Some one ask me a while ago the following question.
How can the gospels be reliable if they were written so long after Jesus died?
And this was my answer which I will share with you but with more details.
All the Gospels were written before 70 Ad that makes it less than 40 years which is not that long from the events that took place. Because Jesus died between 29 & 30 AD
For example, in the Gospel of John chapter 5 mentions something interesting to know of a place that should have been destroyed if the Gospel of John would had been written after 70 AD when the Romans destroyed Jerusalem.
“Now there is in Jerusalem by the Sheep Gate a pool, which is called in Hebrew, Bethesda, having five porches.” John 5:2 (NKJV)
And Luke was a companion of Paul and we read Paul quoting the writing of the Gospel of Luke. Paul died by 64 AD so the Gospel of Luke is earlier then 64 AD
“For the Scripture says, "You shall not muzzle an ox while it treads out the grain," and, "The laborer is worthy of his wages."” 1Tim 5:18 (NKJV)
“And remain in the same house, eating and drinking such things as they give, for the laborer is worthy of his wages. Do not go from house to house.”Luk 10:7 (NKJV)
Luke gathered his information from those who was there to give us the Gospel that bears his name he states the following in his introduction:
Luk 1 (NKJV)¹ Inasmuch as many have taken in hand to set in order a narrative of those things which have been fulfilled among us,² just as those who from the beginning were eyewitnesses and ministers of the word delivered them to us,³ it seemed good to me also, having had perfect understanding of all things from the very first, to write to you an orderly account, most excellent Theophilus,
When it comes to the Gospel of Mark , Mark was a companion of Peter in Rome, a son in the faith And we know Peter was one of the 12 apostles who was with Jesus.
“She who is in Babylon, elect together with you, greets you; and so does Mark my son.”1Pet 5:13 (NKJV)
Mat 10 (NKJV)¹ And when He (Jesus) 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.² 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;³ Philip and Bartholomew; Thomas and Matthew the tax collector; James the son of Alphaeus, and Lebbaeus, whose surname was Thaddaeus;⁴ Simon the Cananite, and Judas Iscariot, who also betrayed Him.
And Matthew he was a other Apostle of Jesus with Peter and John so he knew what happened, he was there. We're not speaking about people that were alive a hundred or two hundred years after the events. The thing is all these men were alive when Jesus was alive and so if one of them would have spoken anything untrue it could have been stopped by those who actually was there.
But we never read of a writing that was from the time of the Apostles saying don't believe these writings because it's not true Jesus did not perform any miracles; Jesus is not raised from the dead.
We have the Gospel writings from eyewitness account.
1Jn 1 (NKJV)¹ That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, concerning the Word of life-–² the life was manifested, and we have seen, and bear witness, and declare to you that eternal life which was with the Father and was manifested to us-³ that which we have seen and heard we declare to you, that you also may have fellowship with us; and truly our fellowship is with the Father and with His Son Jesus Christ.
2Pet 1 (NKJV)¹⁶ For we did not follow cunningly devised fables when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but were eyewitnesses of His majesty.¹⁷ For He received from God the Father honor and glory when such a voice came to Him from the Excellent Glory: "This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased."¹⁸ And we heard this voice which came from heaven when we were with Him on the holy mountain.
And all these writings could be attested by the writings of the early church fathers like
Irenaeus, Papias and others.
Papias who was alive in 70-155 AD not that far from the writings which was written. He states in his fragments about Matthew the following:
(“Matthew put together the oracles [of the Lord] in the Hebrew language, and each one interpreted them as best he could. “)
And he also gives witness to the writings of Mark (“And the presbyter said this. Mark having become the interpreter of Peter, wrote down accurately whatsoever he remembered. It was not, however, in exact order that he related the sayings or deeds of Christ. For he neither heard the Lord nor accompanied Him. But afterwards, as I said, he accompanied Peter, who accommodated his instructions to the necessities [of his hearers], but with no intention of giving a regular narrative of the Lord’s sayings. Wherefore Mark made no mistake in thus writing some things as he remembered them. For of one thing he took especial care, not to omit anything he had heard, and not to put anything fictitious into the statements. ”)
Irenaeus 120-202 AD in Against Heresies Book 3 chapter 1 states (“ Matthew also issued a written Gospel among the Hebrews in their own dialect, while Peter and Paul were preaching at Rome, and laying the foundations of the Church. After their departure, Mark, the disciple and interpreter of Peter, did also hand down to us in writing what had been preached by Peter. Luke also, the companion of Paul, recorded in a book the Gospel preached by him. Afterwards, John, the disciple of the Lord, who also had leaned upon His breast, did himself publish a Gospel during his residence at Ephesus in Asia.”)
The earliest cannon of scripture is named The Muratorian Canon it dates 154 AD and it states about Luke and John’s Gospel {“The third book of the Gospel is that] according to Luke. Luke, the physician, after the ascension of Christ, when Paul had taken him with him as a companion of his traveling, [and after he had made an investigation, wrote in his own name-but neither did he see the Lord in the flesh-and thus, as he was able to investigate, so he also begins to tell the story [starting] from the nativity of John. The fourth book] of the Gospels is that of John, [one] of the disciples. When his fellow-disciples and bishops urged [him], he said: "Fast together with me today for three days and, what shall be revealed to each, let us tell [it] to each other." On the same night it was revealed to Andrew, [one] of the Apostles, that, with all of them reviewing [it], John should describe all things in his own name. “)
As we continue to speak about the overwhelming evidence for the New Testament records someone may state what about the last verses of the Gospel of Mark .
I believe they was written by Mark himself since the early church Fathers qouted them.
They are found in the Diatessaron of Titian written around 150 AD which is a combination of all four Gospels into one. So very early last twelve verses was considered the writtings of Mark .
It is only not found in a few manuscript for example NKJV has a note in verse 9 in it's Bible that states “16:9] 3. Vv. 9–20 are bracketed in NU as not in the original text. They are lacking in Codex Sinaiticus and Codex Vaticanus, although nearly all other mss. of Mark contain them.”
There are a few differences on some of the manuscripts that do have it.
Some might say well There are Gospels that are missing on the Bible , to this I will reply.
They did not remove 75 books from the original Bible . They didn't accept these 75 books from its being in the Canon of scripture because they either wasn't written by the Apostles and written many years after the Apostles they claim to be from was died or there teachings were totally at odds with what was already written
Example :
Gospel of Thomas was written in 140 - 180 AD Thomas died in the year 72 AD
Gospel of Philip was written some time around 180–250 AD ,this is many years after the Apostle Philip had died in 80 AD.
The Gospel of the Egyptians written around 120 -150 AD no Apostle was alive at that time the last Apostle John died in 100 AD
The Gospel of Truth was written 140 -180 AD
The Book of Thomas the Contender written around 140- 200 AD
Then the Teaching in these Gnostic Writings are not in line with the accepted writtings of the Bible
Like Gospel of Thomas states
13) ..Jesus said,
I am not your rabbi….
Jesus in the Gospels tells us he is our teacher ( Rabbi)
“You call me Teacher and Lord, and you say well, for so I am.”John 13:13 (NKJV)
“But you, do not be called 'Rabbi'; for One is your Teacher, the Christ, and you are all brethren.” Mat 23:8 (NKJV)
Gospel of Thomas states
14) Jesus said to them,
If you fast you will bring sin upon yourselves,
and if you pray you will be condemned,
and if you give to charity you will harm your spirits…..
This contradictory to what Jesus tells his apostles to fast when he is taken from them
“But the days will come when the bridegroom will be taken away from them; then they will fast in those days."— Luk 5:35 (NKJV)
Jesus also tell his disciples to pray
“Then He spoke a parable to them, that men always ought to pray and not lose heart, Luk 18:1 (NKJV)
“Then He said to them, "Why do you sleep? Rise and pray, lest you enter into temptation."”Luk 22:46 (NKJV)
Jesus also told his disciples to give alms
“Sell what you have and give alms; provide yourselves money bags which do not grow old, a treasure in the heavens that does not fail, where no thief approaches nor moth destroys.” Luk 12:33 (NKJV)
Gospel of Thomas states
(114) Peter said to them, Mary should leave us. Females are not worthy of life. Jesus said, Look, I shall guide her to make her male, so she too may become a living spirit resembling you males. For every female who makes herself male will enter the kingdom of heaven.
Paul tells us differently a woman doesn't have to become a man to enter the kingdom of heaven
“There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus.” Gal 3:28 (NKJV)
Now let's look a other writting The Gospel of Philip which states
Some said Mary became pregnant by the holy spirit. They are wrong and do not know what they are saying. When did a woman ever get pregnant by a woman?
The Holy Spirit is not mentioned as a female in scripture
John 14 (NKJV)¹⁶ And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever-–¹⁷ the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you.
And Mary did concieved by the Holy Spirit but not through sex but a miracle
“Now the birth of Jesus Christ was as follows: After His mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Spirit.” Mat 1:18 (NKJV)
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