1	History of the Gospels: Historical Veracity L. D. Alford www.lionelalford.com www.ldalford.com
2	Focus of Class Gospels as Greek Literature Literary context Basis for all modern literature Gospels as Histories Historical context Cultural context Basis of Western Civilization NT in terms of history and literature
3	Outline 1. Introduction to ancient cultures 2. Historical prelude 3. Historical veracity of Gospels 4. Literature of the Gospels 5. Tellos of Matthew 6. Tellos of Mark 7. Tellos of Luke 8. Tellos of John & Tellic comparison
4	"3." 3. Historical veracity of the Gospels Legal-Historical method Bibliographical Tests Historical proofs
5	Greek Words and Language άληθείας – aletheia άμήν – amen άληθώς - alethos άληθες - alethes
6	Greek Words and Language άληθείας aletheia (al-ay'-thi-a) truth: KJV-- true, X truly, truth, verity. alethes (al-ay-thace'); a (negative particle) + concealed true (as not concealing): KJV-- true, truly, truth. a (al'-fah); of Hebrew origin; the first letter of the alphabet; Negation as a prefix KJV-- Alpha lethes; concealed
7	Greek Words and Language άμήν amen (am-ane') of Hebrew origin properly, firm, i.e. fig. trustworthy; adverbially, surely (often as interj. so be it): KJV-- amen, verily.
8	Greek Words and Language apeitheia (ap-i'-thi-ah) disbelief (obstinate and rebellious): KJV-- disobedience, unbelief. 545 apeithes (ap-i-thace'); from 1 (as a negative particle) and 3982; unpersuadable, i.e. contumacious: KJV-- disobedient. 3982 peitho (pi'-tho); a primary verb; to convince (by argument, true or false); by analogy, to pacify or conciliate (by other fair means); reflexively or passively, to assent (to evidence or authority), to rely (by inward certainty): KJV-- agree, assure, believe, have confidence, be (wax) conflent, make friend, obey, persuade, trust, yield.
9	Greek Words and Language άληθώς alethos (al-ay-thoce') truly: KJV-- indeed, surely, of a surety, truly, of a (in) truth, verily, very. άληθες alethes (al-ay-thace') a (as a negative particle); true (as not concealing): KJV-- true, truly, truth.
10	How can we prove history? Pick a person in history the popular world knows really existed How do we know? What is the proof? Pick someone in antiquity, the popular world knows really existed What if I told you more proof exists for the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ than for the existence of any other person in antiquity
11	How can we prove history? Scientific Method? Can only be used to test repeatable events Legal-Historical (evidence/witness) Method Oral Written Exhibits Examples
12	Historical Documents Three criteria used to judge accuracy of written historical evidence Bibliographical Internal External If a work passes all three tests, the source is considered indisputable unless contradicted by a source of greater degree or merit
13	Degree and Merit Merit refers to how well the work passes three evidentiary tests Degree Primary – first hand Secondary – second hand Tertiary – non-witness None – opinion
14	Bibliographical Test Examination of how the document was transmitted to us in time Number of manuscripts Time between the original and the earliest manuscript we have No originals from any work in antiquity exist Manuscripts are all copied by hand
15	Bibliographical Test A work with more existing manuscripts is judged to be more accurate
16	Ancient Manuscripts
17	Number of Copies
18	Bibliographical Test Iliad (next best to the New Testament) We are almost certain we have the complete text of the Iliad as written by Homer We are 38 times or almost 2 magnitudes more certain we have the complete text of the New Testament books
19	Bibliographical Test The less the time interval between when the original and the earliest existing manuscript the more accurate the work is considered
20	Ancient Manuscripts
21	Span: Original to Manuscript
22	Earliest Manuscripts
23	Bibliographical Test Pliny the Younger’s History (next best New Testament) 800 years compared to 80 years Based on the Bibliographical Test you can be more certain of the New Testament as a collection of historical documents than of any other work in antiquity Historians know this
24	Bibliographical Test Only defines how well the work reflects the original It does not define the veracity (historicity) of the original text The Internal and External tests are used to establish the veracity (historical validity) of the text
25	Internal Test Lack of internal contradictions Cohesiveness and comprehensible Degree of the witness Primary, secondary, tertiary Geographically Chronologically Historical claims Myth Fiction Opinion
26	Internal Test Lack of internal contradictions Many other works in antiquity have serious problems in this area The New Testament works display no evident internal contradictions
27	Internal Test Cohesiveness and comprehensible Many other works in antiquity are neither cohesive or comprehensible The New Testament documents are both cohesive and comprehensible
28	Internal Test Degree of the witness Primary, secondary, tertiary Geographically Chronologically Will look at this in more detail in the study of the canon
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30	Internal Test Degree of the witness Primary, secondary, tertiary Geographically Chronologically The New Testament documents are: Primary or secondary sources Geographically placed Chronologically present
31	Internal Test Compared to other works in antiquity The New Testament documents fulfill all the internal qualifications at least as well if not better than any other work Based on the Bibliographical and Internal Tests a work is always historically given the benefit of doubt All historians also know this
32	Internal Test Based on the Bibliographical and Internal Tests The historical claims of the New Testament documents are assumed to be true
33	Internal Test F. F. Bruce wrote “And it was not friendly eyewitnesses that the early preachers had to reckon with: there were others less well disposed who were also conversant with the main facts of the ministry and death of Jesus. The disciples could not afford to risk inaccuracies (not to speak of willful manipulation of the facts), which would at once be exposed by those who would be only too glad to so. On the contrary, one of the strong points of the original apostolic preaching is the confident appeal to the knowledge of the hearers; they not only said, ‘We are witnesses of these things,’ but also, ‘As you yourselves know’ (Acts 2:22). Had there been any tendency to depart from the facts in any material respect, the possible pressure of hostile witnesses in the audience would have served as a further corrective.” Luke reports in Acts 26:25-26 “I am not mad, Your Excellency,’ said Paul; ‘what I am saying is sober truth. The king is well versed in these matters, to him I can speak freely. I do not believe that he can be unaware of any of these facts, for this has been no hole-and-corner business.”
34	External Test Compares other works Same region Same time period Archeology
35	External Test Could compare the works of the New Testament to each other Meets external test in every respect Don’t have to
36	External Test Other histories, not as reliable as NT, substantiate events and facts in it External authenticity attested by: Eusebius Papias Justin Martyr Irenaeus Polycarp Josephus (a Jewish historian) Many more
37	External Test Josephus wrote: “Now, there was about this time, Jesus, a wise man if it be lawful to call him a man, for he was a doer of wonderful works, — a teacher of such men as receive the truth with pleasure. He drew over to him both many of the Jews and many of the Gentiles. He was [the] Christ; and when Pilate, at the suggestion of the principal men amongst us, had condemned him to the cross, those that loved him at the first did not forsake him, for he appeared to them alive again the third day, as the divine prophets had foretold these and ten thousand other wonderful things concerning him; and the tribe of Christians, so named from him, are not extinct at this day.” Other Jewish accounts not only acknowledge the existence and birth of Christ, but actively attempt to discount the deity of Jesus While attempting to disparage the person of Jesus, these accounts acknowledge situations and facts from the life of Christ and supply greater proof
38	External Test Archeological Archeological evidence all support the works of the New Testament Nothing in archeology alters or refutes our knowledge of the life of Christ or any other person described in the writings of the New Testament
39	External Test External comparison of New Testament works generally show no disagreement Matthew and Luke are apparently at odds in a number of events Both pass bibliographical, internal, external Luke would be considered less reliable based on being a secondary source Genealogy of Christ Sermon on the mount/plain Based on the tests they should be considered irrefutable
40	Matthew vs. Luke Genealogy of Christ “Mattityahu [Matthew] gives the genealogy of Yosef [Joseph], who, though not Yeshua’s [Jesus’] physical father was regarded as his father by people generally while Luke gives the genealogy of Yeshua through his mother Miryam [Mary], the daughter of Eli. If so Yeshua is “of Eli” in the sense of being his grandson; while Yeshua’s relationship with Yosef is portrayed in the words, ‘son, as supposed’ — implying not actually...” Sermon on the Mount/plain Luke and Matthew describe different presentations of similar sermons
41	Turbingen School View Matthew and Luke are results of literary plagiarism where unknown authors fused the as yet undiscovered “Q” gospel and an unknown sayings gospel (or Mark) This is their method to resolve the obvious parallels between Matthew, Mark, and Luke No “Q” has ever been found—unless you believe the early church conspired to destroy every trace—it never will Obvious rejection of legal-historical concept
42	Conclusions Based on the legal-historical tests we can conclude that the written words of all the books of the New Testament are historical fact—in most cases, primary source historical fact There is no reason to doubt their historical accuracy, veracity, or authority No belief is required to accept the historical accuracy, veracity, or authority Belief necessary to accept spiritual import
43	Next Time Literature of the Gospels