The Existence of Jesus Christ
Posted in Study of God on April 20, 2008 by Glen H
Historians today have fairly well dismissed Jesus as being historical — A Candidate for the Progressive Labor Party in New York
There are many people today that would look at the quote above and completely agree with the lady’s statement. Many people today will completely dismiss anything concerning Christianity because they simply can not believe that the Jesus it talks about actually existed.
We are going to examine this problem, the same way historical experts would examine the authenticity of any form of historical writings.
The experts use three forms of evidence to test something. They are
1) Bibliographical tests
2) Internal Evidence Test
3) External Evidence Test
Let us look at each test they use to see if all the writings and history support the existence of Jesus Christ
BIBLIOGRAPHICAL TEST
Joh 20:31 But these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through his name.
This form of testing is the examination of documents we have, that have reached us since the original ones have been written. Another term used to describe the documents we have concerning a topic could be manuscripts. We will be using the term “manuscript” throughout this article.
Another very important point regarding this form of study is what time period is between the original happenings and writings, and the writings we have today.
The first part of this that we will notice concerning this issue is the New Testament which is the part of the Bible that speaks about Jesus’ life. If someone does not believe that Jesus existed, one main reason is because they do not believe the books of the New Testament from Matthew to Revelations.
So how many copies of the Bible do we have?
In the Greek language, we have approximately 5,686 manuscripts
In the Latin language we have over 10,000 manuscripts
In other early versions of the languages we have at least 9,300 manuscripts
So if you do the math you easily come to the knowledge that there are at least 25,000 manuscripts, whole or in part of the New Testament; which is an important point in the Bibliographical test.
It is very important to note, that there is not another single event in history that is as well claimed to as the life of Jesus Christ, according to the writings about him. There is no historical event in history that has anywhere near as many manuscripts supporting it as does Christ. One who could study this form of examination could say this:
“To be skeptical of the resultant text of the New Testament books is to allow all of classical antiquity to slip into obscurity, for no documents of the ancient period are as well attested bibliographically as the New Testament.” — John Warwick Montgomery
Followed is another very lengthy quote from a historian that gives examples of other events in history. Some events in history may not be familiar to you, but the point of the quote is to show the closeness of the writings we have today from when the event actually happened.
“Perhaps we can appreciate how wealthy the New Testament is in manuscript attestation if we compare the textual material for other ancient historical works. For Caesar’s Gallic Wars (composed between 58 and 50 B.C.) there are several extant Manuscripts, but only nine or ten are good, and the oldest is some 900 years later than Caesar’s day. Of the 142 books of the Roman history of Livy ( 59 B.C. - A.D. 17), only 35 survive; these are known to us from not more then 20 manuscripts of any consequence, only one of which and that containing fragments of Books 3-6 is as old as the fourth century. of the 14 books of the Histories of Tacitus (c. A.D. 100) only four and a half survive; of the 16 books of his Annals, 10 survive in full and two in part. The text of these extant portions of his two great historical works depends entirely on two manuscripts, one of the ninth century and one of the eleventh….The history of Thucydides (c. 460-400 B.C.) is known to us from eight manuscripts, the earliest belonging to c. A.D. 900 and a few papyrus scraps, belonging to about the beginning of the Christian era. The same is true of the History of Herodotus (B.C. 488-428). Yet no classical scholar would listen to an argument that the authenticity of Herodotus or Thucydides is in doubt because the earliest manuscripts of their works which are of any use to us are over 1,300 years later then the originals” F.F. Bruce - The New Testament Document.
When it comes to the age of New Testament manuscripts, some of the earliest ones is just 100 years after Jesus Christ would have died and then left this earth. This is remarkably early considering they are copies of originals. Another amazing thing is that even though there are a large number of manuscripts supporting the information in the New Testament, all are in agreement with one another, and none lose the basic, important teachings. Even though they were copied and spread fast during the first 200 years after Jesus Christ was here.
Much more could be said about this topic, if you are interested feel free to search your local Christian Book store or Amazon.ca for more books concerning the reliability of the New Testament.
INTERNAL EVIDENCE TEST
This form of evidence can be easily explained in this term: “one must listen to the claims of the document under analysis, and not assume fraud or error unless the author disqualified himself by contradictions or known factual inaccuracies” — John Warwick Montgomery
In other words, if you have a document in front of you and the author claims it is true, and all the information he has provided can not be proven false, and in fact a lot of the evidence you can prove to be true; then you must accept it. Concerning this topic a great Bible studier by the name of Mr. Archer, a man who knew over 30 languages, and taught for over 30 years in Biblical criticism could say on this topic:
“There is a good and sufficient answer in Scripture itself to refute every charge that has ever been leveled against it.” Mr. Archer could continue to go on to see that all archaeological evidence has supported the Bible. Nothing has ever been proven wrong.
Everything spoken about Jesus in the Bible has never been proven false; the cities he visited and such are actual places. The Bible works as a wonderful history book.
(Here’s some basic links to biblical information showing it’s accuracy in some of its information:
http://www.answersingenesis.org/creation/v21/i2/jericho.asp
http://www.answersingenesis.org/Home/Area/feedback/negative21-May-2001.asp
http://www.aboutbibleprophecy.com/
EXTERNAL EVIDENCE TEST
“Do other historical materials confirm or deny the internal testimony provided by the documents themselves?” — Montgomery
In Philosopher Bertrand Russell’s essay titled “Why I Am Not A Christian” he could write “Historically it is quite doubtful whether Christ ever existed at all, and if he did we do not know anything about Him.”
This is a very common quote by many people who have a hard time believing that Jesus Christ ever existed. Even Thomas Paine one of the most infamous Atheists of America and who held Christianity in utter contempt was aware of his history enough to know that Jesus Christ existed: “He [Jesus Christ] was a virtuous and amiable man. The morality that he preached and practiced was of the most benevolent kind….”
In a moment we will look at historical references of both Christian writers and non-Christians writers of history that show the reality of this claim that Jesus existed.
What many people do not realize though is that Christianity is based off facts and history. It is not a religion that can not be supported by evidence like many today. The claims made by Mormons historically and archaeologically can not be supported; the same with Jehovah’s Witnesses and many other religions, but when it comes to Jesus Christ and the New Testament, and the claims that Jesus Christ was God, the Saviour of the world. Evidence if needed can help support the reality.
“True Christianity, the Christianity of the New Testament documents, is absolutely depended on history. At the heart of New Testament faith is the assertion that God was in Christ, reconciling the world to Himself…” — Donald Hagner (New Testament Scholar)
External Christian Writings
Irenaeus, the Bishop of Lyons (A.D. 180), who was a student of Polycarp, the Bishop of Smyrna in A.D. 156 (who in turn had been a student of John the Apostle) could write in his day: “So firm is the ground upon which these Gospels rest, that the very heretics themselves bear witness to them…” — Against Heresies 3
Clement of Rome (A.D. 95) used writings from the New Testament as being reliable
Polycarp (A.D. 70-156); this man was a disciple of John the Apostle and his life and actions showed the truth of what he believed. Even as he was about to burnt at the stake he could say to the multitude listening: “Eighty and Six years have I served Him, and he hath done me no wrong. How can I speak evil of my King who saved me?” — Polycarp believed Jesus Christ existed
Non Christian Writings
Tacitus: This man many have called the most accurate historian of the ancient world. Any who have studied ancient Rome history will recall the great fire in Nero’s day. Many blamed it on Nero, but Nero took it as an opportunity to persecute the Christians. Below is a lengthy quote from this historian Tacitus (A.D. 55-120)
(Note: the term Christus in this quote is a misspelling of the word Christ and was common among non-Christian writers)
“But not all the relief that could come from man, not all the bounties that the prince could bestow, nor all the atonements which could be presented to the gods, availed to relieve Nero from the infamy of being believed to have ordered the conflagration, the fire of Rome. Hence to suppress the rumour, he falsely charged with the guilt, and punished with the most exquisite tortures, the persons commonly called Christians, who were hated for their enormities. Christus, the founder of the name, was put to death by Pontius Pilate, procurator of Judea in the reign of Tiberius: but the pernicious superstition, repressed for a time, broke out again, not only through Judea, where the mischief originated, but through the city of Rome also.” (Annals XV, 44)
Pliny the Younger has an interesting writing. Below is the writings from Josh McDowell’s book “The New Evidence that Demands a Verdict” You can find this writing below on page 121, 4B Pliny The Younger
“Governor of Bithynia in Asia Minor (A.D. 112), Pliny was writing the emperor Trajan to seek counsel as to how to treat the Christians. He explained that he had been killing both men and women, boys and girls. There were so many being put to death that he wondered if he should continue killing anyone who was discovered to be a Christian, or if he should kill only certain ones. He explained that he had made the Christians bow down to the statues of Trajan. Pliny goes on to say that he also ‘made them curse Christ, which a genuine Christian cannot be induced to do.’ In the same letter he says of the people being tried: ‘They affirmed, however, that the whole of their guilt, or their error, was, that they were in the habit of meeting on a certain fixed day before it was light, when they sang in alternate verse a hymn to Christ as to a god, and bound themselves to a solemn oath, not to do any wicked deeds, but never to commit any fraud, theft, adultery, never to falsify their word, not to deny a trust when they should be called upon to deliver it up.’ (Epistles X, 96)
Josephus ben Mattathias (37/38 A.D. died after 100 A.D.)
Josephus is perhaps one of the most well known historians. He was a Jew but working for the Romans. Below is a quote by Josephus:
“Now there was about this time Jesus, a wise 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. And when Pilate, at the suggestion of the principal men among us, had condemned him to the cross, those that loved him at the first did not forsake him. And the tribe of Christians so named from him are not extinct at this day. ” Antiquities, XVIII, 33)
CONCLUSION
There are many historical references to the existence of Jesus Christ; people that had no love for the early Christians still acknowledged that Jesus Christ existed. So the evidence is left to you. This is only a very small percentage of evidence that could be presented to support the historical Jesus. Will we allow illogical thoughts to continue, and dismiss Jesus Christ? Are we willing to accept the method of examination to support the existence of William Shakespeare, Socrates, Plato etc, but not for Jesus Christ?
I pray that you will realize that Jesus Christ existed. That Jesus Christ was and is God. He died for your sins, and rose again, to save you from your sins and hell. Will you disregard Him another day? Or trust Him for what He has done for you.
1 Corinthians 15:3 For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures;
4 And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures:
