Virgin Birth questioned: the research

[Timotheist]

Originally Posted by awareness

Link or author please .....

My apologies. "The Praxis..." is a chapter within the book "Encountering the Manuscript" by Philip Wesley Comfort. I was looking at a PDF image from the book.

[Ohio]

Originally Posted by Timotheist

My apologies. "The Praxis..." is a chapter within the book "Encountering the Manuscript" by Philip Wesley Comfort. I was looking at a PDF image from the book.

Here is the link

[awareness]

Originally Posted by Ohio

Here is the link

Not to discount Comfort in the least, but what's the difference between Comfort and Ehrman? Except that Ehrman is clearly better gifted at explaining textual criticism, and variations in the mss, to the lay masses. Comfort brings meat, clearly, and is as interesting as Ehrman maybe, but his delivery it's much harder to chew on than Ehrman's.

[Timotheist]

Originally Posted by awareness

Not to discount Comfort in the least, but what's the difference between Comfort and Ehrman?

If that question is directed at me, then the difference is that Comfort came up first in my Google search. I was doing a quick research to see what someone said about the Luke variant. In this case I kinda liked what I saw. Had no idea who he was before today, but I thought it appropriate to cite him as my resource. I have no earthly idea if the credit is due him as the originator of the thought about the variant.

But he was obviously educated on the subject.

[Ohio]

Originally Posted by Timotheist

If that question is directed at me, then the difference is that Comfort came up first in my Google search. I was doing a quick research to see what someone said about the Luke variant. In this case I kinda liked what I saw. Had no idea who he was before today, but I thought it appropriate to cite him as my resource. I have no earthly idea if the credit is due him as the originator of the thought about the variant.

But he was obviously educated on the subject.

Philip Comfort was the primary minister in the church in Columbus while I was there during the late 70's. His tenure in the LCM lasted from ~1971 to ~1981, from Akron to Willoughby to Columbus.

After being badly beaten up by Titus Chu in Cleveland, he returned to Columbus in 1982, getting his Masters at OSU in English. From there he obtained his PHD in Greek Studies at Wheaton College in IL.

[awareness]

Originally Posted by Ohio

Philip Comfort was the primary minister in the church in Columbus while I was there during the late 70's. His tenure in the LCM lasted from ~1971 to ~1981, from Akron to Willoughby to Columbus.

After being badly beaten up by Titus Chu in Cleveland, he returned to Columbus in 1982, getting his Masters at OSU in English. From there he obtained his PHD in Greek Studies at Wheaton College in IL.

Now I get it. Comfort is a brother.

But we shouldn't discount Ehrman just because he wasn't in the local church.

Ehrman graduated from Wheaton too, after Moody Bible college, but went on for his PHD, studying under leading scholar Bruce Metzger, at Princeton, where Kangas graduated (no PHD).

[Ohio]

Originally Posted by awareness

Not to discount Comfort in the least, but what's the difference between Comfort and Ehrman? Except that Ehrman is clearly better gifted at explaining textual criticism, and variations in the mss, to the lay masses. Comfort brings meat, clearly, and is as interesting as Ehrman maybe, but his delivery it's much harder to chew on than Ehrman's.

Comfort brings faith and a strong moral and academic conviction that the Bible is the God inspired word of God.

Of course, if you don't want to hear that, Ehrman will be preferred.

[awareness]

Originally Posted by Ohio

Comfort brings faith and a strong moral and academic conviction that the Bible is the God inspired word of God.

Of course, if you don't want to hear that, Ehrman will be preferred.

Regardless of what the Bible scholar believes textual criticism reveals that the mss differs and so has been meddled with, either by accident or on purpose, either way it disproves inerrancy.

Once Comfort was in the LC. He moved on. Once Ehrman was a Baptist preacher -- not that long ago -- and he moved on. Same difference. Their studies changed them.

Study changes everyone and we should respect that.

[Timotheist]

Had no idea Comfort was in the LC. Ohio, you should get him on this forum. I would like to challenge and be challenged by him.

The only way I have to contrast Comfort and Ehrman at this point (having read neither beyond the scope of the Luke variant) is this: On the matter of the Luke variant, Ehrman jumped to a conclusion that he likes, whereas Comfort detailed the two sides of the discussion fairly.

I learned more from the Comfort reading than I did from Awareness' citation of Ehrman. Perhaps there was more 'meat' in Ehrman before pronouncing his conclusion?