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
James McGrath identifies various strains of lasting influence John the Baptist had. Read by John Paul Middlesworth.
Julius-Kei Kato in his new book argues for reading the New Testament as a metaphorical (textual) village. Read by John Paul Middlesworth.
Mark Goodacre offers five reasons to doubt the widely circulated story about the discovery of the Nag Hammadi Library. Read by John Paul Middlesworth.