A Brief Introduction to the New Testament
Bart D. EhrmanQuotes
For most ancient persons, religion was not the way to guarantee an afterlife: it was a way to secure life in the here and now.
My point is that we can understand something only in light of what we already know.
“My God, My God, why have you forsaken me?” (15:34; cf. Ps 22:2).
For Matthew, Jesus provides the true understanding of the Jewish Law, and his followers must keep it.
According to Matthew, the Jewish authorities are fully responsible for the blood of Jesus as well.
Unfortunately, we do not have the originals of any of the books of the New Testament, or the first copies, or the copies of the first copies. What we have are copies made much later—in most cases hundreds of years later.
...women provided Jesus with financial support during his ministry, evidently serving as his patrons.