Misquoting Jesus with Bart Ehrman
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211 afleveringen, van nieuw naar oud
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Did the Winners Write the Bible?
27 oktober 2026 · 42 min
As early christians wrestled with their beliefs and theologies surrounding Jesus, they both produced new texts and gospels, and edited existing ones to better fit with specific theological views. What were some of these early heretical beliefs? How did the Church Fathers fight against them? And can we see traces of that battle in the manuscripts of the New Testament? Today on Misquoting Jesus, we're talking about how the New Testament was shaped by theological fights between early Christian groups. Lees meer
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Did Jesus Believe in Ghosts?
20 oktober 2026 · 47 min
The Bible's world is crowded and unsystematic: ghosts, familiar spirits, demons that cause illness, and the dead who can be summoned. And at times, this world breaks through in ways modern readers don't always appreciate. When the disciples see Jesus walking on the water, their first thought is that he's a ghost. After the resurrection, Jesus has to reassure them he isn't one. King Saul has a medium call the prophet Samuel up from the dead, and it works. Lees meer
So what happened to all those ghosts? Bart joins host Megan Lewis to explore the haunted world the Bible was written in, and how later Christians tidied it into a neater system of angels and demons, heaven and hell. Along the way: why demons were blamed for illness, why Jesus was accused of sorcery, and why believing in angels but not ghosts turns out to be a choice Christians made, not one the Bible made for them.
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Where Did Original Sin Come From?
13 oktober 2026 · 43 min
Most Christians grow up believing that everyone is born a sinner, that when Adam and Eve ate the fruit, humanity inherited a broken nature and a guilt we can't escape. It's one of the most influential ideas in Western Christianity. But it isn't in Genesis, Jesus never taught it, and it didn't take its familiar form until four centuries after him. Lees meer
Bart joins host Megan Lewis to trace where original sin actually came from: what the Garden of Eden story says and doesn't say, what Paul meant when he wrote that sin came into the world through one man, and how Augustine turned that line into a doctrine about every human being from the moment of conception. Along the way, why Eastern Orthodox Christians never fully accepted it, and what changes when you realize this belief has a history.
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How Apologists Use (and Misuse) Manuscripts
6 oktober 2026 · 57 min
Do manuscripts prove the Bible never changed? Some Christian apologists have argued that the Great Isaiah scroll (1QIsaa) is proof of an unchanging Bible, that it's "Word for Word" identical to the later Masoretic Text. Some have argued that P52 – a small fragment of John's gospel – shows that eyewitnesses quickly wrote down gospels. In a debate with Bart a decade back, Daniel Wallace even referenced a first century Gospel of Mark, that turned out to be a stolen manuscript that was eventually dated much later. For some modern Christians and apologists, manuscripts are "proof" of something... that the Bible is unchanging or perhaps inerrant. But can that claim hold up? Lees meer
In this episode, Bart unpacks what manuscripts do and don't prove, and the challenges they raise for people who want to argue for an unchanging Bible.
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Was Daniel Jesus' Favorite Book?
29 september 2026 · 41 min
The Book of Daniel is set in the sixth century BCE, during the Babylonian exile. It describes visions of empires rising and falling — and for a long stretch, the sequence tracks real history with remarkable precision. Kingdom after kingdom, exactly as it happened.
Then, at a certain point, it stops being right.
That break is one of the most important pieces of evidence. Bart joins host Megan Lewis to explain what Daniel gets right, where it goes wrong, and why the exact point of failure tells us when the book was really written. And Bart will talk about how this book and its ideas may have shaped Jesus' thinking. Lees meer -
The KJV is a Literary Masterpiece, and a Disaster Study Bible
22 september 2026 · 45 min
The King James Bible is arguably the most influential book in the English language, and Bart thinks it's a literary masterpiece. He also thinks it's one of the worst Bibles you can study from. Lees meer
In this episode of Misquoting Jesus, Bart and host Megan Lewis trace where the KJV came from, starting with William Tyndale, whose translation it largely reuses and who was burned at the stake for making it. They look at why its unicorns and cockatrices trip up modern readers, and why the words you think you understand, like "conversation," "strange," and "admiration," are more misleading than the ones you don't. They cover the theological choices its translators made, the late Greek manuscripts behind its New Testament, and a 1631 printing that told readers "thou shalt commit adultery." Bart also shares which modern translations he recommends instead.
In the listener Q&A: where the doctrine of original sin came from, whether early Christians evangelized door to door, and what Jesus meant about eunuchs in Matthew 19:12.
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Fixing Gospel Contradictions: 2nd Century to Now
15 september 2026 · 38 min
Around 170 CE, a Syrian Christian named Tatian noticed what a lot of readers have noticed since: the four Gospels don't always agree. So he fixed it. Tatian wove all four into a single, seamless account of Jesus' life. And for roughly two hundred years, in the Syriac-speaking churches of the East, that harmony was the Gospel.
Then the church came for it. Bishops collected copies and destroyed them. Tatian was condemned as a heretic. Today not a single copy survives in its original language — we know the text only through a commentary, some translations, and a sixth-century Latin Bible that still carries its shape.
Bart unpacks what Tatian actually did to the Gospels, why the church found it so threatening, and what it means that an entire branch of Christianity once read a Bible we can no longer read. Lees meer -
Why Are There Four Gospels?
8 september 2026 · 44 min
Most Christians are used to reading four Gospels. But why are there four? Why not one? Or twelve? The early Church thinker Irenaeus fought hard to keep Christians reading all four gospels, but it wasn't a foregone conclusion. Lees meer
In this episode, Bart unpacks how a four gospel new testament came to be, and what could have been the alternative.
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Was Paul an Eyewitness of Jesus' Resurrection?
1 september 2026 · 40 min
In a recent response to Wes Huff, Bart said the only eyewitness we know of who's converting people is Paul. A lot of people pointed out that Paul never met Jesus.
Fair. But Paul is also the only person in the New Testament who tells us, in his own words, that he saw Jesus alive after his death. Everyone else reaches us secondhand.
Bart unpacks what Paul actually claims to have seen, why Paul is the only person who claims to see a resurrected Jesus, and why the earliest firsthand evidence for the resurrection suggests visions. Lees meer -
How Bart Learned to Live Without God
25 augustus 2026 · 42 min
For many religious people who deconvert, losing their faith leaves a giant hole in their lives. They can lose their community, their purpose in life, and their understanding of how the world works. What does life look like on the other side of deconversion, once the dust has settled? Today we're talking about how Bart lives without God. We also have our bonus segment at the end, which this week is listener's questions, where I'll be asking Bart - among other things - whether he uses early Christian art as a source for his research. Lees meer
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Where did Satan actually come from?
18 augustus 2026 · 36 min
In the Old Testament, Satan is a minor figure at best, and one fully under the control of YHWH. He appears briefly in the New Testament, notably in the temptation of Jesus. How did Christianity take those minor references and end up with the lord of all evil? Lees meer
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What Moody Bible College Didn't Prepare Me For
11 augustus 2026 · 45 min
Those familiar with Dr. Bart Ehrman's career trajectory will know that he attended Moody Bible Institute, where he received his early training in textual criticism - but what is a "bible institute", exactly, and why do people attend them?
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Was Jesus Actually John's Disciple? (Q&A)
4 augustus 2026 · 36 min
Did you know that Jesus wasn't the only apocalyptic prophet traveling around Galilee during the 1st century CE? If the answer is "yes Megan, of course!", then you probably know something about John the Baptist. But what do we really know about him, and what impact did his teachings have on the historical Jesus? Lees meer
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Bart Fact Checks Apologist Wes Huff
28 juli 2026 · 59 min
Last year, Wes Huff was a relatively unknown Christian apologist. Then he went on The Joe Rogan Experience, one of the biggest podcasts in the world, and spent more than three hours talking with Joe Rogan about biblical manuscripts, the New Testament, the historical Jesus, and the case for Christianity.
The interview exploded online.
It now has more than 8 million views on YouTube alone, over 40,000 comments, and it essentially launched Wes into apologetics stardom overnight.
Wes is smart, articulate, and clearly very knowledgeable when it comes to manuscripts and textual criticism.
But as the interview goes on, there are several moments where manuscript evidence starts turning into much bigger claims about eyewitnesses, Gospel reliability, canon formation, and even evidence for the resurrection.
Today, I'm joined by Bible scholar Bart Ehrman. We're going to watch some clips from the interview and ask an important question: where does solid scholarship end and apologetics begin? Welcome to the Misquoting Jesus Podcast with Bart Ehrman. Lees meer -
Did Jesus Actually Believe in Heaven?
21 juli 2026 · 43 min
Did you know that Jesus didn't believe in the soul, heaven, or hell? As an apocalyptic Jew, these ideas would have been completely foreign to him. So where on earth did Christianity get the idea that a life well-lived would be rewarded with a place in paradise for your soul? Today, we're talking about where the idea of heaven came from. Lees meer
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8 Bible Myths Many Christians Believe
14 juli 2026 · 43 min
Have you ever heard a Christian say something about the Bible and wondered exactly where they were getting their information from? Today we are talking about the most common claims Christians make about the Bible that are not actually based in reality. Lees meer
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Who Really Chose the Books of the New Testament?
7 juli 2026 · 41 min
Have you ever read something in the New Testament, maybe the Book of Revelation, and wondered why on earth it's included in the Bible? Why were these specific books included, and why are they considered inspired by God while the non-canonical writings are just the work of humans? Today we're talking about the formation of the New Testament, using listeners' questions. Lees meer
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John's Rewritten Gospel: What Did Scribes Change?
30 juni 2026 · 44 min
Did you know that scribes made changes to all of the books of the New Testament? Some of them were accidental, but some of them were very deliberate. The gospel of John is no exception - but what was changed, and why?
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Three Myths Atheists Believe
23 juni 2026 · 39 min
Atheists often accuse people of religious faith of uncritically accepting a bunch of myths - but do atheists do the same? How closely do people actually examine their dearly-held views and beliefs, regardless of their religious persuasion?
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Did Jesus Suffer During His Crucifixion? (Depends Which Gospel You Read!)
16 juni 2026 · 34 min
In the gospels, Jesus' suffering is on a sliding scale - from sweating blood, to calmly accepting his fate. What did Jesus think about his own suffering, and is it even possible to answer that question from the evidence we have?
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This 1,700-Year-Old Song Is the Oldest Christian Music We Have
9 juni 2026 · 39 min
Ever wondered what the first Christian praise and worship service sounded like? Join us as Dr. Charles Cosgrove unveils the mystery of the Oxyrhynchus Hymn, the earliest known Christian hymn with musical notation!
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Why No One Can Prove the Resurrection
2 juni 2026 · 45 min
The resurrection of Jesus is probably one of the most well known stories from the New Testament. But how do historians deal with this miraculous event? Should it be discounted in its entirety, or can it be investigated using the historical method? Today, we're talking about what historians can and can't say about the resurrection. Lees meer
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Before Genesis: What the Old Testament Borrowed from Mesopotamian Stories
26 mei 2026 · 40 min
The Old Testament wasn't written in a cultural vacuum, but who and what influenced its writers. Today we're talking about the cultural background of the Old Testament and how the literature and societies of the surrounding cultures impacted its creation. Lees meer
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5 Evangelical Truisms that Aren't True
19 mei 2026 · 42 min
Love him or hate him, if you're listening to this podcast then you're probably familiar with some of Dr. Bart Ehrman's beliefs - but how familiar are you with the ideas he used to hold when he was an evangelical Christian?
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Is the Trinity Really in the Bible?
12 mei 2026 · 43 min
The doctrine of the Trinity - that there's one single God who is father, son, and holy spirit - is central to modern Christianity. But is it even in the Bible?
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Do the Dead Sea Scrolls Actually Prove the Bible Never Changed?
5 mei 2026 · 44 min
The discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls shook the field of biblical studies to its core. But did they actually change how we view the Old Testament? Today we're talking about the Dead Sea Scrolls, what they are, what they can tell us about the editorial history of the Old Testament, and whether they really show the perfect error-free transmission of the Hebrew Bible. Lees meer
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Did Jesus Actually Believe in Hell?
28 april 2026 · 39 min
Hell – the fiery eternal torment known from many Baptist pulpits – is maybe the ultimate consequence for misbehaviour. But is it an afterlife that is present in the Bible? Today, Dr. Bart Ehrman joins me to to discuss what Jesus believed about life after death, where the idea of hell came from, and whether we can even find it in the Bible. Lees meer
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Is the Rapture Really in the Bible – or Was It Invented Later?
21 april 2026 · 42 min
The Rapture, the ascent of Jesus' faithful flock to heaven at the end of the world is enthusiastically anticipated by many evangelical Christians. But is this expectation grounded in what the Bible actually says? Today, Dr. Bart Ehrman joins me to talk about the Rapture, what it is and whether it actually appears in the Bible. Lees meer
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The One Verse That Made Bart Question Everything
14 april 2026 · 41 min
Different Christian denominations have different beliefs about the Bible, and those who leave the faith have different ideas again. Today, Dr. Bart Ehrman joins me to talk about how his changing beliefs impacted his views on the Bible, and why he finally changed his mind about all of them. Lees meer
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Why Christians Keep the 10 Commandments (But Ignore the Rest of the Old Testament)
7 april 2026 · 37 min
The 10 Commandments are the most famous laws in the Bible, despite the fact that most people can't name more than a few. Today, I'm joined by Bart Ehrman to discuss why the 10 commandments are so famous, and why Christians still see them as important, even though most of the other 600 Old Testament laws are ignored. Lees meer
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What Really Happened After the Crucifixion?
31 maart 2026 · 36 min
Easter is fast approaching, and while children everywhere are looking forward to chocolate eggs, the minds of many Christians are turning to Jesus' resurrection. Today, Dr. Bart Ehrman joins me to answer audience questions about Jesus' crucifixion, and what happened after. Lees meer
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Did Christians Invent Jesus' Teachings?
24 maart 2026 · 44 min
We've been talking a lot about the revolutionary message of altruism in Jesus' teachings recently - but how do we know what the historical Jesus actually taught? Today, Dr. Bart Ehrman joins me to discuss exactly how scholars reconstruct his message.
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The Surprising Truth Behind "Love Thy Neighbor"
17 maart 2026 · 34 min
Jesus' most famous commandment might be to "love thy neighbour" - but what exactly does "love" mean, and how do you love your neighbour? Today, Dr. Bart Ehrman joins me to talk about the different meanings of love in the New Testament, and how that informs our understanding of Jesus' teachings. Lees meer
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Did Jesus Invent Charity?
10 maart 2026 · 42 min
Bart's newest book, Love Thy Stranger, will be released on March 24th - but really, how much can you say about Jesus' impact on the moral conscience of the west? As it turns out, quite a lot - and this week, we'll be getting into exactly what you can expect to read. Lees meer
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Did Jesus Invent Modern Morality? Exploring Ancient Ethics
3 maart 2026 · 55 min
The difference between right and wrong and how to live a good life has been a matter of debate for millennia. In the ancient world, different schools of philosophers subscribed to different theories - but were these discussions something that Jesus would have been aware of? Today, Dr. Bart Ehrman joins me to discuss ethics in Jesus' time. Lees meer
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Love Thy Stranger: The Radical Origins of Western Compassion
24 februari 2026 · 36 min
What did it mean to be a good person in the ancient world, and what did ancient cultures say about how we should treat one another? Today, Dr. Bart Ehrman joins me to discuss Jesus' teachings, the cultural norms of his time, and how early Christians changed his message. Lees meer
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The Surprising Reason Luke Removed Atonement from His Gospel
17 februari 2026 · 40 min
The writer of Luke's gospel drew heavily on the gospel of Mark - but was very careful to remove any idea of atonement - the concept that Jesus died in the place of others. Today, Dr. Bart Ehrman joins me to discuss why he did that, and what purpose he thought Jesus' death served instead. Lees meer
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Were Peter & Paul Really Martyred? History vs. Legend
10 februari 2026 · 48 min
It's well-known Christian tradition that the apostles Peter and Paul were both crucified as a result of their Christian faith, but what does history have to say about those legends? Today, Dr. Bart Ehrman joins me to talk about the texts behind the tradition, and what we know about the execution of early Christian leaders. Lees meer
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Are We Missing a Gospel? Unpacking the Q Source Debate
3 februari 2026 · 35 min
Q is a hypothetical source for the gospels of Matthew and Luke - but did it exist, and if it did, why are there no fragments of it? Today, Dr. Bart Ehrman joins me to answer YOUR questions about Q.
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Lost Verses? The Biggest Changes Made to the Gospel of Luke
27 januari 2026 · 45 min
The original manuscript of the gospel of Luke may have looked entirely different from the one you might be familiar with - to start with, it might have lacked the first two chapters entirely. Today, Dr. Bart Ehrman joins me to discuss what was added - or removed - and why. Lees meer
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Must Christians Keep Kosher? Decoding Matthew's Answer
20 januari 2026 · 41 min
The first followers of Jesus were Jewish, and followed Jewish law. After Jesus' death, gentiles started to convert to Christianity - along with additional Jewish members. Did these new converts need to follow Jewish law, and keep kosher? Today, Dr. Bart Ehrman joins me to discuss Matthew's take on keeping kosher as a Christian. Lees meer
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Sin, Death, and Salvation: Paul's Mysterious View
13 januari 2026 · 38 min
Sin and salvation are two incredibly important concepts for Christians - both ancient and modern. But exactly what is sin, and how does one attain forgiveness? Today, Dr. Bart Ehrman joins me to discuss what the apostle Paul says about the topic, and how that compares to modern Christians. Lees meer
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Does the Book of Revelation Predict our Future?
6 januari 2026 · 44 min
The book of Revelation predicts some incredibly unsettling events, full of suffering and blood. Are these predictions of our own future? Today Dr. Bart Ehrman joins me to talk about what the New Testament's most violent book actually predicts, and whether we should be worried. Lees meer
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Did Ancient Scribes Alter Jesus' Words? Evidence from the Gospel of Matthew
30 december 2025 · 47 min
The Gospel of Matthew was copied and recopied for hundreds of years before the invention of the printing press - and each new copy introduced new changes to the text. What were those changes, and how do they impact the meaning of the text? Today on Misquoting Jesus, Dr. Bart Ehrman joins me to discuss how scribes changed the gospel of Matthew, and what those changes mean for us. Lees meer
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The Real Mary: History vs Christmas Legend
23 december 2025 · 44 min
Ever wondered what Mary, the mother of Jesus, was really like—beyond the nativity scenes and stained glass? This week, Megan Lewis sits down with Dr. James Tabor to dig into the life of the "woman behind the Messiah," exploring surprising theories about Mary's origins, her possible royal and priestly lineage, and her true role in the earliest days of Christianity. Was she really just a humble villager—or something much more? Tune in for a lively conversation that blends historical detective work, ancient drama, and just a pinch of scholarly mischief to help you see Mary as you've never seen her before. Lees meer
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The Real Story Behind the Virgin Birth in Christianity
16 december 2025 · 35 min
Mary's virginity is a central tenet in most (or all) Christian denominations - but when did the story develop? Today, Dr. Bart Ehrman joins me to talk about where the idea of a virgin birth might have come from, and when it was first introduced into the Christian canon. Lees meer
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Is the Christmas Story a Myth?
9 december 2025 · 44 min
Did you know that the "Christmas story" everyone knows, with the shepherds and wise men, is actually an amalgamation of the accounts in the gospels of Luke and Matthew? Today, Dr. Bart Ehrman answers my questions about the inconsistencies in these two narratives, and whether they can be reconciled. Lees meer
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How Did Scribes Change the Gospel of Mark?
2 december 2025 · 53 min
We have hundreds of manuscripts of the Gospel of Mark, and no two are exactly the same. From spelling errors to deliberate, theologically-driven changes, each scribe put their own mark on the gospel. Today, Dr. Bart Ehrman joins me to discuss the hows and whys of these rewrites. Lees meer
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Missing Manuscripts: Uncovering the Original Gospels' Text
25 november 2025 · 44 min
We often talk about copies of the gospels, how different manuscripts differ from one another, and the implications of these differences - but we rarely talk about the original gospel manuscripts. Today on Misquoting Jesus, Dr. Bart Ehrman joins me to discuss what an original text actually is, and why they matter. Lees meer
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Did Peter Really Found the Church in Rome?
18 november 2025 · 47 min
The Catholic tradition considers the apostle Peter to be the first Pope and the founder of the church in Rome, but what does the historical record say? Today, Dr. Bart Ehrman joins me to discuss where this idea came from, whether Peter was ever in Rome, and what historians know about the founding of early churches. Lees meer