WEBVTT

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 Hello, everyone. It's good to see you all again this week.

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 I want to welcome you back to part two of our three-part series on the reliability of the New Testament.

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 For those of you who don't know me, my name is Tom Schmidt. I'm a Ph.D. student at Yale University.

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 I focus on the history of Christianity and also the history of the New Testament.

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 Last week when I was with you all, I talked about the preservation of the New Testament.

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 That was part one, and we saw how carefully and reliably the text of the New Testament has been preserved over the centuries.

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 And today in part two, I'm going to talk about the accuracy of the New Testament.

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 And we'll cover how the content of the New Testament is accurate, how it's true, and how it's trustworthy.

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 And then next week, we'll talk about the canonicity of the New Testament,

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 and I'll speak about how the New Testament was assembled and put together.

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 And we're going in this order because these topics lead into one another fairly naturally.

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 So last week, we saw how the New Testament has been well-preserved,

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 but we all know that it's possible for someone to write a document

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 that's full of exaggerations and misstatements and even lies,

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 and then have that document preserved over the centuries.

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 So if the New Testament is truly reliable,

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 then it needs to be more than just carefully preserved.

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 It also needs to be accurate and true, and that's what we'll cover today.

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 We'll investigate why we can trust that the New Testament is trustworthy,

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 why we can trust that what it says about Jesus is true,

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 why its claims are factual,

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 and this pertains especially to the New Testament's central claim

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 that Jesus was crucified and buried and then resurrected three days later.

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 Why don't we open with prayer, though, before we begin.

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 Father in Heaven, I want to thank You for this opportunity to gather together here safely together

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 and to learn about Your Word.

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 And we ask, in the name of Jesus, that You would send Your Holy Spirit into our hearts this morning,

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 and that You would help us to grow in trust in Your Word,

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 and above all, trust in You,

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 that we would depend on You.

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 Lord, I pray if there's any of us here who are searching for You,

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 that You would be revealed in this time.

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 I pray, Lord, that You would calm any troubled hearts,

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 and that You would forgive any unforgiven sins.

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 Lord, I pray You'd open our hearts to hear what You have to say today.

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 And we pray all of this in the mighty name of Jesus.

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 Amen.

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 All right, so let's get started.

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 Why can we trust that the New Testament is accurate and true?

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 You know, sometimes we hear accusations

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 that the New Testament is based on myths or folk tales,

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 that it's inaccurate or deceptive.

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 I've heard these claims many times,

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 both in popular culture and in the classroom.

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 I'm sure some of you may have heard these things as well.

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 But I'm here to tell you today that all this is wrong.

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 The New Testament is not based on rumors or lies or myths,

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 and indeed there are several reasons

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 why we can trust its factual claims.

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 Now, these reasons build on one another,

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 so we're going to begin with the most fundamental reason.

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 We can trust that the New Testament

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 is not made up of myths or rumors.

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 We can trust that it's true and accurate,

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 first and foremost,

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 because it is based on eyewitness testimony.

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 It's not based off of rumor or hearsay.

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 And these eyewitnesses who are behind the documents of the New Testament

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 were in a position to know what Jesus said

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 and to report it accurately.

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 Let me give you some examples of this.

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 John, the disciple of Jesus,

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 he writes in the New Testament in his first letter.

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 He talks about Jesus,

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 and he calls him the word of life.

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 And he says this,

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 He says,

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 He says,

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 That which was from the beginning,

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 which we have heard,

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 which we have seen with our eyes,

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 which we have looked at,

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 and our hands have touched,

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 this we proclaim concerning the word of life,

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 the life appeared.

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 We have seen it and testified to it,

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 and we proclaim to you the eternal life

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 which was with the Father

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 and has appeared to us.

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 We proclaim to you

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 what we have seen and heard.

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 John tells us here

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 that he's preaching

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 not something that he just heard about distantly,

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 a rumor or anything like that,

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 but something that he witnessed.

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 He saw Jesus with his eyes.

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 He touched him with his hands.

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 He directly heard him with his ears.

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 And Peter, another disciple of Jesus,

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 he says the same thing in the New Testament

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 in his second letter.

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 He says,

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 We did not follow cleverly devised tales

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 when we made known to you

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 the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ,

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 but we were eyewitnesses of his majesty.

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 Other New Testament authors make similar claims.

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 Luke, who wrote the Gospel of Luke,

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 he says in the beginning

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 that he interviewed eyewitnesses about Jesus.

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 He says,

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 Inasmuch as many have undertaken

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 to compile an account

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 of the things accomplished among us,

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 just as they were handed down to us

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 by those who from the beginning

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 were eyewitnesses and servants of the word,

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 it seemed fitting for me as well.

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 Having investigated everything carefully

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 from the beginning

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 to write it out for you

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 in consecutive order,

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 most excellent Theophilus,

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 so that you may know the exact truth

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 about the things that you have been taught.

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 Theophilus, whom Luke mentions,

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 he was the person to whom Luke wrote.

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 And Luke tells him,

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 I went to the eyewitnesses.

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 I investigated everything carefully

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 so that I could tell the exact truth to you.

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 So we've heard from the Apostle John,

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 the Apostle Peter,

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 Luke the evangelist,

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 but we've got more witnesses.

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 We have the Apostle Paul.

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 He also testifies as an eyewitness,

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 and he gives what is perhaps

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 the earliest account

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 of the resurrection of Jesus.

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 In his own words to the Corinthians,

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 he says,

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 I delivered to you as of first importance

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 what I also received,

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 that Christ died for our sins

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 in accordance to the Scriptures,

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 that he was buried,

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 that he was raised on the third day

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 in accordance with the Scriptures,

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 and that he appeared to Cephas,

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 that's Peter,

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 and then to the twelve,

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 the twelve apostles.

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 Then he appeared to more than

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 five hundred brothers at one time,

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 most of whom are still alive,

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 though some have fallen asleep.

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 Then he appeared to James,

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 and to all the apostles,

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 last of all,

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 as to one untimely born,

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 he appeared also to me.

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 The resurrection of Jesus

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 is the essence of our faith,

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 and Paul gives his own eyewitness

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 testimony of it here.

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 And indeed,

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 the twelve apostles agree.

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 They say in the book of Acts,

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 this Jesus God raised up,

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 and of that we all are witnesses.

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 The fact that the New Testament

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 is based on eyewitness testimony

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 is so well established

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 that even anti-Christian sources agree.

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 Now what do I mean by these

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 anti-Christian sources?

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 These sources were ancient writers

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 who attacked Christianity

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 in the second through fourth centuries.

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 They were people like Celsus and Porphyry,

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 Heracles and Julian the Apostate,

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 they were highly educated,

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 powerful,

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 and extremely hostile to Christianity,

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 but even when they were attacking

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 the New Testament,

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 they still attributed its writings

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 to Jesus' disciples.

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 These ancient skeptics

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 did not believe

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 that the New Testament documents

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 were written under false names

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 far after the time of Jesus,

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 and hence were based on rumors

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 or hearsay,

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 like some scholars

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 try to maintain today.

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 They acknowledged

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 that the disciples

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 wrote these documents.

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 So if such hostile sources agree

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 that the disciples

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 were ultimately behind

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 the New Testament,

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 then we also can be sure

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 that the New Testament

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 is indeed based on eyewitness testimony,

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 and that its account

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 of the life of Jesus

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 and his resurrection

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 is not based off of

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 mere rumor or hearsay.

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 But I want to ask you something.

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 Even if we can be sure

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 that the New Testament

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 is based on eyewitness testimony,

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 how can we be sure

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 that the eyewitnesses

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 were telling the truth?

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 We all know that eyewitnesses

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 can lie,

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 so do we have good reason

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 to think that these eyewitnesses

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 are being truthful

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 and that they're not

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 fabricating their claims?

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 Well, we have several reasons

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 to trust the claims

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 of these eyewitnesses.

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 I'll start with the first one.

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 Firstly, they did not have

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 a motive to lie

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 about the resurrection of Jesus.

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 They did not gain materially

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 from their claims.

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 They did not gain money.

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 They did not gain fame.

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 They did not gain power

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 or earthly benefit

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 by preaching that Jesus

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 was the Son of God

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 and that he was resurrected.

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 Not only does the New Testament

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 testify to this,

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 but even those ancient critics

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 of Christianity

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 that I mentioned earlier,

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 like Celsus and Julian,

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 even they agree with this.

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 In fact,

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 when you read their writings,

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 they mocked the apostles

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 for being poor,

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 for being members

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 of the underclass,

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 for being uneducated,

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 for being friends

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 with slaves

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 and the lower classes

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 and minority groups.

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 They knew that the apostles

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 did not gain riches

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 or political power

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 for following Jesus.

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 They knew that they were impoverished

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 and they mocked them for it.

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 In fact,

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 far from seeking material gain

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 for their beliefs,

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 the apostles and authors

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 of the New Testament,

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 they knowingly risked

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 persecution,

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 humiliation,

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 scorn,

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 shame,

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 and even death.

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 And indeed,

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 many of them

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 were executed

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 for their faith in Jesus.

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 And all of them

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 were persecuted

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 and even tortured.

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 But when the authorities

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 warned them

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 to stop preaching

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 in the name of Jesus

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 and threaten them

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 with punishment,

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 the book of Acts says

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 that they replied,

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 we cannot but speak

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 of what we have seen

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 and heard.

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 Despite all these threats,

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 they still continued

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 to proclaim

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 that Jesus was resurrected.

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 And just look at

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 the outcome of their lives.

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 Peter was executed.

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 Paul was executed.

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 John was exiled

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 as a prisoner

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 to the island of Patmos.

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 James,

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 the brother of John,

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 was beheaded.

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 Matthew was executed.

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 Thaddeus was executed.

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 Nathanael was executed.

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 James,

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 the brother of Jesus,

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 was executed.

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 We all have good historical data

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 that points to these facts.

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 And more than this,

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 we have evidence

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 that many other early Christians

00:10:08.959 --> 00:10:10.399
 suffered the same fate.

00:10:10.679 --> 00:10:11.319
 And the fact

00:10:11.319 --> 00:10:12.000
 that the apostles

00:10:12.000 --> 00:10:13.559
 were terribly persecuted

00:10:13.559 --> 00:10:14.500
 for their belief

00:10:14.500 --> 00:10:15.779
 in the resurrection of Jesus

00:10:15.779 --> 00:10:17.939
 is so indisputable

00:10:17.940 --> 00:10:19.380
 it's so beyond question

00:10:19.380 --> 00:10:20.060
 that again,

00:10:20.220 --> 00:10:22.000
 even those anti-Christian sources

00:10:22.000 --> 00:10:23.160
 agree with this.

00:10:24.280 --> 00:10:25.460
 They tell us this.

00:10:25.540 --> 00:10:26.140
 They tell us

00:10:26.140 --> 00:10:26.700
 that the apostles

00:10:26.700 --> 00:10:27.360
 were persecuted

00:10:27.360 --> 00:10:28.900
 and that they were executed.

00:10:28.900 --> 00:10:29.540
 We see this,

00:10:29.640 --> 00:10:30.040
 for example,

00:10:30.340 --> 00:10:31.360
 in the Jewish Talmud

00:10:31.360 --> 00:10:33.080
 and the Jewish historian Josephus

00:10:33.080 --> 00:10:33.980
 which claimed that

00:10:33.980 --> 00:10:35.060
 Matthew and Thaddeus

00:10:35.060 --> 00:10:35.700
 and Nathanael

00:10:35.700 --> 00:10:36.760
 and James were executed.

00:10:37.160 --> 00:10:38.580
 The Roman historian Tacitus

00:10:38.580 --> 00:10:39.260
 tells us

00:10:39.260 --> 00:10:40.140
 of a persecution

00:10:40.140 --> 00:10:41.520
 of Christians in Rome

00:10:41.520 --> 00:10:42.460
 under Emperor Nero

00:10:42.460 --> 00:10:44.580
 that sounds exactly like

00:10:44.580 --> 00:10:45.600
 the circumstances

00:10:45.600 --> 00:10:47.080
 under which Peter

00:10:47.080 --> 00:10:48.360
 and perhaps also Paul

00:10:48.360 --> 00:10:49.379
 were executed.

00:10:49.879 --> 00:10:51.620
 But despite such great persecution,

00:10:51.820 --> 00:10:53.420
 the apostles and eyewitnesses

00:10:53.420 --> 00:10:54.920
 continued to maintain

00:10:54.920 --> 00:10:55.860
 that Jesus

00:10:55.860 --> 00:10:58.399
 really was resurrected.

00:10:59.120 --> 00:11:00.500
 These sufferings

00:11:00.500 --> 00:11:01.460
 are not something

00:11:01.460 --> 00:11:02.040
 that people

00:11:02.040 --> 00:11:03.320
 would endure

00:11:03.320 --> 00:11:04.060
 for a claim

00:11:04.060 --> 00:11:04.960
 that they knew

00:11:04.960 --> 00:11:06.180
 was a lie.

00:11:06.740 --> 00:11:07.080
 Instead,

00:11:07.279 --> 00:11:08.420
 it seems far more likely

00:11:08.420 --> 00:11:09.139
 that the apostles

00:11:09.139 --> 00:11:09.940
 were simply

00:11:09.940 --> 00:11:11.800
 telling the truth.

00:11:12.300 --> 00:11:13.240
 So for the first,

00:11:13.240 --> 00:11:14.500
 the first reason

00:11:14.500 --> 00:11:15.460
 that we can trust

00:11:15.460 --> 00:11:16.139
 the eyewitnesses

00:11:16.139 --> 00:11:16.659
 is because they

00:11:16.659 --> 00:11:18.180
 didn't have worldly motives

00:11:18.180 --> 00:11:18.560
 to lie.

00:11:18.639 --> 00:11:19.060
 They had nothing

00:11:19.060 --> 00:11:19.820
 to gain from it.

00:11:20.000 --> 00:11:21.000
 And the second reason

00:11:21.000 --> 00:11:21.980
 is because they had

00:11:21.980 --> 00:11:23.000
 everything to lose.

00:11:23.360 --> 00:11:23.940
 And indeed,

00:11:24.039 --> 00:11:24.799
 they were persecuted

00:11:24.799 --> 00:11:27.200
 for what they believed.

00:11:27.399 --> 00:11:28.120
 But they continued

00:11:28.120 --> 00:11:28.700
 to preach.

00:11:29.399 --> 00:11:30.240
 And this trustworthy

00:11:30.240 --> 00:11:31.659
 character of the apostles

00:11:31.659 --> 00:11:33.879
 was so steadfast

00:11:33.879 --> 00:11:35.940
 that they passed it down

00:11:35.940 --> 00:11:38.039
 to their own disciples.

00:11:38.340 --> 00:11:39.340
 Just like Jesus,

00:11:39.820 --> 00:11:40.480
 the apostles

00:11:40.480 --> 00:11:41.639
 went on to have

00:11:41.639 --> 00:11:43.000
 disciples of their own.

00:11:43.000 --> 00:11:44.159
 And when we examine

00:11:44.159 --> 00:11:45.440
 the character of these men,

00:11:45.759 --> 00:11:46.440
 these followers

00:11:46.440 --> 00:11:47.159
 of the apostles,

00:11:47.399 --> 00:11:48.639
 we see that they also

00:11:48.639 --> 00:11:49.679
 conducted themselves

00:11:49.679 --> 00:11:51.279
 in the same way

00:11:51.279 --> 00:11:52.159
 as Jesus

00:11:52.159 --> 00:11:53.639
 and the apostles did.

00:11:53.799 --> 00:11:55.080
 They also suffered

00:11:55.080 --> 00:11:56.039
 and were martyred

00:11:56.039 --> 00:11:57.019
 for their faith in Jesus.

00:11:57.120 --> 00:11:57.580
 So let me give you

00:11:57.580 --> 00:11:58.340
 some examples here.

00:11:58.639 --> 00:12:00.360
 We have Ignatius of Antioch,

00:12:00.460 --> 00:12:01.360
 Polycarp of Smyrna.

00:12:01.620 --> 00:12:02.379
 These both were

00:12:02.379 --> 00:12:03.500
 disciples of the apostles.

00:12:04.000 --> 00:12:05.580
 We both have their writings

00:12:05.580 --> 00:12:07.759
 that remain for us to read

00:12:07.759 --> 00:12:08.980
 and both of them

00:12:08.980 --> 00:12:10.100
 were executed

00:12:10.100 --> 00:12:11.360
 for their faith in Jesus.

00:12:11.360 --> 00:12:13.399
 If we look at Ignatius

00:12:13.399 --> 00:12:14.240
 specifically,

00:12:14.519 --> 00:12:15.700
 we see that he was

00:12:15.700 --> 00:12:16.680
 a disciple of Peter

00:12:16.680 --> 00:12:18.680
 and in the year 107 AD,

00:12:19.240 --> 00:12:19.960
 he was awaiting

00:12:19.960 --> 00:12:20.860
 his execution

00:12:20.860 --> 00:12:22.200
 for being a Christian

00:12:22.200 --> 00:12:23.480
 and during this time

00:12:23.480 --> 00:12:24.279
 he wrote a letter.

00:12:24.840 --> 00:12:25.680
 And in this letter,

00:12:25.800 --> 00:12:26.899
 he talks about Peter

00:12:26.899 --> 00:12:28.200
 witnessing the resurrection

00:12:28.200 --> 00:12:28.740
 of Jesus

00:12:28.740 --> 00:12:29.740
 and what he says

00:12:29.740 --> 00:12:30.940
 sums up exactly

00:12:30.940 --> 00:12:32.340
 what I've been saying.

00:12:32.779 --> 00:12:33.680
 This is what he writes.

00:12:34.000 --> 00:12:34.360
 He says,

00:12:34.360 --> 00:12:35.519
 For Jesus suffered

00:12:35.519 --> 00:12:36.440
 all these things

00:12:36.440 --> 00:12:37.259
 for our sakes

00:12:37.259 --> 00:12:39.300
 in order that we might be saved.

00:12:39.519 --> 00:12:40.759
 And he truly suffered

00:12:40.759 --> 00:12:43.860
 just as he truly raised himself,

00:12:44.240 --> 00:12:45.980
 not as unbelievers say.

00:12:46.820 --> 00:12:48.419
 For I know and believe

00:12:48.419 --> 00:12:49.700
 that he was in the flesh

00:12:49.700 --> 00:12:50.879
 even after the resurrection.

00:12:51.360 --> 00:12:52.480
 And when he came to Peter

00:12:52.480 --> 00:12:53.159
 and those with him,

00:12:53.200 --> 00:12:53.800
 he said to him,

00:12:54.100 --> 00:12:55.340
 Take hold of me

00:12:55.340 --> 00:12:56.440
 and handle me

00:12:56.440 --> 00:12:57.960
 and see that I am not

00:12:57.960 --> 00:12:59.240
 a disembodied spirit.

00:12:59.740 --> 00:13:00.480
 And immediately,

00:13:00.740 --> 00:13:01.700
 they touched him

00:13:01.700 --> 00:13:02.580
 and believed,

00:13:02.920 --> 00:13:04.080
 being closely united

00:13:04.080 --> 00:13:05.259
 with his flesh and blood.

00:13:05.379 --> 00:13:07.200
 And for this reason,

00:13:07.420 --> 00:13:10.040
 they too despised death.

00:13:10.440 --> 00:13:11.420
 Indeed, they proved

00:13:11.420 --> 00:13:13.060
 to be greater than death.

00:13:13.980 --> 00:13:15.180
 And after his resurrection,

00:13:15.360 --> 00:13:16.440
 he ate and drank with them

00:13:16.440 --> 00:13:18.259
 like one who is composed of flesh,

00:13:18.540 --> 00:13:19.360
 although spiritually

00:13:19.360 --> 00:13:20.640
 he was united with the Father.

00:13:21.600 --> 00:13:23.120
 Here, Ignatius proclaims

00:13:23.120 --> 00:13:24.100
 the resurrection of Jesus.

00:13:24.100 --> 00:13:25.460
 He says that he knows

00:13:25.460 --> 00:13:26.520
 Jesus appeared to Peter

00:13:26.520 --> 00:13:27.420
 and for this reason,

00:13:27.860 --> 00:13:28.820
 Peter and the apostles

00:13:28.820 --> 00:13:30.480
 despised death.

00:13:30.480 --> 00:13:32.539
 Why did they do this?

00:13:32.840 --> 00:13:34.100
 Because they had seen

00:13:34.100 --> 00:13:36.460
 the one who had conquered death

00:13:36.460 --> 00:13:37.920
 and they knew death

00:13:37.920 --> 00:13:39.759
 had power over them no longer.

00:13:40.659 --> 00:13:41.920
 And Ignatius joyfully

00:13:41.920 --> 00:13:43.200
 testifies to this

00:13:43.200 --> 00:13:44.680
 while he is condemned

00:13:44.680 --> 00:13:46.100
 to die the same fate.

00:13:46.680 --> 00:13:47.879
 What a powerful testimony.

00:13:48.399 --> 00:13:49.000
 Consider this.

00:13:49.259 --> 00:13:49.899
 The New Testament

00:13:49.899 --> 00:13:50.620
 was not written

00:13:50.620 --> 00:13:51.800
 by a bunch of rich,

00:13:51.920 --> 00:13:52.279
 powerful,

00:13:52.420 --> 00:13:53.480
 highly educated people

00:13:53.480 --> 00:13:54.659
 who gained wealth

00:13:54.659 --> 00:13:55.379
 and influence

00:13:55.379 --> 00:13:56.720
 and fame and power

00:13:56.720 --> 00:13:57.700
 from their preaching.

00:13:58.159 --> 00:13:58.440
 Instead,

00:13:58.560 --> 00:13:59.039
 the New Testament

00:13:59.039 --> 00:14:00.139
 was written by a group

00:14:00.139 --> 00:14:01.360
 of carpenters,

00:14:01.480 --> 00:14:02.159
 of fishermen,

00:14:02.419 --> 00:14:03.220
 of tent makers

00:14:03.220 --> 00:14:04.100
 and prisoners.

00:14:04.759 --> 00:14:05.860
 And they were persecuted

00:14:05.860 --> 00:14:06.620
 and tortured

00:14:06.620 --> 00:14:07.960
 and unjustly accused.

00:14:09.000 --> 00:14:10.299
 These eyewitnesses of Jesus

00:14:10.299 --> 00:14:12.860
 did not seek money

00:14:12.860 --> 00:14:13.559
 or power

00:14:13.559 --> 00:14:14.539
 like we would expect

00:14:14.539 --> 00:14:15.519
 someone who is making

00:14:15.519 --> 00:14:16.179
 something up.

00:14:16.799 --> 00:14:17.179
 Instead,

00:14:17.299 --> 00:14:18.199
 they gained suffering.

00:14:18.539 --> 00:14:19.620
 But so devoted

00:14:19.620 --> 00:14:20.159
 and committed

00:14:20.159 --> 00:14:21.480
 were they to Jesus' resurrection

00:14:21.480 --> 00:14:22.740
 that they preached it

00:14:22.740 --> 00:14:23.620
 despite the risk

00:14:23.620 --> 00:14:25.039
 and even their own disciples

00:14:25.039 --> 00:14:25.679
 did the same.

00:14:25.779 --> 00:14:26.840
 They knew that Jesus

00:14:26.840 --> 00:14:27.939
 had defeated death

00:14:27.940 --> 00:14:29.200
 and they were unafraid

00:14:29.200 --> 00:14:29.600
 of it.

00:14:30.280 --> 00:14:31.240
 And these apostles

00:14:31.240 --> 00:14:31.800
 were the one

00:14:31.800 --> 00:14:32.260
 who brought

00:14:32.260 --> 00:14:33.000
 our New Testament

00:14:33.000 --> 00:14:34.420
 and its message

00:14:34.420 --> 00:14:35.480
 of love and salvation

00:14:35.480 --> 00:14:36.680
 into our dark world.

00:14:36.780 --> 00:14:37.340
 And they did it

00:14:37.340 --> 00:14:38.200
 at great cost.

00:14:38.460 --> 00:14:39.500
 So let me summarize.

00:14:39.720 --> 00:14:40.280
 Can we trust

00:14:40.280 --> 00:14:40.960
 that the New Testament

00:14:40.960 --> 00:14:41.640
 is accurate?

00:14:42.100 --> 00:14:43.340
 Yes, we can.

00:14:43.660 --> 00:14:44.380
 It is based

00:14:44.380 --> 00:14:45.420
 on eyewitness testimony

00:14:45.420 --> 00:14:46.100
 of the apostles,

00:14:46.260 --> 00:14:47.400
 not on rumor

00:14:47.400 --> 00:14:48.060
 or report.

00:14:48.320 --> 00:14:49.320
 And these eyewitnesses

00:14:49.320 --> 00:14:49.860
 are trustworthy

00:14:49.860 --> 00:14:51.720
 because they did not

00:14:51.720 --> 00:14:53.440
 gain anything materially

00:14:53.440 --> 00:14:54.400
 from their claims.

00:14:54.560 --> 00:14:55.420
 They had no motive

00:14:55.420 --> 00:14:56.620
 to lie about the resurrection.

00:14:56.620 --> 00:14:58.399
 Rather, they risked

00:14:58.399 --> 00:14:59.639
 persecution and death.

00:14:59.960 --> 00:15:00.379
 And in fact,

00:15:00.440 --> 00:15:01.200
 their own disciples

00:15:01.200 --> 00:15:01.899
 went on to do

00:15:01.899 --> 00:15:03.259
 the very same thing as well.

00:15:03.860 --> 00:15:04.419
 And these points

00:15:04.419 --> 00:15:05.519
 are so beyond question

00:15:05.519 --> 00:15:07.120
 that even ancient

00:15:07.120 --> 00:15:08.220
 non-Christian sources

00:15:08.220 --> 00:15:09.440
 admit to many

00:15:09.440 --> 00:15:10.039
 of these things.

00:15:11.019 --> 00:15:11.560
 But you know,

00:15:11.600 --> 00:15:12.419
 so far I've been talking

00:15:12.419 --> 00:15:13.279
 about how the New Testament

00:15:13.279 --> 00:15:14.480
 writers were in a position

00:15:14.480 --> 00:15:15.419
 to know the facts

00:15:15.419 --> 00:15:16.120
 about Jesus

00:15:16.120 --> 00:15:17.200
 because they wrote

00:15:17.200 --> 00:15:17.700
 with the backing

00:15:17.700 --> 00:15:18.659
 of eyewitness testimony.

00:15:18.919 --> 00:15:19.720
 I've shown

00:15:19.720 --> 00:15:20.299
 why I think

00:15:20.299 --> 00:15:21.399
 we can trust them,

00:15:22.519 --> 00:15:23.340
 why their character

00:15:23.340 --> 00:15:24.060
 was trustworthy,

00:15:24.060 --> 00:15:25.100
 why what they were saying

00:15:25.100 --> 00:15:25.500
 is true.

00:15:25.500 --> 00:15:27.120
 But let's not stop here.

00:15:27.759 --> 00:15:29.120
 Let's see if we can test

00:15:29.120 --> 00:15:29.899
 the reliability

00:15:29.899 --> 00:15:31.320
 of the eyewitnesses

00:15:31.320 --> 00:15:32.299
 in other ways.

00:15:32.399 --> 00:15:33.419
 Let's not just trust

00:15:33.419 --> 00:15:34.559
 the character and motives

00:15:34.559 --> 00:15:35.440
 of the eyewitnesses.

00:15:35.740 --> 00:15:36.580
 Let's see if we can

00:15:36.580 --> 00:15:38.200
 test their truthfulness

00:15:38.200 --> 00:15:40.080
 and their accuracy

00:15:40.080 --> 00:15:41.879
 a little more scientifically.

00:15:42.840 --> 00:15:43.600
 As you all know,

00:15:43.700 --> 00:15:45.039
 eyewitnesses might still

00:15:45.039 --> 00:15:45.860
 have accidentally

00:15:45.860 --> 00:15:47.299
 put in false information.

00:15:47.460 --> 00:15:48.059
 They might have gotten

00:15:48.059 --> 00:15:48.820
 carried away

00:15:48.820 --> 00:15:50.120
 in their great passion

00:15:50.120 --> 00:15:52.039
 and then exaggerated things.

00:15:52.419 --> 00:15:53.059
 They might have even

00:15:53.059 --> 00:15:54.200
 convinced themselves

00:15:54.200 --> 00:15:55.740
 that something was true

00:15:55.740 --> 00:15:57.180
 when it actually wasn't.

00:15:57.840 --> 00:15:59.300
 Even if they were sincere,

00:15:59.460 --> 00:16:00.820
 they may still have been

00:16:00.820 --> 00:16:01.259
 inaccurate.

00:16:01.420 --> 00:16:02.720
 We all know honest people

00:16:02.720 --> 00:16:04.060
 who make wrong statements.

00:16:04.259 --> 00:16:05.220
 So let's do a more

00:16:05.220 --> 00:16:06.320
 thorough investigation here.

00:16:06.600 --> 00:16:07.360
 Let's see

00:16:07.360 --> 00:16:08.820
 if the New Testament

00:16:08.820 --> 00:16:09.960
 holds up to

00:16:09.960 --> 00:16:11.420
 good old-fashioned

00:16:11.420 --> 00:16:12.540
 brass tacks,

00:16:12.620 --> 00:16:13.180
 nuts and bolts,

00:16:13.300 --> 00:16:14.980
 historical scrutiny.

00:16:15.379 --> 00:16:16.340
 Let's forget about

00:16:16.340 --> 00:16:17.320
 character and motives.

00:16:17.640 --> 00:16:18.160
 And this is how

00:16:18.160 --> 00:16:19.040
 we're going to do this.

00:16:19.759 --> 00:16:20.700
 Throughout the New Testament,

00:16:20.700 --> 00:16:21.620
 the authors make

00:16:21.620 --> 00:16:23.740
 numerous historical claims.

00:16:24.220 --> 00:16:25.000
 And we can check

00:16:25.000 --> 00:16:25.720
 these claims

00:16:25.720 --> 00:16:27.540
 against the historical record

00:16:27.540 --> 00:16:28.360
 to see

00:16:28.360 --> 00:16:29.900
 if what they say

00:16:29.900 --> 00:16:31.160
 is true.

00:16:31.460 --> 00:16:32.820
 We can double-check

00:16:32.820 --> 00:16:33.920
 and cross-check

00:16:33.920 --> 00:16:35.120
 the claims of the New Testament

00:16:35.120 --> 00:16:36.300
 with what we know

00:16:36.300 --> 00:16:36.860
 from history

00:16:36.860 --> 00:16:39.240
 and see how they line up.

00:16:40.100 --> 00:16:41.040
 So when the New Testament

00:16:41.040 --> 00:16:41.960
 mentions a person

00:16:41.960 --> 00:16:42.560
 or a place

00:16:42.560 --> 00:16:43.140
 or an event,

00:16:43.460 --> 00:16:44.660
 we can check that claim

00:16:44.660 --> 00:16:45.840
 against the historical record

00:16:45.840 --> 00:16:47.100
 and see if the New Testament

00:16:47.100 --> 00:16:47.620
 is accurate.

00:16:47.620 --> 00:16:49.679
 And when we do this,

00:16:49.960 --> 00:16:51.120
 we find that the New Testament

00:16:51.120 --> 00:16:53.539
 authors were indeed accurate

00:16:53.539 --> 00:16:54.919
 and that they were not

00:16:54.919 --> 00:16:55.480
 in the habit

00:16:55.480 --> 00:16:57.179
 of making up information.

00:16:57.940 --> 00:16:58.720
 Let me show you

00:16:58.720 --> 00:16:59.179
 what I mean.

00:16:59.480 --> 00:17:00.659
 The New Testament authors

00:17:00.659 --> 00:17:01.960
 report the existence

00:17:01.960 --> 00:17:03.519
 of several Roman emperors,

00:17:03.600 --> 00:17:04.059
 for example.

00:17:04.460 --> 00:17:05.240
 And we know

00:17:05.240 --> 00:17:06.599
 from various

00:17:06.599 --> 00:17:07.819
 historical sources

00:17:07.819 --> 00:17:08.599
 that they correctly

00:17:08.599 --> 00:17:09.720
 identify them

00:17:09.720 --> 00:17:10.660
 in their proper

00:17:10.660 --> 00:17:11.839
 historical context.

00:17:12.119 --> 00:17:12.660
 And this comes

00:17:12.660 --> 00:17:13.839
 from various lines

00:17:13.839 --> 00:17:14.279
 of evidence

00:17:14.279 --> 00:17:14.779
 that we have

00:17:14.779 --> 00:17:16.019
 like historical reports,

00:17:16.140 --> 00:17:17.140
 the archaeological record,

00:17:17.140 --> 00:17:17.840
 and from coins.

00:17:17.940 --> 00:17:18.660
 You can see an example

00:17:18.660 --> 00:17:19.640
 on the screen.

00:17:19.720 --> 00:17:20.860
 So I just want to walk you

00:17:20.860 --> 00:17:21.480
 through this

00:17:21.480 --> 00:17:22.460
 a little bit.

00:17:22.740 --> 00:17:23.680
 So here we've got

00:17:23.680 --> 00:17:24.740
 Emperor Augustus.

00:17:24.820 --> 00:17:25.720
 Luke talks about him.

00:17:25.940 --> 00:17:26.759
 We know from history

00:17:26.759 --> 00:17:28.460
 Luke totally identifies him properly.

00:17:28.600 --> 00:17:29.120
 Same thing with

00:17:29.120 --> 00:17:30.080
 Emperor Tiberius.

00:17:30.540 --> 00:17:31.500
 Luke mentions him.

00:17:31.840 --> 00:17:32.120
 Boom.

00:17:32.220 --> 00:17:32.880
 He gets him right.

00:17:33.040 --> 00:17:33.560
 Same thing with

00:17:33.560 --> 00:17:34.380
 Emperor Claudius.

00:17:34.840 --> 00:17:35.620
 In Acts 18,

00:17:36.160 --> 00:17:36.800
 Luke gets him right.

00:17:36.860 --> 00:17:37.980
 Now I'm giving some coins

00:17:37.980 --> 00:17:39.420
 as examples of these folks.

00:17:39.780 --> 00:17:41.080
 We have lots of other evidence,

00:17:41.200 --> 00:17:41.440
 of course,

00:17:41.480 --> 00:17:42.080
 about these guys.

00:17:42.320 --> 00:17:43.820
 But we can keep on going here.

00:17:43.920 --> 00:17:44.520
 Herod the Great.

00:17:44.640 --> 00:17:45.420
 Matthew talks about him

00:17:45.420 --> 00:17:46.040
 in Chapter 2.

00:17:46.039 --> 00:17:47.139
 He gets it right.

00:17:47.519 --> 00:17:48.379
 Herod Archelaus.

00:17:49.539 --> 00:17:50.859
 Matthew talks about him as well.

00:17:51.220 --> 00:17:52.240
 Also gets him right.

00:17:52.559 --> 00:17:54.220
 And we can just keep going.

00:17:54.619 --> 00:17:56.379
 King Herod had lots of sons.

00:17:56.619 --> 00:17:57.920
 He called them all Herod.

00:17:58.159 --> 00:17:58.960
 Herod Philip,

00:17:59.180 --> 00:17:59.839
 we know him.

00:17:59.960 --> 00:18:00.839
 Herod Antipas,

00:18:00.920 --> 00:18:01.339
 we know him.

00:18:01.460 --> 00:18:02.460
 Herod Agrippa I,

00:18:02.859 --> 00:18:03.839
 Acts gets him right.

00:18:04.299 --> 00:18:05.519
 Herod Agrippa II,

00:18:05.819 --> 00:18:06.980
 Acts gets him right.

00:18:07.420 --> 00:18:08.379
 Here's another king,

00:18:08.539 --> 00:18:09.579
 Arathos IV.

00:18:09.819 --> 00:18:10.920
 He's mentioned in the book of Acts.

00:18:10.960 --> 00:18:12.019
 He's mentioned in 2 Corinthians.

00:18:12.500 --> 00:18:13.920
 New Testament gets him right.

00:18:13.920 --> 00:18:16.160
 Here we've got Sergius Paulus.

00:18:16.200 --> 00:18:17.600
 This is the guy who converted

00:18:17.600 --> 00:18:19.620
 under the Apostle Paul's preaching.

00:18:19.779 --> 00:18:22.360
 This is the reason why Paul is called Paul.

00:18:22.580 --> 00:18:23.620
 Because of this guy.

00:18:24.140 --> 00:18:25.900
 He changed his name because of this guy.

00:18:26.220 --> 00:18:27.000
 And we have an inscription

00:18:27.000 --> 00:18:28.200
 that talks about him.

00:18:28.740 --> 00:18:29.940
 He's relatively unknown,

00:18:30.039 --> 00:18:31.140
 less unknown than the other guys

00:18:31.140 --> 00:18:31.600
 I've mentioned.

00:18:32.100 --> 00:18:33.580
 The New Testament gets him right

00:18:33.580 --> 00:18:35.100
 in his proper historical context.

00:18:36.320 --> 00:18:37.080
 Pontius Pilate,

00:18:37.680 --> 00:18:38.940
 you know he's mentioned many times

00:18:38.940 --> 00:18:39.560
 in the New Testament.

00:18:39.559 --> 00:18:41.059
 He's the one who supervised

00:18:41.059 --> 00:18:42.200
 the trial of Jesus

00:18:42.200 --> 00:18:43.000
 and his execution.

00:18:43.720 --> 00:18:44.639
 And we know him

00:18:44.639 --> 00:18:46.480
 from many historical references.

00:18:46.679 --> 00:18:47.240
 We also know him

00:18:47.240 --> 00:18:48.500
 from this very famous inscription

00:18:48.500 --> 00:18:50.599
 that mentions his name.

00:18:52.039 --> 00:18:53.019
 But let's do

00:18:53.019 --> 00:18:54.519
 some more challenging analysis.

00:18:54.720 --> 00:18:55.799
 It's good that the New Testament

00:18:55.799 --> 00:18:57.179
 get these folks right.

00:18:57.679 --> 00:18:58.319
 But let's see

00:18:58.319 --> 00:19:00.419
 what the New Testament authors do

00:19:00.419 --> 00:19:02.899
 with other lesser known figures

00:19:02.899 --> 00:19:04.279
 whom someone would likely

00:19:04.279 --> 00:19:05.339
 only know about

00:19:05.339 --> 00:19:07.460
 if they were very well informed.

00:19:07.819 --> 00:19:08.919
 The New Testament speaks

00:19:08.920 --> 00:19:10.440
 about lots and lots of people.

00:19:11.000 --> 00:19:13.019
 I've got about 17 names on here.

00:19:13.600 --> 00:19:14.180
 Some of these

00:19:14.180 --> 00:19:15.060
 you probably recognize.

00:19:15.160 --> 00:19:16.160
 Maybe some of them you don't.

00:19:16.240 --> 00:19:17.039
 They're very obscure.

00:19:17.180 --> 00:19:18.060
 People like Bernice,

00:19:18.200 --> 00:19:19.460
 Drusilla in the Book of Acts,

00:19:19.600 --> 00:19:20.600
 Judas the Galilean,

00:19:21.000 --> 00:19:22.259
 Festus, Felix, Salome,

00:19:23.200 --> 00:19:24.160
 Annas, Ananias.

00:19:24.220 --> 00:19:25.700
 We can just keep going down this list.

00:19:25.800 --> 00:19:26.700
 Gamaliel, Herodias,

00:19:26.800 --> 00:19:27.320
 John the Baptist,

00:19:27.720 --> 00:19:28.660
 even some of the apostles.

00:19:28.880 --> 00:19:29.980
 James, the brother of Jesus,

00:19:30.160 --> 00:19:31.180
 Matthew, Nicodemus,

00:19:31.740 --> 00:19:32.640
 Nathaniel, Thaddeus.

00:19:35.300 --> 00:19:37.060
 These are relatively minor figures.

00:19:37.460 --> 00:19:38.100
 And when we check

00:19:38.099 --> 00:19:39.159
 the historical record,

00:19:39.279 --> 00:19:41.419
 we see that every single one

00:19:41.419 --> 00:19:42.439
 of these folks

00:19:42.439 --> 00:19:43.119
 is mentioned

00:19:43.119 --> 00:19:44.419
 outside the Bible

00:19:44.419 --> 00:19:46.219
 by non-Christian sources.

00:19:46.619 --> 00:19:47.279
 And the New Testament

00:19:47.279 --> 00:19:48.599
 correctly places them

00:19:48.599 --> 00:19:49.199
 in their proper

00:19:49.199 --> 00:19:50.939
 historical context.

00:19:51.359 --> 00:19:52.000
 The New Testament

00:19:52.000 --> 00:19:52.939
 is even correct

00:19:52.939 --> 00:19:54.679
 about a very minor person

00:19:54.679 --> 00:19:55.539
 named Erastus

00:19:55.539 --> 00:19:56.119
 whom I've got

00:19:56.119 --> 00:19:57.579
 mentioned below.

00:19:57.699 --> 00:19:58.459
 He lived in Corinth.

00:19:58.719 --> 00:20:00.500
 And if you go to Corinth today,

00:20:00.559 --> 00:20:01.679
 you can still see

00:20:01.679 --> 00:20:03.079
 the Erastus inscription

00:20:03.079 --> 00:20:05.219
 in the pavement right there.

00:20:05.220 --> 00:20:06.339
 He was a minister

00:20:06.339 --> 00:20:07.299
 of public works there.

00:20:07.819 --> 00:20:08.500
 And you can see

00:20:08.500 --> 00:20:09.160
 some of the bricks

00:20:09.160 --> 00:20:10.039
 that he laid

00:20:10.039 --> 00:20:11.900
 right in the first century

00:20:11.900 --> 00:20:13.279
 when Paul was in Corinth.

00:20:13.960 --> 00:20:15.259
 A person in the ancient world

00:20:15.259 --> 00:20:15.720
 wouldn't know

00:20:15.720 --> 00:20:16.860
 about many of these figures

00:20:16.860 --> 00:20:18.079
 unless they were eyewitnesses

00:20:18.079 --> 00:20:18.700
 or had access

00:20:18.700 --> 00:20:20.539
 to reliable testimony.

00:20:20.980 --> 00:20:21.980
 But we can test

00:20:21.980 --> 00:20:22.660
 the accuracy

00:20:22.660 --> 00:20:24.220
 of the New Testament authors

00:20:24.220 --> 00:20:25.319
 in other ways as well.

00:20:25.400 --> 00:20:25.920
 We've been looking

00:20:25.920 --> 00:20:26.640
 at their references

00:20:26.640 --> 00:20:27.319
 to people.

00:20:27.680 --> 00:20:28.400
 We can look at

00:20:28.400 --> 00:20:29.700
 their geographic references.

00:20:29.900 --> 00:20:30.519
 So for example,

00:20:30.960 --> 00:20:31.779
 this map shows

00:20:31.779 --> 00:20:33.160
 dozens of locations

00:20:33.160 --> 00:20:34.820
 mentioned in the New Testament.

00:20:36.040 --> 00:20:37.000
 And the New Testament

00:20:37.000 --> 00:20:38.240
 correctly places

00:20:38.240 --> 00:20:39.960
 every single one of these.

00:20:40.300 --> 00:20:41.160
 It's even correct

00:20:41.160 --> 00:20:42.960
 about little tiny villages

00:20:42.960 --> 00:20:43.759
 around Jerusalem.

00:20:43.900 --> 00:20:44.660
 I know the font here

00:20:44.660 --> 00:20:45.360
 is really small,

00:20:45.480 --> 00:20:46.140
 but villages like

00:20:46.140 --> 00:20:47.759
 Emmaus, Arimathea,

00:20:48.220 --> 00:20:49.860
 Bethphaga, Bethany, Bethlehem.

00:20:50.220 --> 00:20:50.940
 The New Testament

00:20:50.940 --> 00:20:51.940
 is right about that.

00:20:52.140 --> 00:20:52.700
 The New Testament

00:20:52.700 --> 00:20:53.840
 is even right

00:20:53.840 --> 00:20:55.920
 about tiny fishing villages

00:20:55.920 --> 00:20:57.320
 around the Sea of Galilee.

00:20:57.640 --> 00:20:58.220
 You'll recognize

00:20:58.220 --> 00:20:59.120
 some of these names.

00:20:59.700 --> 00:21:00.220
 Capernaum,

00:21:00.660 --> 00:21:01.779
 Chorazin, Bethsaida.

00:21:03.160 --> 00:21:03.880
 These places

00:21:03.880 --> 00:21:05.220
 are extremely obscure.

00:21:05.360 --> 00:21:06.440
 Remember back then,

00:21:06.800 --> 00:21:07.800
 folks didn't have maps

00:21:07.800 --> 00:21:08.360
 or atlases

00:21:08.360 --> 00:21:10.200
 to document places like this.

00:21:10.320 --> 00:21:11.940
 The only way to know

00:21:11.940 --> 00:21:13.000
 about an insignificant

00:21:13.000 --> 00:21:14.080
 little fishing village

00:21:14.080 --> 00:21:15.200
 in the backwaters

00:21:15.200 --> 00:21:15.779
 of Galilee

00:21:15.779 --> 00:21:17.200
 was if you were there

00:21:17.200 --> 00:21:18.220
 or you knew someone

00:21:18.220 --> 00:21:18.759
 who was.

00:21:19.000 --> 00:21:20.000
 And the New Testament

00:21:20.000 --> 00:21:21.180
 gets them right.

00:21:22.519 --> 00:21:22.800
 But you know,

00:21:22.840 --> 00:21:24.120
 but we can go even smaller.

00:21:24.840 --> 00:21:25.560
 The Gospel of John

00:21:25.560 --> 00:21:27.000
 talks about Jacob's well

00:21:27.000 --> 00:21:28.160
 in John chapter 4.

00:21:28.500 --> 00:21:29.660
 It's still there today.

00:21:29.779 --> 00:21:30.460
 The Gospel of John

00:21:30.460 --> 00:21:32.000
 talks about the pool of Siloam.

00:21:32.000 --> 00:21:33.160
 It's still there today

00:21:33.160 --> 00:21:33.700
 in Jerusalem.

00:21:33.960 --> 00:21:35.220
 You can go and see it.

00:21:35.640 --> 00:21:36.500
 The Gospel of John

00:21:36.500 --> 00:21:38.740
 mentions stone water jars.

00:21:38.940 --> 00:21:40.380
 Now, this is kind of strange.

00:21:40.819 --> 00:21:41.799
 Water jars usually

00:21:41.799 --> 00:21:43.279
 are made of clay, right?

00:21:43.400 --> 00:21:44.140
 It's a little weird

00:21:44.140 --> 00:21:45.240
 that he would mention

00:21:45.240 --> 00:21:47.720
 strange stone water jars,

00:21:47.880 --> 00:21:48.720
 but apparently

00:21:48.720 --> 00:21:51.160
 this wasn't out of the ordinary

00:21:51.160 --> 00:21:52.539
 in first century Judea

00:21:52.539 --> 00:21:53.579
 because here you go.

00:21:54.059 --> 00:21:55.059
 They still have them around.

00:21:55.200 --> 00:21:57.039
 These stone water jars

00:21:57.039 --> 00:21:58.380
 that are very large,

00:21:58.519 --> 00:21:59.599
 just like John says,

00:21:59.720 --> 00:22:00.660
 hold many gallons.

00:22:00.660 --> 00:22:02.600
 Now, we could continue

00:22:02.600 --> 00:22:03.480
 doing this for hours

00:22:03.480 --> 00:22:05.019
 about New Testament events

00:22:05.019 --> 00:22:06.000
 and customs,

00:22:06.160 --> 00:22:06.960
 contemporary beliefs,

00:22:07.060 --> 00:22:08.040
 various historical phenomenon,

00:22:08.420 --> 00:22:09.300
 but you guys get the point.

00:22:09.560 --> 00:22:10.620
 When the New Testament

00:22:10.620 --> 00:22:11.980
 makes historical claims,

00:22:12.140 --> 00:22:13.360
 we're able to verify

00:22:13.360 --> 00:22:14.600
 them successfully.

00:22:15.040 --> 00:22:15.560
 And this means

00:22:15.560 --> 00:22:16.140
 that the authors

00:22:16.140 --> 00:22:17.100
 were not in the habit

00:22:17.100 --> 00:22:18.800
 of making up information.

00:22:19.240 --> 00:22:20.300
 It also implies

00:22:20.300 --> 00:22:21.019
 that the original

00:22:21.019 --> 00:22:21.660
 New Testament documents

00:22:22.259 --> 00:22:23.720
 must have been

00:22:23.720 --> 00:22:24.800
 well preserved

00:22:24.800 --> 00:22:26.820
 because if later scribes

00:22:26.820 --> 00:22:27.420
 were in the habit

00:22:27.420 --> 00:22:28.480
 of messing about

00:22:28.480 --> 00:22:29.620
 with the manuscripts,

00:22:29.619 --> 00:22:31.419
 then these historical claims

00:22:31.419 --> 00:22:32.039
 would have tended

00:22:32.039 --> 00:22:32.959
 to have been altered

00:22:32.959 --> 00:22:33.579
 and therefore

00:22:33.579 --> 00:22:34.319
 would have tended

00:22:34.319 --> 00:22:35.959
 to not be so precise.

00:22:36.379 --> 00:22:37.079
 But they are.

00:22:38.059 --> 00:22:39.599
 Now, it must be said

00:22:39.599 --> 00:22:40.539
 that there are

00:22:40.539 --> 00:22:41.659
 a handful of instances

00:22:41.659 --> 00:22:43.359
 where the historical claims

00:22:43.359 --> 00:22:44.119
 in the New Testament

00:22:44.119 --> 00:22:46.059
 seem to be contradicted

00:22:46.059 --> 00:22:47.199
 by what we know

00:22:47.199 --> 00:22:48.379
 from other sources.

00:22:48.579 --> 00:22:49.119
 I would say

00:22:49.119 --> 00:22:50.519
 that the most serious

00:22:50.519 --> 00:22:51.399
 example of this

00:22:51.399 --> 00:22:53.000
 is with Theodos,

00:22:53.079 --> 00:22:53.879
 the Galilean,

00:22:54.139 --> 00:22:55.239
 whom Luke mentions

00:22:55.239 --> 00:22:56.619
 in Acts chapter 5.

00:22:56.619 --> 00:22:58.739
 He dates Theodos

00:22:58.739 --> 00:23:01.039
 to before 39 AD.

00:23:01.799 --> 00:23:02.759
 The problem with this

00:23:02.759 --> 00:23:03.639
 is that the ancient

00:23:03.639 --> 00:23:05.379
 Jewish historian Josephus

00:23:05.379 --> 00:23:06.819
 talks about this guy

00:23:06.819 --> 00:23:07.919
 and he dates him

00:23:07.919 --> 00:23:09.699
 several decades later.

00:23:10.359 --> 00:23:11.699
 Straight up contradiction,

00:23:12.079 --> 00:23:12.879
 at least apparently.

00:23:14.059 --> 00:23:15.179
 But rather, I think,

00:23:15.239 --> 00:23:15.879
 than concluding

00:23:15.879 --> 00:23:16.339
 that Luke

00:23:16.339 --> 00:23:17.279
 and the New Testament

00:23:17.279 --> 00:23:17.919
 are wrong,

00:23:18.359 --> 00:23:19.459
 I would caution us

00:23:19.459 --> 00:23:20.839
 to withhold judgment,

00:23:21.439 --> 00:23:22.419
 given how accurate

00:23:22.419 --> 00:23:23.119
 the New Testament

00:23:23.119 --> 00:23:23.959
 is elsewhere.

00:23:24.379 --> 00:23:24.959
 Perhaps there was

00:23:24.960 --> 00:23:25.840
 a second Theodos.

00:23:26.180 --> 00:23:27.539
 Perhaps Josephus

00:23:27.539 --> 00:23:28.079
 was the one

00:23:28.079 --> 00:23:28.759
 who was wrong

00:23:28.759 --> 00:23:29.480
 and Luke

00:23:29.480 --> 00:23:30.039
 was the one

00:23:30.039 --> 00:23:30.539
 who was right.

00:23:30.960 --> 00:23:31.539
 In fact,

00:23:31.880 --> 00:23:32.700
 since the advent

00:23:32.700 --> 00:23:33.860
 of modern scholarship,

00:23:34.059 --> 00:23:35.360
 there have always been

00:23:35.360 --> 00:23:36.680
 historical claims

00:23:36.680 --> 00:23:37.420
 in the New Testament

00:23:37.420 --> 00:23:39.100
 that skeptical scholars

00:23:39.100 --> 00:23:40.460
 dismissed as wrong

00:23:40.460 --> 00:23:41.460
 or made up

00:23:41.460 --> 00:23:42.840
 or otherwise fictitious.

00:23:43.160 --> 00:23:43.940
 They would seize

00:23:43.940 --> 00:23:44.740
 on these things

00:23:44.740 --> 00:23:45.380
 and argue

00:23:45.380 --> 00:23:46.120
 that the New Testament

00:23:46.120 --> 00:23:47.000
 authors were

00:23:47.000 --> 00:23:48.120
 historically incorrect,

00:23:48.460 --> 00:23:48.799
 that they were

00:23:48.799 --> 00:23:50.140
 fabricating information

00:23:50.140 --> 00:23:50.700
 and that they were

00:23:50.700 --> 00:23:51.559
 untrustworthy.

00:23:52.140 --> 00:23:53.680
 But time and again,

00:23:53.680 --> 00:23:55.299
 later discoveries

00:23:55.299 --> 00:23:56.759
 have proved

00:23:56.759 --> 00:23:57.740
 the New Testament

00:23:57.740 --> 00:23:58.340
 right

00:23:58.340 --> 00:23:59.519
 and these skeptical

00:23:59.519 --> 00:24:00.600
 scholars wrong.

00:24:01.220 --> 00:24:01.860
 Let me give you

00:24:01.860 --> 00:24:02.420
 some examples.

00:24:02.860 --> 00:24:03.560
 Back in the day,

00:24:03.880 --> 00:24:04.600
 certain scholars

00:24:04.600 --> 00:24:05.840
 believed that Nicodemus,

00:24:06.000 --> 00:24:06.920
 who came to Jesus

00:24:06.920 --> 00:24:07.860
 at night in the Gospel

00:24:07.860 --> 00:24:08.320
 of John

00:24:08.320 --> 00:24:09.640
 and helped bury him,

00:24:10.140 --> 00:24:10.880
 skeptical scholars

00:24:10.880 --> 00:24:11.799
 believed that he was

00:24:11.799 --> 00:24:12.180
 quote,

00:24:12.600 --> 00:24:14.519
 fabricated by John

00:24:14.519 --> 00:24:16.340
 and made up

00:24:16.340 --> 00:24:17.640
 to serve some purpose.

00:24:18.140 --> 00:24:18.779
 Now, John gives

00:24:18.779 --> 00:24:19.660
 four data points

00:24:19.660 --> 00:24:20.480
 about Nicodemus.

00:24:20.560 --> 00:24:21.299
 He tells us he was

00:24:21.299 --> 00:24:22.440
 a member of the ruling class.

00:24:22.440 --> 00:24:23.559
 He was a Pharisee.

00:24:23.640 --> 00:24:24.140
 He was a teacher

00:24:24.140 --> 00:24:24.640
 of the law

00:24:24.640 --> 00:24:25.920
 and he was very wealthy.

00:24:26.700 --> 00:24:27.600
 And certain scholars

00:24:27.600 --> 00:24:28.600
 heard these skeptical

00:24:28.600 --> 00:24:29.740
 claims and they started

00:24:29.740 --> 00:24:31.580
 doing some investigation

00:24:31.580 --> 00:24:33.360
 and they started realizing

00:24:33.360 --> 00:24:34.059
 that according to

00:24:34.059 --> 00:24:35.019
 ancient Jewish literature,

00:24:35.420 --> 00:24:36.320
 there was in fact

00:24:36.320 --> 00:24:38.039
 a rich ruling family

00:24:38.039 --> 00:24:38.580
 in Jerusalem

00:24:38.580 --> 00:24:40.200
 that did have Pharisees

00:24:40.200 --> 00:24:41.580
 and teachers of the law

00:24:41.580 --> 00:24:42.380
 in it.

00:24:43.100 --> 00:24:43.620
 And do you know

00:24:43.620 --> 00:24:44.720
 what name was popular

00:24:44.720 --> 00:24:45.799
 for men in that family?

00:24:47.480 --> 00:24:48.039
 Nicodemus.

00:24:48.039 --> 00:24:50.099
 It also appears

00:24:50.099 --> 00:24:50.779
 that the Jewish

00:24:50.779 --> 00:24:51.740
 Babylonian Talmud

00:24:51.740 --> 00:24:52.960
 mentions Nicodemus'

00:24:53.119 --> 00:24:54.839
 execution as a disciple

00:24:54.839 --> 00:24:56.019
 of Jesus.

00:24:56.200 --> 00:24:57.180
 It seems like it uses

00:24:57.180 --> 00:24:58.399
 one of his nicknames

00:24:58.399 --> 00:24:59.500
 that we know about

00:24:59.500 --> 00:25:01.019
 from these ancient

00:25:01.019 --> 00:25:02.000
 Jewish sources.

00:25:02.359 --> 00:25:03.240
 Now, no scholar

00:25:03.240 --> 00:25:04.240
 can truthfully claim

00:25:04.240 --> 00:25:04.940
 that Nicodemus

00:25:04.940 --> 00:25:06.139
 never existed.

00:25:06.700 --> 00:25:07.399
 And it seems that

00:25:07.399 --> 00:25:08.480
 John was right after all.

00:25:08.740 --> 00:25:09.359
 But let me give you

00:25:09.359 --> 00:25:09.879
 more examples.

00:25:09.980 --> 00:25:11.379
 There's a pool of Bethesda

00:25:11.379 --> 00:25:12.159
 that's mentioned

00:25:12.159 --> 00:25:13.879
 in John chapter 5.

00:25:14.359 --> 00:25:15.059
 John says it had

00:25:15.059 --> 00:25:16.240
 five porticos

00:25:16.240 --> 00:25:18.019
 or overhanging porches,

00:25:18.200 --> 00:25:18.859
 which is weird.

00:25:19.059 --> 00:25:19.700
 Pools usually have

00:25:19.700 --> 00:25:20.960
 four sides, you know,

00:25:21.220 --> 00:25:22.119
 five-sided pool.

00:25:22.240 --> 00:25:22.859
 Kind of strange.

00:25:23.319 --> 00:25:24.119
 For a long while,

00:25:24.879 --> 00:25:26.039
 scholars accused John

00:25:26.039 --> 00:25:27.619
 of making this up.

00:25:27.740 --> 00:25:28.919
 We had no record

00:25:28.919 --> 00:25:30.339
 of the pool of Bethesda.

00:25:30.740 --> 00:25:31.940
 They said the five porches

00:25:31.940 --> 00:25:33.179
 were fictitiously crafted

00:25:33.179 --> 00:25:33.759
 by John

00:25:33.759 --> 00:25:34.639
 to represent

00:25:34.639 --> 00:25:36.000
 the five stratas

00:25:36.000 --> 00:25:36.839
 of Jewish society

00:25:36.839 --> 00:25:38.279
 or the five books of Moses

00:25:38.279 --> 00:25:39.740
 or some nonsense like that.

00:25:39.980 --> 00:25:41.240
 But then in 1948,

00:25:41.240 --> 00:25:42.399
 we found this.

00:25:43.299 --> 00:25:45.039
 And now every scholar admits

00:25:45.039 --> 00:25:46.399
 that the pool of Bethesda

00:25:46.399 --> 00:25:47.379
 really does exist

00:25:47.379 --> 00:25:48.539
 and it had five sides

00:25:48.539 --> 00:25:49.420
 with five porches.

00:25:50.059 --> 00:25:50.859
 John was right.

00:25:51.539 --> 00:25:52.779
 And we can keep going.

00:25:52.940 --> 00:25:53.700
 Scholars claim

00:25:53.700 --> 00:25:54.859
 that Luke's chronology

00:25:54.859 --> 00:25:55.599
 in the book of Acts

00:25:55.599 --> 00:25:56.139
 was, quote,

00:25:56.460 --> 00:25:56.960
 hopeless,

00:25:57.460 --> 00:25:58.539
 that he made it up,

00:25:58.859 --> 00:26:00.059
 especially regarding

00:26:00.059 --> 00:26:01.599
 Paul's trial

00:26:01.599 --> 00:26:02.799
 before a guy named Galio

00:26:02.799 --> 00:26:03.740
 in the book of Acts,

00:26:03.819 --> 00:26:04.500
 chapter 18.

00:26:05.200 --> 00:26:06.639
 Other, more faithful scholars

00:26:06.639 --> 00:26:07.379
 said, no, no, no.

00:26:07.559 --> 00:26:08.539
 We think Luke's right.

00:26:08.799 --> 00:26:09.680
 We think Luke probably

00:26:09.680 --> 00:26:10.480
 based this between

00:26:10.480 --> 00:26:11.799
 51 and 54 AD.

00:26:12.200 --> 00:26:13.180
 But they were dismissed.

00:26:13.180 --> 00:26:15.019
 And then in 1913,

00:26:15.019 --> 00:26:16.519
 we found this,

00:26:17.160 --> 00:26:18.400
 which mentions Galio

00:26:18.400 --> 00:26:20.000
 and precisely dates him

00:26:20.000 --> 00:26:21.640
 to 51 or 52 AD,

00:26:22.100 --> 00:26:24.759
 exactly as Luke claimed.

00:26:25.900 --> 00:26:26.960
 I can keep going.

00:26:27.400 --> 00:26:28.180
 Skeptical scholars

00:26:28.180 --> 00:26:29.340
 also accused Luke

00:26:29.340 --> 00:26:30.680
 of making up the census

00:26:30.680 --> 00:26:32.019
 in Luke chapter 2.

00:26:32.560 --> 00:26:33.480
 This is when Mary

00:26:33.480 --> 00:26:34.080
 and Joseph

00:26:34.080 --> 00:26:35.060
 went to Bethlehem

00:26:35.060 --> 00:26:35.620
 to be registered

00:26:35.620 --> 00:26:36.519
 for Jesus' birth.

00:26:36.740 --> 00:26:37.380
 We hear about this

00:26:37.380 --> 00:26:37.940
 every Christmas.

00:26:38.320 --> 00:26:39.380
 Our historical sources

00:26:39.380 --> 00:26:39.880
 tell us

00:26:39.880 --> 00:26:40.740
 that this census

00:26:40.740 --> 00:26:41.720
 actually happened

00:26:41.720 --> 00:26:42.759
 years later.

00:26:43.160 --> 00:26:44.059
 Skeptical scholars

00:26:44.059 --> 00:26:45.460
 said Luke was wrong.

00:26:46.180 --> 00:26:47.120
 But then we found

00:26:47.120 --> 00:26:48.240
 this inscription,

00:26:48.759 --> 00:26:49.360
 which was shown

00:26:49.360 --> 00:26:50.079
 to speak about

00:26:50.079 --> 00:26:51.160
 not one census,

00:26:51.620 --> 00:26:53.100
 but several censuses.

00:26:53.680 --> 00:26:54.299
 And Luke

00:26:54.299 --> 00:26:56.299
 was vindicated.

00:26:56.759 --> 00:26:57.559
 Skeptical scholars

00:26:57.559 --> 00:26:58.720
 also questioned Luke

00:26:58.720 --> 00:26:59.360
 about the governor

00:26:59.360 --> 00:27:00.039
 Quirinius,

00:27:00.100 --> 00:27:01.339
 who oversaw the census.

00:27:02.400 --> 00:27:03.500
 The ancient historian,

00:27:03.640 --> 00:27:04.180
 Josephus,

00:27:04.420 --> 00:27:05.500
 placed his governorship

00:27:05.500 --> 00:27:06.779
 years later than Luke.

00:27:07.100 --> 00:27:07.839
 Some scholars

00:27:07.839 --> 00:27:08.860
 tried to solve this

00:27:08.859 --> 00:27:10.179
 by hypothesizing

00:27:10.179 --> 00:27:11.299
 maybe Quirinius

00:27:11.299 --> 00:27:11.719
 was governor

00:27:11.719 --> 00:27:12.399
 more than once.

00:27:12.899 --> 00:27:13.779
 But this seemed

00:27:13.779 --> 00:27:14.879
 like special pleading

00:27:14.879 --> 00:27:15.559
 to everyone.

00:27:16.379 --> 00:27:17.379
 But then we found

00:27:17.379 --> 00:27:18.079
 this inscription,

00:27:18.279 --> 00:27:19.000
 and then this one,

00:27:19.099 --> 00:27:19.879
 and then this one.

00:27:20.259 --> 00:27:22.099
 And they clearly say

00:27:22.099 --> 00:27:22.899
 that Quirinius

00:27:22.899 --> 00:27:23.479
 was governor

00:27:23.479 --> 00:27:24.759
 more than once.

00:27:25.259 --> 00:27:26.159
 And Luke

00:27:26.159 --> 00:27:27.419
 was right.

00:27:28.099 --> 00:27:28.939
 We can say

00:27:28.939 --> 00:27:30.079
 the same thing

00:27:30.079 --> 00:27:30.859
 about Luke's

00:27:30.859 --> 00:27:31.319
 reference

00:27:31.319 --> 00:27:32.779
 to Lysanius

00:27:32.779 --> 00:27:34.019
 in Luke chapter 3.

00:27:34.179 --> 00:27:34.959
 This is Lysanius

00:27:34.959 --> 00:27:35.559
 the Tetrarch.

00:27:36.119 --> 00:27:36.819
 Scholars said

00:27:36.819 --> 00:27:37.719
 that for many years

00:27:37.720 --> 00:27:38.660
 Luke contradicted

00:27:38.660 --> 00:27:39.680
 the historical record.

00:27:40.259 --> 00:27:41.299
 Lysanius the Tetrarch.

00:27:41.380 --> 00:27:42.579
 It's an unusual name.

00:27:42.799 --> 00:27:43.460
 And there was only

00:27:43.460 --> 00:27:43.940
 one of them.

00:27:44.140 --> 00:27:44.799
 And he lived

00:27:44.799 --> 00:27:46.400
 50 or 60 years

00:27:46.400 --> 00:27:47.079
 after Luke

00:27:47.079 --> 00:27:47.920
 says he did.

00:27:48.819 --> 00:27:50.240
 Some faithful scholars

00:27:50.240 --> 00:27:51.039
 suggested

00:27:51.039 --> 00:27:52.079
 that maybe

00:27:52.079 --> 00:27:52.620
 there was more

00:27:52.620 --> 00:27:53.400
 than one Lysanius

00:27:53.400 --> 00:27:53.960
 the Tetrarch.

00:27:54.160 --> 00:27:55.240
 But they were dismissed.

00:27:56.360 --> 00:27:57.799
 And then we found this

00:27:57.799 --> 00:27:59.660
 in 1912.

00:27:59.759 --> 00:28:00.799
 And it clearly says,

00:28:00.900 --> 00:28:01.920
 I've got it highlighted

00:28:01.920 --> 00:28:02.500
 in red,

00:28:02.759 --> 00:28:04.360
 Lysanius the Tetrarch.

00:28:04.740 --> 00:28:05.779
 And now we know

00:28:05.779 --> 00:28:06.440
 there was more

00:28:06.440 --> 00:28:07.340
 than one Lysanius

00:28:07.340 --> 00:28:08.019
 the Tetrarch.

00:28:08.580 --> 00:28:09.620
 Luke was right

00:28:09.620 --> 00:28:10.720
 again.

00:28:11.840 --> 00:28:12.360
 So,

00:28:12.720 --> 00:28:14.759
 what a lucky guy.

00:28:15.480 --> 00:28:17.440
 It keeps coming up true.

00:28:18.240 --> 00:28:19.580
 It keeps coming up Luke

00:28:19.580 --> 00:28:20.320
 every time.

00:28:20.980 --> 00:28:21.720
 These instances

00:28:21.720 --> 00:28:22.420
 teach us

00:28:22.420 --> 00:28:23.380
 that it's never

00:28:23.380 --> 00:28:24.299
 wise to bet

00:28:24.299 --> 00:28:25.440
 against the historical

00:28:25.440 --> 00:28:26.039
 reliability

00:28:26.039 --> 00:28:26.880
 of the authors

00:28:26.880 --> 00:28:27.640
 of the New Testament.

00:28:28.279 --> 00:28:29.460
 We may find

00:28:29.460 --> 00:28:30.420
 evidence yet

00:28:30.420 --> 00:28:31.580
 that Luke was right

00:28:31.580 --> 00:28:32.440
 about that pesky

00:28:32.440 --> 00:28:33.440
 Theutis and Josephus

00:28:34.000 --> 00:28:34.680
 was wrong.

00:28:34.680 --> 00:28:35.759
 Or that both

00:28:35.759 --> 00:28:36.640
 of them were right

00:28:36.640 --> 00:28:37.060
 and there were

00:28:37.060 --> 00:28:37.799
 two different figures

00:28:37.799 --> 00:28:38.600
 of the same name.

00:28:39.140 --> 00:28:39.880
 After all,

00:28:39.940 --> 00:28:40.759
 it's happened before,

00:28:40.860 --> 00:28:41.380
 hasn't it?

00:28:42.019 --> 00:28:42.960
 But if not,

00:28:43.279 --> 00:28:44.140
 would this one

00:28:44.140 --> 00:28:44.799
 minor error

00:28:44.799 --> 00:28:45.440
 in chronology

00:28:45.440 --> 00:28:46.340
 really undermine

00:28:46.340 --> 00:28:47.140
 the overall

00:28:47.140 --> 00:28:47.620
 credibility

00:28:47.620 --> 00:28:48.560
 of the New Testament

00:28:48.560 --> 00:28:49.660
 given how

00:28:49.660 --> 00:28:50.920
 historically reliable

00:28:50.920 --> 00:28:51.620
 it is

00:28:51.620 --> 00:28:52.980
 with its other claims?

00:28:53.420 --> 00:28:53.960
 Especially

00:28:53.960 --> 00:28:55.080
 the important ones.

00:28:55.660 --> 00:28:56.000
 Indeed,

00:28:56.140 --> 00:28:56.700
 the historical

00:28:56.700 --> 00:28:57.200
 reliability

00:28:57.200 --> 00:28:58.180
 of the New Testament

00:28:58.180 --> 00:28:59.200
 is so strong

00:28:59.200 --> 00:29:00.080
 that it gets better

00:29:00.080 --> 00:29:00.960
 every year.

00:29:01.420 --> 00:29:02.539
 Just last year,

00:29:02.539 --> 00:29:03.779
 we found a ring

00:29:03.779 --> 00:29:05.720
 inscribed with the name

00:29:05.720 --> 00:29:06.940
 Pontius Pilate

00:29:06.940 --> 00:29:07.759
 and dating

00:29:07.759 --> 00:29:09.480
 to first century

00:29:09.480 --> 00:29:10.099
 Jerusalem.

00:29:10.859 --> 00:29:11.720
 And once again,

00:29:11.879 --> 00:29:12.399
 this supports

00:29:12.399 --> 00:29:13.039
 the New Testament

00:29:13.039 --> 00:29:13.579
 narrative

00:29:13.579 --> 00:29:14.980
 by bolstering

00:29:14.980 --> 00:29:15.859
 its reliability.

00:29:16.859 --> 00:29:17.180
 And so,

00:29:17.259 --> 00:29:18.000
 with the passing years,

00:29:18.059 --> 00:29:19.200
 we keep finding stuff

00:29:19.200 --> 00:29:21.039
 and it keeps coming up

00:29:21.039 --> 00:29:21.539
 New Testament

00:29:21.539 --> 00:29:22.619
 every time.

00:29:22.960 --> 00:29:23.680
 So let me summarize.

00:29:23.819 --> 00:29:24.440
 We can be sure

00:29:24.440 --> 00:29:25.220
 that the New Testament

00:29:25.220 --> 00:29:26.599
 is accurate and true

00:29:26.599 --> 00:29:27.799
 because it is based

00:29:27.799 --> 00:29:29.119
 off of eyewitness testimony.

00:29:29.619 --> 00:29:30.879
 And those eyewitnesses

00:29:30.880 --> 00:29:31.580
 were reliable

00:29:31.580 --> 00:29:32.720
 because they did not

00:29:32.720 --> 00:29:33.440
 gain anything

00:29:33.440 --> 00:29:34.440
 from their claims.

00:29:35.120 --> 00:29:35.380
 Therefore,

00:29:35.460 --> 00:29:35.880
 they didn't have

00:29:35.880 --> 00:29:36.740
 a motive to lie.

00:29:36.840 --> 00:29:37.160
 In fact,

00:29:37.400 --> 00:29:38.400
 they gained suffering

00:29:38.400 --> 00:29:39.280
 and persecution

00:29:39.280 --> 00:29:40.540
 because of the claim

00:29:40.540 --> 00:29:41.100
 of the resurrection

00:29:41.100 --> 00:29:41.740
 of Jesus.

00:29:42.220 --> 00:29:42.560
 And yet,

00:29:42.600 --> 00:29:43.720
 they persisted

00:29:43.720 --> 00:29:44.440
 in maintaining

00:29:44.440 --> 00:29:46.080
 that Jesus actually

00:29:46.080 --> 00:29:46.880
 was resurrected.

00:29:47.740 --> 00:29:48.500
 And furthermore,

00:29:48.620 --> 00:29:49.220
 their disciples

00:29:49.220 --> 00:29:50.360
 suffered the same fate

00:29:50.360 --> 00:29:50.720
 as them

00:29:50.720 --> 00:29:51.900
 and even non-Christians

00:29:51.900 --> 00:29:53.620
 admit to much of this.

00:29:54.020 --> 00:29:54.480
 And lastly,

00:29:54.580 --> 00:29:55.360
 as we've just seen,

00:29:55.740 --> 00:29:56.600
 we can historically

00:29:56.600 --> 00:29:57.800
 verify dozens,

00:29:57.920 --> 00:29:58.720
 if not hundreds,

00:29:58.880 --> 00:29:59.620
 of their claims

00:29:59.619 --> 00:30:00.899
 showing that the authors

00:30:00.899 --> 00:30:01.619
 of the New Testament

00:30:01.619 --> 00:30:02.859
 were not in the habit

00:30:02.859 --> 00:30:04.399
 of making up information

00:30:04.399 --> 00:30:06.059
 but were quite accurate

00:30:06.059 --> 00:30:07.579
 in their reports.

00:30:08.939 --> 00:30:10.059
 But let's do better

00:30:10.059 --> 00:30:10.599
 than this.

00:30:10.899 --> 00:30:11.939
 All I've been doing

00:30:11.939 --> 00:30:12.879
 so far is showing

00:30:12.879 --> 00:30:13.659
 that the New Testament

00:30:13.659 --> 00:30:15.079
 authors made accurate claims

00:30:15.079 --> 00:30:16.319
 about mundane,

00:30:16.859 --> 00:30:17.419
 normal,

00:30:17.599 --> 00:30:18.379
 everyday events

00:30:18.379 --> 00:30:18.959
 and activities.

00:30:19.379 --> 00:30:20.719
 But mundane evidence

00:30:20.719 --> 00:30:22.519
 gives only so much reason

00:30:22.519 --> 00:30:23.439
 for believing

00:30:23.439 --> 00:30:24.839
 super mundane things.

00:30:25.119 --> 00:30:25.679
 The New Testament

00:30:25.679 --> 00:30:26.959
 is right regarding

00:30:26.959 --> 00:30:28.359
 normal, natural,

00:30:28.519 --> 00:30:29.159
 everyday claims.

00:30:29.160 --> 00:30:30.080
 But what about

00:30:30.080 --> 00:30:31.259
 supernatural claims?

00:30:31.640 --> 00:30:33.040
 We want extraordinary

00:30:33.040 --> 00:30:33.920
 evidence for

00:30:33.920 --> 00:30:34.920
 extraordinary claims.

00:30:35.360 --> 00:30:36.220
 Can we, I wonder,

00:30:36.620 --> 00:30:38.920
 can we corroborate

00:30:38.920 --> 00:30:40.019
 the miracles

00:30:40.019 --> 00:30:41.740
 attributed to Jesus

00:30:41.740 --> 00:30:43.000
 in the New Testament?

00:30:43.980 --> 00:30:45.140
 Yes, we can.

00:30:45.700 --> 00:30:46.420
 This is because

00:30:46.420 --> 00:30:47.460
 the miracles of Jesus

00:30:47.460 --> 00:30:49.060
 were so indisputable.

00:30:49.460 --> 00:30:50.860
 They were so beyond doubt

00:30:50.860 --> 00:30:52.360
 that non-Christians

00:30:52.360 --> 00:30:54.140
 and even anti-Christians

00:30:54.140 --> 00:30:55.040
 admitted

00:30:55.040 --> 00:30:56.019
 that Jesus

00:30:56.019 --> 00:30:57.100
 and his disciples

00:30:57.100 --> 00:30:59.100
 worked miracles.

00:30:59.160 --> 00:31:00.240
 Let me show you

00:31:00.240 --> 00:31:00.700
 what I mean

00:31:00.700 --> 00:31:01.259
 and we're just going

00:31:01.259 --> 00:31:02.019
 to go down

00:31:02.019 --> 00:31:02.759
 through the centuries.

00:31:03.220 --> 00:31:03.860
 We're going to start

00:31:03.860 --> 00:31:06.100
 around 200 or 400 A.D.

00:31:06.100 --> 00:31:07.160
 with the Jewish Talmud.

00:31:07.440 --> 00:31:08.060
 This is a collection

00:31:08.060 --> 00:31:08.900
 of Jewish traditions

00:31:08.900 --> 00:31:10.140
 and when you go

00:31:10.140 --> 00:31:10.720
 through the pages

00:31:10.720 --> 00:31:11.519
 and find a reference

00:31:11.519 --> 00:31:12.060
 to Jesus,

00:31:12.200 --> 00:31:12.880
 there's a story

00:31:12.880 --> 00:31:13.680
 where they admit

00:31:13.680 --> 00:31:15.500
 that a guy named James,

00:31:15.880 --> 00:31:17.040
 a disciple of Jesus,

00:31:17.400 --> 00:31:18.060
 could perform

00:31:18.060 --> 00:31:19.000
 miraculous healing

00:31:19.000 --> 00:31:20.380
 in Jesus' name.

00:31:20.880 --> 00:31:22.320
 And then we go to

00:31:22.320 --> 00:31:23.100
 a little earlier,

00:31:23.240 --> 00:31:23.779
 Porphyry,

00:31:23.900 --> 00:31:24.960
 anti-Christian writer

00:31:24.960 --> 00:31:25.759
 around the year 300.

00:31:25.860 --> 00:31:26.320
 I've mentioned him

00:31:26.320 --> 00:31:26.740
 to you before.

00:31:26.740 --> 00:31:28.120
 He called for Christians

00:31:28.120 --> 00:31:28.920
 to be persecuted.

00:31:28.920 --> 00:31:30.720
 He wrote an entire book

00:31:30.720 --> 00:31:31.539
 against them.

00:31:31.740 --> 00:31:33.000
 But in his writings,

00:31:33.200 --> 00:31:34.299
 he also admitted

00:31:34.299 --> 00:31:37.380
 that Jesus worked wonders,

00:31:37.839 --> 00:31:39.380
 just like the Bible says.

00:31:39.700 --> 00:31:41.339
 Same thing with Heracles.

00:31:41.579 --> 00:31:42.740
 He was a powerful man

00:31:42.740 --> 00:31:43.339
 in the Roman Empire.

00:31:43.480 --> 00:31:44.120
 He was a governor.

00:31:44.400 --> 00:31:45.380
 He called for Christians

00:31:45.380 --> 00:31:46.160
 to be persecuted.

00:31:46.380 --> 00:31:46.960
 As a governor,

00:31:47.079 --> 00:31:48.799
 he actually persecuted Christians

00:31:48.799 --> 00:31:49.779
 and had them put to death.

00:31:50.200 --> 00:31:51.160
 He, like Porphyry,

00:31:51.160 --> 00:31:52.279
 also wrote a book

00:31:52.279 --> 00:31:53.040
 against the Christians.

00:31:54.000 --> 00:31:54.779
 And in this,

00:31:55.259 --> 00:31:56.259
 just like Porphyry,

00:31:56.580 --> 00:31:57.279
 he too admitted

00:31:57.279 --> 00:31:58.860
 that Jesus worked miracles.

00:31:59.279 --> 00:32:00.000
 Let's keep going.

00:32:00.080 --> 00:32:00.779
 The Tosefza,

00:32:01.120 --> 00:32:02.180
 an earlier manual

00:32:02.180 --> 00:32:03.060
 of Jewish tradition,

00:32:03.480 --> 00:32:05.120
 and it says a very similar thing

00:32:05.120 --> 00:32:06.660
 as the Jewish Talmud.

00:32:06.940 --> 00:32:08.720
 It admits that Jesus' disciples

00:32:08.720 --> 00:32:10.160
 could heal in his name,

00:32:10.160 --> 00:32:11.600
 but it cautions Jews

00:32:11.600 --> 00:32:13.580
 not to be persuaded by them.

00:32:14.320 --> 00:32:15.420
 The Oracle of Hecate,

00:32:15.540 --> 00:32:16.519
 a pagan oracle

00:32:16.519 --> 00:32:17.480
 in the 200s,

00:32:17.740 --> 00:32:19.160
 says that Jesus was immortal

00:32:19.160 --> 00:32:21.400
 around the year 175.

00:32:21.759 --> 00:32:22.200
 Celsus,

00:32:22.279 --> 00:32:23.320
 an anti-Christian writer,

00:32:23.640 --> 00:32:24.580
 he called for Christians

00:32:24.580 --> 00:32:25.240
 to be persecuted,

00:32:25.600 --> 00:32:26.740
 and he still acknowledged

00:32:26.740 --> 00:32:28.019
 that Jesus worked wonders

00:32:28.019 --> 00:32:29.800
 and that early Christians

00:32:29.800 --> 00:32:32.519
 had authority over demons.

00:32:33.380 --> 00:32:33.820
 Phlegon,

00:32:33.900 --> 00:32:34.779
 around the year 125,

00:32:35.340 --> 00:32:36.019
 he reports

00:32:36.019 --> 00:32:37.380
 an unexpected darkness

00:32:37.380 --> 00:32:38.480
 around the time

00:32:38.480 --> 00:32:39.500
 of Jesus' death,

00:32:39.640 --> 00:32:40.920
 as well as an earthquake,

00:32:41.460 --> 00:32:42.920
 just like the Gospels say.

00:32:43.380 --> 00:32:44.259
 Phlegon also adds

00:32:44.259 --> 00:32:45.740
 that Jesus could correctly

00:32:45.740 --> 00:32:46.940
 predict the future.

00:32:47.460 --> 00:32:48.220
 And Josephus,

00:32:48.259 --> 00:32:49.060
 we've seen him

00:32:49.059 --> 00:32:50.679
 earlier in this talk,

00:32:50.720 --> 00:32:51.839
 around the year 90 or 95,

00:32:52.679 --> 00:32:54.019
 he's a Jewish historian

00:32:54.019 --> 00:32:55.679
 writing in the first century,

00:32:56.059 --> 00:32:57.200
 and he says that

00:32:57.200 --> 00:32:59.379
 Jesus worked miracles.

00:32:59.740 --> 00:33:00.819
 Paradoxa, he calls them.

00:33:01.099 --> 00:33:02.720
 A first century Jewish historian

00:33:02.720 --> 00:33:03.359
 admits this.

00:33:04.039 --> 00:33:04.440
 Thalas,

00:33:04.559 --> 00:33:05.919
 sometimes between 50 and 100,

00:33:06.039 --> 00:33:07.019
 we don't really know his dates,

00:33:07.019 --> 00:33:08.099
 the Greek writer Thalas

00:33:08.099 --> 00:33:09.919
 reports that the sun grew dark,

00:33:10.259 --> 00:33:10.819
 and he seemed to have

00:33:10.819 --> 00:33:11.559
 placed this event

00:33:11.559 --> 00:33:14.019
 at the time of Jesus' crucifixion,

00:33:14.519 --> 00:33:16.759
 just like the Gospels claim.

00:33:16.759 --> 00:33:19.140
 But we're not done yet.

00:33:19.379 --> 00:33:20.480
 We have to talk about

00:33:20.480 --> 00:33:23.559
 one of the greatest critics

00:33:23.559 --> 00:33:24.559
 of Christianity

00:33:24.559 --> 00:33:25.759
 and one of the earliest.

00:33:26.140 --> 00:33:27.960
 In 35 AD,

00:33:28.240 --> 00:33:29.500
 a persecutor of Christians

00:33:29.500 --> 00:33:30.920
 named Saul of Tarsus

00:33:30.920 --> 00:33:32.379
 was trying to destroy

00:33:32.379 --> 00:33:33.980
 the Christian faith,

00:33:34.379 --> 00:33:35.180
 and he tells us

00:33:35.180 --> 00:33:36.619
 in his own words

00:33:36.619 --> 00:33:37.940
 that the risen Jesus

00:33:37.940 --> 00:33:38.819
 appeared to him

00:33:38.819 --> 00:33:39.879
 and demonstrated

00:33:39.879 --> 00:33:41.059
 his miraculous powers.

00:33:41.440 --> 00:33:42.059
 And as you know,

00:33:42.359 --> 00:33:42.859
 after this,

00:33:42.940 --> 00:33:43.539
 Saul of Tarsus

00:33:43.539 --> 00:33:44.440
 changed his name

00:33:44.440 --> 00:33:45.299
 to Paul.

00:33:45.519 --> 00:33:46.299
 And he went on

00:33:46.299 --> 00:33:47.400
 to write many of the letters

00:33:47.400 --> 00:33:48.200
 of the New Testament

00:33:48.200 --> 00:33:49.400
 where he speaks

00:33:49.400 --> 00:33:50.279
 of how he was

00:33:50.279 --> 00:33:51.539
 a persecutor of Christians,

00:33:51.740 --> 00:33:52.940
 how he didn't believe,

00:33:53.220 --> 00:33:54.279
 and then he witnessed

00:33:54.279 --> 00:33:55.660
 the resurrected Jesus.

00:33:56.120 --> 00:33:57.180
 And after many years

00:33:57.180 --> 00:33:57.779
 of ministry,

00:33:58.360 --> 00:33:59.140
 he was executed

00:33:59.140 --> 00:33:59.980
 for his faith,

00:34:00.539 --> 00:34:01.080
 and we could say

00:34:01.080 --> 00:34:01.799
 similar things

00:34:01.799 --> 00:34:03.500
 about other ancient skeptics

00:34:03.500 --> 00:34:04.640
 like James and Jude,

00:34:04.799 --> 00:34:05.500
 none of whom

00:34:05.500 --> 00:34:06.779
 believed in Jesus,

00:34:07.279 --> 00:34:08.240
 but were convinced

00:34:08.240 --> 00:34:11.559
 when he appeared to them.

00:34:11.760 --> 00:34:12.679
 And they also went on

00:34:12.679 --> 00:34:13.559
 to write letters

00:34:13.559 --> 00:34:14.219
 of the New Testament.

00:34:14.539 --> 00:34:15.699
 This is extraordinary.

00:34:16.359 --> 00:34:17.919
 Remember that ancient authors

00:34:17.919 --> 00:34:19.579
 were more than capable

00:34:19.579 --> 00:34:21.099
 of denying miracles.

00:34:21.539 --> 00:34:22.119
 We see this,

00:34:22.199 --> 00:34:22.559
 for instance,

00:34:22.679 --> 00:34:23.239
 with Cicero,

00:34:23.399 --> 00:34:24.819
 we see this with the Epicureans,

00:34:25.039 --> 00:34:26.219
 but Jesus' miracles

00:34:26.219 --> 00:34:27.639
 were so indisputable

00:34:27.639 --> 00:34:28.460
 and beyond question

00:34:28.460 --> 00:34:30.259
 that non-Christian sources

00:34:30.259 --> 00:34:32.019
 and even anti-Christian sources

00:34:32.019 --> 00:34:34.279
 admitted that they occurred.

00:34:34.619 --> 00:34:35.739
 And some of these folks

00:34:35.739 --> 00:34:36.899
 became Christians themselves.

00:34:37.319 --> 00:34:38.259
 So can we trust

00:34:38.259 --> 00:34:38.940
 that the New Testament

00:34:38.940 --> 00:34:40.059
 is accurate and true?

00:34:40.399 --> 00:34:41.239
 Yes, we can.

00:34:41.239 --> 00:34:42.419
 It's based off

00:34:42.419 --> 00:34:43.439
 of eyewitness testimony.

00:34:43.819 --> 00:34:44.479
 The eyewitnesses

00:34:44.479 --> 00:34:45.659
 did not gain anything.

00:34:45.939 --> 00:34:46.259
 In fact,

00:34:46.319 --> 00:34:47.299
 they risked persecution.

00:34:47.659 --> 00:34:48.199
 Their disciples

00:34:48.199 --> 00:34:49.159
 suffered the same.

00:34:51.079 --> 00:34:52.559
 And their historical claims

00:34:52.559 --> 00:34:53.339
 can be verified.

00:34:53.839 --> 00:34:54.979
 And we can even verify

00:34:54.979 --> 00:34:56.159
 their miraculous claims.

00:34:57.000 --> 00:34:57.699
 And on top of this,

00:34:57.779 --> 00:34:58.979
 non-Christians admit

00:34:58.979 --> 00:35:01.139
 to most of these facts,

00:35:01.219 --> 00:35:02.299
 these ancient non-Christians.

00:35:02.839 --> 00:35:03.859
 But if all this

00:35:03.859 --> 00:35:04.859
 isn't enough for you,

00:35:05.659 --> 00:35:08.179
 then you can test

00:35:08.179 --> 00:35:08.819
 the authenticity

00:35:08.820 --> 00:35:10.480
 of Jesus' miraculous powers

00:35:10.480 --> 00:35:11.260
 right now.

00:35:11.880 --> 00:35:13.039
 All you have to do

00:35:13.039 --> 00:35:14.840
 is look around the world

00:35:14.840 --> 00:35:16.100
 and see what's going on.

00:35:16.160 --> 00:35:16.760
 This is because

00:35:16.760 --> 00:35:18.200
 the prophecies of Jesus

00:35:18.200 --> 00:35:19.440
 contained in the New Testament

00:35:19.440 --> 00:35:20.940
 are being remarkably

00:35:20.940 --> 00:35:22.280
 and miraculously

00:35:22.280 --> 00:35:23.880
 fulfilled among us.

00:35:23.980 --> 00:35:25.500
 If we go to Matthew 24,

00:35:25.960 --> 00:35:26.760
 Jesus says that

00:35:26.760 --> 00:35:27.380
 his gospel

00:35:27.380 --> 00:35:28.740
 will be preached

00:35:28.740 --> 00:35:30.360
 to the whole world

00:35:30.360 --> 00:35:31.480
 as a testimony

00:35:31.480 --> 00:35:32.960
 to all nations.

00:35:33.160 --> 00:35:33.880
 And if we look

00:35:33.880 --> 00:35:34.640
 at our world today,

00:35:34.680 --> 00:35:35.559
 we see that there is

00:35:35.559 --> 00:35:36.980
 no other message on earth

00:35:36.980 --> 00:35:38.099
 that has reached

00:35:38.099 --> 00:35:39.179
 so many people,

00:35:39.579 --> 00:35:40.599
 so many nations,

00:35:40.900 --> 00:35:41.820
 so many countries.

00:35:41.980 --> 00:35:43.219
 There's no message

00:35:43.219 --> 00:35:44.880
 except that message

00:35:44.880 --> 00:35:45.659
 of Jesus

00:35:45.659 --> 00:35:47.119
 that has been translated

00:35:47.119 --> 00:35:48.400
 into so many languages,

00:35:48.740 --> 00:35:49.199
 been adopted

00:35:49.199 --> 00:35:50.320
 by so many cultures,

00:35:50.320 --> 00:35:51.059
 and changed

00:35:51.059 --> 00:35:52.440
 so many lives.

00:35:53.179 --> 00:35:54.159
 Jesus' prophecy

00:35:54.159 --> 00:35:55.059
 is being fulfilled.

00:35:55.199 --> 00:35:56.219
 And all of you

00:35:56.219 --> 00:35:57.519
 are testimonies

00:35:57.519 --> 00:35:58.099
 to this.

00:35:58.619 --> 00:35:59.360
 And we all come

00:35:59.360 --> 00:36:00.440
 from all over the world.

00:36:01.360 --> 00:36:02.420
 Keep in mind

00:36:02.420 --> 00:36:02.960
 that Jesus

00:36:02.960 --> 00:36:03.900
 was not famous.

00:36:04.059 --> 00:36:05.079
 He was not powerful

00:36:05.079 --> 00:36:05.819
 or popular

00:36:05.819 --> 00:36:06.619
 or influential

00:36:06.619 --> 00:36:07.279
 when he predicted

00:36:07.279 --> 00:36:07.880
 these things.

00:36:08.199 --> 00:36:08.880
 He was a member

00:36:08.880 --> 00:36:09.819
 of the underclass.

00:36:10.039 --> 00:36:10.819
 He was a carpenter

00:36:10.819 --> 00:36:11.719
 from a backwater

00:36:11.719 --> 00:36:12.360
 of Galilee.

00:36:12.539 --> 00:36:13.340
 And he predicted

00:36:13.340 --> 00:36:14.079
 that his message

00:36:14.079 --> 00:36:15.500
 would go to the nations,

00:36:15.699 --> 00:36:16.960
 would go out to the world,

00:36:17.480 --> 00:36:18.219
 and he was right.

00:36:18.539 --> 00:36:19.659
 It spread farther

00:36:19.659 --> 00:36:21.059
 than any other

00:36:21.059 --> 00:36:22.659
 against all odds.

00:36:22.779 --> 00:36:24.099
 It's doing it right now.

00:36:24.500 --> 00:36:25.360
 And Jesus predicted

00:36:25.360 --> 00:36:26.460
 many other things correctly.

00:36:26.579 --> 00:36:27.299
 He said that many

00:36:27.299 --> 00:36:28.119
 false prophets

00:36:28.119 --> 00:36:29.059
 would come in his name.

00:36:29.139 --> 00:36:30.119
 Many false Christs

00:36:30.119 --> 00:36:31.039
 would come in his name.

00:36:31.420 --> 00:36:32.659
 He said that his followers

00:36:32.659 --> 00:36:33.679
 would be brought before

00:36:33.679 --> 00:36:35.019
 kings and rulers

00:36:35.019 --> 00:36:35.940
 and all these things

00:36:35.940 --> 00:36:36.759
 have happened

00:36:36.759 --> 00:36:37.539
 so many times

00:36:37.539 --> 00:36:38.440
 it's beyond counting.

00:36:39.480 --> 00:36:40.279
 And Jesus predicted

00:36:40.279 --> 00:36:40.859
 all of this

00:36:40.859 --> 00:36:41.879
 when he was still

00:36:41.879 --> 00:36:42.859
 an obscure carpenter

00:36:42.859 --> 00:36:43.619
 from Galilee.

00:36:44.339 --> 00:36:45.059
 And he was right

00:36:45.059 --> 00:36:45.619
 every time.

00:36:46.659 --> 00:36:47.319
 My friends,

00:36:47.379 --> 00:36:48.199
 I've been giving you

00:36:48.199 --> 00:36:49.739
 reasons why we can trust

00:36:49.739 --> 00:36:50.659
 that the New Testament

00:36:50.659 --> 00:36:52.019
 is true.

00:36:52.139 --> 00:36:53.000
 Why it's trustworthy.

00:36:53.960 --> 00:36:55.000
 Why we can believe it.

00:36:55.259 --> 00:36:56.079
 And if you're interested,

00:36:56.399 --> 00:36:57.279
 I'd be very glad

00:36:57.279 --> 00:36:57.960
 to talk with you

00:36:57.960 --> 00:36:58.960
 about these matters

00:36:58.960 --> 00:37:00.199
 and share my sources

00:37:00.199 --> 00:37:01.339
 of information with you.

00:37:01.779 --> 00:37:02.960
 But if you're here today

00:37:02.960 --> 00:37:04.179
 and you're still wondering

00:37:04.179 --> 00:37:05.320
 about this person of Jesus,

00:37:05.480 --> 00:37:06.199
 I want to give you

00:37:06.199 --> 00:37:08.760
 just one final simple test

00:37:08.760 --> 00:37:09.720
 to conduct

00:37:09.720 --> 00:37:11.019
 concerning the authenticity

00:37:11.019 --> 00:37:12.099
 of Jesus

00:37:12.099 --> 00:37:12.920
 and the New Testament.

00:37:13.240 --> 00:37:14.099
 And this is a test

00:37:14.099 --> 00:37:15.460
 that Jesus himself

00:37:15.460 --> 00:37:16.220
 recommends.

00:37:16.880 --> 00:37:17.699
 He says this

00:37:17.699 --> 00:37:18.720
 in the Gospel of John.

00:37:18.800 --> 00:37:19.099
 He says,

00:37:19.300 --> 00:37:20.920
 Anyone who chooses

00:37:20.920 --> 00:37:22.340
 to do the will of God

00:37:22.340 --> 00:37:23.880
 will find out

00:37:23.880 --> 00:37:24.699
 whether my teaching

00:37:24.699 --> 00:37:25.679
 comes from God

00:37:25.679 --> 00:37:27.300
 or whether I speak

00:37:27.300 --> 00:37:28.059
 on my own.

00:37:28.639 --> 00:37:29.420
 So my friends,

00:37:29.500 --> 00:37:30.480
 if you want

00:37:30.480 --> 00:37:31.500
 to follow Jesus,

00:37:31.500 --> 00:37:32.179
 if you want

00:37:32.179 --> 00:37:33.159
 to do God's will,

00:37:33.659 --> 00:37:34.579
 Jesus promises

00:37:34.579 --> 00:37:35.480
 you'll know,

00:37:36.000 --> 00:37:36.940
 he'll let you know

00:37:36.940 --> 00:37:38.440
 that he's true

00:37:38.440 --> 00:37:39.539
 and that he's worthy

00:37:39.539 --> 00:37:40.239
 of your trust.

00:37:40.980 --> 00:37:41.900
 Let's pray together.

00:37:42.280 --> 00:37:42.960
 Father in heaven,

00:37:43.059 --> 00:37:43.639
 we thank you

00:37:43.639 --> 00:37:44.800
 for your New Testament.

00:37:44.940 --> 00:37:45.480
 We thank you

00:37:45.480 --> 00:37:46.260
 for the people

00:37:46.260 --> 00:37:46.900
 who wrote it,

00:37:47.039 --> 00:37:47.639
 your disciples,

00:37:48.219 --> 00:37:49.199
 who labored

00:37:49.199 --> 00:37:50.440
 and suffered so much

00:37:50.440 --> 00:37:51.780
 and did so joyfully

00:37:51.780 --> 00:37:53.460
 to bring your message.

00:37:54.579 --> 00:37:55.360
 Lord, we pray

00:37:55.360 --> 00:37:55.900
 that we'd follow

00:37:55.900 --> 00:37:56.480
 their example,

00:37:56.599 --> 00:37:57.360
 that we wouldn't seek

00:37:57.360 --> 00:37:58.059
 to gain riches

00:37:58.059 --> 00:37:58.579
 or power

00:37:58.579 --> 00:37:59.320
 by your message.

00:37:59.320 --> 00:38:00.860
 We also pray

00:38:00.860 --> 00:38:01.720
 that we would be

00:38:01.720 --> 00:38:03.660
 increased in our faith,

00:38:03.780 --> 00:38:04.680
 that you would magnify

00:38:04.680 --> 00:38:05.180
 our faith

00:38:05.180 --> 00:38:06.120
 and our trust in you.

00:38:06.340 --> 00:38:07.100
 I pray for anyone

00:38:07.100 --> 00:38:07.760
 here today

00:38:07.760 --> 00:38:08.960
 who is struggling

00:38:08.960 --> 00:38:09.640
 with doubts.

00:38:09.740 --> 00:38:10.620
 I pray that you would

00:38:10.620 --> 00:38:12.200
 speak to them now,

00:38:13.140 --> 00:38:13.960
 comfort them,

00:38:14.440 --> 00:38:15.559
 reveal yourself to them.

00:38:16.019 --> 00:38:16.519
 Lord, I pray

00:38:16.519 --> 00:38:17.460
 for the church service

00:38:17.460 --> 00:38:17.980
 we're about

00:38:17.980 --> 00:38:19.360
 to fellowship

00:38:19.360 --> 00:38:20.440
 and listen to.

00:38:21.059 --> 00:38:21.800
 I pray that you'd

00:38:21.800 --> 00:38:22.380
 send your spirit

00:38:22.380 --> 00:38:23.000
 there mightily.

00:38:23.519 --> 00:38:24.460
 And we pray all this

00:38:24.460 --> 00:38:25.160
 in the mighty name

00:38:25.160 --> 00:38:25.580
 of Jesus.

00:38:26.280 --> 00:38:26.480
 Amen.

00:38:26.480 --> 00:38:26.600
 Amen.

00:38:26.599 --> 00:38:29.199
 I think we have

00:38:29.199 --> 00:38:30.420
 some time for questions

00:38:30.420 --> 00:38:31.460
 if anybody has questions.

00:38:32.839 --> 00:38:33.319
 Ben.

00:38:33.860 --> 00:38:36.739
 Those who agree

00:38:36.739 --> 00:38:38.400
 that miracles were performed

00:38:38.400 --> 00:38:40.420
 but deny Christ,

00:38:40.619 --> 00:38:41.940
 how do they reconcile it?

00:38:42.400 --> 00:38:42.639
 Great.

00:38:42.739 --> 00:38:43.519
 So the question is,

00:38:43.920 --> 00:38:44.900
 yeah, all these people

00:38:44.900 --> 00:38:45.679
 talk about the miracles

00:38:45.679 --> 00:38:46.039
 of Jesus

00:38:46.039 --> 00:38:47.500
 but they still deny Christ.

00:38:47.619 --> 00:38:49.319
 How does that make sense?

00:38:49.420 --> 00:38:51.539
 Well, they do the same things

00:38:51.539 --> 00:38:52.559
 that the Jewish leaders

00:38:52.559 --> 00:38:53.360
 in the Gospels do.

00:38:53.360 --> 00:38:54.779
 They say that he did this

00:38:54.779 --> 00:38:55.579
 by demons,

00:38:55.719 --> 00:38:56.259
 with magic.

00:38:56.599 --> 00:38:58.279
 That in the ancient world,

00:38:58.639 --> 00:38:59.839
 magic was something

00:38:59.839 --> 00:39:01.380
 that you had supernatural power

00:39:01.380 --> 00:39:02.139
 but you got it

00:39:02.139 --> 00:39:03.219
 through the help of demons.

00:39:03.819 --> 00:39:04.420
 And so they said

00:39:04.420 --> 00:39:05.099
 the same things.

00:39:05.579 --> 00:39:06.380
 That yeah, yeah, yeah,

00:39:06.380 --> 00:39:07.039
 he did this

00:39:07.039 --> 00:39:09.279
 but he used demons.

00:39:09.619 --> 00:39:10.619
 And Christians

00:39:10.619 --> 00:39:11.480
 would reply to this.

00:39:11.539 --> 00:39:12.159
 They would say like,

00:39:12.659 --> 00:39:13.860
 but someone who repents

00:39:13.860 --> 00:39:14.719
 from their sins,

00:39:14.839 --> 00:39:15.900
 who preaches righteousness,

00:39:16.079 --> 00:39:17.119
 they don't work with demons.

00:39:17.699 --> 00:39:18.599
 Jesus is preaching

00:39:18.599 --> 00:39:19.519
 to love God,

00:39:19.599 --> 00:39:20.299
 to do all these things.

00:39:20.759 --> 00:39:21.880
 And the response

00:39:21.880 --> 00:39:23.139
 by the ancient critics

00:39:23.139 --> 00:39:24.579
 was usually,

00:39:24.579 --> 00:39:25.900
 I mentioned some of them,

00:39:25.900 --> 00:39:26.660
 is that they would say,

00:39:26.760 --> 00:39:28.960
 yeah, but Jesus

00:39:28.960 --> 00:39:29.680
 and the apostles

00:39:29.680 --> 00:39:30.559
 were poor.

00:39:31.099 --> 00:39:32.660
 They were laborers.

00:39:33.039 --> 00:39:35.480
 They invited women

00:39:35.480 --> 00:39:37.460
 into their society.

00:39:37.700 --> 00:39:39.139
 They liked slaves.

00:39:39.220 --> 00:39:39.960
 That's ridiculous.

00:39:40.220 --> 00:39:41.660
 We shouldn't do that.

00:39:42.160 --> 00:39:43.000
 Again and again,

00:39:43.099 --> 00:39:43.920
 you see Celsus,

00:39:44.079 --> 00:39:45.180
 Julian say all these things.

00:39:45.280 --> 00:39:46.720
 So it's ironic to us

00:39:46.720 --> 00:39:48.500
 because what they criticized

00:39:48.500 --> 00:39:49.559
 the early Christians for

00:39:49.559 --> 00:39:50.900
 is what we boast about.

00:39:50.900 --> 00:39:52.940
 that they loved the poor.

00:39:53.099 --> 00:39:54.380
 They loved slaves.

00:39:54.920 --> 00:39:56.460
 They loved the underclasses.

00:39:56.720 --> 00:39:59.079
 But this was used by critics

00:39:59.079 --> 00:40:00.059
 as evidence

00:40:00.059 --> 00:40:01.200
 that they didn't know

00:40:01.200 --> 00:40:01.940
 what they were talking about.

00:40:02.019 --> 00:40:02.539
 They weren't rich.

00:40:02.619 --> 00:40:03.139
 They weren't powerful.

00:40:03.220 --> 00:40:03.840
 They weren't educated.

00:40:06.059 --> 00:40:06.980
 Can you go back

00:40:06.980 --> 00:40:07.760
 to the picture

00:40:07.760 --> 00:40:09.760
 of the full of that?

00:40:10.019 --> 00:40:10.920
 Yeah, that's awesome.

00:40:11.260 --> 00:40:12.340
 Okay, yeah, sure.

00:40:12.480 --> 00:40:13.480
 I don't believe you

00:40:13.480 --> 00:40:14.200
 until I see it.

00:40:14.199 --> 00:40:17.460
 I have to say that,

00:40:17.500 --> 00:40:18.419
 here we go,

00:40:19.319 --> 00:40:21.379
 that this picture doesn't,

00:40:21.679 --> 00:40:23.179
 it doesn't encompass

00:40:23.179 --> 00:40:24.059
 everything that's there.

00:40:24.179 --> 00:40:25.179
 It's part of an archaeological,

00:40:25.939 --> 00:40:27.279
 an archaeological dig

00:40:27.279 --> 00:40:27.839
 that happened.

00:40:28.379 --> 00:40:29.519
 I have not been able

00:40:29.519 --> 00:40:30.279
 to find a picture

00:40:30.279 --> 00:40:31.639
 that clearly shows

00:40:31.639 --> 00:40:33.259
 all five places.

00:40:33.619 --> 00:40:34.559
 What I do know

00:40:34.559 --> 00:40:36.000
 is that apparently

00:40:36.000 --> 00:40:36.719
 all scholars,

00:40:36.819 --> 00:40:37.819
 even skeptical scholars,

00:40:38.179 --> 00:40:39.259
 accept this now.

00:40:39.719 --> 00:40:41.059
 Often the archaeological record

00:40:41.059 --> 00:40:42.239
 takes a lot of fine,

00:40:42.679 --> 00:40:43.759
 a fine-drained analysis

00:40:43.760 --> 00:40:44.340
 to tell,

00:40:44.440 --> 00:40:44.980
 like for instance,

00:40:45.420 --> 00:40:46.880
 they can probably find

00:40:46.880 --> 00:40:47.460
 the foundations

00:40:47.460 --> 00:40:48.140
 of these porches

00:40:48.140 --> 00:40:49.180
 and find how they've crumbled.

00:40:49.460 --> 00:40:50.160
 So you won't be able

00:40:50.160 --> 00:40:52.500
 to find them standing there today.

00:40:52.500 --> 00:40:53.680
 Is this like from a helicopter

00:40:53.680 --> 00:40:54.240
 or something?

00:40:54.400 --> 00:40:54.860
 I can't tell.

00:40:54.860 --> 00:40:55.840
 It's looking down.

00:40:56.040 --> 00:40:57.340
 So over the centuries,

00:40:57.580 --> 00:40:58.820
 people paved over this

00:40:58.820 --> 00:40:59.740
 again and again and again.

00:41:00.640 --> 00:41:02.320
 And so this stuff

00:41:02.320 --> 00:41:03.200
 on the sides,

00:41:03.720 --> 00:41:04.140
 I'm not,

00:41:04.240 --> 00:41:04.940
 I would imagine,

00:41:05.140 --> 00:41:06.460
 is later material.

00:41:06.820 --> 00:41:07.360
 That's what happens

00:41:07.360 --> 00:41:08.320
 in archaeological digs.

00:41:08.340 --> 00:41:09.220
 So when I get earlier,

00:41:09.320 --> 00:41:10.020
 you have to go deeper.

00:41:10.340 --> 00:41:10.920
 And in this case,

00:41:10.940 --> 00:41:11.880
 you have to go so deep

00:41:11.880 --> 00:41:12.500
 that you're kind of

00:41:12.500 --> 00:41:13.820
 looking down now

00:41:13.820 --> 00:41:14.780
 at something that originally

00:41:14.780 --> 00:41:15.679
 was on ground level.

00:41:16.679 --> 00:41:17.119
 I have,

00:41:17.239 --> 00:41:18.659
 there's a very distinguished

00:41:18.659 --> 00:41:19.699
 professor.

00:41:20.300 --> 00:41:21.199
 He's still at Yale

00:41:21.199 --> 00:41:22.460
 and he's a professor

00:41:22.460 --> 00:41:23.420
 of the Gospel of John.

00:41:23.460 --> 00:41:24.320
 And I heard him not once

00:41:24.320 --> 00:41:25.300
 but twice say

00:41:25.300 --> 00:41:27.320
 publicly in class

00:41:27.320 --> 00:41:29.199
 that he used to think

00:41:29.199 --> 00:41:30.579
 that the Gospel of John

00:41:30.579 --> 00:41:32.519
 was all myth

00:41:32.519 --> 00:41:33.659
 and allegory.

00:41:33.880 --> 00:41:34.679
 And he said,

00:41:34.739 --> 00:41:35.440
 but then they started

00:41:35.440 --> 00:41:36.619
 digging up these pools.

00:41:37.739 --> 00:41:38.579
 And he's like,

00:41:38.619 --> 00:41:39.340
 and it really

00:41:39.340 --> 00:41:40.320
 has made me think.

00:41:40.320 --> 00:41:41.700
 And he never completes

00:41:41.700 --> 00:41:42.280
 that thought.

00:41:42.600 --> 00:41:44.160
 But he said that

00:41:44.160 --> 00:41:45.140
 without urging.

00:41:45.280 --> 00:41:45.400
 I mean,

00:41:45.420 --> 00:41:46.300
 he's just brought it up.

00:41:46.360 --> 00:41:46.620
 He's like,

00:41:46.660 --> 00:41:46.840
 yeah,

00:41:46.900 --> 00:41:48.000
 and they found this stuff.

00:41:48.200 --> 00:41:50.700
 So as far as I'm aware,

00:41:50.740 --> 00:41:51.580
 no one really disputes

00:41:51.580 --> 00:41:52.940
 the Pool of Bethesda.

00:41:54.160 --> 00:41:55.000
 There's other things

00:41:55.000 --> 00:41:55.559
 I was going to say

00:41:55.559 --> 00:41:56.320
 that people do dispute.

00:41:56.420 --> 00:41:57.360
 So I didn't mention those things.

00:41:58.000 --> 00:41:58.860
 Is that a professor

00:41:58.860 --> 00:42:00.840
 of the New Testament?

00:42:01.380 --> 00:42:02.200
 Of the New Testament?

00:42:02.200 --> 00:42:02.380
 Yeah.

00:42:02.380 --> 00:42:02.700
 Yeah.

00:42:02.700 --> 00:42:03.420
 Yeah.

00:42:03.420 --> 00:42:03.519
 Yeah.

00:42:07.780 --> 00:42:08.620
 Any other questions?

00:42:10.320 --> 00:42:11.600
 I just wonder,

00:42:11.720 --> 00:42:12.120
 it seems like

00:42:12.120 --> 00:42:12.720
 the New Testament

00:42:12.720 --> 00:42:13.340
 is so accurate.

00:42:13.460 --> 00:42:14.780
 Has it been embraced

00:42:14.780 --> 00:42:15.320
 as a standard

00:42:15.320 --> 00:42:16.559
 to compare other things to yet?

00:42:16.660 --> 00:42:17.200
 Or is it kind of

00:42:17.200 --> 00:42:17.800
 its nature

00:42:17.800 --> 00:42:18.720
 as a belief book

00:42:18.720 --> 00:42:19.460
 that they don't know there?

00:42:19.500 --> 00:42:19.900
 It seems like

00:42:19.900 --> 00:42:20.660
 it would be a great standard

00:42:20.660 --> 00:42:21.220
 if it's proven

00:42:21.220 --> 00:42:21.920
 to keep this wrong

00:42:21.920 --> 00:42:22.660
 with other really

00:42:22.660 --> 00:42:24.200
 books that we look to

00:42:24.200 --> 00:42:24.700
 as standards.

00:42:24.800 --> 00:42:25.539
 Has it become that

00:42:25.539 --> 00:42:26.440
 more and more?

00:42:26.740 --> 00:42:26.940
 Yeah.

00:42:27.680 --> 00:42:28.340
 That's a good question.

00:42:28.380 --> 00:42:29.080
 The question's about

00:42:29.080 --> 00:42:29.800
 do people use

00:42:29.800 --> 00:42:30.300
 the New Testament

00:42:30.300 --> 00:42:31.400
 as a source book

00:42:31.400 --> 00:42:32.220
 for evaluating

00:42:32.220 --> 00:42:34.140
 other historical people?

00:42:34.620 --> 00:42:35.059
 I agree.

00:42:35.519 --> 00:42:37.059
 And there are,

00:42:37.280 --> 00:42:37.860
 you'll find

00:42:37.860 --> 00:42:38.680
 a big divide

00:42:38.679 --> 00:42:39.559
 in the field

00:42:39.559 --> 00:42:41.500
 that New Testament scholars

00:42:41.500 --> 00:42:43.079
 that the field

00:42:43.079 --> 00:42:43.659
 is very divided.

00:42:43.779 --> 00:42:44.179
 They tend to be

00:42:44.179 --> 00:42:44.739
 very skeptical

00:42:44.739 --> 00:42:46.019
 and so usually

00:42:46.019 --> 00:42:46.679
 they fall in one

00:42:46.679 --> 00:42:47.199
 of two camps.

00:42:47.279 --> 00:42:48.139
 Either they're very skeptical

00:42:48.139 --> 00:42:49.099
 or they believe it.

00:42:49.339 --> 00:42:50.859
 If you go to archaeologists,

00:42:51.039 --> 00:42:51.980
 it's a little more

00:42:51.980 --> 00:42:52.839
 like what you're saying

00:42:52.839 --> 00:42:54.199
 that they will say,

00:42:54.299 --> 00:42:54.980
 oh, we found this.

00:42:55.039 --> 00:42:55.639
 This must be,

00:42:55.679 --> 00:42:55.819
 you know,

00:42:55.859 --> 00:42:56.419
 what was mentioned

00:42:56.419 --> 00:42:58.059
 in the New Testament

00:42:58.059 --> 00:43:00.079
 or even like,

00:43:00.159 --> 00:43:00.879
 we're going to dig here

00:43:00.879 --> 00:43:01.480
 because we think

00:43:01.480 --> 00:43:02.519
 something might be here.

00:43:02.559 --> 00:43:02.879
 They do that

00:43:02.879 --> 00:43:03.940
 with the Old Testament too.

00:43:04.279 --> 00:43:04.599
 Again,

00:43:04.739 --> 00:43:05.739
 but not all archaeologists.

00:43:05.739 --> 00:43:06.259
 Some of them

00:43:06.259 --> 00:43:07.919
 are very skeptical.

00:43:08.679 --> 00:43:10.239
 In terms of Josephus,

00:43:10.299 --> 00:43:10.980
 it's very ironic.

00:43:11.139 --> 00:43:12.960
 Luke wrote before Josephus.

00:43:13.039 --> 00:43:13.919
 We know that he was

00:43:13.919 --> 00:43:14.619
 very accurate.

00:43:15.079 --> 00:43:16.119
 Josephus wrote later.

00:43:16.579 --> 00:43:18.219
 We know that Josephus

00:43:18.219 --> 00:43:19.199
 made mistakes in part

00:43:19.199 --> 00:43:19.779
 because sometimes

00:43:19.779 --> 00:43:20.759
 he'll give the same account

00:43:20.759 --> 00:43:21.399
 of the same event

00:43:21.399 --> 00:43:22.299
 and contradict himself.

00:43:23.599 --> 00:43:25.259
 And, you know,

00:43:25.319 --> 00:43:25.879
 you'd think

00:43:25.879 --> 00:43:26.879
 if they were in tension,

00:43:27.279 --> 00:43:28.460
 scholars would go with Luke.

00:43:28.919 --> 00:43:29.559
 He's earlier.

00:43:29.719 --> 00:43:30.699
 We know he's very good,

00:43:30.839 --> 00:43:31.980
 but many of them don't.

00:43:32.399 --> 00:43:33.419
 And I think it's because

00:43:33.419 --> 00:43:35.139
 they subconsciously,

00:43:35.239 --> 00:43:35.559
 they're like,

00:43:35.619 --> 00:43:36.719
 oh, it's the Bible.

00:43:36.719 --> 00:43:39.199
 So, it's unfortunate,

00:43:39.599 --> 00:43:40.679
 but that's what happens.

00:43:43.199 --> 00:43:43.859
 Anything else?

00:43:43.959 --> 00:43:44.559
 Are you familiar

00:43:44.559 --> 00:43:45.559
 with the associates

00:43:45.559 --> 00:43:46.899
 for the biblical research?

00:43:47.459 --> 00:43:48.359
 Yeah, I've heard of them.

00:43:48.579 --> 00:43:49.019
 Yeah, yeah.

00:43:49.480 --> 00:43:51.579
 They're doing a dig in Shiloh.

00:43:51.759 --> 00:43:51.919
 I mean,

00:43:51.959 --> 00:43:52.619
 it's been going on

00:43:52.619 --> 00:43:54.219
 for a few years now.

00:43:55.019 --> 00:43:56.480
 And it's just really exciting.

00:43:57.119 --> 00:43:57.359
 Yeah.

00:43:57.419 --> 00:43:58.239
 For personal interest

00:43:58.239 --> 00:43:59.659
 and anybody wants to look that up,

00:43:59.699 --> 00:44:00.659
 what they're finding there.

00:44:00.879 --> 00:44:01.579
 Yeah, yeah.

00:44:01.659 --> 00:44:02.619
 There's digs going on

00:44:02.619 --> 00:44:03.279
 all the time.

00:44:03.559 --> 00:44:04.719
 And they find stuff.

00:44:04.719 --> 00:44:04.899
 I mean,

00:44:04.919 --> 00:44:05.599
 that's how they found

00:44:05.599 --> 00:44:06.779
 the ring of Pontius Pilate.

00:44:06.899 --> 00:44:08.199
 It's in some destruction layer

00:44:08.199 --> 00:44:09.519
 when Jerusalem was destroyed

00:44:09.519 --> 00:44:10.939
 in year 70.

00:44:11.059 --> 00:44:12.719
 It's probably not literally his ring.

00:44:12.779 --> 00:44:13.799
 It's probably the ring

00:44:13.799 --> 00:44:14.819
 of one of his slaves

00:44:14.819 --> 00:44:15.339
 or servants

00:44:15.339 --> 00:44:16.500
 that would stamp,

00:44:16.619 --> 00:44:16.919
 you know,

00:44:16.980 --> 00:44:18.000
 documents with it.

00:44:18.579 --> 00:44:19.980
 But it might have been him,

00:44:20.039 --> 00:44:20.899
 but it's a testimony

00:44:20.899 --> 00:44:22.379
 to his existence.

00:44:22.939 --> 00:44:23.759
 And it's ironic

00:44:23.759 --> 00:44:25.480
 that when that was found,

00:44:25.739 --> 00:44:25.919
 you know,

00:44:25.939 --> 00:44:26.539
 people made kind of

00:44:26.539 --> 00:44:27.239
 a big deal about it,

00:44:27.259 --> 00:44:28.980
 but we knew about Pontius Pilate

00:44:28.980 --> 00:44:30.259
 for so long.

00:44:30.319 --> 00:44:30.439
 I mean,

00:44:30.439 --> 00:44:31.199
 we have all these

00:44:31.199 --> 00:44:32.399
 literary records

00:44:32.400 --> 00:44:33.440
 from non-Christians

00:44:33.440 --> 00:44:34.200
 that talk about him,

00:44:34.260 --> 00:44:35.559
 both Jewish and pagan,

00:44:36.039 --> 00:44:37.780
 that are from the first century

00:44:37.780 --> 00:44:40.599
 and the early second century as well.

00:44:40.740 --> 00:44:41.700
 And we have that inscription

00:44:41.700 --> 00:44:42.460
 of Pontius Pilate.

00:44:42.860 --> 00:44:44.660
 But this just kind of adds to it.

00:44:47.539 --> 00:44:48.119
 Anything else?

00:44:48.160 --> 00:44:49.180
 I think it might be about time

00:44:49.180 --> 00:44:49.740
 to wrap up.

00:44:49.840 --> 00:44:50.619
 So next week,

00:44:50.660 --> 00:44:51.360
 we're going to talk about

00:44:51.360 --> 00:44:52.740
 the canonicity of the New Testament.

00:44:52.900 --> 00:44:53.660
 We're going to talk about

00:44:53.660 --> 00:44:54.599
 how the New Testament

00:44:54.599 --> 00:44:55.340
 was put together.

00:44:56.099 --> 00:44:57.079
 So be sure you come for that.

00:44:57.559 --> 00:44:57.820
 Thanks.

00:44:57.820 --> 00:44:57.900
 Thanks.

00:44:57.900 --> 00:44:57.920
 Thanks.

00:44:57.920 --> 00:44:57.960
 Thanks.