Here's a rare sight: A host of a major television show forcefully
defending the Bible and central tenets of Christianity. It happened
recently on Comedy Central's
The Colbert Report, when host Stephen Colbert - in his own
inimitable way - rebutted the assertions of
Bart Ehrman, a
self-described "happy agnostic" who has written a number of books
attempting to discredit the Bible and the central beliefs of Christianity.
By the time the interview was finished, the "happy agnostic" Ehrman
wasn't looking too happy. Viewers with an interest in Christian
apologetics will surely enjoy this one. (Embedded video below fold.)
Here's a transcript of a highlight:
EHRMAN: … The Bible shows that, in fact, some of the earliest
teachings of Jesus aren’t what became the standard doctrines of
Christianity.
COLBERT: What are you talking about?
EHRMAN: Well, things like –
COLBERT: Standard doctrine of Christianity: "I believe in God,
the Almighty Father, maker of heaven and earth." That kind of stuff?
EHRMAN (nodding): That kind of stuff. That, in fact, doctrines
like the divinity of Christ, the Trinity - these were later
formulations that weren’t the original teachings.
COLBERT: What are you talking about? Jesus was the Son of God!
Even Jesus recognizes that. Do you ever read the Gospel of John
ever?
EHRMAN: Yeah –
COLBERT: Do you ever read the Gospel of John?
EHRMAN: Yeah –
COLBERT: Does Jesus say he’s the Son of God in there?
EHRMAN (stumbling): Uh, Jesus says –
COLBERT (forcefully interrupting): Does Jesus say he’s the Son
of God in the Gospel of John?
EHRMAN: Jesus actually says he’s divine in the Gospel of John.
COLBERT: He says, "I and the Father are One" in the Gospel of
John.
EHRMAN: Yes. He does.
COLBERT: I accept your apology.
EHRMAN: O.K.
Notice that Colbert completely rebuts Ehrman's assertion that
the doctrine of Christ's divinity was a "later formulation"!
Later in the interview, Ehrman tries to backpedal and cover for
himself by saying, "He's [Jesus is] not God in Matthew, Mark, and Luke;
only in John." That's not true either. There are several passages in the
Gospels in which Jesus' divinity is declared. Take
Matthew 26 with Jesus in front of the high priests and the
Sanhedrin:
63 ...Then the high priest said to him, "I order you to
tell us under oath before the living God whether you are the
Messiah, the Son of God." 64 Jesus said to him in reply, "You
have said so. But I tell you: From now on you will see 'the Son of
Man seated at the right hand of the Power' and 'coming on the clouds
of heaven.'" 65 Then the high priest tore his robes and said,
"He has blasphemed! What further need have we of witnesses? You
have now heard the blasphemy; 66 what is your opinion?" They said in
reply, "He deserves to die!"
What is the "blasphemy" which earned Jesus' death sentence? That his
reference to
Daniel 7:13 to himself as "the Son of Man seated at the right hand
of the Power" and "coming on the clouds of heaven" made himself equal
with God. (Read also the informative,
"Making Himself Equal with God" by John McArthur.)
There's a lot more that can be said about the interview.
(Especially Colbert's "What's the son of a duck? A duck!")
Read more about the awful Ehrman in
this December 2006 post
I wrote.
(HT:
American Papist)