Is The New Testament Reliable? Learning Set 5 Reasons For Christian Hope Chapter 8

Now that we have established the solid argument for the existence of God and explored all of the evidence, we can now focus our case on Christianity and its direct claims; the claims of Scripture and most importantly the claims of Jesus Christ. However, before we can assert the claims of Christ, we must first establish the reliability of the very Scriptures which declare His claims.

“Historically it is quite doubtful whether Christ ever existed at all, and if he did we do not know anything about him.” - Richard Dawkins

Are the New Testament Documents a Reliable Record of the Things Jesus Said and Did?

Issues in translation Literal vs. author intent vs. the Message

Bibliographical test. It examines the textual transmission by which documents reach us. Check out the number of copies we have of the New Testament The Tests

The Amount of Time Modern version Earliest Manuscript Copy Autograph X Question: is it better for X to be longer or shorter?

The Number of Copies

John 18: A.D – One generation from original  It was carbon-14 dated what some say is A.D.  It contains a few verses of the Gospel of John, John 18:31-33 and a second piece, John 18:  Since it was found in Egypt, which is some distance from the traditional composition in Asia Minor, we can confirm that the gospel of John was written before the end of the first century.

Codex Sinaiticus, 340 AD Contains half of the Old Testament books and all the N.T. except a few verses such as Mark 16:9-20 and Jn. 7:53-8:11.

Bibliographical test. It examines the textual transmission by which documents reach us. Check out the number of copies we have of the New Testament External evidence - It determines whether other Historical material confirms or denies the internal testimony of the document

WriterDateSubject Cornellius112Death of Jesus at the hands of Pilate Tacitus Lucian2 nd cent.The new cult of Christianity Flavius 66Life/Death of Jesus Josephus Suetonius120Christ-The reason for Jews expulsion from Rome Pliny 112Christians bound not to sin - Jesus Thallus52Histories-Darkness at Christ’s death (eclipse) Philegon1 st cent.Darkness=Eclipse Mara Bar-73Calamities brought by deaths. Socrates, Serapion Pythagorus, and Jesus

Bibliographical test. It examines the textual transmission by which documents reach us. Check out the number of copies we have of the New Testament External evidence - It determines whether other Historical material confirms or denies the internal testimony of the document The Final Test - Internal evidence - Determines whether the written record is credible or to what extent and attempts to gauge the authors ability to tell the truth.

Andrew: Peter’s brother was crucified and then hanged on an olive tree in Patrae, a town in Achaia. Barnabas: Church tradition teaches that he was stoned to death by Jews. Bartholomew (Nathanael): Known to be the first to proclaim Jesus as the Son of God (John 1:49). He was later told to recant his belief in Jesus. When he refused he was beaten to death with clubs and then crucified. James, the brother of John: According to Acts 12:2 he was arrested by King Herod and was “put to death by the sword.” John: He was the only apostle to have died from natural causes. He did however, live the life of a martyr. He was exiled to the island of Patmos under Emperor Domitian. Church tradition records that he was thrown into boiling oil, was not killed, but severely wounded. Matthias: The one who replaced Judas Iscariot, is said to have preached in Ethiopia and was later stoned while hanging on a cross. Matthew: The former tax collector and writer of the gospel to the Jews was later beheaded for professing the resurrected Jesus. Paul: Throughout his missionary journeys, Paul suffered prison, beatings, being shipwrecked, and ended with his beheading in Rome under Emperor Nero in 67 A.D.

Peter: When Peter denied Jesus three times at Jesus’ crucifixion, it would be the last time he ever denied his Lord. Peter, as Roman executioners prepared him for crucifixion, he thought himself unworthy to be crucified in the same manner as his Lord. So he asked to be crucified upside down. Philip: He said to have taken the gospel to Phrygia were he encountered hostile Jews who tortured, scourged and crucified him. Simon: After taking the gospel to Egypt, Cyrene, Africa, Mauritania, Britain, Lybia, and Persia; Simon was crucified by the governor of Syria sometime around 74 A.D. Thomas: Although he doubted that Jesus resurrected until he saw for himself, Thomas suffered being thrust through with a spear, tormented with red-hot plates and then burned alive because of what he knew to be true.

James, the less: Known as the leader of the Jerusalem church, hostile Jews captured him, led him up to the pinnacle of the Temple attempting to force him to deny his faith. When he didn’t, they threw him off and was beaten to death with a fuller’s club. Thaddeus: Preached the risen Jesus in Mesopotamia and was consequently beaten to death with sticks. Other disciples: Most traditions hold that Jude was crucified, and the historian, doctor, and companion of Paul, was hanged on an olive tree. James, the brother of Jesus was said to have been stoned to death. And finally, Mark was dragged through the streets by his feet and then burned to death.

The Skeptics Response