1	The Acts of the Apostles Lecture 2 – Historical Veracity
2	Names Bible vs. NT or OT Documents Biblos is Greek word meaning inner part of a papyrus plant – paper sheet or scroll of writing Bible to us is collection of historical works No one can complain if you have a collection of historical documents on your desk No one can complain if you teach historical documents
3	Words of the Day άγαπάν agape: love of the gods (rarely used of men): NAS – love, love feasts; KJV – charity, love έρως eros: romantic love (not erotic): NAS;KJV–N/A πόθος pathos: passion; fate: NAS - passion, passions; KJV – affection, lust, inordinate affection φιλαω philao: brotherly love, befriend, tender love, affection, to kiss: KJV–kiss, love; NAS-kiss; love έπίθίμία epithumia: strong desire, desire, craving, longing, lust: KJV - desire, lust; NAS - coveting, desire, earnestly, impulses, long, lust, lustful στέργηθρον sterguthron: parental love, old/assured love: NAS; KJV – N/A
4	How can we prove history? Pick a person in history the popular world knows really existed How do we know? What is the proof? Pick someone in antiquity, the popular world knows really existed
5	How can we prove history? Scientific Method? Can only be used to test repeatable events Legal-Historical (evidence/witness) Method Oral Written Exhibits Examples
6	Historical Documents Three criteria used to judge accuracy of written historical evidence Bibliographical Internal External If a work passes all three tests, source is considered indisputable unless contradicted by a source of greater degree or merit
7	Degree and Merit Merit refers to how well the work passes three evidentiary tests Degree Primary – first hand Secondary – second hand Tertiary – non-witness None – opinion
8	Bibliographical Test Examination of how the document was transmitted to us in time Number of manuscripts Time between the original and the earliest manuscript we have No originals from any work in antiquity exist Manuscripts are all copied by hand
9	Bibliographical Test A work with more existing manuscripts is judged to be more accurate More manuscripts = more accurate
10	Ancient Manuscripts
11	Number of Copies
12	Bibliographical Test Iliad (next best to the New Testament) Almost certain we have the complete text of the Iliad as written by Homer 38 times (almost 2 magnitudes) more certain have complete text of NT books 10 times more certain than Josephus have complete text of Acts 60 times more certain than Herodotus
13	Bibliographical Test The less the time interval between when the original and the earliest existing manuscript the more accurate the work is considered Less time between original and earliest = greater accuracy
14	Ancient Manuscripts
15	Span: Original to Manuscript
16	Earliest Manuscripts
17	Bibliographical Test Pliny the Younger’s History 800 compared to 80 (NT) 800 compared to 150 (Acts) Based on Bibliographical Test you can be 10x more certain of NT as a collection of historical documents than of any other work in antiquity Historians know this
18	Bibliographical Test Only defines how well work reflects original Does not define veracity (historicity) of the original text Internal and External tests are used to establish veracity (historical validity) of text
19	Internal Test Lack of internal contradictions Cohesiveness and comprehensibility Degree of witness Primary, secondary, tertiary Geographically Chronologically Historical claims History, Myth, Fiction, Opinion
20	Internal Test Lack of internal contradictions Many other works in antiquity have serious problems NT works display no evident internal contradictions Acts displays no evident internal contradictions
21	Internal Test Cohesiveness and comprehensibility Many other works in antiquity are neither cohesive or comprehensible NT documents are both cohesive and comprehensible Acts is both cohesive and comprehensible
22	Internal Test Degree of witness Primary, secondary, tertiary Geographically Chronologically Acts 1:1-3 1 In my former book, Theophilus, I wrote about all that Jesus began to do and to teach. Luke 1:1-4 1 Many have undertaken to draw up an account of the things that have been fulfilled among us, 2 just as they were handed down to us by those who from the first were eyewitnesses and servants of the word. 3 Therefore, since I myself have carefully investigated everything from the beginning, it seemed good also to me to write an orderly account for you, most excellent Theophilus, 4 so that you may know the certainty of the things you have been taught.
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24	Internal Test Degree of the witness Primary, secondary, tertiary Geographically Chronologically NT documents and Acts are: Primary or secondary sources Geographically placed Chronologically present
25	Internal Test Compared to other works in antiquity NT and Acts documents fulfill all the internal qualifications at least as well if not better than any other work Based on the Bibliographical and Internal Tests a work is always historically given the benefit of doubt All historians also know this
26	Internal Test Based on Bibliographical and Internal Tests The historical claims of NT and Acts documents must be assumed to be true
27	Internal Test F. F. Bruce wrote “And it was not friendly eyewitnesses that the early preachers had to reckon with: there were others less well disposed who were also conversant with the main facts of the ministry and death of Jesus. The disciples could not afford to risk inaccuracies (not to speak of willful manipulation of the facts), which would at once be exposed by those who would be only too glad to so. On the contrary, one of the strong points of the original apostolic preaching is the confident appeal to the knowledge of the hearers; they not only said, ‘We are witnesses of these things,’ but also, ‘As you yourselves know’ (Acts 2:22). Had there been any tendency to depart from the facts in any material respect, the possible pressure of hostile witnesses in the audience would have served as a further corrective.” Luke reports in Acts 26:25-26 “I am not mad, Your Excellency,’ said Paul; ‘what I am saying is sober truth. The king is well versed in these matters, to him I can speak freely. I do not believe that he can be unaware of any of these facts, for this has been no hole-and-corner business.”
28	External Test Compares other works Same region Same time period Archeology
29	External Test Could compare the works of NT to each other Meets external test in every respect Don’t have to
30	External Test Other histories, not as completely reliable as NT, substantiate events External authenticity attested by: Eusebius Papias Justin Martyr Irenaeus Polycarp Josephus (a Jewish historian)… many more
31	External Test Josephus wrote: “Now, there was about this time, Jesus, a wise man if it be lawful to call him a man, for he was a doer of wonderful works, — a teacher of such men as receive the truth with pleasure. He drew over to him both many of the Jews and many of the Gentiles. He was [the] Christ; and when Pilate, at the suggestion of the principal men amongst us, had condemned him to the cross, those that loved him at the first did not forsake him, for he appeared to them alive again the third day, as the divine prophets had foretold these and ten thousand other wonderful things concerning him; and the tribe of Christians, so named from him, are not extinct at this day.” Jewish Talmuds acknowledge life, birth of Christ (Jeshua ben Pandira), discount deity While attempting to disparage the person of Jesus, these accounts acknowledge situations and facts from the life of Christ and supply greater proof
32	External Test Archeological Archeological evidence all support the works of NT Nothing in archeology alters or refutes our knowledge of the life of Christ or any other person described in NT documents
33	External Test External comparison of NT works generally show no disagreement Matthew and Luke apparently at odds in a few events Both pass bibliographical, internal, external Luke is a secondary source Genealogy of Christ Sermon on the mount/plain Based on tests considered irrefutable
34	Matthew vs. Luke Genealogy of Christ “Mattityahu [Matthew] gives the genealogy of Yosef [Joseph], who, though not Yeshua’s [Jesus’] physical father was regarded as his father by people generally while Luke gives the genealogy of Yeshua through his mother Miryam [Mary], the daughter of Eli. If so Yeshua is “of Eli” in the sense of being his grandson; while Yeshua’s relationship with Yosef is portrayed in the words, ‘son, as supposed’ — implying not actually...” Sermon on the Mount/plain Luke and Matthew describe different presentations of similar sermons
35	One View Matthew and Luke results of literary plagiarism where unknown authors fused undiscovered “Q” gospel and unknown sayings gospel (or Mark) This is a method to resolve the obvious parallels between Matthew, Mark, and Luke No “Q” has ever been found Obvious rejection of legal-historical concept Missing point of Greek logos to tellos
36	NT Documents Greek historical documents Accidental religious documents Unique in history Most religious documents claim inspiration Only claim of NT documents is observation Authors never intended documents to do anything other than record what they observed in history Greek rationalism driving force
37	Conclusions Based on the legal-historical tests can conclude written words of books of the NT are historical fact—in most cases, primary source historical fact There is no reason to doubt Acts historical accuracy or veracity No belief required to accept historical accuracy or veracity
38	Next Time Logos and tellos of Acts What is it? Who wrote it? Author’s purpose? How do we know?