Podcast Summary: "Wes Huff DEBUNKS Top 10 Bible Lies with Michael Knowles"

Podcast Information

• Title: The Michael Knowles Show
• Host/Author: The Daily Wire
• Episode: Wes Huff DEBUNKS Top 10 Bible Lies with Michael Knowles
• Release Date: April 26, 2025

Introduction In this episode, Michael Knowles welcomes Wesley Huff, the Central Canada Director for Apologetics Canada, to dissect and debunk prevalent myths and misconceptions surrounding the Bible and Christianity. Huff, recognized for his expertise in ancient texts and apologetics, engages in a thorough analysis of ten commonly propagated "Bible lies," providing historical context and scholarly insights to counter these claims.

1. Did Christ Travel to India?

• Claim: Jesus traveled to India to study with Buddhist yogis and learn Eastern philosophies.
• Debunking:
  • Wes Huff [00:05]: Huff traces the origin of this claim to Nicholas Notovitch's 1894 writings, suggesting that Jesus journeyed to Nepal and India, gaining esoteric knowledge.
  • Huff [01:59]: Highlights that canonical Gospels, particularly Matthew and Luke, depict Jesus firmly within the first-century Jewish context without any indication of Eastern influences.
  • Michael Knowles [04:29]: References the Apostle Thomas's journey to India as a separate tradition, emphasizing the lack of historical evidence supporting Jesus's travels beyond the Holy Land.

2. Genesis Creation Story Copied from Enuma Elish

• Claim: The Genesis creation narrative is a direct copy of the Babylonian Enuma Elish.
• Debunking:
  • Michael Knowles [05:55]: Introduces the notion of Genesis being derivative of the Enuma Elish.
  • Wes Huff [05:55]: Differentiates between the monotheistic creation in Genesis and the polytheistic chaos ordering in Enuma Elish. Points out the lack of direct linguistic or content parallels, emphasizing distinct theological premises.
  • Huff [08:18]: Argues that similarities are superficial and stem from common ancient Near Eastern themes rather than direct borrowing, likening it to the Texas sharpshooter fallacy where random similarities are erroneously interpreted as evidence of copying.

3. The Ethiopian Bible as the Oldest Canon

• Claim: The Ethiopian Orthodox Bible is the oldest and most authentic version of the Bible.
• Debunking:
  • Michael Knowles [09:59]: Challenges the assertion, questioning the validity of considering the Ethiopian Bible foremost.
  • Wes Huff [10:27]: Explains that the Ethiopian Bible, written in Ge'ez, originates from Greek translations existing between the 4th and 6th centuries, whereas Hebrew and Greek manuscripts predate it by centuries. Clarifies that the Ethiopian canon includes books like Enoch but is not the earliest or exclusively authoritative version.

4. Magic Mushrooms at the Origin of Christianity

• Claim: Psychedelic substances, specifically magic mushrooms, were foundational to the formation of Christian beliefs.
• Debunking:
  • Michael Knowles [12:43]: Introduces the claim as a fringe theory lacking credibility.
  • Wes Huff [13:36]: Attributes the theory to John Marco Allegro’s "The Sacred Mushroom and the Cross," highlighting its lack of acceptance among scholars. Points out Allegro's flawed etymological connections and the scholarly dismissal of his hypotheses due to methodological errors and lack of linguistic basis.

5. Reincarnation in Early Christianity

• Claim: Early Christian teachings endorsed reincarnation, later condemned by councils like Constantinople.
• Debunking:
  • Michael Knowles [19:22]: Questions the historical validity of reincarnation within Christian doctrine.
  • Wes Huff [20:03]: Clarifies that mainstream Christianity has consistently emphasized resurrection, not reincarnation. Notes the Second Council of Constantinople focused on Christological doctrines rather than concepts like reincarnation. Asserts that ancient Judaism and early Christianity lacked foundational support for reincarnation, further distinguishing it from resurrection beliefs.

6. Catholic Addition of Books to the Bible

• Claim: The Catholic Church illicitly added books to the Bible during the Council of Trent, inflating the canon from 66 to 73 books.
• Debunking:
  • Michael Knowles [24:49]: Presents the Protestant view that Catholics appended Deuterocanonical books in response to the Reformation.
  • Wes Huff [25:41]: Explains the historical complexity of the biblical canon's evolution, noting that both Protestant and Catholic canons have deep historical roots. Highlights figures like Augustine and Jerome, who recognized differing canonical lists, undermining the simplistic narrative of Catholic dogmatism. Emphasizes that the Council of Rome was a local, not ecumenical, council and that canon formation was a gradual, multifaceted process rather than unilateral additions.

7. The Book of Enoch's Canonical Status

• Claim: The Book of Enoch holds canonical authority, especially as referenced in Jude, yet isn’t included in Western canons.
• Debunking:
  • Michael Knowles [35:21]: Questions the exclusion of Enoch despite its mention in Jude.
  • Wes Huff [36:09]: Details that First Enoch, part of the Ethiopian canon, is pseudepigraphal and not authentically authored by Enoch. Notes its fragmented manuscript history and the absence of early Jewish endorsements like those from Josephus. Argues that Jude’s reference does not necessitate canonical status, drawing parallels to Paul’s use of non-canonical Greek philosophy without undermining scripture’s authority.

8. Jesus as a Composite of Pagan Gods

• Claim: Jesus is merely a composite or facsimile of various pagan deities like Mithras, Horus, and Dionysus.
• Debunking:
  • Michael Knowles [39:32]: Raises the issue of syncretism in depictions of Jesus.
  • Wes Huff [40:20]: Rejects the notion by emphasizing the necessity of proving direct causation rather than relying on superficial correlations. Points out significant doctrinal differences, such as Mithras’s non-virgin birth versus Jesus’s incarnation. Uses the Texas sharpshooter analogy to illustrate the unfounded nature of drawing parallels without substantive links.

9. The Trinity's Scriptural Basis

• Claim: The Trinity is a later invention, not explicitly found in Scripture.
• Debunking:
  • Michael Knowles [44:16]: Queries the scriptural foundation of the Trinity doctrine.
  • Wes Huff [44:16]: Affirms the Trinity as inherent to biblical Christianity, despite the term not appearing in the Bible. Utilizes the HANDS acronym (Honors, Attributes, Names, Deeds, Seat) to illustrate how the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit collectively embody divine characteristics. References biblical instances that imply a triune nature, such as Jesus’s baptism and the Great Commission’s directive to baptize "in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit."

10. The Woman Caught in Adultery Passage

• Claim: The story of the woman caught in adultery isn’t present in the earliest biblical manuscripts, calling into question its authenticity.
• Debunking:
  • Michael Knowles [48:02]: Brings up textual criticisms regarding the passage’s absence in early manuscripts.
  • Wes Huff [48:17]: Confirms that the Pericope Adultera (John 7:53–8:11) first appears in the Codex Bezae (5th century) and later medieval manuscripts, with scribes noting its questionable authenticity. However, acknowledges its early citation by church fathers and its alignment with Jesus’s established character traits. Concludes that while it likely wasn't penned by John, it remains a meaningful and authentic story within Christian tradition.

Rapid Fire Round

1. Does the Bible Teach the Earth is Flat?

• Claim: The Bible endorses a flat Earth belief.
• Debunking:
  • Wes Huff [56:25]: Asserts that while the Bible uses phenomenological language (descriptive from an Earth-centric perspective), it doesn't explicitly support a flat Earth. Emphasizes understanding the cultural and literary context rather than interpreting the Bible as a scientific text.

2. The Bible Says Dinosaurs Did Not Exist

• Claim: Acceptance of dinosaurs contradicts Christian belief.
• Debunking:
• Wes Huff [60:21]: States that the Bible doesn’t mention dinosaurs explicitly, neither affirming nor denying their existence. Suggests that the absence of mention doesn’t imply non-existence and that dinosaurs can coexist with a Biblical worldview.

3. Jesus Was Married to Mary Magdalene

• Claim: Historical evidence suggests Jesus was married to Mary Magdalene.
• Debunking:
• Wes Huff [62:00]: Dismisses the claim as unfounded, referencing the forgery of the "Gospel of Jesus’s Wife" and the lack of credible historical evidence. Highlights that reputable scholars reject such theories as conspiratorial and speculative.

Conclusion Wesley Huff provides a comprehensive and scholarly rebuttal to ten prevalent misconceptions about the Bible and Christianity. Through historical analysis, linguistic expertise, and careful examination of textual evidence, Huff effectively dismantles these myths, reinforcing the integrity and inerrancy of Scripture. The episode underscores the importance of critical thinking and informed debate in understanding and defending religious beliefs.

Notable Quotes:

• Michael Knowles [12:43]: "Then what do you make of this? What do you make of the Synod of Rome..."
• Wes Huff [40:20]: "Mithras is virgin born? Well, all of the stories..."
• Wes Huff [48:17]: "If you open up to the, you know, John, chapter seven or the beginning of chapter eight, your Bible is going to have a citation note there that's going to explain what's going on."

This episode serves as an essential listen for those seeking to understand the historical and theological foundations of Christianity, unraveling misinformation and reaffirming the faith's scriptural authenticity.