Ben Wilson

The charge goes back to the times during Jesus' public career when he was accused of being in league with Satan, a charge impossible to imagine being invented by the early church. Such a charge was an obvious way of reacting to powerful and surprising actions, Jesus' miracles, for which there was no other explanation open to people committed to rejecting Jesus' message.

The charge goes back to the times during Jesus' public career when he was accused of being in league with Satan, a charge impossible to imagine being invented by the early church. Such a charge was an obvious way of reacting to powerful and surprising actions, Jesus' miracles, for which there was no other explanation open to people committed to rejecting Jesus' message.

Okay, so when you have a non-Christian source saying that he was executed for sorcery, then it does indeed seem like that was a key part of his life. So I think the evidence is pretty strong that he did perform miracles, or at least, you know, if you're non-Christian, claim to have performed miracles. I do think that was a real part of his reputation during his life was as a miracle worker. Okay.

Okay, so when you have a non-Christian source saying that he was executed for sorcery, then it does indeed seem like that was a key part of his life. So I think the evidence is pretty strong that he did perform miracles, or at least, you know, if you're non-Christian, claim to have performed miracles. I do think that was a real part of his reputation during his life was as a miracle worker. Okay.

Um, yeah, that's the end of most of my important notes. I'll note one other thing. There is one other source that I consulted or at least looked at, which was the gospel of Thomas. So this is a gospel that was found, uh, recently in the last 60 years, I think, um, it was discovered with the dead sea scrolls and, uh, it's a Gnostic account of Jesus's life. Um,

Um, yeah, that's the end of most of my important notes. I'll note one other thing. There is one other source that I consulted or at least looked at, which was the gospel of Thomas. So this is a gospel that was found, uh, recently in the last 60 years, I think, um, it was discovered with the dead sea scrolls and, uh, it's a Gnostic account of Jesus's life. Um,

it's kind of exciting to read something new, like a new gospel of Jesus's life. It's actually a book of sayings. So it doesn't go through his biography. It just goes through things that he said, you know, just, and Jesus said, and Jesus said, it gives us a lot of his sayings. Again, it's kind of exciting to read something new, but ultimately it's frankly, it's not that good.

it's kind of exciting to read something new, like a new gospel of Jesus's life. It's actually a book of sayings. So it doesn't go through his biography. It just goes through things that he said, you know, just, and Jesus said, and Jesus said, it gives us a lot of his sayings. Again, it's kind of exciting to read something new, but ultimately it's frankly, it's not that good.

And I think it highlights how good the four gospels of the Bible are from a literary perspective. you know, believe it or not, they're engaging, they're interesting, they're fun to read. The Gospel of Thomas is kind of tedious. And many of the teachings do line up with the four canonical gospels, although some of them do not. So I don't know. You can do it. I kind of enjoyed it.

And I think it highlights how good the four gospels of the Bible are from a literary perspective. you know, believe it or not, they're engaging, they're interesting, they're fun to read. The Gospel of Thomas is kind of tedious. And many of the teachings do line up with the four canonical gospels, although some of them do not. So I don't know. You can do it. I kind of enjoyed it.

But just this is my warning, I guess. If you do read the Gospel of Thomas, it's not that good. Uh, and then, um, yeah, one other thing is this idea of feasting. So I think it's very interesting. Uh, the, the Eucharist communion, whatever you want to call it is practiced by Christians all over the world now. And this is basically on Sundays, once a week they go, they take some bread with Catholics.

But just this is my warning, I guess. If you do read the Gospel of Thomas, it's not that good. Uh, and then, um, yeah, one other thing is this idea of feasting. So I think it's very interesting. Uh, the, the Eucharist communion, whatever you want to call it is practiced by Christians all over the world now. And this is basically on Sundays, once a week they go, they take some bread with Catholics.

It's like a wafer. And brothers use bread or wafers or crackers or whatever. And then drink a little wine. We Latter-day Saints, we do water in remembrance of Christ's body and blood. For early Christians, the Eucharist was not just a ceremony, but an actual meal. We don't know exactly how often they feasted together in this way.

It's like a wafer. And brothers use bread or wafers or crackers or whatever. And then drink a little wine. We Latter-day Saints, we do water in remembrance of Christ's body and blood. For early Christians, the Eucharist was not just a ceremony, but an actual meal. We don't know exactly how often they feasted together in this way.

I tried to look into it, but some sources say every time they met for worship, which Paul says was daily, they would partake of this meal together. Other sources say they feasted together weekly So who knows? But no matter how often, this was a key part of their worship and identity, which I think is cool because it goes back to how Jesus lived his life, which was to share meals with other people.

I tried to look into it, but some sources say every time they met for worship, which Paul says was daily, they would partake of this meal together. Other sources say they feasted together weekly So who knows? But no matter how often, this was a key part of their worship and identity, which I think is cool because it goes back to how Jesus lived his life, which was to share meals with other people.

That was a key part of what he did. And so I actually think that this concept of feasting is something I'm turning over in my mind and thinking a lot about. I think it's really, really important. I think you could found a very powerful political movement based on this idea of feasting. People eat alone now.

That was a key part of what he did. And so I actually think that this concept of feasting is something I'm turning over in my mind and thinking a lot about. I think it's really, really important. I think you could found a very powerful political movement based on this idea of feasting. People eat alone now.

I went on a deep dive kind of researching depression and suicide a few months, actually maybe a couple of years ago. Not for myself, thankfully. I have pretty good mental health. But I got interested in this because it just seems like such a curse of modern life. It always bothers me that so many people feel so badly about their life that they are depressed.

I went on a deep dive kind of researching depression and suicide a few months, actually maybe a couple of years ago. Not for myself, thankfully. I have pretty good mental health. But I got interested in this because it just seems like such a curse of modern life. It always bothers me that so many people feel so badly about their life that they are depressed.