Can the Accounts of Jesus’s
Life Be Trusted?
Peter J. Williams
Stepbible.org
Tyndalehouse.com
Non-Christian writings
Tacitus, Annals 15.44
Tacitus writes
about the fire in
Rome, AD 64
• But neither help by humans, nor
generous gifts from the emperor, nor
all the ways of placating Heaven,
could stifle the scandal or dispel the
belief that the fire had taken place by
order [of Nero]. Therefore, to scotch
the rumour, Nero substituted as
culprits, and punished with the
utmost refinements of cruelty, a class
of men, loathed for their vices, whom
the crowd called Christians.
Tacitus (2/3)
• Christus, the founder of the name, had
undergone the death penalty in the reign of
Tiberius, by sentence of the procurator
Pontius Pilate, and the pernicious superstition
was checked for a moment, only to break out
once more, not merely in Judaea, the home
of the disease, but in the capital [Rome] itself,
where all things horrible or shameful in the
world collect and become fashionable.
Tacitus (3/3)
• First, then, the confessed members of the
sect were arrested; next, on their disclosures,
vast numbers were convicted, not so much
on the count of arson as for hatred of the
human race. And derision accompanied their
end: they were covered with wild beasts’
skins and torn to death by dogs; or they were
fastened on crosses, and when daylight failed
were burned to serve as lamps by night.
The spread of Christianity
Pliny the Younger, ca. AD 112;
Letters 10.96
• I interrogated them as to whether they were
Christians. If they confessed I interrogated them
a second and third time, threatening
punishment. If they persisted I ordered them to
be led off [to execution]. … As for those who
denied that they were or ever had been
Christians, when they invoked the gods in words
given by me, and prayed with incense and wine
offerings to your statue, which I had ordered to
be brought for this very purpose along with
images of the gods, and also cursed Christ
(which it is said that no true Christian can ever
be compelled to do), I thought they should be
discharged.
Pliny, ca. AD 112 (2/3)
• Others named in the document said they were
Christians but later denied it saying they had
been, but that they had ceased three years ago,
or many years ago, or even as much as twenty.
… they said that this had been the full extent of
their guilt or error: they had been accustomed to
meet on a fixed day before dawn and to sing
antiphonally a song to Christ as to a god, and to
bind themselves by an oath not to some crime,
but rather not to commit theft, robbery, or
adultery, not to break their trust, and not to
refuse to return a pledge when asked to do so.
Pliny, ca. AD 112 (3/3)
• … many people of every age, every rank, and of
both sexes are being and will be called to trial.
Nor is it only cities that are affected, but the
disease of this superstition is also reaching
villages and farmsteads. It seems possible to
check and correct this. It is pretty well agreed
that the temples, which had almost become
deserted, have now begun to be frequented
again, and all the sacred rites which had been
neglected for a long time are recommencing and
the flesh for sacrificial rites is being sold, for
which up to now it was hard to find a purchaser.
The spread of Christianity
Josephus, Antiquities 20.200
• He [Ananus] assembled the
Sanhedrin of judges, and brought
before it the brother of Jesus,
who was called Christ, whose
name was James, and some
others; and when he had made
an accusation against them as
breakers of the law, he handed
them over to be stoned.
Josephus, born
ca. AD 37 writes
about events in
Jerusalem, AD 62
Conclusion: Non-Christian and
Christian evidence agrees
Christian writings
The Four Gospels
• P45: Manuscript of 4 gospels from ca. AD 225
• Irenaeus likens 4 Gospels to 4 winds
• Tatian (ca. AD 173) rolls 4 gospels into
continuous narrative
P75
P75
Known time of composition
Matthew’s Gospel
• Matthew = tax-collector, disciple, eyewitness
– Papias bishop of Hierapolis (early second century)
– Irenaeus bishop of Lyon (late second century)
• While Peter and Paul were in Rome
• Signs of financial interest?
–
–
–
–
–
–
17:24-27: tax men
18:23-35: parable of talents
20:1-16: paying workers
26:15: Judas’ money (1)
27:3-10: Judas’ money (2); buying a field
28:11-15: bribe to soldiers
Mark’s Gospel
•
•
•
•
•
•
Mark was not eyewitness
Not major figure apart from Gospel
Abandoned Paul (Acts 13:13; 12:12)
Assistant to Peter (1 Peter 5:13)
Traditionally written in Rome
Latin words
Luke’s Gospel
•
•
•
•
•
•
Luke not major figure
Companion of Paul
‘We’ passages in Acts
Doctor (Colossians 4:14)
Checked with eyewitnesses
Dedicated to high-ranking Roman
John’s Gospel
• Polycarp (martyr), disciple of John: ‘He was
discipled by the apostles and lived alongside many
who had seen the Lord’ (Eusebius Ecclesiastical
History 4.14.3-4).
• Irenaeus (martyr) disciple of Polycarp. Irenaeus
(Letter to Florinus) talks of how as a youth he had
learned from Polycarp, particularly hearing about
Polycarp’s contact with John and others who had
encountered Jesus.
• Irenaeus said: ‘John, the disciple of the Lord, the
one who leaned back on his bosom, gave forth his
gospel while he was living at Ephesus in Asia’
(Against Heresies 3.1.1)
Knowledge of time and space
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Agriculture
Architecture
Botany
Culture
Economics
Geography
Language
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•
•
•
•
•
•
Law
Personal names
Politics
Religion
Social stratification
Topography
Weather
The test of what people are
called
Jewish personal names
• Based on study of 3000 names
• Jewish names in Palestine show different
frequency from names elsewhere
• Gospels/Acts probably written outside
Palestine
• But reflect naming patterns in Palestine
Most Popular Jewish Names among
Palestinian Jews (330 BC-AD 200)
Rank
Name
Total
NT
Josephus Ossuaries
Dead Sea
Scrolls
1
Simon/Simeon
243
8
29
59
72
2
Joseph/Joses
218
6
21
45
78
3
Lazarus/Eleazar
166
1
20
29
52
4
Judas/Judah
164
5
14
44
35
5
John/Johanan
122
5
13
25
40
6
Jesus/Joshua
99
2
14
22
38
7
Ananias
82
2
10
18
13
8
Jonathan
71
14
14
21
9
Matthew/Mattathias
62
2
12
17
15
10
Manaen/Menahem
42
1
2
4
23
11
James/Jacob
40
5
4
5
10
Source: Bauckham, Jesus and the Eyewitnesses, page 85
Top Jewish names
Top 2 men’s names:
Simon and Joseph
Top 9 men’s names
Israel
Gospels/Acts
15.6%
18.2%
41.5%
40.3%
Top 2 women’s
28.6%
38.9%
names:
Mary and Salome
Top 9 women’s
49.7%
61.1%
names Source: Bauckham, Jesus and the Eyewitnesses, pages 71-72
Ranks of male names in Israel
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Rank in Israel
1 Simon/Simeon
2 Joseph/Joses
3 Lazarus/Eleazar
4 Judas/Judah
5 John/Yohanan
6 Jesus/Joshua
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
NT Individuals
8
6
1
5
5
2
Jewish male names in Egypt
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Rank in Egypt
1 Eleazar
2 Sabbataius
3 Joseph
4= Dositheus
4= Pappus
6= Ptolemaius
6= Samuel
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Rank in Israel
3
68=
2
16
39=
50=
23
Names in second century
apocryphal gospels
• Gospel of Thomas:
– Didymos Judas Thomas / James the Just / Simon
Peter
– Jesus / Matthew / Thomas / Mary / Salome
• Gospel of Mary:
– The Saviour, Peter, Mary, Andrew, Levi
• Gospel of Judas:
– Judas (Iscariot) / Jesus
– Lots of heavenly figures: Barbelo, Sophia, Nebro,
Yaldabaoth, Saklas, Seth, Harmathoth, Galila, Yobel,
Adonaios, Adam, Eve = Zoe, Michael, Gabriel
Matthew’s list of the disciples
• Matthew 10:2-4 The names of the twelve
apostles are these: first,
– Simon (1), called Peter, and Andrew (>99) his brother,
and
– James (11) the son of Zebedee, and John (5) his
brother;
– Philip (61=) and Bartholomew (50=);
– Thomas (>99) and Matthew (9) the tax collector;
– James (11) the son of Alphaeus,
– and Thaddaeus (39=);
– Simon (1) the Cananaean,
– and Judas (4) Iscariot, who also betrayed him.
John the Baptist (rank 5)
• Herod said to his servants: ‘This is John
the Baptist’ (Matthew 14:1–2)
• Herod seized ‘John’ (14:3)
• ‘John’ said (14:4)
• Herodias’ daughter: ‘Give me here on a
platter the head of John the Baptist’ (14:8)
• He sent and beheaded ‘John’ (14:9)
The test of geography
Contemporary towns
in the four gospels
Refs.
66
21
16
5-12
1-4
Name
Jerusalem
Nazareth
Capernaum
Bethany, Bethlehem, Bethsaida,
Jericho, Sidon, Tyre
Aenon, Arimathea, Bethphage,
Caesarea Philippi, Cana, Chorazin,
Dalmanutha, Emmaus, Ephraim,
Magadan, Nain, Salim, Sychar
Contemporary town names
mentioned in gospels
• 4 gospels:
– 12-14 towns each
– Total > 23
• Gospel of Philip
– 2 (Jerusalem and Nazareth)
• Gospels of Peter and The Saviour:
– 1 town each
– Total = 1 (Jerusalem)
• Others 2nd-3rd century gospels:
– None
An example story:
Feeding the 5,000
Feeding the 5,000
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•
•
•
•
Mark 6:39: green grass; John 6:10: much grass
Mark 6:31: there were many coming and going
John 6:4: it was Passover time
John 6:5: Jesus asks Philip where to buy bread
from
John 6:7–8: Philip and Andrew reply
Luke 9:10: Feeding was near Bethsaida
John 1:44: Philip and Andrew were from
Bethsaida
John 6:9: barley loaves
Precipitation in Tiberias (mm)
100
90
80
70
60
50
40
30
20
10
0
Jan Fe Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
b
Embarrassment and
dissimilarity
Embarrassment: hard sayings
• Do what the Pharisees say (Matthew 23:3)
• My God, my God, why have you forsaken
me? (Matthew 27:46; Mark 15:34)
• ‘It is not right to take the bread of the
children and to throw it to the dogs’ (Mark
7:27)
• Imitate an unfair steward (Luke 16:1-9)
• ‘Now my soul is troubled’ (John 12:27)
Embarrassment: hard reporting
•
•
•
•
•
•
Disciples argue as to who is greatest
Anger with James and John
Jesus overturns tables
Disciples misunderstand
Disciples all abandon Jesus
Peter denies Jesus
Dissimilarity: the Parables
• No evidence of widespread use of parables prior
to Jesus
• OT: 2 Samuel 12:1-10; 14:5-20
• Apocrypha: none
• Dead Sea Scrolls: none
• Early church: few
• Rabbis: few
•  Parables seem distinctive to Jesus
• ‘Son of man’ connected with parables
Could it all have been made
up?
Could it have been made up?
•
•
•
•
•
Christians suffer too much
Christians too disorganised
Christians too divided
Christians too truthful
Message too “foolish”
– Resurrection
– God crucified for sins
Alexamenos graffito
• ΑΛΕΞΑΜΕΝΟΣ
ΣΕΒΕΤΕ [= ΣΕΒΕΤΑΙ]
ΘΕΟΝ
• ‘Alexamenos
worships G/god’
Conclusions
• Can’t prove everything to be historical
• But can show that it is rational to trust
• But if the gospels result from conspiracy or
incompetence this is not what you would
expect
Questions?
Johannine Contradictions
Does God think that loving the
world is good?
• John 3:16 For God so loved the world,
that he gave his only Son, that whoever
believes in him should not perish but have
eternal life. (ESV)
• 1 John 2:15 Do not love the world or the
things in the world. If anyone loves the
world, the love of the Father is not in him.
(ESV)
Did people believe when they saw
the signs Jesus did?
• John 2:23 Now when he was in
Jerusalem at the Passover Feast, many
believed in his name when they saw the
signs that he was doing. (ESV)
• John 12:37 Though he had done so many
signs before them, they still did not believe
in him … (ESV)
Do the people know Jesus and
where he’s from?
• John 7:28 So Jesus called out, as he taught in
the temple, “You know me, and you know where
I come from.” (ESV)
• John 8:14 Jesus answered, “Even if I do bear
witness about myself, my testimony is true, for I
know where I came from and where I am going,
but you do not know where I come from or
where I am going.” (ESV)
• John 8:19 They said to him therefore, “Where is
your Father?” Jesus answered, “You know
neither me nor my Father. If you knew me, you
would know my Father also.” (ESV)
Is Jesus’ witness true if he bears
witness about himself?
• John 5:31 If I bear witness of Myself, My
witness is not true. (NKJV)
• John 8:13-14 The Pharisees therefore
said to Him, “You bear witness of Yourself;
Your witness is not true.” 14 Jesus
answered and said to them, “Even if I bear
witness of Myself, My witness is true, for I
know where I came from and where I am
going; but you do not know where I come
from and where I am going.” (NKJV)
Does Jesus judge?
• John 8:15 You judge according to the
flesh; I judge no one. (ESV)
• John 8:16 Yet even if I do judge, my
judgment is true, for it is not I alone who
judge, but I and the Father who sent me.
(ESV)
• John 8:26 I have much to say about you
and much to judge, but he who sent me is
true, and I declare to the world what I have
heard from him. (ESV)
Did Jesus come to judge the
world?
• John 12:47 If anyone hears my words and does
not keep them, I do not judge him; for I did not
come to judge the world but to save the world.
(ESV)
• John 3:17 For God did not send his Son into the
world to condemn the world, but in order that the
world might be saved through him. (ESV)
• John 9:39 Jesus said, For judgment I came into
this world, that those who do not see may see,
and those who see may become blind. (ESV)
A favourite contradiction of Bart
Ehrman
“One of my favorite apparent discrepancies—I
read John for years without realizing how
strange this one is—comes in Jesus’ ‘Farewell
Discourse,’ the last address that Jesus delivers
to his disciples, at his last meal with them, which
takes up all of chapters 13 to 17 in the Gospel
according to John. In John 13:36, Peter says to
Jesus, ‘Lord, where are you going?’ A few
verses later Thomas says, ‘Lord, we do not
know where you are going’ (John 14:5). And
then, a few minutes later, at the same meal,
Jesus upbraids his disciples, saying,
A favourite contradiction of Bart
Ehrman
‘Now I am going to the one
who sent me, yet none of
you asks me, “Where are
you going?”’ (John 16:5).
Either Jesus had a very
short attention span or there
is something strange going
on with the sources for
these chapters, creating an
odd kind of disconnect.”