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Apologetics Field-Based Activity Jesus and the
Reliability of the New Testament Project
Discipleship Ministries (Liberty University)
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THE NEW TESTAMENT
TEMPLATE
Do not change any aspect of this form; and do not delete anything from this form. Instead, just
type your content in the spaces provided, below. Before typing your content, you should
review the entire document to be sure you understand what is required.
Type your name here: Walfredo L. Tirado Casado
Instructions for this submission
The purpose of the activity is to provide you with an opportunity to construct a short
argument for the reliability of the New Testament account of Jesus while anticipating
possible objections to that argument and then sharing that argument “in the field.” In the
sections provided below, you will insert your constructed argument and possible objections; you
will enter the date, time, setting, and short description of the person with whom you share the
argument; and a short reflection on the sharing experience.
1. Construct a short argument for the reliability of the New Testament account
of Jesus while anticipating possible objections.
a. Type below the list, the type of argument for the reliability of the New
Testament account of Jesus that you will be constructing (limit yourself to one
of argument):
Jesus and the Eyewitnesses (Gould, p. 71-81; See also for topics in this section Sweis,
p. 288-294)
The NT Claims to Be Eyewitness Testimony (Gould, p. 72-
73) It’s Early, REALLY Early (Gould, p. 73-74)
Dating the New Testament (Gould, p. 74-
76) Paul (Gould, p. 76-77)
Creeds (Gould, p. 77-78)
Marks of Authenticity (Gould, p. 78-80)
The Value of Eyewitnesses (Gould, p. 80-81)
The Preservation of the New Testament (Gould, p. 81-88)
The New Testament Manuscript Tradition (Gould, p. 82-
84) How Early? (Gould, p. 84)
Manuscript Variant (Gould, p. 84-
86) So What? (Gould, p. 86-88)
Did Jesus Exist? (Gould, p. 93-101)
Did Jesus Claim to Be God? (Gould, p. 101-103)
Was Jesus God? (Gould, 103-106; Sweis 239-270 may be helpful, depending on
your approach)
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The Preservation of the New Testament
b. Lay out your argument as you plan to use it in the conversation you will
be having.
Some non-believers consider to find fault or any discrepancy in the Bible, by
looking for inconsistency or in some cases to look for the veracity of the canon by its
origin or writer. Some state that we can’t rely on the Bible simply because it has been
changes in the last millenia’s or even tainted. A clear example of this is John 7:53-8:11,
the story of the The Woman Caught in Adultery. This is a famous texts but there have
been evidence that it isn’t in the original text ands scripture. Can we rely on the Bible as
as reliable eyewitness of the Gospel of Jesus Christ? Yes we can for while this event
isn’t in the original text we can see its validity in many others that have truly been
proven, even some archeologists and historians consider that they find records of the
Kings of Old from the Bible only, this alone speaks by itself of the strength the Word of
our Lord possess.
c. Anticipate two to three possible objections to your argument and how you
would address those objections in a short conversation.
Objection 1 If the Bible is canon why are so many books taken out? For
example the Apocryphal books.
Response 1 I understand why your doubt about this, the concept of the
Apocrypha’s have been proven to have been made by divine inspiration and
the historical events they describe have been mismatch by the timelines and
have many discrepancies among them. The Bible on the 66 books it has, no
book has any discrepancy among them. This is to show evidence God is the
same then and now.
Objection 2 How or why can the Bible be consider the true Word
of God if it was written by humans?
Response 2 Well I refer you to the verses of 2 Timothy 3:16-17 “For
the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it
penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the
thoughts and attitudes of the heart.” The Word of God is done by inspiration.
If you notice, it was written by different man’s of different social status and
intelligence, and they all existed in different times. All of them wrote of the
same God, the same love and events connect to one another in different
books written by a different author. This proven by history itself, this is why
the Word of God is reliable.
2. Sharing your argument for the reliability of the New Testament account of Jesus.
a. Identify the time and place in which you had the conversation.
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•Time: 5PM
•Place: Home via Whatsapp Video Call
b. Identify the setting (coffeeshop, online, text, etc. It must, however, be
a conversation and not a monologue):
•Setting: Home via Whatsapp Video Call
c. Identify your conversation partner (no names please): unbeliever,
believer; uncertain; knowledge level, attitude of partner (antagonistic,
interested, doubtful, devil’s advocate).
•Unbeliever
•History Professor
•Defensive
•Devil’s Advocate
3. Reflection in which you describe how the conversation went, the reaction of your
conversation partner both during and after the presentation of the argument,
what you might have done differently, and how you feel after presentation about
the strength of the argument.
a. Describe details about how the conversation went.
The conversation felt tense but with patience in the end it was a well established one.
The friendship between both conversationalist was kept intact in the end and respect was
maintained on both terms. It was a space where different ideas were welcomed and
discussed.
b. Describe the reaction of your conversation partner both during and after
the presentation of the argument.
The partner received the argument as a bit of a joke and rebuked accordingly to his
attitude of cockiness. Once the conversation went in deeper in context he started to see it
in a different light, lower his defenses a bit more on the concept of God and the Bible as
viable historical records.
c. Describe what you might have done differently.
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The reaction of the writer of logic and peace. The writer did his best in the usage
of the Scripture to show its evidencial and historical accuracy. Patience was one thing
the writer could have had in larger proportions.
d. Describe what you feel after the presentation about the strength of
the argument.
The writer felt stronger in his conviction and goal to spread the truth about the Gospels.
To know the accuracy of the Gospels and the New Testament, or to find the roots is irrelevant if
we don’t see the meaning behind this Scriptures. Jesus character and love is all over those
Texts; so what if one texts was added in the long run? Jesus character was there, proven in
many other Scriptures. The Bible is the guidance Christ provided for us to follow Him. It was
then and it is now.
