Reliability of the New Testament

Oh but the New Testament was written a couple hundred years after Christ, it was added after the fact to stimulate growth in the Church and to attack those who disagreed with the one’s who wrote it. We cannot trust the New Testament to be accurate.

Is that true? Can we trust it? How reliable is the New Testament witness? Sure Jesus was a historical figure, but how can we trust that the New Testament writers were honest in their portrayal of Jesus?

The New Testament, as we have seen through the archaeological evidence, has not been changed from it’s origin. It has not been corrupted through time, so now the only piece of doubt we have left is if it was written true or corrupted from the start. 

Did it have a late start? Some secular scholars (and some very secular Christian ‘scholars’) will say so, but what evidence is there of that? Does it come down to a baseless argument match or is there evidence that supports later rather than an early date for the authorship of the New Testament?

What was the writers motives when it was written? Can we trust them? How can we know to trust them? If you believe that actions have consequences, then likewise should not ideas have consequences? Jesus brought about many new ideas that changed many lives through different actions and these actions had consequences. Good ideas should have good consequences, bad ideas, bad consequences. It is not always so stark, but the principle applies, so what are some examples? Martyrdom. What could make someone believe something so passionately that they would peacefully die for it? The early church, the example of the early church leaders, their self-sacrificing life in comparison to who they were before they believed. The change in culture that Christianity brought the world, do we ever hear about what Christianity has brought about? The world would be a much different place if Christianity had not brought change in the hearts of the people in this world. But don’t take my word for it, look into it for yourself, for only you can convince yourself of the truth. 

Jared Williams