You Tube Theology

Who really wrote the Gospels?
Were they written by the apostles whose names they bear, or by later anonymous authors drawing on oral tradition?

In this full-length debate recorded on November 20, 2025 at Sound Faith 2025 in Boston, Bart Ehrman and Michael Licona present their views on the historical evidence surrounding Gospel authorship.

Licona argues that the traditional attributions to Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John are the most probable explanation given the external testimony and internal features of the texts. Ehrman contends that the Gospels were originally anonymous, written decades later by educated Greek authors, and only first attributed to apostles in the late second century.

This debate covers:

• Early church testimony and manuscript evidence
• Literacy, education, and language in the ancient world
• Oral tradition vs eyewitness memory
• The Synoptic Problem and Gospel sources
• Internal textual clues and historical method

Whether you approach the Gospels as a believer, skeptic, or student of history, this discussion models serious scholarly disagreement at its best.

00:00 Welcome & Event Introduction
01:58 Debate Topic and Format
05:02 Opening Statement – Michael Licona
07:25 External Evidence for Gospel Authorship
14:57 Internal Evidence Across the Four Gospels
23:57 Licona Opening Conclusion
24:40 Opening Statement – Bart Ehrman
26:32 Early Citations and Anonymous Gospels
31:10 Literacy, Education, and Language in Antiquity
36:20 Who Could Write Greek Gospels
43:09 Why the Gospels Were Later Attributed
44:01 First Rebuttal – Michael Licona
53:56 First Rebuttal – Bart Ehrman
01:00:36 Cross Examination Begins
01:12:09 Authorship, Anonymity, and Authority
01:24:40 Second Rebuttal – Michael Licona
01:29:05 Second Rebuttal – Bart Ehrman
01:33:16 Closing Statement – Michael Licona
01:38:59 Closing Statement – Bart Ehrman
01:45:16 Audience Q&A

Mike Licona is Professor of New Testament Studies at Houston Christian University. HCU offers an accredited Master of Arts degree in apologetics that may be completed entirely online or on the HCU campus in Houston.

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