Has Richard Carrier Found a Problem With the Historical Jesus?

Check our Richard Carrier books (affiliate links): The Obsolete Paradigm of a Historical Jesus UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/163431282... US: https://www.amazon.com/dp/1634312821?... On the Historicity of Jesus: Why We Might Have Reason for Doubt UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/191449024... US: https://www.amazon.com/dp/191449024X?... These are affiliate links — I may earn a commission if you use them (no extra cost to you). Did Paul actually know anyone who knew Jesus? As mentioned in my video, check out this video: Is Paul a Reliable Historical Source?    • Has Richard Carrier Solved the Historical ...   In this video, I examine a specific argument made by Richard Carrier concerning Paul’s letters and what they really tell us about Paul’s access to firsthand information. Although Paul became the most influential figure in early Christianity, he never met Jesus himself. That raises an obvious question: where did Paul get his information—and from whom? Focusing on Galatians and 1 Corinthians, I walk through the key passages often cited as evidence that Paul met members of Jesus’ inner circle, especially James. Carrier argues that these references may be far more ambiguous than they are usually presented, and that Paul’s use of the word “brother” does not necessarily imply a biological relationship. If Paul relied on only one primary source for his knowledge, that has important implications for how we assess the historical value of his letters. This video explores whether Paul’s testimony is as strong as commonly assumed, and why the interpretation of a single line in Galatians carries so much weight. Whether or not you agree with Carrier’s conclusions, this discussion highlights a genuine problem in how Paul’s writings are often read—and why slowing down and reading them carefully matters. Chapters: 00:00 Did Jesus have brothers? 00:50 The Man Who Never Knew Jesus 01:35 Carrier, Paul and the Brothers of Jesus 04:00 1 Corinthians and Galatians 06:45 The Problem of What ‘Brothers’ Means 09:12 Carrier’s Argument Sources 1 Corinthians, at https://www.earlychristianwritings.co... 2 Corinthians, at https://www.earlychristianwritings.co... Galatians, at https://www.earlychristianwritings.co... The Protoevangelium of James, at https://www.earlychristianwritings.co... Bauckham, Richard, ‘The Brothers and Sisters of Jesus’, in The Catholic Biblical Quarterly, Vol. 56, No. 4 (October, 1994), pp. 686–700. Carrier, Richard, The Obsolete Paradigm of a Historical Jesus (Durham, North Carolina, 2025). Meier, Joseph P., ‘Jesus in Josephus: A Modest Proposal’, in The Catholic Biblical Quarterly, Vol. 52, No. 1 (January, 1990), pp. 76–103. Taylor, N. H., ‘Paul and the Historical Jesus’, in Neotestamentica, Vol. 37, No. 1 (2003), pp. 105–126. Let me know in the comments how you read Galatians. Was Paul referring to a biological relative, or to a fellow believer? And how convincing do you find Carrier’s reasoning?