Premise 1: The Bible exceeds historical reliability test
Here are some of the rules or standards used to discern whether biographical or historical text are reliable.
| 1. Was the source created at the same time of the events it describes? If not how long is the historical time lag between the event and it’s documentation? |
| 2. Who furnished the information? Was the informant in a position to give correct facts? |
| 3. Was the informant a participant in the events he is documenting? |
| 4. Is their information in the record such as names, dates, places, events, and relationships that are verifiable ? |
| 5. Does more than one reliable source give the same information? |
What makes something historically valid depends on the reliability of primary sources and secondary sources. Records created at the same time as an event, or as close as possible to it, usually have a greater chance of being accurate than records created later and by sources without firsthand knowledge of the events. Using this criteria the Bible is the most historically verifiable book from antiquity ever published.
How The Bible Stacks Up Against Reliability Standards
- The authors of all 27 New Testament books had lived during the events they wrote about and had personal relationships or encounters with Jesus.
- The majority of the authors of the New Testament participated in the events they are writing about.
- Their are multiple reliable sources of the same events.
- Many of the events, places, and people can be historically verified.
Most other historical accounts from the same period are far less verifiable. For instance the literary evidence for all of the Roman Caesars come mainly from only two sources Tacitus and Suetonius. Neither Tacitus who wrote “Annals of Imperial Rome” in 116 AD and Suetonius his “Lives of The Caesars” lived during half of the Caesars reigns that they wrote about, and they were not personally acquainted with any of their historical subjects.
The primary sources used for biographies of Alexander the Great are mainly ancient Greek and Roman texts, with the most important being the works of Arrian, Plutarch, Diodorus Siculus, Quintus Curtius Rufus, and Justin. These authors wrote their accounts hundreds of years after Alexander’s death—and relied on earlier, now lost contemporary sources and oral traditions.
How Ancient World History Accounts stack up against Historical Reliability Standards
| Ancient Text | Number of Primary Sources | Rules of Historical Reliability They Comply With |
| New Testament | 9 | All 5 rules |
| History of Roman Caesars | 2 | Rules 4,5 |
| History of Alexander The Great | 8 | Rules 5 |
The history of Ancient Greece, including the story of Alexander the Great is taught in World History classes at schools and universities as a very important part of Western Civilization history because of it’s massive influence on vast regions stretching across Europe, Asia, and Africa.
The biographical information that is taught in World History classes and accepted as fact has far fewer primary sources than the Bible—plus the sources did not live during or participate in the events they document. The primary sources of these historical accounts were not personally acquainted with their subjects and were historically removed from most if not all of the events they wrote about.
In contrast , all 9 authors who wrote the New Testament books lived during, and participated in the events and with the people they wrote about.
Challenge Question: Which of the three ancient books meets reliability criteria the best? The Bible, History of Roman Caesars, or The History of Alexander the Great?
Premise 2: The Authors of The New Testament were authentic and credible
There are two main kinds of historical sources, primary and secondary. A primary source is a doorway to the past because it is an artifact or document that comes directly from the time period to which it refers. Primary sources are considered more valuable to than any other sources because they are as close in time as you can get to the events being studied. The Bible is composed of 26 books and all of them are written by people who participated, witnessed or lived during the events and the lives of the people they write about.
The four gospels Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John could be considered biographies of Jesus’s life and ministry. All 4 are named after the authors who wrote them and each was written shortly after the events they record.
All 4 provide eyewitness accounts of Jesus’s life, ministry and the places or events he was involved with. Although all four gospels share key elements and agree on the major facts concerning Jesus’s life—they are distinct in that each one is written from the individual author’s personal perspective and personality.
Including these Gospels; 12 of the 26 New Testament books were written by intimates of Jesus. The authors of these 12 books travelled, lodged, and ministered extensively with Jesus for almost four years straight.
These authors were actually rabbinical students (disciples) of Jesus that not only ate, traveled, and lodged with him— they were also intimates of Jesus’s mother Mary and other members of His family. The book of James was actually written by Jesus’s half brother, and Jude by His cousin. The other 14 books of the New Testament were written by Paul who although he was not a disciple of Jesus, he was a close associate of every other New Testament author. Paul lived in the region during Jesus’s lifetime, and during the events all of the other New Testament authors wrote about.
Luke who wrote both the book of Luke, and Acts was actually an historian and doctor. He not only was an intimate eyewitness, but he was a meticulous investigator, and documentarian whose writing reflects the same kind of professional commitment shared by the most accomplished modern biographers.
3 Having carefully investigated everything from the beginning, I also have decided to write an accurate account for you, most honorable Theophilus, 4 so you can be certain of the truth of everything you were taught.
Luke 1:3-4
In my former book, Theophilus, I wrote about all that Jesus began to do and to teach 2 until the day he was taken up to heaven, after giving instructions through the Holy Spirit to the apostles he had chosen.
Acts 1:1
In the opening lines of both Luke’s Gospel, and Acts he wants to make it clear that what he is writing is being written from a historical and biographical perspective. He provides an opening disclaimer that what he has authored is truth that has been meticulously investigated. Luke has often been recognized by modern historians for his trustworthiness as a documentarian of places, dates, people and events.
I found myself often brought into contact with the Book of Acts as an authority for the topography, antiquities, and society of Asia Minor. It was gradually borne in upon me that in various details the narrative showed marvelous truth.
Luke is a historian of the first rank; not merely are his statements of fact trustworthy—this author should be placed along with the very greatest of historians. Luke’s history is unsurpassed in respect of it’s trustworthiness.
Sir William Ramsay; British Archeologist
Sir William Ramsay was considered the foremost scholar on the ancient history of Asia Minor. He carefully examined Luke’s references to thirty-two countries, fifty-four cities, and nine islands—he did not find a single mistake.
Other ways the honesty of the New Testament Authors can be tested
When you read the Gospels, they read as realistic renditions of what occurred. In many places, there are descriptions and events that are not necessary. The only real reason to put them in is because they happened.
One of the ways scholars can gauge the honesty of authors is to test what they say against the “principal of embarrassment.” This principle assumes that any details that show the author in an unfavorable light are probably true. Authors typically will leave out anything that makes them look bad.
How does the New Testament measure up to the principle of embarrassment? All four gospel writers include the story of their strongest leader Peter cowardly denying and abandoning Jesus just after He was captured. The New Testament writers include testimony describing their own weak faith, doubt, and egotism. Here are some examples of documented humility and failure:
| Example of self proclaimed failures of Disciples | Associated Scriptures |
| Multiple criticisms of the disciples weak faith by Jesus in all 4 Gospels | “Jesus said, You faithless and corrupt people! How long must I be with you? How long must I put up with you?” (Matthew 17:17) (Mark 9:19) |
| Abandonment of Jesus | “But this is all happening to fulfill the words of the prophets as recorded in the Scriptures.” At that point, all the disciples deserted him and fled.” (Matthew 26:56) (Mark 14:50) (Luke 9:41) |
| Slow to understand | “Aware of their discussion, Jesus asked them: “Why are you talking about having no bread? Do you still not see or understand? Are your hearts hardened?” (Mark 8:17 ) (Matthew 16:9) |
| Pride and Egotism | “Then his disciples began arguing about which of them was the greatest—Jesus said “Whoever is least among you is the greatest” (Luke 9:46-48) (Matthew 20:20-22) (Mark 9:33-34) |
| Lack of Commitment | “Then he returned to his disciples and found them sleeping. “Couldn’t you men keep watch with me for one hour?” (Matthew 26:40)“ |
The ways Gospel Authors revealed their authenticity
| 1. New Testament writers included embarrassing details about themselves |
| 2. New Testament writers left in demanding sayings of Jesus that they found hard to follow themselves |
| 3. New Testament writers carefully distinguished Jesus’s words from their own |
| 4.The New Testament writers abandoned their heritage, jobs, and were severely persecuted and killed for what they wrote about and taught |
Why would all 9 of the New Testament authors be willing to die for a lie?
The New Testament writers had no motivation to lie. They had nothing to gain and everything to lose. Before they met Jesus they were devout Jews and thought Judaism was the one true religion and that they were God’s chosen people. They had every motivation to deny New Testament events much less write about them. 8 of the 9 New Testament authors were murdered for what they wrote and taught, 1 died of old age in prison.
“I know the resurrection is a fact, and Watergate proved it to me. How? Because 12 men testified they had seen Jesus raised from the dead, then they proclaimed that truth for 40 years, never once denying it. Every one was beaten, tortured, stoned and put in prison. They would not have endured that if it weren’t true. Watergate embroiled 12 of the most powerful men in the world-and they couldn’t keep a lie for three weeks. You’re telling me 12 apostles could keep a lie for 40 years? Absolutely impossible.”
Chuck Colson; Attorney and Special Counsel to Richard Nixon. Imprisoned for Watergate Conspiracy
The apostles’ willingness to die for their beliefs does not prove the Christian message is true—But they believed Jesus was the Messiah, and that he did rise from the dead and the fact that they were willing to pay the ultimate price for this conviction shows the depth of their sincerity.
The number of Christians grew from a few hundred shortly after Jesus’s resurrection in AD 33 to over 32 million followers in the Roman Empire alone by AD 350 representing 53% of the population. What is more amazing is that this took place during what was called the “Great Persecution” where Christians churches and text were destroyed, meeting for Christian worship was forbidden, and Christians who refused to recant lost their rights and were often murdered.
Twelve consecutive Roman emperors authorized such acts such as Christians being thrown to wild animal in the coliseum, burning Christians as living torches, or stuffing them in sheep carcasses and hanging them from public bridges. The question is—how could Christianity grow at the astonishing rate of 40% per decade under these extremes if it’s constituents did not believe that it was firmly based on the truth.
Challenge Question: Does the fact that the authors of the New Testament included accounts of failure and humiliation as parts of their narrative—or that they all died or were imprisoned for what they believed and wrote add to their credibility in your mind?
Premise 3: Early Church Fathers confirm faithful transmission
The Early Church Fathers is a group of ancient and influential Christian theologians and writers who established the doctrinal foundations of Christianity. The historical period they wrote in was called the “Patristic Period” during the 1st-8th centuries beginning when most of the New Testament books were first published.
In addition to the 25,000 manuscripts of the New Testament total, all 27 books of the New Testament are addressed and validated by the writings of the Early Church Fathers.
Here is a chart showing the number of quotes from each Church Father and the books of the Bible they quoted directly:
| Writer | Date | Gospels | Acts | Pauline Epistles | General Epistles | Revelation | Totals |
| Justin Martyr | 100-165 A.D | 268 | 10 | 43 | 6 | 266 | 330 |
| Iraneus | 130 A.D | 1,038 | 194 | 499 | 23 | 65 | 1,819 |
| Clement | 1,017 | 44 | 1,127 | 207 | 11 | 2.406 | |
| Origen | 254 AD | 9.231 | 349 | 7,778 | 399 | 165 | 17,922 |
| Tertullian | 160 A.D | 3,822 | 502 | 2,609 | 120 | 205 | 7,258 |
| Hippolytus | 236 A.D | 734 | 42 | 387 | 27 | 188 | 1,378 |
| Eusebius | 265 A.D | 3,258 | 211 | 1,592 | 88 | 27 | 5,176 |
| Totals | 19,368 | 1,392 | 14,035 | 870 | 664 | 36,289 |
The New Testament outnumbers the total of all other ancient works (932) by over 24,000 manuscripts—and also is directly quoted by the Early Church Fathers in their own works over 32,000 times.
You could literally reconstruct the entire New Testament using the 32,000 direct quotations from the Early Church Fathers, with the exceptions of a few dozen verses. By comparing all of the thousands of New Testament manuscripts along with this vast amount of direct quotations for ancient biblical scholars from the same era, paleographers are able to verify that the the New Testament we have today has been faithfully transmitted.
Challenge Question:
