Author: David Bedford
DAVID BEDFORD: I am the author of "Liddypool", "The Fab one hundred and Four: The Evolution of The Beatles", and co-author of "The Beatles Book" with Hunter Davies, and "Finding the Fourth Beatle" with Garry Popper. I am also the Associate Producer of the documentary "Looking for Lennon"
As a historian, I want to examine the historical evidence for Jesus
THE EVIDENCE FOR THE EASTER STORY – CRUCIFIXION: Did Jesus Die?
Did Jesus die?
- Gethsemane – Luke 22: 44
- “And being in anguish, he prayed more earnestly, and his sweat was like drops of blood falling to the ground.”
- “Hematidrosis” – associated with high degree of psychological stress
- Causes release of chemicals that break down the capillaries in the sweat glands, and drops of blood may fall with the sweat.
- Makes the skin fragile and very sensitive.
The Beating and Flogging:
The Beating – blindfolded, punched and spat at
- Roman floggings were brutal
- Usually at least 39 lashes
- Whip of braided leather thongs with with metal balls woven in with pieces of sharp bone
- Metal balls cause bruises and contusions
- Bone rips the flesh down to the spine, bowels, veins, muscles
- From shoulders down the back, buttocks and back of legs
- Many died.
- Extreme pain
- Hypovolemic shock – “Hypo= low”, “Vol=volume”, “Emic=blood” i.e. the loss of a lot of blood
- Increase heart rate, blood pressure, fainting or collapse, kidneys stop producing urine, person becomes thirsty and craves liquid.
- Jesus collapsed on way to Calvary
- “I thirst”
- Jesus’ life was already under threat
The Crucifixion:
- Laid down on the horizontal beam – patibulum
- Nailed with 5-7 inch spikes
- Into the wrists not palm of the hand!
- Hits the median nerve (worse than ulna nerve aka funny bone!)
- Imagine that nerve pinched with pliers and twisted
- Pain so indescribable – “excruciating” = “out of the cross”
- Hoisted onto vertical beam
- Nails through feet by ankles
- Arms immediately stretched by 6 inches – shoulders dislocated
- Crucifixion – slow death by asphyxiation
- Have to push up to breathe
- Pain in ankles where nailed
- Rub bare and bleeding back against wood
- Crown of thorns shoved into sensitive skin which would bleed
- Breathing slows – respiratory acidosis = carbon dioxide is dissolved as carbonic acid
- Irregular heartbeat – know you are near death
- Hypovolemic shock causes heart failure
- Results in collection of fluid in membrane around the heart = pericardial effusion
- Fluid around the lungs – pleural effusion
- Significant?
- John 19: 34 “Instead, one of Jesus’ side with a spear, bringing a sudden flow of blood and water.”
- Spear went through lung and heart into right side
- Pericardial effusion and pleural effusion – clear fluid (like water) followed by blood
- Jesus was dead. No doubt.
The Odds of Jesus being THE Messiah
What are the odds of Jesus being THE Messiah? A mathematician, Peter Stoner, has worked it out, and the numbers are almost unbelievable! But they are true.
Harold Hartzler, of the American Scientific Affiliation, GoshenCollege, in the foreword of Stoner’s book writes: “The manuscript forScience Speaks has been carefully reviewed by a committee of the American Scientific Affiliation members and by the Executive Council of the same group and has been found, in general, to be dependable and accurate in regard to the scientific material presented. The mathematical analysis included is based upon principles of probability which are thoroughly sound and Professor Stoner has applied these principles in a proper and convincing way.”
The following probabilities are taken from Peter Stoner in Science Speaks to show that coincidence is ruled out by the science of probability. Stoner says that by using the modern science of probability in reference to eight prophecies(1 . -No.10; 2. – No.22; 3. -No.27; 4. -No.33&44; 5. – No. 34; 6. – No. 35 & 36; 7. – No. 39; 8. – No. 44 & 45 [crucified]),” We find that the chance that any man might have lived down to the present time and fulfilled all eight prophecies is 1 in 1017.” That would be 1 in 100,000,000,000,000,000.
In order to help us comprehend this staggering probability, Stoner illustrates it by supposing that “we take 1017 silver dollars and lay them on the face of Texas. They will cover all of the state two feet deep. Now mark one of these silver dollars and stir the whole mass thoroughly, all over the state. Blindfold a man and tell him that he can travel as far as he wishes, but he must pick up one silver dollar and say that this is the right one. What chance would he have of getting the right one? Just the same chance that the prophets would have had of writing these eight prophecies and having them all come true in any one man, from their day to the present time, providing they wrote them in their own wisdom.
“Now these prophecies were either given by inspiration of God or the prophets just wrote them as they thought they should be. In such a case the prophets had just one chance in 1017 of having them come true in any man, but they all came true in Christ.
“This means that the fulfillment of these eight prophecies alone proves that God inspired the writing of those prophecies to a definiteness which lacks only one chance in 1017 of being absolute.” Stoner considers 48 prophecies and says, “…. We find the chance that any one man fulfilled all 48 prophecies to be 1 in 10157.
The odds for 60, 100, or over 300 are almost uncalculable!
There is only 1 conclusion; Jesus was the prophecied Messiah, and the only person in history who could have been the Messiah. What are the odds?
The Timing of The Messiah
The Timing of the Coming of the Messiah
Daniel 9 prophecy
Sir Robert Anderson, described perhaps the greatest Old Testament prophecy, if his calculations were accurate. Anderson was the Assistant Commissioner of the London Metropolitan Police (Scotland Yard) from 1888 to 1901; he was also a theologian and author. He wrote many books related to Christianity, science and prophecy, including The Coming Prince. In this short volume, Anderson makes the case for a remarkable Old Testament prophecy from the prophet Daniel. While the Israelites were certainly comforted by prophecies predicting their enemies would eventually be destroyed, there was a far more reassuring prophecy described by Daniel. He predicted the coming of a Messiah, a Saviour who would deliver the Jews. Daniel’s prophecy was incredibly specific. I’ll do my best to reconstruct the case made by Anderson, but I encourage you to research his work for yourself.
In 538 B.C. Daniel wrote the following bold prediction:
Daniel 9:25
“So you are to know and discern that from the issuing of a decree to restore and rebuild Jerusalem until Messiah the Prince there will be seven “sevens” of years and sixty-two “sevens” of years”.
In this prophecy (written 538 years before Christ was born), Daniel claimed there would be 69 “sevens of years” between the issuing of a decree to rebuild Jerusalem and the appearance of the Messiah. In 464 BC, Artaxerxes, a Persian king, ascended to the throne. Nehemiah, the Jewish cupbearer to King Artaxerxes, was deeply concerned about the ruined condition of Jerusalem following the defeat of the Jews (Nehemiah 1:1-4). As a result, he petitioned the king:
Nehemiah 2:5,6
“Send me to Judah, to the city of my fathers’ tombs, that I may rebuild it. So it pleased the king to send me”.
According to the Old Testament, the decree to restore and rebuild Jerusalem was issued “in the month Nisan, in the twentieth year of Artaxerxes the king” (Nehemiah 2:1). The Jewish calendar month was Nisan, and since no day is given, it is reasonable to assume the date would be understood as the first, the Jewish New Year’s Day. And, in the Julian calendar we presently use, the corresponding date would be March 5, 444 BC.
So when did the Messiah appear? Jesus, on numerous occasions, forbade and prevented his followers from revealing His identity as the Messiah. He frequently performed miracles and swore His disciples to silence, saying his “hour has not yet come” (John 2:4, 7:6). But, on March 30, 33 A.D., when he entered Jerusalem on a donkey, he rebuked the Pharisees’ protest and encouraged the whole multitude of his disciples as they shouted, “Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord”. Jesus even said, “If these become silent, the stones will cry out” (Luke 19:38-40). This was the day on which Jesus was publicly declared the Messiah.
Let’s compare then, the date of the decree (March 5, 444 BC) with the date of Jesus’ declaration (March 30, 33 AD). Before we begin, we must clarify (as noted by Anderson) an important feature of the Jewish prophetic year: It was comprised of twelve 30 day months (it had 360 days, not 365 days).
Since Daniel states 69 weeks of seven years each, and each year has 360 days, the following equation calculates the number of days between March 5, 444 BC (the twentieth year of Artaxerxes) and March 30, 33 AD (the day Jesus entered Jerusalem on the donkey):
69 x 7 x 360 = 173,880 days
Now let’s compare Daniel’s prophecy with the true interval between the two events. The time span from 444 BC to 33 AD is 476 years (remember 1 BC to 1 AD is only one year).
And if we multiply 476 years x 365.2421879 days per year (corrected for leap years), we get the result of 173,855 days. Close, but not precisely what Daniel predicted (although I still think this is pretty amazing). Now let’s add back the difference between March 5 and March 30 (25 days).
What is our total? You guessed it, 173,880 days, exactly as Daniel predicted.
The ancient Jews were careful to use prophecy as a measuring stick. If someone claimed to be a prophet, yet his predictions did not come true, he was abandoned and his writings did not make it into the Canon of Scripture:
Deuteronomy 18:22
If what a prophet proclaims in the name of the Lord does not take place or come true, that is a message the Lord has not spoken. That prophet has spoken presumptuously, so do not be alarmed.
The Destruction of The Temple in Jerusalem
Malachi 3:1 states that the Messiah will come to the temple:
“I will send my messenger, who will prepare the way before me.” (John the Baptist). “Then suddenly the Lord you are seeking will come to this temple; the messenger of the covenant, who you desire, will come,’ says the Lord Almighty.”
Therefore, when the Messiah comes, he will come to the temple. As the temple was destroyed in AD70, Messiah had to have come by then.
After the total of 69 “sevens”, Daniel explains how the Messiah (Anointed One) will be killed:
Daniel 9:26 states: “After the sixty-two “sevens”, the Anointed One will be put to death and will have nothing.”
Daniel 9:26 continues to explain how at the end of this period, when the Messiah has been, and been killed, the temple will be destroyed:
“The people of the ruler who will come will destroy the city and the sanctuary. The end will come like a flood: war will continue until the end, and desolations have been decreed.”
This means that the Messiah has to have come before the Temple was destroyed, or never at all. As we know from history, the temple in Jerusalem was destroyed by the Romans in AD70. Messiah had to have arrived by AD70.
In verse 27, Daniel’s prophecy continues to explain how sacrifice for sins will be dealt with after the 69 “sevens”, a 70th “seven”:
“He will confirm a covenant with many for one “seven”. In the middle of the “seven” he will put an end to sacrifice and offering.”
Jesus’ death was to deal with atonement and an end to sacrifices in response to our sins.
With the destruction of the temple, several things came to an end:
- No temple has ever been built there again.
- No priesthood ever restored as every son of Aaron was slain
- No more priestly sacrifices
- No atonement by a High Priest
Removal of The Sceptre of Judah
Genesis 49:10:
“the sceptre shall not depart from Judah, not the ruler’s staff from between his feet, until Shiloh comes, and to him shall be the obedience of the peoples.” (NB Shiloh means peace, or bringer of peace)
The “Sceptre” is the “tribal staff”, and each tribe of Israel had one. It was their identity, and the Messiah would come before the “sceptre” of Judah passed away. Even under captivity in Babylon, it never lost its identity/sceptre. They still had their own judges and lawgivers.
However, two things would happen after the advent of the Messiah:
- Removal of the sceptre/identity of Judah
- Suppression of Judah’s judicial power.
The first sign of the removal of the sceptre of Judah happened with the appointment of Herod the Great, who had no Jewish blood. He succeeded the Maccabean princes, the last Jewish kings in Jerusalem.
The suppression of the judicial power happened with Herod’s successor, and son, Archelaus who reigned from 11AD (22 years before Jesus’ crucifixion). Working on behalf of the Romans, the supreme power of the Sanhedrin (ruling council of Rabbis) was removed, so that the rulers could exercise “the sovereign right over life and death sentences.”
The Jewish Talmud says: A little more than forty years before the destruction of the temple” (i.e. Around AD30 when Jesus began his ministry) “the power of pronouncing capital sentences was taken away from the Jews.” (Talmud, Jerusalem, Sanhedrin, fol 24, recto.)
Rabbi Rachmon said: “Woe unto us, for the sceptre has departed from Judah, and the Messiah has not come!” (Talmud 21/28-30)
The Jews knew what these things meant, and even when the sceptre was removed, and the suppression of Judah’s judicial power was suppressed, then the Messiah had to have arrived.
By the words of the Old Testament, the prophecies and even the Jewish Talmud, messiah was expected, and had to have arrived by AD70. And Jesus arrived precisely when the prophecy of Daniel said so.
The Messianic Prophecies
OLD TESTAMENT MESSIANIC PROPHECIES
There are “332 distinct predictions which were literally fulfilled in Christ.” (The Basis of Christian Faith by Floyd Hamilton).
So Daniel prophesies accurately concerning the Messiah in his prophecy of the 70 weeks. Even if the 165 B.C. date of authorship is correct, all these events took place at least 200 years later.
They include:
- The coming of the Messiah.
- The death of the Messiah.
- The destruction of Jerusalem and the temple.
The third part of the prophecy pertaining to the 70th week is yet to occur.
OLD TESTAMENT PREDICTIONS WHICH WERE LITERALLY FULFILLED IN CHRIST
Floyd Hamilton in The Basis of Christian Faith (a modern defence of the Christian religion, revised and enlarged edition; New York: Harper and Row, 1964, p. 160) says: “Canon Liddon is authority for the statement that there are in the Old Testament 332 distinct predictions which were literally fulfilled in Christ.”
1B. His First Advent
The fact. Genesis 3: 15; Deuteronomy 18: 15; Psalms 89: 20; Isaiah 9: 6; 28: 16; 32: 1; 35: 4; 42: 6; 49: 1; 55: 4; Ezekiel 34: 24; Daniel 2: 44; Micah 4: 1; Zechariah 3: 8.
The time. Genesis 49: 10; Numbers 24: 17; Daniel 9:24; Malachi 3: 1.
His Divinity. Psalms 2: 7,11; 45: 6,7,11; 72: 8; 102: 24-27; 89: 26,27; 110: 1; Isaiah 9: 6; 25: 9; 40: 10; Jeremiah 23: 6; Micah 5: 2; Malachi 3: 1.
Human Generation. Genesis 12: 3; 18: 18; 21: 12; 22: 18; 26:4; 28: 14; 49: 10; II Samuel 7: 14; Psalms 18: 4-6,50; 22: 22,23; 89: 4; 29: 36; 132: 11; Isaiah 11: I; Jeremiah 23: 5; 33: 15.
2B. His Forerunner
Isaiah 40: 3; Malachi 3: 1; 4: 5.
3B. His Nativity and Early Years
The Fact. Genesis 3: 15; Isaiah 7: 14; Jeremiah 31: 22.
The Place. Numbers 24: 17,19; Micah 5:2.
Adoration by Magi. Psalms 72: 10,15; Isaiah 60: 3,6.
Descent into Egypt. Hosea 11: 1
Massacre of Innocents. Jeremiah 31: 15.
4B. His Mission and Office
Mission. Genesis 12: 3; 49: 10; Numbers 24: 19; Deuteronomy 18: 18,19; Psalms 21:1; Isaiah 59:20; Jeremiah 33: 16.
Priest like Melchizedek. Psalms 110: 4.
Prophet like Moses. Deuteronomy 18: 15.
Conversion of Gentiles. Isaiah 11:10 · Deuteronomy 32 : 43; Psalms l8:49; 19: 4; 117:1; Isaiah 42: 1; 45: 23; 49:6; Hosea 1: 10; 2: 23; Joel 2: 32.
Ministry in Galilee. Isaiah 9: 1,2.
Miracles. Isaiah 35:5 6 · 42: 7; ·53:4
Spiritual Graces. Psalms 45: 7; Isaiah 11: 2; 42: 1; 53: 9; 61: 1,2.
Preaching. Psalms 2: 7; 78: 2; Isaiah 2: 3; 61: 1; Micah 4: 2.
Purification of Temple. Psalms 69: 9.
5B. His Passion
Rejection by Jews and Gentiles. Psalms 2: 1; 22: 12; 41: 5; 56: 5; 69:8; 118: 22, 23; Isaiah 6: 9,10; 8: 14; 29: 13; 53: 1; 65: 2;
Persecution. Psalms 22: 6; 35: 7,12; 56: 5; 71: 10; 109: 2; Isaiah 49:7; 53:3;
Triumphal Entry into Jerusalem. Psalms 8: 2; 118: 25, 26; Zechariah 9:9.
Betrayal by own Friend. Psalms 41: 9; 55: 13; Zechariah 13: 6
Betrayal for Thirty Pieces of Silver. Zechariah 11: 12.
Betrayer’s Death. Psalms 55: 15,23; 109: 17.
Purchase of Potter’s Field, Zechariah 11: 13.
Desertion by Disciples. Zechariah 13: 7.
False Accusation. Psalms 27: 12; 35: 11; 109: 2; Psalms 2: 1,2.
Silence under Accusation. Psalms 38: 13; Isaiah 53: 7.
Mocking. Psalms 22: 7,8,16; 109: 25.
Insult, Buffeting, Spitting, Scourging. Psalms 35: 15,21; Isaiah 50: 6,
Patience Under Suffering. Isaiah 53: 7-9.
Crucifixion. Psalms 22: 14,17.
Offer of Gall and Vinegar. Psalms 69: 21.
Prayer for Enemies. Psalms 109: 4.
Cries Upon the Cross. Psalms 22: 1; 31: 5.
Death in Prime of Life. Psalms 89: 45; 102: 24.
Death With Criminals. Isaiah 53: 9,12.
Death Attested by Convulsions of Nature. Amos 5: 20; Zechariah 14:4,6.
Casting Lots for Clothing. Psalms 22: 18.
Bones Not to Be Broken. Psalms 34: 20.
Piercing. Psalms 22: 16; Zechariah 12: 10; 13: 6. Isaiah 53:5
Voluntary Death. Psalms 40: 6-8.
Vicarious Suffering. Isaiah 53: 4-6,12; Daniel 9: 26.
Burial With the Rich. Isaiah 53: 9.
6B. His Resurrection
Psalms 16: 8-10; 30: 3; 41: 10; 118: 17; Hosea 6: 2.
7B. His Ascension
Psalms 16: 11; 24: 7; 68: 18; 110: 1; 118: 19.
8B. His Second Advent
Psalms 50: 3-6; Isaiah 9: 6,7; 66: 18; Daniel 7: 13,14; Zechariah 12:10; 14: 4-8
Dominion Universal and Everlasting. I Chronicles 17:11-14; Psalms 72:8; Isaiah 9: 7; Daniel 7: 14; Psalms 2: 6-8; 8: 6; 110: 1-3; 45:6,7.
The Ancestry and Prophecy of The Messiah
- Born of the seed of woman: Genesis 3:15
- Born of a Virgin: Isaiah 7:14
- Son of God: Psalms 2:7, 1 Chronicles 17: 11-14; II Samuel 7: 12-16
- Seed of Abraham: Genesis 12: 2,3
- Son of Isaac: Genesis 21: 12
- Son of Jacob: Numbers 24: 17
- Tribe of Judah: Genesis 49:10 (and Micah 5: 2)
- Family Line of Jesse: Isaiah 11:1, 10
- House of David: Jeremiah 23:5, II Samuel 7: 12-16; Psalms 132: 11
- Born in Bethlehem: Micah 5:2
- Pre-Existence: Micah 5:2; Isaiah 9:6,7; 41:4; 44:6; 48:12; Psalms 102:25; Proverbs 8:22,23
- Shall be called Lord: Psalms 110:1
- Will be Immanuel, God with us: Isaiah 7:14
- Will be a prophet: Deuteronomy 18:18
- Will be a priest: Psalms 110:4
- Will be a King: Psalms 2:6
- Anointment of the Holy Spirit: Isaiah 11:2
- Preceded by a Messenger: Isaiah 40;3
- Ministry in Galilee: Isaiah 9:1
- Will do miracles: Isaiah 35: 5, 6a; Isaiah 32: 3,4
- Teacher of parables: Psalms 78:2
- Enter Jerusalem on a donkey: Zechariah 9:9
- Light to the Gentiles: Isaiah 60:3
- Resurrection: Psalms 16:10; 30:3; 41:10; 118:17; Hosea 6:2
- Ascension: Psalms 68: 18a
- Betrayed by a Friend: Psalms 41:9
- Sold for 30 pieces of silver: Zechariah 11:12
- Money Thrown in God’s house and given for Potter’s Field : Zechariah 11: 13b
- Deserted by his disciples: Zechariah 13:7
- Accused by false witnesses: Psalms 35:11
- Stayed dumb before accusers: Isaiah 53:7
- Pierced, wounded and bruised: Isaiah 53:5
- Beaten and spat upon: Isaiah 50:6
- Mocked: Psalms 22: 7,8
- Hands and feet pierced: Psalms 22:16
- Crucified with thieves: Isaiah 53:9, 12
- Interceded for his persecutors: Isaiah 53:12
- Rejected by his own people: Isaiah 53:3
- Hated without a cause: Psalms 69:4
- Friends stood far off: Psalms 38:11
- People shook their heads: Psalms 109:25
- Divided his garments: Psalms 22:18
- Was thirsty and given vinegar to drink: Psalms 69:12
- Cried out a forsaken cry: Psalms 22:1a
- Committed himself to God: Psalms 31:5
- Bones not broken: Psalms 34:20
- Heart was broken: Psalms 22:14
- Side was pierced: Zechariah 12:10
- Darkness over the land: Amos 8:9
- Buried in a rich man’s tomb: Isaiah 53:9
Could Jesus have “fixed it” so that he deliberately fulfilled the prophecies to make him look like the Messiah?
The following couldn’t be “fixed”
- Place of birth
- Time of birth
- Manner of his birth
- Betrayal
- Manner of his death
- People’s reactions to the crucifixion
- Piercing as a method of death
- Burial
Or just a coincidence?
You may find one or two that you could apply to others, but not the 48, 61 main prophecies or 332.
The Cross
Why is the cross so important? I used this illustration with a group of school children in a Christian club I help lead. It may or may not be original, but it works as an explanation.
X marks the spot for treasure
X means you’ve done something wrong
X also means love
X can also mean cancel
+ means add
+ Jesus died on the cross
X – God loves us
X – We’ve done wrong
X – but He loves us so much
X – that everything wrong
+ was added to Jesus
+ on the cross
X – to cancel
X – our wrongs
+ Will you add Jesus to your life?
Evidence for the New Testament
In this session, we are looking at the reliability of the New Testament. Can we trust what the Gospel writers said? There are several tests we can do:
- Intention to record history? Was it their intention to accurately record history?
- Bias? Are the writers biased, or did they set out to be honest and objective?
- Cover-up? Were they trying to cover up and falsify the account?
- Timing? Were the writers close to the subject and time they are writing about?
- Corroboration? Can any of the facts be corroborated?
- Adverse witness test? Were there eyewitnesses around who could have contradicted and corrected history? If so, did they?
- Oral History. They lived in a time of oral history. What does this mean, and were there errors passed down?
- Consistency between different versions? Do they corroborate or contradict each other? Can these be resolved?
How do the Books of the New Testament Compare to Ancient Manuscripts?
- “Annals of Imperial Rome” by Tacitus (AD116). First six books in 1 manuscript from AD 850 (over 700 years later). Others from 11th Century.
- “The Jewish War” by Josephus (1st century) – 9 manuscripts from 10th, 11th and 12th centuries (Over 900 years later)
- “Homer’s Iliad” – the “Bible” of the Greeks – (800 BC) – 650 manuscripts from 2nd and 3rd century. (1000 years)
- “New Testament” – 24,000 manuscripts; Earliest fragment from between 100-150 AD. Earliest complete New Testament Codex Sinaiticus and near-complete Codex Vaticanus from around 350AD. (100 years earliest)
Historians are happy to accept the reliability of Tacitus, Josephus and Homer, all of whom have manuscripts dated from hundreds of years after they were written.
The New Testament has an almost embarrassing amount of manuscripts, all dated earlier than any other manuscripts from the ancient world.
Examining the New Testament
I am again indebted to J. Warner Wallace for his incredible research, and with
his permission, I am reproducing his notes and illustrations. David Bedford
The case for the reliability of the New Testament Gospel eyewitness
accounts is dependent on the reliability of the authors. Eyewitnesses are typically evaluated in criminal trials by asking four critical questions: Were the witnesses really present at the time of the crime? Can the witnesses’ accounts be corroborated in some way?
Have the witnesses changed their story over time? Do the witnesses have biases causing them to lie, exaggerate or misinterpret what was seen? We can examine the Gospels and their authors by asking similar questions. Is the Bible true?
The cumulative case for the trustworthy nature of the Gospels confirms their reliability:
(1) The Gospels Were Written Early – after Paul’s letters
The New Testament is not in chronological order.
It’s much harder to tell an elaborate lie in the same generation as those who
witnessed the truth. The Gospels were written early enough to have been
cross-checked by those who were still alive and would have known better:
(a) The missing information in the Book of Acts (i.e. the destruction of the Temple,
the siege of Jerusalem, the deaths of Peter, Paul and James) is
best explained by dating Acts prior to 61AD
(b) Luke wrote his Gospel prior to the Book of Acts
(c) Paul’s referencing of Luke 10:6-7 (1 Timothy 5:17-18, written in 63-64AD) and Luke 22:19-20 (1 Corinthians 11:23-26, written in 53-57AD) is best explained by dating the Gospel of Luke prior to 53-57AD
(d) Luke’s reference to his Gospel as “orderly” in Luke 1:3 (as compared to Bishop
Papias’ 1st Century description of Mark’s account as “not, indeed, in order”) and
Luke’s repeated references of Mark’s Gospels are best explained by dating Mark’s
Gospel prior to Luke’s from 45-50AD. Matthew will therefore be from around the 50s AD, with John being the latest,
possibly in the 90sAD.
(2) The Gospels Have Been Corroborated
The Gospel accounts of the first century are better corroborated than
any other ancient historical account:
(a) Archaeology corroborates many people, locations and events described in the
Gospels
(b) Ancient Jewish, Greek and Pagan accounts corroborate the outline of Jesus’
identity, life, death and resurrection
(c) The Gospel authors correctly identify minor, local geographic features and
cities in the region of the accounts
(d) The Gospel authors correctly cite the ancient proper names used by people
in the region of the accounts
(e) Mark’s repeated reference and familiarity with Peter corroborates
Papias’ description of Mark’s authorship of the account
(f) The authors of the Gospels support one another unintentionally with details
obscure details between the accounts
(3) The Gospels Have Been Accurately Delivered
The Gospels were cherished and treated as Scripture from the earliest of times.
We can test their content and accurate transmission:
(a) A New Testament “Chain of Custody” can be reconstructed from the Gospel
authors (through their subsequent students) to confirm the original content of the
documents
(b) Much of the Gospels (and all the critical features of Jesus) can be confirmed in
the writings of the Church Fathers
(c) The vast number of ancient copies of the Gospels can be compared to one
another to identify and
eliminate late additions and copyist variants within the text
(d) The earliest caretakers of the text considered it to be a precise, divinely
inspired document worthy of careful preservation
(4) The Gospels Authors Were Unbiased
The authors of the Gospels claimed to be eyewitnesses who were transformed by
what they observed in Jesus of Nazareth:
(a) The authors were convinced on the basis of observation afterward, rather
than biased beforehand
(b) The three motives driving bias were absent in the lives of the authors.
They were not driven by financial gain, sexual (or relational) lust or the pursuit
of power. They died without any of these advantages
(c) The testimony of the authors was attested by their willingness to die for what
they claimed. There is no evidence any of them ever recanted their testimony
The gospel authors were present during the life of Jesus and wrote their accounts early enough to be cross-checked by those who knew Jesus.
The gospel authors were present during the life of Jesus and wrote their accounts early enough to be cross-checked by those who knew Jesus. Their accounts can be sufficiently corroborated
and have been accurately delivered to us through the centuries.
The authors lacked the motive to lie to us about their observations and died rather than recant their testimony. Who dies for a lie that they know for a fact is a lie? They were eyewitnesses.
Is the Bible true? The case for the reliability of the Gospels is strong and substantive.
We have good reason to trust what the eyewitnesses told us about Jesus of Nazareth.
What’s the Epiphany?
Today, 6th January, is Epiphany, the last of the official Christmas festivals. But it means different things to different people.
Today, most people are worried whether they should take down their Christmas decorations by the night of the 5th or the 6th? When is 12th night? No conclusive proof one way or the other.
But getting so wrapped up in the 12 days of Christmas and 12th night means that Epiphany is often overlooked.
Epiphany means “revelation” or “manifestation” and is celebrated for different reasons in tbe various parts of the worldwide church.
In western churches, we tend to think of the visit of the wise men to the baby Jesus, bringing gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh.
However, in many orthodox churches, Epiphany is celebrated as Christ’s birth, on 7th January, and is more important than our traditional 25th December Christmas day. In fact, up until thr 19th century, Epiphany was of more importance than Christmas day.
Whichever day you take your decorations in a way is irrelevant, because getting lost among the tinsel and baubles is the revelation, or Epiphany, of the Son of God in human form among us, which changed the wotld.
David Bedford
Evidence for Jesus Outside of The Bible – 2
Hostile Non-Biblical Jewish Accounts
Josephus (37-101AD)
In more detail than any other non-biblical historian, Josephus writes about
Jesus in his “the Antiquities of the Jews” in 93AD.
“Now around this time lived Jesus, a wise man. For he was a worker of amazing deeds and was a teacher of people who gladly accept the truth. He won over both many
Jews and many Greeks. Pilate, when he
heard him accused by the leading men
among us, condemned him to the cross,
(but) those who had first loved him did notcease (doing so). To this day the tribe of
Christians named after him has not disappeared”
Jewish Talmud (400-700AD)
While the earliest Talmudic writings of Jewish Rabbis appear in the 5th century, the
tradition of these Rabbinic authors indicates they are faithfully transmitting teachings
from the early “Tannaitic” period of the 1st Century BC to the 2nd Century AD.
“Jesus practiced magic and led Israel astray” (b. Sanhedrin 43a; cf. t. Shabbat 11.15; b.
Shabbat 104b)
“Rabbi Hisda (d. 309) said that Rabbi Jeremiah bar Abba said, ‘What is that which is
written, ‘No evil will befall you, nor shall any plague come near your house’?
(Psalm 91:10)… ‘No evil will befall you’ (means) that evil dreams and evil thoughts will not tempt you; ‘nor shall any plague come near your house’ (means) that you will not have a son or a
disciple who burns his food like Jesus of Nazareth.”
(b. Sanhedrin 103a; cf. b. Berakhot 17b)
“Our rabbis have taught that Jesus had five disciples: Matthai, Nakai, Nezer, Buni and
Todah. They brought Matthai to (to trial). He said, ‘Must Matthai be killed? For it is
written, ‘When (mathai) shall I come and appear before God?’” (Psalm 92:2) They said to him, “Yes Matthai must be killed, for it is written, ‘When (mathai) he dies his name will
perish’” (Psalm 41:5). They brought Nakai. He said to them, “Must Nakai be killed? For it
is written, “The innocent (naqi) and the righteous will not slay’” (Exodus 23:7). They said to him, “Yes, Nakai must be kille, for it is written, ‘In secret places he slays the innocent
(naqi)’” (Psalm 10:8). (b. Sanhedrin 43a; the passage continues in a similar way for Nezer, Buni and Todah)
And this, perhaps the most famous of Talmudic passages about Jesus:
“It was taught: On the day before the Passover they hanged Jesus. A herald went before
him for forty days (proclaiming), “He will be stoned, because he practiced magic and
enticed Israel to go astray. Let anyone who knows anything in his favor come forward
and plead for him.” But nothing was found in his favor, and they hanged him on the day before the Passover. (b. Sanhedrin 43a)
Conclusions
Now in spite of the fact that the ancient Jews who wrote this did their best to argue for another interpretation of the life of Christ, they did make several claims here about Jesus. This passage, along with several others from the Toledot tradition, confirm:
- Jesus claimed to be the Messiah, healed the lame, said Isaiah foretold of His life, was worshipped as God, arrested by the Jews,
- beaten with rods, given vinegar to drink, wore a crown of thorns, rode into Jerusalem on a donkey, was betrayed by a man named Judah Iskarioto, and had followers who claimed He was resurrected and ascended, leaving an empty tomb.
Let’s review what we’ve learned from hostile pagan and Jewish sources describing Jesus. We’ll do our best to discount the antiChristian bias we see in the sources, just as we discounted the proChristian bias we think might exist in some versions of the writing of Josephus. Many elements of the Biblical record are confirmed by these hostile accounts, in
spite of the fact they deny the supernatural power of Jesus:
- Jesus was born and lived in Palestine.
- He was born, supposedly, to a virgin and had an earthly father who was a carpenter.
- He was a teacher who taught that through repentance and belief, all followers would become brothers and sisters.
- He led the Jews away from their beliefs.
- He was a wise man who claimed to be God and the Messiah.
- He had unusual magical powers and performed miraculous deeds. He healed the lame. He accurately predicted the future.
- He was persecuted by the Jews for what He said, betrayed by Judah Iskarioto. He was beaten with rods, forced to drink vinegar and wear a crown of thorns.
- He was crucified on the eve of the Passover and this crucifixion occurred under the direction of Pontius Pilate, during the time of Tiberius.
- On the day of His crucifixion, the sky grew dark and there was an earthquake. Afterward, He was buried in a tomb and the tomb was later found to be empty.
- He appeared to His disciples and they believed he was resurrected from the grave and showed them His wounds.
- These disciples then told others Jesus was resurrected and ascended into heaven.
Jesus’ disciples and followers upheld a high moral code. One of them was named
Matthai. - The disciples were also persecuted for their faith but were martyred without changingtheir claims.
- They met regularly to worship Jesus, even after His death.
Not bad, given this information is coming from ancient accounts hostile to the Biblical record. While these nonChristian sources interpret the claims of Christianity differently, they affirm the initial, evidential claims of the Biblical authors (much like those who interpret the evidence related to Kennedy’s assassination and the Twin Tower attacks come to different conclusions but affirm the basic facts of the historical events). Is there any evidence for Jesus outside the Bible? Yes, and the ancient nonChristian interpretations (and
critical commentaries) of the Gospel accounts serve to strengthen the core claims of the New Testament.
Taken from J. Warner Wallace’s “Cold Case Christianity”
Evidence For Jesus 