THE RELIABILITY OF THE
NEW TESTAMENT
ROBBY LASHUA
THE RELIABILITY OF THE NEW
TESTAMENT
• Contemporary accounts, close to the
events
• Many accounts of the events
• Independent sources
• Consistent with one another
Author
Work
Earliest MSS
Time Gap
Iliad
History
Plays
Tetralogies
Gallic Wars
History of
Rome
Date
Written
800 BC
480-425 BC
496-406 BC
400 BC
100-44 BC
59 BC–17
AD
Homer
Herodotus
Sophocles
Plato
Caesar
Livy
Old #
New
c. 400 BC
1st C
3rd C BC
895
9th C
Early 5th C
400
1,350
100-200
1,300
950
400
643
8
100
7
10
1 Partial,
19
copies
1,757
109
193
210
251
90 & 60
copies
Tacitus
Annals
100 AD
1st half: 850,
2nd: 1050
(1100 AD)
750-950
20
2 + 31 15 C
copies
Pliny, the
Elder
Natural
History
49-79 AD
5th C frag: 1; 400 (750)
Rem. 14-15th
C
7
200
Thucydides
History
460-400 BC
3rd C BC
(AD 900)
200
(1,350)
8
96
Demosthene Speeches
s
300 BC
Some frags
from 1 C.
BC. (AD
1100)
1,100+
(1,400)
200
340
NT
50-100 AD
AD 130
40
5366
5,795
Author
Work
Earliest MSS
Time Gap
Iliad
History
Plays
Tetralogies
Gallic Wars
History of
Rome
Date
Written
800 BC
480-425 BC
496-406 BC
400 BC
100-44 BC
59 BC–17
AD
Homer
Herodotus
Sophocles
Plato
Caesar
Livy
Old #
New
c. 400 BC
1st C
3rd C BC
895
9th C
Early 5th C
400
1,350
100-200
1,300
950
400
643
8
100
7
10
1 Partial,
19
copies
1,757
109
193
210
251
90 & 60
copies
Tacitus
Annals
100 AD
1st half: 850,
2nd: 1050
(1100 AD)
750-950
20
2 + 31 15 C
copies
Pliny, the
Elder
Natural
History
49-79 AD
5th C frag: 1; 400 (750)
Rem. 14-15th
C
7
200
Thucydides
History
460-400 BC
3rd C BC
(AD 900)
200
(1,350)
8
96
Demosthene Speeches
s
300 BC
Some frags
from 1 C.
BC. (AD
1100)
1,100+
(1,400)
200
340
NT
50-100 AD
AD 130
40
5366
5,795
Author
Work
Earliest MSS
Time Gap
Iliad
History
Plays
Tetralogies
Gallic Wars
History of
Rome
Date
Written
800 BC
480-425 BC
496-406 BC
400 BC
100-44 BC
59 BC–17
AD
Homer
Herodotus
Sophocles
Plato
Caesar
Livy
Old #
New
c. 400 BC
1st C
3rd C BC
895
9th C
Early 5th C
400
1,350
100-200
1,300
950
400
643
8
100
7
10
1 Partial,
19
copies
1,757
109
193
210
251
90 & 60
copies
Tacitus
Annals
100 AD
1st half: 850,
2nd: 1050
(1100 AD)
750-950
20
2 + 31 15 C
copies
Pliny, the
Elder
Natural
History
49-79 AD
5th C frag: 1; 400 (750)
Rem. 14-15th
C
7
200
Thucydides
History
460-400 BC
3rd C BC
(AD 900)
200
(1,350)
8
96
Demosthene Speeches
s
300 BC
Some frags
from 1 C.
BC. (AD
1100)
1,100+
(1,400)
200
340
NT
50-100 AD
AD 130
40
5366
5,795
Author
Work
Earliest MSS
Time Gap
Iliad
History
Plays
Tetralogies
Gallic Wars
History of
Rome
Date
Written
800 BC
480-425 BC
496-406 BC
400 BC
100-44 BC
59 BC–17
AD
Homer
Herodotus
Sophocles
Plato
Caesar
Livy
Old #
New
c. 400 BC
1st C
3rd C BC
895
9th C
Early 5th C
400
1,350
100-200
1,300
950
400
643
8
100
7
10
1 Partial,
19
copies
1,757
109
193
210
251
90 & 60
copies
Tacitus
Annals
100 AD
1st half: 850,
2nd: 1050
(1100 AD)
750-950
20
2 + 31 15 C
copies
Pliny, the
Elder
Natural
History
49-79 AD
5th C frag: 1; 400 (750)
Rem. 14-15th
C
7
200
Thucydides
History
460-400 BC
3rd C BC
(AD 900)
200
(1,350)
8
96
Demosthene Speeches
s
300 BC
Some frags
from 1 C.
BC. (AD
1100)
1,100+
(1,400)
200
340
NT
50-100 AD
AD 130
40
5366
5,795
Author
Work
Earliest MSS
Time Gap
Iliad
History
Plays
Tetralogies
Gallic Wars
History of
Rome
Date
Written
800 BC
480-425 BC
496-406 BC
400 BC
100-44 BC
59 BC–17
AD
Homer
Herodotus
Sophocles
Plato
Caesar
Livy
Old #
New
c. 400 BC
1st C
3rd C BC
895
9th C
Early 5th C
400
1,350
100-200
1,300
950
400
643
8
100
7
10
1 Partial,
19
copies
1,757
109
193
210
251
90 & 60
copies
Tacitus
Annals
100 AD
1st half: 850,
2nd: 1050
(1100 AD)
750-950
20
2 + 31 15 C
copies
Pliny, the
Elder
Natural
History
49-79 AD
5th C frag: 1; 400 (750)
Rem. 14-15th
C
7
200
Thucydides
History
460-400 BC
3rd C BC
(AD 900)
200
(1,350)
8
96
Demosthenes Speeches
300 BC
Some frags
from 1 C.
BC. (AD
1100)
1,100+
(1,400)
200
340
New
Testament
50-100 AD
AD 130
40
5366
5,795
“Besides textual evidence derived from
New Testament Greek manuscripts and
from early versions, the textual critic has available
the numerous scriptural quotations included in the
commentaries, sermons, and other treatises written
by the early Church fathers. Indeed, so extensive
are these citations that if all other sources for our
knowledge of the text of the New Testament were
destroyed, they would be sufficient alone for the
reconstruction of practically the entire New
Testament.”
-Bruce M. Metzger & Bart D. Ehrman
Bruce M. Metzger and Bart D. Ehrman, The Text of the New Testament: Its Transmission, Corruption, and
Restoration 4th ed., (New York: Oxford, 2005), 126.
NEW TESTAMENT TRUSTWORTHY
“On the contrary, the time
between the composition of
the books of the New
Testament and the earliest
extant copies is relatively
brief. Instead of a lapse of a
millennium or more, as is the
case of not a few classical
authors, several papyrus
manuscripts of portions of the
New Testament are extant
that were copied within a
century or so after the
composition of the original
documents.” Metzger and
Ehrman
10000
9000
8000
7000
6000
5000
4000
3000
2000
1000
0
Others
Armenian
Slavic
Latin
NEW TESTAMENT TRUSTWORTHY
Sir Frederic Kenyon: “The
number of manuscripts of
the New Testament, of
early translations from it,
and of quotations from it
in the oldest writers of the
Church, is so large that it
is practically certain that
the true reading of every
doubtful passage is
preserved in some one or
other of these ancient
authorities. This can be
said of no other ancient
book in the world.”
25000
20000
15000
10000
5000
0
MSS
Others
Homer
NT
Quotations of the N.T. by
early Church Fathers
Author
Gospels
Acts
Pauline
Epistles
General
Epistles
Justin Martyr
268
10
43
6
3
330
Irenaeus
1,038
194
499
23
65
1,819
Clement
1,107
44
1,127
207
11
2,406
Origin
9,231
349
7,778
399
165
17,992
Tertullian
3,822
502
2,609
120
205
7,258
Hippolytus
734
42
387
27
188
1,378
Eusebius
3,258
211
1,592
88
27
5,176
1,352
14, 035
870
664
36,289
Grand Totals 19,368
Taken from Josh McDowell,
New Evidence That Demands a Verdict, p. 43
Rev.
Totals
NON-CHRISTIAN SOURCES
Josephus
• Born around A.D. 37
• Father was a respected priest in
Jerusalem named Matthias
• Fought against the Romans, but was
defeated by them
• Joined the Romans as the court historian
for Emperor Vespasian
• Josephus mentions Jesus on two
occasions in his writings
NON-CHRISTIAN SOURCES
“Having such a character, Ananus
thought that with Festus dead and
Albinus still on the way he would have
the proper opportunity. Convening the
judges of the Sanhedrin, he brought
before them the brother of Jesus who
was called the Christ, whose name was
James, and certain others. He accused
them of having transgressed the law and
delivered them up to be stoned.”
-Josephus Antiquities 20.200.
NON-CHRISTIAN SOURCES
“At this time there appeared Jesus, a wise man, if indeed
one should call him a man. For he was a doer of startling
deeds, a teacher of people who receive the truth with
pleasure. And he gained a following both among many
Jews and among many of Greek origin. He was the
Messiah. And when Pilate, because of accusations made
by the leading men among us, condemned him to the
cross, those who had loved him previously did not cease
to do so. For he appeared to them on the third day, living
again, just as the divine prophets had spoken of these and
countless other wondrous things about him. And up until
this very day the tribe of Christians, named after him, has
not died out.” – Josephus Antiquities 18.63-64.
NON-CHRISTIAN SOURCES
“At this time there appeared Jesus, a wise man, if indeed
one should call him a man. For he was a doer of startling
deeds, a teacher of people who receive the truth with
pleasure. And he gained a following both among many
Jews and among many of Greek origin. He was the
Messiah. And when Pilate, because of accusations made
by the leading men among us, condemned him to the
cross, those who had loved him previously did not cease to
do so. For he appeared to them on the third day, living
again, just as the divine prophets had spoken of these and
countless other wondrous things about him. And up until this
very day the tribe of Christians, named after him, has not
died out.” – Josephus Antiquities 18.63-64.
NON-CHRISTIAN SOURCES
Tacitus
• Lived ca. A.D. 56-120
• Regarded as the greatest of Roman
historians
• Mentions Jesus once in Annals which
was written ca. A.D. 116-117
NON-CHRISTIAN SOURCES
“Therefore, to squelch the rumor, Nero created
scapegoats and subjected to the most refined
torture those whom the common people called
‘Christians’ (a group) hated for their abominable
crimes. Their name comes from Christ, who, during
the reign of Tiberius, had been executed by the
procurator Pontius Pilate. Supressed for the moment,
the deadly superstition broke out again, not only in
Judea, the land which originated this evil, but also
in the city of Rome.” – Tacitus Annals 15.44.
NON-CHRISTIAN SOURCES
• Within 150 years of the life of Jesus, there are 10
known non-Christian sources who mention Jesus.
• Tiberius Caesar, the Roman emperor at the time
of Jesus, has 9 non-Christian sources who
mention him over the same 150 years
• If we include Christian sources, Jesus is
mentioned by 43 sources and Tiberius is
mentioned by 10 sources within these 150 years
NON-CHRISTIAN SOURCES
These 10 non-Christian sources give us the following
facts about Jesus
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Jesus lived during the time of Tiberius Caeser
He lived a virtuous life
He was a wonder-worker
He had a brother named James
He was acclaimed to be the Messiah
He was crucified under Pontius Pilate
He was crucified on the eve of the Jewish Passover
Darkness and an earthquake occurred when he died
His disciples believed that he rose from the dead
His disciples were willing to die for their belief
Christianity spread rapidly as far as Rome
His disciples denied the Roman gods and worshiped
Jesus as God
INTERNAL EVIDENCE
Evidence that the Gospels were written within the
lifetime of the Apostles:
• Matthew, Mark and Luke do not name the woman
who anointed Jesus feet even though she is to be
remembered or the man who cut off the ear of the
high priest’s servant in the garden of Gethsemane.
• Why? Perhaps to protect these people who were
still alive?
• Embarrassing details: “Get behind me Satan”,
Peter’s denials of Jesus, Jesus’ family not believing
in Him.
DO THE GOSPELS
CONTRADICT EACH OTHER?
What if they do?
The Women at the Tomb
• Matt. 28; Mark16; Luke 24:12 (Multiple Women)
• John 20:1-2 (One Woman?)
• Now the first day of the week Mary Magdalene
went to the tomb early, while it was still dark, and
saw that the stone had been taken away from the
tomb. Then she ran and came to Simon Peter,
and to the other disciple, whom Jesus loved, and
said to them, ‘They have taken away the Lord out
of the Tomb, and WE do not know where they
have laid him.’”. John 20:1-2
A WORD ON BIAS
Were the N.T. writers biased?
• Some say that the N.T. cannot be trusted because
the authors were biased and trying to convert
people to their beliefs
• The question we should ask is why were the authors
converted themselves.
• Everyone who has ever written is biased.
UNDESIGNED COINCIDENCES
The books of the N.T. reinforce
each other in such a way that
rules out the possibility of them
being fabricated.
UNDESIGNED COINCIDENCES
”At that time Herod the tetrarch heard the
news about Jesus, and said to his servants,
“This is John the Baptist; he has risen from the
dead, and that is why miraculous powers are
at work in him.” –Matt. 14:1-2
How did Matthew know what Herod said to his
servants?
UNDESIGNED COINCIDENCES
“Soon afterwards, He began going around
from one city and village to another,
proclaiming and preaching the kingdom of
God. The twelve were with Him, and also
some women who had been healed of evil
spirits and sicknesses: Mary who was called
Magdalene, from whom seven demons had
gone out, and Joanna the wife of Chuza,
Herod’s steward, and Susanna, and many
others who were contributing to their support
out of their private means.” Luke 8:3
UNDESIGNED COINCIDENCES
Matthew
Mark
Luke
John
UNDESIGNED COINCIDENCES
“Then a voice came out of the cloud, saying,
“This is My Son, My Chosen One; listen to Him!”
And when the voice had spoken, Jesus was
found alone. And they kept silent, and
reported to no one in those days any of the
things which they had seen.” –Luke 9:35-36
Why did John, James, and Peter keep silent
about this event?
UNDESIGNED COINCIDENCES
“As they were coming down from the
mountain, He gave them orders not to
relate to anyone what they had seen,
until the Son of Man rose from the
dead.” –Mark 9:9
UNDESIGNED COINCIDENCES
Matthew
Mark
Luke
John
UNDESIGNED COINCIDENCES
“Now the Passover, the feast of the Jews, was
near. Therefore Jesus, lifting up His eyes and
seeing that a large crowd was coming to
Him, said to Philip, “Where are we to buy
bread, so that these may eat?” –John 6:4-5
Why does Jesus ask an obscure disciple,
Philip, this questions?
UNDESIGNED COINCIDENCES
“When the apostles returned, they gave
an account to Him of all that they had
done. Taking them with Him, He
withdrew by Himself to a city called
Bethsaida. But the crowds were aware
of this and followed Him; and
welcoming them, He began speaking
to them about the kingdom of God and
curing those who had need of healing.”
–Luke 9:10-11
UNDESIGNED COINCIDENCES
“Now there were some Greeks among
those who were going up to worship at
the feast; these then came to Philip,
who was from Bethsaida of Galilee, and
began to ask him, saying, “Sir, we wish
to see Jesus.” –John 12:20-21
UNDESIGNED COINCIDENCES
Matthew
Mark
Luke
John
UNDESIGNED COINCIDENCES
And they began to accuse Him, saying, “We
found this man misleading our nation and
forbidding to pay taxes to Caesar, and saying
that He Himself is Christ, a King.” So Pilate
asked Him, saying, “Are You the King of the
Jews?” And He answered him and said, “It is
as you say.” Then Pilate said to the chief
priests and the crowds, “I find no guilt in this
man.” –Luke 23:2-4
Why no guilt? Claiming to be King was a
punishable offense!
UNDESIGNED COINCIDENCES
“Therefore Pilate entered again into the Praetorium, and
summoned Jesus and said to Him, “Are You the King of the Jews?”
Jesus answered, “Are you saying this on your own initiative, or did
others tell you about Me?” Pilate answered, “I am not a Jew, am
I? Your own nation and the chief priests delivered You to me;
what have You done?” Jesus answered, “My kingdom is not of this
world. If My kingdom were of this world, then My servants would
be fighting so that I would not be handed over to the Jews; but as
it is, My kingdom is not of this realm.” Therefore Pilate said to Him,
“So You are a king?” Jesus answered, “You say correctly that I am
a king. For this I have been born, and for this I have come into the
world, to testify to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth hears My
voice.” Pilate said to Him, “What is truth?” And when he had said
this, he went out again to the Jews and *said to them, “I find no
guilt in Him.” –John 18:33-38
UNDESIGNED COINCIDENCES
Matthew
Mark
Luke
John
UNDESIGNED COINCIDENCES
When he had gone out to the gateway,
another servant-girl saw him and *said to
those who were there, “This man was with
Jesus of Nazareth.” And again he denied it
with an oath, “I do not know the man.”
–Matthew 26:71-72
How did this servant girl know Peter had been
with Jesus?
UNDESIGNED COINCIDENCES
“Simon Peter was following Jesus, and
so was another disciple. Now that
disciple was known to the high priest,
and entered with Jesus into the court of
the high priest, but Peter was standing
at the door outside. So the other
disciple, who was known to the high
priest, went out and spoke to the
doorkeeper, and brought Peter in.”
–John 18:15-16
UNDESIGNED COINCIDENCES
Matthew
Mark
Luke
John
UNDESIGNED COINCIDENCES
“Then they spat in His face and beat Him with
their fists; and others slapped Him, and said,
“Prophesy to us, You Christ; who is the one
who hit You?” –Matthew 26:67-68
How hard would it be to tell who hit you?
UNDESIGNED COINCIDENCES
“Now the men who were holding Jesus
in custody were mocking Him and
beating Him, and they blindfolded Him
and were asking Him, saying, “Prophesy,
who is the one who hit You?”
–Luke 22:63-64
UNDESIGNED COINCIDENCES
Matthew
Mark
Luke
John
UNDESIGNED COINCIDENCES
“They pressed into service a passer-by
coming from the country, Simon of Cyrene
(the father of Alexander and Rufus), to bear
His cross.” –Mark 15:21
Why does Mark mention Alexander and
Rufus?
UNDESIGNED COINCIDENCES
“Greet Rufus, a choice man in the Lord,
also his mother and mine.”
–Luke 22:63-64
UNDESIGNED COINCIDENCES
Matthew
Luke
Romans
Mark
John
UNDESIGNED COINCIDENCES
“Then three years later I went up to Jerusalem
to become acquainted with Cephas, and
stayed with him fifteen days.” –Galatians 1:18
Why only such a short visit?
UNDESIGNED COINCIDENCES
“When he came to Jerusalem, he was trying to associate
with the disciples; but they were all afraid of him, not
believing that he was a disciple. But Barnabas took hold of
him and brought him to the apostles and described to
them how he had seen the Lord on the road, and that He
had talked to him, and how at Damascus he had spoken
out boldly in the name of Jesus. And he was with them,
moving about freely in Jerusalem, speaking out boldly in
the name of the Lord. And he was talking and arguing with
the Hellenistic Jews; but they were attempting to put him to
death. But when the brethren learned of it, they brought
him down to Caesarea and sent him away to Tarsus.”
–Acts 9:26-30
UNDESIGNED COINCIDENCES
Matthew
Romans
Mark
Galatians
Acts
Luke
John
DATING OF THE GOSPELS
• Mark 65-70 A.D.
• Matthew and Luke after Mark but
prior to 70 A.D.
• John 90-95 A.D.
THE TWO SOURCE
HYPOTHESIS
DATING OF THE GOSPELS
Reasons for Markan Priority
• If Mark was not first, he would have:
• Taken Matthew and cut material
• Use worse grammar
• Add only three new additions to
Matthew’s Gospel
• More probable Mark was used by
Matthew.
DATING OF THE GOSPELS
The Q Document
• 235 verses that comprise what we call Q
• Examples: Matt. 3:7-10 & Luke 3:7-9; Matt. 6:24 &
Luke 16:13
• Arguments for Q
• Luke did not know Matthew
• Infancy narratives in Matt. And Luke only.
They are so different, which shows Luke knew
nothing of Matthew
• When Matthew adds to Mark, it is rarely
found in Luke.
• Both Matthew and Luke preserve the more
primitive version of Q at different times.
MARK AND MATTHEW
DIFFERENCES
Mark: the Girl Version
Matthew: The Guy Version
• Jairus’ Daughter
• Mark 5:22-24
“One of the synagogue officials named Jairus came up, and on
seeing Him, fell at His feet and implored Him earnestly, saying,
“My little daughter is at the point of death; please come and lay
Your hands on her, so that she will get well and live.”
• Matthew 9:18-19, 23-25
“While He was saying these things to them, a synagogue official
came and bowed down before Him, and said, “My daughter
has just died; but come and lay Your hand on her, and she will
live.” Jesus got up and began to follow him, and so did His
disciples”.
PAUL’S EPISTLES
“The seven letters that virtually all
scholars agree Paul wrote—the socalled undisputed Pauline
epistles—are Romans, 1 and 2
Corinthians, Galatians, Philippians,
1 Thessalonians, and Philemon.”
- Bart Ehrman
PAUL’S EPISTLES
Ehrman’s argument:
• Greco-Roman letters were very short and to
the point
• Cicero: Avg 295 words (range 22-2,530)
• Seneca: Avg 995 words (range 149-4,134)
• Paul’s UNDISPUTED letters: Avg. 3,442
• Rom. 7,111; 1 Cor. 6,830; 2 Cor. 4,477;
Phil. 1,629; 1 Thess. 1,481; Philemon 335
• Paul’s disputed letters Avg. 1,386
• Eph. 2,422; Col. 1,582; 2 Thess. 823; 1
Tim. 1,591; 2 Tim. 1,238; Titus 659
PAUL’S EPISTLES
Ehrman’s argument:
• There is no evidence Paul extensively used
a secretary to write his letters.
• “Virtually all of the problems with what I
have been calling forgeries can be
solved if secretaries were heavily
involved in the composition of the early
Christian writings.”
–Bart Ehrman in Forged
PAUL’S EPISTLES
Good reasons for thinking Paul used
secretaries
• Poor Speaker
• 2 Cor. 11:6 “Untrained in Public
speaking”
• 2 Cor. 10:9-11 “for I do not wish to seem as if I
would terrify you by my letters. For they say, “His
letters are weighty and strong, but his personal
presence is unimpressive and his speech
contemptible.” Let such a person consider this,
that what we are in word by letters when absent,
such persons we are also in deed when present.”
PAUL’S EPISTLES
Good reasons for thinking Paul used
secretaries
• Rom. 16:22 “I, Tertius, who write this letter,
greet you in the Lord.”
• 1 Cor. 16:21 “This greeting is in my own
hand”
• Philemon 19 “I, Paul, am writing this with
my own hand, I will repay it.”
• These are all from the UNDISPUTED letters
of Paul.