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RELIABILITY OF THE NEW TESTAMENT

Lecture Objectives:

To show the student that the evidence for the historical reality of Jesus and His apostles, as presented in the New Testament, is as reliable and trustworthy as that for Augustus Caesar and Yuri Gargarin.

References:

Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, 2 Peter 1.12-15; 3.1-2; John 20.30-31; Acts 5.1-5

Questions for focus:

1. Do you believe that Augustus Caesar was the first Roman Emperor from about 27 B.C. to 14 A.D.?

2. Do you believe Yuri Alekseyevich Gargarin, an air force major, was the first human to travel in outer space on April 12, 1961?

3. What is an eyewitness and how credible is the witness of one in the court system of today?

4. What would be the motivations for New Testament eyewitness to lie? And, why would there be so many with reference to Christ?

5. What is the significance of over 5,500 Greek manuscripts in relationship to the preservation and credibility of the New Testament?

6. Do you know of another piece of literature that has both the quantity and quality of evidence for its trustworthiness?

1. THE NEW TESTAMENT: THE HISTORICAL TEXT BOOK FOR THE FIRST CENTURY
   1. Eight eye witnesses wrote the New Testament
      1. Matthew
         1. A tax collector and apostle of Christ.
         2. He wrote his Gospel to the Jews.
         3. He presented Jesus as "Messiah King" who fulfilled Old Testament prophecies.
      2. Mark
         1. A boy when he met Jesus, later assisted Peter, and the main source for Mark's gospel.
         2. Writing for the Romans, who esteemed "power", he emphasized Jesus' miracles, showed Him to be a person of action, to prove He was the "Powerful Servant of God."
      3. Luke
         1. He was a highly educated medical doctor, traveled with paul, and consulted eyewitnesses of Jesus' life and teachings.
      4. John
         1. A fisherman who became "the apostle of love", and who used the simplest Greek in his writings, however, his works express the most profound ideas about Jesus.
         2. John searched the depth of Jesus' soul and emphasized His inner love and "deity" as "God's son."
         3. John reveals the spiritual message behind each "sign" Jesus performed. John 20.30-31.
         4. Revelation was written where John was banished to the isle of Patmos. He here writes of the future struggle of Christians with Satan and the Roman Empire, predicting Christ's final victory.
      5. Peter
         1. Before he became an apostle he was a fisherman. He wrote two epistles as a reminder and a permanent record of his teachings. 2 Peter 1.12-15; 3.1-2.
         2. His early sermons were to convert the unbeliever as in Acts 1-5 and Acts 10.
         3. History says that Nero burned the city of Rome and blamed it on Christians.
         4. Tradition indicates that Peter was crucified on a cross "upside down."
      6. Paul
         1. The former Saul of Tarsus was a highly educated Jewish rabbi and a conscientious murderer of Christians before his conversion.
         2. In a vision, Jesus appeared to him and chose him as a special apostle to the Gentiles.
         3. His Romans citizenship and unmarried status aided him in establishing the church of Christ throughout the Roman Empire.
         4. His sermons to convert unbelievers are recorded in Acts 13-19.
         5. His writings, 14 letters in all, taught deep truths both practical and challenging about church life and personal conduct.
         6. He was stoned, put in prison three times, and finally beheaded for his faith by Emperor Nero.
      7. James
         1. He was a brother of Jesus (Matt. 13.55; Gal 1.19), and did not believe in Jesus at first (John 7.5).
         2. He later became a prominent elder in the Jerusalem church (Acts 15).
         3. Josephus, the Jewish historian, reports how "James, the brother of Christ" was unjustly stoned by the Jews' highest court, the sanhedrin. (Josephus, Antiquities of the Jews, XX.9.1).
      8. Jude
         1. He was a brother of both James and Jesus (Matt. 13.55).
         2. He wrote one letter in which he shows the fulfillment of Peter's prediction regarding false teachers.
         3. He strongly urged Christians to reject false teaching by holding to the teachings of the apostles.
   2. Note these thoughts about the credibility of these eight witnesses.
      1. In a court of law the credibility of a witness depends on his past life and conduct.
         1. Under Biblical law a matter was settled at the mouth of two or three witnesses (1 Tim. 5.19).
      2. Eight witnesses, not two or three, wrote the highest standard of morals ever penned by men. And, all had the reputation of the highest moral integrity consistent with their teachings.
         1. They suffered and experienced imprisonment and death for what they wrote, so strong was their belief in the evidence.
      3. These men did not retaliate with force against their persecutors.
         1. They repeatedly submitted to those who judged them in government.
         2. They lived under the rule of the Prince of Peace and died in His peace.
         3. There never has been such credibility in witnesses in such circumstances!
2. NOTE THE VERIFICATION OF NEW TESTAMENT HISTORY WITH THE TIME LINE
   1. Birth of Jesus Christ 6 B.C. - 4 B.C. Luke 2.1 Augustus Caesar's reign 27 B.C. - 14 A.D. Matt. 2.1 Reign of Herod 37 B.C. - 4 B.C.
   2. Preaching of John the Baptist Luke 3.1 - 15th year of Tiberius 14 A.D. - 37 A.D.
   3. Baptism of Jesus: Ministry begins Luke 3.23 - about 30 years old 26 A.D. - 28 A.D.
   4. Death of John the Baptist by Herod Herod & wife Herodius - Mark 6.17-19 Josephus, Antiquities of the Jews, XVIII.5.1-2
   5. Preaching and Miracles of Jesus - Josephus, XVIII.3.3.
   6. Trial of Jesus Christ Annas, the High Priest John 18.13 - Josephus, XVIII.3.3.
   7. Crucifixion of Jesus by Pilate 28 A.D. - 32 A.D. Matt. 27.11-26 - Pilate's reign (26 A.D.-36 A.D.) Josephus, XVIII.3.3 Tacitus: Annals of Rome, XV.44.

      "To suppress this rumor [that Nero burned Rome], Nero fabricated scapegoats and punished with every refinement other notoriously depraved Christians (as they were popularly called). Their originator, Christ, had been executed in Tiberius' reign by the governor of Judea, Pontius Pilate. But in spite of this temporary setback the deadly superstition had broken out afresh, not only Judea (where the mischief started) but even in Rome."

   8. Resurrection of Jesus 30 A.D. - 32 A.D. Matt. 28; Mk. 16; Lk. 24; John 20. Justin's Letter to Emperor, Antonius Pius Titus, XXI (A.N.F., I.170) 138 A.D. - 161 A.D.
   9. Pentecost: Birthday of the church 30 A.D. - 37 A.D. Acts 2
   10. Paul's conversion - Acts 9, 22, 26. 33 A.D. - 37 A.D.
   11. Herod Agrippa kills James the apostle 41 A.D. - 54 A.D. Exalts self and killed by God. Acts 12 (Josephus, XIX.8.2 and Tacitus, XII.22).
   12. Famine in days of Claudius Caesar 41 A.D. - 54 A.D. Acts 11.27-30; (Josephus, XX.2.5 & 5.2)
   13. Paul's 1st Missionary Journey 46 A.D. - 48 A.D. Acts 13-14
   14. Jerusalem Council 46 A.D. - 50 A.D. Acts 15
   15. Paul's 2nd Missionary Journey 50 A.D. - 52 A.D. Acts 16-18 Claudius expels Jews, Acts 18.1-2 Seutonius, Lives of the Twelve Caesars, XXV.4
   16. Paul's 3rd Missionary Journey 53 A.D. - 57 A.D. Acts 18-21
   17. Paul Imprisoned in Caesarea 58 A.D. - 59 A.D. Under Felix and Festus - Josephus, XX.9.9
   18. Paul Imprisoned in Rome 59 A.D. - 62 A.D.
   19. Paul Released and Continues Ministry 62 A.D. - 66 A.D.
   20. Nero Burns Rome and Kills Christians 64 A.D. - 66 A.D. Tacitus, Annals, 15.44
   21. Paul and Peter Killed by Nero 66 A.D. - 68 A.D. Eusebius, Church History, II.25
   22. Jerusalem Destroyed by Vespasian & Titus 67 A.D. - 70 A.D. Josephus, Wars of the Jews, IV. - V.
3. HISTORICAL CONFIRMATION BY THE DOCUMENTS OF THE SECOND THROUGH THE SIXTH CENTURIES
   1. The testimony of Christian teachers from the second through the sixth century.
      1. These early Christians wrote hundreds of documents bound in 31 volumes of the Apolistic, Nicene and Post-Nicene fathers.
         1. So extensive are their quotes from the New Testament that it could be reproduced from their writings alone!
      2. Justin of the 2nd century, wrote to the Emperor Titus Hadrianus Antoninus Augustus Pius (138-161 A.D.), describing the worship, teaching, life and practice of the second century church, which mentions, quoting extensively from the New Testament documents, to prove what the early Christians believed and taught (First Apology of Justin, The Anti-Nicene Fathers, Vol. 1; Apostolic Fathers, p. 159-187).
   2. More than 5,500 Greek manuscript copies
      1. More than 4,000 Greek manuscripts, with a fragment of the Gospel of John, dating to the beginning of the 2nd century and with papyri dating back to the 2nd century, guarantee the preservation of the New Testament.
      2. These manuscripts were copied by many different scribes from all nationalities and at many different geographical locations all over the world.
      3. By way of contrast, note the following from F.F. Bruce, the late Ryland Professor at Manchester, the New Testament Documents (London: Intervarsity Press, 1959).
         1. Livy's Roman History written about A.D. 17. Livy wrote about 142 books, but only 35 have survived. These 35 books have been compiled from 20 manuscripts copies, the oldest of which contains only books 3-6. This oldest fragment dates to the 4th century A.D.
         2. The Annals of Tacitus, a principal source of Romans history, was written about 100 A.D. Yet, only ten of the 16 books he wrote are fully preserved in only two manuscripts dates to the 9th century A.D.
   3. Hundreds of translations of the New Testament exist, some dating back to the second and third centuries.
4. CONCLUSION QUESTIONS
   1. Recognizing that few manuscripts exist to provide us with information on the history of the Roman Empire, is the manuscript evidence sufficient to believe that our current knowledge of Roman history is reliable?
   2. Is the basic history of the New Testament corroborated by Roman and Jewish histories?
   3. From the evidence in this presentation can we say that the New Testament is a reliable historical document to determine Christ's life, teachings and works, and to know how people became Christians and expanded Christ's kingdom over the world?

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Last modified: December 07, 2005