I have explained why it is almost certain that Luke did not himself write the passage describing Jesus “sweating blood” in Luke 22:43-44; the passage is not found in some of our oldest and best manuscripts, it intrudes in a context that otherwise is structured as a clear chiasmus, and it presents a view of Jesus going to his death precisely at odds with what Luke has produced otherwise. Whereas Luke goes out of his way to portray Jesus as calm and in control in the ace of death – evidently to provide a model to his readers about how they too suffer when they experience persecution – these verses show him in deep anguish to the point of needing heavenly support by an angel, as he sweats great drops as of blood. But if the verses were not originally in Luke, why were they added by scribes? Read by Petra Ortiz
Bart emphasizes that storytellers in oral cultures crafted their stories to suit the needs of their audiences. Read by John Paul Middlesworth.
The last non-Christian Roman emperor had actually been raised Christian but turned back to paganism, and he made several strategic moves to stifle Christianity...
When the right idea gets the wrong result... Read by Ken Teutsch.