Video není dostupné.
Omlouváme se.

Hidden Clues in Matthew's Gospel That are on the Money

Sdílet
Vložit
  • čas přidán 9. 05. 2024
  • In this installment of my series on how history outside the Bible backs up the Gospels, I examine three instances where Matthew discusses money. His accurate details suggest he was not only a credible historian but likely a tax collector. These insights strengthen the authenticity of his account.
    Lydia McGrew, Testimonies to the Truth, amzn.to/4bdEFew
    Are you a Christian struggling with doubts? Get 1-on-1 counseling at talkaboutdoubt...
    Help support me: / isjesusalive or paypal.me/isje... for a one-time gift
    Amazon wish list: www.amazon.com...
    Join this channel to get access to perks:
    / @testifyapologetics
    Visit my blog: isjesusalive.com
    Recommended books on defending the Gospels: isjesusalive.c...

Komentáře • 193

  • @SDsc0rch
    @SDsc0rch Před 3 měsíci +171

    Matthew (Levi) the tax collector should surely know his way around taxes and money

    • @irritated888
      @irritated888 Před 3 měsíci +32

      Mathew was the only IRS guy I liked!

    • @downenout8705
      @downenout8705 Před 3 měsíci +5

      Yep, and that is why early Church fathers picked him as a plausible author of this otherwise anonymous gospel. Obviously a good choice, after all it convinced you.

    • @irritated888
      @irritated888 Před 3 měsíci +4

      @michaelsbeverly I would assume a CPA knows more about taxes, and would use money as an analogy more than a doctor. Even though the doctor would be more educated than the CPA.
      It's not so much would they know about, as would be be obsessed with.

    • @IslandUsurper
      @IslandUsurper Před 3 měsíci +10

      @@michaelsbeverly considering that the usual argument is that the gospel was written much later by someone else, it’s pretty significant. Every Jew knew about the 2 drachma tax, sure, but it was only paid while there was a temple (before A.D. 70). Most everybody knew that a denarius was the pay for a day’s labor. Until Nero’s time in the 50s when its value fell, apparently. Do _you_ remember what minimum wage was 40 years ago?
      The point here isn’t that Matthew definitely wrote it. Instead, it’s that the author fits all the criteria of being an eyewitness of Jesus’s life, demonstrating detailed knowledge of the culture, time period, and Judeo-Roman relations. So we have a trustworthy account of the things as they were written.

    • @IslandUsurper
      @IslandUsurper Před 3 měsíci +3

      @@michaelsbeverly Did you miss the part where I said that Matthew the tax collector being the author isn't the main point? I also don't believe he (the author, even if it's not Matthew) was an eyewitness of every single thing he wrote about, either. Joseph's dreams, for example, or even the visitation of the magi. As in the case of Luke's gospel, we don't even have to assert that the author himself was an eyewitness, just that he had access to eyewitness testimony which was faithfully compiled together.
      "Imagine if you were writing your own life story ..." OK, fine, but that's not what the Gospel is. These are biographies and historical narratives, not memoirs. And in that period, plagiarism was not only accepted, but expected to a degree. Matthew and Luke both use (some of) Mark, and have other parts common to each other (leading to the famous Quelle Theory), and their own unique pieces. That doesn't make any of them less than the truth or reliable messengers of the truth.
      I have, in fact, read the gospels multiple times, and it never, ever occurred to me to think that any of them are correcting mistakes in others.Thousands, if not millions, of people have had the same experience as me. And some of them actually wrote their own books on the subject, and still never thought that. Differing purposes lead to different emphases which lead to different details being included or excluded. Your skepticism and cynicism is _not_ the only way to read these texts.

  • @jty1999
    @jty1999 Před 3 měsíci +76

    Now I'm thinking of Matthew as the Mr Krabs money crab meme

    • @Coconutdoggy173
      @Coconutdoggy173 Před měsícem +1

      You got me thinking of Matthew doing Mr Krabs’ funny laugh, “Arg arg arg arg arg arg!”

  • @dumbsimpleton207
    @dumbsimpleton207 Před 3 měsíci +47

    3:06 Coomer Nero is very funny. Good video as always

  • @boyikr
    @boyikr Před 3 měsíci +28

    The entire video I was thinking to myself how obvious it was the Matthew's ears would perk up any time money was mentioned, and he clearly had an impressive understanding of how it work at the time.
    Then you brought it up yourself. Sharp as ever man, keep up the great work!

  • @MrMortal_Ra
    @MrMortal_Ra Před 3 měsíci +35

    I’m currently reading Lydia McGrew’s book “The Eye of the Beholder: The Gospel of John as Historical Reportage”. And so far I’ve read the first four chapters just got finished reading the sections which demonstrate John’s historical accuracy and truthfulness, and I’m absolutely baffled. You have no idea how surprised I was with the amount of accuracy on geography, customs and culture, and one that I wasn’t expecting was name statistics and disambiguations. Lydia also addressed almost half a section to refuting the alleged contradiction of Jesus carrying his cross in John compared to the synoptics, commonly brought up skeptics. She also refuted Craig Kenner on this very matter as well. Needless to say I was left with this one question for myself, why not now say that John is generally reliable?

    • @Gutslinger
      @Gutslinger Před 3 měsíci +1

      I watched her on a podcast a few months ago without knowing who she was, and thought her book sounded pretty interesting. It sounded like something like I've been looking for.
      I'd like to get it, but I have a list of several books that I would like to get.

    • @MrMortal_Ra
      @MrMortal_Ra Před 3 měsíci +1

      @@Gutslinger Nice. If your thinking about price wise, the book is free on kindle, if you have it. I’m currently half way through chapter five and I cannot recommend it enough. Lydia also has a channel here on CZcams if you want to check that out, I also have a list of several other books I’m looking to get. Lol.

  • @alexanderthegreat731
    @alexanderthegreat731 Před 3 měsíci +57

    Did you know that this video and the Galilean one is unlisted? They aren’t getting a lot of views because of it, and they are great vids which deserve it

    • @TestifyApologetics
      @TestifyApologetics  Před 3 měsíci +21

      Yes. They'll be out later

    • @MrMortal_Ra
      @MrMortal_Ra Před 3 měsíci +17

      Shhh, don’t tell anyone the mystery door to early access videos of Testify’s.

    • @TestifyApologetics
      @TestifyApologetics  Před 3 měsíci +16

      ​@@MrMortal_Rathe mystery door isn't a very good secret

    • @jeremysmith7176
      @jeremysmith7176 Před 3 měsíci

      The door is open where was the hidden key?​@@MrMortal_Ra

    • @Lord9Genesis
      @Lord9Genesis Před 3 měsíci +12

      ​@@charlesnunno8377 sorry your "intelligence" was insulted; maybe you can get a refund?

  • @lovesickforone
    @lovesickforone Před 3 měsíci +15

    Sorry... memories from years ago... hazier times in life... but when you said tithing your "herb"... I could just imagine trying to do that 😂...thank God for Salvation!
    I was raised around church but I remember one day at Sunday School when the teacher referred to Stephen being stoned...it meant something completely different to this new kid at church. He asked the teacher "Stephen was stoned?" in sort of disbelief and then she had to explain. 😂
    I promise I'm not a stoner, and I never share stories about my past but I just got tickled tonight thinking about someone paying tithes on "herb".
    Growing up as a church kid... I have too many stories lodged away.
    Anyway don't kick me off your channel Testify. Maybe I'm just up too late 😂
    I really love your videos! The Bible is amazing! I don't know why anyone can doubt the reliability of Scripture. Truly He does all things well ✝️💯

    • @TestifyApologetics
      @TestifyApologetics  Před 3 měsíci +6

      😆 🤣

    • @GospelOfThomasMcSwain
      @GospelOfThomasMcSwain Před 2 měsíci

      You should look into "kaneh bosm", a Hebrew word for an herb and oil often translated as "cinnamon," "sweet cane," or similar and is where our English word "cannabis" comes from. It is 1 of the 4 ingredients in the holiest anointing oil blends - which is exclusively used for Temple services and scripture forbids the use of that oil blend for common use. Cannabis oil residue has been discovered on the altar and is said to have been discovered in King Solomon's grave, although I have only heard of the grave discovery and not actually read about it. Interestingly, our cannabinoid system (our neuron system) is named as such specifically because of the high similarities to the cannabinoid compounds found in cannabis.
      Additionally, it is even more interesting to look into the fact that many of our words come from Hebrew - even our alphabet comes from the Hebrew Aleph-Beyt. Kaneh bosm is one example, but far from the only example. "Hallelujah," for example, comes from the Hebrew "Halelu'Yah." The "Yah" part being the "YH" in the tetragrammaton. The Greeks changed the "Y" to a "J." In other words, it is the "Jah" in "Jehovah." Only, "Jehovah" is "Yahuah (Yah-oo-ah)."
      I made a video about His name, titled "Sacred Name and Deceptions," if you are interested - but I do need to update that I have changed my stance on the Messiah's name - I'm convinced that His name is "Yahushua (Yahu-shu-a)" instead of "Yahusha (Yahu-sha)."

  • @a.c.m.4548
    @a.c.m.4548 Před 3 měsíci +18

    I love this series. It's a peak into the ancient world and definitely adds more colour to the text.

  • @Lord9Genesis
    @Lord9Genesis Před 3 měsíci +20

    Man your videos are just getting better! Love the facts. Keep them coming and keep the skeptics on their toes! "But...but...muh spoiderman"

  • @fisharmor
    @fisharmor Před 3 měsíci +13

    More context:
    "Penny" is not a denomination. A penny is a weight. You can still see this today, where some places sell precious metals by pennyweight.
    A pennyweight is 1/20 of a Troy ounce (which is not the same as the ounces you see in the US - a US / avoirdupois ounce is ~28g but a Troy oz is ~31g) and if you look up the spot price of silver on kitco you'll see it's still listed in price per Troy ounce.
    Silver pennies existed as a standard coin all throughout medieval Europe. And as you can see the objective value of that coin would be over 100 times what a US penny is worth now, and even more when you consider world silver supply is much higher now.
    Lastly - the former UK money system of pounds/shillings/pence was known as the LSD system - the L is for Libra Pondo (literally weighs a pound, because a "pound sterling" used to be a literal Troy pound or 12 Troy ounces of sterling silver), the S is for Shilling, and the D is for...... denarius.
    Their term for a penny was a holdover from Roman occupation.
    That's a long way of saying that's probably why they translated a day's wage into English as a penny.

    • @calebfielding6352
      @calebfielding6352 Před 2 měsíci +1

      actually the people who lived on the isle of britian in the first century called a denarius a penny. The denarius was 2 grams of silver and in 1611 the penny in britian was 2 grams of silver.

  • @ameribeaner
    @ameribeaner Před 3 měsíci +13

    Something interesting would be to go through the Christian apocryphal works and show how they don’t meet these criteria.

    • @TestifyApologetics
      @TestifyApologetics  Před 3 měsíci +13

      I've mentioned it. I'll try to make it even more explicit. Good point.

    • @ameribeaner
      @ameribeaner Před 3 měsíci +1

      @@TestifyApologetics that’s where I got the idea! You and someone else who’s video I can’t find but mentioned the names in the Gospels matches with archeology and apocryphal works like Peter’s Gospel don’t. He mentioned it in passing that’s why I can’t find it.

    • @matheuscaneta1194
      @matheuscaneta1194 Před 3 měsíci

      the christian apocryphal books don't even match the life time of the supposedly authors, the proto gospel of James, has mentions of the gospels of Matthew and Luke but James died in 62 AD. And it's clearly trying to rebute a accusation that Mary was a poor woman by saying that she came from rich parents, but those accusations were made by Romans anti-chistrians in the 2nd century.

    • @nxtvim2521
      @nxtvim2521 Před měsícem

      are you referring to the Catholic and Orthodox apocrypha? i.e. Maccabees and Esdras?
      or are you referring to the Gnostic gospels and writings?

    • @ameribeaner
      @ameribeaner Před měsícem

      @@nxtvim2521 The Gnostic texts to include the infant Gospel of Thomas and the Gospel of Peter.

  • @Makaneek5060
    @Makaneek5060 Před 3 měsíci +10

    The Praetorian guard did NOT deserve that 2 denarii per day.

    • @2shadesofgray752
      @2shadesofgray752 Před 26 dny +1

      Especially after what they did to our poor boy aurelian

  • @Ash嘉恩071
    @Ash嘉恩071 Před 3 měsíci +5

    Genuine question from a theistic leaning agnostic: assuming that the gospels and other new testament books are reliable, which im actually pretty happy to grant, how do we possibly leap to the resurrection? Wouldnt it make more sense for us to accept the parts that make sense and throw away those that dont(like angels and the entire graveyard rising from the dead)

    • @TestifyApologetics
      @TestifyApologetics  Před 3 měsíci +11

      I've discussed this previous videos. All what I'm showing here is that the gospel authors were knowledgeable, honest and close to the facts. If that's true, then it's likely that what they claim goes back to witnesses. Given the the content of their claim (that Jesus appeared to them in multisensory modes) it's unlikely they're mistaken. Given the context of their claim (persecution) it's unlikely that they were lying.

    • @kittylemew
      @kittylemew Před 3 měsíci +3

      In addition to this excellent channel...
      there's good info on the channel: Cold Case Christianity. A former police detective investigates the case to be made for the resurrection, as well as other interesting topics!

  • @leferre9160
    @leferre9160 Před 3 měsíci +2

    Great content, I love how you make it so fun to learn about history and apologetics! Humor is an excellent memory aid, by the way! Thank you so much for putting it all together and keep it up, Brother!

  • @oolooo
    @oolooo Před měsícem

    1:04 Love the little Keys on Sanctvs Petrvs

  • @protochris
    @protochris Před 2 měsíci +1

    Only Matthew tells us about the largest denomination of a "talent" which was not an actual coin but a unit of money. Matthew definitely knew firsthand about how money was to be handled.

  • @realjosephanthony
    @realjosephanthony Před 3 měsíci +4

    Your editing is so darn good.

  • @ibear2554
    @ibear2554 Před 3 měsíci +2

    Dude! I am so encouraged and educated by your videos! Thank you!

  • @Gutslinger
    @Gutslinger Před 3 měsíci +1

    I'm currently having trouble memorizing all of the main parts of the sacrificial system.
    So I can't imagine trying to memorize what all should be tithed, down to the herb. Especially if I was an average Israelite layman in those days.

  • @dennisravndal
    @dennisravndal Před 3 měsíci +2

    I saw someone make the claim that the gospels where written for Christian audience? Is that true, and If so what do you make out of for example when Jesus says "pick up your cross and follow me" and his disciples didn’t immediatily say "What do you mean?" The Christian audience understands the significance of the cross because they know ahead of time about the crucifixtion and its significance?

  • @matheuscaneta1194
    @matheuscaneta1194 Před 3 měsíci +5

    Let's not forget that Matthew was a tax collector.

  • @joedaniels4646
    @joedaniels4646 Před 3 měsíci +1

    I'm certainly not shocked since there is this thing called Inspiration of scripture where the writers wrote guided by the Holy Spirit! IU really enjoy your videos ... keep em' coming please!!!

  • @beauty.of.the.struggle
    @beauty.of.the.struggle Před 2 měsíci +1

    Recently subscribed to your channel; really digging the content, man

  • @BabyHoolighan
    @BabyHoolighan Před 3 měsíci +1

    Based upon practice, it is the faithful that appear to have a problem with the content of the Book of Matthew.

  • @AnHebrewChild
    @AnHebrewChild Před 3 měsíci

    GREAT video here Eric. Apostle Matthew's gospel is my favorite book in the Bible, so the info here was especially cool.
    Great work brother

  • @popsterity
    @popsterity Před 3 měsíci

    superb analysis, so, so, so, so, so good !

  • @FishermensCorner
    @FishermensCorner Před 3 měsíci

    Rocking it again and again. Your ministry is outstanding.

  • @pomtubes1205
    @pomtubes1205 Před 3 měsíci +1

    itd be really interesting if we can reconcile the discrepancy in the lineage genealogies in the four gospels (also side note matthew was a tax collector, so this def made sense)

    • @TestifyApologetics
      @TestifyApologetics  Před 3 měsíci +3

      I've talked about it in my reply to Holy Kool-Aid but I am planning on doing a series on contradictions soonish

    • @paperIrori
      @paperIrori Před 3 měsíci

      ​@@TestifyApologetics Ohhh, looking forward to it!

    • @user-jy6hd9uw8h
      @user-jy6hd9uw8h Před 2 měsíci

      I recommend you to watch the Gospel according to Matthew by Bibleproject!
      It's a rather easy "Contradiction" to reconcile since the Book of Matthew was intended to be viewed by the Jewish people who are waiting for the Messiah!

  • @houardtredmond9112
    @houardtredmond9112 Před 3 měsíci

    your videos are amazing, nothing else like them on youtube

  • @Runningtaco
    @Runningtaco Před 3 měsíci +2

    Love the on the money pun

  • @dakolev
    @dakolev Před 3 měsíci

    When I'm watching this I remember one scene from the special episode of "The Chosen" where they portrayed how John interviews all the disciples to get their POV of Jesus' life as well. When he was with Matthew, Matthew said: "You're gonna make yours detailed right? Mine will be very detailed!"
    Well it turns out it was indeed very detailed 😂

  • @nothanksplease
    @nothanksplease Před 3 měsíci +2

    Sages tithing sage?

  • @calebfielding6352
    @calebfielding6352 Před 2 měsíci

    Its worth noting that a denarius was 2 grams of silver. In the first century the isle of britian called a denarius a penny. In 1611 when the KJV was first published a penny was 2 grams of silver.

  • @MatthewFearnley
    @MatthewFearnley Před 3 měsíci +1

    I think more work may still need to be done to debunk the Spider-Man analogy.
    It hurts some hypotheses, like the Gospels being fabricated much later or in a different place, but some other hypotheses may still pass this kind of evidence.
    E.g. that the Gospels were forged by people close to the time and place, and/or by someone very well-read?
    I think they still don't hold up well against other evidence like undesigned coincidences, but I do think some nuance is generally needed when thinking about different hypotheses.

    • @MatthewFearnley
      @MatthewFearnley Před 3 měsíci +1

      @@Boundless_Border Hey, thanks.
      It sounds like you don't consider yourself a Christian, but I'm glad at least someone else agrees with me here.
      It's not as simple as something being evidence for or against "the Gospels are reliable", because this hypothesis (and its negation) can be broken down into many sub-cases, some of which the evidence might help or hurt.
      For example, are apparent contradictions between Gospels evidence for or against reliability? The question is too simple. They might be evidence against inerrancy, but also might be evidence against collusion between Gospel authors.
      Thanks for your feedback. I probably should have just used the word "fabricated" again, as I did earlier.

    • @gospelfreak5828
      @gospelfreak5828 Před 2 měsíci

      I mean he has addressed the Spiderman fallacy before in other videos. Not to mention, there is not a lot to address there, as the force of the analogy being the comparison between Spiderman, a clearly fictional character, and a book not meant to be fiction and meant to be history falls apart once the false equivalency is pointed out. Then they respond with the fact that though those two things are not comparable (if they are honest) they will say the apologist missed the point. But the point is that just because a text records true things it does not make it true. And that is not a point anybody disagrees with. But when it comes to historical texts or texts claiming to be recording reality, when the text speaks of great accuracy the events and places and a plethora of things taking place, that is in favor of their reliability, just as with every other historical text. When a text gets facts wrong, it goes against its reliability. The analogy does not address this likelyhood, but only shows what everybody knows already: that getting historical or certain facts right does not automatically make what was written true. The Spiderman fallacy cannot and does not address whether we can test a historical documents reliability by them getting facts right. It shows that fiction getting things right does not affect reliability. But the Bible does not claim to be fiction nor is it obviously meant to be. The force of the fallacy is not very strong when one thinks about it for five seconds. And Testify has given his thoughts about it in another video, so he does not need to tread water over again.
      As for the example hypothesis you give, this specific video does not address this specific one. But it does address the more popular hypothesize that atheists believe and those atheists who claim the Gospels were written late way after these facts. Those other hypothesize don't work for other reasons, but the point of the video is not to address every other hypothesis out there. He has videos about the Gospels authorship which would address forgery hypothesize. To expect a video in six minutes to cover everything is a bit unfair. Especially when he has other videos that do address things, as Testify's goal is making a cumulative case. When all the data is looked at cumulatively, the secular hypothesize don't fit the data as much as the resurrection, and their reliability in reporting history grows in probability.
      It's not that Testify is lacking nuance. It is a video that addresses what it specifically wanted to address, which is increasing the Gospels probability one video at a time by addressing specific problems and issues that attack certain views the atheist online on average holds.

    • @gospelfreak5828
      @gospelfreak5828 Před 2 měsíci

      @@Boundless_Border I did not overlook the goal. In fact, I stated how the only thing the point of the analogy could establish is that a document is not automatically true in everything it says just because it gets things right. I literally say that in my comment if you read it carefully. And then I say it is pointless to mention the analogy, as we all agree with that point and is rather obvious.
      It is a lot harder to find an accurate example that fits completely, as a lot of the facts they get right in the Gospels are way more impressive than a location that existed. Troy existed. But that is not as impressive as the ultra-detailed facts the Gospels get right that would be harder to get right way down the line. Plus the Illiad was written way after the facts as well, and clearly do not fit the Gospels as well in that regard. Regardless, the analogy's goal according to you, and the only thing the analogy can establish does not really address or show the flaw in Testify's argument in establishing the reliability of a document based on their impressive accuracy or the probability behind anything related to the gospels. Maybe in super strong claims some misguided Christians may make about things automatically being true, but most Christians don't argue that way and are arguing for probabilities of historical documents. Either the only thing the analogy can establish is the thing we both agree with, and does not attack this video or any of Erics videos in any way, or it is not the goal you say it is and it does attack Eric's line of argumentation along with other apologists. Those are the two options, and I say that the point the analogy makes does not disagree with the Christian or apologist or the arguments made by them.
      It does address a late dating, as the facts that are gotten right would be very hard and difficult to get right in the late 1st century. It would most likely be written earlier on than many skeptics state, like certain Jewish customs that would be hard to get right when it is after the destruction of the temple. Even if this video did not address it, I know Eric has addressed late dating before. But I feel like the examples and details gotten right would be hard. I mean, the other gospels that were clearly written in the second century got many facts and details wrong, which makes sense as they were not eyewitnesses. The fact they get these details correct way later indicates and makes it more probable that it would be written in recent memory from eyewitnesses of the places and details spoken of.
      I was not speaking of those saying it is centuries off. I was speaking of the late dating that is popular.

    • @gospelfreak5828
      @gospelfreak5828 Před 2 měsíci

      @@Boundless_Border You say the fallacy undermines using the points for reliability and probability but have not demonstrated how so. To say you can't jump to the whole text being true automatically is all the fallacy can establish. You can't use these arguments as deductive, which is all the analogy really addressed. But when Christians argue, we argue probability and inductively rather than deductively for the most part. I don't see how the fallacy attacks the probability of the gospels being more reliable than not in recording its events. Even if I were an atheist, I would find the spiderman fallacy weak for the same reasons, and the point it makes when steel manned does not address probabilities. At best, it can ruin deductive argumentation for them automatically telling the truth about the miracles. Like you can't say "It records some true things, therefore it is all true." That would be the fallacy in thinking. But to say it is more likely true since those recording the history are getting a ton of facts correct and a long with the accounts likely being written by eyewitnesses, the disciples having no motivation to lie and likely genuinely believing their claims, and the rest of the arguments Christians make on the data. On their own, these arguments don't amount to much individually, though they slightly increase the probability of the resurrection. Though when all the arguments and all the facts are observed, there does not seem to be a great deal the spiderman fallacy can do to mess with the probability of said events. The fact that the Iliad was not written by eyewitnesses is precisely why we can't take anything as fact except what is verified outside of the Iliad, so its claims about gods hundreds of years after the fact do not mean much. We can say that is unverified. We can dismiss Spiderman as unverified fact as he was clearly created as a fictional character. I get no analogy fits perfectly, but when we are talking about probabilities of texts and saying that getting facts right does not necessarily make everything claimed true, that is fine. But the analogy fails due to the fact we have good reason to doubt the claims of spiderman due to him being fiction, and good reason to doubt anything claimed about the gods due to the lack of eyewitness testimony hundreds of years after the fact when it is very easy for legends to occur and a distortion of facts. The analogy can work for things that we have good reason to doubt based off evidence and standards. That really takes away the force it has, as the probability of those documents' truthfulness has factors that make us doubt their truthfulness, whereas the gospels don't have that. If the Iliad had eyewitness testimony, I would be more open to the claims about the gods. But the distance gives me good reason to doubt those claims. I can think of no-good reason to doubt the Christian claims the same way based on the evidence available. If you can show how the spiderman fallacy addresses probability and reliability being increased, then that would be great. But then, we would not completely agree on the analogies point. And if the point of the analogy cannot be made clear due to its extreme differences and inability to give a good example of expressing the point, then maybe it is not a good analogy? It would be best to avoid the analogy and get straight to the point, and then to prove that the point you are making is accurate and the best way forward. The way I see it, it can establish that: a document is not true just because it gets facts right. It cannot establish that it does not increase the probability of said thing being true. The only way that getting facts right does not increase the probability of the other claims is if there are reasons that decrease the likelihood of reliability that outweigh it, like it being intended fiction or written hundreds of years after the fact. So, either we actually do not agree on the point of the analogy, making the analogy terrible since it can't establish a concrete point that it can't communicate well, or you need to establish why the fallacy shows that reliability and probability do not increase. I'd love to hear your thoughts. Also, sorry for making this one paragraph. It is late so I'm tired, and since I was only addressing one idea in detail since our main contention is the analogy, I kept everything together. You can spit things up in paragraphs if you wish to respond.

    • @gospelfreak5828
      @gospelfreak5828 Před 2 měsíci

      @@Boundless_Border "Now, as a bit of clarification. There are cases of dependent details. Which will impact the probabilities of connected details. But usually, this is extremely limited and highly contextual. For a war to happen between two cities, the cities must exist during overlapping times. Having this precondition be met is required for the war to take place. Yet having the times overlap doesn't really verify that the war happened."
      I wanted to focus on this thing you said, as if it is followed to its proper conclusion, it seems to serve my point. The fact that the cities exists does increase the probability of the war happening ever so slightly, as if the cities exist, it is more likely to have a war as when it does not exist. It does not mean that the war happened. But it increases the likelihood, maybe not enough for belief on that fact alone, but it does increase the probability. If multiple of the facts in that account about the war are found to be accurate and something that indicates historical accuracy, the writer is shown to have some credence in their ability to accurately portray history which increases the probability even more.
      You also talk about how it doesn't increase the probability as these are independent ideas. In certain cases, maybe, though there is interconnectedness in the fact that the entirety of the Gospels follows Jesus' life, and if you get a ton of facts right about the recorded life of Jesus, than that increases the likelihood on that aspect. But the fallacy misses the crucial point that increases the probability. The ideas recorded may be independent from each other, but the entirety of the passage is written by a single author (in the case of the gospels it is multiple authors, which is already good for probability, but I won't focus on that as it isn't the focus). When an author records history accurate in multiple places, it shows they are reliable for information. That increases the probability and likelihood in the other things they record, as they took great care in getting facts right. An author who takes great care to do that will be better than an author who gets things wrong. When you go beyond the claims, but to the author making the claims, the probability does increase. You have to look at what the accuracy says about the author and his ability in relaying truth. That's where the big probability increase comes from.
      I don't see how the probability is not increased when authors get facts right and they are shown to take great care in getting historically accurate details, which would make more probable the author wanted to convey accurate truth, how that does not increase the likelihood. I think the only thing against the Iliad's claims is the distance from its events far from eyewitness testimony. That is what really hurts it. And do to that large evidence standard not being met, the authors intent does not even matter as much, as even being well intended, being so far from the events you can indicate that they did the best with what they had with the Iliad. That increased probability is overshadowed by the probability against accuracy due to large distance. When it comes to the Gospels, these accuracies speak to the authors abilities, and their dedication to the truth. The fallacy does not really address the author. The fallacy has to focus on the claims isolated from their author, but that is not where the apologist would get the probability increase from. We are more focused on what these accuracies say about the author writing.
      An author who wants to get the truth right in what they record and is shown to do so is more likely to be telling the truth about events they actually saw than those who record events but show no care in getting facts correct and getting facts demonstrably wrong. A good historian gets facts right, especially ones that require you to be there. The only way they could not be there and get it right is looking at Roman records or maps as they make stuff up or traveling across the world to figure out interesting facts and then recording them. Yet the evidence does not make any of those theories likely, and it would be the greatest deception to do something almost equivalent to historical fiction genre that was a more modern invention, where they know they need to get facts right and go to extreme efforts to get the facts right to deceive. Overall, the trustworthiness of the author is increased when they get things right, increasing the probability of the other facts that way.
      I also would like to know what you mean by unverified. Are multiple eyewitness accounts not enough to make a claim verified? How are we defining verified history?

  • @Thundawich
    @Thundawich Před 3 měsíci

    With regards to the initial stater thing, what timeframe was that tax in effect?

  • @nandinoo
    @nandinoo Před 3 dny

    these videos are great

  • @EndingSimple
    @EndingSimple Před 3 měsíci

    Thank you for feeding me.

  • @barrybarlowe5640
    @barrybarlowe5640 Před 3 měsíci

    There is a fragment, as I understand it of an attempt to parody the Gospel of Mattehw, by a member of the Sanhedrin before the fall of Jerusalem. This strongly suggests the author of the Gospel of Matthew, was alive during Jesus lifetime, and therefore would certainly have been aware of the value and names of local currency - probably better than more recent scholars.

  • @timsmith2525
    @timsmith2525 Před 3 měsíci

    @4:40 Awesome! Ain't nobody got time for that!

  • @ryanrockstarsessom768
    @ryanrockstarsessom768 Před 3 měsíci

    Thank you

  • @jonathanwilliams1065
    @jonathanwilliams1065 Před 3 měsíci

    An English Penny at the time of the reformation was a day’s wage and even until decimalization in 1971 was denominated with a D for denarius
    An old song that mentions everyone wanting LSD is actually talking about money not drugs

  • @fernandoformeloza4107
    @fernandoformeloza4107 Před 3 měsíci

    Another great video to learn from

  • @jonwoods01
    @jonwoods01 Před 3 měsíci

    Great, informative video!

  • @bigdavexx1
    @bigdavexx1 Před 3 měsíci

    When Penn & Teller do this one, it's a phone in the fish instead of a coin.

  • @starrystarrynight9822
    @starrystarrynight9822 Před 3 měsíci +1

    Who is William Paley?

    • @TestifyApologetics
      @TestifyApologetics  Před 3 měsíci +2

      A v based 18th century Christian apologist. Check out his book A View of the Evidences for Christianity

  • @mayelinesantana
    @mayelinesantana Před 2 měsíci

    It’s all about the money 💸💸💸💸

  • @Arcticmaster1190
    @Arcticmaster1190 Před 3 měsíci

    Irony is, I just finished Matthew before watching this video so this info is fresh off my mind. 😂

  • @mgvilaca
    @mgvilaca Před 3 měsíci +2

    Spooderman gang in the mud fr

  • @mgvilaca
    @mgvilaca Před 3 měsíci

    Erik, it would be amazing if you made a video reacting to the most "Akcshually" comments in your channel

  • @midimusicforever
    @midimusicforever Před měsícem +1

    Matthews is legit!

  • @mve6182
    @mve6182 Před 2 měsíci

    So because certain details in the Gospels might be correct, does that mean every other detail in the Gospels is also correct??

    • @TestifyApologetics
      @TestifyApologetics  Před 2 měsíci +1

      Did I say that?

    • @mve6182
      @mve6182 Před 2 měsíci

      @@TestifyApologetics Then what are you actually saying?? You point out some details in the Gospels that might be correct, but what is the importance of that?

    • @TestifyApologetics
      @TestifyApologetics  Před 2 měsíci +1

      Dude it's a playlist. I clarify many times throughout. Relax. Watch more than 1 or 2.

  • @paulgeorge1144
    @paulgeorge1144 Před 3 měsíci

    When was it written?

    • @TestifyApologetics
      @TestifyApologetics  Před 3 měsíci

      Within living memory

    • @paulgeorge1144
      @paulgeorge1144 Před 3 měsíci

      @@TestifyApologetics But surely there is no evidence apart from the religious texts that the religion existed before the destruction of the Jewish temple in AD70... In fact, it would seem that that event was the catalyst which prompted the invention of the religion.

  • @alexanderthegreat731
    @alexanderthegreat731 Před 3 měsíci

    Fire 🔥

  • @RabidLeech.
    @RabidLeech. Před 3 měsíci +1

    Could you please do a video covering darkmatter2525? His videos get on my nerves and no one seems to talk about him

    • @TestifyApologetics
      @TestifyApologetics  Před 3 měsíci +1

      I don't do responses anymore. Just keep following, positive evidence outweighs a lot of trolling junk and I'll be digging into alleged errors and contradictions soon enough

  • @PastPresented
    @PastPresented Před 3 měsíci

    "Greek-literate man who lived in eastern Mediterranean area in the first century AD has some knowledge of coinage, prices and wages in the eastern Mediterranean area in the first century AD" is not a startling claim

    • @b_korthuis
      @b_korthuis Před 3 měsíci

      It is a shock though for those that try to claim that the gospels are just made up stories written down a century after the events "supposedly" happened, or even created by medieval monks. The fact that the customs of the day were so well represented helps prove that they were written by someone contemporary to that time and not centuries later

    • @PastPresented
      @PastPresented Před 3 měsíci

      @@b_korthuis I don't think any sane person claims that the canonical gospels were written a century after the events, though plenty of other gospels apparently were.

  • @Enochphilw
    @Enochphilw Před 3 měsíci

    Dude you're making me look like a slouch ; )

  • @dominiqueubersfeld2282
    @dominiqueubersfeld2282 Před 3 měsíci

    Hidden clues in Prosperity Gospel that are on the money

  • @richardeldridge6522
    @richardeldridge6522 Před 2 měsíci

    Matthew claims that at the time of Jesus' death, there was an eclipse and an earthquake and that dead people popped out of their graves and began to cruise Jerusalem. So, zombies? Really? All eclipses are predictable both in the past and the future. So what if Matthew knew about money.

    • @TestifyApologetics
      @TestifyApologetics  Před 2 měsíci +1

      I discuss it here. czcams.com/video/yTpjGktBYdk/video.html
      Why is a few extra saints being raised from the dead a deal breaker for Matthew? He has Jesus rising from the dead, walking on water, and multiplying food, but you guys kinda freak out over a handful of saints. I mean, just admit you that reject supernaturalism.

  • @jfr45er
    @jfr45er Před 3 měsíci

    The Jew knows about money
    The Greeks knew philosophy
    The Italians knew cooking,
    The French knew wine and cheese,
    The Asian knew Computer games,
    The Atheists knew Spoooderman!

  • @nath5360
    @nath5360 Před 3 měsíci

    St. Matthew: 🤑

  • @Bildad1976
    @Bildad1976 Před 3 měsíci

    1,000 thumbs up!

    • @TestifyApologetics
      @TestifyApologetics  Před 3 měsíci

      👍👍 👍👍 👍👍 👍👍 👍👍 👍👍 👍👍 👍👍 👍👍 👍👍 👍👍 👍👍 👍👍 👍👍 👍👍 👍👍

  • @MossW268
    @MossW268 Před 3 měsíci

    I don't know how to feel about Americans pronouncing herbs as "rbz" lol

  • @modernatheism
    @modernatheism Před 3 měsíci

    Paulogia just uploaded a new video that contains a great response to this argument. Did you know there are many ancient books that contain plenty of correct historical details but nevertheless include supernatural elements? One example is Plutarch's Lives, which is a series of biographies. This book includes miracles such as talking statues, the divine parentage of Alexander the Great, julius caesar encounters with supernatural beings, and so on. Does any historian suggests that the historical details that are correct lend credibility to the supernatural parts? Of course not.

    • @TestifyApologetics
      @TestifyApologetics  Před 3 měsíci

      It's a terrible response to the argument. For example the records of Romulus ascending into heaven come hundreds of years after the events. Than is going to respond and it's gonna look bad for Paul. That video was off the charts cringe.

    • @modernatheism
      @modernatheism Před 3 měsíci

      @@TestifyApologetics Yes but it was written by a known and reliable historian. If being written too long after the events is sufficient grounds for dismishing a book then the gospel of John is halfway there. You can also dismish the Torah and a lot of the old testament. Matthew was written 40 years after the events. Can we say with certainty that this is too little time for legendary embellishment to creep in?

    • @TestifyApologetics
      @TestifyApologetics  Před 3 měsíci

      Yeah you're right people can't recall stuff a few decades later. We should assume memoirs of holocaust survivors written much later in life to be suspect

    • @modernatheism
      @modernatheism Před 3 měsíci +1

      @@TestifyApologetics People can also correctly recall something their grandfather told them and write them later in life, so things written over 100 years after the events took place could still be accurate. The skeptic's argument is not that Matthew was there but was unable to recall things right 40 years later. Is that certain stories or urban legends appeared around a certain Jesus figure, and they were transmitted orally for 40 years before getting written down.

  • @jabeavers
    @jabeavers Před 3 měsíci

    But mah spiderman fallacy!!!!!!

  • @RingoFirearms
    @RingoFirearms Před 3 měsíci +1

    This also shows the Papacy. The only two people who shouldn't have had to pay taxes (according to Jesus) were Jesus and Peter. The other apostles still had to pay the tax. Jesus says "who pays the tax, foreigners or family" and peter says "foreigners" and Jesus says "then you and I are exempt". the other apostles were not exempt, but Peter was because he had special authority given him by Jesus that the others did not.

    • @TestifyApologetics
      @TestifyApologetics  Před 3 měsíci

      Ehh....seems a bit like a stretch, but I love my Catholic brothers

  • @seananthony7494
    @seananthony7494 Před 3 měsíci +1

    😮😮😮

  • @JustinTyme33
    @JustinTyme33 Před 3 měsíci

    This is ridiculous. The value of a denarius remained steady up until the time of Nero he says which is less than a year before Tacitus’ writings begin. These arguments are extremely weak and using them damages the case for Christ rather than fortifies it because they are so weak.

    • @michaelspianochannel
      @michaelspianochannel Před 2 měsíci

      Its useful when you encounter people who say that the books were heavily mistranslated or written by European monks who never set foot near the area. Its helpful in ratifying authorship

  • @RonJohn63
    @RonJohn63 Před 3 měsíci

    The whole "Gospels are reliable history" gig misses the point: historical fiction can be really, really accurate.
    And the Gospel writers weren't trying to write fiction; they _actually believed_ Jesus turned water into wine, walked on water, rose from the dead, etc, etc. But belief in miracles doesn't make them true.
    Bottom line: the more unlikely an assertion is, the more and harder proof that's required for everyone else to believe it. And walking on water, being raised from the dead, etc are very, *Very* unlikely to happen.

    • @TestifyApologetics
      @TestifyApologetics  Před 3 měsíci

      Historical fiction as a genre didn't exist for centuries later my man

    • @RonJohn63
      @RonJohn63 Před 3 měsíci

      @@TestifyApologetics read beyond the first sentence.

    • @TestifyApologetics
      @TestifyApologetics  Před 3 měsíci

      The entire comment was not good.

    • @RonJohn63
      @RonJohn63 Před 3 měsíci

      @@TestifyApologetics because???

    • @MatthewFearnley
      @MatthewFearnley Před 3 měsíci

      @@RonJohn63 Hi. Not sure what the second part of your comment is trying to say.
      Should the Gospels and Acts be thought of as going into the genre of Historical "Fiction-except-they-think-it's-real"?
      "Belief in miracles doesn't make them true" - yes. But it raises questions about how they evolved from non-events into detailed, consistent accounts.
      The last part has been addressed by others better than I can, but I'd sum it up as just Hume saying, "it's highly improbable my worldview is false".
      But these events aren't highly unlikely if Jesus is the Son of God.

  • @marcusappelberg369
    @marcusappelberg369 Před 3 měsíci

    I love all the menes in your videos! That oir Lord can be funny! 🎉 As well as all the knowledge. 🫡👌

  • @jamesjennings9907
    @jamesjennings9907 Před 2 měsíci

    Was Matthew left handed?