This document accompanies our video with Hayden and Jackson Paul, Episode 230.
Watch Mike’s related video with Dave Butler, Episode 73.
BONUS VIDEO | The Mosiah First Translation of the Book of Mormon with Hayden and Jackson Paul
“Was Jesus Edited From the Old Testament?” PDF
Mike:
I am a lawyer by training but have spent the last 15 years, or so, trying to educate myself on these issues, including many of the works, analyses, and connections you have enlightened us with through this podcast. It was reassuring for me to find your intelligent, critical views reinforce some of my amateur findings through the years. Thank you for taking the time. I am certain many more people benefited from your faithful and insightful scholarship.
I enjoyed this interesting exposure to the details of how the old testament may have been changed. It helps explain those feelings of ‘somethings not right here’ or out of order. Mostly the sudden disorderliness of the work is what makes it hard to read. It clips along clearly teaching good things and then tries too hard to reorder your understanding of what has happened before.
One thing I feel cautious about though is that Josiah’s reforms were all bad. The Lord does remove practices, teachings, and privileges if the result of having something is to drift farther from Him. Also, just because a group of people have similar gods, and stories doesn’t mean they aren’t apostate;
Would love to see more like this presentation! I think you did a good job with the level of detail (not too geeky at all).
I especially don’t like how the old testament seems to show a vengeful Jehovah – yet we believe he is the same yesterday, today, and forever. So maybe you have some stuff on other inconsistencies?
-If people were supposed to be stoned for adultery then why were there prostitutes among the people littered throughout the history?
(In fact – I don’t believe stoning was ever truly a requirement of the Law. I think that was added later; If the Law had been that strict there would have no harlots to beg Solomon for judgement)
– Wouldn’t it have been double hard to keep the law of Moses when all the other cousins, living all around and within Israel, descended from Melchizedek, Abraham via Keturah, etc were surely happier keeping the less burdensome gospel covenants?
– Why did Ezekiel mention Noah, Daniel, and Job as people that could not have taught Israel well enough to prevent the destruction of the nation? If he wanted to make a point then why not the more typical “Big Guys” like Abraham, Jacob, David, etc?
– Murdering the descendants of people to pay for past wrongs when the Law clearly forbids it; and then saying it was counted as righteous?
There are just so many things said that are out of character with a just and merciful God; but its hard to unravel which is which and when because we don’t know what else is missing that might clarify things. Then the inspired version didn’t change all of that either so now what?
Thanks James. You are right about Josiah, I think. It is not an all or nothing, black and white binary thing probably. Most of these things are very complex, and we see through a glass darkly. Michael Coogan has done some excellent work on your question about prostitution – his book “God and Sex: What the Bible Really Says” is an excellent read worth your time if you want more information regarding the complexity of your question. Your question about murdering people for past wrongs is another excellent point. There are so many great books on this, one I would recommend is John Walton’s book “The Lost World of the Israelite Conquest” for starters. So many great books! As to the inspired version, I see Joseph Smith teaching us how to read the text. I do not see it the JST as being a “completed” thing. I know not everyone agrees with this. But it is a great quest to embark upon!