But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name. John 20:31 NIV
You can’t discuss “religion” too long without someone suggesting the Bible is not reliable. That’s a massive subject and an easy “win” for someone who wants to discredit with emotion and a few dubious “facts.” But I believe the Gospels and the Book of Acts are the solid gold of the Bible and are reliable as the record of the earthly life and ministry of Jesus and His followers in the years immediately following.
Here’s why I believe it: They were written soon after Jesus’ resurrection and return to heaven. The authorship date for the Book of Acts is key. There are several missing historical events in Acts, including the destruction of the Temple (c. 70 AD), the siege of Jerusalem (c. 68-70 AD), and the deaths of Paul (64-67 AD), Peter (64-67 AD) and James (61 AD). The absence of these events is reasonable if the Book of Acts was written no later than 60 AD. Luke wrote two New Testament books; he wrote his Gospel prior to the Book of Acts. Scholars who compare these and other writings consistently find overwhelming reasons to believe they all were written within 50-60 AD. They are corroborated better than any other ancient text. From archaeology, to fulfilled prophecy, to the ancient statements of early non-Christian authors, to the internal evidence of language, proper nouns and cultural details, the New Testament Gospels are corroborated better than any other ancient text. Period. There are many extra-biblical sources that point to their veracity and reliability. These books have not changed over time. The “chain of custody” (those who handled the writings) shows they were handled with integrity and great care. The Gospel of John, for example, can be traced from John to his three personal students (Ignatius, Polycarp, and Papias) to their personal student (Irenaeus) to his personal student (Hippolytus). These men wrote their own letters and documents describing what they had been taught by their predecessors. Their letters survive to this day. The evidence is clear, the foundational claims related to Jesus have not changed at all from the first record to the last. The authors had nothing to gain from their testimony and therefore were unbiased. Witnesses may lie if they are properly motivated. But the Gospel writers got nothing but persecution, rejection, and even death for their persistent witness. The authors lacked motive and bias. It was simply true.
- I can trust the Gospel accounts of Jesus. They were written and vetted by many eyewitnesses. They have endured the scrutiny of history. They speak with power and are the words of life. I will build my faith as I read. (For more reliable evidence, read Cold Case Christianity by attorney and historian J. Warner Wallace.)