-authors/826751/60 "2018-12-27T17:27:05Z")
> [@EscAlaMike](#): > > Maybe so. Maybe they need to be more critical of what they believe and why. Holy _snap_. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-early-christians-reconcile-divinity-of-the-bible-with-its-human-authors/826751.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-early-christians-reconcile-divinity-of-the-bible-with-its-human-authors/826751.md?page=4)