The Bible and Santa

Recently a friend asked me this question: “Why does heaven and hell remind me of Santa Claus for adults? I know the names of Mark, John and etc. but why should I believe these guys?”

Maybe you’ve had people asked you similar questions and not known how to answer. Here is what I wrote to him.

How can I know the New Testament documents are reliable and not just Santa?

There is quite a bit of very compelling evidence for the truth and divine inspiration of the Bible as a whole (see a document I wrote and attached called, “The Bible as the Word of God” http://theresolved.com/downloads/theBible.pdf). But the gospels you mentioned particularly demonstrate a distinct attestation to their historical accuracy and authenticity. Consider the following points.

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Oral Tradition

Few people in the 1st century were privileged to read and write. However, Greco Roman culture was acutely concerned for accuracy in the reporting of speeches and had strict standards. In Jewish Culture (every one of the 12 disciples were Jews), Jewish Memorization was a developed skill. Most Jewish boys had to have the Torah memorized word for word by age 13 for their Bar Mitzvah.

Eyewitness audiences would have taken careful mental notes concerning the teachings of a Rabbi, especially one making Messianic claims. And the gospels state their own concern for truth and accuracy like in passages such as, Luke 1:1-4 “Many (or several) 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…that you may have certainty concerning the things you have been taught.”

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Pseudepigrapha

The existence of other gospels and their treatment by the general poplulation. Other Gospels exist, the ones in the Bible came to be there through a process known as “canonization” (Canon” means rule or standard of consistency). Canonization was not a power play by the church but a recognition or ratification of what was already being circulated for 100+ years among the church and the cultural communities as being authentic and accurate. You hear about this circulation in the New Testament documents themselves: Colossians 4:16 “When this letter has been read among you, have it also read in the church of the Laodiceans; and see that you also read the letter from Laodicea.”

Gospels not included became known as pseudepigrapha (“pseudo” means lie and “graphe” means writings, thus pseudepigrapha means lying writings). A document became recognized as pseudepigrapha on these grounds: (1) False authorship. They would attach the name of someone famous or credible to the document in order to get a reading but everyone knew that person was already dead or not the author. (2) Lack of historical marks (dates, names, quotes, and landmark descriptions). (3) They were presentations of well-known philosophies (Gnosticism, Docetism) attempting to find support from the idea of Jesus but not grounded in his actual life and ministry. (4) They presented a different Jesus (not fully human, a nasty misogynist, faked death, and phoney resurrection).

Here is the list of New Testament Pseudepigrapha and Apocrypha [suspected pseudepigrapha]: (all 2nd to 6th century…we’ve known about them for hundreds of years, not secret or hidden like the movie Da Vinchi Code suggests:) The Gospel of Thomas, The Gospel of the Ebionites, The Gospel of Peter, The Gospel of the Egyptians, The Gospel of Nicodemus, The Gospel of Joseph the Carpenter, The Gospel of the Nativity of Mary, The Gospel of the Twelve (one from each of the disciples including Judas), The Protevangelium of James, Arabic Gospel of Childhood, The Infancy Gospel of Thomas, The History of Joseph the Carpenter, The Passing of Mary, The Acts of Peter, The Acts of John, The Acts Andrew, The Acts of Thomas, The Acts of Paul, The Acts of Matthias, The Acts of Philip, The Acts of Thaddaeus, The Letter Attributed to Our Lord, The Lost Epistle to the Corinthians, The Six Letters of Paul to Seneca, The Epistle of Paul to the Laodiceans, The Apocalypse of Peter, The Apocalypse of Paul, The Apocalypse of Thomas, The Apocalypse of Stephen.

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Historicity

There are seven major marks historians use verify the historicity of a document. The New Testament comes through with flying colors and is actually the most well attested document of antiquity (over 25,000 manuscripts)…the next closest is Homer’s “Illiad,” (about 900 copies). No one questions the historicity of Julius Ceasar’s “Gillead” even though the first manuscript is nearly 900 years after it was written compared to the gospels with were written within 30-40 years of Jesus life and death.

The Gospels were written with theological and evangelistic persuasiveness, however they expressed concern that this not be at the expense of accurate history. The evidence of historicity internally is quite phenomenal: contextual dates, names, quotes, and landmark descriptions…which continue to provide consistent reliable guides to all kinds of archeological discoveries (see journals like “Biblical Archeological Review” for example).

The rejection of historicity is most often based on a belief naturalism which does not believe miracles have or ever could occur and thus it rejects the presence of real miracles in the gospels. This is a whole other discussion in and of itself, whether “Miracles” are possible or can happen, which I’d be glad to discuss if you like.

In addition, there is multiple historical attestation to the existence, death and resurrection outside the New Testament: Josephus (Ant 18.63-64; 1st century), Talmud (Sanhedrin 43, 107; 1st century), Suetonius (Vita Claudius, 1st century), Tacitus (Annals 15.44, 1st century), Pliny the Younger (Letters 10.96, 1st century) and all pseudepigraphical and apocryphal works provide additional attestation to the basic facts of Jesus existence and ministry.

A major mark of historicity is that there are very clear distinctions within the gospels themselves.

The Gospel of Matthew: Authorship – converted Jewish tax collector, one of the 12 disciples. Primary recipients – Jews. Main portrait of Jesus – Jewish King and prophesied Messiah. Distinctives – Genealogy back to Abraham, the first Jew. 50% is exact words of Jesus and far more Old Testament quotes than other gospels.

The Gospel of Mark: Authorship – Jewish convert, cousin of Barnabas, ran away naked in Gethsemane. Primary recipients – Romans. Main portrait of Jesus – a suffering servant. Distinctives – shortest gospel, explains Jewish customs, is all about action (present tense verbs, frequent use of “immediately).

The Gospel of Luke: Authorship – Gentile convert, medical doctor. Primary recipients – Gentiles and outcasts. Main portrait of Jesus – Universal savior for everyone, the perfect man. Distinctives – Genealogy traced back to Adam, the first man of all mankind, focus on outcasts (women, diseased, the poor, and non-Jews), a focus on Jesus’ early life and emotions.

The Gospel of John: Authorship – Jewish convert, one of the 12 disciples. Primary recipients – Greeks. Main portrait of Jesus – Jesus is God. Distinctives – Genealogy to eternity, use of Greek philosophical terminology, 90% unique material, no parables or exorcisms, arranged around seven “I Am” sayings to prove Jesus is God.

Lastly, consider the resurrection. The biblical, circumstantial, historical, and explanatory power surrounding the resurrection story of Jesus Christ itself is so strong, that it if it is true then lends extreme credibility to the rest of the New Testament gospel accounts. To read and honestly these four categories of evidence surrounding the resurrection, see a document I wrote and attached called, “Did Jesus Rise from the Dead?” (http://theresolved.com/downloads/DidJesusRise.pdf)

One of the strongest proofs both for the resurrection and for the reliability of the New Testament accounts is that it is women who first discover and speak of the resurrection of Jesus. Throughout the gospels women are given a high and prominent place, when during the 1st century a woman’s testimony was considered unreliable. There were not even allowed to testify in court. So if you are writing a false document and trying to get people to believe in something that didn’t really happen, you don’t put women in such a high place and most of all have them discovering the resurrection of Jesus, if that is the heart of your new fake religion. That’s not going to help people believe in it at all.

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Conclusion

For The Resolved Church, I pray this brief blog will not only bolster your confidence in the Bible but also help you to better be able “to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you (1 Pet 3:15).”

- Pastor Duane