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)

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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

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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

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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)

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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.

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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)

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