The Historicity & Reliability of the Gospels

Are the Narratives and Teachings of Jesus for Real?

The Assumptions of the Historical-Critical Method

no supernatural intervention (resurrection, miracles, Creation, Flood, etc.) Scripture not the product of Divine inspiration (rejects idea that God imparted: specic objective production of Scripture culturally conditioned (historical forces and personal biases) Scripture not believable at face value-whats stated is not assumed to be true Scripture not authoritative

Dictionary of Jesus & the Gospels, 291-297

knowledge regarding Himself, the nature of the world, and historical events - E. Edward Zinke)

Friday, August 19, 2011

Friday, August 19, 2011

The Goal of the Historical-Critical Method

To reconstruct the meaning of Scripture by recreating the real-life situations, the various socio-cultural elements that allegedly shaped the biblical text in a long evolutionary development from its earliest stages to its present form (Samuel Pipim).

Ellen G. White and Higher Criticism

As in the days of the apostles men tried by tradition and philosophy to destroy faith in the Scriptures, so today, by the pleasing sentiments of higher criticism, evolution, spiritualism, theosophy [mystical philosophy], and pantheism, the enemy of righteousness is seeking to lead souls into forbidden pathsThe work of higher criticism, in dissecting, conjecturing, reconstructing, is destroying faith in the Bible as a divine revelation. It is robbing Gods word of power to control, uplift, and inspire human lives (AA, 474).

Friday, August 19, 2011

Friday, August 19, 2011

Scripture and the Historical-Critical Method

2 Tim 3:16 All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is protable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness. Heb 1:1-2 God, who at various times and in various ways spoke in time past to the fathers by the prophets has in these last days spoken to us by His Son... 2 Pet 1:19-21

Scripture and the Historical-Critical Method

And so we have the prophetic word conrmed, which you do well to heed as a light that shines in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts; knowing this rst, that no prophecy of Scripture is of any private interpretation, for prophecy never came by the will of man, but holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit

Friday, August 19, 2011

Friday, August 19, 2011

Jesus and the Historical-Critical Method

Luke 24:27; 44-45 And beginning at Moses and all the Prophets, He expounded to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning Himself. . . Then He said to them, These are the words which I spoke to you while I was still with you, that all things must be fullled which were written in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms concerning Me. Jesus uses Scripture (not signs and wonders) to validate and substantiate His identity as the Messiah.
Friday, August 19, 2011 Friday, August 19, 2011

Are the Narratives and Teachings of Jesus for Real?

C. L. Blomberg
Defends the historicity and reliability of the narratives and teachings of Jesus in his book The Historical Reliability of the Gospels (1987).

C. L. Blomberg Historical Reliability of the Gospels

and the

Friday, August 19, 2011

Friday, August 19, 2011

A Brief Introduction
Vast majority of theologians deny historicity and reliability of Gospels Most scholars agree Gospels written for theological, not historical purposes Must judge Gospels on the basis of their context, not ours (or anachronistically)

External Evidence
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External Evidence
1. The Text
A. critics claim textual corruption make Gospels untrustworthy

External Evidence
2. Archeology

no evidence to support this claim

B. 2,328 manuscripts/fragments containing portions, 21 major sections, & 5 complete Gospel manuscripts

Compared with the numbers and ages of manuscripts which have survived for most other ancient documents, including many believed to contain reliable accounts of historical accounts, this evidence is overwhelming (Blomberg).

not as signicant for the Gospels in 1888, pool of Bethesda discovered to contain ve porticoes (Jn 5:2) in 1961, rst Roman reference to Pontius Pilate discovered narratives & teachings of Jesus cannot be archeologically proved or disproved

C. estimated 97-99% of original text ascertainable D. 54% of verses in Gospels without textual variation

Friday, August 19, 2011

Friday, August 19, 2011

External Evidence
3. Outside Testimony

difculty in corroborating Gospel account with outside material (i.e., Roman or Jewish accounts, etc.) must remember Jesus was not then historically signicant, and had minimal impact while on earth

External Evidence
B. Jewish Testimony (contd)

Roman historian (Tacitus) refers to Christ as One who had been executed by sentence of the procurator Pontius Pilate in the reign of Tiberius Roman Suetonius refers to Christ as the instigator of a riot between the Jews and Christians in Rome

Origen (2nd C.) Christian writer states Jews thought Jesus was born out of an adulterous relationship between Mary and a Roman soldier. Talmud states Jesus was crucied on the evening of Passover and that Jesus had ve disciples: Mattha, Naqai, Nezer, Buni, Todah.

A. Greco-Roman Testimony

B. Jewish Testimony

Julius Africanus (3rd C.) citing rst century Greek historian, Thallus, refers to darkness during time of crucixion Pliny the Younger (2nd C.) refers to Christ

Talmud speaks of Jesus the Nazarene who engaged in magic and misled Israel

Josephus (Jewish historian) states Jesus was wise and a doer of wonderful works from whom began the congregation of Christians, was killed by the Pharisees, on account of the greatness of his miracles, a teacher who had followers both of the Jews and of the Gentiles who was believed to be Christ, and that Pilate condemned him to the cross (Josephus). Josephus also states Jesus was raised from dead and afrms His messiahship, but the possibility exists that these statements were interpolations (added later by scribes).

Friday, August 19, 2011

Friday, August 19, 2011

External Evidence
C. Other Christian Testimony & the Apocryphal Gospels

External Evidence
4. Authorship

issue of ascription: the attributing of a text or quotation to a particular person if Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John were the actual authors, the Gospel accounts should reect the rsthand account of Matthew & John, & the secondhand account of Luke (Lk 1:1-4) the argument: assuming authorial ascriptions incorrect--historicity & reliability of Gospels called into question

contain added teachings & narratives many are Gnostic none predate the mid-second century (written after the Gospels)

however, there are several quotations & multiple allusions to Christs words & teachings

keep in mind: its possible for eyewitness accounts to make mistakes, and for secondhand testimony to be accurate four Gospels are anonymous, titles were added later (early 2nd C.?) nevertheless: essentially unanimous testimony (early Christian church) associating four Gospels with Matthew, Mark, Luke, & John Gospels generally dated in the 1st century--well within the timeframe for transmitting accurate historical accounts of the words and narratives of Jesus

words: Acts 20:35; 1 Cor 7:10; 9:14; 11:23-25; 1 Tim 5:18 teachings: Rom 12:14; 12:17; 13:8-9; 14:10; 16:9; 1 Thess 2:14-16 book of James an allusion to Sermon on the Mount similarities: Acts & Mark

D. Critics claim book of Acts, the epistles, & Revelation fail to reference the Gospels (i.e., words of Christ)

Friday, August 19, 2011

Friday, August 19, 2011

External Evidence
5. Oral Tradition

assumption: length of time between events and their recording affects accuracy of the account critics argue early Christians lacked ability and incentive to accurately preserve the words & narratives of Jesus as they were passed down orally Counter-arguments: A. incentive-Jesus words understood by early church to be Gods revealed word & demanded careful retelling B. ability-over 90% of Jesus words poetic, thus easy to memorize C. ability-universal practice of education was rote memorization (habitual repetition) D. incentive-Jesus emphasis of soon return overemphasized by critics--Gospel writers did have reason to preserve the words/ narratives of Christ for the second generation E. oral story-telling provides exibility in selection/details of story without detracting from accuracy of narrative F. private, written records in form of notes and their copies used by rabbis & their disciples G. later church controversies not addressed by Jesus

External Evidence
6. Miscellaneous

External Evidence
Gospels & Acts cited by number of authors, beginning with those contemporary with the Gospel writers themselves

Paleys 11-point Argument: i.

Friday, August 19, 2011

Friday, August 19, 2011

External Evidence
6. Miscellaneous

External Evidence
Gospels & Acts cited by number of authors, beginning with contemporary writers Gospels quoted as authoritative (early Christian writers & thinkers) copies, commentaries, & harmonies exclusive to NT books NT accepted by heretical groups

This is the strongest form of historical testimony, regularly employed to establish authorship of secular works; and when this test is applied to the Gospels, their authenticity is unquestionably established.
William Lane Craig

Paleys 11-point Argument:

no apocryphal books quoted by any known author during the rst three hundred years after Christ

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Friday, August 19, 2011

Internal Evidence
1. Intention of the

Evangelists

theological or historical? see Lk 1:1-4; Jn 20:31 distinction between Gospels: complementary, not contradictory Gospels parallel historically reliable Jewish and GrecoRoman biographies and histories

historians and biographers of antiquity didnt feel compelled to write from objective standpoint wrote topically as well as chronologically were highly selective, abbreviated, paraphrased, as necessary to get point across Gospels not written solely for historical interest, but theological

Internal Evidence
Friday, August 19, 2011

Friday, August 19, 2011

Internal Evidence
2. Comparison of

Internal Evidence
B. Disagreement

Synoptics

A. Agreement

68% of self-contained narratives shared by Mark and either Matthew or Luke; appear in the same sequence commonality between synoptics suggests early date for establishing a relatively xed manner of telling the gospel and enhances the case for the Gospels historical reliability (C.L. Blomberg)

striking similarity between synoptic Gospels 91% of Mark appears in either Matthew or Luke, oftentimes both 235 verses appear in both Matthew & Luke, but not Mark

critics claim nature & number of differences suggest Gospels cannot be trusted a number of contradictions are signicant, though most are minor solutions to discrepancies have been proposed by Biblebelieving scholars

differences are complementary, not contradictory must understand Gospels written for theological purposes as well as historical-thus differences in emphasis, details, etc. See pp. 295-296 in Dictionary of Jesus & the Gospels: the seven major types of contradictions and some solutions

Friday, August 19, 2011

Friday, August 19, 2011

Internal Evidence
3. Synoptics & John
Distinctiveness of John:
a. b. most of Johns passages foreign to synoptic Gospels christological emphasis-equating Jesus with God (Jn 1:1; 10:30; 20:28), dont see this in Synoptics Johns chronology of events fail to correspond with Synoptics (i.e., Jesus attending Jewish festivals, 3year ministry between Galilee & Judea, Synoptics present Jesus visiting Jerusalem for rst time at time of death, etc.) e. d. historical anachronisms (i.e. Jewish excommunication of Christians-Jn 9:22)) Johns writing style (Johns language & Jesus difcult to tell apart, Jesus lengthy sermons) book of John generally viewed as being infused with his own theological viewpoints, thus historical unreliable c.

Internal Evidence
Refuting the Critics (contd)
Synoptics do not rule out 3-year ministry & multiple visits to Jerusalem d. Christians being ousted from synagogue not referring to formal ban of later rst century event (argument claims John written in late rst century, and its assumed Jn 9:22 referencing this point in time) e. Historical authenticity does not necessitate word-for-word quotations, but faithful paraphrasing. f. Also, John was a rsthand witness and captured many private teachings, Synoptics focuses more on the public discourses.

f.

c.

Refuting the Critics:

a. unnecessary to have multiple attestation for something to be reliable (book of John) b. Synoptics assume Jesus divinity (see Mt 1:18; Lk 1:35; Mk 14:62), different, but no inconsistency

Friday, August 19, 2011

Friday, August 19, 2011

Internal Evidence
4. Miscellaneous

Conclusion
The Bibles own testimony invalidates the God-less assumptions of those who employ the historicalcritical method. Jesus Himself authenticated His mission & identity on the basis of Scripture. There exists both external and internal support for the historicity and reliability of the Gospels

Internal Evidence
early date for Luke confusion of events of AD 70 & end of world (Matt 24) stories that manifest Jesus weaknesses & faults of disciples suggest Gospels accuracy style, Hebraic & Syriac idioms of each Gospel coincide with personalities of traditional authors

Gospels pregnant with: proper names, dates, cultural details, historical events, and customs and opinions of that time (Craig).

Friday, August 19, 2011

Friday, August 19, 2011

Final Thoughts
The Lord has preserved this Holy Book by His own miraculous power in its present shape--a chart or Heaven (1SM, p. 15). guidebook to the human family to show them the way to The Bible is the most ancient and the most comprehensive history that men possess. It came fresh from the fountain preserved its purity (Education, p. 173). of eternal truth, and throughout the ages a divine hand has

Friday, August 19, 2011