The Holy Bible is historically accurate and Jesus Christ is the best documented historical figure in all of history with many eye witness testimonies.
The Holy Bible is not a book written by just 1 Author but the Holy Bible is written by many authors (30+) that spans more than a millennia (1000+ years), it’s a Library, a collection of writings that is believed to be inspired by the word of God, this is called the inspired Cannon.
The Torah is believed to be written by the Prophet Moses from more than 3500 years ago around 1600BC. This concept of an inspired cannon began from Moses with the collection of 5 Books of the Torah (Pentateuch) all the way to the poetry and historical writings(Ketuvim) and the books of the Prophets(Neviim).
Jesus attributes the Torah to Moses
Matt8:4 19:7,23:2
Mark 1:44,10:3,7:10
Luke 5:14,16:19,20:37,24:27
John 3:14 5:39 6:32 7:19
Old Testament – Tanakh has historically dated texts
-Original Hebrew(Vorlage)
-Septuagint: Dated around 285-270BC Translation of the Vorlage to Greek by 72
scholars in Alexandria
-Masoretic Text: Derived from Council of Jamnia in 90AD, Codex Cairernsis manuscript dated around
895AD
-Dead Sea Scrolls : 300BC-70AD
The New Testament has historically dated texts and eye-witness authors.
Apostle Paul – Saul of Tarsus one of the main Authors of the New Testament.
Secular scholars who are non religious or critical scholars give
credit to Apostle Paul (Saul of Tarsus who has seen Jesus after resurrection),
Critical/secular scholars attributed to Paul undisputed letters
(1st Thessalonians, Galatians, 1st Corinthians, 2nd Corinthians, Philippians, Philemon, Romans)
in the New Testament dated around 40 -60AD
1 Corinthians 15:1-8 (Paul – Year 30-50AD)
Moreover, brethren, I declare to you the gospel which I preached to you,
which also you received and in which you stand, by which also you are saved,
if you hold fast that word which I preached to you—unless you believed in vain
For I delivered to you first of all that which I also received: that Christ
died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and
that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures, and that
He was seen by Cephas(Peter), then by the twelve. After that He was seen by over
five hundred brethren at once, of whom the greater part remain to the present,
but some have fallen asleep. After that He was seen by James, then by all the
apostles. Then last of all He was seen by me also, as by one born out of due
time.
Gospels were written by Jesus’ disciples, eye witnesses and close contacts.
Gospel of Matthew was credited to Matthew a disciple of Jesus who was a tax collector and an eye-witness,
Gospel of Mark was credited to John Mark a companion of Paul and Peter,
Gospel of Luke and the Acts of the Apostles was credited Luke the physician also a companion of Paul.
Gospel of John is credited to John the Apostle an eye-witness “the disciple whom Jesus loved”
John 21:24 This is the disciple which testifieth of these things, and wrote these things: and we know that his testimony is true.
Acts 12:12
So, when he had considered this, he
came to the house of Mary, the mother of John whose surname was Mark,
where many were gathered together praying
Colossians 4:14
Luke the beloved physician and Demas greet you.
2 Timothy 4:11
Only Luke is with me.
Get Mark and bring him with you, for he is useful to me for ministry.
Matthew: 10:1-4
And when He had called His twelve disciples to
Him, He gave them power over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal all
kinds of sickness and all kinds of disease. Now the names of the twelve
apostles are these: first, Simon, who is called Peter, and Andrew his brother;
James the son of Zebedee, and John
his brother; Philip and Bartholomew; Thomas and Matthew the tax collector; James the son of Alphaeus, and Lebbaeus,
whose surname was Thaddaeus; Simon the Cananite, and Judas Iscariot, who also
betrayed Him.
Magdalen Papyri/ Jesus Papyri
This is backed up by the P.Magdalen Greek 17/P64 (The Jesus
Papyri) A segment of Greek text of Matthew’s Gospel appears to be dated before 66AD
Three fragments text on both sides total of 24 lines segment of Matthew 26:23,31
(Also matches the Textus Receptus – The main source of King James Version and not the Alexandrian Codices/Wescott and Hort/NU/Critical Text that modern translations such as NIV,ESV etc use)
This appears to be the oldest known manuscript. Dr. Carsten
Thiede scanning using laser microscope and comparing with other manuscripts ,
at Qumran (dated 58AD), at Herculaneum (before 79AD), at Masada (dated 73-74)
At Egyptian town of Oxyrynchus (65-66 AD). Dr Thiede concluded that this is
either an original copy of Matthew’s Gospel or an immediate copy.
Rylands Papyrus P52 ~100AD
Gospel of John 18-34-36 & 37-38
By this time there still may have been people who have been eye witnesses of Jesus.
·
Oxyrhynichus Papyri
Over 35 papyrus manuscripts , P1 Matthew, P5 John 1, 16, P13
Hebrews 2-5, 10-12 and P22 John 15-16
·
Chester Beatty Papyri
P45 2nd century contains portions of all four
Gospels and Acts
P46 contains all Paul’s Epistles except pastorals and Hebrews
has been dated 1st century around 20-30 years after they were written
P47 3rd century contains Revelation 9-17
The Muratorian Canon, often referred to as the Muratorian
Fragment, represents the earliest known compilation of New Testament writings.
This ancient document, likely composed in Greek, is believed to have been written
between AD 170 and 200. It enumerates 22 of the 27 texts including the 4
Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke + Acts and John that would eventually be
recognized as part of the New Testament in the Holy Bible.
The identity of the original author of the
fragment remains unidentified. The list’s text is conventionally attributed to
the latter part of the second century, as it mentions Pius I, who served as
bishop of Rome from 140 to 155AD, indicating that he was regarded as a contemporary
figure.
There are 300+ Prophecies of the 1st coming of the Messiah being fulfilled by Jesus Christ.
Prophets in the Old Testament prophesying the Life, Death and Resurrection of the Messiah
Psalms Ch22,16:v10,34:v20,49:v15,69:v21,110,
Isaiah 53,Isaiah 7:14,
9:6,7
Micah 5:2 ,
Zechariah 9:9,11:v12-13,12:v10,13:v7-9
Daniel CH9:25-26 etc
Here are some examples of Jesus’ life is not a coincidence but a divine plan foretold hundreds of years before His birth.
Micah 5:2( Born in Bethlehem) 1:100,000 (unlikely Odds)
Zechariah 9:9 King on Donkey 1:100
Zechariah 11:12 betrayed for 30 pieces of Silver 1:1000
Zechariah 11:13 Temple, Potter etc 1:100,000
Zechariah 13:6 Wound in hands 1:1000
Isaiah 53:7 No defence innocent 1:1000
Isaiah 53:9 Died with wicked grave with rich 1:1000
Psalm 22:16 Crucified 1:10,000
Psalms 22:16-18 (King David ~1000BC Crucifixion was not invented in this time)
The congregation of the wicked has
enclosed Me. They pierced
My hands and My feet; I can count all My bones. They look and stare at Me. They
divide My garments among them, And for My clothing they cast lots.
Isaiah 53 (Prophet Isaiah~700-500BC)(Oldest dated manuscript found is the Great Isaiah Scroll from the Dead Sea Scrolls dated 100BC- The people in Qumran located near the Dead Sea recorded in scrolls regarding Isaiah’s prophecy about the Messiah dated 100 years before it was fulfilled by Jesus Christ.)
Who has believed our report? And to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?
For He shall grow up before Him as a tender plant, And as a root out of dry
ground. He has no form or comeliness; And when we see Him, There is no beauty
that we should desire Him. 3 He is despised and rejected by men, A Man of
sorrows and acquainted with grief. And we hid, as it were, our faces from Him;
He was despised, and we did not esteem Him. 4 Surely He has borne our griefs
And carried our sorrows; Yet we esteemed Him stricken, Smitten by God, and
afflicted. 5 But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; The
chastisement for our peace was upon Him, And by His stripes we are healed. 6
All we like sheep have gone astray; We have turned, every one, to his own way;
And the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all. 7 He was oppressed and He was afflicted, Yet
He opened not His mouth; He was led as a lamb to the slaughter, And as a sheep
before its shearers is silent, So He opened not His mouth. 8 He was taken from
prison and from judgment, And who will declare His generation? For He was cut
off from the land of the living; For the transgressions of My people He was
stricken. 9 And they made His grave with the wicked— But with the rich at His death, Because
He had done no violence, Nor was any deceit in His mouth. 10 Yet it pleased the
Lord to bruise Him; He has put Him to grief. When You make His soul an offering for sin,
He shall see His seed, He shall prolong His days, And the pleasure of the Lord
shall prosper in His hand. 11 He shall see the labor of His soul, and be
satisfied. By His knowledge My righteous Servant shall justify many, For He
shall bear their iniquities. 12 Therefore I will divide Him a portion with the
great, And He shall divide the spoil with the strong, Because He poured out His soul unto
death, And He was numbered with the transgressors, And He bore the sin
of many, And made intercession for the transgressors.
(Prophecy Fulfilled in Matthew 27:35, Mark 15:24, Luke 23:34,
John 19:24 Crucifixion of the Lord Jesus found in these 4 chapters and
resurrection is found in Matthew 28, Mark 16, Luke 24, John 20 written around (30
-100 AD)
Non Biblical sources – Roman Historians record of Jesus Christ
Annals (Cornelius Tacitus Year 14-68 AD )
“Christus, from whom the name had its origin, suffered the extreme penalty
during the reign of Tiberius at the hands of one of our procurators, Pontius
Pilatus,”
THE ANTIQUITIES OF THE JEWS (Flavius Josephus Year ~37AD – 100 AD) , See Book 18 CH3
Now there was about this time Jesus, a wise man, if it be lawful to call him a
man; for he was a doer of wonderful works, a teacher of such men as receive the
truth with pleasure. He drew over to him both many of the Jews and many of the
Gentiles. He was the Christ. And when Pilate, at the suggestion of the
principal men amongst us, had condemned him to the cross, those that loved him
at the first did not forsake him; for he appeared to them alive again the third
day; as the divine prophets had foretold these and ten thousand other wonderful
things concerning him. And the tribe of Christians, so named from him, are not
extinct at this day.