Forged

Forged by Bart D. Ehrman. Dr. Ehrman is a professor of religious studies at the University of North Carolina and has written more than 20 books. He knows the Bible better than just about anybody. We, as “laypeople”, can read the Bible over and over again and yet only have 1/2 the story, if that. This book explains that about half of the New Testament is forged, or books are falsely attributed to people who didn’t write them. This explains contradictions that you might have noticed among the letters of Paul and others.

In our modern age we have been brainwashed to believe the Bible is the infallible Word of God. This is not true. The canon was put together by people with whom you may or may not have agreed with their theology. Clearly super-smart theologians have examined the writings of the NT every direction and determined what sections and books are forged or attributed to someone, like Paul or Peter, who did not write them at all.

It’s disconcerting for sure. But I just comfort myself with knowing that neither Abraham nor Moses had a “Bible”, yet they heard God’s voice, followed His leading, lived moral lives, accomplished great things. We too should be that sensitive to the Holy Spirit and use the Bible as a “guide” and not the be-all, end-all of our faith.