#162 – Why Didn't Jesus Write Anything Down?

Faith Lab

Nate Hanson

Tim Mackie, Bible, Biblical Archaeology, Faith And Doubt, Resurrection, Humble Skeptic, Mike Licona, Biblical Scholarship, Christian Faith, Bible Podcast, Old Testament, Ancient History, Church History, Gary Habermas, Bible Evidence, Rebecca Mclaughlin, Theology, Alisa Childers, Reconstruction, Faith Deconstruction, Philosophy, Christianity, Shane Rosenthal, Apologetics, Scripture, Early Christianity, Religion & Spirituality, N.t. Wright, Gospel Reliability, Jesus, Deconstruction, Bible History, New Testament, Biblical Scholars, Society & Culture, Richard Bauckham, Francis Chan, Historical Jesus, Bible Study, Christian Podcast

4.6 • 583 Ratings

🗓️ 2 July 2025

⏱️ 29 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Shelby and Nate explore the intriguing question of why Jesus did not write anything down during his lifetime. They discuss the implications of this question on our understanding of faith and scripture, emphasizing the oral tradition of the time and the significance of Jesus' teachings in a present-tense context. The conversation also touches on the historical perspective of Jesus as a local rabbi and the lack of immediate written records from his followers, suggesting that the movement was seen as urgent and relevant to their time rather than a long-term religious institution. Thoughts, questions, stories? Please email contact@almostheretical.com Become a member and get: 1. Bonus episodes and aftershows 2. All full-length, ad-free episodes 3. Access to Heretical Together (our private community of 350+ listeners) Become a member: almostheretical.com/premium Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0	Hey friends, quick note before this episode starts. This is Nate speaking in 2026, and what you're
0:05.4	about to hear comes from an earlier chapter of this podcast when it was called Almost Heretical.
0:10.7	That show ran from 2018 until 2025 and got 2 million downloads. That chapter was me processing
0:17.6	doubt and deconstruction out loud. I wasn't trying to tear Christianity down. I was
0:22.6	honestly trying to understand what I still believed and whether the Christian story actually held up.
0:27.5	As the show progressed, I genuinely thought it was leading to the end of Christianity for me.
0:32.9	These past episodes, like the one you're going to hear today, they don't always represent what I think
0:38.0	today and where I am on different issues now. I chose to leave them up because they captured the
0:42.7	real journey I was on, and I hope they offer honesty for those who are still in the middle
0:47.4	of deconstruction, hope for those who can't see a way forward, and perspective for churches
0:52.7	or friends walking alongside people who are
0:55.3	doubting. I kept deconstructing, and to my surprise, that process led me back to Christianity
1:00.6	in a brand new way. Looking seriously at the historical evidence, especially around the first
1:05.8	century New Testament writers and the Gospels, it gave me far more confidence than I ever had before. I came to believe
1:12.0	these weren't myths or legends, but eyewitness-based accounts of something real, something really
1:18.0	significant that happened in history. So today, the show continues on as Faith Lab, where I talk
1:24.4	with scholars and experts about why they think Christianity can be trusted,
1:28.5	not as blind faith, but as confidence grounded in the evidence that I kept running into.
1:34.1	If this work has been helpful to you, supporting the show really does make a difference.
1:38.4	I do this show alongside a full-time job and also raising three kids, because I want as many people as possible to see that
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1:51.1	ad-free episodes, access to our private community, and bonus episodes where I reflect on the
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