The Questions

• Are the gospels reliable as accurate and historical documents?

• Who is Jesus?• Is there evidence outside of the biblical texts

that show the existence of the Jesus we find in the Bible?

• Is there evidence that the resurrection really happened?

Are the gospels reliable as accurate and historical documents?

Common Responses• “The gospels weren’t written by the people

who claim to have written them”• “Legends written many years after the events”• “The Bible has been changed over the

centuries”• “The Bible is full of contradictions”• “Bunch of made up stories”

Reliability of other ancient works of antiquity

• “The Jewish War” by Josephus – (originally written in 1st Century) Nine complete copies remain

• “Gallic Wars” by Julius Caesar (originally written in 1st Century) 10 copies remain

• Seven copies of Plato remain in existence• Homer’s Iliad – 647 copies in existence• New Testament – 5,366 Greek manuscripts (1980)

Reliability of other ancient works of antiquity

Earliest Manuscripts

• “The Jewish War” by Josephus – 900 years later

• “Gallic Wars” by Julius Caesar – 800-850 years later

• Plato’s Republic – 1200-1300 years later

• Homer’s Iliad – about 1000 years after later

• All regarded as historically accurate and authenticJulius Caesar

Are the gospels reliable as accurate and historical documents?

• P52 - John Rylands University Library (Manchester, UK)

• Gospel of John written between 90-100 AD

• P52 Dates between 117 AD to 138 AD• Fragments of the gospel of John 18:31-

33 and 18:37-38• Oldest New Testament Manuscript in

existence

Codex Sinaiticushttp://www.codexsinaiticus.org

Is the content historically accurate?

• All the Gospels were written within the lifetime of eyewitnesses to the events

• Easily discredited if statements within the gospels were false

• Contain embarrassing facts about the leaders

• Historical facts only found in the Bible proved by archaeology

Are the gospels are full of contradictions?

• Many people quote this, but few can actually name one

• Different accounts of the same stories because different facts being emphasised

• Plausible explanations offer a valid explanation of the apparent contradictions

• Identical account imply collusion

Common Responses Revisited

• “The gospels weren’t written by the people who claim to have written them” false

• “Legends written many years after the events” false

• “The Bible has been changed over the centuries” false

• “The Bible is full of contradictions” false• “Bunch of made up stories” false

Who is Jesus?

Common Responses• “A good moral teacher”• “An ordinary Jew called Jesus who lived 2000

years ago”• “A lunatic who thought he was God”• “Not the Messiah the Jews are waiting for”• “Never existed”

“A good moral teacher”

• Man of great claims• ‘“I and my Father are one” Again the Jews

picked up stones to stone him’ – John 10:30-31• “I am the way and the truth and the life. No

one comes to the Father except through me.” – John 14:6

• Jesus is a liar, a lunatic or Lord• “If Jesus were not God, then he deserved an

Oscar” – Josh McDowell

“A lunatic who thought he was God”

• Possible that Jesus thought his claims true, but deluded

• Sayings not consistent with being a lunatic• Lunatic are self focused• Jesus was focused on others• Jesus backed up his claims with miracles

“A liar who claimed he was God”

• Deceiver and inheritably evil• Allowed himself to be

crucified for being the Son of God

• Little personal gain• Never compromised the

standard• Others testify to the miracles

and resurrectionC. S. Lewis

Who is Jesus?“I am trying here to prevent anyone saying that really foolish thing that people often say about Him: ‘I’m ready to accept Jesus as a great moral teacher, but I don’t accept His claim to be God.’ That is one thing we must not say. A man who was merely a man and said the sort of things Jesus said would not be a great moral teacher. He would either be a lunatic – on a level with the man who says he is a poached egg – or else he would be the Devil of Hell. You must make your choice. Either this man was, and is, the Son of God: or else a madman or something worse. You can shut Him up for a fool, you can spit at Him and kill Him as a demon or you can fall at His feet and call Him Lord and God. But let us not come with any patronising nonsense about His being a great human teacher. He has not left open to us. He did not intend to.”

– Professor C. S. Lewis Mere Christianity (Revised and amplified edition 1997 page 43)

“Not the Messiah the Jews are waiting for”• Jesus was the Messiah prophesied about in the

Old Testament – all over 350 years previous• Jesus fulfils over 400 Old Testament prophesiesOld Testament Prophesy New Testament

Micah 5:2 Born in Bethlehem Matthew 2:1

Isaiah 40:3 Preceded by John the Baptist

Matthew 3:1-2

Zecariah 13:7 Forsaken by his Dispciples

Mark 14:50

Psalms 22:16 Hands and feet pierced

Luke 23:23

Who is Jesus?

Common Responses Revisited• “A good moral teacher” false• “An ordinary Jew called Jesus who lived 2000

years ago” false• “A lunatic who thought he was God” false• “Not the Messiah the Jews are waiting for”

false• “Never existed” false

Is there evidence outside of the biblical texts that show the existence

of the Jesus we find in the Bible?Common Responses

• “No evidence of Jesus outside the Bible”• “Archaeology contradicts the Bible”• “A guy named Jesus might have existed once,

but he was nothing like the Jesus find in the Bible”

External Evidences• The external evidences are not sympathetic to the

Christian message• Talmud acknowledges Jesus as

– Conjurer – collaborates the gospel claims of Jesus the miracle worker

– Illegitimate – collaborates the gospel account of the virgin birth to Mary

• Josephus – “Antiquities of the Jews” – claims– “He was the Christ” or “He claims to be the Christ”– “A doer of wonderful works”– “Pilate … condemned him to the Cross”

Archaeological Evidences• Archaeological evidence for the

existence of Pontius Pilate found in 1961

• Archaeological evidence confirms the Roman census when Jesus was born

• Doubt in Luke’s historical accuracy has been removed by archaeology

• Archaeology does not confirm the book of Mormon

• No archaeological discovery contradicts the bible

Nazareth Inscription

• Found in Nazareth• Imperial edict from either the

reign of Tiberius (14-37AD) or Claudius (41-54AD)

• Strong warning about meddling with tombs and graves

• Punishment was death• Obviously a report from

Pilate had got back to Rome about empty tombs

The Turin Shroud Hoax• A shroud – when photographed, the

negative imagine reveals a person• Some believe it is what Jesus was wrapped

in when he was laid in the tomb• Carbon dated to 1260-1390 AD• Contradicts the Gospel of John “Then

Simon Peter, who was behind him, arrived and went into the tomb. He saw the strips of linen lying there, as well as the burial cloth that had been around Jesus' head. The cloth was folded up by itself, separate from the linen.” – John 20:6-7

Is there evidence outside of the biblical texts that show the existence

of the Jesus we find in the Bible?Common Responses Revisited

• “No evidence of Jesus outside the Bible”

false• “Archaeology contradicts the Bible” false• “A guy named Jesus might have existed once,

but he was nothing like the Jesus find in the Bible” false

Is there evidence that the resurrection really happened?Common Responses

• “Jesus fainted and escaped death on the cross”

• “They looked in the wrong tomb”• “The disciples hallucinated thinking they saw

Jesus after his death”• “He only appeared to people sympathetic to

the gospel message”

“Jesus fainted and escaped death on the cross”

Swoon Theory• Found in the Koran & popular in 19th

century• Fainted or drugged on the cross• Swoon theory not supported by

medical evidence of Jesus’ crucifixion found in the gospels

• Roman solider would exchange his life for an escaped prisoner

“They looked in the wrong tomb”

• The tomb was guarded• Jesus was a high profile execution – the

location wouldn’t have been forgotten or mislocated

• The tomb was owned by Joseph of Arimathea a secret follower of Jesus

• Joseph would not have forgotten the location the tomb he owned

“The disciples hallucinated thinking they saw Jesus after his death”

• Hallucinations are personal• Hallucinations cannot be seen by a group of

people• One person cannot induce hallucinations in

others• Eyewitness reports of Jesus resurrection are

consistent with each other

“He only appeared to people sympathetic to the gospel message”

• James the half brother of Jesus• Saul on the road to Damascus• Radically changed their lives• James, Saul plus 10 Apostles

died because of their faith• “For the message of the cross is

foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.” – 1 Corinthian 1:18

What’s your verdict?

• Is the New Testament reliable?• Was Jesus the Son of God?• Did the resurrection happen?• Is the cross of Christ foolishness?

Case for Christ

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