Quoting Jesus: Was it Live or Was it Memorex? (The Faith Explained)

When you’re reading Jesus’ messages in the Gospels, you may wonder…Was he quoted word for word?

In this podcast episode hosted by Cale Clarke on “The Faith Explained,” he delves into the authentication of Jesus’ words in the Gospels. Father Arturo Sosa, the head of the Jesuit order, raised doubts about the trustworthiness of the Gospels and Jesus’ teachings, particularly on divorce. He emphasized the lack of recording devices during Jesus’ time and the need to contextualize his words.

Cale Clarke points out that while there were no recording devices, it doesn’t mean we can’t know what Jesus actually said. He draws an analogy to the old Memorex cassette tape ads, asking whether Jesus’ teachings were “live” (the living words of Jesus) or “Memorex” (recorded word for word). Clarke emphasizes that the Gospels were originally written in Greek and then translated into various languages, including English. He also highlights that Aramaic was the language Jesus likely used when teaching and preaching, introducing the concept of Ipsissima Verba (the actual words of Jesus) versus Ipsissima Vox (the actual voice of Jesus).

You can check out the whole podcast here! 

Jake Moore serves as a Digital Audio Content Producer for Relevant Radio®. He is a graduate of Franciscan University of Steubenville, and is passionate about classic movies, Christian music, young adult ministry, and leading this generation to Christ through compelling media. You can listen to more of his podcasts at relevantradio.com and on the Relevant Radio® app.