Is the New Testament True?

We've looked at evidence that the New Testament text is reliable. Today we consider if the text of the New Testament is true.

In part one, I dealt with the reliability of the transmission of the New Testament and the 5500 plus copies we have, have led scholars to conclude, quote,

That we can reconstruct the original words of the New Testament within 99% accuracy.

So, you know, what we have is what was originally written, but that doesn’t mean it was necessarily reliable historically.

For example, if I were to give you, my journal from yesterday and tell you to copy it word for word, and you did that, we’d have a a reliable transmission. But that doesn’t mean that my journal was accurate historically, or the copy was accurate historically. Maybe I exaggerated, or maybe I created a legend. Or maybe I just simply told some lies.

Are the New Testament writings accurate historically or are they myth, or are they legend, or are they fiction? Or are they purposeful lies? Many believe that the Gospels and the book of Acts are not reliable historically, and you might be one of them. Even Christians have doubts about the historical reliability of what’s recorded there, and you might be be one of them.

There are a number of things that we could point to that helps support the historical reliability of the Gospels and the book of aActs, but I’m just going to mention a few. This is not by any means exhaustive.

First of all, the Gospels and the book of Acts have details of various kinds that you normally never find in myths or legends or even fictions from that that time period.

For example, you have many people listed by name and described. A lot of these names are also confirmed by non-biblical sources, or they’re confirmed by archeology. You also have places and cities and mountains and roads mentioned by name, sometimes with the mileage listed in between. You have buildings and structures described in some detail. We have details about traveling by sea. The cargo, the rigging, the names of the seas. You have descriptions of currents, of weather, patterns, of storm patterns. In other words, what we have here in the Gospels and the book of Acts, they’re written not as if they’re myth or legend. They’re written as if they’re real historical events. And so the question is not whether or not they’re myth or legend versus history, but the question is, are they reliable history versus unreliable or inaccurate history?

Second, the author of Luke and the book of Acts, makes a very important statement concerning how he went about his research and his investigations. Here’s what he said.

Many have undertaken to compile a narrative of the things that have been accomplished among us, just as those who from the beginning were eyewitnesses and ministers of the word have delivered them to us, it seemed good to me also, having followed all things closely for some time past, to write an orderly account for you, most excellent Theophilus, that you may have certainty concerning the things you have been taught. (Luke 1:1-4)

And so you know these words, they have the ring of integrity and truthfulness. Let me just give you one example from the book of Acts real quickly here.

You know, Luke was a companion of Saint Paul and some of its missionary trips. And Luke again admits that he he talked with the eyewitnesses many times. And one of the things that Luke records when he’s with Paul is what Paul does in making the case, making the defense for the truth of Christianity before a governor Festus and King Agrippa. And here are the words that that the Luke records of Paul. He says,

“I am not out of my mind, most excellent Festus, but I am speaking true and rational words. For the king knows about these things, and to him I speak boldly. For I am persuaded that none of these things has escaped his notice, for this has not been done in a corner. (Acts 25:25-26)

Again, Luke claims to have talked to the eyewitnesses, and sometimes he was there, as with the case of Paul here. And so if what he recorded was not true, somebody could have easily challenged him, because these were obviously public events that many people took notice on.

Third, we have at least three writers of the New Testament claiming to be eyewitnesses. Peter, for example, says,

For we did not follow cleverly devised myths when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eyewitnesses of his majesty. For when he received honor and glory from God the Father, and the voice was borne to him by the Majestic Glory, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased,” we ourselves heard this very voice borne from heaven, for we were with him on the holy mountain. (2 Peter 1:16-18)

Again, integrity. Truthfulness. That’s what we’re confronted with here. Now, just because someone says he is a eyewitness, that doesn’t mean he was. So here’s a fourth and final point I’d like to share with you today that help you know, you might say verify, the truthfulness or the reliability of the history that we find in the New Testament.

We have records of the lives and the deaths of the apostles recorded by early church fathers. They testify that the apostles went out right away for the rest of their earthly lives, preaching and evangelizing in order to convert people to Christianity. Have them come to the Christian faith. And when they’re out there evangelizing, they’re preaching, and they’re teaching as if everything recorded in the Gospels and the book of Acts is absolutely true. And they did this despite the dangers they would be facing, persecution, imprisonment, torture. And even death.

And what’s recorded for us is that all of the apostles, with the exception of John the Apostle, who died a natural death, all of them were said to have been martyred. If the events recorded about Jesus of Nazareth, his life, his suffering, his death, and his resurrection, if these events were not true, it is hard to explain their willingness to suffer and especially to die if these events were not true, because if anyone would have known these events were not true, it would have been the apostles.

Here’s the point. And here’s a good way to put it. People do not willingly submit themselves to persecution and to suffering and to death for something they know to be a lie. You know, a lot of people will die for something, but they’re dying for something they think is the truth. But if they know it’s a lie, then that’s a different story.

You don’t die for something that you know to be a lie. On the other hand, people might be willing to suffer and die for something they are convinced is not a lie, for something they know is is true. Especially if that something determines where they will spend eternity, heaven or hell. And that’s exactly what that something, the recorded events in the life of Christ, that’s exactly what those events determine. The difference between heaven and hell.

So these several things taken together, the many kinds of details that you don’t find in myth or fiction or legend, and the fact that we have people who are saying, I did the careful investigation or who were eyewitnesses, and the willingness of the apostles to suffer and die for something that they knew was not a lie. All this helps confirm the historical reliability of the Gospels and the book of Acts.

In other words, they confirm the virgin birth of Christ. They confirm the deity and the humanity of Christ. They confirm his miracles. They confirm his suffering and death and his resurrection, his ascension to the right hand of his father. And not only do they confirm these events, but they also confirm that these events are the factors that determine where one spends eternity.

So if you are a Christian, be assured that these these records are not only reliable, but they’re true. And therefore because of Christ, you are a forgiven child of God. Your eternal destiny is heaven, all because of Christ alone. And if you are not a Christian, you are invited to become one. Your eternal destiny depends on it.

My name is David Thompson. I’m the director for the center for Apologetics and Worldviews. Thank you for joining us.

David Thompson
David Thompson
Articles: 3