| Is the Bible true? Can we trust the texts
| |
| | as part of the list of Inspired writings.
|
| we read today? Does archaeology confirm
| |
| | The disagreements in the 3rd and 4th
|
| the Bible stories? Much as been written
| |
| | century only centered around a few of the
|
| about the evidences for historical
| |
| | smaller New Testament books: James, 2
|
| reliability of the Bible and/or to prove
| |
| | Peter, 2&3 John, Jude and Revelation.
|
| that it cannot be trusted. To help you
| |
| | 8. Authorship and dating of the Gospels:
|
| find a path through the labyrinth of
| |
| | Although technically anonymous, there are
|
| information, following an overview of the
| |
| | strong internal and external evidences
|
| 12 most compelling evidences for the
| |
| | that support the authorship of the
|
| historical reliability and truthfulness
| |
| | gospels by the names we identify them by
|
| of the Christian Holy Scriptures:
| |
| | today. Mark is generally considered to be
|
|
| |
| | the oldest gospel; even liberal scholars
|
| 1. The Dead Sea Scrolls: These contain
| |
| | will agree on a dating before 70 AD,
|
| Old Testament manuscripts from 100 years
| |
| | although more realistic is in the 55-65
|
| before the birth of Christ, proving that
| |
| | timeframe. Luke, Mark and Acts are
|
| over the centuries the scriptures were
| |
| | generally dated in the 60-80 timeframe.
|
| very carefully copied and our current
| |
| | The gospel of John is now universally
|
| texts are close to identical to the
| |
| | accepted to be written in the 80-90
|
| original texts.
| |
| | period.
|
| 2. The Septuagint: The first translation
| |
| | 9. Authorship and dating of Paul's
|
| from the Hebrew Old Testament to the
| |
| | letters: All substantial letters are
|
| Greek language, dated from the 285-270 BC
| |
| | universally accepted to be written by the
|
| timeframe. The Septuagint proves the
| |
| | apostle Paul in the 49-65 AD timeframe.
|
| existence of all the Old books before 300
| |
| | That makes these letters likely the
|
| BC.
| |
| | earliest written documents in the New
|
| 3. The canon of the Old Testament: The
| |
| | Testament.
|
| list of books that now makes up our Old
| |
| | 10. The 'lost' books of the Bible were
|
| Testament was never under serious
| |
| | never 'lost': Modern liberal scholars
|
| dispute, showing these books were
| |
| | claim recently discovered 'lost' or
|
| accepted, and treated as God's word
| |
| | 'deliberately misplaced' gospels that
|
| almost immediately after they were
| |
| | claim alternative views on Jesus and His
|
| written.
| |
| | teachings. Famous examples are the
|
| 4. Authorship and dating of the Old
| |
| | 'gospel of Thomas', the 'gospel of Judas'
|
| Testament: Although most of the Old
| |
| | and the 'gospel of Mary Magdalene' (one
|
| Testament books are technically
| |
| | of the 'sources' for the claims of the Da
|
| anonymous, we have strong internal and
| |
| | Vinci code). However evidence shows that
|
| external evidences to support the
| |
| | these gospels were not only written
|
| traditional authorship and date of
| |
| | generations after the apostles, but also
|
| writing for these books.
| |
| | that the preserved texts were subject to
|
| 5. The manuscripts of the New Testament:
| |
| | 'creative editing' (rewriting) by Gnostic
|
| The abundance (over 25,000 partial and
| |
| | heretic sources.
|
| complete texts) and early dating (the
| |
| | 11. The historical reliability of the
|
| earliest papyrus is from 125 AD) of
| |
| | Bible: Archeology and historical analysis
|
| preserved manuscripts of the New
| |
| | again and again show the accuracy of the
|
| Testament shows the reliable preservation
| |
| | events, locations and customs mentioned
|
| of the original texts.
| |
| | in the Bible accounts. Never has anybody
|
| 6. Testimony of the Early Church leaders:
| |
| | been able to disprove any of the
|
| Additionally there exist over 86,000
| |
| | accounts.
|
| quotations from the New Testament texts
| |
| | 12. The credibility of the
|
| in the preserved writings of the leaders
| |
| | eye-witnesses: The eye-witness accounts
|
| of the Early Christian church, testifying
| |
| | to Jesus prove to be honest and factual
|
| to the original texts.
| |
| | testimonies. The abundance of
|
| 7. The canon of the New Testament: The
| |
| | (irrelevant) detail, consistency of the
|
| official canon of the New Testament was
| |
| | accounts, as well as between the
|
| agreed upon by 397 AD, however, before
| |
| | different gospels, lack of exaggeration
|
| the year 150 AD, all gospels, Acts and
| |
| | and confirmations from extra-Biblical
|
| Paul's epistles were universally accepted
| |
| | sources prove their credibility.
|
