Can We TrustCan We Trust

The New The New Testament?Testament?

www.SeanMcDowell.orgwww.SeanMcDowell.org

Scripture Scripture revealsreveals the the God “who is God “who is

passionatepassionate about His about His relationship with relationship with

you” you” ~ Exodus 34:14~ Exodus 34:14

Can We Trust Can We Trust the New the New

Testament?Testament?

ThreeThree Key Tests: Key Tests:1. Honesty Test

2. Telephone Test

3. Corroboration Test

Does the document claim to be reporting truth?

1. The Honesty Test

“The benefit of the doubt is to be given to the document itself, and not arrogated by

the critic to himself”

~ Aristotle

1. The Honesty Test

““Many have undertaken to Many have undertaken to draw up an account of the draw up an account of the

things that have been things that have been fulfilled among us… fulfilled among us…

~ Luke 1:1-4

……just as they were handed just as they were handed down to us by those who down to us by those who

from the first were from the first were eyewitnesseseyewitnesses and servants and servants

of the word..of the word..

……Therefore, since I myself Therefore, since I myself have have carefully investigatedcarefully investigated

everything from the everything from the beginning, it seemed good beginning, it seemed good

also to me to write an also to me to write an orderly account…orderly account…

……so that you may so that you may knowknow the the certaintycertainty of the things you of the things you

have been taught.” have been taught.” ~ Luke 1:1-4~ Luke 1:1-4

““We did not follow cleverly We did not follow cleverly invented stories when we invented stories when we told you about the power told you about the power and coming of our Lord and coming of our Lord

Jesus Christ, but we were Jesus Christ, but we were eyewitnesseseyewitnesses of his of his

majesty.” majesty.”

~ 2 Peter 1:16~ 2 Peter 1:16

““What was from the What was from the beginning, what we have beginning, what we have heard, what we have seen heard, what we have seen

with our eyes, what we with our eyes, what we have looked at and have looked at and

touched with our hands...” touched with our hands...”

~ 1 John 1:1~ 1 John 1:1

““Now in the fifteenth year of Now in the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar, the reign of Tiberius Caesar,

when Pontius Pilate was when Pontius Pilate was governor of Judea, and Herod governor of Judea, and Herod

was tetrach of Galilee, and was tetrach of Galilee, and his brother Philip was his brother Philip was tetrarch of the reign of tetrarch of the reign of

Ituraea…”Ituraea…”~ Luke 3:1~ Luke 3:1

Does the document contain embarrassing material?

1. Peter denies Jesus (Mark 14:70)

2. Jesus calls Peter Satan! (Matt. 16:23)

3. James and John want to reign with Jesus (Mk. 10:32-43)

4. Disciples don’t understand Jesus’ teaching (Mk. 4:1-12)

5. Women discover the empty tomb (John 20)

1. The Honesty Test

2. The Telephone Test

The Telephone Test examines if the documents have

reached us accurately.

Question 1:

What is the time gap between the original copies and the copies

we have today?

Time:

2. The Telephone Test

Original

Time:

2. The Telephone Test

Original Disintegrated

Time:

2. The Telephone Test

Generation #1

Time:

2. The Telephone Test

Generation #1

Generation #2

Time:

2. The Telephone Test

Generation #1

Generation #2

Generation #3

• Pliny the Younger: 750 years

• Caesar: 1000 years

• Plato: 1200 years

2. The Telephone Test

0 400 800 1200 1600 2000

0 400 800 1200 1600 2000

Pliny the Younger 750 yrs.

Caesar 1000 yrs.

Plato 1200 yrs.

Aristotle 1400 yrs.

Sophocles 1400 yrs.

Euripides 1500 yrs.

Catallus 1600 yrs.

0 400 800 1200 1600 2000

Pliny the Younger 750 yrs.

Caesar 1000 yrs.

Plato 1200 yrs.

Aristotle 1400 yrs.

Sophocles 1400 yrs.

Euripides 1500 yrs.

Catallus 1600 yrs.

N.T. 50 yrs.

John Ryland Papyrus 130 AD

• Portions of the Gospel of John

2. The Telephone Test

2. The Telephone Test

Chester Beatty Papyri

200 A.D.• Portions of Acts

and the four Gospels

Complete New Testament Codex Vaticanus 325 A.D.

"We have more and earlier manuscript evidence about the person of Jesus Christ than we do anyone else in the ancient

world-including Julius Caesar and Alexander the Great."

"We have more and earlier manuscript evidence about the person of Jesus Christ than we do anyone else in the ancient

world-including Julius Caesar and Alexander the Great."

Daniel B. Wallace, Reinventing Jesus

10

200

2. The Telephone Test

Test #2: How many manuscriptsdo we have?

2. The Telephone Test

• Caesar: 10 manuscripts

• Plato (Tetralogies): 7 manuscripts

• Tacitus (Annals): 20 manuscripts

2. The Telephone Test

• The New Testament:

manuscripts

24,633

2. The Telephone Test

What is the #2 manuscript authority

after the New Testament?

2. The Telephone Test

“The Iliad” by Homer

643 manuscripts

Iliad: 643

New Testament – 24,633

20,000

15,000

10,000

5,000

0New Testament Iliad Sophocles Aristotle Livy Caesar Plato

24, 633

193643 749 20 10

The Number of New Testament Manuscripts Compared to Other

Ancient Works

"The short answer to the question of what

theological truths are at stake is none."

"The short answer to the question of what

theological truths are at stake is none."

Daniel B. Wallace, Reinventing Jesus

2nd & 3rd century early Church Fathers

Justin Martyr

Ireneaus

Clement of Alexandria

2nd & 3rd century early Church fathers

quote the New Testament 36,289 times

Because these early church fathers quoted the New

Testament so much, all but eleven verseseleven verses of the New

Testament can be reconstructed just from their quotations.

3. Corroboration Test3. Corroboration Test

Do other historical materials confirm Do other historical materials confirm or deny the testimony provided by the or deny the testimony provided by the

document themselves?document themselves?

Early Non-Christian Early Non-Christian WritersWriters

NineNine non-Christiannon-Christian sources mention Jesus sources mention Jesus within 150 years of his death—within 150 years of his death—42 total42 total

Tiberius Caesar, Roman emperor at the Tiberius Caesar, Roman emperor at the time of Jesus’ ministry and execution, has time of Jesus’ ministry and execution, has tenten sources mention him within 150 years. sources mention him within 150 years.

Archaeological EvidenceArchaeological Evidence

An inscription of An inscription of PilatePilate

Archaeological EvidenceArchaeological Evidence

The pool of The pool of BethesdaBethesda, as recorded in , as recorded in John 5:2John 5:2

Dr. HewittDr. Hewitt, , Harvard Theological Harvard Theological ReviewReview: “There is astonishingly little : “There is astonishingly little evidence that the feet of a crucified evidence that the feet of a crucified person were ever pierced by nails.”person were ever pierced by nails.”

• ““Yohanan” found in Yohanan” found in 1968 crucified with 7” 1968 crucified with 7” nailsnails

• His legs were broken, His legs were broken, confirming John 19:32confirming John 19:32

A Dead Man Speaks

““It may be stated categorically that It may be stated categorically that no archaeological discovery has ever no archaeological discovery has ever

contraverted a biblical reference. contraverted a biblical reference. Scores of archaeological findings Scores of archaeological findings have been made which confirm in have been made which confirm in

clear outline or exact detail clear outline or exact detail historical statements in the Bible.”historical statements in the Bible.”

~ Nelson Glueck~ Nelson Glueck