Embarrassing Features
Surprisingly, the authors of the New Testament presented themselves all too frequently as cowardly, and faithless. For example, consider Peter’s threefold denial of Jesus or the disciples’ arguments over which of them was the greatest—both stories recorded in the Gospels. As respect for the apostles was crucial in the early church, inclusion of this kind of material doesn’t make sense unless the apostles were reporting their accounts truthfully.
In The Story of Civilization, non-Chrisitan historian Will Durant writes of the apostles,
These men were hardly of the type that one would have chosen to remold the world. The Gospels realistically differentiate their characters, and honestly expose their faults.15
Irrelevant or Counterproductive Material
The Gospels tell us that the empty tomb of Jesus was discovered by a woman, even though in Israel the testimony of women wasn’t even admissible in court. Also, some of Jesus’ final words on the cross are said to have been “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” Scholars have determined that irrelevant or counterproductive material like these are evidence of authenticity.
Lack of Relevant Material
Few of the major issues facing the 1st century church—the Gentile mission, spiritual gifts, baptism, leadership—were addressed directly in the recorded words of Jesus. If his followers were inventing Jesus’ words, it is inexplicable why they would not have made up instructions from Jesus on these issues. The lack of relevant material is evidence of the New Testament’s faithfulness to the original writings.
The New Testament manuscripts meet textual critics’ bibliographical and internal evidence tests used to evaluate the authenticity of ancient documents. However, there is one more important test to consider.
Click here to read page 9 of 10 about “Are the Gospel Accounts of Jesus True?”