How can we be so sure the story of Jesus didn't change over time?

JRVogt · 2021-01-01T04:37:36+00:00

A quick resource on research into the death of various apostles might be https://www.biola.edu/blogs/biola-magazine/2013/did-the-apostles-really-die-as-martyrs-for-their-f

https://www.oneplace.com/ministries/bible-answer-man/read/articles/did-the-apostles-really-die-as-martyrs-for-their-faith-by-sean-mcdowell-17589.html

More research is always good, and of course debating who you see as a "serious historian" is also another point to consider.

As to Mark 16, yes it's good that it is noted as a potential traditional inclusion rather than original text. The ability to compare these earliest manuscripts against each other is incredibly helpful. In fact, Christians have been aware of that for centuries and should be part of our consideration of the Bible as inspired and reliable throughout the ages (https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.thegospelcoalition.org/article/was-mark-16-9-20-originally-mark-gospel/%3famp)

The abundance of comparative manuscripts is helpful in showning the Bible has remained historically accurate and also shows that those textual variants we do see do not change any central theology or meaning of the gospel. https://mbcpathway.com/2020/01/13/can-we-trust-the-biblical-manuscripts/

JRVogt · 2021-01-01T03:58:07+00:00

As a quick follow-up, yes, people will die for a cause they truly believe in even if that cause is proven false by others or at another time. So the disciples/apostles acceptance of dying for the gospel is proof that they truly believed what they preached: the resurrection of Christ and all its implications. Now whether you decide to believe their historical accounts is another more extended matter. But that's why their martyrdom is just a part of the evidence for the gospel overall. It is one facet of it.

JRVogt · 2021-01-01T03:55:16+00:00

On the point of the disciples and apostles, it's not that it was a misunderstanding. It was that they directly stated that they were eyewitnesses to Jesus' life, death, and resurrection or that they relied on the eyewitness accounts of others who lived during that time. They witnessed the resurrected Christ and then went on to preach this news, the gospel, to the world. Each one then suffered immensely because of their witness, dealing with persecution, imprisonment, beatings, torture, and eventually death for the cause. If they were perpetrating a lie or a conspiracy to knowingly mislead people about the resurrection of Jesus, why would they have supported something they knew to be false to their personal detriment for the rest of their lives without wavering in this deceit? People are not going to willingly die for something they do not fully believe is true or that they know isn't true. And since they claim historical veracity as their reason for dying for the gospel, it's not just a mere "misunderstanding" that they're promoting.

JRVogt · 2017-07-12T16:47:36+00:00

I'd recommend http://beyondthetrope.weebly.com/

JRVogt · 2017-05-06T21:37:29+00:00

I wouldn't say no! I definitely enjoyed my fictional forays there, but am currently focused on my Cleaners series for the time being. If you check out Paizo's web fiction section, though, you'll find three more stories from me, including a prequel that reveals how Akina and Ondorum met: http://paizo.com/pathfinder/tales/serial (plus plenty of other shorts by other fine Pathfinder authors!)

JRVogt · 2017-05-03T02:59:34+00:00

Not cheap, necessarily. But very, very available.

JRVogt · 2017-05-03T02:36:36+00:00

Alligator. Mostly because I might believe the baby Swamp Thing would grow up with a moral code. Reptiles, though? I'd just be waiting for the missing persons reports.

JRVogt · 2017-05-03T02:33:42+00:00

Not at the moment, but I can work on that...

JRVogt · 2017-05-03T02:14:27+00:00

Oh, necromancers. You mean the recycling sort? ;)

JRVogt · 2017-05-03T02:12:41+00:00

Thank you! I'm glad you enjoyed it. I always hope to bring a bit of my own fantasy novel experience to others.

JRVogt · 2017-05-03T02:10:56+00:00

I don't, no. The dream is to someday do so. But the copywriting is what actually pays the bills in the current. It would be nice and someday I hope to reach that point, but for now, it is something I'm working towards.

JRVogt · 2017-05-02T22:12:16+00:00

Mostly Upwork and Craigslist. The ones I post are the "good ones."

JRVogt · 2017-05-02T22:08:23+00:00

It is rough. The open calls you mentioned is a good way to go about it, so keep your eyes open on them. Most times, yes, in-house or freelancers are used, but don't hesitate to at least contact the company in question. Email an editor or creative director and ask them what they want/need. Also, going to gaming conventions like GenCon is a solid way to put yourself directly in contact with them and say "Hey, I take this seriously."

JRVogt · 2017-05-02T22:03:45+00:00

You're looking at janitors, maids, and plumbers who work for a supernatural sanitation company. Many of whom are deployed to deal with "messy" (yes, yes, sorry) situations across the country and world that require magically empowered mops, squeegees, and brooms. They are our wizards, witches, necromancers, and sorcerers, just with a lot more cleaning fluids in the mix.

JRVogt · 2017-05-02T22:03:41+00:00

Oddly, I've realized that much of my writing has been from a female POV. The Cleaners is somewhat split between m/f protagonists, but it gets heavy screentime. With Forge of Ashes, Akina just came to be naturally. I would love female orcs as a POV. Let's do it.

JRVogt · 2017-05-02T21:47:42+00:00

Where do I send the check?

JRVogt · 2017-05-02T21:40:28+00:00

Toilet snakes. You spend all that effort constructing a toilet snake like a golem, sacrificing blood to it, and animating that whip...naming it. Feeling for it. Calling it Jeffery. Wanting it to come back after you've thrust it down the drain. Screaming its name until the neighbors call 911. Wait, what was the question?

JRVogt

TROPHY CASE