The Soundless Silence Three Aspects of a “Biblical” Christ Myth James Patrick Holding Tekton Apologetics Ministries “Skeptics silenced…. rogues refuted.”

The Biblical Silence Theory Dismisses the Gospels as inauthentic, late legends Secular references argued away Emphasizes the lack of “important details” about Jesus in the epistles Theorizes that the epistles teach a Jesus who was a heavenly, spiritual entity; or lived hundreds of years before

The Biblical Silence Theorists G. A. Wells Wrote several books in favor of the theory – then changed his mind! Earl Doherty Still thinks he deserves a hearing.

The Biblical Silence Theorists Brian Flemming Ex-Christian filmmaker who promotes mythicist theories and passed out 666 copies of his film to churches….secretly.

The Biblical Silence Arguments Is there a serious lack of detail about the life of Jesus in the Epistles? Dispensing with the cross Jesus has “no life” In the Epistles, there is no conception of Jesus as) a human man who had recently lived, taught, performed miracles, suffered and died at the hands of human authorities, or rose from a tomb outside Jerusalem. There is no sign in the epistles of Mary or Joseph, Judas or John the Baptist, no birth story, teaching or appointment of apostles by Jesus, no mention of holy places or sites of Jesus’ career, not even the hill of Calvary or the empty tomb. This silence is so pervasive and so perplexing that attempted explanations for it have proven inadequate. – Earl Doherty

Tempest in a Teapot If there’s a lack of detail about the life of Jesus in the Epistles…so what? The epistles were written to solve specific problems in the churches – not offer Jesus’ life story The epistles were written to people who had been Christians for 10 or more years The NT world: A “high context” society

High Context – Low Detail The Most Important Factor: The Bible was written in a “high context” setting! The “silence” theory reads the New Testament as though it were a modern, low- context document.

The Biblical Silence Examples Prayer: How and why? Rom. 8:26 We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express. Matt. 6:5-9 "And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by men. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full. But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words. Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him. This, then, is how you should pray: 'Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name...' "

The Biblical Silence Examples Quotations and Allusions 1 Peter 3:9 Do not repay wrong with wrong, or abuse with abuse; on the contrary, retaliate with blessing… 1 Thess. 5:2-4 for you know very well that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night. While people are saying, "Peace and safety," destruction will come on them suddenly, as labor pains on a pregnant woman, and they will not escape. But you, brothers, are not in darkness so that this day should surprise you like a thief.

The Biblical Silence Examples Return of the Archons 1 Corinthians 2:1-8 When I came to you, brothers, proclaiming the mystery of God, I did not come with sublimity of words or of wisdom. For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ, and him crucified. I came to you in weakness and fear and much trembling, and my message and my proclamation were not with persuasive (words of) wisdom, but with a demonstration of spirit and power, so that your faith might rest not on human wisdom but on the power of God. Yet we do speak a wisdom to those who are mature, but not a wisdom of this age, nor of the rulers of this age who are passing away. Rather, we speak God's wisdom, mysterious, hidden, which God predetermined before the ages for our glory, and which none of the rulers of this age knew; for if they had known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory..

The Biblical Silence Examples The Disneyland Palestine Objection

Further Reading On Earl Doherty: tyhub.html tyhub.html On The God Who Wasn’t There: tml