Hello Scott, thanks for taking the time to respond. You raise some important issues.
You said:
"I have no qualms with the fact vellum, parchment, paper was expensive and most learning was passed orally but the rest is mere conjecture on your part with no proof given."
I'll grant that I didn't litter the article with footnotes. I can go back and do so, if you think it will strengthen the presentation.
But the things I've said are well-established. You can start with the works of Alfred Edersheim for windows into the first-century Jewish world, if you're curious, especially The Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah.
"The fact each of the four gospels is different proves your theory wrong."
Not at all, my friend. For one clear reason: the Jesus in each Gospel is the same.
They aren't presenting four different versions of Jesus. They're presenting the same Jesus, but focusing on four distinct audiences, presenting the bits of His message most relevant to each.
Matthew focuses on the Jewish audience, answering the question of whether or not Jesus is the long-awaited Jewish Messiah (and if so, where is the Kingdom). He draws chiefly from the words of Jesus that address Jewish concerns.
Mark records a series of lectures Peter gave in Rome to high-ranking military members. As such, the stories focus on Peter, and lack long sequences of teaching. Peter is an action man, and Mark is filled with action and slim on words, compared to the others.
Luke identifies in his introduction that he consulted many eye-witnesses and wrote primarily for Theophilus. He presents a balanced account, trying to present equal numbers of stories featuring men and women, Jews and Gentiles. His Gospel is the most widely-accessible.
John writes for a Jewish audience, with sections also addressing those steeped in Greek philosophy. John fills in gaps the others didn't cover.
History establishes all of this. I present many of the relevant ancient historians and what they recorded here: https://medium.com/koinonia/historys-mysteries-who-crafted-the-gospels-and-why-91c7b364cdb1
You said:
"Then you have the errors that can occur when translating between languages, the way each culture deciphers information, the diversity of thought between all people, socioeconomic upbringing, level of education, the manner in which words are inflected, and that list goes on and on. Why even try to prove this? It's futile."
You've rightly identified many of the key issues facing translators. If you want to dig into the art and science of Bible translation, you'll find abundant resources for addressing all of these.
The Bible is the most deeply-studied and most widely-translated book in human history. You've identified the right concerns -- but they've been addressed over and over and over again.
You said:
"And to burst the bubble further, the writers of the gospels were not necessarily contemporaries of Jesus so it was not possible for them to have "mentally recorded" precisely what Jesus said."
They were contemporaries, in fact.
It's popular today to say that the authors were anonymous, and the names weren't attached until the second century. It's a popular idea -- but it has no historical evidence behind it.
As the link above will show you, every ounce of historical and archaeological evidence testifies that Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John were always known as the authors of the Gospels.
To establish it even further, multiple ancient historians record where, when, and why each author wrote their respective Gospels.
Again, you'll find this all at the link, above.
You said:
"It is impossible for us to "nail down" all of the facts so why even try?"
God is not so easily defeated by history, my friend.
You've raised valid concerns, but they've been sufficiently and repeatedly addressed for generations.
You said:
"Here are the five most important things, focus on those instead of trying to prove things of which you have no proof: Justice, mercy, faithfulness, love and tolerance."
These five are certainly vital. But the list is not complete.
Faith, hope, and love take precedence over all. The greatest of these is love. Love encompasses all that you wrote, above: if you love people, you'll seek justice for them; if you love people, you'll be merciful to them; if you love people, you'll be faithful to them; if you love people, you'll tolerate them.
But faith and hope, my friend -- we do not leave these behind just because love is greater.
Faith is how you become spiritually alive, my friend. God is real, judgment is coming, and salvation is found in Christ alone. Faith in the true God is what saves. If you neglect faith, you have nothing, because you don't have Jesus.
We hope in Jesus because He is better. He is better than this world, better than all the challenges we face, better than our dreams, better than any human aspiration, better than any human, better than anything and everything else in life. We hope in Jesus because He loves us, He sacrificed Himself on the Cross to save us, and He rose from the grave, conquering death and opening the door to Heaven forever.
Love, certainly. But also faith and hope, my friend.
