Skilled in the word of Righteousness (Hebrews 5:13) Part 17

SKILLED IN THE WORD OF RIGHTEOUSNESS (Hebrews 5:13)

Part 17

Written by Yeow Chin Kiong

Many elements recorded in the New Testament,- especially names of people and places as well as happenings,- can be verified by comparing with non-scriptural sources which are contemporaneous (i.e. closely related in time) with the scriptural record. If non-scriptural sources of testimony or information confirm that people and places named in scripture actually existed and happenings narrated in scripture actually took place, we can reasonably believe the rest which scripture records is true, and not fiction nor myth. The EXTERNAL EVIDENCE Test for the reliability of the New Testament scriptures would thus have confirmed scriptures’ truthfulness.

Firstly, we have supporting evidence from non-inspired believers who had personal communication with Jesus’ apostles and quoted the scriptures written by the apostles. Papias was an acquaintance of the apostle John and wrote that the gospel according to Mark was written from the recollections of Simon Peter about Jesus’ life and resurrection. Irenaeus, born about 125 AD (about 40 years after John penned his gospel), wrote that even heretics respected the testimony of the gospel writers, showing they affirmed the reliability of the original gospels.

Secondly, we also have the testimony of unbelievers who, very early after the age of the apostles, wrote about Christ and Christians. They included the Jewish historian Josephus, the Roman historians Tacitus and Suetonius, the Greek historian Lucian, and Pliny the Younger, the Roman govenor of Bithynia to Emperor. From the writings of these non-Christian men who wrote within less than a century after the apostles, we have confirmation of the inspired gospels’ account of Jesus’ death by crucifixion under the orders of Pontius Pilate and His followers’ belief in Jesus’ resurrection from the dead three days after. Some of these unbelievers also reported the Jews’ insistance that Jesus was born in adultery and worked magic, and the Roman persecution of Christians.

Thirdly, we have supporting evidence from archaelogy. Indeed, the recovery of artifacts, such as coins and building remains, in Palestine provide ample evidence of the very many people and places described (and occasionally named) in the gospel accounts and Acts. As regards place-names and journeys across land and see, modern seafarers and travellers consider the description of journeys of the apostles in Luke’s gospel to be sound geographical reporting. These findings testify to the truthfulness and reliability of the gospels,- pointing to the fact that they contained factual narrative and not fiction or myth.

If the available tests for a documented testimony’s truthfulness and reliability have been applied to the four gospels and Acts of the Apostles and these five documents have thereby been proven to be truthful and reliable documented testimony, it remains for us to understand why these four documents are looked upon with skepticism and disbelief by many.