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Cameron Bertuzzi presents another supposed dilemma for Protestants—this time involving the early church, the authorship of Luke, and Irenaeus's statements about the Church of Rome. But does the historical evidence actually establish what the argument claims?

In this episode of Weighed in the Balance, Jonathan Brooks examines Bertuzzi's argument and argues that the dilemma depends on oversimplifying complicated historical questions and drawing conclusions that the evidence does not necessarily support.

We look at:
• The Qur'an's appeal to the Gospel and the Christian-Muslim dilemma surrounding the New Testament
• The evidence for the traditional authorship of Luke and Acts
• Early Christian testimony concerning the authorship of the Gospels
• Irenaeus and the succession of the bishops of Rome
• The famous passage in *Against Heresies* 3.3.2 concerning Rome's "preeminent authority"
• The difficulties surrounding the surviving Latin text and the underlying Greek
• Whether Irenaeus actually provides evidence for the modern Roman Catholic doctrine of the papacy

The point isn't that difficult theological and historical questions can be settled with a single quotation. The point is that we should examine the sources carefully and ask whether the conclusions being drawn actually follow from the evidence.

As always, *Weighed in the Balance* seeks to examine claims carefully, charitably, and according to the evidence.

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