Can the Accounts of Jesus’s Life Be Trusted?

Peter J. Williams

Stepbible.org

Tyndalehouse.com

Non-Christian writings

Tacitus, Annals 15.44• But neither help by humans, nor

generous gifts from the emperor, nor all the ways of placating Heaven, could stifle the scandal or dispel the belief that the fire had taken place by order [of Nero]. Therefore, to scotch the rumour, Nero substituted as culprits, and punished with the utmost refinements of cruelty, a class of men, loathed for their vices, whom the crowd called Christians.

Tacitus writes about the fire in Rome, AD 64

Tacitus (2/3)

• Christus, the founder of the name, had undergone the death penalty in the reign of Tiberius, by sentence of the procurator Pontius Pilate, and the pernicious superstition was checked for a moment, only to break out once more, not merely in Judaea, the home of the disease, but in the capital [Rome] itself, where all things horrible or shameful in the world collect and become fashionable.

Tacitus (3/3)

• First, then, the confessed members of the sect were arrested; next, on their disclosures, vast numbers were convicted, not so much on the count of arson as for hatred of the human race. And derision accompanied their end: they were covered with wild beasts’ skins and torn to death by dogs; or they were fastened on crosses, and when daylight failed were burned to serve as lamps by night.

The spread of Christianity

Pliny the Younger, ca. AD 112; Letters 10.96

• I interrogated them as to whether they were Christians. If they confessed I interrogated them a second and third time, threatening punishment. If they persisted I ordered them to be led off [to execution]. … As for those who denied that they were or ever had been Christians, when they invoked the gods in words given by me, and prayed with incense and wine offerings to your statue, which I had ordered to be brought for this very purpose along with images of the gods, and also cursed Christ (which it is said that no true Christian can ever be compelled to do), I thought they should be discharged.

Pliny, ca. AD 112 (2/3)

• Others named in the document said they were Christians but later denied it saying they had been, but that they had ceased three years ago, or many years ago, or even as much as twenty. … they said that this had been the full extent of their guilt or error: they had been accustomed to meet on a fixed day before dawn and to sing antiphonally a song to Christ as to a god, and to bind themselves by an oath not to some crime, but rather not to commit theft, robbery, or adultery, not to break their trust, and not to refuse to return a pledge when asked to do so.

Pliny, ca. AD 112 (3/3)

• … many people of every age, every rank, and of both sexes are being and will be called to trial. Nor is it only cities that are affected, but the disease of this superstition is also reaching villages and farmsteads. It seems possible to check and correct this. It is pretty well agreed that the temples, which had almost become deserted, have now begun to be frequented again, and all the sacred rites which had been neglected for a long time are recommencing and the flesh for sacrificial rites is being sold, for which up to now it was hard to find a purchaser.

The spread of Christianity

Josephus, Antiquities 20.200

• He [Ananus] assembled the Sanhedrin of judges, and brought before it the brother of Jesus, who was called Christ, whose name was James, and some others; and when he had made an accusation against them as breakers of the law, he handed them over to be stoned. Josephus, born

ca. AD 37 writes about events in

Jerusalem, AD 62

Conclusion: Non-Christian and Christian evidence agrees

Christian writings

The Four Gospels

• P45: Manuscript of 4 gospels from ca. AD 225• Irenaeus likens 4 Gospels to 4 winds• Tatian (ca. AD 173) rolls 4 gospels into

continuous narrative

P75

P75

Known time of composition

Matthew’s Gospel

• Matthew = tax-collector, disciple, eyewitness– Papias bishop of Hierapolis (early second century)– Irenaeus bishop of Lyon (late second century)

• While Peter and Paul were in Rome

• Signs of financial interest?– 17:24-27: tax men– 18:23-35: parable of talents– 20:1-16: paying workers– 26:15: Judas’ money (1)– 27:3-10: Judas’ money (2); buying a field– 28:11-15: bribe to soldiers

Mark’s Gospel

• Mark was not eyewitness

• Not major figure apart from Gospel

• Abandoned Paul (Acts 13:13; 12:12)

• Assistant to Peter (1 Peter 5:13)

• Traditionally written in Rome

• Latin words

Luke’s Gospel

• Luke not major figure

• Companion of Paul

• ‘We’ passages in Acts

• Doctor (Colossians 4:14)

• Checked with eyewitnesses

• Dedicated to high-ranking Roman

John’s Gospel

• Polycarp (martyr), disciple of John: ‘He was discipled by the apostles and lived alongside many who had seen the Lord’ (Eusebius Ecclesiastical History 4.14.3-4).

• Irenaeus (martyr) disciple of Polycarp. Irenaeus (Letter to Florinus) talks of how as a youth he had learned from Polycarp, particularly hearing about Polycarp’s contact with John and others who had encountered Jesus.

• Irenaeus said: ‘John, the disciple of the Lord, the one who leaned back on his bosom, gave forth his gospel while he was living at Ephesus in Asia’ (Against Heresies 3.1.1)

Knowledge of time and space

• Agriculture• Architecture• Botany• Culture• Economics• Geography• Language

• Law• Personal names• Politics• Religion• Social stratification• Topography• Weather

The test of what people are called

Jewish personal names

• Based on study of 3000 names

• Jewish names in Palestine show different frequency from names elsewhere

• Gospels/Acts probably written outside Palestine

• But reflect naming patterns in Palestine

Most Popular Jewish Names among Palestinian Jews (330 BC-AD 200)

Rank Name Total NT Josephus Ossuaries Dead Sea Scrolls

1 Simon/Simeon 243 8 29 59 72

2 Joseph/Joses 218 6 21 45 78

3 Lazarus/Eleazar 166 1 20 29 52

4 Judas/Judah 164 5 14 44 35

5 John/Johanan 122 5 13 25 40

6 Jesus/Joshua 99 2 14 22 38

7 Ananias 82 2 10 18 13

8 Jonathan 71   14 14 21

9 Matthew/Mattathias 62 2 12 17 15

10 Manaen/Menahem 42 1 2 4 23

11 James/Jacob 40 5 4 5 10

Source: Bauckham, Jesus and the Eyewitnesses, page 85

Top Jewish names

Israel Gospels/Acts

Top 2 men’s names:

Simon and Joseph

15.6% 18.2%

Top 9 men’s names 41.5% 40.3%

Top 2 women’s names:

Mary and Salome

28.6% 38.9%

Top 9 women’s names

49.7% 61.1%

Source: Bauckham, Jesus and the Eyewitnesses, pages 71-72

Ranks of male names in Israel

• Rank in Israel• 1 Simon/Simeon• 2 Joseph/Joses• 3 Lazarus/Eleazar• 4 Judas/Judah• 5 John/Yohanan• 6 Jesus/Joshua

• NT Individuals• 8• 6• 1• 5• 5• 2

Jewish male names in Egypt

• Rank in Egypt• 1 Eleazar• 2 Sabbataius• 3 Joseph• 4= Dositheus• 4= Pappus• 6= Ptolemaius• 6= Samuel

• Rank in Israel• 3• 68=• 2• 16• 39=• 50=• 23

Names in second century apocryphal gospels

• Gospel of Thomas:– Didymos Judas Thomas / James the Just / Simon

Peter– Jesus / Matthew / Thomas / Mary / Salome

• Gospel of Mary:– The Saviour, Peter, Mary, Andrew, Levi

• Gospel of Judas:– Judas (Iscariot) / Jesus– Lots of heavenly figures: Barbelo, Sophia, Nebro,

Yaldabaoth, Saklas, Seth, Harmathoth, Galila, Yobel, Adonaios, Adam, Eve = Zoe, Michael, Gabriel

Matthew’s list of the disciples

• Matthew 10:2-4 The names of the twelve apostles are these: first,– Simon (1), called Peter, and Andrew (>99) his brother,

and– James (11) the son of Zebedee, and John (5) his

brother;– Philip (61=) and Bartholomew (50=);– Thomas (>99) and Matthew (9) the tax collector;– James (11) the son of Alphaeus,– and Thaddaeus (39=);– Simon (1) the Cananaean,– and Judas (4) Iscariot, who also betrayed him.

John the Baptist (rank 5)

• Herod said to his servants: ‘This is John the Baptist’ (Matthew 14:1–2)

• Herod seized ‘John’ (14:3)

• ‘John’ said (14:4)

• Herodias’ daughter: ‘Give me here on a platter the head of John the Baptist’ (14:8)

• He sent and beheaded ‘John’ (14:9)

The test of geography

Contemporary townsin the four gospels

Refs. Name

66 Jerusalem

21 Nazareth

16 Capernaum

5-12 Bethany, Bethlehem, Bethsaida, Jericho, Sidon, Tyre

1-4 Aenon, Arimathea, Bethphage, Caesarea Philippi, Cana, Chorazin, Dalmanutha, Emmaus, Ephraim, Magadan, Nain, Salim, Sychar

Contemporary town names mentioned in gospels

• 4 gospels:– 12-14 towns each– Total > 23

• Gospel of Philip– 2 (Jerusalem and Nazareth)

• Gospels of Peter and The Saviour:– 1 town each– Total = 1 (Jerusalem)

• Others 2nd-3rd century gospels:– None

An example story:Feeding the 5,000

Feeding the 5,000

• Mark 6:39: green grass; John 6:10: much grass• Mark 6:31: there were many coming and going• John 6:4: it was Passover time• John 6:5: Jesus asks Philip where to buy bread

from• John 6:7–8: Philip and Andrew reply• Luke 9:10: Feeding was near Bethsaida• John 1:44: Philip and Andrew were from Bethsaida• John 6:9: barley loaves

Precipitation in Tiberias (mm)

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Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec

Embarrassment and dissimilarity

Embarrassment: hard sayings

• Do what the Pharisees say (Matthew 23:3)

• My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? (Matthew 27:46; Mark 15:34)

• ‘It is not right to take the bread of the children and to throw it to the dogs’ (Mark 7:27)

• Imitate an unfair steward (Luke 16:1-9)

• ‘Now my soul is troubled’ (John 12:27)

Embarrassment: hard reporting

• Disciples argue as to who is greatest

• Anger with James and John

• Jesus overturns tables

• Disciples misunderstand

• Disciples all abandon Jesus

• Peter denies Jesus

Dissimilarity: the Parables

• No evidence of widespread use of parables prior to Jesus

• OT: 2 Samuel 12:1-10; 14:5-20• Apocrypha: none• Dead Sea Scrolls: none• Early church: few• Rabbis: few Parables seem distinctive to Jesus• ‘Son of man’ connected with parables

Could it all have been made up?

Could it have been made up?

• Christians suffer too much

• Christians too disorganised

• Christians too divided

• Christians too truthful

• Message too “foolish”– Resurrection– God crucified for sins

Alexamenos graffito

• ΑΛΕΞΑΜΕΝΟΣΣΕΒΕΤΕ [= ΣΕΒΕΤΑΙ]ΘΕΟΝ

• ‘Alexamenos worships G/god’

Conclusions

• Can’t prove everything to be historical• But can show that it is rational to trust• But if the gospels result from conspiracy or

incompetence this is not what you would expect

Questions?

Johannine Contradictions

Does God think that loving the world is good?

• John 3:16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. (ESV)

• 1 John 2:15 Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. (ESV)

Did people believe when they saw the signs Jesus did?

• John 2:23 Now when he was in Jerusalem at the Passover Feast, many believed in his name when they saw the signs that he was doing. (ESV)

• John 12:37 Though he had done so many signs before them, they still did not believe in him … (ESV)

Do the people know Jesus and where he’s from?

• John 7:28 So Jesus called out, as he taught in the temple, “You know me, and you know where I come from.” (ESV)

• John 8:14 Jesus answered, “Even if I do bear witness about myself, my testimony is true, for I know where I came from and where I am going, but you do not know where I come from or where I am going.” (ESV)

• John 8:19 They said to him therefore, “Where is your Father?” Jesus answered, “You know neither me nor my Father. If you knew me, you would know my Father also.” (ESV)

Is Jesus’ witness true if he bears witness about himself?

• John 5:31 If I bear witness of Myself, My witness is not true. (NKJV)

• John 8:13-14 The Pharisees therefore said to Him, “You bear witness of Yourself; Your witness is not true.” 14 Jesus answered and said to them, “Even if I bear witness of Myself, My witness is true, for I know where I came from and where I am going; but you do not know where I come from and where I am going.” (NKJV)

Does Jesus judge?

• John 8:15 You judge according to the flesh; I judge no one. (ESV)

• John 8:16 Yet even if I do judge, my judgment is true, for it is not I alone who judge, but I and the Father who sent me. (ESV)

• John 8:26 I have much to say about you and much to judge, but he who sent me is true, and I declare to the world what I have heard from him. (ESV)

Did Jesus come to judge the world?

• John 12:47 If anyone hears my words and does not keep them, I do not judge him; for I did not come to judge the world but to save the world. (ESV)

• John 3:17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. (ESV)

• John 9:39 Jesus said, For judgment I came into this world, that those who do not see may see, and those who see may become blind. (ESV)

A favourite contradiction of Bart Ehrman

“One of my favorite apparent discrepancies—I read John for years without realizing how strange this one is—comes in Jesus’ ‘Farewell Discourse,’ the last address that Jesus delivers to his disciples, at his last meal with them, which takes up all of chapters 13 to 17 in the Gospel according to John. In John 13:36, Peter says to Jesus, ‘Lord, where are you going?’ A few verses later Thomas says, ‘Lord, we do not know where you are going’ (John 14:5). And then, a few minutes later, at the same meal, Jesus upbraids his disciples, saying,

A favourite contradiction of Bart Ehrman

‘Now I am going to the one who sent me, yet none of you asks me, “Where are you going?”’ (John 16:5). Either Jesus had a very short attention span or there is something strange going on with the sources for these chapters, creating an odd kind of disconnect.”