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Is the information we have about Jesus reliable?
How do we know what we know about Jesus?? The Bible. How do we know the Bible is a true, reliable, accurate, unbiased, firsthand, soberminded, and unadulterated account of who Jesus was??
Here's some reasons to believe the biblical account of Jesus:
1) Independent witness of multiple authors
A number of independant authors
writers from various social, political, geographic, economic, and religious backrounds
writers writing under entirely different circumstances: free/prison, persecution/no persec., geographical locations, historical time (before/after destruction of temple, before/after decline in Christianity)
2) Dates written in close proximity to events recorded
Dates of original authorship very close to events recorded
Available manuscripts very close to events recorded
Writings about other religious leaders:
| Leader/Writing | Time of Leader | First Writings about or by the leader | Time Elapsed |
| Jesus Christ | A.D. 33 | ~A.D. 52 (arguably sooner) | 19 years |
| Gathas of Zoroaster | ~1000 B.C. | ~300 A.D. (the most popular work was written ~1278 A.D.) | 1300 years |
| Buddha | 600 B. C. | ~50 A.D. | 650 years |
| Mohammad | 632 A. D. | ~767 A.D. | 135 years |
3) Manuscript evidence provides multiple witnesses
The bible is not a translation of a translation as it is often thought
Thousands of manuscripts copied in various time periods all in substantial agreement
Literally thousands of manuscripts dating before 300 A.D. (fairly close to events recorded, far better than any other ancient historical writing)
Numerous manuscripts dating before 150 A.D. (very close to events recorded)
Other ancient writings:
| Writing/Author | Number of Early Manuscripts | Time originally written | Time elapsed from when originally written to first existing manuscript |
| New Testament/Apostles and their associates | 5000+ | 25 years | |
| Gallic Wars/Julius Caesar | 10 | 1000 years | |
| History/Pliny the Younger | 7 | 750 years | |
| History/Thucydides | 8 | 1300 years | |
| History/Herodotus | 8 | 1300 years | |
| Illiad/Homer | 643 | 500 years | |
| Antiquities of the Jews/Flavius Josephus | 9 | 200 years | |
4) Literary style
Most of the New Testament is written in historical format. The Gospels and the Acts are histories of the events surrounding the life, death and resurrection of Jesus. The rest of the New Testament consists of the letters of Peter, Paul, James, John and Jude, which are not strictly historical, but include much historical information. Revelation was written in a distinctively Apocalyptic style, but it too contains some historical information.
5) Change in the author's lives and testimony of their deaths
The disciples didn't understand Jesus would die (although He told them so beforehand) and were totally disheartened and frightened when He did die. However, after 3 days they had completely changed into bold believers, having seen Jesus risen from the dead
The natural brothers of Jesus didn't believe in Him at all before the resurrection, but afterwards were ardent followers of Him
Paul was a zealous persecutor and murderer of Christians until he actually met the risen Jesus Christ. After that encounter he was probably the most zealous of His followers and preachers
The bible records the disciples being persecuted for their zealous faith and even being put in prison and killed- why would they suffer and die for a lie?
History records the disciples holding their confessions all the way to bitter persecution and death- why would they suffer and die for a lie?
7) Claims of the writings themselves
8) Internal consistency of writings
9) Consistency with external history and archeology
Testimony from early non-Christian historical sources:
| Aspect of Jesus' Life | Author | Name of Writing | Date Written |
| Called Christ | Josephus | Antiquities of the Jews | ~A.D. 93 |
| Had a brother James | Josephus | Antiquities of the Jews | ~A.D. 93 |
| Wise man | Josephus | Antiquities of the Jews | ~A.D. 93 |
| Wrought "surprising feats" | Josephus | Antiquities of the Jews | ~A.D. 93 |
| Teacher of truth | Josephus | Antiquities of the Jews | ~A.D. 93 |
| Won over many Jews and Greeks | Josephus | Antiquities of the Jews | ~A.D. 93 |
| Pilate presided over trial | Josephus | Antiquities of the Jews | ~A.D. 93 |
| Accused by those of high standing among the Jews | Josephus | Antiquities of the Jews | ~A.D. 93 |
| Pilate condemned Him to death | Josephus | Antiquities of the Jews | ~A.D. 93 |
| Followers still loved Him after His death | Josephus | Antiquities of the Jews | ~A.D. 93 |
| Suffered crucifiction | Tacitus (Roman historian) | ~115 A.D. | |
| crucified during the reign of Tiberius | Tacitus | ~115 A.D. | |
| Condemned by Pontius Pilate | Tacitus | ~115 A.D. | |
| "Mischevious Superstition" checked for a moment, then broke out again in Judea and Rome | Tacitus | ~115 A.D. | |
| Christians endured persecution by Nero | Tacitus | ~115 A.D. | |
| Christians tortured and killed | Pliny the Younger (Roman governor) | Book 10 of letters | ~111 A.D. |
| Christians met regularly on a fixed day | Pliny the Younger | Book 10 of letters | ~111 A.D. |
| Christians chanted verses alternately among themselves | Pliny the Younger | Book 10 of letters | ~111 A.D. |
| Christians honored Christ as if a god | Pliny the Younger | Book 10 of letters | ~111 A.D. |
| Took upon themselves oath to abstain from theft, robbery, adultury... | Pliny the Younger | Book 10 of letters | ~111 A.D. |
| Roman citizens to female slaves were Christians | Pliny the Younger | Book 10 of letters | ~111 A.D. |
| Darkness at 6th hour of day (explained away by eclipse) | Julius Africanus (quoting historian Thallus) | Julius Africanus quotes from Thallus' 3rd book of histories | Julius Africanus wrote ~221 A.D.; Thallus' history was written ~52 A. D. |
| Darkness during daytime was "cosmic" or "world event" | Tertullian | ||
| Great eclipse at 6th hour of day and earthquakes in Bithynia and Nicea in 4th year of 202nd Olympiad (i.e., 33 A.D.) | Phlegon (Greek from Caria) | ~137 A.D. | |
| Considered false messiah | Jewish Rabbi's | Talmud | 200 to 500 A.D. |
| Practised magic | Jewish Rabbi's | Talmud | 200 to 500 A.D. |
| Healer | Jewish Rabbi's | Talmud | 200 to 500 A.D. |
| Miracle worker | Jewish Rabbi's | Talmud | 200 to 500 A.D. |
| Condemned to death | Jewish Rabbi's | Talmud | 200 to 500 A.D. |
| Born of Roman soldier and Mary | Jewish Rabbi's | Talmud | 200 to 500 A.D. |
| Had 5 disciples | Jewish Rabbi's | Talmud | 200 to 500 A.D. |
| Not all sages had made up mind whether he was a heretic or deceiver in the early Rabbinic period | Jewish Rabbi's | Talmud | 200 to 500 A.D. |
Testimony from early Christian (non-biblical) sources:
| Aspect of Jesus' Life | Author | Name of Writing | Date Written |
| Jesus was God | Ignatius (bishop of Antioch in Syria) | Ignatius martyred before 117 A.D. | |
| Jesus was human | Ignatius | Before 117 A.D. | |
| Persecuted under Pontius Pilate | Ignatius | Last letter before martyred | Before 117 A.D. |
| Crucified | Ignatius | Last letter before martyred | Before 117 A.D. |
| Raised from dead | Ignatius | Last letter before martyred | Before 117 A.D. |
| Said that those who believed in Him would be raised | Ignatius | Last letter before martyred | Before 117 A.D. |
Luke's description of dates and geography has been found to be extremely accurate
Many aspects of the NT are corroborated by independent history or archeology (and none have ever been proven false):
| Aspect of NT | Corroboration | Source | Date of Source |
| Simon of Cyrene, father of Alexander and Rufus helped carry Jesus' cross | Ossuary engraved with "Alexander, son of Simon" | Tomb containing remains of Cyrenian Jews | 1st century |
| Peter's lived next to synagogue | Inscription "house of Peter" | Home adjacent to synagogue | 1st century |
| Jews started rumor that the disciples stole Jesus body | Roman Emperor declares it a capital offense to steal a body | Stone inscription found in Nazareth | Mid-1st century |
| Pilate a ruler at time of Jesus | Plack with Pilate's name | 1st century | |
| Well of Jacob | |||
| Pool of Siloam | |||
| Pool of Bethesda | |||
| Jesus' father was Joseph and brother was James | Ossuary engraved with "James the brother of Jesus, son of Joseph" | Location originally found unknown; authentication/dating based on forensic examination of the engraving | 1st century |
| Herod stricken dead after claiming to be a god | Josephus | Antiquities of the Jews | |
| James martyred | Josephus | Antiquities of the Jews | |
To be continued.
Have another question? Email Todd Asselborn your question by clicking on the contact link on the top or bottom of this page.