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Tuesday, October 12, 2010

A Contributor To The Christian Delusion Dates Daniel Prior To The Second Century B.C.

Ed Babinski writes:

"Lastly, Augustine and Basil are 4th century CE. At least 800 years or more after the OT was composed and formalized. Even several hundred years after the NT was composed."

We're making progress.

I have to admit, though, that placing the New Testament "several hundred years" before Basil is even earlier than the most conservative scholarship I've seen. Maybe Ed thinks the New Testament was written in prophetic anticipation. So, Romans was written before Paul's birth, but as if from Paul's perspective. That's a fascinating position to take on the origin of the New Testament, and it's one I hadn't considered before. I still have some doubts, but I have to give Ed credit for at least thinking outside the usual skeptical box.

5 comments:

  1. Jason,

    So, Romans was written before Paul's birth, but as if from Paul's perspective. That's a fascinating position to take on the origin of the New Testament, and it's one I hadn't considered before.

    Ha!

    Might you start considering or not? :)

    You have to admit it is a fascinating thought nevertheless!

    If in fact it is true, then it would be a true statement, you be coming along soon too!

    The question now comes to this, "will you get here in time to leave? Or, will you be left behind??"

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  2. Since the canon is a function of inspiration, and God's Word was settled before the foundation of the world (i.e. in eternity past) I suppose there is a real sense in which the content of Romans existed before Paul's birth, although it wasn't revealed by the Holy Spirit until He moved Paul to pen the inspired epistle in time.

    Food for thought...

    In Christ,
    CD

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  3. Steve,

    "Several" is defined as more than two.

    Augustine lived 354 – 430.
    Basil of Caeserea 330 – 379.

    Subtract 200 years from their dates of birth, you get 154 or 130 AD. Many would agree that most of the NT was composed by then. So they lived "several hundred" years after the NT.

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  4. Ed,

    As I explained in a post earlier today, my point was that you were using exaggerated language to make your position look better than it actually is. You could use "several centuries" to refer to a period lasting less than three centuries, but I don't think that's how people usually describe so short a period of time. Combine that with your comments about the Old Testament era, as well as your ignoring of patristic sources I cited who lived prior to Basil and Augustine.

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  5. Ed wrote:
    ---
    "Several" is defined as more than two.

    ...

    Subtract 200 years from their dates of birth, you get 154 or 130 AD.
    ---

    But if "several" is more than two, shouldn't you at least subtract three centuries, yielding 54 or 30 AD?

    Yeah, I know. Me and my math skills. :-P

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