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New Testament Evidence and Christianity
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New Testament Evidence and Christianity
New Testament Evidence and Christianity
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1
Question
Why should scholars regard the New Testament as a competent primary source document from the first century?
Answer
The books of the New Testament were written during the lifetimes of those involved in the accounts and not a century or more after the events they described.
2
Question
What are the allegations of error in the Bible usually based on?
Answer
A failure to recognize basic principles of interpreting ancient literature.
3
Question
What features are in the gospels that help us see the apostles remembered the events accurately?
Answer
a. Unique or unusual events b. Salient or consequential events c. An event for which a person is emotionally involved d. Vivid imagery e. Irrelevant details f. Point of view g. Dating h. Gist and details.
4
Question
How does having a large number of copies of a manuscript enable us to more accurately determine the content of the original?
Answer
The greater the number and the earlier the dating of the manuscripts, the easier it is to reconstruct a text closer to the original and identify errors or discrepancies in copies.
5
Question
Why is it important for the copies of that manuscript to be as close in time to the production of the original manuscript as possible?
Answer
The more time between the original and the copy, the greater the chance is that there are mistakes or even distortions of the original.
6
Question
What do the Old Testament manuscripts enhance and verify?
Answer
They enhance the awareness that many more manuscripts are waiting to be found and verify the authenticity of the New Testament. If found together, they provide evidence that they were both considered scripture.
7
Question
How do the allegations made by Jewish writers claiming Jesus was a sorcerer serve to support the claims made in the Gospels?
Answer
The fact that they had to claim Jesus was a sorcerer means they admit that miraculous events did take place. It would have been easier to simply claim that those miracles were all made up as they did with the resurrection. They can't deny that Jesus did the miracles.
8
Question
What is the principle of embarrassment that we see in the gospel stories?
Answer
The Gospel writers include embarrassing details that damage their own reputation. The fact they include these details indicates a tenacity to document the truth, even when it was unpleasant.
9
Question
What is the value of Tacitus' writing to confirm Jesus' history?
Answer
Tacitus is a non-Christian source who confirms the existence of Christians during the first century, and that their namesake was an individual who was executed by Pontius Pilate.
10
Question
Who was Josephus and why were his writings of importance in history?
Answer
Josephus was a Pharisee of a priestly line and a Jewish historian. He is known as the single most important Jewish historian of the ancient world. His writings confirm the historicity of Jesus and he lived during the time period of 1st century Palestine.
11
Question
How does the Bible state it is inspired?
Answer
The Bible says all scripture is God-breathed. The writers claim to be inspired with 'thus saith the Lord'. Jesus claimed the scriptures were inspired.
12
Question
What five principles did they follow to discern which books of the Bible were inspired by God?
Answer
1. Was the book written by a prophet of God? 2. Was the writer confirmed by acts of God? 3. Did the message tell the truth about God? 4. Does it come with the power of God? 5. Was it accepted by God?
13
Question
What languages was the Bible translated from?
Answer
Hebrew, Greek, and Aramaic.
14
Question
Why are there so many translations of the Bible?
Answer
To keep up with the changes in modern English.
15
Question
How does the Bible compare to other literature considered accurate?
Answer
There are 80 more manuscripts than any other literature.
16
Question
How are contradictions answered in the Bible?
Answer
Logical explanations, copyist mistakes, interpretive misunderstanding.
17
Question
What are the three subjects that all 40 different authors of the 66 books of the Bible agree on?
Answer
1. Where we come from. 2. Why are we here. 3. Where are we going.
18
Question
What are the reasons the New Testament was canonized?
Answer
1. They were prophetic and therefore needed to be preserved. 2. It was practical for the church to have a canon. 3. There was a rise in heretics and false texts. 4. There were missional translation needs. 5. Persecution meant Christians needed to know which books were needed to preserve.
19
Question
What were the three beliefs held by early Christians that led to the formation of the New Testament?
Answer
1. They believed the Old Testament was unfinished. 2. God was ushering in a new covenant. 3. Apostles possessed the authority of Christ.
20
Question
What does the term CANON mean when applied to Scripture?
Answer
It is the official list of accepted divinely inspired books.
21
Question
What is the bibliographical test?
Answer
An examination of the textual transmission by which documents reach us.
22
Question
What is the internal evidence test?
Answer
Determining whether a document is coherent, consistent, cohesive, and confirming.
23
Question
What are the two components involved in the bibliographical test?
Answer
The number of manuscripts and the time interval between the copies and the original.
24
Question
What is the external evidence test?
Answer
The evidence that exists outside of the manuscript such as historical reports and archaeology that support the claims within the document.
25
Question
What is the corroboration test?
Answer
The corroboration test compares the details in the document with external evidence, checking if that external evidence verifies that document.
26
Question
Explain the evidence and proof of resurrection in four or more sentences.
Answer
The unreliability of the counter-theories of the resurrection includes claims that Jesus's body was stolen, and that Jesus wasn't really dead when left in the tomb. Both can be easily debunked through what we know about the Roman crucifixion; the Romans knew how to kill people on a cross and did it well. All of those who were crucified died a painfully long death, supporting the Christian belief that Jesus died. The disciples believed they saw and lived among the risen King so much that they were willing to die for that belief.
27
Question
What is the case for Jesus outside the Bible?
Answer
The case for Jesus' existence outside the Bible is supported by historical references from non-Christian sources, including pagan, Jewish, and Roman accounts. These records confirm significant details about Jesus and the early Christian movement. Roman historians like Tacitus reference His crucifixion under Pontius Pilate, while Pliny the Younger describes early Christians worshiping Jesus as a god. Jewish sources like Josephus mention Jesus as a wise teacher, validating His impact on history independently of the biblical narrative.
28
Question
What is the moral argument for the existence of God?
Answer
The moral argument states that the existence of objective moral values and duties can only be explained by the existence of God. Objective moral values are independent of human opinions or cultural norms. If objective morality exists, there must be a source or foundation for these moral values, which is argued to be God.
29
Question
What is the cosmological argument for the existence of God?
Answer
The cosmological argument posits that the existence of the cosmos points to a necessary cause or creator. A common form is the Kalam Cosmological Argument: 1. Everything that begins to exist has a cause. 2. The universe began to exist. 3. Therefore, the universe has a cause, which is argued to be God.
30
Question
What is the intelligent design argument?
Answer
The intelligent design argument posits that the complexity, order, and purposefulness of the universe and living things suggest that such intricacy is best explained by an intelligent cause rather than random chance or natural processes.