Acts: Christian FanFiction? | Secular Bible Study (Episode 44)

[@MindShift-Brandon]

Welcome to Acts!

[@davidrexford586]

Can’t wait to you get to Romans.. especially the part about we are all given the same measure of Faith to believe in God with Romans12v3. The same measure so I cannot boast to others that they MUST come to me to find God because they have the same measure of Faith as I was given as well. Of course one must then go by Faith to the cross to either accept the ultimate sacrifice for all of our sins which was the shed blood of Christ or reject it and say its of no value to themselves.

[@felinechanel]

I’m excited for this oneee

[@Mac-vy2-rv]

@@davidrexford586 I think by the time any normal and reasoned person gets to these parts of a religious book like this one, Mr Rexford, then they’d have long realised that there’s absolute FA to nit pick with anyone’s morality

[@BeccaYoley]

​@@davidrexford586"we are all given the same measure of faith to believe in God" Then why are people with Autism 20% less likely to believe in God? And why are people with Schizophrenia more likely to be hyper religious? And why is someone born in India only 2% likely to believe Jesus is the son of God? Maybe the Bible is mistaken?

[@davidrexford586]

@@BeccaYoleymaybe miracles happen as well for those people who you just mentioned.. and those miracles ultimately help them to understand what Faith is? In my experience while traveling the world many people come to God by Faith while some don’t and that’s that.. I have talked to People around the world and from different religious backgrounds who become believers in God and it isn’t just an American thing or Western thing to accept Christ as their savior. Billions of people all over the world turn to God regardless of one’s religious background and it is something to behold. I have seen it while in Israel on a tour over there after the gulf war was over and it’s interesting the stories they have and the way they found God .

[@Lightman741]

As a Christian I was so frustrated that I was not performing the miracles in the book of acts. Of course the church made me think it was my lack of faith/consecration to the word and I blamed myself.

[@JDrocks4ever]

Very relatable! Especially the more charismatic you get. I had a friend that joined this popular movement where they were attempting to live Acts out by street preaching, doing baptisms, prophesying, and casting out demons. The amount of judgement that comes from them to others that aren’t actively doing those things is insane.

[@vidhead85]

When it's good, it's god. When it's bad, it's you --Church leadership

[@Lightman741]

@AgnosticGuy93 yes and Jesus said "you will do greater works" surely that means we would be doing handstands on water instead of walking on it lol

[@ChillAssTurtle]

Youre just not believing hard enough.

[@CatDaddyGuitar]

My wife and I were told, by prophesy, mind you, that we were going to be "pillars in the Church " 😂😂 Yeah, that didn't quite work out.

[@elilane8627]

I love the comparison to fan fiction, that’s honestly so much of what religion is as a whole, just people making up wild stories to one up other people telling stories. “My invisible guy is wayyy better and stronger than your invisible guy”

[@DavidRichardson153]

I usually go with more visceral version of that final description, which is the George Carlin version: "My God has a bigger d^ck than your God!"

[@tomsenior7405]

Agreed. Christians love their NDEs, Faith Healers, Miracles, Tales of endurance, Regrown appendages, Visions etc. It is almost as though they want to believe anything that gives them the feels.

[@rainbowkrampus]

More apt to my mind is the way that Jesus gets shinier and specialer as the gospels are written. Mark's Jesus is pretty subdued as compared with John's. Very much a, "leaps tall buildings in a single bound" Superman of his early years vs. the "can throw a moon at you" Superman of the modern era. Each writer is topping the last. It's the same kind of competition you can find in modern fan fiction circles.

[@elilane8627]

@@rainbowkrampus Yeah I definitely see that too, my mind just went straight to the idea of two school kids arguing about who’s God could beat up the other. Kind of like the power scale debates around superheroes or anime characters 😂

[@SharedPhilosophy]

If you want to see the epitome of religious fanfiction, look at this animation of Islam vs Christianity. I genuinely don't see how this is different from anime characters fighting each other, except for the fact that these characters are worshipped by people around the globe as real. kzbin.info/www/bejne/n3yue52LjNaJjassi=YiFwrR4ysGEMMjCn

[@survive323]

When I was a christian I thought the reason a lot of churches have graveyards next to the chapel is because If god struck someone dead for lying and stealing fròm him, it wouldn't be far to bury them. Just like the story in Acts.

[@tahllaz]

Sad but a hilarious inference 😅

[@Scartoons-t1h]

Worthwhile remembering that the writers of the gospels, Acts, Paul, etc were unlikely to worry about contradictions: they were not writing in order to contribute to The Bible - they had no concept of a Bible as a thing. Each writer has a separate agenda and could play fast and loose with a lot of the material. As long as the audience to the work would buy into the story, they were free to invent to a large degree. This explains why the different books in the Bible don't agree: their authors never intended them to agree.

[@Jon45678]

Yeah but God knew they would become the Bible and there are times when the writers say they are speaking on behalf of God. I agree with Brandon when he has said many times it would have been nice for such important topics to be clear and easy to understand (and not contradictory).

[@Scartoons-t1h]

@@Jon45678 That presupposes the existence of a god, in which case anything goes because magic.

[@sos1691]

@@Jon45678 Not just one god. There were [are] many. They are the entities. All of them competing with one another. Recall "war broke out in heaven" among them - Revelation 12:7; and the Lord God is extremely "Jealous" of the other gods - Exodus 34:14 😱

[@The-Doubters-Diary]

YES ​@@sos1691

[@johntiggleman4686]

@@sos1691 And "christians" will say the gods were/are fame, fortune, things, money, sex, music, hell, even hobbies, not real physical/spiritual gods.

[@suicune2001]

If you've ever read Frankenstein, you know it's read like journal entries from a real person. Christians would argue the monster was real because that's how the book was written. lol

[@MindShift-Brandon]

its a great comparison!

[@michaelhenry1763]

Yes, and the news clippings of Dracula.

[@suicune2001]

@@michaelhenry1763 Wait, there's news clipping of Dracula? :o

[@michaelhenry1763]

@@suicune2001 oh I forgot, there are diary entries as well. 😳

[@suicune2001]

@@michaelhenry1763 😳

[@DannyS177]

I think the fact that there have always been different denominations in Christianity is a really important fact to point out. So, I am glad you did. Because, people really do think that it started out unified, but the closest to that was when the Catholic church was at its peak and was killing the "heretics".

[@MindShift-Brandon]

and not just different, but wildly different!

[@trythelight8319]

I’ll be the first to admit I’ve written FanFiction. And…well…it wasn’t great. It was very inspired, kinda cringe, but - at the time of writing - it was very fulfilling and helped me through some dark times! Looking back, it’s a beautiful story. But I’m glad it’s not canon to the original game.

[@MindShift-Brandon]

Lol!

[@gothboschincarnate3931]

I thought me and Donna Douglas were the only one that called it fan-fiction until now. We collaborated. I called it fan-fiction after walking thru it in meditation. She calls it "Hollywood Fan-fiction". she would know.

[@n.c.1201]

Forgive me Father for I have sinned.... Each time I watch MindShift I race off to the next video and forget to hit Like. I am doing my penance and coming back to shame myself publicly and to do Brandon right 😂😂😂

[@tulpas93]

Thanks for swinging back around! ❤

[@sparrowthesissy2186]

"It's in your canon, it's your problem!" should be the new motto of the channel. Great work as usual. I knew the Paul in Acts contradicted his epistles, but I didn't realize how bad it really was. I feel like I'm going to have to spend a week sorting through all that now... so, thank you? I can't wait for Romans! Every verse there could be a video, so good luck.

[@MindShift-Brandon]

Ha love that and man you are right about Romans!

[@SydBodeker]

As an ex Pentecostal, im only exaggerating a little bit when i say i heard Acts preached on every other week for 20+ years of my life

[@MindShift-Brandon]

Lol!

[@BernardBerserker]

It is so funny that in acts all christians are united and even when there is a disagreement it gets quickly resolved. And then you read the epistles and there are problems everywhere, false teachers, false apostles, false prophets, a disagreement between Peter and Paul which gets no solution. Acts really is fanfiction.

[@23293]

WWE ROYAL RUMBLE TABLE LADDERS AND CHAIRS MATCH TRIPLE THREAT! only on espn plus!

[@Volleyball_Chess_and_Geoguessr]

It's a communist utopia in Acts.

[@t.mitchellb2766]

As briefly as I can, my story goes like this. I was raised in a southern Baptist church. I was "saved" at eight years old supposedly. Anyway, I was neck deep in the church. At 14 I became a church musician and continued to be up until my deconversion. I was involved in ministry in various ways the majority of my life. I was in a professional Christian band who was signed to Word Records, recorded an album and toured with acts like Sonic Flood, Casting Crowns, etc. I felt like I had experienced the presence of Jesus and the Holy Spirit. Eventually I was ordained as a deacon. I read my Bible from cover to cover several times. I always felt weird when I read some of the grotesque things in the Old Testament, but honestly, I just dismissed them. I truly was a believer... Until I dove deeper into the "Word of God". At first, I became a Calvinist and that sent every Baptist in my life into orbit. Then, I started looking at how churches were operated. I saw how hypocritical the traditional Baptist churches are. And then I saw how the modern non-denominational churches spent their money. The church I went to had a million-dollar budget, just for stage production. How many widows and orphans and homeless and starving could be helped with that? We were charged with helping those in need, not putting on a concert every Sunday. Anyway, I started using common sense when I studied the Bible and I realized none of this is true. I really got into it and I still love learning about the Bible. Just from a different perspective. People have said I was never truly a believer. That I allowed people to lead me astray. When in reality the Bible is what lead me astray. I have been accused of demon oppression/possession. And of course, people love to tell me I really do believe but I am denying it. Basically, I have lost all my friends and family. My parents are deceased, so I didn't have to deal with that thankfully. Although I do miss them. But I am happier than I have ever been personally. I love your channel, as it is very encouraging and informative. And I apologize for the long comment, but I wanted to share my experiences. This channel is very important and I love your content. Keep up the good work!

[@jaflenbond7854]

The BIBLE is the ONLY BOOK in the world that exposes SATAN the DEVIL as a Liar, the Father of Lies, and Murderer of Human beings as written in John 8: 44. Satan the Devil's ATHEISM and RELIGIONS produce and breed HATERS of GOD and JESUS CHRIST and all the LIARS, DECEIVERS and MURDERERS of HUMAN BEINGS Mormons, Jehovah's Witnesses, SDAs, Mormons, Catholics, Baptists, Methodists, Born Again Christians, Muslims, Buddhists, Hindus, fanatics of all kinds of Religions, and Atheists who unitedly and deliberately trick and DECEIVE their own families and neighbors to HATE and reject Jesus Christ and his GOD and Father as worthless and useless, no value whatsoever and also believe their LIES and Unbiblical teachings and doctrines about "hellfire", "afterlife", "immortality of the souls", "Armageddon", "Trinity", "rapture", and "reincarnation" clearly don't respect and value the lives, dignities, and existence of human beings.... obviously shameless and remorseless in bringing and causing humiliations, sufferings, griefs, sickness, and DEATHS to their families and neighbors and dishonor, disgrace, and ETERNAL DEATHS to themselves. The BIBLE is the ONLY BOOK in the world that produces all the LOWLY, KIND, CONSIDERATE, RESPECTFUL, and SUBMISSIVE PERSONS on EARTH GOD KNOWS that his favor and reward of ETERNAL LIFE and existence on earth without sufferings, pains, griefs, sickness, and death as written in Revelation 21: 3, 4 is NOT for liars, slanderers, deceivers, traitors, and murderers on earth but ONLY for lowly, ordinary, kind, considerate, and respectful persons who willingly submit to the authority of Jesus Christ and obey his teachings too about "Kingdom of God" and "Resurrection of the Dead" in their obedience to all that were written in the BIBLE, in Matthew 28: 18, Luke 4: 43 and John 11: 25, 26. Jesus Christ KNOWS that his teaching about the "Resurrection of the Dead" is GOD's guarantee that loving, kind, considerate, and respectful persons on earth who died recently and thousands of years ago like Abel, Noah, Abraham, Sarah, Isaac, Jacob, Moses, Job, Naomi, Ruth, King David, his Followers and disciples, and many others will all be RESURRECTED back to life in the right and proper time so they can live and exist on earth forever as submissive and obedient citizens and subjects of the "KINGDOM of GOD" and fully enjoy his and his GOD and Father's eternal love, kindness, goodness, generosities, compassions, favors, and blessings for eternity under his loving and kind rulership, guidance, and protection as his GOD and Father's Chosen King and Ruler of the heavens and the earth as written in Revelation 11: 15.

[@Dr_Cigarettes]

People talk about how Peter denied Jesus but then became a great evangelist as if that's proof that Jesus rose from the dead. My theory is that a guy who felt super guilty about denying his association with a friend ended up having hallucinations in his grief. To me, that seems way more plausible than someone coming back from the dead.

[@hurdygurdyguy1]

Matthias replaces Judas and is never heard from or about again...I guess he was just a warm body, a numerical place holder....🤣

[@MindShift-Brandon]

right, gotta keep that special 12 number alive.

[@shriggs55]

@@MindShift-Brandon It's interesting that Jesus told the 12-including Judas-that THEY would judge the 12 tribes of Israel?

[@Volleyball_Chess_and_Geoguessr]

So the Mormons could have their 12 apostles 1800 years later.

[@autumn111155551]

Bartholomew and Nathaniel were apparently the same person also. So did his name change? Was it really 2 different people?

[@jaynajuly2140]

This might be the most mind-blowing secular bible study vid you've put out! I'm reeling over so many elements I overlooked or took for granted back when I was a believer.

[@MindShift-Brandon]

oh love to hear that. thanks!

[@tyrondecemberthomas]

Brandon, you’re doing such a great job with one video per book. You gotta keep it that way. It’s easier to digest. It’s all in one place. Even if it takes an hour.

[@MindShift-Brandon]

got you! and thanks

[@tyrondecemberthomas]

@@MindShift-Brandon you’re welcome

[@ChinonsoNnadozie-t6d]

Thank you Brandon you helped me leave Christianity

[@MindShift-Brandon]

So happy to be of any help!

[@clemstevenson]

Of course they’ll employ the no true Scotsman fallacy against Brandon. Christians have to explain away the fact that Brandon found no reason to believe in their god, rather that question the authenticity of their belief in god. A KZbinr tried to tell me today that I was wrong to claim that there was no supporting evidence. Yet, all that he could do was to point to the large number of god claims there have been over numerous centuries. Claims prove nothing, no matter how many digits there are in the number.

[@MythVisionPodcast]

I absolutely love this episode, my friend!

[@MindShift-Brandon]

Many thanks!

[@QuestionThingsUseLogic]

Derek and Brandon...yay!

[@dmnemaine]

The way that Luke and Acts begins is very similar to the way that Mark Twain begins "Huckleberry Finn" by having Huck tell us that everything he's going to tell us about the events in the novel is true. This is simply a literary device, not necessarily a statement of the relating of verifiable facts.

[@davidhoffman6980]

When you said the ascension happened at night I didn't believe you. I figured there's no way I could have missed that all these years. I looked it up and by golly you were right.

[@MindShift-Brandon]

Pretty wild, right? Most of us assumed it was this big magical daytime special. A resurrection in the wee hours of the morning with no one around a contradicting ascension either the same night or 40 days later, lol.

[@ellypecher1616]

You’ve helped me through my belief journey. 😊

[@MindShift-Brandon]

So glad to hear it!

[@Deconstructures]

Oh wow, I never made the connection before that all the Christians leaving after Stephen was killed is clear evidence that they were NOT willing to die for their faith! Great observation!

[@serpentinious7745]

🤔 You're not wrong. But, at the same time, martyrdom only matters if there's someone left to be inspired by it and carry on. Followers dispersing temporarily in order to build support and regroup after a major setback is a pretty common trope even today ("One Piece" uses it all the time). Side Note: I am an atheist. Just fault-checking our own arguments before we use them with actual Christians.

[@Deconstructures]

@@serpentinious7745 Fair point. Thanks!

[@sdlorah6450]

I would not jump to that conclusion. The believers in Jerusalem did suffer persecution after Stephen was martyred for his faith and his testimony of the Lord Jesus Christ and were scattered, but they continued to preach the gospel wherever they went, thus yielding the possibility of new persecution in those places. Acts 8:4 says, Therefore they that were scattered abroad went every where preaching the word. Jesus' plan was for the gospel to first be preached in Jerusalem, then all Judaea, then Samaria, and then to the uttermost parts of the earth (see Acts 1:8). Persecution lent to the gospel being spread in just that way. The book of Acts testifies of the wide geographical area to which the gospel went in those first decades after Jesus' resurrection from the dead, and the gospel was preached in those places by the apostles and other believers. The many churches founded in those areas and the manuscript evidence from that era testify of the same.

[@caffetiel]

​@@sdlorah6450 Jesus's plan according to a book written a long, long time afterward. Fact remains that they weren't willing to die. There's no evidence of persecution outside a few, limited timeframes, as well.

[@sdlorah6450]

@@caffetiel The entire New Testament was completed within the first century by apostles (i.e. Peter, Paul) or their close associates (i.e. Luke). People receive the forgiveness of their sins through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ who bore our sins in his own body upon the tree and rose from the dead the third day, all in accordance with the scriptures. Salvation is based on faith in Jesus' death, burial, and resurrection, not on one's own death. Believers then (in the early days after Jesus' resurrection) and now and at all times in between have experienced varying degrees of persecution as recorded in scripture and in extrabiblical historical sources. Acts records the preaching of the gospel by the apostles and other believers in the face of great opposition--including death. Were they not willing to suffer, how would the gospel have been preached in Jerusalem and beyond? Books like Foxe's Book of Martyrs shows the opposition that the message of the forgiveness of sins through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ has brought on its bearers in history. Jim Elliott (End of the Spear) and Martin Burnham (In the Presence of My Enemies) show modern stories of the same.

[@ceres090]

7:05 My siblings and I got kicked out of Sunday school over this. We asked a lot of questions and suggested that the vision may have been caused by heat stroke since he was out in the hot sun and hadn't eaten. After that our mom was told that not only could we not come back, but that when our little sister was of age she couldn't go to Sunday school either. They told our mom we 'were too advanced' and should sit with the adults from now on.

[@merbst]

my 9th, 10th, & 11th grade Catholic High School religion class teacher told me "about the new Testament, we just teach the Gospels", so I asked "why's that?" ... he said "its all downhill from there, devolves into nonsense, well maybe not Acts"! mr Neilsen was my favorite teacher, despite being an atheist throughout high school, he even gave me 5 As and a B, unlike my senior year Religion teacher who gave me Cs, and threatened me with summer school instead of graduation if I didn't accept Christ. (he was absent the final week, so he didnt follow through). when I applied to college I was astounded that they didn't count Religion class grades.

[@MindShift-Brandon]

ha, thats awesome.

[@Andrea-cq6eg]

My worst grades in middle school were for religion, and the only thing that teacher did was yell at us. I honestly don't remember anything I learned, just the yelling. Also, I can tell you, the lord's word is heavy. Especially when it gets you with the corner, that part isn't rounded 😂😂😂

[@Volleyball_Chess_and_Geoguessr]

Threats are God's Way.

[@KarmasAB123]

I guess your teacher got raptured XD

[@jeffbenelli6999]

Great job Brandon axlis a fun one. I would love to have a modern day psychologist analyze Paul. I bet they find he was mentally disturbed.

[@MindShift-Brandon]

oh man, wouldn't that be amazing! thank you!

[@sundayoliver3147]

Without a psychology, degree, I can say he was a jerk, and that was something I garnered as a small child but didn't allow myself to think until later.

[@Christiaanwebb]

I'm always impressed with your scholarship, Brandon. It really sets you apart from your peers in this space. Clear, concise and informative.

[@RubyNeumann]

Still hanging in there... thank you for clearing up that whole "fan fiction" thing... It makes sense now. Just didn't think about it like that twenty years ago when I was still believing it all happened as they said. Thank you!

[@Vadjong]

Never knew about these parts of the bible. 'Book of Acts' makes me think it was written for theatre 🎭

[@theresemalmberg955]

The Gospels as well. Remember, theater and religion were deeply intertwined back then.

[@gothboschincarnate3931]

"First thing ya know ole Jeds a millionaire, Kinfolk said Jed move way from their!" I thought me and Donna Douglas were the only one that called it fan-fiction until now. We collaborated. I called it fan-fiction after walking thru it in meditation. She calls it "Hollywood Fan-fiction". she would know. She is such a dollface. She wanted to be spiritual when she was young (and alive). The dirty christions twisted her arm and guilt tripped her until she no longer wanted to be spiritual. She has bitterness towards them. they murdered me a few centuries ago. i have much bitterness.

[@BluStarGalaxy]

42 minutes. Wow. What a treat. Hey Brandon, hope the fan art I sent over email got to you successfully. The 2nd one has a corrected version because I made a mistake. Wanted to show appreciation and send something to celebrate the inevitable 50K.

[@MindShift-Brandon]

Too cool. It is wonderful. i will be sharing at some point. Thanks!

[@BluStarGalaxy]

@@MindShift-Brandon Sounds awesome. As a gift you can use them for whatever. You’re welcome bro!

[@BluStarGalaxy]

@@MindShift-Brandon There are two emails with two different images sent a few days apart.

[@DrakeTimbershaft]

Two very amusing things happens during the Secular Bible Study video. At two points your video was interrupted by ads from two different proselytizers, “inviting” you to download an app for Bible readings. Both ads had tinkly, inspirational piano and some hipster with Adam Driver-esque tousled hair inviting you to read from “A Christian perspective.” Catholic? Baptist? Orthodox? Church of the SubGenius? Unclear. They clearly want you to think this is an intervention by the “holy spirit,” but it’s more of an intervention by the almighty algorithm that latches on to words like “Bible” and “study.” Look out for these Fuller Brush salesmen, Brandon! They’re trying to ride your coattails! 🤪😂😄

[@MindShift-Brandon]

lol it is pretty ironic the waste of money for buying these keywords.

[@johntiggleman4686]

@DrakeTimbershaft I have no monetary interest in it, but I use uBlock Origin as an extension in my Firefox browser. I can't say what other browsers it works with. It is free, and since I got on KZbin 2 hours ago, it has blocked 484 ads.

[@duanethompson8770]

I greatly enjoyed this episode. As usual with your presentations I learned so much. I did not realize that there were so many contradictory passages between Acts and the actual writings of Paul.

[@MindShift-Brandon]

Thanks, Duane. And there were even so many more still!

[@shriggs55]

Like this one: "if I yet pleased men, I should not be the servant of Christ."(Gal.1:10) -VS- "Even as I please all men in all things..."(1 Cor.10:33)

[@B.S._Lewis]

I think the fact that a little girl can accurately prophecy the future using demons should concern Christians who put so much faith in prophecy.

[@MindShift-Brandon]

RIGHT!!

[@davidrexford586]

God works in mysterious ways and never doubt which way that God decides to work through which human vessel as they are all his anyways. We are not our own but were created for every purpose of God. Ephesians 2v10. Once you realize you are not your own but created for a purpose you seek to understand that purpose of.

[@integrationalpolytheism]

​@@davidrexford586and how do you tell the difference between god working and the devil working? It's possible that your counsel comes from the devil, in fact, is it not? Because how could you tell the difference?

[@davidrexford586]

@@integrationalpolytheism how do I tell the difference? I just do. Just like you determine how you know the difference unless you don’t know yourself.

[@integrationalpolytheism]

@@davidrexford586 so it seems like you're saying you can't tell the difference between a word from god and a word from satan. I invite you to spend a minute or two thinking about the implications of that for anyone who believes in prophecy. You might consider, for instance, why an almighty and all loving god would allow a malevolent entity to have the exact same access to humanity without any way of telling the difference. Have you ever heard the story about the satanic verses that were in the quran, by the way? Also, I say again, your counsel above could be coming from the devil, then. How could I possibly know the difference?

[@Rhewin]

I have been eagerly awaiting this one. I’ve been listening to Richard C Miller lately. As a classicist, he’s been pointing out how many tropes from ancient Greek literature are baked into Acts. Guess the author wanted to make things entertaining for ol’ Theophilus.

[@robinette64]

Love Miller!

[@MindShift-Brandon]

yes the greek overlaps are amazing to see! I have a separate video coming on that.

[@EdwardM-t8p]

He, Dr. MacDonald, Dr. Carrier, and Carotta are invaluable to understanding the layered mimeses of these gospels!

[@JDrocks4ever]

One of my biggest issues is with the fact that even if the Bible discusses historical things, they never line up with the supposed impact this faith would’ve truly had if it were real. If there were people really being healed and being raised from the dead, there’s no doubt that people outside of this book would’ve been talking about them. Why is there no report from some political influence or historians on legitimate miracles being done? All we have is this story book. I have the same issue with the Old Testament. If Solomon was actually as wealthy and successful as the Bible says, surrounding nations would have recorded him and there would be some remnants of his greatness. With 700 wives through political alliances, you’d think there’d be some record of his influence. If someone did that in real life, they’d definitely rule the world as a superpower

[@MindShift-Brandon]

great example!!!

[@johnnehrich9601]

EXACTLY! Every time.

[@johntiggleman4686]

JDrocks4ever My old man said a few times that when Solomon got to his last wife, he told her "You got it soft, baby." I about split a gut. That from a supposed "Christian," who went ape-shit over Bill Cosby's bit on Noah.

[@smpittsburgh264]

As foretold of him in the Old Testament, Jesus worked the miraculous, and it was known to people of the time (see citations and extensive bibliographies citing extrabiblical sources and scripture in Excavating the Evidence for Jesus: The Archaeology and History of Christ and the Gospels, Dr. Titus Kennedy). Solomon's fame spread beyond Israel: And all the earth sought to Solomon, to hear his wisdom, which God had put in his heart (1 Kings 10:24). The queen of the south was one such person cited by Jesus who did such (ref. Matthew 12:42). The locations of some of Jesus' miracles as recorded in scripture were known and much talked about after the fact, so much so that in the 2nd century, Hadrian built a shrine or temple to Asclepius at the Pool of Bethesda in an effort to supplant the truth of healing there by the work of Jesus Christ instead to the credit of the false Greco-Roman god of healing and medicine (see page 139 of the above title). Hadrian did likewise with other sites.

[@bluester7177]

​@@smpittsburgh264Sure, the bible says they werw known, but where is the evidence of other nations writing about them? There would be surviving accounts of people talking about all of these extraordinary things, we know which celebrities cheates with whom, how is it possible to have no records of a king with 700 wives?

[@josephcollins6033]

Thought of you last night. I was in a room with about 15 "Christians". They attacked me. I mean they attacked me-loudly, yelling, screaming all this stupidity, things I would never have said when I was a Christian. Fortunately, I can always out-yell a Yeller. And, I know how to do it so that my voice lasts. Their faces as I hurled bang after bang!!! Mouths open, but all they could do was yell inane BS. I realized after about 20 minutes that their faces never seemed to register when I used the Bible. I said, "OMG! You people haven't read your Bibles! You have not read it!" Typically, when I say that I get, "Oh, yes I have! " before I prove that they haven't and they have to use the faith crap, I feel it, I know it, etc. But, last night when I told them they had not read the Bible they were stunned. Not a word!! Very strange. I was exhausted when it was over.

[@gothboschincarnate3931]

Christions all feel like vultures and gang members to me.

[@QuestionThingsUseLogic]

Wow but good for you standing your ground!

[@perisleaf]

me when i make up stories on the internet:

[@josephcollins6033]

@@gothboschincarnate3931 Yep!

[@josephcollins6033]

@@QuestionThingsUseLogic Thanks, dear person!

[@trina2100]

Knocked another one out of the park and hit on so many excellent points in your commentary!

[@MindShift-Brandon]

Thank you!

[@dmitrykup8867]

Thanks for the video :3 I wish it could be 2 hours long, there are so many things happening in Acts! Your deconversion of Paul's conversion is mind-blowing. If Paul deserved such a miraculous revelation, why don't we deserve it? It's astonishing how clearly the Bible divide people in two groups. The "right" people are always forgiven no matter what, and the "wrong" people are always punished no matter what. David was forgiven for his adultery, Onan was killed for spilling his seed. Peter was forgiven for betraying God, Ananias and Sapphira were killed just for an insignificant lie (and btw, did they really lie to God? Or maybe it was just a stupid misunderstanding between them and the apostles?). Paul was forgiven for persecuting Christians, Uzza was killed for trying to save the Ark. And now tell me about the "all-loving" God of the Bible.

[@EdwardM-t8p]

Interesting! And here all along I thought it was only Romans 9 and other verses scattered here and there in the NT supported predestination as Calvin understood it.

[@shriggs55]

"I was found by those who did not seek me."(Isaiah 65:1)-Like Saul? (Paul)

[@MindShift-Brandon]

great comment!! mind if i steal it for a video?

[@dmitrykup8867]

@@MindShift-Brandon I will be happy if you steal it for a video XD Thank you so much!

[@Emanuel-hh4uu]

This is like the new testament paid dlc expansion pack. Great video Brandon!

[@Kirasfox]

Helloo! This will be a nice breakfast video. Thanks for the coverage of these chapters, hope ur day is well

[@MindShift-Brandon]

You too!

[@annakateSD]

I love the fan fic take on this. I keep thinking of Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Slayer

[@sos1691]

More than just interesting, your enlightenment is remarkably liberating. Your work is so very important and in line with the overall awakening of mankind in our age of time. You are meant to be.

[@PinkPony_]

I've been waiting for you to mention richard carrier his work is very interesting.

[@MindShift-Brandon]

It is indeed.

[@EdwardM-t8p]

Indubitably, and indispensable to our understanding of the New Testament, just like Drs. MacDonald and Miller.

[@johnnehrich9601]

Love Carrier's work. Read and watch everything of his that I can.

[@SCP-SAM]

Here we go! Thank you Brandon.

[@MindShift-Brandon]

Thanks!

[@maggienewton8518]

thank you for the details, Brandon. It makes it so much easier to look things up and learn more when there are solid references.

[@DavidRichardson153]

Oh, the comparison to fanfiction really hit hard for me because...I have written and published fanfiction. No, I didn't write fanfiction like the Bible, Dianetics, or even 50 Shades (if I had, I'd be living on my own superyacht and hanging out with other mob bosses), but I did all the things found with early fanfiction - i.e. adding, removing, and/or otherwise changing characters, plot points, and other details (major and minor) to fit whatever narrative I was going for. At least I actually recognize, then and now, that my fanfiction is exactly that: fanfiction. If I didn't, well, I'd probably be cosplaying in some sort of "armor of God" (that just so happens to strikingly resemble what is worn by a certain group of people who deluded themselves into believing that they are keeping some kind of oath) and acting like the latest Call of Duty game is historically accurate. Sorry about that final comparison, but I am from central Texas, and I saw this _all the frickin' time._

[@gothboschincarnate3931]

"First thing ya know ole Jeds a millionaire, Kinfolk said Jed move way from their!" I thought me and Donna Douglas were the only one that called it fan-fiction until now. We collaborated. I called it fan-fiction after walking thru it in meditation. She calls it "Hollywood Fan-fiction". she would know. She is such a dollface. She wanted to be spiritual when she was young (and alive). The dirty christions twisted her arm and guilt tripped her until she no longer wanted to be spiritual. She has bitterness towards them. they murdered me a few centuries ago. i have much bitterness.

[@alexandraparadela9548]

Thank you so much Brandon, great video again!!❤

[@MindShift-Brandon]

Thanks!

[@theresemalmberg955]

I am glad you mentioned Acts 16:18. Paul and Silas and the anonymous "we" of Acts don't seem to be concerned about the fate of the slave girl they exorcised. Verse 19 continues with the story, "when her masters saw that their source of profit was gone, they seized Paul and Silas and dragged them to the authorities." Paul and Silas were then flogged and thrown into prison (notice Paul doesn't play the Roman citizenship card here). But what about the girl? Did Paul and Silas really do her any favors? The fact Acts calls her a "girl" suggests that she was underage; and if she could no longer tell fortunes, her masters would need to find another way for her to bring in money for them. Anyone want to take a guess as to what that might involve? But, but, but, she was delivered from an evil spirit, never mind what other consequences this poor child would have to face while Paul and Silas went on their merry way. I also have questions about the whole Pentecost scenario. It seems very strange that there is no mention of the Roman authorities being present when only fifty days before they were very concerned about a possible uprising in the name of Jesus of Nazareth--which is why they crucified him. When the Roman authorities do make an appearance it is always in response to a complaint that the Christian leaders were disturbing the peace. Apparently, reading between the lines, it seems that while the Romans had to be aware that a crowd was gathering in front of a certain house in Jerusalem, apparently their sources of information told them that there was basically nothing to see here, that even though it was being proclaimed that the guy they'd crucified a little less than a couple of months ago was still alive, he himself was not present, having been ascended into heaven. So no threat to the social order here at this time. Finally, I'm really interested in the shipwreck story as told in Acts 27. Verse 27 says "it was the fourteenth night of the storm . . . " Now, I am not at all familiar with Mediterranean weather, since my only experience with severe weather has been in the Great Lakes region, but a storm or storm system lasting two weeks? The Great Lakes are known for their fierce storms especially the "Gales of November" which have sunk many a ship, the last being the Edmund Fitzgerald nearly 50 years ago but I have never heard of or personally experienced a storm lasting two weeks. Even hurricanes don't spend that much time in the same region; they make landfall and move on within 24 hours. Now multi-day tornado outbreaks in the same area are not uncommon especially this time of year but again, we are only talking 3-4 days at the most. So something is going on here. Either the author of Acts is meteorologically illiterate or is exaggerating--or this truly was a storm of supernatural proportions.

[@EdwardM-t8p]

And after the shipwreck they depart Malta on a ship dedicated to Castor and Pollux! It's like they've acknowledged that they've gone past Yahweh's territory.

[@MindShift-Brandon]

so many great topics to dive into. Thank you!

[@johntiggleman4686]

theresemalmberg955 From what I read in Reza Aslan's book "Zealot: The Life and Time of Jesus of Nazareth", the Roman authorities in Jerusalem accused, tried and crucified Jesus for sedition by his claim that he was the King Of The Jews, or that the Kingdom of God was at hand. And I would say that would certainly disturb the peace. Reza also shoots down the so-called trial before Pilate as nonsense; he ordered so many crucifixions (mostly for sedition), they were mundane occurrences. And why would Pilate bother discussing anything with an Jewish trouble maker? Just another zealot (not of the later Zealot Party). In all probability, Pilate wrote Jesus' sentence on a piece of papyrus and had Jesus hauled off to be whipped almost to death with a cat o' ninetails before the crucifixion.

[@theresemalmberg955]

@@johntiggleman4686 Yes, the Roman authorities clearly thought that Jesus was a threat and that is why they took action, although why they didn't do it right when he made his triumphal entry into Jerusalem is baffling. Surely they understood what that meant. So why did they wait nearly a week to arrest and crucify Jesus? This makes their absence from the Pentecost story all the more puzzling unless they had already assessed the situation and found it to be no threat. The ringleader was gone and it was obvious from the disciples' preaching that they were not saying anything seditious against Rome. As far as the conflict between the disciples and the Sanhedrin went, that was initially an internal matter involving religion which did not concern Rome in the least. It was not until actual riots broke out that you see the Romans getting involved in Acts. It just seems strange to me that the Romans were on high alert during the Passover festival yet seemingly unconcerned a few weeks later about Pentecost which had just as much potential to create civil unrest. And the only answer I can think of is that they saw no need to go after the disciples since the ringleader was now out of the picture.

[@k98killer]

Fascinating. I'll have to review Acts soon after I finish comparing the synoptics.

[@thebiblemademeatheist5]

Many do not know this but originally this book was gonna be called "Facts" but since it doesn't have any they dropped the F.. 😊

[@The-Doubters-Diary]

[@kenhoover1639]

Lol! 😂😂

[@rcktneoofusa]

Underrated comment 😂😂😂

[@johnnehrich9601]

Gonna remember that one and use if often. Thanks.

[@BabyOfTheLord]

Why is your picture in hell? Why put yourself in hell, don't you ever get old feelings of joy of innocence and think of a happier place?

[@ShyyGaladriel]

Thank you for doing these.

[@MindShift-Brandon]

My pleasure!

[@stevenbolin7688]

I've been waiting for this episode 😊

[@Critical_Explorer-vw5hy]

Good luck going through Romans in an hour!! It took my pastor a year to make it through😂

[@BluStarGalaxy]

Pastors sure like covering 5-6 verses per service. It was maddening. I used to just look through other parts of the Bible during the service because the pastor would go on tangents to pad out the hour.

[@MindShift-Brandon]

lol, yes, but without having to make all the excuses and justifications, should be able to save some time

[@EdwardM-t8p]

I bet he devoted a whole entire sermon to the two homophobic lines in Romans 1. Evangelical preachers, pastors and teachers always expound on discrete individual verses _ad nauseam_ when they agree with their agenda. 😕

[@exmormonroverpaula2319]

I’m always stunned by how little I learned about genuine Bible scholarship when I was growing up LDS. Thanks for helping me fill in the gaps on Acts. I especially appreciated the Richard Carrier article.

[@dasbus9834]

I also wonder why Paul never complained about having his free will violated when Jesus appeared to him. Did he genuinely love Jesus, or wasn't it more like he was forced to believe after such an encounter?

[@MrDalisclock]

Based on Roman's 9 Paul probably doesn't care about "Free Will"

[@dasbus9834]

@@MrDalisclock I mean, it's generally not much of a motif in the Bible, which makes it so funny when apologists make it such a fundamental aspect.

[@MrDalisclock]

@@dasbus9834 agreed. I generally don't think most of the biblical authors cared much or believed in the concept of free will, as opposed to the idea that God's will was the only one that matters.

[@Badficwriter]

@@MrDalisclock In the comic book Lucifer, the fallen angel was supposed to represent Free Will. The power to disobey, to not follow predestined paths. From a Christian point of view, that basically makes Free Will a sin, because it is only utilized to move away from God's plan. You're given the ability to sin, to disobey, but it sends you to Hell. I hate that the idea of Free Will, which had everything to do with gods, is treated like a scientific term and shows up in discussions on physics of the universe and time, etc. Also biology. Its a passionately loaded term in religion, and they use it wrongly to get attention. Saying you lack Free Will because you cannot decide to not be hungry and will probably eat has no relevance to Free Will discussions of "Did an omniscient/omnipotent person decide if I should be born blind so he could show off when he took human form?"

[@raybankin8342]

It was life changing for him

[@ReasonQuest]

I never fail to learn something, and be encouraged, when I watch one of your videos, Brandon. I look forward to EVERY ONE!

[@9ja9ite]

Wow. Brandon I don’t know how you do it. You pack so much into an hour I can hardly process it all in one sitting. It really feels like getting a cliff notes version of an entire semester of just one book of the Bible. I understand the one hour format you’re trying to keep to but I really wish on some of these more complicated books you could really break it up into a multi part Installment for the book. I do really enjoy the secular Bible study videos but on episodes like this you do really leave me wanting more. It’s like getting to visit the Smithsonian but you have to run through the whole tour never stopping to appreciate or absorb any one thing. In many ways some of these videos feel more like an overview for a more In-depth video series that I’d love to dive into with you but don’t get to because we’re onto the next book. I’m craving the meat and potatoes. Please take that as a friendly constructive criticism, not a complaint. It’s more a testament to how great a communicator and teacher you are that your viewers want more 😆

[@MindShift-Brandon]

i love that feedback! I am sure after this initial pass, we will be circling around to deeper dives! thank you!

[@9ja9ite]

@@MindShift-Brandon I'll be there for it!

[@Jon45678]

@@MindShift-Brandon 👍🏻

[@dmsdad6866]

With Mythvision/Carrier, THIS episode, Pervo's book on Acts, and the Westar Institute's 10yr published research on Acts,... Everything's covered. It's quite beautiful and fun to follow and explore the lore

[@James-wv3hx]

Dive in.

[@akulagepard9510]

Acts, finally! one of the craziest books on the canon

[@MindShift-Brandon]

indeed, thanks for watching!

[@cheeseman417]

Great episode as always, as you said, Acts provides a treasure trove of topics for critical analysis, but man, you have ads interrupting in every 4-5 minutes or so, or if i pause the video for a moment as soon as it's unpaused you have to wait until another round of commercials finish! i wish you had this on apple podcasts or just less interruptions on youtube because it's on hyperdrive.

[@MindShift-Brandon]

so sorry to hear that. KZbin controls ads and will test different things for different users. Thats so frustrating.

[@johntiggleman4686]

@cheeseman417 I have no monetary interest in it, but I use uBlock Origin as an extension in my Firefox browser. I don't know if it works in other browsers. As of this writing, it has blocked 491 ads since 7 pm, EDST.

[@Badficwriter]

Get an adblocker. They update regularly to get around KZbin.

[@Marinezmom]

TY! Every brilliant breakdown continues to help me know I made the right decision! 👏🏻

[@DilutedH2SO4]

I was reading Acts in advance of this video (it's the highlight of my week lol), and wondered why these Christian multi-millionaires and mega-churches have forgotten Acts 2:44-45 and Acts 4:32-37 (practical methods for maybe trying to make people's lives better) instead of all those exorcisms and faith healings and miracles (magical fairy things they can't prove) 💀. Imagine what could have been

[@Queenread82]

Elmer Gantry

[@MindShift-Brandon]

No doubt! and thanks!

[@johntiggleman4686]

@DilutedH2SO4 (sulphuric acid, I think?) I've seen the videos on the so-called "faith healers" such as Benny Hinn, on Holy Koolaid's channel. Those bastards aggravate me. They all should be brought up on RICO charges, but you won't hear a squeak about it because of the First Amendment's freedom of religion. But that kind of stuff should be prosecuted anyway. By Gar, suckering people out of their money for a fake healing show is absolutely "satanic."

[@ndjarnag]

love these vids man! Lets goooooo!

[@chadmccoy8032]

Thumbnail art is so good. I also love the series graphic logo, especially the font!! Good look.

[@heavenbound7-7-7-7]

"Thumbnail art is so good" Do you mean AI generated images which everybody and their mother uses nowadays?

[@MindShift-Brandon]

Appreciate that!

[@chadmccoy8032]

@@heavenbound7-7-7-7 Why? Why say something like that?

[@heavenbound7-7-7-7]

@@chadmccoy8032 It has so many issues, it's borderline unethical.

[@thedog121]

@@heavenbound7-7-7-7we really trying to cry about anything other than the absolute evisceration of Acts 🤣🤣

[@BorisTheRed]

I cannot wait for ALL those side episodes that you keep eluding to! Yes, there are so many details that need to be dissected, and yes, keeping it one book per week and under an hour is a huge challenge, but we, all who watch the channel, and all who are with you on this educational journey, we need you to come through with those promises! Finish the canon collection, then let’s get into the small stuff.

[@antidotebrain69]

My dad constantly pushed me towards this book because he believed that my love of academics would make me a perfect missionary/evangelist to "smartalek Atheists." Ironic.

[@BeccaYoley]

If only it were true...

[@antidotebrain69]

@@BeccaYoley ?

[@BeccaYoley]

@@antidotebrain69 I've been told similar things like "you would make a great defender of the faith if you were on our side." And my response is, "If only it were true, then maybe I would defend it." But now that I think about it, I still wouldn't defend it because I find it immoral.

[@antidotebrain69]

@@BeccaYoley ahh. I get you. I thought you were r/thathappened -ing me for a sec

[@SalvyMic]

I'm especially grateful for this episode and the upcoming episodes, because that's where the Bible gets especially fuzzy for me. There was an Extra History video about the crisis of the 3rd century that pointed that Christianity more likely survived thanks not to the handfuls of martyrs that died for the faith, but the people who kept up appearances of practicing the traditional Roman religion on the surface while professing Christianity in private. I wasn't aware of the full context or Stephen's martyrdom causing Christians to flee; so much for being willing to die for their faith, but they probably contributed more than Stephen to the continued survival of the religion. I think one thing worth mentioning is that in Antiquity, people writing about history weren't really doing so to accurately record everything that happened in an objective, linear manner that we think of in the modern period, but they almost always wrote to make a point about something or other, especially if they were commissioned by a patron. It was often a moral point that was trying to be made and it seemed to be a practice that most of the cultures in the Mediterranean practiced. I wouldn't expect the separate books of the Bible to be any different, which is why it reads so much more like an anthology rather than a continuous omnibus telling one cohesive story, and each regional flavor of Christianity was probably pulling from their own assortment of writings to frame their practices.

[@MindShift-Brandon]

Love all this, always thankful for the support!

[@SalvyMic]

@@MindShift-Brandon I'm thankful to you for being such a thorough teacher of this stuff. For as problematic and harmful as the Bible's theology is as far as people believing it to be true and the way our current society should live and be governed by, it is fascinating as literature and mythology as interpreted by the people who wrote these books and stories. One can learn a lot about culture through how they write their fiction.

[@ZayGreen-zj2ki]

Excellent--I have been an atheist for many years--this is extremely helpful--after years of Christian indoctrination I still need de-programming

[@vidhead85]

I remember hearing about the Acts of the Apostles/Holy Spirit and thinking: Wow, I COULD do that if I had enough faith. But how much was enough was always a question None Just a good imagination and the Roman library

[@simonkoster]

I wonder if the introduction of Marks long ending can be linked to the writing of Acts. The story of Paul's snake handling and the corresponding "prediction" in long Mark sure makes me go "Hmmm".

[@uncleanunicorn4571]

The damascus road experience is a breaking point for many Apostates, Undermining free will arguments. Brandon never made a career out of hunting and murdering Christians, but he can't get a revelation? I couldn't either , it turns out.

[@kettei7743]

Happy sbs day

[@MindShift-Brandon]

Cheers!

[@Djax111]

I am not sure why I never thought of it before, but you raised a great point about how this religion was able to spread so quickly at its time with how advanced and open minded Rome was at the time. It was like a brush fire that eventually grew to be a big deal. Great point about this. Ironically I was recently looking for a lot of historical evidence around Paul as well, and there isnt really any definitive ending to his story. Some say Nero ordered the persecution of Christians because of the fires, but honestly it ended up being much deeper than I initially thought. Realistically they believe Paul may have caused a stink moreso politically with his ideas that couldve possibly led to execution, not really just because he was a Christian. Honestly the running theme of the Jewish/Christian people in these stories is victim mentality.

[@JimmyTuxTv]

excellent commentary and oh boy! oh boy! a new Brandon Art piece!!!

[@MindShift-Brandon]

Thank you!

[@rylands4289]

Love this bc i just finished watching the same topic from mythvision yesterday 🥰

[@beautyisaliveinyou]

This is so good!!!! I joined the orthodox Christian Church, which I loved, but I found so much fault and it start. It didn’t start with Jesus. It started way later when everybody came together to agree on a consensus., well outing, the rest!

[@JamesRichardWiley]

The early written stories needed more background details to convince doubters who were asking difficult questions. Enter "The Acts of the Apostles" to answer all the hard questions and satisfy the folks who love a good yarn.

[@theresemalmberg955]

Yes, the sudden conversion of Cornelius seems rather suspect. After all, he'd be in a position to know what the Roman practices were regarding crucifixion and burial and might even be in a position to verify Peter and the other disciples' tale with other Roman authorities. He doesn't seem to ask any questions, just accepts what the disciples have told him.

[@stevenpike7857]

Isn't the reason Paul had to right all these letters to these churches was because people were getting upset Jesus hadn't returned as promised? Hilarious. Even today, Christians keep moving the goalpost, retconning the Bible to explain why he hasn't come back yet.

[@ellypecher1616]

Hey mindshift!! I’m early and wanted to say I love watching your channel!!

[@MindShift-Brandon]

Thanks so much for being here and the kind comments!

[@diudalidion1744]

I couldn't look at the video immediately when it was posted and the only time I had to do so, was at my gym time. OMG, the more I heard the more I got angry (at me) for not seeing all of this before. I've read the whole Bible and I didn't noticed this? Howwwww? *Sigh* anyway... I used the angry to power my workout and you blew my mind as always, thanks!! Keep posting!

[@BeccaYoley]

A Saul's conversion side video sounds great!🎉

[@MindShift-Brandon]

Agreed, PS. i saw your comment above on the issues with the same portion of faith. I am stealing that for a video lol!

[@BeccaYoley]

@@MindShift-Brandon I love that, Feel free to! You do a better job at expressing it through speaking and video than I can. I've been starting my own tiny channel, and I have a video on the topic as well. If you want, feel free to watch in case it gives anymore ideas! I am just passionate about the good news of secularism being spread 😂 I'm currently working on a video to refute Truth Unites vid on female pastors.

[@Jarb2104]

This series has been amazing to me, I've learned so much, I'm probably going to be watching it a couple of times again in the future, keep this awesome work you do. And a small criticism, if you can, leave a small margin between the edge of the video and text, it feels off for me, and sometimes it feels like "cut off" as well, even if all the text is there, just an odd feeling.

[@KenSketcher]

Another interesting and sensible bible talk by Brandon.

[@hamobu]

The real reason why Christianity spread so fast is that it's the only religion with an aggressive and committed sales-force. No other religion has such an emphasis on converting others.

[@DavidRichardson153]

It really depends on what you mean by "sales force." As far as it being agressive and committed, well, I ain't disagreeing about that. In fact, I would say that their "sales force" spending years, decades, _centuries_ of selling the pitch of people being saved by going to this foreign land that their faith supposedly originated from and "converting" people - and ideally, going at it well enough that the land is painted red with their "conversions" - kind of says a lot about the religion.

[@dougt7580]

It also had a REALLY low barrier for entry.

[@zhengfuukusheng9238]

Same applies for Islam. But their salesforce also carried weapons

[@JDrocks4ever]

@@zhengfuukusheng9238So did Christianity throughout history😂 once it becomes useful in politics it’s bound to happen unfortunately

[@hamobu]

@@zhengfuukusheng9238 not really the same. There are no Muslim missionaries, or Muslims Knocking on your door to convert you, or Muslims handing pamphlets on the street. Muslims didn't organize mission trips into the jungle to convert primitive tribes. Also Muslims didn't force their religion as much as people think. Like the oldest Christian sect are Copts in Egypt. The oldest monotheistic religion is Zoroastrianism in Iran. Sikh religion started under a Muslim rule around the same time as Martin Luther in Europe. Also, Islam didn't just spread through conquest. For example, the Ottoman and Mughal empire took Islam from the people they conquered.

[@stevewebber707]

I am not convinced that the road to Damascus experience, was describing a physical manifestation of Jesus. In fact I would go so far as to say it is the first situation where divine hiddenness occurs in the new testament narrative. Paul may be getting his revelation, yet his companions saw and heard nothing.

[@MrMortal_Ra]

“The men who were traveling with him stood speechless because they heard the voice but saw no one”, “Now those who were with me saw the light but did not hear the voice of the one who was speaking to me”. The companions (at least as recorded by Acts…) mentions that they saw the light and heard the voice, that would indicate the objectivity of the experience rather than the subjectivity.

[@exoplanet11]

N.B. Perhaps it's also useful to recall that Paul never claimed to have been on the Road to Damascus.

[@caffetiel]

​@@MrMortal_Ra Which is it? Did they hear and not see or see and not hear or did they hear and see?

[@MrMortal_Ra]

@@caffetiel Acts 9:7 The companions "heard the voice" (ἀκούοντες τῆς φωνῆς) but "saw no one." This suggests they physically heard a sound but did not see the source of the sound. Acts 22:9 The companions "did not hear" (οὐκ ἤκουσαν) the voice of the one speaking. Here, the use of "οὐκ ἤκουσαν" can be interpreted as "did not understand." This implies that while they may have heard a sound (as indicated in Acts 9:7), they did not comprehend the message being spoken to Paul. An example from Luke is Luke 6:27 where the word ἀκούω is used in the sense of understanding rather than in the sense of hearing by ear. However, I went through a NT Greek Lexicon, where I looked at the times both in Luke and in Acts, where the word and forms of the word are used, and it seems to me that the word is used in the sense of hearing by ear more frequently than used in the sense of understanding. That should be noted as well, however, to me this looks like a middle ground, a draw. It seems to be that it could go either way and because it could go in both directions, to me it’s draw. biblehub.com/greek/191.htmv.

[@davidrexford586]

@@MrMortal_Raeveryone who becomes born again has a type of Damascus experience where you know the presence of God.. but you never see God with your .. eyes. A moment of divine clarity and a moment where God speaks to your most inner self. And those around you don’t understand in their flesh what is going on inside you in a Spiritual sense.

[@rainyfeathers9148]

Is that the same 'Be it so, I did not burden you...' Paul? Mr 'I caught you with guile' Paul?

[@TheMesomovie]

So very good! Thanks!

[@panqueque445]

17:00 I'm sure the Spiderman comics also get New York right. I guess Spiderman is real then.

[@MindShift-Brandon]

Exactly.

[@gothboschincarnate3931]

New York is an actual city. So obviously spider-man exist...Logic!

[@hewasfuzzywuzzy3583]

Thank you for covering all of the fanfic that creates more contradictions. Not that the bible doesn't already have so many already-potentially hundreds. This was so good that when the video was over I didn't even feel like 40-ish minutes had gone by.

[@hamobu]

It's interesting how tolerant Roman society was at that time. Once Christianity took over, creation of new religions stopped.

[@chewxieyang4677]

Though it clearly did not help that Christianity took hold at the tail end of the Roman empire, where everything is going pear-shaped in the form of migrating tribes and internal disarray.

[@hamobu]

@@chewxieyang4677 Roman empire was at it's peak around the year 117 CE, which is around the time Christianity was starting. As Christianity grew, roman empire declined. Early Christians were like ISIS and Taliban today, extremely hostile and destroying anything non-Christian. That must have weakened the empire severely.

[@chewxieyang4677]

@@hamobu One might still question whether the fall of Rome is a matter of when, rather than an if. There's also the other question of 'If not Christianity, what other religion might fill the niche Roman Polytheism would not be able to fill?'

[@hamobu]

@@chewxieyang4677 What is a niche that roman polytheism didn't fill?

[@AXKfUN9m]

@@hamobu Population control.

[@WayneGolding]

Excellent! How about doing a series on Acts that delves more deeply since there is so much to explore? The same with your upcoming examination of Romans.

[@Canaanitebabyeater]

Haven't finished the video yet but I really hope you touch on the use of Josephus in Acts

[@Betttty]

Wow chapert 44 well done brandon you're almost there

[@MindShift-Brandon]

Thanks so much!

[@CommonSense_Skeptic]

Another great analysis

[@MindShift-Brandon]

Thanks!

[@rochelebierhalspereira7106]

The example of Herod being struck down and eaten by worms begs the question why the other Herod didn't get the same to prevent him from massacring all the boys in Bethlehem. I know it was fulfilling a prophecy, but an all-knowing god could have made a different prophecy "a wicked king will plan to destroy the sons of Rachel, but the might of the Lord will smite him", or something.

[@a.b.2405]

Around the 35:00 mark! This right here! He can show up for Saul who killed his followers, wasn’t checking for him at all, but can’t show up for the ones who BEG for him to show up!? Bye! Christians always use this excuse of “you didn’t invite him to your heart” when they’re talking to a nonbeliever, people who are questioning, and even victims of horrible crimes. Saul/Paul didn’t invite Jesus to his heart but here we are reading fanfiction on the fact that Jesus did show up for him. Funny how they assume we didn’t invite Jesus to our hearts like we weren’t doing that all our lives. They can’t admit if their god exists, then he is just incompetent and a horrible father.

[@MindShift-Brandon]

right! its pretty much a killer for all those dumb arguments!

[@jasonhighlander]

Dude, I'm already looking forward to the side video about the Road to Damascus!

[@QuestionThingsUseLogic]

Darn, if it wasn't almost midnight, I'd watch it, but it will have to wait until tomorrow....

[@CatDaddyGuitar]

I've gotta watch later, too! First time for me 😂

[@QuestionThingsUseLogic]

@@CatDaddyGuitar l finally got to watch this excellent video, finally!! It's soooo good!

[@CatDaddyGuitar]

@@QuestionThingsUseLogic 👍🏼👊🏼🥳🎉😜😂

[@QuestionThingsUseLogic]

@@CatDaddyGuitar 😜

[@QuestionThingsUseLogic]

@@CatDaddyGuitar got to tell you a funny story....years ago when much younger, l went to a meeting that wanted to help Christians 'learn' the 'gifts of the spirit'. So we were told to practice 'prophecying' by saying something God would say....l couldn't help it but when it was my turn my response was: "Yay, l doth like lollies and icecream." 🤣🤣🤣 One of my friends there laughed....lol