Motives
Mark 1:3 - “Many have undertaken to draw up an account of the things that have been fulfilled among us, just as they were handed down to us by those who from the first were eyewitnesses and servants of the word. With this in mind, since I myself have carefully investigated everything from the beginning, I too decided to write an orderly account for you, most excellent Theophilus, so that you may know the certainty of the things you have been taught.”
Why did the authors write the New Testament? Preservation, not perversion. If, in fact, they had fabricated it in response to disagreements or early church troubles then we would be able to see that evidentially within their writings, but instead we see what is deemed as a history in the Gospels and letters of encouragement and direction in Paul’s books. If it had been fabricated we would expect things to go well with the good guys and bad for those they disagreed with, this is not so. Persecution is evident throughout Acts (history of the early days of the Church and the missionary work of Paul). Even within Paul’s letters, written to certain cities to be distributed among the Christians there, the evidence is clear that even though his letters address problems within the Church, they are in response to personable and local problems that had come to Paul’s attention from last being there and are more instructive, not constructive.
At first, the first generation thought that the second coming of Christ would be within their own generation. When some of the disciples began being martyred and dying off, a preservation of what Jesus said was undertaken, and like Mark who had not been an eyewitness but had been trained under the disciples and had done his research, thus wrote his Gospel narrative. “...that you may know the certainty of the things you have been taught.”
Jesus’ life and teachings were not done in the closet either, he taught to the crowds, he traveled in town and in the countryside, but even in the countryside crowds and crowds would follow and come just to hear him speak. Remember, the New Testament books were all written within the lifespan of the eyewitnesses of Jesus’ life. That is we have the silent assurances of literally thousands of Jewish and Gentile eyewitnesses that what was written within these letters (the New Testament) is indeed accurate and not a fabrication. If there was even a hint of inaccuracy, the Jewish leaders would not hesitate to strike at the heart of this new insurgence of what they deemed as a blasphemous, dangerous falsehood. Their silence above all others convinces me of the New Testaments accuracy. Christianity would not have even got off the ground, no less spread to all the known world, if it was based in such a lie.
What about Paul and his letters? His motives are even more evident than the Gospel letters. Paul had been a persecutor of the church, had a conversion experience and became of the most ardent and successful supporters of Christianity. James also, (the brother of Jesus’) began as a detractor of his brother, but something happened to him to drastically change him and he became one of the the early Church leaders. What could cause a man to change his mind from ardent persecutor to ardent pursuer? In the very least you must concede that in their mind they believed it to be true. That is the only explanation for such a change from a place of security and self-righteousness to a place where only persecution and struggle followed. In my mind, only the truth has the power to change people’s lives. You may believe for yourself that they believed, but it was a lie, but it is inconceivable to me that it could be a fabrication. It could not have been, you must decide for yourself the implications of that fact.
Jared Williams
Why did the authors write the New Testament? Preservation, not perversion. If, in fact, they had fabricated it in response to disagreements or early church troubles then we would be able to see that evidentially within their writings, but instead we see what is deemed as a history in the Gospels and letters of encouragement and direction in Paul’s books. If it had been fabricated we would expect things to go well with the good guys and bad for those they disagreed with, this is not so. Persecution is evident throughout Acts (history of the early days of the Church and the missionary work of Paul). Even within Paul’s letters, written to certain cities to be distributed among the Christians there, the evidence is clear that even though his letters address problems within the Church, they are in response to personable and local problems that had come to Paul’s attention from last being there and are more instructive, not constructive.
At first, the first generation thought that the second coming of Christ would be within their own generation. When some of the disciples began being martyred and dying off, a preservation of what Jesus said was undertaken, and like Mark who had not been an eyewitness but had been trained under the disciples and had done his research, thus wrote his Gospel narrative. “...that you may know the certainty of the things you have been taught.”
Jesus’ life and teachings were not done in the closet either, he taught to the crowds, he traveled in town and in the countryside, but even in the countryside crowds and crowds would follow and come just to hear him speak. Remember, the New Testament books were all written within the lifespan of the eyewitnesses of Jesus’ life. That is we have the silent assurances of literally thousands of Jewish and Gentile eyewitnesses that what was written within these letters (the New Testament) is indeed accurate and not a fabrication. If there was even a hint of inaccuracy, the Jewish leaders would not hesitate to strike at the heart of this new insurgence of what they deemed as a blasphemous, dangerous falsehood. Their silence above all others convinces me of the New Testaments accuracy. Christianity would not have even got off the ground, no less spread to all the known world, if it was based in such a lie.
What about Paul and his letters? His motives are even more evident than the Gospel letters. Paul had been a persecutor of the church, had a conversion experience and became of the most ardent and successful supporters of Christianity. James also, (the brother of Jesus’) began as a detractor of his brother, but something happened to him to drastically change him and he became one of the the early Church leaders. What could cause a man to change his mind from ardent persecutor to ardent pursuer? In the very least you must concede that in their mind they believed it to be true. That is the only explanation for such a change from a place of security and self-righteousness to a place where only persecution and struggle followed. In my mind, only the truth has the power to change people’s lives. You may believe for yourself that they believed, but it was a lie, but it is inconceivable to me that it could be a fabrication. It could not have been, you must decide for yourself the implications of that fact.
Jared Williams
