Can we trust what we read in the Bible ?
Are the stories in the Bible fictions - like
“Lord of the Rings” ?
Or are the stories in the Bible legends – like
the Trojan war ?
Or are the stories in the Bible history – like
World War II ?
Stories, stories and more stories
• There are 3 kinds of stories
– Fictional tales, or “fictions”
– Legendary tales, or “legends”
– Historical accounts, or “history”
Fiction, Legend and History
• Fictions: stories completely invented by men
Fiction, Legend and History
• Legends: stories that started as historical
facts but were made more beautiful later
(grander) with exaggerations
Fiction, Legend and History
• History: truthful accounts about the past
preserved with great accuracy for posterity
(usually to teach future generation a lesson)
Holocaust
Nanjing Massacre
Honest questions about the Bible
• So, is the Bible a book of fiction ?
– Stories in the Bible are made up by people ??
• Or is the Bible a book of legends ?
– Example: Jesus was real, but he was just a wise man.
After Jesus died, his followers made him grander by
saying that Jesus was the Son of God ??
• Or is the Bible a book of history ?
– Jesus was real and He was really the Son of God
– Jesus really died and resurrected (and those that saw
this freaked out completely)
• And if it is a historical book and what it said is
true, are you ready to face the consequences ?
Are stories in the Bible pure fiction ?
• How can you tell that a story (like “Lord of
the Rings”) is a fiction ?
– There are no records for the people, places and
events mentioned
– For example: you can’t find “Middle Earth”
• How can you tell that a story is not fiction:
– You can verify many people, places, and events in
the story
• Are there any evidence that shows the Bible
is not a book of fiction ?
Evidences that show a story is historical
Pictures
Archeological sites
Historical writings
Ancient artifacts
Biblical places verified by archaeology
Capernaum
Pool of
Bethesda
(John 5:1-15)
Nazareth
Rolling-stone tombs
Biblical People verified by Archaeology
TIBERIEUM
(PON)TIUS PILATUS
(PRAEF)ECTUS IUDA(EAE)
Proconsul Sergius Paulus
(Acts 13:6-12)
Biblical People mentioned by Historians
• Jewish Historian Josephus (100 AD) on James:
– So Albinus assembled the Sanhedrim of
judges, and brought before them the brother
of Jesus, who was called Christ, whose name
was James, and some others…. he delivered
them to be stoned
• Jewish Historian Josephus (100 AD) on Jesus:
– Now there was about this time Jesus, a wise
man…He drew over to him both many of the
Jews and many of the Gentiles…. And when
Pilate, at the suggestion of the principal men
amongst us, had condemned him to the
cross…
Biblical Events confirmed by Historians
• Taking census in one’s own city:
– Luke 2:3 - And all went to be registered,
each to his own city.
• Confirm by an edict from C.Vibius Maximus,
Prefect of Egypt dated around 104 A.D.:
– The enrollment by household being at hand, it is
necessary to notify all who for any cause soever
are outside their nomes (administrative divisions of
Egypt) to return to their domestic hearths, that they
may also accomplish the customary dispensation
of enrollment and continue steadfastly in the
husbandry that belongs to them.”
More Biblical Events confirmed
• Jews expelled from Rome under Claudius:
– Acts 18:2: “There he became acquainted with a Jew
named Aquila, born in Pontus, who had recently arrived
from Italy with his wife, Priscilla. They had been
expelled from Italy as a result of Claudius Caesar's
order to deport all Jews from Rome.
• Roman historian Suetonius (100 AD) wrote:
– As the Jews were making constant disturbances at the
instigation of Chrestus (= Christ?), he [Claudius]
expelled them from Rome.
• These are the only two historical records on the
expulsion of Jews from Rome by Claudius !!!
More confirmed people, places & events
• People:
– Lysanius, Nicodemus, Mary, Martha, Lazarus (burial
boxes), Pilate, Sergius Paulus, Erastus (treasurer of
Corinth), Gallio (governor of Corinth)…
• Places:
– Nazereth, Capernaum, Derbe, Lystra, etc (every city
mentioned in Acts confirmed)…
• Events:
– Census in Jesus time, Expulsion of Jews under
Claudius, Crucifixion, Jesus’ resurrection (by
numerous testimonies)…
So is the Bible a book of fiction ?
• Many people, places, and events have been
verified
• Bible reads like a history book !
• One of the Gospel’s writer (Luke) told us that
he was writing history:
– it seemed good to me also, following all things
accurately from the very first, to write to you in
order, so that you might know the certainty of those
things in which you have been instructed
• The Bible is not a fiction !
Are the stories of the Bible legends ?
• We have just established that the accounts in
the Bible are not fictions
• Stories from the ancient times can come down
to us distorted (exaggerated): legends
– The Iliad tells about a great battle for the city Troy
– The city of Troy did exist, the Trojans did exist
– But the invincibility of Achilles who can’t be
wounded by swords and arrows is a legend
• Are stories of the Bible legends ?
– Is Jesus really the Son of God ???
– Did Jesus really resurrect (came back to life) ???
How does history become legend ?
• Historical accounts (stories) are
passed down through history by:
– Writings
– Oral accounts (songs and poems
sung from memory): Iliad (Troy)
• Troubadours (traveling
musicians) sang heroic tales to
make a living
• Oral stories (usually) get more
“impressive” over time: history
becomes legend
How to prevent history becoming a legend
• Write the historical account down before it
becomes corrupted with fictional material !
• We can trust the stories on Alexander the
Great, Julius Caesar, and other historical
figures because:
– Their stories were written down before (much)
fictional material were introduced
• It takes over 200 years after the historical
event to develop legendary material
• So when was the New Testament written ?
– Was it soon or long after Jesus’ death ???
When was the New Testament written
• Gospel of Matthew:
Magdalene papyrus - fragment (dated
around 150 A.D) – we know for sure
Matthew’s gospel existed around 150 A.D.
Chester Beatty papyrus P45 fragment (dated 200-250 A.D.)
Bible scholars believe that
the Gospel of Matthew is
written before 80 A.D.
(most like around 60 A.D.)
When was the New Testament written
• Gospel of Mark:
Qumran cave 7 (7q5 may be Mark 6:5253) – (dated around 50 A.D. !)
Bible scholars believe that
the Gospel of Mark is
written before 70 A.D.
(most like around 50 A.D.)
Codex Vaticanus: c. 350 A.D.
When was the New Testament written
• Gospel of Luke:
Codex Vaticanus: c. 350 A.D.
Codex Sinaiticus: c. 350 A.D.
Bible scholars believe that the Gospel of Luke was
written before 80 A.D. (most like around 60 A.D.)
When was the New Testament written
• Gospel of John:
Rylands papyrus: dated around 125 A.D.
Bible scholars believe that
the Gospel of John was
written before 90 A.D.
(most like around 70 A.D.)
Brodmer papyrus: dated
around 200 A.D.
Dating the Gospel of Luke
• We can get clues on when Luke’s gospel was
written from Acts
• Gospel of Luke and Acts:
– Luke said in Acts that Acts was written after the
Gospel of Luke
– Acts ends with Paul under house arrest
– Paul was executed by Nero in 62 A.D.
– Luke would surely have told us about Paul’s
execution
– Acts probably written before 62 A.D.
– Gospel of Luke probably written before 60 A.D.
Testimonies on the Authorship of the gospels
Bishop Irenaeus (120-203 AD) wrote:
"Matthew published his Gospel among the Hebrews in
their own language, while Peter and Paul were
preaching and founding the church in Rome. After
their departure Mark, the disciple and interpreter of
Peter, also transmitted to us in writing those things
which Peter had preached; and Luke, the attendant of
Paul, recorded in a book the Gospel which Paul had
declared. Afterwards John, the disciple of the Lord,
who also reclined on his bosom, published his Gospel,
while staying at Ephesus in Asia."
The gospels are first hand information
What do all these evidence tell us ?
• Gospels were written 30-50 years after Jesus’
death by people who knew Jesus very well
• 30-50 years is too short to form legendary
stories in the gospels
• An even stronger reason:
– The gospels were in circulation within a single
generation of people – people who witnessed
Jesus’ miracles were still alive when these gospels
were written; this include hostile witnesses
– If the gospels contained any lies or inaccuracies,
the hostile witnesses will surely speak out !!!
• So: Gospels contain accurate information !
The Bible: Then and Now
• OK, so the original gospels was very accurate
• But we do NOT have the original copy of the
New Testament !!!
• The text of the Bible that we have today may
or may not be the same as the original text –
it depends on how accurate the original text is
passed down
• So how was the Bible passed down to
us ?
Passing on the New Testament
• The New Testament
(accounts of Jesus’ life)
was written on papyrus
• (Printing was not invented
until 1455 A.D.)
• Papyrus scrolls worn by
use
• When worn, the content is
copied by hand onto a new
scroll
How careful was the Bible copied ?
• The copiers of the Bible text use special care to
make sure the text was accurately copied !
• They count the number of words in each
chapter and check if the count in the copy was
correct
• They count the number of letters on each line
and check if the count in the copy was correct
• A large number of copies of the New
Testament have survived through history and
we can use these copies to verify accuracy
Evidence of careful copying
• Before the discovery of the
Dead Sea scrolls, the earliest
copy of the Book of Isaiah was
from around 980 A.D.
• In 1947, a Dead Sea scroll was
discovered that contained the
entire book of Isaiah dated
around 250 B.C. (over 1000
years earlier)
• The contents are virtually
identical – except for a few
minor copy errors
Testimonial to New Testament’s Accuracy
• Norman L. Geisler & William E. Nix said:
– The New Testament has not only survived in more
manuscripts than any other book from antiquity, but
the New Testament has also survived in a purer form
than any other book - a form that is 99.5% pure
• In other words:
– Scholars conclude that 99.5% of the New Testament
that we read today is exactly the same as the
original copy that was written almost 2000 years ago
!!!
Comparing Bible/Ancient History: Alexander
Jesus (30AD) Earliest surviving copies:
Gospels Codex Vaticanus
written Codex Sinaitus
400 BC
0
400
Plutarch (60 AD)
800
1200
Earliest surviving
copy of Plutarch
Alexander the Great (323BC)
If you can believe the facts about Alexander,
you can believe the facts about Jesus
Comparing Bible/Ancient History: Caesar
Jesus (30AD) Earliest surviving copies:
Gospels Codex Vaticanus
written Codex Sinaitus
400 BC
0
400
800
1200
Suetonius (100 AD) Earliest surviving
copy of Suetonius
Julius Caesar(44 BC)
If you can believe the facts about Julius Caesar,
you can believe the facts on Jesus
More on the reliability of the gospels
• A number of characteristics of the gospels make
them more reliable:
– They report the uglier side of the story – Example:
Peter denied Jesus three times
If you want to start a new “made-up” religion, would
you portrait an important figure as a wimp ???
– They include weaker (truthful) testimonies – Example:
Women’s testimony were worthless in the ancient
Jewish society – and yet, the first people that
discovered the empty tomb were all women !!!
If you want to start a new “made-up” religion, you
want men to discover the empty tomb.
Can you believe the Bible ?
• The Bible contains super-natural events
(miracles)
• Can an intelligent person believe in miracles
• The Bible says that Jesus died and resurrected
(came back to life !!!)
– Have you seen any person die and come back to
life ?
– It’s sure hard to believe, isn’t it ?
– You would freak out if someone did…
• So did we see anyone freak out after seeing
Jesus ??? – You bet, many !
Evidence that Jesus’ disciples freaked out
• Before Jesus’ resurrection:
– Peter denied Jesus 3 times (to save his neck)
– Peter went back to his old job (fisherman) -John
21:3: “Simon Peter said to them, I am going out to
fish.”
• After Jesus’ resurrection:
– Peter preached the Gospel in Pontus, and Galatia,
and Cappadocia, and Betania, and Italy, and Asia,
and was afterwards crucified by Nero in Rome with
his head downward, as he had himself desired to
suffer in that manner.
Faith testimony to Jesus’ resurrection
• The disciples of Jesus did not only preach
that Jesus had resurrected, they also testified
to what they preached – with their own life
• Hippolytus of Rome (c. 200 AD) wrote
“Catholic Encyclopedia” in which he
mentioned the life of many disciples of Jesus
– Andrew preached to the Scythians [modern day
Georgia] and Thracians [modern day Bulgaria],
and was crucified, suspended on an olive tree, at
Patrae, a town of Achaia [Greece]; and there too
he was buried.
Yet more faith testimonies to Jesus
• According to Hippolytus:
– Bartholomew, preached to the Indians, to whom he
also gave the Gospel according to Matthew, and
was crucified with his head downward, and was
buried in Allanum
– And James the son of Alphaeus, when preaching in
Jerusalem, was stoned to death by the Jews, and
was buried there beside the temple.
– James, brother of John, when preaching in Judea,
was cut off with the sword by Herod the
tetrarch, and was buried there.
• The list of disciples dying for their faith goes
on and on…
Faith testimonies by early Christians
• The Roman Governor Pliny (100 AD) seeks out
Christians (for execution) this way:
– I interrogated these as to whether they were
Christians; those who confessed I interrogated a
second and a third time, threatening them with
punishment; those who persisted I ordered
executed.... (So, just deny Jesus and you go free !)
• Many Christians died for their faith under Nero
– an immense multitude was convicted…they were
torn by dogs and perished, or were nailed to
crosses, or were doomed to the flames and burnt
Testimony from a former unbeliever
• Luke – a travel companion of Paul – wrote
about Paul’s own testimony:
– Paul said that he persecuted Christians at first
– Paul said in Acts that Jesus appeared to him
– Immediately, Paul preached that Jesus has
resurrected
– Paul even died for his faith: he was executed by
Nero in 62 A.D. for being a Christian
• Why the change in Paul’s belief ?
– When Paul saw God (Jesus), he had no choice but
to believe !
Testimony from another former unbeliever
• James was one of Jesus’ brothers
• Jesus’ brothers did not believe Jesus was the
Son of God:
– John 7:5: “For His brothers did not believe in Him”
• According to the Jewish historian Josephus,
James died for preaching the gospel:
– They brought before them the brother of
Jesus…whose name was James, …delivered them to
be stoned...
• What cause James to believe in Jesus ?
– 1 Corinthian 15:8: “Afterward He (Jesus) was seen
by James” – James saw the resurrected Jesus !!!
What can we learn from these testimonies?
• The disciples of Jesus started the Christian
faith and many of them died for this faith
• Nobody dies for a lie that he made up himself
– All these early Christians had to do to save their
own life was the deny Christianity
– If Jesus’ resurrection was a lie, these disciples
would never have die for it
• Some former unbelievers died preaching the
gospels of Jesus
• Why would any of them rather die than deny
Jesus ?
Matthew 10:32:
Whosoever therefore shall confess me before
men, him will I confess also before my
Father which is in heaven. But whosoever
shall deny me before men, him will I also
deny before my Father which is in heaven.
Jesus’ disciples, many early Christians, James
and Paul rather choose to lose their life on
earth than to lose their soul in heaven !!!
Summary
• The New Testament is a historical document, not
fiction and not legend
• Jesus’ resurrection is real and is supported by
many convincing personal testimonial evidence:
–
–
–
–
Jesus’ disciples died for this faith
Paul and James – 2 former unbelievers – died
Thousands of early Christians died for this faith
The disciples would not die for a lie that they made up!
• Jesus’ resurrection proved that He was the Son of
God
– Are you ready to accept the consequences ?
The End