can we trust can we trust the new testament?
TRANSCRIPT
Can We TrustCan We Trust
The New The New Testament?Testament?
www.SeanMcDowell.orgwww.SeanMcDowell.org
Scripture Scripture revealsreveals the the God “who is God “who is
passionatepassionate about His about His relationship with relationship with
you” you” ~ Exodus 34:14~ Exodus 34:14
Can We Trust Can We Trust the New the New
Testament?Testament?
ThreeThree Key Tests: Key Tests:1. Honesty Test
2. Telephone Test
3. Corroboration Test
Does the document claim to be reporting truth?
1. The Honesty Test
“The benefit of the doubt is to be given to the document itself, and not arrogated by
the critic to himself”
~ Aristotle
1. The Honesty Test
““Many have undertaken to Many have undertaken to draw up an account of the draw up an account of the
things that have been things that have been fulfilled among us… fulfilled among us…
~ Luke 1:1-4
……just as they were handed just as they were handed down to us by those who down to us by those who
from the first were from the first were eyewitnesseseyewitnesses and servants and servants
of the word..of the word..
……Therefore, since I myself Therefore, since I myself have have carefully investigatedcarefully investigated
everything from the everything from the beginning, it seemed good beginning, it seemed good
also to me to write an also to me to write an orderly account…orderly account…
……so that you may so that you may knowknow the the certaintycertainty of the things you of the things you
have been taught.” have been taught.” ~ Luke 1:1-4~ Luke 1:1-4
““We did not follow cleverly We did not follow cleverly invented stories when we invented stories when we told you about the power told you about the power and coming of our Lord and coming of our Lord
Jesus Christ, but we were Jesus Christ, but we were eyewitnesseseyewitnesses of his of his
majesty.” majesty.”
~ 2 Peter 1:16~ 2 Peter 1:16
““What was from the What was from the beginning, what we have beginning, what we have heard, what we have seen heard, what we have seen
with our eyes, what we with our eyes, what we have looked at and have looked at and
touched with our hands...” touched with our hands...”
~ 1 John 1:1~ 1 John 1:1
““Now in the fifteenth year of Now in the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar, the reign of Tiberius Caesar,
when Pontius Pilate was when Pontius Pilate was governor of Judea, and Herod governor of Judea, and Herod
was tetrach of Galilee, and was tetrach of Galilee, and his brother Philip was his brother Philip was tetrarch of the reign of tetrarch of the reign of
Ituraea…”Ituraea…”~ Luke 3:1~ Luke 3:1
Does the document contain embarrassing material?
1. Peter denies Jesus (Mark 14:70)
2. Jesus calls Peter Satan! (Matt. 16:23)
3. James and John want to reign with Jesus (Mk. 10:32-43)
4. Disciples don’t understand Jesus’ teaching (Mk. 4:1-12)
5. Women discover the empty tomb (John 20)
1. The Honesty Test
2. The Telephone Test
The Telephone Test examines if the documents have
reached us accurately.
Question 1:
What is the time gap between the original copies and the copies
we have today?
Time:
2. The Telephone Test
Original
Time:
2. The Telephone Test
Original Disintegrated
Time:
2. The Telephone Test
Generation #1
Time:
2. The Telephone Test
Generation #1
Generation #2
Time:
2. The Telephone Test
Generation #1
Generation #2
Generation #3
• Pliny the Younger: 750 years
• Caesar: 1000 years
• Plato: 1200 years
2. The Telephone Test
0 400 800 1200 1600 2000
0 400 800 1200 1600 2000
Pliny the Younger 750 yrs.
Caesar 1000 yrs.
Plato 1200 yrs.
Aristotle 1400 yrs.
Sophocles 1400 yrs.
Euripides 1500 yrs.
Catallus 1600 yrs.
0 400 800 1200 1600 2000
Pliny the Younger 750 yrs.
Caesar 1000 yrs.
Plato 1200 yrs.
Aristotle 1400 yrs.
Sophocles 1400 yrs.
Euripides 1500 yrs.
Catallus 1600 yrs.
N.T. 50 yrs.
John Ryland Papyrus 130 AD
• Portions of the Gospel of John
2. The Telephone Test
2. The Telephone Test
Chester Beatty Papyri
200 A.D.• Portions of Acts
and the four Gospels
Complete New Testament Codex Vaticanus 325 A.D.
"We have more and earlier manuscript evidence about the person of Jesus Christ than we do anyone else in the ancient
world-including Julius Caesar and Alexander the Great."
"We have more and earlier manuscript evidence about the person of Jesus Christ than we do anyone else in the ancient
world-including Julius Caesar and Alexander the Great."
Daniel B. Wallace, Reinventing Jesus
10
200
2. The Telephone Test
Test #2: How many manuscriptsdo we have?
2. The Telephone Test
• Caesar: 10 manuscripts
• Plato (Tetralogies): 7 manuscripts
• Tacitus (Annals): 20 manuscripts
2. The Telephone Test
• The New Testament:
manuscripts
24,633
2. The Telephone Test
What is the #2 manuscript authority
after the New Testament?
2. The Telephone Test
“The Iliad” by Homer
643 manuscripts
Iliad: 643
New Testament – 24,633
20,000
15,000
10,000
5,000
0New Testament Iliad Sophocles Aristotle Livy Caesar Plato
24, 633
193643 749 20 10
The Number of New Testament Manuscripts Compared to Other
Ancient Works
"The short answer to the question of what
theological truths are at stake is none."
"The short answer to the question of what
theological truths are at stake is none."
Daniel B. Wallace, Reinventing Jesus
2nd & 3rd century early Church Fathers
Justin Martyr
Ireneaus
Clement of Alexandria
2nd & 3rd century early Church fathers
quote the New Testament 36,289 times
Because these early church fathers quoted the New
Testament so much, all but eleven verseseleven verses of the New
Testament can be reconstructed just from their quotations.
3. Corroboration Test3. Corroboration Test
Do other historical materials confirm Do other historical materials confirm or deny the testimony provided by the or deny the testimony provided by the
document themselves?document themselves?
Early Non-Christian Early Non-Christian WritersWriters
NineNine non-Christiannon-Christian sources mention Jesus sources mention Jesus within 150 years of his death—within 150 years of his death—42 total42 total
Tiberius Caesar, Roman emperor at the Tiberius Caesar, Roman emperor at the time of Jesus’ ministry and execution, has time of Jesus’ ministry and execution, has tenten sources mention him within 150 years. sources mention him within 150 years.
Archaeological EvidenceArchaeological Evidence
An inscription of An inscription of PilatePilate
Archaeological EvidenceArchaeological Evidence
The pool of The pool of BethesdaBethesda, as recorded in , as recorded in John 5:2John 5:2
Dr. HewittDr. Hewitt, , Harvard Theological Harvard Theological ReviewReview: “There is astonishingly little : “There is astonishingly little evidence that the feet of a crucified evidence that the feet of a crucified person were ever pierced by nails.”person were ever pierced by nails.”
• ““Yohanan” found in Yohanan” found in 1968 crucified with 7” 1968 crucified with 7” nailsnails
• His legs were broken, His legs were broken, confirming John 19:32confirming John 19:32
A Dead Man Speaks
““It may be stated categorically that It may be stated categorically that no archaeological discovery has ever no archaeological discovery has ever
contraverted a biblical reference. contraverted a biblical reference. Scores of archaeological findings Scores of archaeological findings have been made which confirm in have been made which confirm in
clear outline or exact detail clear outline or exact detail historical statements in the Bible.”historical statements in the Bible.”
~ Nelson Glueck~ Nelson Glueck