EarlDoherty

And I've given you more than three pitches across the plate in my long post above, and you haven't even swung your bat.

And by the way, if you had actually read my latest book (or even TJP), you would know that your passage in chapter 2 does not conflict with mythicism, but actually fits into the non-earthly Jesus that the whole of Hebrews presents. Of course, in a case like this one, you rely on English translations because you have no proficiency in Greek to know what the texts actually say.

Earl Doherty

ApostateAbe

Well, I do rely on English translations, and I think only someone with a high level of academic qualifications should be given any attention if he claims a translation conflicting with every English translation in existence. But of course the two of us have the same level of academic qualifications (none at all).

Toto

Stop this. Earl does read ancient Greek.

ApostateAbe

OK, maybe Earl should explain his argument from ancient Greek in this thread instead of appealing to his own authority, demeaning my authority and marketing his book.

EarlDoherty

[
Thank you for admitting that you have no academic qualifications, Abe. I do not do the same because it is not true. And I would ask you this. If I have no qualifications in Greek, as is the case with you, why are my books full of very detailed analysis about the Greek texts? Where do I get that ability? Am I just making it all up? Not even Richard Carrier, who is an expert in Greek (I have no reluctance to say that he is more proficient than myself), found fault with my Greek analyses in The Jesus Puzzle, apart from one or two niggling word meanings. (See his 2002 review of TJP.)

I will also ask you this. You wouldn't know, since you haven't read it, but in the Preface to JNGNM I say this:

Now, Abe, do you honestly (and I stress that word "honestly," even though you may be unfamiliar with it) think that I would print this as an outright lie that you claim this to be in a book in which I have laid out my case 'for the ages'? After all, if it were a lie, how could I be sure that it would not be exposed, that someone who does know me personally or at least that aspect of my life would see it, know it as a lie, and let that be known? Do you really think I would take that chance?

Of course, I know that you really don't think I am lying. You raise the question simply as a matter of tactics, dishonest ones. You and I both know that. Despite Toto's closure of the previous thread in which you make that accusation, you now raise it again here. Do you want the mods to close this thread as well? Is that how you will conduct debate with me, by tossing shit, lies and innuendo instead of honest discussion and dealing with my arguments? You say you've put actual argument against my case into the past, already dealt with. Gee, I guess I must have missed that. Leaving aside your constant appeals to authority, I can't remember a single substantive counter-argument you've made against me in the several tedious years you've been on this board.

So why not cut all this transparent crap and get down to business? I've given you plenty of material to work with in my long posting above. If you like you can even start with your so-called three strikes against Steven. I'd be glad to answer you on those.

Put your money where your mouth is. Although I realize that's difficult when all you've got is mouth.

Earl Doherty

Toto

Earl gave you an excerpt from his second book and has most of his first book online.

He has not appealed to his own authority. He has simply stated the truism that something is always lost in translation.

No more on this digression.

EarlDoherty

In that long posting above, there was only a single allusion to a Greek issue, because my argument did not require it. It is quite different in the case of other passages in Hebrews, notably that of 8:4 telling us that Jesus had never been on earth.

Don't think you are going to squirm out of this by demanding that somehow I recast my posting in regard to translations issue, because as I've just said there really aren't any in regard to the topic of this thread. And I am not appealing to my own authority, I am presenting the text itself, appealing to what it says (even in translation), and to conclusions that can be drawn from what it says. The ball is now in your court. If you don't like what I've done 'on my own authority', disprove it. Disprove it by analyzing the text itself and what I've concluded from it and demonstrate where I am wrong. I know you haven't had any practice at doing this, Abe (whoever you are), but I trust even your unqualified intellectual capacity to embark on something new.

Earl Doherty