{"id":3541,"date":"2025-01-19T12:18:50","date_gmt":"2025-01-19T12:18:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/muscularchristianityonline.com\/platform\/?p=3541"},"modified":"2025-01-19T12:20:20","modified_gmt":"2025-01-19T12:20:20","slug":"the-accuracy-of-scripture-part-ii-the-new-testament","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/muscularchristianityonline.com\/platform\/?p=3541","title":{"rendered":"The Accuracy of Scripture: Part Two – The New Testament"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/strong><\/p>\n

I) Introduction<\/div>\n

We looked at prophecies that were fulfilled to the letter, the scientifically accurate observations being made by inspired individuals that were way ahead of their time and also the way in which contemporary archaeological finds have validated the claims of Scripture. The conclusions that can be drawn from the evidence that is readily available are as certain as they are substantive. Bottom line: The Old Testament can be embraced as, literally, the Word of God. This week we look at the New Testament using the same approach. We\u2019ll look at its content, we\u2019ll consider the way it was assembled and finally, examine its consistency \u2013 the way in which the manuscripts we have available to us today match up with each other thus resulting in a text we can revere as truly Inspired.<\/p>\n

II) The New Testament<\/div>\n
A) Content<\/div>\n

It\u2019s appropriate to rehearse what it is that we\u2019re actually trying to deduce from the evidence that is available to us, as far as, not only the accuracy of Scripture, but the reasonableness of the Bible\u2019s claim about itself to be the Word of God:<\/p>\n

God is not human, that he should lie, not a human being, that he should change his mind. Does he speak and then not act? Does he promise and not fulfill? (Num 23:19)<\/strong><\/p>\n

As for God, his way is perfect: The Lord\u2019s word is flawless; he shields all who take refuge in him. (2 Sam 22:31)<\/strong><\/p>\n

The law of the Lord is perfect, refreshing the soul. The statutes of the Lord are trustworthy, making wise the simple. (Ps 19:7)<\/strong><\/p>\n

Every word of God is flawless; he is a shield to those who take refuge in him. (Prov 30:5)<\/strong><\/p>\n

16<\/sup>\u00a0All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, 17<\/sup>\u00a0so that the servant of God[a] may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.\u00a0(2 Tim 3:16-17)<\/strong><\/p>\n

20<\/sup>\u00a0Above all, you must understand that no prophecy of Scripture came about by the prophet\u2019s own interpretation of things. 21<\/sup>\u00a0For prophecy never had its origin in the human will, but prophets, though human, spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit. (2 Pet 1:20-21 <\/strong>[2 Sam 23:2] )<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"\"Given Scripture\u2019s Divine Audacity, as far as it refusing to accept the label of \u201caccurate,\u201d but instead insists on it being Inerrant, let\u2019s start with the content of the New Testament and look at it in terms of being historically accurate.<\/p>\n

1) Archaeology<\/div>\n

Pontius Pilate Inscription<\/span><\/p>\n

In 1961 the archaeological world was taken back to the first century Roman province of Judea. A group of archaeologists, led by Dr. Antonio Frova were excavating an ancient Roman theater near Caesarea Maritima. Caesarea was a leading city in the first century located on the Mediterranean Sea. A limestone block was found there with a surprising inscription. The inscription, on three lines, reads:<\/p>\n

\u2026]S TIBERIVM\u2026PON]TIVS PILATVS\u2026PRAEF]ECTVS IVDA[EA]<\/p>\n

The inscription is believed to be part of a larger inscription dedicating a temple in Caesarea to the emperor Tiberius. The inscription clearly states, \u201cPontius Pilate, Prefect of Judea.\u201d1<\/sup><\/p>\n

Heel of Yehohanan<\/span> The practice of crucifixion in antiquity was brought to life as never before when the heel bones of a young man named Yehohanan were found in a Jerusalem tomb, pierced by an iron nail. The discovery shed new light on Roman crucifixion methods and began to rewrite the history of crucifixion in antiquity.2<\/sup><\/p>\n

\n\n\n\n\n
\"siloam\"<\/a><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\u201cIn the plaster of this pool were found coins that establish the date of the pool to the years before and after Jesus. There is little question that this is in fact the pool of Siloam, to which Jesus sent the blind man in John 9.\u201d3<\/sup><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/div>\n

Pool of Siloam<\/span><\/p>\n

In 2004, some repairs were being done on a large pipe in Jerusalem when engineers stumbled upon a series of steps that led to a first century pool. By the end of 2005, archaeologists were able to confirm that this was the Pool of Siloam referenced in John 9. Destruction of the Temple in 70 AD<\/span> In the book of Matthew, not long before He was put to death, Jesus prophesied that the Temple would be destroyed:<\/p>\n

Jesus left the temple and was walking away when his disciples came up to him to call his attention to its buildings. 2<\/sup>\u00a0\u201cDo you see all these things?\u201d he asked. \u201cTruly I tell you, not one stone here will be left on another; every one will be thrown down.\u201d (Matt 24:1-2)<\/strong><\/p>\n

Today you can look at an area in Jerusalem that was originally unearthed in the 1838. As the area was further excavated, you could see the massive stones that had at one point been part of the Temple\u2019s structure that had been pushed over by the Romans when they destroyed in 70 AD. To summarize, Nelson Glueck, the renowned Jewish archaeologist, wrote: \u201cIt may be stated categorically that no archaeological discovery has every controverted a biblical reference.\u201d He continued his assertion of \u201cthe almost incredibly accurate historical memory of the Bible, and particular so when it is fortified by archaeological fact.\u201d4<\/sup> What makes the New Testament such a standout, however, is not so much the way in which it can be validated from an archaeological standpoint, as much as it\u2019s the narrative of Christ\u2019s death and resurrection. \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/strong><\/p>\n

2) The Resurrection<\/div>\n

While the Resurrection can\u2019t be proven via footage and voice recordings of eyewitnesses, the Biblical record can be substantiated by using other historically credible resources.<\/p>\n

Josephus was a Jewish historian that lived from 37 to 100 A.D. He was employed by the Romans and he mentions this about Jesus in his \u201cAntiquities of the Jews\u201d:<\/p>\n

\n\n\n\n\n
\"youtube\"<\/a><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Site of \u201cRobinson\u2019s Arch,\u201d originally discovered in 1838 where you can now see the massive stones amidst the rubble left over from the Romans\u2019 destruction of the Temple in 70 AD<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/div>\n

At this time there was a wise man who was called Jesus. And his conduct was good, and [he] was known to be virtuous. And many people from among the Jews and the other nations became his disciples. Pilate condemned him to be crucified and to die. And those who had become his disciples did not abandon his discipleship. They reported that he had appeared to them three days after his crucifixion\u00a0and that he was alive.<\/em>5<\/sup><\/em><\/p>\n

Another example that demonstrates the historical reality of Christ\u2019s resurrection that comes from a secular source would be the account of Ignatius who lived from 50-115 A.D. He was the Bishop of Antioch, a native of Syria and a pupil of the apostle John. Enroute to a martyr\u2019s death, he wrote his \u201cEpistles,\u201d and this is what he said of Christ:<\/p>\n

He was crucified and died under Pontius Pilate. He really, and not merely in appearance, was crucified, and died, in the sight of beings in heaven, and on earth, and under the earth. He also rose\u00a0again in three days\u2026\u201d6<\/sup><\/em><\/p>\n

Something else that\u2019s interesting about the historicity of Christ\u2019s death and resurrection is the eclipse and the earthquake that\u2019s referenced in Luke 23:44 and Matthew 27:54.<\/p>\n

Greek historian Phlegon wrote: \u201cIn the fourth year of the 202nd Olympiad, there was an eclipse of the Sun which was greater than any known before and in the sixth hour of the day it became night; so that stars appeared in the heaven; and a great Earthquake that broke out in Bithynia destroyed the greatest part of Nicaea.\u201d<\/em>7<\/sup><\/em><\/p>\n

These accounts don\u2019t necessarily prove that the Resurrection did occur, but what they do provide is an objective and historical reinforcement of the Biblical record. \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/strong><\/p>\n

B) Construction<\/div>\n
1) Apostolic Origin<\/div>\n
Thallus is perhaps the earliest secular writer to mention Jesus and he is so ancient his writings don\u2019t even exist anymore. But Julius Africanus, writing around 221AD does quote Thallus who previously tried to explain away the darkness occurring at Jesus\u2019 crucifixion:<\/em> \u201cOn the whole world there pressed a most fearful darkness; and the rocks were rent by an earthquake, and many places in Judea and other districts were thrown down. This darkness Thallus, in the third book of his History, calls, as appears to me without reason, an eclipse of the sun.\u201d<\/em> (Julius Africanus<\/a>, Chronography, 18:1)<\/div>\n

In the last session, we showed how some doubt the content of Scripture, believing it to be a patchwork of judiciously selected writings that happened to corroborate a message that could be used to manipulate the masses. But when you look at the criteria that was used to identify the books of the Bible, the end result is a very, very short list because of the required prophetic credential as well as the necessary fulfillment of any prophecy that was articulated. The Old Testament is what it is, not because of preferences or subjective rulings, but because of the substance of the content and the proven credibility of the human author. The New Testament is no different. The criteria used to determine what book qualified as Scriptural was whether or not it was \u201capostolic<\/strong><\/a>\u201d in origin. So, if the book in question was either written by an apostle or with the endorsement of an apostle, it was considered Authoritative. Otherwise, it was discarded. An \u201capostle,\u201d in the broadest sense of the word, is someone who had seen Christ alive after He had been crucified. That included more than the original Twelve. Paul had his encounter on the road to Damascus (Acts 9:1-19) and James, the brother of Jesus, saw Him alive according to 1 Corinthians 15:7. Luke, John Mark and Barnabas were close associates of Paul and Jude, being the brother of Christ, while they weren\u2019t apostles, because of their association with those who were, were recognized as credible representations of apostolic credibility. Given that dynamic, consider the books of the New Testament:<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
Book(s) \/ Author<\/td>\nBio<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Matthew<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Matthew<\/td>\nOne of the original 12 disciples (Lk 6:15)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Mark<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
John Mark<\/td>\nClose associate of Peter and Paul (2 Tim 4:11)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Luke<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Luke<\/td>\nPaul\u2019s associate & physician (Col 4:14; Phil 1:24)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
John; 1-3 John; Revelation<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
John<\/td>\nOne of the original 12 disciples (Matt 10:2)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Acts<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Luke<\/td>\nPaul\u2019s associate & physician (Col 4:14; Phil 1:24)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Romans; 1-2 Corinthians; Galatians; Ephesians; Philippians; Colossians; 1-2 Thessalonians; 1-2 Timothy; Titus; Philemon<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Paul<\/td>\nPaul encountered the risen Christ on the road to Damascus (Acts 9:1-19)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Hebrews<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Barnabas<\/td>\nAssociate of Paul and cousin to John Mark (Acts 12:25; Col 4:10)3<\/sup><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
James<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
James<\/td>\nBrother of Christ and referred to as an apostle by Paul (Gal 1:19).<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
1-2 Peter<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Peter<\/td>\nOne of the original 12 disciples (Matt 10:2)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Jude<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\u00a0Jude<\/td>\nBrother of Christ (Jude 1:7 [describes himself as a brother of James, which is most likely the author of the book of James)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

In A.D. 393, a Church Council was convened called the \u201cSynod of Hippo.\u201d \u201cSynod,\u201d (pronounced \u201cSIN-ed\u201d) comes from a Greek word that means, \u201cassembly.\u201d Hippo is the city of Hippo Regius, which is the ancient name of the modern city of Annaba, in Algeria. Their purpose for meeting was to officially define the books of the New Testament. You can see how most of their work had already been done simply by filtering everything through the qualifier of \u201capostolic origin.\u201d When we read the New Testament, we\u2019re reading the Inspired words of God written by people who had either seen the risen Christ personally or were close associates of those who had. Bear in mind, too, that most gave their lives in defense of what they believed and what had been written through them. That\u2019s strong!<\/p>\n

2) Textual Criticism<\/div>\n

The evidence to support the authenticity of the Scriptures, as far as them being an accurate rendering of what was originally written, is more than adequate. When evaluating works of antiquity from a textual perspective, you’re looking at two things:<\/p>\n