Bart Ehrman on the Colbert Show

Colbert wins, hands down. Bart takes it good naturedly. But when you only get a few words in edge-wise, you are going to try to go for your “best stuff.” You may find the extensive review Ben Witherington is offering of Jesus, Interrupted quite useful (Part 1, Part 2), especially since Witherington and I would hardly be theological bedfellows, yet, he sees the same imbalance that I have noted, and he likewise raises the issue of why a textual critic is basically handed carte blanche to run amuck through the entire NT field of study. [Note: I have been playing with the idea of organizing my response to Ehrman canonically, sort of like Archer’s Encyclopedia of Bible Difficulties, except using Ehrman’s favorite texts, as presented in Misquoting Jesus and Jesus, Interrupted as the source material. I think this might assist especially college and university students in accessing the information].
   In any case, if you would like to see Ehrman’s facile assertion that Matthew, Mark, and Luke do not present a divine portrait of Jesus refuted with depth and fullness–and that nearly a hundred years ago–you will want to read B.B. Warfield’s classic work, The Lord of Glory. Compare Ehrman’s surface level argumentation with Warfield’s in-depth scholarship and rejoice that truth abides even during times of degradation and apostasy.