Author: K.B. Vogelman

K.B. Vogelman has a Bachelor of Science degree in Administration of Justice that included a 3-month internship on the Wichita Police Department. A 22-year career in retail Loss Prevention management and investigations included advanced training certification in deceptive language analysis from a renowned former Israeli Police Department polygrapher. Personally conducting company investigations, taking witness interviews and written confessions into the thousands, these were used to pursue prosecutions through engagements with local, state and Federal law enforcement agencies across 26 states. One such interstate Internet fraud investigation resulted a letter of commendation from the Director the Secret Service, United States Treasury Department. Switching careers to a top tier technology company, an on-going 14+ year tenure has produced certifications in training, Business Process Improvement, and PMP project management with global experience.

“The Censor” – Mystery of the Renaissance

Posted on by K.B. Vogelman

Invention of the Gutenberg press around 1500 AD opened up the Dark Ages with a burst of information to the masses not unlike the explosion of information on the Internet. Triggering the Renaissance, the Gutenberg press was a game changer in another way – it led to censorship.^[1]

Imagine – religious information became available to anyone who could read.^[2] Elite institutions that previously held exclusive control over religious messaging viewed this as a threat and in an effort to regain control, they resorted to censorship tactics.

“The Censor” … who was he? Expanding a bit further, two more questions: why and how.

Liberally used by religious scholars, the term “the Censor” actually refers to the many perpetrators who performed the censorship, some known and mostly unknown.^[3] For example, home-to-home searches imposed indiscriminate burning of scrolls and books, pages being torn out, and blacking out text.^[4]

Censorship was focused squarely on information about Jesus of Nazareth. Encyclopaedia Judaica explains censorship of the Talmud began in the late 1500s such as with Sanhedrin 43a, 106a and 107b.^[5]

Blame is largely attributed to the Roman Inquisition for censorship of references deemed to be contradictory to the official teaching of Christianity. However, strong evidence also points to Jewish censorship exposed in newer publications of the Babylonian Talmud.

Once-expunged content is viewed by some as being insightful to a deeper understanding of both Jewish and Christian teachings. At the forefront of censorship restoration was the Soncino Babylonian Talmud.^[6]

Soncino Editor Rabbi Dr. I. Epstein explained an attempt was made to reproduce a “clear and lucid” literal English translation of the Talmud. Missing content was restored either directly to the body of the text or, albeit more obscurely, within the footnotes and sometimes the text was clarified in brackets.^[7]

One previously censored folio in the Soncino Talmud translation is Sanhedrin 43a containing direct references to Yeshu, a Hebrew name for Jesus.^[8] Some of the original text was restored only in the footnotes:^[9]

“…On the eve of the Passover Yeshu ^[34] was hanged …’”

“But since nothing was brought forward in his favor he was hanged on the eve of Passover!^[35]

Footnote 34 following “Yeshu” references the original Munich manuscript, the oldest complete Talmud copy in existence. According to the footnote, the words “the Nasarean” appeared in the censored text referring to the home town of Yeshu.^[10] The original Munich Talmud manuscript thus said:

“On the eve of the Passover Yeshu, the Nasarean, was hanged.” ^[11]

Footnote 35 for the phrase “eve of the Passover” references a less than complete Florentine Talmud manuscript, 200 years older than the original Munich Manuscript, and includes the words “and the eve of Sabbath.”^[12] In the scenario where Jesus was crucified on a Friday, that day would be both on the “eve of Passover” and “eve of Sabbath” making the Talmud in total agreement with the Gospels.^[13]

Some Sanhedrin 43a Gemara text was not footnoted; rather, clarified in brackets in the Soncino edition and similarly appears in the Sefaria (Davidson) translation. The Rodkinson’s Talmud translation leaves out this entire Gemara section:^[14]

“With Yeshu however it was different, for he was connected with the government [or royalty, i.e., influential].” – Soncino

Mishneh Torah formulates the 13 principals of the Jewish faith written by the revered medieval sage Rabbi Maimonides.^[15] Heavy censorship was focused on the last two chapters called Hilchos Melachim – the Laws Concerning Kings.^[16]

An example excerpt from the Sichos in English translation is found restored, but only in a footnote:

“If a king will arise from the House of David, who, like David his ancestor, delves deeply into the study of the Torah and engages in the mitzvos as prescribed by the Written Law and the Oral Law; if he will compel all of Israel to walk in [the way of the Torah] and repair the breaches [in its observance]; and if he will fight the wars of G-d; – we may, with assurance, consider him Mashiach.

“If he did not succeed to this degree or he was killed, he surely is not [the redeemer] promised by the Torah. [Rather,] he should be considered as all the other proper and legitimate kings of the Davidic dynasty who died. G-d only caused him to arise in order to test the multitude. As it is written [Daniel 11:35], “Some of the wise men will stumble, to purge, to refine, and to clarify, until the appointed time, for it is yet to come.

“Jesus of Nazareth who aspired to be the Moshiach and was executed by the court was also spoken of in Daniel’s prophecies [Daniel 11:14], “The renegades among your people shall exalt themselves in an attempt to fulfill the vision, but they shall stumble.”^[17] – Maimonides

Does the uncensored information shed light on the accuracy of the Gospels?

Updated September 4, 2025.

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

REFERENCES:

[1] Chase, Jeffrey S. “The Gutenberg Printing Press.” Duke University|Department of Computer Science. n.d. <http://www.cs.duke.edu/~chase/cps49s/press-summary.html> Instone-Brewer, David. Instituto John Henry Newman. “Jesus of Nazareth’s Trial in the Uncensored Talmud.” n.d. <https://institutojohnhenrynewmanufv.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/jesus-of-nazareth-s-trial-in-the-uncensored-talmud.pdf> Instone-Brewer, David. “Medieval Mysteries You Didn’t Learn in History Class.” MSN.com. September 3, 2025. video, 9:18. <https://www.msn.com/en-us/video/peopleandplaces/medieval-mysteries-you-didn-t-learn-in-history-class/vi-AA1zh0su?ocid=msedgntp&pc=HCTS&cvid=68b84420ef4d49cb83a092f391d28610&ei=133>
[2] Whipps, Heather. “How Gutenberg Changed the World.” 2008. <https://www.livescience.com/2569-gutenberg-changed-world.html>   “The impact of the printing press.” Skwirk.com. n.d. <http://www.skwirk.com/p-c_s-56_u-422_t-1108_c-4280/the-impact-of-the-printing-press/qld/the-impact-of-the-printing-press/renaissance-and-reformation/the-reformation>
[3] Valentine, Carol A. “Do Not Censor the Talmud, Please.” 2003. Come and Hear. 2010. <http://come-and-hear.com/editor/censorship_1.html> “Euphemism” and “Censorship of Hebrew Books.” Jewish Encyclopedia. 2011. <http://www.jewishencyclopedia.com/articles/5906-euphemism> and <http://www.jewishencyclopedia.com/articles/4170-censorship-of-hebrew-books> Censor. PrivateInternetAccess. image. 2017. <https://www.privateinternetaccess.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/chinese-censorship-red-1200×1045.png>
[4] “Censorship of Hebrew Books.” Jewish Encyclopedia. 2011. Maimonides. “The Law Concerning Moshiach.” Ed. Yechezkal Shimon Gutfreund, “Publisher’s Forward.” Valentine. “Do Not Censor the Talmud, Please – Returning to Ezra the Scribe.” “Church Censorhip.” Jewish Virtual Library. 2008. <http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/censorship>
[5] “Jesus.” Encyclopaedia Judaica. Pages 249-250. Segal, Eliezer. A Page from the Babylonian Talmud. “Mishnah” – “Redaction.” n.d. <http://people.ucalgary.ca/~elsegal/TalmudPage.html#Page>; “The Gemara (Talmud)” – “Redaction.” <http://people.ucalgary.ca/~elsegal/TalmudMap/Gemara.html#Redaction> Soncino Babylonian Talmud. Ed. Isidore Epstein based on the Wilna Romm Edition. 1935 – 1948. <http://come-and-hear.com/tcontents.html>   The Babylonian Talmud. Rodkinson transalation. Internet Sacred Text Archives. 2010. <http://www.sacred-texts.com/jud/talmud.htm> “The Gemara (Talmud).” Valentine. “Do Not Censor the Talmud, Please.” “Euphemism” and “Censorship of Hebrew Books.” Jewish Encyclopedia. 2011.
[6] Valentine. “Do Not Censor the Talmud, Please.” “Jesus.” Encyclopaedia Judaica. Pages 249-250. Soncino Babylonian Talmud. Ed. Epstein.
[7] “Talmud.” Jewish Encyclopedia. 2011. “Hebrew Manuscripts.” Jewish Virtual Library. 2008. <http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/hebrew-manuscripts> Soncino Babylonian Talmud. Ed. Epstein. “Method and Scope.”
[8] Yassif, Eli. “The Jewish Jesus Story.” Tablet. 2017. <http://www.tabletmag.com/jewish-arts-and-culture/220567/the-jewish-jesus-story>   KjaerHansen, Kai. “An Introduction to the Names Yehoshua/Joshua, Yeshua, Jesus and Yeshu.” 1992. Jews For Jesus. 2017. <https://jewsforjesus.org/answers/an-introduction-to-the-names-yehoshua-joshua-yeshua-jesus-and-yeshu>
[9] Soncino Babylonian Talmud. Tractate Sanhedrin, Folio 43a. “Who will emerge from Bethlehem.” Teshuvas HaMinim. 2011. Archived URL. Archive.org. 2 Sept. 2012. <http://web.archive.org/web/20120902023316/http://www.teshuvashaminim.com/michah51.html>
[10] Net.bible.org. Greek text – Matthew 2:23; 26:71; Mark 1:24; 14:67; 10:47; Luke 4:34; John 18:5. Strong. “Nazarenos <3478> The New Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible. “Nazarean” and “Nazarene.” Merriam-Webster. 2017 <http://www.merriam-webster.com>   “-an” suffix. Dictionary.com. 2017. <http://www.dictionary.com> Soncino Babylonian Talmud. Sanhedrin, Folio 43a, footnote #34.   Shachter, J. and Freedman, H. “Sanhedrin.” Soncino Babylonian Talmud. Ed. Epstein. “Introduction.” Soncino Babylonian Talmud. Abbreviation” ref. “MS.M”.&nbsp
[11] Soncino Babylonian Talmud. Sotah 47a, footnote #11, 27 & 28.
[12] “Babylonian Talmud.” Word Digital Library | Library of Congress. 2017. <https://www.wdl.org/en/item/8910> Pasternak, Nurit. “The Material Context of 15th-Century Hebrew Florentine Manuscripts.” 2013. Academia.edu. 2017. <https://www.academia.edu/4320985/The_Material_Context_of_15th-Century_Hebrew_Florentine_Manuscripts> Soncino Babylonian Talmud. Sanhedrin 43a. “Talmud.” Jewish Encyclopedia. 2011.
[13] Genesis 1:5. NET, NRSV, NASB, NIV, NRSV. “eve.” MiriamWebster.com. n.d. https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/eve; “evening (n.).” Online Etymology Dictionary. n.d. https://www.etymonline.com/word/Evening; Gregg, Daniel. TorahTimes.org. n.d. “What is the Genesis definition of “Day.”?” <https://www.torahtimes.org/The%20Genesis%20defintion%20of%20Day.htm> Eisen, Yosef. Chabad.org. n.d. “The Babylonian Talmud.” <https://www.chabad.org/library/article_cdo/aid/2652565/jewish/The-Babylonian-Talmud.htm> Sassoon, Hacham Isaac S. The Torah. n.d. “Does a Day Begin in the Evening?” <https://www.thetorah.com/article/does-a-day-begin-in-the-evening> “Day, night, morning, evening and ‘between the evenings.’” Menorah-Bible. n.d. <https://bible-menorah.jimdofree.com/english/resurrection-on-sabbath/day/>
^[14] The Babylonian Talmud. Trans. Michael L. Rodkinson. 1918. Internet Sacred Text Archives. 2010. <https://sacred-texts.com/jud/t08/t0809.htm> Sanhedrin 43a. Sefaria.org. p 21 <https://www.sefaria.org/Sanhedrin.43a.22?lang=bi>
[15] Rich, Tracey R. “Jewish Beliefs.” JewFAQ.org. n.d. <http://www.jewfaq.org/beliefs.htm> Maimonides. Mishneh Torah. Trans. Eliyahu Touger. “Moses Ben Maimon.” Jewish Encyclopedia. 2011. Furst, Rachel. “The Mishneh Torah – Maimonides’ halakhic magnum opus.” MyJewishLearning.com. 2010. <http://www.myjewishlearning.com/article/the-mishneh-torah/>   Seeskin, Kenneth. “Maimonides.” Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy. 2006, revised 2017. <https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/maimonides/>
[16] Schneerson, Menachem M. From Exile to Redemption. Volume 2. Chapter 4, “Studies in Rambam, Hilchos Melachim, Chapter 5, Chapter 11”, footnotes #551, #558, #559, #602, and Chapter 12.” <http://www.sichos-in-english.org/books/from-exile-to-redemption-2/02.htm> “Melachim uMilchamot – Chapter 11.” <http://www.chabad.org/library/article_cdo/aid/1188356/jewish/Melachim-uMilchamot-Chapter-11.htm> Maimonides. “The Law Concerning Moshiach.” Footnote #5. Kesser.org. n.d. <http://www.kesser.org/moshiach/rambam.html#SIE> “Mishneh Torah.” MishnahTorah.com. n.d. <http://web.archive.org/web/20161105145530/http://www.mishnehtorah.com:80> Shulman, Moshe. “The Rambam on Isaiah 53.” “Mishneh Torah.” MishnahTorah.com. Maimonides. “The Law Concerning Moshiach.” Kesser.org. “Publisher’s Forward.” Ed. Gutfreund,
[17] Maimonides. “The Law Concerning Moshiach.” Sichos In English translation.

Are Today’s Gospels Same as the Originals?

Posted on by K.B. Vogelman

Are Today’s Gospels Same as the Originals?

Gospel manuscript evidence dates back to the lifetimes of the Disciples with a fragment of Matthew dating as early as 50 AD, just 10 years after the crucifixion of Jesus. Earliest of the nearly complete Gospel manuscripts are dated about 300 years later leaving many to wonder how there can be confidence that today’s Gospels bare the same content as the originals.^[1]

Patristics is the science of comparing early Christian writings to Gospel manuscripts in an effort to bridge the gap of the “dark period” – the 300 year gap from the originals to the first complete manuscripts.

Writings or letters called “Epistles” were a common means of written communication by second and third generation disciples known as the Ante-Nicene Fathers.^[2] Within these Epistles are quoted phrases and verses that also appear in today’s Gospels.

As a basis of fact, these phrases and verses had to come from older, preexisting Gospel sources. As such, they serve as “witnesses” that attest or testify to the content of older, now non-existent Gospel manuscripts, in some cases quite possibly the originals.^[3]

Expert Bible textual critics, Westcott and Hort, viewed patristics to be of “the highest degree exceptional” in their comparisons.^[4] Four Epistle author sources – Clement of Rome, Ignatius, Polycarp, and Papias – who personally knew some of the Apostles, the original Disciples of Jesus.^[5]

Clement of Rome authored The First Epistle of Clement to the Corinthians written in Rome to the church in Corinth, Greece, around 96 AD. It is named for Clement who studied under the Apostle Paul and knew Luke, the presumed author of the Gospel bearing his name.^[6]

Another is The Epistle of Polycarp to the Philippians written in Smyrna, Turkey, to the church in Philippi, Greece. Polycarp was a disciple of the Apostle John, one of the original Disciples of Jesus and the presumed author of that Gospel named for its author.

Polycarp received teaching from the Apostle John as well as other Apostles and met others who had witnessed the ministry of Jesus. Polycarp was executed by being burned alive in 156 AD when he professed to have served his King (Jesus) for 86 years.^[7]

An example of how patristics work can be seen using the three verses of Luke 6:36-38 which are quoted in both the Epistles of Clement, Corinthians, and Polycarp, Philippians, two authors who were separated by time and hundreds of miles. Their quotes are compared with two current-day Bible translations:^[8]

The First Epistle of Clement to the Corinthians ^[9]

“Be ye merciful, that ye may obtain mercy;

forgive, that it may be forgiven to you; as ye do, so shall it be done unto you;

as ye judge, so shall ye be judged; as ye are kind, so shall kindness be shown to you;

with what measure ye mete, with the same it shall be measured to you.”

Epistle of Polycarp to the Philippians ^[10]

“Judge not, that ye be not judged;

forgive, and it shall be forgiven unto you;

be merciful, that ye may obtain mercy;

with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again…”

King James Version, Luke 6:36-38:

Be ye therefore merciful as your Father also is , ^v36

Judge not and ye shall not be judged…^{v 37}

…forgive and ye shall be forgiven.^v37

For with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again.^v38

New American Standard Bible: Luke 6:36-38:

Be merciful just as your Father is merciful…^v36

Do not judge, and you will not be judged…^v37

…pardon and you will be pardoned. ^v37

…For by your standard of measure it will be measured to you in return.^v38

Attestations from Corinthians and Philippians Epistles are not word perfect matches, but neither are the more modern KJV and NASB translations. Both Epistles referenced Luke to support the message of their letters that match very closely to today’s Bible translations.^[11]

A treasure trove of patristic attestations appear in Adversus Haereses (Against Heresies) written about 180 AD by Irenaeus, a disciple of Polycarp.^[12] His writing quotes from over 600 verses in all four Gospels and over 300 verses from other New Testament books.^[13]

Patristics has a secondary consequence producing evidence that challenges the legend theory. A long time span of centuries is required to develop a “legend” and is inherently refuted by the science of patristics ^[14]

Do the Gospel verses quoted in the Epistles written by early church leaders provide strong evidence that today’s Gospel content is consistent with the original manuscripts?

Updated February 23, 2026

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

REFERENCES:

[1]“The Magdalen Papyrus P64: possibly the earliest known fragments of the New Testament (or of a book!)” University of Oxford | Magdalen College. 30 October 2013. <http://www.magd.ox.ac.uk/libraries-and-archives/treasure-of-the-month/news/magdalen-papyrus> “The Magdalen P64 Papyrus Fragments of the Gospel of Matthew (Year ~ 50 A.D.).” Archaeology. <http://www.lavia.org/english/archivo/magdalenen.htm> Smith, Ben C. “Gospel manuscripts – The manuscripts extant for the four canonical gospels.” TextExcavation.com. 13 Jan. 2014. <http://www.textexcavation.com/gospelmanuscripts.html>
[2] Richardson, Cyril C. “Early Christian Fathers.” Christian Classics Ethereal Library. <http://eaglemissions.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/fathers.pdf>
[3] “Patristics.” Merriam-Webster. 2017 <http://www.merriam-webster.com>   Gloag, Paton J. Introduction to the Synoptic Gospels. <http://catalog.hathitrust.org/Record/008728595> Foster. “Quotations in the Apostolic Fathers.”
[4] Westcott, Brooke F. & Hort, John A. The New Testament in the Original Greek. “Introduction.” CR page 112. https://books.google.com/books?id=0xtVAAAAMAAJ&pg=ACfU3U33CMW3331Vv20NgGvjyOs52I1mlA&vq=%22will+not+be+out+of+place+to+add+here+a+distinct+expression+of+our+belief+that+even+among+the+numerous%22&source=gbs_quotes_r&cad=2_0#v=onepage&q&f=false>
[5] Foster, Lewis. “Quotations in the Apostolic Fathers.” The Cincinnati Bible College & Seminary. 1969. Volume XV — Number 4. <http://www.dabar.org/SemReview/v15n4-Fathers.htm#N_23_>
[6] Richardson. “Early Christian Fathers.” Schaff, Philip. “Introductory Note to the First Epistle of Clement to the Corinthians.” Christian Classics Ethereal Library. 13 July 2005. <http://www.ccel.org/ccel/schaff/anf01.ii.i.html>   Schaff. “Introductory Note to the Epistle of Polycarp to the Philippians.” Christian Classics Ethereal Library. 2005. <http://www.ccel.org/ccel/schaff/anf01.ii.i.html>
[7] Schaff, Philip. “Introduction Note to the Epistle of Polycarp to the Philippians.” Kirby, Peter. “The Martyrdom of Polycarp.” Early Christian Writings. 2017. <http://www.earlychristianwritings.com/martyrdompolycarp.html>
[8] Kirby, Peter. “Gospel of Luke.” EarlyChristianWritings.com. <http://www.earlychristianwritings.com/luke.html> Kirby, Peter. “Gospel of Mark.” EarlyChristianWritings.com. <http://www.earlychristianwritings.com/mark.html>
[9] Clement of Rome (aka Clement I). “The First Epistle of Clement to the Corinthians.” Classics Ethereal Library. 2005. <http://www.ccel.org/ccel/schaff/anf01.ii.ii.html>
[10] Polycarp. “The Epistle of Polycarp to the Philippian.” Christian Classics Ethereal Library. <http://www.ccel.org/ccel/schaff/anf01.iv.ii.html> Davis, Glen. “Polycarp of Smyrna.” NTCanon.org. 2008. <http://www.ntcanon.org/Polycarp.shtml> Lake, Kirsopp. “Polycarp to the Philippians.” EarlyChristianWritings.com. <http://earlychristianwritings.com/polycarp.html>
[11] Polycarp. “The Epistle of Polycarp to the Philippian.”
[12] Davis, Glen. “Irenaeus of Lyons.” NTCanon.org. 25 July 2008. <http://www.ntcanon.org/Irenaeus.shtml> Encyclopædia Britannica. 2021. <https://www.britannica.com/biography/Saint-Irenaeus>
[13] Irenaeus of Lyons. Against Heresies. Schaff, Philip. “Introductory Note to Irenæus Against Heresies.” Christian Classics Ethereal Library.   <http://www.ccel.org/ccel/schaff/anf01.ix.i.html> Schaff, Philip. “Introduction Note to the Epistle of Polycarp to the Philippians.” Goodspeed, Edgar J., “Irenaeus. Proof of The Apostolic Preaching.” Ante Nice Fathers. 2014. <http://antenicenefathers.org/irenaeus> Davis, Glen. “Irenaeus of Lyons.” Westcott & Hort. The New Testament in the Original Greek. Introduction; pages 113, 194-195. Gloag. Introduction to the Synoptic Gospels. “General Introduction.”
[14] Rochford, James M. Evidence Unseen. Legend Theory: “The resurrection was a legend that grew over time.” n.d. <https://www.evidenceunseen.com/christ/defending-the-resurrection/legend-theory-the-resurrection-was-a-legend-that-grew-over-time> Billingsley, Greg. “Alternate Theories To The Resurrection – The Legend Theory.” 2012. <http://etheology.com/blogs/greg-billingsley/alternate-theories-to-the-resurrection-the-legend-theory>

A Simple Way to Check Integrity of the Gospels

Posted on by K.B. Vogelman

A Simple Way to Check Integrity of the Gospels

Integrity of the Gospels can be the first step in accepting its believability. Checking integrity and its witness accounts can be as simple as comparing one Gospel account to another, a process known as “literary analysis.”^[1]

Chances are very high that in its simplest form, literary analysis is part of a everyday personal activity. It happens naturally when mentally breaking down information to understand it better such as the text of a book, magazine article, blog, marketing ads, instructions, maps, etc.^[2]

Comparing two or more Gospels is a simple method considering such things as word usage, meaning, consistency, historical accuracy, theme, etc.^[3^]

Four authors of Gospels books Matthew, Mark, Luke and John are a target-rich environment for literary analysis to compare and evaluate times, places and circumstances. Texts of antiquity from that era can even be referenced such as works by Jewish historian Josephus, Caesar Augustus, and Roman historians Suetonius and Tacitus.

Fact-checking today using the Internet with topical searches can result in finding reliable, unbiased secondary sources such as encyclopedias, bios, historical websites, university library websites, etc. Be cautious, many sites are biased, not factual, and may include unscrupulous tactics.

See if a Gospel stands up to scrutiny.^[4] Obviously, the more knowledgeable about the subject matter, the better the analysis.

Knowing the difference between “evidence” and “facts” and understanding the cultural the rules for the era in which the literary work was written is very helpful. Big differences may have occurred between today and those of yesteryear where some literary protocols that may have been legitimate for that era are not acceptable practices today.

An example, citing or referencing a literary work had different rules in the age of antiquity when it was permissible to copy from another source to serve as a “witness” meaning it was common practice to copy from another source, even verbatim, without a citation. Abuses of this practice was the focus of Josephus in his work, Against Apion.^[5]

A common factor that comes into play known as “parallel” passages, a legitimate Jewish writing style. Parallel passages are cited as alleged credibility issues of the synoptic Gospels.

Sometimes verbatim, the verses appear in Matthew, Mark and Luke leading these three to be called the Synoptic Gospels. Completely independent, the eyewitness Gospel of John often corroborates the Synoptic Gospels making it tough to disregard the information.

Understanding the theme helps determines the central idea of the writing. A big clue is the purpose of the author.^[6]

Is an individual Gospel a fiction or non-fiction? Consider if the content is about real people, places and events (non-fiction) vs. content that is an invented story (fiction) written often for philosophical or entertainment purposes.

Fictions involve characters who are not real although they could believably be real people with resemblances to real persons. As a setting, the work may include real places, periods and events, but the story is always imaginary, artificial, not real.

Non-fictions, on the other hand, are written with the intention to be informative about real people, places or events based on historical, geographical or biographical facts. Non-fictions may also reflect the author’s recollection of witnessing events or facts often influenced by personal experiences.

Ask yourself, is the central theme of a Gospel about a real person by chronicling the birth, life, trial and execution of Jesus of Nazareth in the Judean Roman province – historical? Is the theme intended to teach his message of love and forgiveness – philosophical? Or perhaps, is the theme intended to convey a belief in Jesus as the promised Messiah exemplified by fulfillment of prophecies and Resurrection – religion?

A very close cousin to literary analysis is known as “textual criticism,” another term that seems intimidating and boring…and probably is for most people. For this reason, textual analysis may best be reserved for literary experts who are so inclined.

To save time and effort, consult the learning and work of others. For example, Brooke Foss Westcott and Fenton John Anthony Hort, better known as just “Westcott & Hort,” spent a lifetime performing in-depth analysis of manuscripts of the Bible.^[7]

In the end, the conclusion can be one reached on a personal level, perhaps influenced by opinions and biases, weighed against observations, evaluation and factual accuracy. Is there integrity within the Gospels?

Updated March 9 2025.

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

REFERENCES:

[1] Jenkins, Rob. “Literary Analysis as Scientific Method.” The Chronicles of Higher Education. 2012. <http://www.chronicle.com/blogs/onhiring/literary-analysis-as-scientific-method/30565> Godin, Katherine. “How to Analyze a Literary Passage: A Step-by-Step Guide.” Study.com. 2019. <http://study.com/academy/lesson/how-to-analyze-a-literary-passage-a-step-by-step-guide.html> Reed, Annette Yoshiko. Pseudepigraphy, Authorship, and ‘The Bible’ in Late Antiquity. 2008. p 478. p 476-479. “Hebrew Bible: Torah, Prophets and Writings.” MyJewishLearning.com. <https://www.myjewishlearning.com/article/hebrew-bible> Benner, Jeff, Ancient Hebrew Research Center. 2018. “The Authors of the Torah.” <http://www.ancient-hebrew.org/articles_authors.html> Infomory.com. August 21, 2011 <http://infomory.com/what-is/what-is-literary-analysis> “Introduction to Literary Criticism and Analysis.” National Endowment for the Humanities | EDSITEment. “Introduction to Literary Criticism and Analysis.” National Endowment for the Humanities | EDSITEment. <http://edsitement.neh.gov/sites/edsitement.neh.gov/files/worksheets/Critical%20Ways%20of%20Seeing%20The%20Adventures%20of%20Huckleberry%20Finn%20in%20Context%20-%20Introduction%20to%20Literary%20Criticism%20and%20Analysis.pdf>
[2] Godin. “How to Analyze a Literary Passage: A Step-by-Step Guide.”
[3] Cherran. “What is Literary Analysis?” Ramlawi, Aisha. “Literary Analysis: Genre/Tone/Mood/Theme.” Prezi.com. 2016 <https://prezi.com/ararehyeyma0/literary-analysis-genretonemoodtheme>
[4] Reade. “Selecting topics for literary analysis.” Jenkins. “Literary Analysis as Scientific Method.” “Introduction to Literary Criticism and Analysis.” National Endowment for the Humanities | EDSITEment.
[5] Josephus, Flavius. Against Apion. Trans. and commentary William Whitson. The Complete Works of Josephus. 1850. n.d. <http://books.google.com/books?id=e0dAAAAAMAAJ&printsec=frontcover&source=gbs_ge_summary_r&cad=0#v=onepage&q&f=false> “Preface.” Reed. Pseudepigraphy, Authorship, and ‘The Bible’ in Late Antiquity. Custom Cheating and Plagiarism essay paper writing service.” ExclusivePapers.com. n.d. <http://exclusivepapers.com/essays/Informative/cheating-and-plagiarism.php> Cummings, Michael J. “Did Shakespeare Plagiarize?” Cummings Study Guides. 2003. <http://cummingsstudyguides.net/xPlagiarism.html>
[6] Ramlawi. “Literary Analysis: Genre/Tone/Mood/Theme.” Prabhat S. “Difference Between Fiction and Non fiction.” 2011. DifferenceBetween.net. <http://www.differencebetween.net/miscellaneous/difference-between-fiction-and-non-fiction > Cherran. “What is Literary Analysis?” Reade, Dan. “Selecting topics for literary analysis.” Sophia.org. 2017. <https://www.sophia.org/tutorials/selecting-topics-for-literary-analysis > Ramlawi,. “Literary Analysis: Genre/Tone/Mood/Theme.”
[7] Westcott & Hort Greek / English Interlinear NEW TESTAMENT. Ed. Ray McIntyre. Westcott & Hort Research Center. n.d. <http://westcotthort.com/books/Westcott_Hort_Interlinear.pdf Westcott & Hort Biographies.” Westcott and Hort Research Centre. 1911 edition of the Encyclopedia Britannica. <http://www.westcotthort.com/biographies.html >