I. The Texts that Comprise the New Testament are Historical Texts
A. Each of the 27 books were written for a specific audience and for a
specific purpose.
B. Around 9 people produced this work.
C. These authors seek to inform, clarify, and depend the faith and behavior
of those for whom they wrote.
D. The New Testament is comprised of missionary literature written by
missionary leaders.
II. The Texts of the New Testament are Early Texts
A. The writing and the sending of these books occurred within a narrow
time band of about 60 years (30s-90s AD)
Early date-verification:
1. There are manuscripts of the new Testament dated to the early
second century
2. Early second-century Christian writers refer to, quote form, or
allude to texts that had been written beforehand.
3. Second-century Christians established the names of those who
wrote these texts.
1. Justin in the mid-century refers to "the memoirs composed by the
[apostles], which are called gospels,…"
2. P45 (Gospel and Acts); P46 (Paul's letters and Hebrews); and P47
(Revelation) date to late 2nd century
3. Earlier fragments exist as well
4. Most of these were discovered in Upper Egypt where low
humidity has preserved these paper copies of text.
5. Citations
Christian writers in the early second century quoted
form or paraphrased the texts from the apostolic era.
6. Superscriptions
By the end of the first century each Gospel was
referred to as "the Gospel according to Matthew, Mark,
Luke, and John."
Within twenty or thirty years of their authorship the
names of their writers was formally established
Passages form the 2nd century continue to identify the
four gospel writers by these names (see Papias'
explanation of Mark, Matthew, and John).
III. The Text of the New Testament Surpass the Texts for the Roman Caesars
A. Our chief sources of information for the Roman Caesars are Tacitus and
Suetonius.
B. These are significantly further removed form their earlier subjects than
the Gospel authors were from Jesus.
C. Other "histories" have not survived (the Bible has).
D. History is said to be written by the victors; early Christians, however do
not seem to represent victory as understood by the world.
E. The survival of Christian texts written so close to Jesus is noteworthy.
A. Order of books according to date
1. Galatians 48-50
2. 1 & 2 Thessalonians 50-52
3. 1 & 2 Corinthians 55-56
4. Romans 57
5. Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, Philemon 60-62
6. Titus, 1 & 2 Timothy 62-64
7. Acts 61-63
8. 1 & 2 Peter 63-68
9. Jude 70-80s
10. John 1, 2, & 3, Revelation 90s
11. Mark 46-60
12. James 38-62
13. Hebrews 40-69
14. Matthew 40-100
IV. Hostile Sources Confirm the Existence of Jesus and the Broad Sweep of New
Testament History
A. Josephus (c. 37- around 110 AD)
1. In Jewish Antiquities he mentions Jesus and his brother James
2. Even says Jesus was called "Christ," worked miracles, executed
by Pilate, and that Christians had not died out.
B. Tacitus (c. 56-120 AD)
1. The Annals of Imperial Rome describes a six-day fire that was
blamed, in part, on Christians.
2. Christians are said to have taken their name from Christ (a
Jew) who was executed in Judea- the same region from which
their movement spread.
C. Pliny the Younger (c. 61-112AD)
1. Describes the rapid spread of Christianity, their worship
practices, and their exaltation of Jesus
2. Twice refers to Christ twice.
3. Severely opposed to Christianity
V. Archeology Confirms the Narratives of the New Testament
A. Mat. 28:13; Mark 7:11-13; 15:21; Luke 8:1-3; John 5:1-9; 9; 18:13; Acts
6:5, 9; 13:9; 17:6; 18:2, 12; 21:28; Rom. 16:23 have all been corroborated
with independent archaeological discoveries.
B. From the minor to major, these discoveries elucidate and confirm the
historical narratives in the New Testament
VI. The New Testament is Set in the Matrix of Historically Important People and Events
A. Each of the four Gospels begins and ends by reference to famous people
(e.g. John the Baptist, Caiaphas, Pontius Pilate, etc.)
B. The birth of Jesus is set in the days of Herod and John's preaching is set in
the 15th year of Tiberius (AD 28/29) (Luke 3:1-3).
C. Luke describes the spread of Christianity in his second volume (Acts) with
numerous references to the historical figures in those times.
D. These facts all demonstrate that large swaths of the NT are deeply rooted
in the soil of history
VII. We are able to Answer Objections to the Integrity of the New Testament
A. New atheism holds that unjust suffering must mean that God is simply
not there. Religion is a delusion and not a force for good but evil.
1. This is why they will hold to a historical Jesus, but deny his
virgin birth, miracles, resurrection, and many of his
statements.
2. Given the subjectivity involved in the witnesses, the initial oral
transmission involved, and the presumed memory issues,
atheists believe that the Bible is a problem, not a solution.
B. The Bible teaches that human sin and selfishness is to blame for the
world's problems. God is the solution, not the problem.
VIII. The New Testament Authors were Guided by the Spirit of Truth
A. The writers of the text of the NT were missionary leaders who wrote their
texts for the current pastoral needs of their audiences.
B. These writers were aware that their texts had a special status in
continuity with and fulfillment of the OT.
C. All of these was guided along by the Holy Spirit
D. Confirmations:
1. John 2:19-33; 7:37-38; and 12:16 demonstrate that the early
Christians reflected on what Jesus said and did and upon the
Scriptures that he saw brough to fulfillment by his ministry.
2. The New Testament texts were read in church (see Col. 4:16; 1
Tim. 4:13; Rev. 1:3)
3. We have examples of the OT and NT being read in the Second
Century (e.g. Justin Martyr)
E.
