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earlychristiantexts.com
Early Christian Texts
@earlychristiantexts.com
28 followers 25 following 31 posts
Exploring historical and spiritual questions about Jesus, women, salvation, healing, gender, and wholeness raised by extra-canonical books, forgotten scriptures, and so-called “gnostic” gospels.
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earlychristiantexts.com
What kind of world was Jesus born into? Guest scholar Joan Taylor explores Jesus’s childhood in a time of danger, migration, and resilience. Mon, Nov 24 | 8pm Eastern (5pm Pacific) | Free on Zoom earlychristiantexts.com/early-christ...
The Bible and Beyond Discussions with Shirley Paulson
Once a month, Shirley Paulson presents a new installment of the Bible and Beyond Monday textual studies discussions.
earlychristiantexts.com
November 23, 2025 at 4:56 PM
earlychristiantexts.com
Christianity by the Century: 1st century—Rome ruled, poverty spread, and faith was tested. After Jesus was crucified, and the Temple fell some years later, despair reigned, but hope was reborn in a Galilean’s message. Read this #BibleAndBeyond blog post. earlychristiantexts.com/christianity...
Christianity by the Century: The First Century CE
The first century CE: turmoil, empire, and faith. How Jesus’s life and Rome’s domination prompted soul-searching and theological struggle.
earlychristiantexts.com
November 12, 2025 at 11:53 AM
earlychristiantexts.com
Condemned, forgotten, then rediscovered—Dr. Tobias Nicklas shows how apocryphal stories keep shaping faith and imagination. They are the living stories of people who have loved Christ Jesus.
#EarlyChristianity #BibleAndBeyond
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Beyond the Canon: Why Apocrypha Matters | Bible & Beyond Podcast
Learning about the New Testament apocrypha matters. These texts reveal hidden questions about Jesus, God’s suffering, and evolving faith.
earlychristiantexts.com
November 5, 2025 at 6:53 AM
earlychristiantexts.com
Monday night!
Dynamic new perspectives are challenging Eusebius’s history — and reshaping how we understand Christianity’s beginnings.
Come talk with guest scholar, Dr. Lillian Larsen, live via Zoom.
October 27, 8pm Eastern (5pm Pacific)
#ChristianHistory
earlychristiantexts.com/early-christ...
The Bible and Beyond Discussions with Shirley Paulson
Once a month, Shirley Paulson presents a new installment of the Bible and Beyond Monday textual studies discussions.
earlychristiantexts.com
October 26, 2025 at 5:58 PM
earlychristiantexts.com
Why did early Christians fight so fiercely about being right? Bart Ehrman explains how heresy shaped orthodoxy—and why Christianity’s obsession with “right belief” was a historical first. earlychristiantexts.com/heresies-bar...
Heresies and Power in Early Christianity | Bible and Beyond Podcast
Early Christian heresies are important to study. They reveal power struggles, lost voices, and the surprising diversity of faith.
earlychristiantexts.com
October 24, 2025 at 4:51 PM
earlychristiantexts.com
Most of what we think we know about early Christianity comes from Eusebius. But what if his story misled us? Dr. Lillian Larsen shares new perspectives. Join us for this Bible and Beyond Discussion!
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October 23, 2025 at 12:33 AM
earlychristiantexts.com
Before Jesus’s birth, Judea had been reshaped in the first century BCE. Rome replaced Greece as the dominant power, Herod the Great reigned with violence, and Bethlehem was a place of trauma and expectation. Explore the world Jesus was born into:
earlychristiantexts.com/christianity...
Christianity by the Century: The First Century BCE and the Birth of Jesus
Herod’s reign, Roman power, and Davidic hopes shaped the 100-0 BCE—setting the stage for Jesus’s birth in a world of trauma and expectation.
earlychristiantexts.com
October 8, 2025 at 6:58 PM
earlychristiantexts.com
What made Jesus’s healings so different? Discover the power, mystery, and meaning behind ancient healing — and why it still matters today. Jesus the Healer — new Bible and Beyond mini course Sun, Oct 19, 7:30pm Eastern (4:30 Pacific) #BibleHistory earlychristiantexts.net/jesus-the-he...
Jesus the Healer: Power, Mystery, and Meaning – Bible and Beyond Courses
Jesus’s ministry is not a distant legend, but is a bold vision of salvation and wholeness—still resonant and relevant today.
earlychristiantexts.net
October 6, 2025 at 9:17 PM
earlychristiantexts.com
1700 years later, the Council of Nicaea still sparks debate. In this podcast, Rev. Benjamin Wyatt unpacks Constantine’s role, Arius’s controversy, and why defining Christ’s divinity mattered so deeply. Listen here:
earlychristiantexts.com/council-of-n...
The Council of Nicaea at 1700 Years | Bible and Beyond Podcast
1700 years later, the Council of Nicaea still stirs debate. Why did it matter then—and why does it still shape Christianity today?
earlychristiantexts.com
October 1, 2025 at 5:36 PM
earlychristiantexts.com
1700 years later, the Council of Nicaea still sparks debate. In this podcast, Rev. Benjamin Wyatt unpacks Constantine’s role, Arius’s controversy, and why defining Christ’s divinity mattered so deeply. Listen here:
earlychristiantexts.com/council-of-n...
The Council of Nicaea at 1700 Years | Bible and Beyond Podcast
1700 years later, the Council of Nicaea still stirs debate. Why did it matter then—and why does it still shape Christianity today?
earlychristiantexts.com
October 1, 2025 at 5:57 AM
earlychristiantexts.com
Tomorrow night! Don’t miss talking with Dr. Robert Miller at #BibleAndBeyond Discussion on “Did Jesus Fulfill Prophecy?” Sept 22, 8pm Eastern / 5pmPacific. Free. Get info here: earlychristiantexts.com/discussions/...
September 22, 2025 at 2:08 AM
earlychristiantexts.com
Don’t forget to mark your calendar for Monday evening, Sept 22, 8pm Eastern! What do Jewish scriptures really prophesy and say about Jesus? Come speak with guest scholar, Robert Miller, earlychristiantexts.com/discussions/...
The Bible and Beyond Discussions with Shirley Paulson
Once a month, Shirley Paulson presents a new installment of the Bible and Beyond Monday textual studies discussions.
earlychristiantexts.com
September 21, 2025 at 12:25 AM
earlychristiantexts.com
Does Jesus truly fulfill Jewish prophecy? We’ll explore this with scholar Robert J. Miller in a live #BibleAndBeyond Zoom Discussion on Sept. 22, at 8pm Eastern. Join us as we explore the complexities behind one of Christianity’s central claims. earlychristiantexts.com/discussions/...
The Bible and Beyond Discussions with Shirley Paulson
Once a month, Shirley Paulson presents a new installment of the Bible and Beyond Monday textual studies discussions.
earlychristiantexts.com
September 15, 2025 at 8:10 PM
earlychristiantexts.com
Before Jesus, there was a century of upheaval, hope, and martyrdom. The 2nd century BCE reshaped Jewish faith and prepared the ground for Christianity. Learn more by reading the new #BibleAndBeyond blog post. #ChristianHistory
earlychristiantexts.com/christianity...
Christianity by the Century: Second Century BCE | B+B Blog
Discover how Jewish struggles with Greek culture in the 2nd century BCE birthed martyrdom, apocalyptic hope, and wisdom shaping Christianity.
earlychristiantexts.com
September 11, 2025 at 7:32 AM
earlychristiantexts.com
Did #Paul actually write ANY letters in the #NewTestament? Dr. Nina Livesey’s new research points to a surprising answer. Listen to this month’s #BibleAndBeyond podcast. #ChristianHistory

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Did Paul Write Any of His Letters in the Bible? | B + B Podcast
Dr. Nina Livesey shares her research and concludes why Paul could not have been the author of any of the New Testament “Pauline” letters.
earlychristiantexts.com
September 3, 2025 at 10:47 PM
earlychristiantexts.com
The third century BCE isn’t so silent or boring, but alive with voices imagining a cosmos filled with angels and demons. This third post in the #BibleAndBeyond’s Christian History by the Century series explains its importance for future Christian beliefs.

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Christianity by the Century: Third Century BCE | B+B Blog
The 3rd century BCE is thought of as being a silent era after Jewish prophets, but it was full of Jewish interest in angels and demons.
earlychristiantexts.com
August 25, 2025 at 9:51 PM
earlychristiantexts.com
Come join the free live #BibleAndBeyond Discussion with @Andersonsview (Paul N. Anderson). Topic: “Why Is John So Different from the Other Gospels, and Why Is It So Important?” Monday, Aug 25, 8pm Eastern (5pm Pacific).
earlychristiantexts.com/discussions/
August 25, 2025 at 9:45 PM
earlychristiantexts.com
#Plato and #Aristotle laid the intellectual groundwork for Christian thought. Through Alexander the Great’s conquests, 4th century Greek philosophy set the stage for Christianity’s deepest ideas about the soul, virtue, and truth. #BibleAndBeyond blog
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Christianity by the Century: Fourth Century BCE | B+B Blog
This is the 2nd in the series on Christian history by the century, on the fourth century BCE, Plato, Aristotle, and Alexander the Great.
earlychristiantexts.com
August 14, 2025 at 11:58 AM
earlychristiantexts.com
When #Thecla heard Paul preach, her life changed forever. She left her fiancé, defied death, and claimed her own authority. Hear how Thecla’s commitment to the new teachings embraced and challenged the early Christian leaders. #BibleAndBeyond
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Thecla's Challenge to the Early Christian World | B + B Podcast
Thecla heard in Paul’s message a promise for life beyond the Roman world, but her new freedom also challenged the early Christian leaders.
earlychristiantexts.com
August 14, 2025 at 11:55 AM
earlychristiantexts.com
Biblical stories of enslaved people appear to treat them as mere props for the ‘real’ story, causing modern readers to miss the forces at work. Listen to the #BibleAndBeyond podcast interview with @clcobb629 discussing forced prostitution as one example.
earlychristiantexts.com/enslaved-bib...
The Complicated Lives of Enslaved Women of the Bible
A closer look at the lives of marginalized enslaved women of the Bible—such as sex-worker women—enriches our understanding of the Bible.
earlychristiantexts.com
July 2, 2025 at 3:08 PM
earlychristiantexts.com
Our new #BibleAndBeyond blog post begins the series on the history of key events and characters that shaped #Christianity and its many forms, century by century. Learn about the influence of #Socrates and #Plato in the fifth century BCE.

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Christianity by the Century: Fifth Century BCE | B+B Blog
This is the first post in the series on Christian history by the century, focusing on the 5th century BCE, Socrates and Plato.
earlychristiantexts.com
June 25, 2025 at 5:19 AM
earlychristiantexts.com
The conversation between Matthew Goff and Dylan Burns about the Dead Sea Scroll and the Nag Hammadi Library continues in our June podcast. Listen to part 2 of their conversation with Shirley Paulson.

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The Dead Sea Scrolls and the Nag Hammadi Library Both Hold Secrets About Early Christianity
Part 2 of his podcast series explains why the Dead Sea Scrolls and Nag Hammadi Library are different but complement each other so well.
earlychristiantexts.com
June 23, 2025 at 5:08 AM
earlychristiantexts.com
Another great Bible and Beyond Discussion to stretch your mind! #EarlyChristians #BibleAndBeyond

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Christian-Jewish Relations on the Eve of Islam | B+B Discussions
Understanding the complex realities of the Jewish-Christian relations during the pre-Islamic era provides a nuanced image of Arabian life.
earlychristiantexts.com
May 21, 2025 at 6:36 AM
earlychristiantexts.com
The #DeadSeaScrolls and #NagHammadi Library are traditionally studied separately. But Matthew Goff (DSS scholar) and Dylan Burns (NH scholar) discuss why studying them together enriches our understanding of both. Part 1 of 2. #BibleAndBeyond podcast.

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Is There a Connection Between the Dead Sea Scrolls and the Nag Hammadi Library?
Part 1 of this two-part series explains the origins of the Dead Sea Scrolls and the Nag Hammadi Library and why to study them together.
earlychristiantexts.com
May 7, 2025 at 5:09 AM
earlychristiantexts.com
Shirley Paulson explains that gnosticism became a threat to the orthodox Christian church because it was likeable! Learn about what ended up being labeled as ‘gnosticism' and why it was appealing to many. #BibleAndBeyond blog post.
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Why Gnosticism Became a Threat | Bible and Beyond Blog
In this essay, Dr. Shirley Paulson examines why gnosticism became a threat to the orthodox Christian church. What was so likable about it?
earlychristiantexts.com
May 4, 2025 at 6:42 AM