CAN WE TRUST THE GOSPELS? PB

Is there evidence to believe the Gospels? The Gospels--Matthew, Mark, Luke, John--are four accounts of Jesus's life and teachings while on earth.

But should we accept them as historically accurate? What evidence is there that the recorded events actually happened?

Presenting a case for the historical reliability of the Gospels, New Testament scholar Peter Williams examines evidence from non-Christian sources, assesses how accurately the four biblical accounts reflect the cultural context of their day, compares different accounts of the same events, and looks at how these texts were handed down throughout the centuries. Everyone from the skeptic to the scholar will find powerful arguments in favor of trusting the Gospels as trustworthy accounts of Jesus's earthly life.

Review from the GLO General Director, Stephen McQuoid:

Hot off the press comes Can we Trust the Gospels? by Peter Williams of Tyndale House. This book is the fruit, not just of Williams own work, but also that of colleagues within the Tyndale fraternity. Williams begins by looking at non-Christian sources that validate the truthfulness of the story of Jesus and his followers. These include Tacitus, Tiberias and Josephus, and their contribution to our knowledge of Jesus and the early church is outlined.

Williams then turns to the gospels themselves and works through a variety of arguments that establish their credibility. Interestingly he defends a very early date for the gospels, though he stops short of suggesting exactly when they were written. He also correctly notes that the driver for a late dating of the gospels is not the evidence, but anti-supernatural bias. Next, he points out that the gospel writers demonstrate accurate knowledge both of the geography and customs of the holy land, and also that the gospels contain names which we know were popular names in Palestine during the first century. These establish both how early the gospel records must have been and also the likelihood that these are historical records and not made up stories. To this, Williams adds undersigned coincidences which are more subtle indicators of the reliability of the documents, before going on to give reasons as to why we believe they record the actual words of Jesus.

Williams finishes off the book by giving reasons for believing that the text of the gospels has not been changed over the years. Most compellingly, he points out that there are literally only a handful of verses that can be questioned in any way and these do not affect the essential meaning of the story of Jesus. This is an excellent little book and an accessible guide to the reliability of the gospel records.

Product details:

Paperback: 160 pages November 2018
ISBN-13: 978-1433552953
Product Dimensions: 13.3 x 1 x 20.3 cm