Unbelievable?

The birth narratives of Jesus contain some of the most famous stories in Christianity: the virgin birth, angels and shepherds, the Magi, the star of Bethlehem and Herod’s massacre of the innocents. But did Matthew and Luke actually intend their readers to believe these events happened?
Dr Caleb Friedeman joins John Nelson to challenge a widespread assumption in historical Jesus scholarship: that the infancy narratives can largely be sidelined because they belong more to the world of legend and theological storytelling than history.
Drawing on his new book, Gospel Birth Narratives and Historiography: Reopening a Closed Case, Friedeman compares Matthew and Luke with ancient biographers including Plutarch, Suetonius and Philo. He argues that supposedly “legendary” ancient birth stories often show clear signs of historical intent — including the use and evaluation of sources — and asks whether scholars have been applying the wrong assumptions to the Gospels.
But historical intent doesn’t automatically mean historical accuracy. So what about the difficult questions? Did Luke get the census of Quirinius wrong? Is there any evidence for Herod’s massacre of the innocents? Did Luke really get his information from Mary? And can the apparently different birth stories in Matthew and Luke actually be reconciled?
Can we take the Christmas story seriously as history?

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Pat Allerton joins Luke Martin to explore the growing openness to Christianity, the search for meaning and why faith may be returning to the cultural conversation.
From science and the resurrection to anxiety, healing and his own dramatic conversion, Pat makes the case for why Christianity still speaks to a searching generation.

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Has Christian apologetics become too focused on winning?
Mary Jo Sharp joins John Nelson to confront the darker side of defending the faith: pride, outrage, confirmation bias and the temptation to treat people as arguments to defeat.
What if apologetics is meant to transform the Christian too?
A conversation about truth, humility, suffering and one uncomfortable question:
Does Christianity just make us right, or should it make us good?

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What do we really know about Jesus before he began preaching?
Professor Joan Taylor joins John Nelson to explore the missing years of Jesus, from Bethlehem and Egypt to Nazareth, his family, education and work. Could memories preserved in the Gospels reveal far more history than scholars have assumed?
A fascinating investigation into the childhood, world and experiences that may have shaped Jesus.

Subscribe & Support
👉 Support thought-provoking conversations and help keep the show going at www.premierunbelievable.com/geolink/donate💡
🎧 Never miss an episode! Subscribe to the Unbelievable? podcast at www.premier.plus/unbelievable 🎙️
🔗 Get bonus content, updates, fascinating articles, and early access to new episodes - absolutely free! Join now at www.premierunbelievable.com 📢
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X: Premier Unbelievable? (@UnbelievableFE

After cancer and intensive chemotherapy, Tyler Staton says he came to know Jesus in a way he never had before: not simply as the victorious Saviour, but as the suffering servant. In this deeply personal conversation with Ruth Jackson, the Bridgetown Church pastor explores unanswered prayer, miraculous healing, anxiety, doubt and why suffering did not destroy his faith. He also reflects on America’s culture wars, Britain’s apparent spiritual revival, the coming age of AI and why beauty and story may increasingly speak to people more powerfully than traditional apologetic arguments.

• Subscribe to the Unbelievable? podcast: https://www.premier.plus/unbelievable
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