Misquoting Jesus with Bart Ehrman

"Misquoting Jesus” is the only show where a six-time New York Times bestselling author and world-renowned Bible scholar uncovers the many fascinating, little known facts about the New Testament, the historical Jesus, and the rise of Christianity. The show features Dr. Bart Ehrman and host, Megan Lewis.

Did Peter Really Found the Church in Rome? 11/18/2025

Did Peter Really Found the Church in Rome? The Catholic tradition considers the apostle Peter to be the first Pope and the founder of the church in Rome, but what does the historical record say? Today, Dr. Bart Ehrman joins me to discuss where this idea came from, whether Peter was ever in Rome, and what historians know about the founding of early churches. /episode/index/show/85ecb3fd-1888-48aa-b467-6ad79dc89799/id/39066970

Gnostic Christianity: The Beliefs That Shocked the Early Church 11/11/2025

Gnostic Christianity: The Beliefs That Shocked the Early Church Gnosticism is one of the most confusing and enigmatic early Christian groups, whose beliefs were considered secret knowledge meant only for a select few. Today, Dr. Bart Ehrman answers my questions about what Gnostics thought about Jesus - where he came from, what he was doing on earth, and whether or not he was divine. /episode/index/show/85ecb3fd-1888-48aa-b467-6ad79dc89799/id/38978580

Bart Unplugged: Rapid-Fire Answers on the Apostle Paul 11/04/2025

Bart Unplugged: Rapid-Fire Answers on the Apostle Paul Have you ever submitted a question to the Misquoting Jesus podcast? Ever heard the answer? Today, Bart and I are going to be doing an entire episode covering listeners questions on the topic of the apostle Paul - keep listening, and we might get to yours! /episode/index/show/85ecb3fd-1888-48aa-b467-6ad79dc89799/id/38896385

Night of the Living Dead: Matthew's Forgotten Resurrection 10/28/2025

Night of the Living Dead: Matthew's Forgotten Resurrection There are several resurrection stories in the New Testament - including, of course, Jesus himself, but what about the mass resurrection in the gospel of Matthew? Today, Dr. Bart Ehrman joins me to discuss why the righteous were raised from the dead when Jesus came for sinners, and what happened to them after their resurrection. /episode/index/show/85ecb3fd-1888-48aa-b467-6ad79dc89799/id/38797070

Meet Marcion: The First Great Christian Heretic 10/21/2025

Meet Marcion: The First Great Christian Heretic Marcion, founder of the 2nd century Christian group imaginatively called the Marcionites, had some beliefs that would be cause for stoning in the Life of Brian. This week, Dr. Bart Ehrman joins me to talk about what those beliefs were, Marcion’s own personal gospel, and what other christians thought about it. /episode/index/show/85ecb3fd-1888-48aa-b467-6ad79dc89799/id/38646495

John the Maverick Gospel 10/14/2025

John the Maverick Gospel The gospel of John doesn’t mention Jesus’ birth from a virgin, doesn’t show Jesus’ baptism by John, and does absolutely nothing to keep his identity secret - not even don a pair of glasses. This week, Dr. Bart Ehrman joins me to explain why the gospel of John is so drastically different to the rest of the new testament gospels! /episode/index/show/85ecb3fd-1888-48aa-b467-6ad79dc89799/id/38566485

Was Jesus an Essene? 10/07/2025

Was Jesus an Essene? The Dead Sea Scrolls preserve the beliefs of the Essenes, an ancient Jewish sect that were, like Jesus and John the Baptist, expecting the end of the world. Dr. Bart Ehrman joins me today to talk about whether Jesus and John were actually Essenes. /episode/index/show/85ecb3fd-1888-48aa-b467-6ad79dc89799/id/38482445

Does Genesis 1 Contradict Genesis 2? 09/30/2025

Does Genesis 1 Contradict Genesis 2? If Genesis 1 is an account of the creation of the world, why is the world recreated in Genesis 2? Dr. Bart Ehrman joins me to talk about whether these accounts can be understood as one story, or if something else is going on. /episode/index/show/85ecb3fd-1888-48aa-b467-6ad79dc89799/id/38394340

Why Study the Bible as an Atheist? 09/23/2025

Why Study the Bible as an Atheist? Why on earth would someone study the scripture of a religion that they don’t even believe in? Today, Dr. Bart Ehrman joins me to explore that very question! /episode/index/show/85ecb3fd-1888-48aa-b467-6ad79dc89799/id/38311695

Mary Before Jesus 09/16/2025

Mary Before Jesus Mary is known in the canonical gospels as the virgin mother of Jesus - but what else did early Christian writings say about her? Dr. Bart Ehrman joins me today to talk about the Proto-Gospel of James, and what it says about the mother of Jesus! /episode/index/show/85ecb3fd-1888-48aa-b467-6ad79dc89799/id/38224680

Without Error? A History of Biblical Inerrancy 09/09/2025

Without Error? A History of Biblical Inerrancy Have Christians always believed the Bible contains no errors or mistakes, or did this understanding develop over time? Dr. Bart Ehrman joins me to talk about the Christian view of biblical inerrancy! /episode/index/show/85ecb3fd-1888-48aa-b467-6ad79dc89799/id/38130080

In Search of Q: The Hypothetical Source for Matthew and Luke 09/02/2025

In Search of Q: The Hypothetical Source for Matthew and Luke Understanding where the writers of the gospels got their information is the foundation of source criticism - but how does that work when the original sources are hypothetical? Dr. Bart Ehrman is here today to talk about the Q source! /episode/index/show/85ecb3fd-1888-48aa-b467-6ad79dc89799/id/38045085

The Bible Before the New Testament: A Conversation with Joel Baden 08/26/2025

The Bible Before the New Testament: A Conversation with Joel Baden Even though it was the religious text of Jesus, the Hebrew Bible is consistently overlooked by many Christians. Which is a shame, honestly, because it’s a fascinating collection of literature and an incredible historical document. Luckily, today I’m joined by Dr. Joel Baden, expert in the Hebrew Bible, to talk about exactly what it is, and how a group of disparate texts were formed into the collection we see today. /episode/index/show/85ecb3fd-1888-48aa-b467-6ad79dc89799/id/37890095

Why are the Gospels so Late? 08/19/2025

Why are the Gospels so Late? The first gospel recording Jesus life wasn’t written until approximately 30 years after his death. Dr. Bart Ehrman is here to tell us why it took so long for pen to be put to paper, and how this impacts their use as historical documents. /episode/index/show/85ecb3fd-1888-48aa-b467-6ad79dc89799/id/37862410

Are the Gospels Filled with Fiction? 08/12/2025

Are the Gospels Filled with Fiction? If the accounts of Jesus’ life found in the four gospels contain contradictions, how can we know what the historical Jesus actually said and did? Dr. Bart Ehrman explains how scholars sort historical truth from theological fiction! /episode/index/show/85ecb3fd-1888-48aa-b467-6ad79dc89799/id/37760250

What's the Point of John's Gospel? 08/05/2025

What's the Point of John's Gospel? As an historian, I’m pretty much always interested in ancient writing. Give me a document written a few thousand years ago, and I’ll be entertained for hours. My guest today is similarly minded, except his passion for the Gospel of John has sustained him for the last decade. Today, Dr. Hugo Mendez joins me to talk about why he thinks the Gospel of John was written, and the ways the author tried to achieve his goal. /episode/index/show/85ecb3fd-1888-48aa-b467-6ad79dc89799/id/37665970

Paul's Bizarre Views on Salvation: Exploring the Apostle's Confusing Explanations 07/29/2025

Paul's Bizarre Views on Salvation: Exploring the Apostle's Confusing Explanations Just how many ways can one person explain how Jesus’ death and resurrection saves humanity? In the case of the apostle Paul, the answer is probably more than you think! Why explain it in one way when you can confuse everyone and use exactly the same terms to mean totally different things? Today, Dr. Bart Ehrman is here to clear things up for me - and hopefully for you, too! /episode/index/show/85ecb3fd-1888-48aa-b467-6ad79dc89799/id/37577850

Was Jesus a Violent Rebel? 07/22/2025

Was Jesus a Violent Rebel? As an apocalypticist, Jesus was anticipating the end of the political system he was living under - but was he trying to hasten that end by plotting the violent overthrow of the Roman state? Does Jesus’ outburst in the temple and eviction of the money-lenders indicate a willingness to embrace violence to enact change? Why were his companions armed if they weren’t expecting violence? Today, Dr. Bart Ehrman joins me to answer all of these questions and more! /episode/index/show/85ecb3fd-1888-48aa-b467-6ad79dc89799/id/37480260

Did the Prophet Isaiah Predict Jesus' Crucifixion? 07/15/2025

Did the Prophet Isaiah Predict Jesus' Crucifixion? "But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed." That’s a passage from the book of Isaiah, and I can’t read that without my brain screaming “it’s Jesus!” to me… but does it actually predict Jesus’ crucifixion, or did Jesus come to be understood as a sacrifice because of the familiarity early Christians had with this book of the Hebrew Bible? Today, Dr. Bart Ehrman talks to me about second Isaiah, Jewish prophecy, and whether the writers of the New Testament were influenced by their knowledge of the Hebrew Bible. /episode/index/show/85ecb3fd-1888-48aa-b467-6ad79dc89799/id/37398705

Is Christianity Good for the World? 07/08/2025

Is Christianity Good for the World? Has Christianity been a net positive or negative for humanity? If you wander into an online debate between an atheist and a Christian apologist, you may hear an enthusiastic discussion on just this topic, with the Christian arguing that Jesus’ teachings led to the development of charity, hospitals, and orphanages - among other things. Are claims like that correct? Today, Dr. Bart Ehrman and I continue our discussion on the influence of Jesus’ ethical teachings on the Western world, diving into just that question. /episode/index/show/85ecb3fd-1888-48aa-b467-6ad79dc89799/id/37177765

Did Christianity Make the World More Moral? 07/01/2025

Did Christianity Make the World More Moral? Jesus’ ethical teachings are often touted as being revolutionary in the ancient world. The pagan cultures that preceded Christianity are commonly understood as being immoral, full of sex, drugs, and rock ‘n’ roll. Well, 2 out of three isn’t bad… But just how close to historical reality are these views? Today, Dr. Bart Ehrman joins me for the first of a special two-part episode to dive into ancient ethics, and whether Jesus actually changed anything. /episode/index/show/85ecb3fd-1888-48aa-b467-6ad79dc89799/id/37177725

Did Jesus Actually Claim to be God? 06/24/2025

Did Jesus Actually Claim to be God? One of the main tenets of Christianity is Jesus’ divinity - most denominations hold him to be fully divine (and also fully mortal, but what’s a whole other conversation). History is littered with humans who claimed to be gods - think Egyptian kings, for example. Is this something that applies also to Jesus? Was he walking around, telling people that he was, in fact, god? Today, Dr. Bart Ehrman joins me to talk about the line between divine and mortal in the ancient world, and to examine Jesus’ self-presentation within the gospels. /episode/index/show/85ecb3fd-1888-48aa-b467-6ad79dc89799/id/37115195

The Wild Wild West of Early Christianity 06/17/2025

The Wild Wild West of Early Christianity What if everything you thought you knew about the origins of Christianity was just one version of a much wilder, more chaotic story? In this episode, Megan Lewis and renowned scholar Paula Fredrickson dive into the glorious mess of competing beliefs, hidden gospels, and theological squabbles that shaped the first 500 years of Christianity. From grumpy Church Fathers and outlaw texts to pagans, prophets, and even Kentucky snake handlers (no, really), discover why Christian diversity isn’t a modern problem—it’s the tradition itself. Tune in for a witty, eye-opening journey that will give you a whole new appreciation for the beautiful, bickering family tree of Christian history! /episode/index/show/85ecb3fd-1888-48aa-b467-6ad79dc89799/id/37028465

Secrets of the Third Heaven: Exploring Paul’s Vision 06/10/2025

Secrets of the Third Heaven: Exploring Paul’s Vision Visions of supernatural beings or places are relatively common in the bible and early Christian writings - from wheels within wheels, to visions of the risen Jesus, to trips to the afterlife, writers record a whole array of fascinating experiences. Today, Dr. Bart Ehrman joins me to talk about one of the less flamboyant, but nonetheless intriguing visions - Paul’s trip to the “third heaven”. We’ll get into the role of visions in ancient communities, what exactly a “third heaven” is, and why Paul chose to write about it. /episode/index/show/85ecb3fd-1888-48aa-b467-6ad79dc89799/id/36924585

Did Matthew Invent the Sermon on the Mount? 06/03/2025

Did Matthew Invent the Sermon on the Mount? The Sermon on the Mount is probably one of the best-known speeches of Jesus, and if you’ve spent any time in a church service, then the odds are that you’ve heard at least part of it. It contains the beatitudes - “blessed are the meek” - the Lord’s Prayer, and a whole host of teachings that are held sacred by Christians the world over. But… did the writer of Matthew fabricate the whole thing? Today, Dr. Bart Ehrman joins me to talk about this amazing sermon, whether anything like it exists elsewhere in the New Testament, and whether Jesus is likely to have uttered a word of it. /episode/index/show/85ecb3fd-1888-48aa-b467-6ad79dc89799/id/36819985

How Many Jesuses Are in the New Testament? 05/27/2025

How Many Jesuses Are in the New Testament? Today’s title may seem a little bit odd - how many Jesuses are in the NT? I’m sure there are going to be several comments on YouTube from people who didn’t stay to watch the episode because the answer is clearly “one”. For those who want to see where we go with this, Dr. Bart Ehrman is going to be answering my questions on the different ways early Christians and writers of the NT viewed and understood Jesus, and whether all of those views and perspectives can be embodied in a single figure. /episode/index/show/85ecb3fd-1888-48aa-b467-6ad79dc89799/id/36711950

Why Early Christians Kept the Old Testament 05/20/2025

Why Early Christians Kept the Old Testament If you have a passing familiarity with the Christian Bible, then you probably know that it’s split into two parts - the Old and New Testaments. The New Testament is the part with all the stuff about Jesus, while the Old Testament is drawn largely from Jewish religious scriptures. Today, Dr. Bart Ehrman is joining me to talk about why early Christians insisted on keeping the Old Testament… despite not being Jewish. /episode/index/show/85ecb3fd-1888-48aa-b467-6ad79dc89799/id/36626895

One God Among Many: Rethinking the God of the Bible 05/13/2025

One God Among Many: Rethinking the God of the Bible In the modern Western world, monotheism is the rule, rather than the exception. Not so in the ancient past, where many cultures worshipped whole pantheons of gods, each one responsible for specific areas of the mortal experience. How does the one god of Israel compare to this myriad of deities, and can an understanding of how ancient mediterranean cultures thought about and interacted with the divine help us to understand the god presented to us in the Bible? /episode/index/show/85ecb3fd-1888-48aa-b467-6ad79dc89799/id/36536695

Consensus Scholarship and the Life of Jesus 05/06/2025

Consensus Scholarship and the Life of Jesus If you’ve ever done any research on the Bible - and if you’re listening to this podcast, you probably have - you might have noticed that most biblical scholars agree with each other on a lot of basic points. These include the dating of texts and whether specific events recorded in the Bible are historical, among other things. Why is that, and is it some kind of conspiracy? Today, Dr. Chris Frilingos joins me to talk about the academic consensus, the gospel stories of Jesus’ early life, and how early Christians made meaning from them. /episode/index/show/85ecb3fd-1888-48aa-b467-6ad79dc89799/id/36438425

The Bible Says So: What We Get Right and Wrong About the Bible 04/29/2025

The Bible Says So: What We Get Right and Wrong About the Bible Seeing or hearing a Bible verse being pulled out of a hat to support someone’s argument is a common experience for many people. Homosexuality is wrong because the Bible says so. Satan is the bad guy because the Bible says so. Women should wear modest clothing because the Bible says so. But does the Bible say so? My guest today, Dr. Dan McClellan, is no stranger to engaging in biblical debates, and is here to talk about how and why the Bible is used in this way, and whether such arguments are ever valid or useful. /episode/index/show/85ecb3fd-1888-48aa-b467-6ad79dc89799/id/36342950

Misquoting Jesus with Bart Ehrman

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