According to the New Testament Gospels, the death of Jesus was accompanied by all sorts of signs and wonders, including supernatural happenings connected with the temple in Jerusalem. But is there any evidence outside the New Testament that any of these events really happened? As it turns out, there could be. That’s what Garrick and Timothy explore in this episode with renowned New Testament scholar Dr. Rob Plummer. In the second half, Garrick and Timothy go looking for God’s truth in Don McLean’s classic song “American Pie.”
In this EpisodeRobert Plummer, Ph.D., is professor of New Testament interpretation at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary and host of the Daily Dose of Greek screencast. He is the author or editor of several books, including Going Deeper with New Testament Greek (B&H, 2016) and 40 Questions about Interpreting the Bible (Kregel, 2010). Follow Dr. Plummer on Twitter at @dailygreek.
Questions to Discuss1. When it comes to the events that accompanied the death of Jesus, the Synoptic Gospels—Matthew, Mark, and Luke—claim that the sun was darkened, the earth shook, and the veil in the temple was torn in two. What was this curtain and why can’t we go see it today?
2. Is there any evidence in Jewish rabbinic writings that any of these miraculous events really happened?
3. What about other sources outside the New Testament? Do they say anything about extraordinary events around the time of the death of Jesus?
Links to ClickB&H Academic
Josephus: The Essential Works: book by Josephus
NIV Archaeological Study Bible: study Bible by Zondervan
Something Awry in the Temple?: article by Robert Plummer
The Veil of the Temple in History and Legend: article by Daniel Gurtner
American Pie: song by Don McLean
That’ll Be the Day: song by Buddy Holly
'American Pie' Lyrics Sell for $1.2 Million: news by CNN
Under My Thumb: song by The Rolling Stones at Altamont '69
ThreeChordsApologetics.com
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The Closing CreditsThree Chords and the Truth: The Apologetics Podcast thanks B&H Academic for their sponsorship. Music for the podcast has been licensed through Artlist.io and performed by the band Vegan Friendly—even though neither Garrick nor Timothy has ever been vegan friendly. Brief excerpts of music played in the second half of each program are included solely for the purposes of comment and critique as allowed under the fair-use provision of U.S. copyright law. "The fair use of a copyrighted work ... for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, ... scholarship, or research, is not an infringement of copyright" (U.S. Code § 107, Limitations on exclusive rights: Fair use).
Garrick Bailey and Timothy Paul Jones: Good Times with the End Times and Eschatology (Part 1) + “It’s the End of the World as We Know It (And I Feel Fine)” (R.E.M.)
Food Trucks in Babylon: Moral Apologetics, Prayer, and the Impassibility of God
Mary Jo Sharp: A Former Atheist Looks at the Problem of Evil + “One of Us” (Joan Osborne)
Garrick Bailey and Timothy Paul Jones: Job, Jesus, and the Existential Problem of Evil + "You Found Me" (The Fray)
Garrick Bailey and Timothy Paul Jones: The Evidential Problem of Evil + “God’s Love” (Bad Religion)
Garrick Bailey and Timothy Paul Jones: The Logical Problem of Evil + Pop (U2)
Three Chords and the Truth Goes to the Movies: Soul
Josh Chatraw: Blaise Pascal and Apologetics that Appeals to the Heart + “Superstition” (Stevie Wonder)
Sean McDowell: Getting the Gospel to Generation Z + "Baba O'Riley" (The Who)
Josh Chatraw and Stephen Presley: How to Do Apologetics Like the Early Church
Alisa Childers: The False Gospel of Progressive Christianity + "I Want to Know What Love Is" (Foreigner)
Russell Moore: The Search for a Satisfying Story + “He Went to Paris” (Jimmy Buffett)
Timothy Paul Jones and Garrick Bailey: How to Do Apologetics in a Skeptical Age
Ted Cabal: Creation, Evolution, and the Age of the Earth + "Let There Be Rock" (AC/DC)
Lisa V. Fields: Apologetics through Eyes of Color + “Crossroads” (Robert Johnson)
Vocab Malone: Barry versus the Black Hebrew Israelites + "One Vision" (Queen)
J.V. Fesko: Reforming Apologetics + "Freewill" (Rush)
Matthew Levering: Why Reason and the Physical Resurrection of Jesus Matter + "Stairway to Heaven" (Led Zeppelin)
Robert Plummer: Do the Gospels Tell the Truth? + "Truth, Goodness, and Beauty" (The Cure)
J. Warner Wallace: A Cold-Case Detective Looks at the Gospels + “Another Brick in the Wall” (Pink Floyd)
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