FACTS

Most people assume that the Jewish canon of Scripture was already fixed and universally agreed upon in the time of Jesus—but the historical evidence tells a very different story.

In this episode of FACTS, Stephen Boyce and Pat May take a deep dive into the world of Second Temple Judaism to examine what different Jewish groups actually believed about Scripture. From the Pharisees and Sadducees to the Qumran community (Essenes), we uncover a landscape of textual diversity, competing authorities, and a canon that was still developing.

Did the Sadducees really only accept the Torah?
Were the Pharisees already using the full Hebrew Bible?
Why were books like Enoch and Jubilees preserved at Qumran?
And what does all of this mean for how we understand the Old Testament today?

We’ll also explore the role of the Dead Sea Scrolls, the rise of rabbinic Judaism after 70 AD, and how the idea of a “closed canon” emerged over time—not before Christ.

If you’ve ever been told that “the Jews had a settled canon,” this episode will challenge that assumption and walk through the actual historical evidence.

Join us as we separate tradition from history and take a closer look at the formation of the Hebrew Scriptures.

#DeadSeaScrolls #BiblicalCanon #OldTestament #SecondTempleJudaism #MasoreticText #Septuagint #BibleHistory #ChurchHistory #Apologetics #FACTSPodcast

If you'd like to donate to our ministry or be a monthly partner that receives newsletters and one on one discussions with Dr. Stephen Boyce, here's a link: https://give.tithe.ly/?formId=6381a2ee-b82f-42a7-809e-6b733cec05a7

Joined by Steven Alspach from The Catholic Brothers, we break down the historical context behind iconography and examine where Gavin Ortlund and other Protestant critiques miss the mark. From the early Church to the development of Christian art, we take a closer look at the evidence and challenge some of the most common assumptions surrounding icons.

If you'd like to donate to our ministry or be a monthly partner that receives newsletters and one on one discussions with Dr. Stephen Boyce, here's a link: https://give.tithe.ly/?formId=6381a2ee-b82f-42a7-809e-6b733cec05a7

#GavinOrtlund #IconsDebate #ChristianHistory #ChurchHistory #EarlyChurch #Iconography

Link to the Catholic Brothers: http://www.youtube.com/@TheCatholicBrothers

Link to their on the Temple: https://youtu.be/Vasj98P1WAw?si=fyNvA7nIkkyfhj8d

Links to Gavin's videos: https://youtu.be/_ytYX4dXpRo?si=HoiYCDSIuF6esx0Z
https://youtu.be/aoU4PO5d6kQ?si=pvD1NeDf1x1MiQmm

In this episode, Dr. Stephen Boyce explores the origin and historical development of the Septuagint (LXX), the earliest Greek translation of the Hebrew Scriptures. We examine the ancient traditions surrounding its creation under Ptolemy II Philadelphus, including the well-known account preserved in the Letter of Aristeas and later repeated by Philo of Alexandria and Flavius Josephus. We also discuss how the translation likely developed historically within the Jewish community of Alexandria as Greek became the common language of the Mediterranean world.Along the way, we look at key textual examples showing the importance of the Septuagint for biblical studies and early Christianity, including the famous textual variant in Gospel of Luke 10 concerning whether Jesus sent out seventy or seventy-two disciples, and the missing “nun” verse in Psalm 145 preserved in the Septuagint and confirmed by Hebrew manuscripts from the Dead Sea Scrolls. These examples highlight how the Septuagint sometimes preserves readings that reflect an earlier textual tradition than the later Masoretic Text. This episode helps listeners understand why the Septuagint became the primary Old Testament of the early Church and why it continues to play a crucial role in biblical scholarship today.If you'd like to donate to our ministry or be a monthly partner that receives newsletters and one on one discussions with Dr. Stephen Boyce, here's a link: https://give.tithe.ly/?formId=6381a2ee-b82f-42a7-809e-6b733cec05a7

In this episode of FACTS, Stephen Boyce and Pat May explore the life and controversy surrounding Marcion of Sinope—one of the most influential and dangerous figures in the history of early Christianity.

Arriving in Rome in the mid–second century, Marcion brought with him wealth, influence, and a radical theological proposal. He argued that the God of the Old Testament was not the same God revealed by Jesus Christ. Rejecting the Hebrew Scriptures entirely, Marcion promoted an edited version of the Gospel of Luke and a shortened collection of Paul’s letters as the only legitimate Christian writings.

His teachings quickly sparked a crisis within the Church. Around A.D. 144, the Roman church formally expelled Marcion and returned the large donation he had given to the Christian community. Yet the impact of his ideas did not end there. Marcion went on to establish a rival movement that spread throughout the Roman world, forcing early Christian leaders to more clearly articulate the unity of Scripture and the authority of the apostolic writings.

In this episode, we examine Marcion’s background, his theology, the events leading to his expulsion from Rome, and why the controversy surrounding him became one of the most important moments in the development of the New Testament canon.

#ChurchHistory #Marcion #EarlyChristianity #NewTestament #FACTS

If you'd like to donate to our ministry or be a monthly partner that receives newsletters and one on one discussions with Dr. Stephen Boyce, here's a link: https://give.tithe.ly/?formId=6381a2ee-b82f-42a7-809e-6b733cec05a7

Tertullian on Marcion: https://www.newadvent.org/fathers/03121.htm

Irenaeus on Marcion: https://www.newadvent.org/fathers/0103304.htm

Were the resurrection accounts contradictory, or are we reading them with the wrong expectations?In this episode, we take a careful look at the resurrection narratives in Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. Rather than forcing harmonization or dismissing differences as errors, we examine how ancient historians wrote, how eyewitness testimony was preserved, and how narrative compression, selective naming, and staggered arrivals help make sense of the details.We explore the role of the women at the tomb, Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Mary the mother of James, and Salome, and consider why their consistent presence across the Gospels matters historically. We also look closely at Peter and John’s visit to the tomb and the significance of the burial cloths described in John’s account.When read within their ancient context, the resurrection narratives do not collapse under scrutiny. Instead, they reflect the texture of remembered events told from distinct but overlapping perspectives.Join us as we reconsider what the Gospels are, and how they should be read.Here's a link to Stephen's newest paper: https://www.academia.edu/164899261/Reconsidering_the_Resurrection_NarrativesIf you'd like to donate to our ministry or be a monthly partner that receives newsletters and one on one discussions with Dr. Stephen Boyce, here's a link: https://give.tithe.ly/?formId=6381a2ee-b82f-42a7-809e-6b733cec05a7