Why The Gospels Hold Up as History
A Faith Lab Conversation with Craig Keener, Nate Hanson & Shane Rosenthal
In the prologue of his Gospel, Luke indicates that he wrote to Theophilus to give him “certainty” concerning things he had already been informed about (Lk 1:4). This, of course, implies that stories of Jesus had already been circulating at the time of Luke’s writing, just as the author himself admits in the first two verses when he says that many had already compiled narratives of “the things fulfilled among us.” Theophilus, however, appears to have had doubts of some kind, at least when it came to Luke’s version of the story. It was perhaps this “uncertainty” that motivated Luke to write his narrative about Jesus, which he anchored in eyewitness testimony (Lk 1:2).
While it’s common for Christians to talk about their own internal evidence (what they have personally felt or experienced as a result of trusting in Jesus), it’s worth pointing out that religious experience isn’t unique to the Christian religion. Mormons focus on the “burning in the bosom,” and people from a host of different faiths and traditions frequently anchor things in their own changed lives. But it’s worth paying attention to Luke’s approach. Rather than focusing inward, he instead points to external evidence, such as the corroborated testimony of Jesus’ closest disciples—those who not only memorized his teaching but who also saw him perform wonderful deeds (Lk 7:1-23, Acts 2:22-36, 10:34-43), and specific things which ended up fulfilling all the ancient promises about Israel’s coming Messiah (Lk 1:1).
This emphasis, however, on external evidence will inevitably lead to questions like, “How do we know that Luke’s narrative—or any of the Gospels for that matter—can be trusted as real history?” I’ve addressed questions like this in a variety of articles and on many episodes of my podcast (see below), but my friend—and now colleague—Nate Hanson, recently asked me to discuss some of these issues on an episode of Faith Lab with New Testament scholar Craig Keener. On this program, we discuss the historical case for the Gospels, why the popular skepticism about them gets the genre wrong, and why a Christianity built on evidence has more room for honest doubt than most Christians realize.
Read more about this episode here, or click the image below to watch via YouTube.
RELATED RESOURCES
Articles
Things Completely Fulfilled Among Us, Shane Rosenthal
On Faith & History, Shane Rosenthal
The Mormonization of American Christianity, Shane Rosenthal
His Excellency, The High Priest, Shane Rosenthal
Is Luke a Trustworthy Historian?, Sir William Ramsay
Can We Trust Luke’s History of the Early Jesus Movement? Shane Rosenthal
Outside the Gospels, What Can We Know About Jesus? Shane Rosenthal
The Date of John’s Gospel, Revisited, Shane Rosenthal
George van Kooten on the Date & Authorship of John’s Gospel, Shane Rosenthal
A Pre-70 Date for the Gospels & Acts, Shane Rosenthal
The Implications of 70 AD on the Date of the Gospels & Acts, Shane Rosenthal
Authenticating The Fourth Gospel, Shane Rosenthal
Videos
An Archaeological Discovery Sheds Light on Luke
History, Archaeology & Luke’s Most Excellent Theophilus
Have Archaeologists Discovered Biblical Bethsaida?
Episodes
Did Josephus Ever Mention Jesus? Humble Skeptic #77 with T.C. Schmidt
Stories of Jesus: Can They Be Trusted? Humble Skeptic #61 with Peter J. Williams
Are the Gospels History or Fiction? Humble Skeptic #52 with John Dickson
Who is Theophilus? Humble Skeptic #79 with Peter. Bolt
Faith Founded on Facts, Humble Skeptic #15
The Jesus of History, Humble Skeptic #12
Is John Late & Unreliable? Humble Skeptic #51 with Daniel Wallace
Which John Wrote John? Humble Skeptic #50
Questioning The Fourth Gospel, Humble Skeptic #49 with Richard Bauckham
Books
Christobiography, Craig Keener
Miracles: The Credibility of the New Testament Account, Craig Keener
Josephus & Jesus, T.C. Schmidt
Redating the New Testament, John A.T. Robinson
Redating Matthew, Mark & Luke, John Wenham
Rethinking the Dates of the New Testament, Jonathan Bernier
Jesus & The Eyewitnesses, Richard Bauckham
Can We Trust The Gospels? Peter J. Williams
Is Jesus History? John Dickson
Testimonies to the Truth, Lydia McGrew
Luke’s Key Witness, Shane Rosenthal