By Andrew Winter
1.
Before answering the objections brought against the reliability of the Gospels, it is first helpful to know what the Gospels are not. They are not transcriptions of Jesus’ sayings, nor are they history textbooks. They are books about God, Who will always escape our full understanding. Nevertheless, we have very good evidence that the Gospels tell us the story of Jesus accurately.
2.
The Gospels of Matthew and John are eyewitness accounts, and Mark and Luke based their books mostly on eyewitness testimony as well. All the Gospels were written within 60 years of Jesus’ death, which is much closer in time than most ancient biographies. For example, surviving biographies of Alexander the Great were written about 400 years after he died, yet they are widely accepted as true.
3.
Contemporary documents support the events related in the Gospels, such as Josephus’ account of the crucifixion of Jesus. The Gospels have more cross-references in other texts than the majority of ancient writings.
4. Non-Christian skeptics point out that the Gospels seem to contradict themselves, but this false view arises from a misinterpretation of the type of literature in question. As with many biographies of the time, the Gospel authors sometimes compressed details for easier writing and reading, or presented events out of order for dramatic and thematic effect. Sometimes ancient authors left out characters or details that did not play an important part in the story; this is why, for example, Matthew only mentions one angel at Jesus’ tomb, while Luke mentions two.
5.
Another compelling defense of the truth in the Gospels comes from the details which the authors chose to relate even though they would hurt the cause of Christianity. If the authors were trying to make up a religion and start a great movement, they would not have included the recurring foolishness of the Apostles, or Jesus’ apparent weakness and doubt during the Agony in the Garden.
6.
Every one of the Apostles, except John, was killed for the faith he preached; if the Gospels were written by pretenders hoping to found a new religion, the early Christians would have acknowledged their lies before enduring torture and death.
7.
As the Gospels were written in the decades following Jesus’ Resurrection, many people were still living who had met Jesus, who knew the Romano-Jewish culture surrounding Him, and who would easily be able to contradict any made-up stories of Jesus’ divinity. Yet the Gospel took root in the hearts of the Middle Eastern peoples, and no evidence brought against it could discredit its wonderful truth.
8.
Matthew, Mark and Luke are all very similar books, and some scholars today insist that there must have been a “Q Gospel,” a mysterious document written before any of the Gospels. Matthew, Mark, and Luke supposedly drew source material from the “Q,” which contained Jesus’ deeds and sayings. Some Catholics believe this document is real, and it does not alter the authority or veracity of the four canonical Gospels.
9.
In the end, the teachings and doings of Jesus are too outlandish and unpredictable to be made up. The Gospels propose to depict the actions of God, and no one could ever have invented His infinitely wise actions with a limited imagination.
