NT Pod 107: Why Do We Translate New Testament Names the Way We Do?

NT Pod 107 continues the series on Bible translation (see also NT Pod 104: The Synoptic Translation Problem and NT Pod 105: What is Translation Inertia?), focusing on the phenomenon of translating exactly the same name one way if it is an Old Testament character and another way if it is a New Testament character. The examples discussed are Jacob and James, and Judas and Jude: 

NT Pod 107: Why Do We Translate New Testament Names the Way We Do? (mp3)

Key texts: Adding soon!

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Thanks to Ram2000, "Me and You", for the opening theme, released under a Creative Commons agreement.

NT Pod 106: NT Introductions & Johannine Communities with Hugo Méndez

In NT Pod 106, I am in conversation with Dr Hugo Méndez, Associate Professor in Ancient Mediterranean Religions at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Our primary focus is on John's Gospel, and the "Johannine Community", but we also discuss Dr Méndez's new online course, with Bart Ehrman’s Biblical Studies Academy, The New Testament: Exploring the Christian Bible: 

NT Pod 106: In Conversation with Hugo Méndez (mp3)

Here are links to material discussed in the podcast:

The New Testament: Exploring the Christian Bible, with Hugo Méndez 

This is an online course at Bart Ehrman's Biblical Studies Academy. Note: As an affiliate for Bart Ehrman Courses, the NT Pod may earn a commission (at no additional cost to you) if you sign up for this course.

Hugo Méndez's Homepage

Details of Dr Méndez's research, publications, and activities

Hugo Méndez, "Did the Johannine Community Exist", JSNT 42 (2020): 350–374

Online reproduction of an important article discussed in this podcast 

Bart Ehrman and Hugo Méndez, The New Testament: A Historical Introduction to the Early Christian Writings (Eighth Edition; Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2023)

James Barker, Writing and Rewriting the Gospels: John and the Synoptics (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 2025)

Feel free to leave your feedback below, or on our YouTube channel, or on social media (links on the NT Pod web page).

Thanks to Ram2000, "Me and You", for the opening theme, released under a Creative Commons agreement.

NT Pod 105: What is Translation Inertia?

NT Pod 105, "What is Translation Inertia?" discusses a problem in English translations of the Gospels. The sheer familiarity of famous translations, often dating back to the King James Version of 1611, can prevent us from translating the Bible into accurate contemporary English. There are many examples of this, but this podcast begins with "There is therefore now no condemnation . . ." and "For God so loved the world . . .," and goes on to focus on the terms "stumbling block" and "disciples."

NT Pod 105: What is Translation Inertia? (mp3)

Key texts (in the order in which they appear in the episode):

John 3.16

Romans 8.1

Isaiah 40.1

Matt. 2.17

Matt. 16.23

1 Cor. 1.23

Matt. 9.14 // Mark 2.18 // Luke 5.30

Matt. 14.12 // Mark 6.29

Matt. 11.2 // Luke 7.18

Matt. 22.16

Luke 11.1

Matt. 10.24-25 // Luke 6.40

Matt. 28.19

Feel free to leave your feedback below, on our Youtube channel, or on social media (links on the NT Pod web page).

Thanks to Ram2000, "Me and You", for the opening theme, released under a Creative Commons agreement.

NT Pod 104: The Synoptic Translation Problem

NT Pod 104, "The Synoptic Translation Problem," investigates a problem in English translations of the Gospels. The translations frequently mangle the agreements and disagreements between the Synoptic Gospels, and between the Synoptics and John. This podcast attempts to show how pervasive the problem is by drawing attention to conflicting translations in the NRSVUE (the New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition), and proposing a way forward for future translations of the New Testament. 

NT Pod 104: The Synoptic Translation Problem (mp3)

Key texts:

(1) Matt. 27.50 // Mark 15.37 // Luke 23.46; Psalm 31.5

(2) Matt. 26.51 // Mark 14.47 // Luke 22.50 // John 18.10

(3) Matt. 26.6-13 // Mark 14.3-9 // Luke 7.36-50 // John 12.1-8

(4) Matt. 28.10 // John 20.17

Feel free to leave your feedback below, on our Youtube channel, or on social media.

Thanks to Ram2000, "Me and You", for the opening theme, released under a Creative Commons agreement.

NT Pod 103: The Joy of Textual Variants: In Conversation with Dr Elizabeth Schrader Polczer

NT Pod 103 is a conversation with Dr Elizabeth Schrader Polczer, focusing on her Duke PhD Dissertation, "’Those Who Love Me Will Keep My Word’:  Narrative Variants in New Testament Gospel Stories”, and related topics.

NT Pod 103: The Joy of Textual Variants: In Conversation with Dr Elizabeth Schrader Polczer (mp3)

You can leave feedback on Twitter or on our Facebook page, or on our new Instagram.

Dr Elizabeth Schrader Polczer's homepage

Dr Elizabeth Schrader Polczer on Twitter

“Those Who Love Me Will Keep My Word”: Narrative Variants in New Testament Gospel Stories (Duke University PhD Dissertation)

"Was Martha of Bethany Added to the Fourth Gospel in the Second Century?" (Open Access via Duke Space; Harvard Theological Review official here)

"Was Salome at the Markan Tomb? Another Ending to Mark's Gospel" (Comparative Oriental Manuscript Studies Bulletin article)

"Apocryphal within the Canonical:  Unorthodox Influence on the New Testament Textual Transmission"

 (forthcoming article)

Mary Magdalene as a “revealer":  translated page from the Syriac Sinaitic palimpsest

Thanks to Ram2000, "Me and You", for the opening theme, released under a Creative Commons agreement.

NT Pod 102: Has Q Been Discovered?

NT Pod 102 asks, "Has Q Been Discovered?" It is 14 minutes long. 

NT Pod 102: Has Q Been Discovered? (mp3)

Key texts: P.Oxy.5575; Matt. 6.25-33; Luke 6.22-31; Luke 12.16-21; Thomas 27; Thomas 36; Thomas 63.

For more on P.Oxy.5575, see:

Candida Moss, "Scholars Publish New Papyrus with Early Sayings of Jesus" (Daily Beast) 

Peter Gurry, Synopsis of P.Oxy. 5575, Matt, Luke, and Thomas (Evangelical Textual Criticism Blog)

Mark Goodacre, English Synopsis of P.Oxy. 5575, Matthew, Luke, and Thomas (PDF)

Brent Nongbri, "The Date of the New Oxyrhynchus Sayings of Jesus P.Oxy. 87.5575", Variant Readings Blog

J. Fish, D.B. Wallace, and M. W. Holmes (eds), "P.Oxy. 5575" in Volume LXXXVII of The Oxyrhynchus Papyri (2023) [Fuller citation to follow]

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Thanks to Ram2000, "Me and You", for the opening theme, released under a Creative Commons agreement.

NT Pod 101: 100 Bible Films: In Conversation with Matthew Page

NT Pod 101 is a conversation with Matthew Page about his new book, 100 Bible Films:

NT Pod 101: 100 Bible Films with Matthew Page (mp3)

You can order 100 Bible films here.

You can visit Matthew Page's Bible Films Blog here.

Feel free to leave your feedback below or on Twitter, on our Facebook page, or on our Youtube Channel.

Thanks to Ram2000, "Me and You", for the opening theme, released under a Creative Commons agreement.

NT Pod 100: New Ways Through the Maze

NT Pod 100 asks "Are there New Ways through the Maze?"

NT Pod 100: Are There New Ways Through the Maze? (mp3)

Feel free to leave your feedback below or on Twitter or on our Facebook page, or on our YoutTube Channel.

Thanks to Ram2000, "Me and You", for the opening theme, released under a Creative Commons agreement.

NT Pod 99: Women in the Bible: In Conversation with Jaime Clark-Soles

NT Pod 99 is a conversation with Prof. Jaime Clark-Soles, Professor of New Testament, Altshuler Distinguished Teaching Professor, Perkins School of Theology, Southern Methodist University. It is 57 minutes long:

NT Pod 99: Women in the Bible: In Conversation with Jaime Clark-Soles (mp3) 

This podcast discusses

Jaime Clark-Soles, Women in the Bible (Interpretation; Louisville: Westminster John Knox, 2020)

Feel free to leave your feedback in the comments below or on Twitter or on our Facebook page.

Thanks to Ram2000, "Me and You", for the opening theme, released under a Creative Commons agreement.

NT Pod 98: The Origins of Early Christian Literature: In Conversation with Robyn Walsh

NT Pod 98 is a conversation with Prof. Robyn Faith Walsh, Associate Professor in the Department of Religious Studies at Miami University. It is 58 minutes long:

NT Pod 98: The Origins of Early Christian Literature Without Jesus (mp3) 

This podcast discusses

Robyn Faith Walsh, The Origins of Early Christian Literature: Contextualizing the New Testament Within Greco-Roman Literary Culture (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2021)

Feel free to leave your feedback below or on Twitter or on our Facebook page.

Thanks to Ram2000, "Me and You", for the opening theme, released under a Creative Commons agreement.

NT Pod 97: The Bible With and Without Jesus

NT Pod 97 is a conversation with Prof. Amy-Jill Levine and Prof. Marc Brettler about their new book, The Bible With and Without Jesus. It is 46 minutes long:

NT Pod 97: The Bible With and Without Jesus (mp3) 

This podcast discusses

Amy-Jill Levine & Marc Brettler, The Bible With and Without Jesus (New York: Harper Collins, 2020)

Feel free to leave your feedback below or on Twitter or on our Facebook page.

Thanks to Ram2000, "Me and You", for the opening theme, released under a Creative Commons agreement.

NT Pod 96: In Conversation with Dagmar Winter & Chris Keith

 

NT Pod 96 is a conversation with Dagmar Winter and Chris Keith about the use of criteria in Historical Jesus research. It was recorded "live" in April 2020 and this slightly edited version is 55 minutes long:

NT Pod 96: In conversation with Dagmar Winter & Chris Keith

Feel free to leave your feedback below or on Twitter or on our Facebook page.

Thanks to Ram2000, "Me and You", for the opening theme, released under a Creative Commons agreement.

NT Pod 95: Interview with Ariel Sabar, Author of Veritas

In NT Pod 95, I am in conversation with Ariel Sabar, author of Veritas: A Harvard Professor, A Con Man and the Gospel of Jesus's Wife. It is an hour and thirteen minutes long:

NT Pod 95: Interview with Ariel Sabar, Author of Veritas (mp3) 

The book is: Ariel Sabar, Veritas: A Harvard Professor, A Con Man and the Gospel of Jesus's Wife (New York: Doubleday, 2020)

Previous podcasts in this series:

NT Pod 87: What is the Gospel of Jesus's Wife?

NT Pod 88: Is the Gospel of Jesus's Wife a forgery?

NT Pod 89: How was the forgery of the Gospel of Jesus's Wife proved?

NT Pod 90: How was the forgery of the Gospel of Jesus's Wife confirmed?

NT Pod 94: Review of Ariel Sabar's Veritas

Feel free to leave your feedback below or on Twitter or on our Facebook page.

Thanks to Ram2000, "Me and You", for the opening theme, released under a Creative Commons agreement.

NT Pod 94: Review of Ariel Sabar's Veritas

NT Pod 94 is my review of Ariel Sabar, Veritas: A Harvard Professor, A Con Man and the Gospel of Jesus's Wife. It is just under 19 minutes long.

NT Pod 94: Review of Ariel Sabar's Veritas (mp3) 

The book is: Ariel Sabar, Veritas: A Harvard Professor, A Con Man and the Gospel of Jesus's Wife (New York: Doubleday, 2020)

Previous podcasts in this series:

NT Pod 87: What is the Gospel of Jesus's Wife?

NT Pod 88: Is the Gospel of Jesus's Wife a forgery?

NT Pod 89: How was the forgery of the Gospel of Jesus's Wife proved?

NT Pod 90: How was the forgery of the Gospel of Jesus's Wife confirmed?

Feel free to leave your feedback below or on Twitter or on our Facebook page.

Thanks to Ram2000, "Me and You", for the opening theme, released under a Creative Commons agreement.

NT Pod 93: From Juvencus to Jesus Christ Superstar (NT Review Crossover)

NT Pod 93: From Juvencus to Jesus Christ Superstar (Crossover with NT Review); it is an hour long.


NT Pod 93: Crossover Episode with NT Review (mp3)


Feel free to leave your feedback below or on Twitter or on our Facebook page.




Featuring Ian Mills and Laura Robinson from the New Testament Review Podcast.

The topics covered are (in order):

• Ben Hur (novel)
• Ben Hur (film)
• The Robe
• Barabbas (film)
• Greatest Story Ever Told
• King of Kings
• Life of Brian
• Assassin 33 A.D.
• Juvencus
• Proba
• Nonnus
• Man Born to be King (Dorothy L. Sayers)
• Visual Bible Gospel of Matthew
• Ten Commandments
• Egeria
• Jesus Christ Superstar
• Godpsell
• Jesus of Montreal

Thanks to Ram2000, "Me and You", for the opening theme, released under a Creative Commons agreement.

NT Pod 92: Live Episode

NT Pod 92 Live: this is an edited recording of NT Pod Live (April 16 2020); it is 53 minutes long.


NT Pod 92: Live Episode (mp3)


Feel free to leave your feedback below or on Twitter or on our Facebook page.




Featuring calls from Alicia Costello, CJ Schmidt, Michael Strickland, Hugo Mendez, Jacob Sparks, and Jose Corea, and chat questions from Kelly Victor, Fiona Thompson, Krista Fauria, Carl Tapps and Andrew Doole.

The topics covered were (in order):

• Matthean Priority & Marcan Priority
• John’s knowledge of the Synoptics
• Acts 15 and Galatians 2
• Patristic evidence for Matthean Priority
• Eddie Izzard
• Resurrection accounts: differences between Paul and Mark
• The Q hypothesis: how many of my students are persuaded by it?
• TV drama and documentary: Jesus: His Life (History), The Passion (BBC, HBO)
• Women & gender in early Christianity; Mary Magdalene
• The walking, talking cross in the Gospel of Peter.

People mentioned: Ian Mills, Laura Robinson, Douglas Campbell, Ed Sanders, Mark Matson, Barbara Shellard, Alan Garrow, Morton Smith, Ken Olson, Frank Deasy, Nigel Stafford-Clark.


Thanks to Ram2000, "Me and You", for the opening theme, released under a Creative Commons agreement.

NT Pod 91: Stories of Jesus' Resurrection (Extended Ep.)

NT Pod 91, "Stories of Jesus' Resurrection", is an extended episode of the podcast; it is 49 minutes long.


NT Pod 91: Stories of Jesus' Resurrection (mp3)


Feel free to leave your feedback below or on Twitter or on our Facebook page.




Lecture Handout here (PDF)

The lecture featured in this episode was originally part of a series of ten lectures entitled "Who Was Jesus?" delivered at St. Olaf College, Minnesota, in July 2016. I am grateful to the Biblical Archaeology Society for permission to rebroadcast it here.

A video version of this lecture is available on BAS's YouTube Channel.

Here are some further related links:

BAS LIbrary Videos

BAS Library: two further video lectures from Mark Goodacre

Key Texts:

1 Corinthians 15, Mark 16, Matthew 28, Luke 24, John 20-21

Coming Soon: NT Pod 92 will be the first ever live episode of the podcast. Join me for NT Pod Live on TalkShoe on Thursday April 16 2020, 2pm EDT.

Thanks to Ram2000, "Me and You", for the opening theme, released under a Creative Commons agreement.

NT Pod 90: How was the Forgery of the Gospel of Jesus' Wife Confirmed?

NT Pod 90, "How was the Forgery of the Gospel of Jesus' Wife Confirmed?", is the final episode in in the series of four podcasts on the Gospel of Jesus' Wife. It is just over eighteen minutes long.


NT Pod 90: How was the Forgery of the Gospel of Jesus' Wife Confirmed? (mp3)


Feel free to leave your feedback below or on Twitter or on our Facebook page.




Websites referenced in this podcast:

The Unbelievable Tale of Jesus' Wife, Ariel Sabar, The Atlantic, July/August 2016 Issue

To Catch a Forger (Video), Ariel Sabar, The Atlantic, June 22 2016, YouTube (extracts featured in this episode)

Gospel of Jesus' Wife (Harvard official site, revised "vanilla" version, January 2017 to present)

Gospel of Jesus' Wife (Harvard, 2012 site, via archive.org)

Gospel of Jesus' Wife (Harvard, 2014 site, via archive.org)

Gospel of Jesus' Wife (Harvard, June to December 2016 site, via archive.org): "Statement from HDS Dean David N. Hempton on the “Gospel of Jesus’ Wife”

NT Blog: Gospel of Jesus' Wife Posts (includes links to all the resources discussed in the podcast)

Harvard Theological Review 107/2 (April 2014) (Titles and Abstracts)

New Testament Studies 61/3 (July 2015) (Titles and Abstracts)

The Owner's Interlinear / Translation (via archive.org)

"Gospel of Jesus' Wife": Doubts Raised About Ancient Text, Owen Jarus, Live Science (April 22 2014)

More on the Gospel of Jesus' Wife and Walter Fritz, Christian Askeland, Evangelical Textual Criticism Blog, June 16 2016

Gospel of Jesus' Wife Likely a Fake, Bizarre Backstory Suggests, Owen Jarus, Live Science (June 17 2016)

Karen King Responds to ‘The Unbelievable Tale of Jesus’s Wife’, "The Harvard scholar says papyrus is probably a forgery", Ariel Sabar, The Atlantic, June 16 2016

Thanks to Ram2000, "Me and You", for the opening theme, released under a Creative Commons agreement.

NT Pod 89: How was the Forgery of the Gospel of Jesus' Wife Proved?

NT Pod 89, "How was the Forgery of the Gospel of Jesus' Wife Proved?", is the third of four podcasts on the Gospel of Jesus' Wife. It is just over eighteen minutes long.


NT Pod 89: How was the Forgery of the Gospel of Jesus' Wife Proved? (mp3)


Feel free to leave your feedback below or on Twitter or on our Facebook page.




Websites referenced in this podcast:

Gospel of Jesus' Wife (Harvard official site, revised "vanilla" version)

Gospel of Jesus' Wife (Harvard, 2012 site, via archive.org)

Gospel of Jesus' Wife (Harvard, 2014 site, via archive.org)

NT Blog: Gospel of Jesus' Wife Posts (includes links to all the resources discussed in the podcast)

Harvard Theological Review 107/2 (April 2014) (Titles and Abstracts)

The Forgery of the Lycopolitan John (Christian Askeland)

New Testament Studies 61/3 (July 2015) (Titles and Abstracts)

The Owner's Interlinear / Translation (via archive.org)

Is the Gospel of Jesus' Wife a Revelation or a Hoax? (Lisa Wangsness, Boston Globe)


Thanks to Ram2000, "Me and You", for the opening theme, released under a Creative Commons agreement.

NT Pod 88: Is the Gospel of Jesus' Wife a Forgery?

NT Pod 88, "Is the Gospel of Jesus' Wife a Forgery?" is the second of four podcasts on the Gospel of Jesus' Wife. It is just over eighteen minutes long.


NT Pod 88: Is the Gospel of Jesus' Wife a Forgery? (mp3)


Feel free to leave your feedback below or on Twitter or on our Facebook page.




Websites referenced in this podcast:

Gospel of Jesus' Wife (Harvard official site, revised "vanilla" version)

Gospel of Jesus' Wife (Harvard, 2012 site, via archive.org)

Gospel of Jesus' Wife (Harvard, 2014 site, via archive.org)

Testing Indicates "Gospel of Jesus's Wife" to be Ancient (April 2014)

NT Blog: Gospel of Jesus' Wife Posts (includes Francis Watson's and Andrew Bernhard's posts)

Alleged 'Lost Gospel' Claims Jesus Had Wife, 2 Children (Good Morning America, November 2014; extracted in the intro.)

Gospel of Jesus' Wife Smithsonian Documentary (extracted in the outro).


Thanks to Ram2000, "Me and You", for the opening theme, released under a Creative Commons agreement.