Not Myth Dressed as History
Christianity is not a set of timeless ideas that would be true whether or not anything happened. It is a message about events: a real Man who lived in a real place, died under a named Roman governor, and rose again. If those events did not happen, the faith has nothing to stand on. That is why the question of history matters so much.
The Bible presents real history. Its writers root their message in eyewitness testimony, in events that can be checked, and in accounts that fit together, rather than in cleverly invented myths. This study follows three lines of evidence: the marks of eyewitness testimony in the Gospels, the confirmation that archaeology and outside writers supply, and the reasonable answers to alleged contradictions.
Knowledge can feed pride. This study is not about becoming sharper in arguments or winning debates. The goal is that you would know what you believe and why you believe it, so that you can speak the truth in love, with a settled heart and a clear mind, and point people to Jesus rather than to yourself.
- The Gospels bear the marks of eyewitness testimony.
- Archaeology and external sources corroborate the biblical record.
- Alleged contradictions have reasonable explanations.
Would you trust any other ancient document held to the same standard as Scripture?
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For Deeper Study
- The New Testament Documents: Are They Reliable?Amazon F. F. BruceA short classic on the historical trustworthiness of the New Testament.
- Hidden in Plain View: Undesigned Coincidences in the Gospels and ActsAmazon Lydia McGrewMany more examples like Philip and the blindfold, carefully explained.
- Cold-Case ChristianityAmazon J. Warner WallaceA homicide detective applies the tests for reliable eyewitnesses to the Gospels.
- The Historical Reliability of the GospelsAmazon Craig L. BlombergA thorough evangelical treatment of alleged contradictions and historical questions.
- Jesus and the EyewitnessesAmazon Richard BauckhamA scholarly case that the Gospels rest on named eyewitness testimony; more advanced.
- Foxe's Book of MartyrsAmazon John FoxeThe classic Protestant record of those who died for the faith, from the early church to the English Reformation.
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The Reliability of Scripture: Textual Integrity
God has preserved His Word, and the manuscript evidence gives every reason to trust that the Bible we hold is what was originally written.
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