New Testament Proofs Archives - Page 4 of 6

Mark – Peter’s Eyewitness Gospel

April 14, 2017 BibleAuthenticity Comments 0 Comment

The early church is unanimous that the Gospel According to Mark was written by John Mark. (Acts 12:12; Acts 12:25; Acts 13:5; Acts 13:13; Acts 15:37; Colossians 4:10; 2 Timothy 4:11; Philemon 24)

Papias – c. 140 quotes an earlier source saying:

Mark was a close associate of Peter, from whom he received his information. (1 Peter 5:13) Peter regards Mark with such warmth and affection that he calls him his son.
This information didn’t come to Mark as a finished, sequential account of the life of Jesus, but as the preaching of Peter – preaching directed to the needs of Christian communities. Mark accurately preserved this material and arranged and shaped it.

The title “According to Mark” appears in all the ancient canonical lists and many ancient manuscripts, and is thought to have been added very early in the history of the text.

Early church fathers all affirm Mark wrote the Gospel:

Papias (140)
Justin Martyr (150)
Iranaeus (185)
Origen
Tertullian
Clement of Alexandria (195)
Eusebius (326) – quotes Papias saying “elder” (John) attributed to Mark

Second and third century books falsely claimed apostles as authors rather than secondary figures such as Mark. read more

Matthew the Tax Collector – A Proven Eyewitness

April 11, 2017 BibleAuthenticity Comments 0 Comment

Many “Bible scholars” claim that Matthew relied on Mark’s gospel as the primary source to write his gospel. Why would Matthew, one of Jesus’ twelve apostles, and a tax collector, rely so much on Mark’s account? The answer? He didn’t. He was an eyewitness of much of what he wrote, so there was no need for him rely on Mark, who was not an eyewitness, but a recorder of the apostle Peter’s memories (1 Peter 5:13). Both Matthew and Mark wrote their gospels “inspired by God” (2 Timothy 3:16). read more

Is the New Testament Based on Eyewitness Testimony?

April 4, 2017 BibleAuthenticity Comments 0 Comment

Is the New Testament based on eyewitness testimony? Let’s examine the Bible to find out.

Is the NT based on eyewitness testimony?

“Draw up an account of the things that have been fulfilled among us, just as they were handed down to us by those who from the first were eyewitnesses.” (Luke 1:1,2 NIV) The Bible writer Luke based his accounts on eyewitness testimony.

“You are eyewitnesses of these things.” (Luke 24:48 NIV) Jesus told his disciples they were eyewitnesses.

“This report is from an eyewitness giving an accurate account. He speaks the truth so that you also may continue to believe.” (John 19:35 NLT) – Spoken by the Apostle John. read more

Bible Authenticity – Is the Bible Reliable?

March 24, 2017 BibleAuthenticity Comments 1 comment

Is the Bible reliable? Does it contain myths, or are the stories true? Did the writers simply write down stories they had heard from other people, or did they experience the things firsthand that they wrote about?

The Bible is not made up of cleverly devised fables or myths. “We did not follow cleverly devised myths when we known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ” (2 Peter 1:16 NAB). Many of the Bible writers were actually eyewitnesses of their written accounts. “But we had been eyewitnesses of his majesty” (2 Peter 1:16 NAB; see also 1 Peter 5:1) Eyewitnesses also handed down their accounts to others who carefully researched these things. (Luke 1:1-3) Still others studied and pondered. (Ecclesiastes 12:9-10) But none came from human will. (2 Peter 1:21) read more

Jesus’ Resurrection – Scriptural Evidence

March 21, 2017 BibleAuthenticity Comments 0 Comment

Is there any evidence for the resurrection? — Is there any evidence for the death and resurrection of Jesus?

What scriptural evidence do we have about the resurrection of Jesus? What did people living in the first century think about reports of Jesus’ death and resurrection? Are there clues in the Bible as to whether the story is true or not? Let’s examine some Bible verses to find out.

Matthew 27:57-60; Mark 15:42-46; Luke 23:54-60; John 19:38-42– Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus, prominent members of the Jewish ruling council, would have been well known in Jerusalem, as well as to Pilate. This could not be fiction, since this could easily be refuted, if false. read more

Jesus’ Resurrection – Four Lines of Evidence

March 15, 2017 BibleAuthenticity Comments 0 Comment

“We have confirmation of the words of the prophets”—2 Peter 1:19 NJB

Is the story of Jesus’ resurrection true? If so, how can we be sure? Let’s begin by examining four lines of evidence: that Jesus was really dead, his tomb was found empty, he then appeared to many witnesses, and finally, eyewitness accounts of encounters with the resurrected Jesus.

1. Jesus was really dead.

a. Publicly executed before large crowds. (Matthew 27:39-44; Matthew 27:54-56; Mark 15:29-32; Mark 15:40-41; Lk 23:26-32; Luke 23:35-38; Luke 23:47-49; John 19:19-26) read more

Jesus’ Trial, Execution and Resurrection – Contradictions?

February 24, 2017 BibleAuthenticity Comments 0 Comment

All of the gospels tell the same basic story, but with divergent details. This gives strong evidence they are telling the truth, rather than copying from a single fictional account, or writing fiction, in which the details are harmonized, or smoothed out.

Below are some of the divergent, but true, details about the crucifixion of Jesus:

Barrabas

Was described as:

· Matthew 27:16 – notorious

· Mark 15:7 – murderer, seditionist

· Luke 23:18 – murderer, seditionist read more

Priesthood of the Believer

February 9, 2017 BibleAuthenticity Comments 2 comments

“We do not write you anything you cannot read or understand”—2 Corinthians 1:13 NIV

“Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved . . . who correctly handles the word of truth”—2 Timothy 2:15 NIV

“The New Testament knows no spiritual aristocracy or nobility, but calls all believers ‘saints,’ though many fell far short of their vocation. Nor does it recognize a special priesthood in distinction from the people, as mediating between God and the laity. It knows only one high-priest, Jesus Christ, and clearly teaches the universal priesthood, as well as universal kingship, of believers”—Schaff’s History of the Christian Church, page 124 read more

Jude said apostles’ writings were authoritative

February 26, 2016 BibleAuthenticity Comments 0 Comment

Some Christians today believe only the actual spoken words of Jesus to be divinely inspired and to be taken as the authoritative word of God, and other Bible writings to be merely the words of man. This is not the way the early Christians viewed things. For example, Jude viewed the Apostles’ teachings and writings as authoritative Scripture, the word of God:

“But, dear friends, remember what the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ foretold. They said to you, ‘In the last times there will be scoffers who will follow their own ungodly desires.'” (Jude 17-18) read more

The Resurrection of Jesus as a Historical Event

June 11, 2015 BibleAuthenticity Comments 0 Comment

In recent years, studies of Jesus’ resurrection have taken surprisingly positive directions. This does not mean that contemporary critical scholars now accept exactly what Scripture states. However, there is a newfound respect for some of the New Testament (NT) reports. We will mention key areas leading to these developments and address their significance.

Early Traditions Embedded in the New Testament Writings

Arguably the most exciting development in recent decades is the almost unanimous recognition of scholars that the NT contains many items that predate the book in which they appear. This means the NT authors frequently made use of earlier sources–traditions, creeds, or confessions that they had gathered or received from others. Examples include a reliable statement received from others (1Co 11:23-26; 15:3ff), repeating the words of what was likely an early Christian hymn (Php 2:6-11) and summarizing an early sermon (such as Ac 1:21-22; 2:22-36; 3:13-16). These sources had different applications, such as keeping a reliable record, passing on doctrine, or serving liturgical functions like worship. read more