5 Evangelical Truisms that Aren't True (VIDEO)

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Welcome to the home of Episode 187 of the Misquoting Jesus Podcast with Bart Ehrman. Below, you can watch the entire episode, read its description, and see links to related resources.

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In this episode of the Misquoting Jesus podcast, Bart Ehrman reflects on five major Christian beliefs he once held as an evangelical fundamentalist but no longer accepts after decades of biblical scholarship and personal reflection. He begins by recounting his journey from a born-again teenager attending Moody Bible Institute to becoming a mainstream Christian scholar and eventually leaving the faith altogether.

The conversation explores the doctrine of biblical inerrancy, including the belief that the original manuscripts of scripture contained no contradictions or factual errors. Bart explains how studying textual criticism and the historical context of biblical writings gradually changed his perspective. He also discusses Old Testament “prophecies” supposedly predicting Jesus, arguing that many passages—such as Isaiah 53—were later interpreted christologically rather than originally written about a future messiah.

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The episode then shifts to salvation and hell, examining Bart’s former belief that non-Christians would face eternal punishment. He candidly discusses the emotional and intellectual difficulties this created, especially concerning people who had never heard of Jesus. The discussion also touches on apocalyptic expectations about Jesus returning within the current generation and how failed end-times predictions repeatedly reshape themselves.

Finally, Bart explains one of the most significant conclusions of his scholarly career: that Jesus and Paul taught fundamentally different views of salvation. Jesus emphasized repentance and divine forgiveness, while Paul centered salvation on atoning sacrifice through Christ’s death.