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I believe that it is necessary to point out the reliability of the New Testament in this session of Jesus Confusion.
Assumptions:
- If the New Testament is not reliable, then the writings in it about Jesus are not reliable either.
- If the New Testament is reliable, then the writings about Jesus are reliable.
Two Tests
This post talks about two tests that we can put the New Testament through to help prove it's reliability. There are many more tests, but face it, this is a blog and not a doctoral thesis.
This Inside Test:
Were the accounts written in the New Testament worthy of trust?
How do most people who forge signatures get caught? They make the mistake of being too perfect. You see, when I write my signature it always says the same thing (my name), but there are slight differences each time I put pen to paper. I'm talking about differences like the angle of the letters or in the pressure marks on the paper. Sometimes I write my middle name and sometimes I don't. These slight differences may tell a story about my mood, or if I was in a hurry, or even my age, but the most important thing is, these differences also make my signature authentic and reliable.
Even though the Gospels don't say exactly the same words, they still give an accurate account of history. If the Gospels were too similar in wording, that would put up a big red flag telling me that the authors must have been up to something. The writers of the New Testament were either eyewitnesses to the actual events written, or were very close to the people who were. When a police officer takes an eyewitness account, the best thing that they can hear are two stories that back each other up, but are told from different angles. If an account is too similar, that leads one to believe that there was collaboration between eyewitnesses possibly skewing the truth.
John Writes:
We proclaim to you what we have seen and heard, so that you also may have fellowship with us. And our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ. 1 John 1:3
Peter Writes:
For we did not follow cleverly devised stories when we told you about the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ in power, but we were eyewitnesses of his majesty.
Luke Writes:
Many have undertaken to draw up an account of the things that have been fulfilled among us, just as they were handed down to us by those who from the first were eyewitnesses and servants of the word. With this in mind, since I myself have carefully investigated everything from the beginning, I too decided to write an orderly account for you, most excellent Theophilus,
Omitting something doesn't mean the same as contradicting something.
For example: Saying that Justin and Anne are going for a bike ride contradicts the saying only Justin is going for a bike ride. However, the saying Justin is going for a bike ride does not contradict the saying Justin and Anne are going for a bike ride.
The Gospels are just like the above statement.
For example: Luke writes about two angels that were at Jesus' tomb after the resurrection and Matthew only mentions one.
On the first day of the week, very early in the morning, the women took the spices they had prepared and went to the tomb. 2 They found the stone rolled away from the tomb, 3 but when they entered, they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. 4 While they were wondering about this, suddenly two men in clothes that gleamed like lightning stood beside them. Luke 24:1-4
After the Sabbath, at dawn on the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to look at the tomb. There was a violent earthquake, for an angel of the Lord came down from heaven and, going to the tomb, rolled back the stone and sat on it. His appearance was like lightning, and his clothes were white as snow. The guards were so afraid of him that they shook and became like dead men. The angel said to the women, "Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. He is not here; he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay. Then go quickly and tell his disciples: 'He has risen from the dead and is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him.' Now I have told you." So the women hurried away from the tomb, afraid yet filled with joy, and ran to tell his disciples. Matthew 28:1-8
If you read through the two accounts, you will see that Matthew said an angel not the only angel or the one angel. Matthew says nothing that would contradict a second angel.
Conclusion: The writers of the New Testament are worthy of our trust and are reliable.
- Their writings were not too similar but they came to the same conclusions
- Most of the writings were written by eyewitnesses and if they were not, they were accounts of people who were eyewitnesses.
- None of the Gospels contradict one another. They are an integrated message system.
The Outside Test:
Do archeological findings confirm the reliability of the New Testament?
Archeology is the science that studies human cultures through the recovery, documentation, analysis and interpretation of material remains and environmental data, including architecture, artifacts, features, biofacts, and landscapes
Archeology is a friend when trying to prove the reliability of the New Testament. When critics try to disprove the writings in the New Testament, they almost always turn to the "there's no physical proof argument. This argument doesn't hold much water when you ask them if there has ever been any archeological discovery that has contradicted what the New Testament (or the Old Testament) says.
I've got a distinguished archeologist that is going to kick in a good word. The following is a quote from Dr. Nelson Glueck:
"No archeological discovery has ever controverted a Biblical reference. Scores of archeological findings have been made which confirm in clear outline or in exact detail historical statements in the Bible. And, by the same token, proper evaluation of Biblical descriptions has often led to amazing discoveries."
Here's my favorite archeological find that puts critics to bed.
Mark writes about Jesus healing a blind man as He left Jericho.
Then they came to Jericho. As Jesus and his disciples, together with a large crowd, were leaving the city, a blind man, Bartimaeus (which means "son of Timaeus"), was sitting by the roadside begging. When he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to shout, "Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!" Many rebuked him and told him to be quiet, but he shouted all the more, "Son of David, have mercy on me!" Jesus stopped and said, "Call him." So they called to the blind man, "Cheer up! On your feet! He's calling you." Throwing his cloak aside, he jumped to his feet and came to Jesus. "What do you want me to do for you?" Jesus asked him. The blind man said, "Rabbi, I want to see." "Go," said Jesus, "your faith has healed you." Immediately he received his sight and followed Jesus along the road. Mark 10:46-52
Luke, writes about the same thing, but says the opposite (so it seems). Luke says that Jesus healed the blind man while He was approaching Jericho.
As Jesus approached Jericho, a blind man was sitting by the roadside begging. Immediately he received his sight and followed Jesus, praising God. When all the people saw it, they also praised God. Luke 18:35, 43
While Excavating between the years of 1907-09, Ernest Sellin, showed that there were two cities named Jericho in Jesus’ time, an old Jewish city and a Roman city about a mile apart. Mark referred to one and Luke referred to the other, and the incident occurred as Jesus traveled between the two.
Free, op cit, p. 295; the old Jewish Jericho may have been a "ghost town" or merely a mound in Jesus' day.
Conclusion: Archeology proves The New Testament's reliability because there has never been anything discovered that has contradicted the Bible and there have been many discoveries that distinctly backup the writings in the Bible.
Final Conclusion: I believe that the New Testament is without a doubt reliable. I urge you to dig deeper and come to that conclusion yourself.
