THE HISTORICAL JESUS

PART 1
PROOFS THAT THE BIBLE IS GOD’S WORD

1. Cohesive Unity
2. Inspired by God
3. Evidence from Archeology
EBLA TABLETS
 EBLA TABLETS

• 15,000 clay tablets

• 2,500 BC
 EBLA TABLETS

THE TABLETS CONTAINS

• Creation
• The universal flood
• Bible names and places(Esau, Abraham, Israel,
Sinai and Jerusalem)
• Two “sin cities” of Sodom and Gomorra
1947
DEAD SEA SCROLL 1947
 EVIDENCE OF ARCHEOLOGY
Sir Frederic Kenyon (1863- 1952)

“The Christian can take the whole Bible in

his hand and say without fear or
hesitation that he holds in his hands the true
Word of God, handed down without
essential loss from generation to generation
throughout the centuries.”
-Sir Frederic Kenyon
 EVIDENCE OF CREATION
Nelson Glueck (1900-1971)

“It may be stated categorically that

no archeological discovery has ever
controverted the Bible.”
-Nelson Glueck
 GOSPEL ACCORDING TO NON-CHRISTIANS

Flavius Josephus (37-100 AD) • In the 67 AD emperor Vespasian squashed

the Jewish rebels to gain control over
Galilee. After the 47 days of siege a young
Jewish rebel chose to surrender rather
than commit suicide. He was taken by
General Titus.
• He ultimately became the greatest Jewish
historian of his time. He began his
historical writings in Rome while serving
emperor Domitian. There he authored his
own biography, and the famous Antiquities
of the Jews on AD 93.
 GOSPEL ACCORDING TO NON-CHRISTIANS

Flavius Josephus (37-100 AD)

“At this time (the time of Pilate) there
was a wise man who called Jesus. His
conduct was good and was known to be
virtuous. And many people from among the
Jews and the other nation became his
disciples. Pilate condemn him to be crucified
and to die. But those who had been his
disciples did not abandon his discipleship.
They reported that he had appeared to them
three times after his crucifixion, and that he
was alive; accordingly, we was perhaps the
Messiah, concerning whom the prophets
have recounted wonders.”
-Josephus, Antiquities 20:9.1.
 GOSPEL ACCORDING TO NON-CHRISTIANS

Flavius Josephus (37-100 AD)

“Festus was now dead, and Albinus
was but upon the road, so he (Ananus, the
high priest) assembled the Sanhedrin of the
judges and brought before them the brother
of Jesus, who was called Christ, whose
name was James, and some others, and
when he had formed an accusation against
them as breakers of the law, he delivered
them to be stoned.”
-Josephus, Antiquities 20:9.1.
 NON-CHRISTIAN SOURCES WHO MENTIONED
JESUS WITHIN 150 YEARS
Tiberius Caesar Augustus (42 BC-37 AD)

• Over the same period of time there are 9

non-Christians sources mentioned Tiberius
Caesar (the emperor at the time of Jesus).
Discounting all the Christian sources,
Jesus (43) outnumbered Tiberius (10).
• These sources includes Celsus, Tacitus,
and Jewish Talmud- which can be
considered as Anti-Christian sources. While
these work do not have eyewitness
testimonies that contradicts events
described in the NT document.
NON-CHRISTIAN SOURCES WHO MENTIONED
JESUS WITHIN 150 YEARS

• We can learn that they all admit certain

fact about early Christianity that can put
together a storyline that is congruent with
the NT– that all non-Christian reference
leads to important conclusions.
 UNDENIABLE TRUTH THAT IS PRESENT AMONG
NON-CHRISTIAN SOURCES
• Jesus lived during the time of Tiberius Caesar

• He lived a virtuous life

• He was wonder-worker

• He had a brother name James

• He was acclaimed to be the Messiah

• He was crucified under Pontius Pilate

 UNDENIABLE TRUTH THAT IS PRESENT AMONG
NON-CHRISTIAN SOURCES
• He was crucified on the Eve of Jewish Passover

• Darkness and earthquake occurred when he died

• His disciples believed he rose from the dead

• His disciples were willing to die for their belief

• Christianity spread rapidly in Rome

• His disciples denied the Roman god and worshipped Jesus

as God
THE ACCURACY OF THE NT ACCOUNT

• In light of these non-Christian references,

the theory that Jesus never existed is
clearly unreasonable. Therefore, how could
non-Christian writers collectively reveal a
storyline congruent with NT if Jesus never
existed?
• Moreover, non-Christian sources affirmed
the NT account while non-Christian authors
never says they believe the resurrection,
they just simply say that the disciples
certainly believe it.
THE ACCURACY OF THE NT ACCOUNT

• In order for the NT to be accurate as a

record of actual history, 2 questions need
to be answer;
a. Do we have an accurate copy?
b. Does the document speak of the truth?
• The NT documents are 27 different
documents and with 27 different scrolls by
9 different writers over 20-50-year period
and each of them has been collected into 1
book-- the Bible. The NT is not just one
source but collection of source.
THE ACCURACY OF THE NT ACCOUNT
MANUSCRIPTS

• But the problem is none of the original

written document of the NT has been
discovered, but a lot of copies called
manuscripts.
• To reconstruct the original, the larger the
number of manuscripts and earlier
manuscripts-- the better and provides more
trustworthy testimony. This will help to do
more accurate reconstruction. There 5,700
hand-written Gk. NT, 9,000 manuscript in
other languages (Syriac, Coptic, Latin,
Arabic).
THE ACCURACY OF THE NT ACCOUNT
MANUSCRIPTS

• 15,000 manuscripts are complete Bibles,

others are books or pages few are just
fragments and nothing comes close in
terms of manuscript support.
• The NT enjoy abundant manuscript support
that was written soon after the originals.
The John Rylands fragments was housed in
Manchester, England these manuscripts
dated 117-138 AD, but some says its even
earlier. It was found in Egypt, across
Mediterranean. It was John’s gospel that
was rewritten several times in the early 2nd
century.
THE NT ACCOUNT RECONSTRUCTION
1. ISSUE OF ACCURACY

• There are numerous people, independently

witnessed of the NT events; many
committed it to memory, and 9 of those
eyewitnesses– contemporaries put their
observation in writing.
• NT documents are 27 different scrolls by 9
different writers over 20–50-year period.
This individual writings has been collected
and was added to one book– Bible. The NT
is not just 1 source, but a collection of
sources. But none of the original written
documents has been recovered– only
copies.
 THE MESSAGE RELAY GAME

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uox0HV-y13s&t=17s
THE NT ACCOUNT RECONSTRUCTION
2. THE PROCESS

• There are nearly 5,700 handwritten Greek

manuscripts of NT
• 9,000 manuscripts in other languages (ie.
Syriac, Coptic Latin, Arabic)
• Some of these nearly 15,000 manuscript are
complete Bibles, others are books and
pages, few are just fragments. But nothing
from the ancient world comes short.
THE NT ACCOUNT RECONSTRUCTION
2. THE PROCESS

EARLIER MANUSCRIPTS
• JOHN RYLAND FRAGMENTS. Manchester,
England (117-138 AD or earlier)- The NT
copies has a lot copies even after the
originals were circulated.
• THE DEAD SEA SCROLL (AD 50-70).
Discovered by Jose O’ Callahan a noted
Spanish Paleographer. This contains NT
books of Mark, Acts, Romans, I Timothy, II
Peter, James. It also supported the idea that
Mark was written a few years after His
death (Estrada & White, 1978).
THE NT ACCOUNT RECONSTRUCTION
2. THE PROCESS

• Manuscript that are complete NT books

survive from AD 250 which includes the
Greek OT (Septuagint).
• The Scholars had done reconstruction of
the original NT with great care and
accuracy.
 • AD 303, This Roman emperor ordered 3
Diocletian (242-312) edicts of persecution among the Christians
because he believed that the existence of
Christianity was breaking the covenant
between Rome and her gods.
• The edicts called for the destruction of
churches, manuscripts, books and the
killing of Christians.
• Thousands of manuscripts were destroyed
during the persecution that lasted until AD
311. But even if he had succeeded in
wiping every Biblical manuscripts of the
face of the earth. He have not destroyed
the ability of the Christian to reconstruct
the NT.
THE NT ACCOUNT RECONSTRUCTION
2. THE PROCESS

• The church Fathers of the 2nd and 3rd

centuries were the ones who continued in
the church what the apostles began (ie.
Justin Martyr, Irenaeus, Clement of
Alexandria, Origen, Tertullian, etc.). They
quoted the NT so much-- 36,289x that
almost all the verses can be reconstructed
just from their quotation (Nix, 1986).
• These are not only thousands of
manuscripts but thousands of quotation,
this makes the reconstruction of the
original NT texts virtually certain.
 NEW TESTAMENT DOCUMENTS CITED
CLEMENT (ROME) IGNATIUS (SMYRNA) POLYCARP (SMYRNA)
AD 95 AD 107 AD 107
Matthew Matthew, Mark, Luke, John Matthew, Mark, Luke , John
Luke Acts Romans Acts Romans
Romans I & II Corinthians I & II Corinthians
I Corinthians Galatians Ephesians Galatians Ephesians
Ephesians Philippians Colossians Philippians Colossians

I Timothy I & II Thessalonians I & II Thessalonians

Titus I & II Timothy I & II Timothy
Hebrews Titus Philemon Hebrew
James Hebrews James I Peter
I Peter I-2 Peter I-III John I John
Revelation
THE NT ACCOUNT RECONSTRUCTION
2. THE PROCESS

• The process of comparing many copies

allows extremely accurate reconstruction
the original even if errors were made during
copying (ie. Phil.4:13).
1. “I can do all t#ings through Christ who
gives me strength.”
2. “I can do all th#ngs through Christ who
gives me strength.”
3. “I can do all thi#gs through Christ who
gives me strength.”
4. “I can do all thin#s through Christ who
gives me strength.”
THE NT ACCOUNT RECONSTRUCTION
2. THE PROCESS

• Some have estimated there are about

200,000 errors in the NT manuscripts
a. But these are not errors, but variant
readings and the vast majority are strictly
grammatical (ie. punctuation and
spelling).
b. These reading spread throughout nearly
5,700 manuscripts of variants in spelling
of one letter, of one word, in one verse, in
2,000 manuscripts is counted as 2,000
errors.
THE NT ACCOUNT RECONSTRUCTION
2. THE PROCESS

• Textual scholars Wescott and Hort

estimated only 1 in 60 of variants has
significance this would leave 98% pure
(Encyclopedia of Christian Apologetics
p.532).
• No other book is so well authenticated
Metzger estimated the Mahabharata of
Hinduism is copied wit 90%, Homer’s Iliad
95%, the NT is 99.5% accurate, the 0.5%
doesn’t affect a single doctrine of the
Christian faith.
 EVIDENCE OF ARCHEOLOGY

Sir Frederic Kenyon (1863- 1952)

“It cannot be too strongly asserted that
in substance the text of the Bible is certain:
Especially is this the case with the NT. The
number of manuscripts in the NT, of early
translation from it, and of quotation from it
in the oldest writers of the Church, is so
large that it is practically certain that the
true reading of every doubtful passage is
preserved in some one or other of these
ancient authorities. This can be said of no
other ancient books in the world.”
-Sir Frederic Kenyon
THE NT ACCOUNT RECONSTRUCTION
HISTORICAL RELIABILTY TESTS

• Do we have early testimonies? Generally,

the earlier the sources, the more accurate
the testimonies are.
• Do we have eyewitness testimonies?
Eyewitness testimonies is usually the best
means of establishing what really happened.
• Do we have testimony from multiple
independent eyewitness sources? Multiple
independent eyewitness confirmed that the
events really occurred (they are not fiction).
THE NT ACCOUNT RECONSTRUCTION
HISTORICAL RELIABILTY TESTS

They provide additional details that a single

source might had missed. True independent
source normally tell the basic story but with
the differing details. Historians call this
“coherence and dissimilarities.” The
questions are:
• Are the eyewitness trustworthy? Should you
believe them? Character matters.
• Do we have corroborating evidence from
archeology or other writers? This adds
confirming evidences.
THE NT ACCOUNT RECONSTRUCTION
HISTORICAL RELIABILTY TESTS

• Do we have enemy attestation? If

opponents of eyewitness admits certain
facts the witness say are true, then those
facts are probably a true (ie. mother’s
comment over your enemy’s comment).
• Does the testimonies contain events or
details that are embarrassing to the
authors? Since people don’t like to record
negative information about themselves, any
testimonies that makes the author is
probably true.
OBJECTIONS TO NT HISTORICAL RELIABILITY
1. HISTORY CANNOT BE KNOWN

• This objection comes from the same

people who said they “know” that the first
life generated spontaneously from non-
living chemicals and that all subsequent
life evolved from the first life without
intelligent intervention.
OBJECTIONS TO NT HISTORICAL RELIABILITY
2. NT DOCUMENTS CONTAINS MIRACLES

• Skeptics usually charge that the NT has

miracles therefore, it has legends and
myths. However, the events in the NT are in
context where miracles are not only
possible but were predicted (Ps.16:10; Isa.
53:10-11).
OBJECTIONS TO NT HISTORICAL RELIABILITY
2. NT DOCUMENTS CONTAINS MIRACLES

• If this is a Theistic universe, it follows that

miracles are possible. For if there is a God
who can perform special acts in the world,
then it is possible that there can be a
special acts of God.

“But if we admit God exists, must we

also admit miracle? Indeed, indeed, you have
no security against it. That is the bargain.”
-CS Lewis
 CATEGORIES OF UNUSUAL EVENTS
ANOMALIES MAGIC PSYCHOSO- SATANIC PROVIDENCE MIRACLES
MATIC SIGNS
DESCRIPTIONS Freaks of Sleight of Mind over Evil Pre-arranged Divine act
nature hand matter power events

POWER Physical Human Mental Psychic Divine Super-

natural

TRAITS Natural Unnatural Requires Evil, Naturally Never fails,

events with man- faith; fails for occult, explained; Immediate,
Patterns controlled some falsehood, spiritual Lasting,
sickness limited context Glory to
God
EXAMPLE Bumblebee Rabbit in a Psychoso- Demonic Fog at Raising the
hat matic cures influence Normandy dead
OBJECTIONS TO NT HISTORICAL RELIABILITY
3. NT WRITERS WERE BIASED AND NOT OBJECTIVE

• The great skeptics David Hume said witness

should be unbiased, if we’re going to
consider them credible. So, when skeptic
looks at the NT documents, they often ask;
“how can you say they are reliable when
they are written by converts?”
• When it is true that the NT were written by
converts; it doesn’t mean that they lied or
exaggerated. Indeed, they’re converted and
biased have actually driven them to be more
accurate.
 OBJECTIONS TO NT HISTORICAL RELIABILITY
3. NT WRITERS WERE BIASED

Charles Colson (1931-2012)

“Watergate involved a conspiracy
perpetuated by the closest aides to the
president of the United States, the most
powerful men in America, who were intensely
loyal to their president. But one of them, John
Dean, turned state’s evidence, that is,he
testified against Nixon, as he put it, “to save
his own skin” and he did so only two weeks
after informing the president about what was
really going on! The cover up lie, could
only be held together for two weeks, and
then everybody else jump ship
to save themselves”
OBJECTIONS TO NT HISTORICAL RELIABILITY
4. NT WRITERS WERE BIASED AND NOT OBJECTIVE

• Both theist and atheist alike are are in some

way or another bias, but they are objective
since they are in favor of “objective facts.”
The truth is that all books were written for a
reason and most author believe what they
were writing. But that doesn’t mean what
they wrote were wrong or has no objective
element.
• Those who considered the NT is biased and
untrustworthy are also bias because they
have not investigated the NT documents or
the context in order to assessed their
trustworthiness.
OBJECTIONS TO NT HISTORICAL RELIABILITY
5. THE NT DOCUMENTS WERE NOT EARLY ENOUGH

• All NT books were written before 100 AD (70

years after the death of Jesus). The question
was raised as to why Luke or any NT writers
mentioned anything about the Fall
Jerusalem AD 70.
 THE ARGUMENTS FROM SILENCE
USS ARIZONA WORLD TRADE CENTER
OBJECTIONS TO NT HISTORICAL RELIABILITY
5. THE NT DOCUMENTS WERE NOT EARLY ENOUGH

• Imagine Luke doing a historical research on

the early Christian Church. This involves
interviews of eyewitnesses and to travel
with apostle Paul in his missionary
journeys.
• Luke wrote about the works of Peter and
John, the martyrdom of Stephen and James
(Acts7:54; 12:1), witness the sermons,
persecutions, imprisonments and shipwreck
of Paul, attended the General meeting of
Christians in Jerusalem.
OBJECTIONS TO NT HISTORICAL RELIABILITY
5. THE NT DOCUMENTS WERE NOT EARLY ENOUGH

• However, in the account there was no record

of the the crucifixion of Peter, and execution
of Paul (Acts 28:28-30). What would be the
immediate conclusion?
• One of the church fathers, Clement of Rome
wrote in AD 68 that Nero executed Paul
(Barnett, 1999). Moreover, Josephus
mentioned that James was executed AD 62.
therefore, without reasonable doubt the
book of Acts was written before AD 62 since
Luke close the book of Acts when the main
leaders (Peter & Paul) were still alive.
OBJECTIONS TO NT HISTORICAL RELIABILITY
5. THE NT DOCUMENTS WERE NOT EARLY ENOUGH

• When Luke wrote the Book of Act in his

opening remarks, he mentioned;
“The former account I made, O Theophilus,
of all that Jesus began both to do and teach,
until the day in which He was taken up, after
He through the Holy Spirit had given
commandments to the apostles whom He had
chosen, being seen by them for forty days
and speaking of the things pertaining to the
kingdom of God.”
-Acts 1:1-3
OBJECTIONS TO NT HISTORICAL RELIABILITY
5. THE NT DOCUMENTS WERE NOT EARLY ENOUGH
“Inasmuch as many have taken in hand
to set in order a narrative of those things
which have been fulfilled among us, just as
those who from the beginning were
eyewitnesses and ministers of the word
delivered them to us, it seemed good to me
also, having had perfect understanding of all
things from the very first, to write to you an
orderly account, most excellent Theophilus,
that you may know the certainty of those
things in which you were instructed.”
-Luke 1:1-4
OBJECTIONS TO NT HISTORICAL RELIABILITY
5. THE NT DOCUMENTS WERE NOT EARLY ENOUGH

• If the book of Acts, was written AD 62 and

there was a previous account that Luke had
published (Gospel of Jesus According to
Luke), even Paul quoted from Luke’s
account (AD 62-65) Luke 10:7and calls it
scripture (I Tim.5:18).
• Therefore, the Gospel account could had
been in circulation and much earlier account
since Luke joined Paul in all his missionary
tours including his imprisonment (II Tim.4:9-
11) and so on (AD 62).
OBJECTIONS TO NT HISTORICAL RELIABILITY
5. THE NT DOCUMENTS WERE NOT EARLY ENOUGH

• If the accounts of the gospel according to

Luke and Acts are earlier, then how much
earlier is the gospel of Mark in the mid AD
50’s if not earlier because Luke got his facts
checked with eyewitnesses;

“...just as those who from the beginning

were eyewitnesses and ministers of the word
delivered them to us...”
-Luke 1:2
OBJECTIONS TO NT HISTORICAL RELIABILITY
5. THE NT DOCUMENTS WERE NOT EARLY ENOUGH

• Most scholars believed that Peter who made

Mark as his penman to write the account of
Jesus life and if the Dead Sea fragments
estimated from 100 BC to AD 68 from the
Essenes.
• Then Mark is earlier. Any of the accounts
mentioned proves that there were
meticulously recorded eyewitnesses'
testimonies written within 25-30 years after
Jesus’ resurrection.
OBJECTIONS TO NT HISTORICAL RELIABILITY
5. THE NT DOCUMENTS WERE NOT EARLY ENOUGH

• When Paul wrote his first letter to the

Corinthians (AD 55-56), the church was
already observing the Lord’s Supper within
the 25 years after resurrection (I Cor.11:7-
34).
• Moreover, Paul writes down testimonies he
received from eyewitness, testimonies that
was authenticated when Christ appeared to
him;
OBJECTIONS TO NT HISTORICAL RELIABILITY
5. THE NT DOCUMENTS WERE NOT EARLY ENOUGH

“For I delivered to you first of all that which I

also received: that Christ died for our sins
according to the Scriptures, and that He was
buried, and that He rose again the third day
according to the Scriptures, and that He was
seen by Cephas, then by the twelve. After that
He was seen by over five hundred brethren at
once, of whom the greater part remain to the
present, but some have fallen asleep. After
that He was seen by James, then by all the
apostles. Then last of all He was seen by me
also, as by one born out of due time.”
-I Corinthians 15:3-8
OBJECTIONS TO NT HISTORICAL RELIABILITY
5. THE NT DOCUMENTS WERE NOT EARLY ENOUGH

“Then after three years I went up to

Jerusalem to see Peter, and remained with
him fifteen days. But I saw none of the other
apostles except James, the Lord’s brother.”
-Galatians 1:18

• Testimonies was part of an early creeds that

dates back to the resurrection itself. 18 mos.
to 8 yrs. But some says even earlier
(Habermas, 1996). This could not be legend,
because it goes back to the time and the
place itself- the upper room (AD 31).
OBJECTIONS TO NT HISTORICAL RELIABILITY
5. THE NT DOCUMENTS WERE NOT EARLY ENOUGH

• If there were ever any accusation that this

event would be “mythical” it will be from the
Jews or Romans who are eager to squash
Christianity and they could have done it by
parading Jesus’ body around the city.
• Moreover, Paul mentioned 14 eyewitness
whose names are known; the 12 apostles,
James and Paul himself. This is Paul
implying; “if you don’t believe me, you ask
them” a genuine letter written 30 yrs. of an
event as a strong evidence for nearly 2,000
yrs. ago (Lillie, 1965).
OBJECTIONS TO NT HISTORICAL RELIABILITY
5. THE NT DOCUMENTS WERE NOT EARLY ENOUGH

• Furthermore, there were a lots of NT

accounts (Paul’s epistles) that were
circulated; Galatians (AD 48), I
Thessalonians (AD 50-54), Romans (AD 57-
58) all were written before Paul died (mid AD
60’s).
• Historical research indicates that a myth
cannot begin to crowd out historical facts
while the eye-witness are still alive, there
fore such accusations are unbelievable
(Sherwin-White, 1963).
OBJECTIONS TO NT HISTORICAL RELIABILITY
5. THE NT DOCUMENTS WERE NOT EARLY ENOUGH

• Test shows that 2 generations is too short

to allow mythical tendencies to wipe out
the hardcore historical facts (Craig, 2001).
That’s why within those 2 generations,
eyes witness are still around to correct the
error of historical revisionism (ie. 60 yrs.
Holocaust).
OBJECTIONS TO NT HISTORICAL RELIABILITY
6. WHY NOT EARLIER?
• The NT writers were living in a culture
where a vast majority of people were
illiterate. There was no initial need or utility
in writing down the account.
• The 1st century people in Palestine, by
necessity developed strong memories in
order to remember and pass on
information (oral tradition) was highly
prized and highly developed skills (Craig,
2003).
• Since they all believed that Jesus would
come in their lifetime; they saw no need to
write it down.
OBJECTIONS TO NT HISTORICAL RELIABILITY
7. WHY NOT MORE?

• Jesus was referenced by far more than one

authors compared with Roman emperors at
that time (Jesus has 43 authors compared
with Tiberius’ 10 within 150 yrs.)
• Another reason for these are the ff:
a. Humble beginning of Christianity
b. Remote location of Palestine on eastern
frontiers
c. Small percentage of Graeco-Roman
literature remains
d. Lack of attention were given to Jewish
historical documents (Blooberg, 1987).
WHEN GOD WALK ON EARTH