Essay 1:
Many historians in opposition to the Christian Faith try to invalidate Catholicism by claiming that the Gospels are not historically reliable. This accusation is entirely false and can logically be disproven by using the five criteria for judging the historical reliability of documents. Is there eyewitness testimony? Where the documents written within living memory of the events? Do outside, unbiased, sources agree? Do the events relayed in the documents sound ridiculously untrue? And lastly, did the authors have anything to gain from lying? In this essay, I will go through these five criteria and prove that the Gospels are historically accurate.
The first criterion to address is if there is eyewitness testimony. Bishop Papias, a man who lived during the apostolic era tells us the authors of the Gospels. The Gospels of Matthew and John are attributed to the apostles Matthew and John. The Apostles accompanied Jesus thought his ministry and therefore would have been witnesses to his …show more content…
There are several instances in the Bible where Jesus says that he is divine. Not only does he say he is, but he proves he is by doing miracles, fulfilling prophecies, and making his own prophecies that come true. In the Gospel of John, Jesus says “I and the Father are one.” Here Jesus clearly states that he is divine. He also claims that he and God are one in essence, which is taught in the Trinity. In another verse in the Gospel of John, Jesus says “Amen, Amen, I say to you. Before Abraham was made I am.” In Exodus, “I am” is the name God gives Moses when he asks what he should call him. In Matthew during Jesus’ trial, the priests ask him if he is the son of God and Jesus confirms saying, “Thou hast said it. Hereafter you shall see the son of God sitting at the right hand of the power of God and coming in the clouds of
Many historians in opposition to the Christian Faith try to invalidate Catholicism by claiming that the Gospels are not historically reliable. This accusation is entirely false and can logically be disproven by using the five criteria for judging the historical reliability of documents. Is there eyewitness testimony? Where the documents written within living memory of the events? Do outside, unbiased, sources agree? Do the events relayed in the documents sound ridiculously untrue? And lastly, did the authors have anything to gain from lying? In this essay, I will go through these five criteria and prove that the Gospels are historically accurate.
The first criterion to address is if there is eyewitness testimony. Bishop Papias, a man who lived during the apostolic era tells us the authors of the Gospels. The Gospels of Matthew and John are attributed to the apostles Matthew and John. The Apostles accompanied Jesus thought his ministry and therefore would have been witnesses to his …show more content…
There are several instances in the Bible where Jesus says that he is divine. Not only does he say he is, but he proves he is by doing miracles, fulfilling prophecies, and making his own prophecies that come true. In the Gospel of John, Jesus says “I and the Father are one.” Here Jesus clearly states that he is divine. He also claims that he and God are one in essence, which is taught in the Trinity. In another verse in the Gospel of John, Jesus says “Amen, Amen, I say to you. Before Abraham was made I am.” In Exodus, “I am” is the name God gives Moses when he asks what he should call him. In Matthew during Jesus’ trial, the priests ask him if he is the son of God and Jesus confirms saying, “Thou hast said it. Hereafter you shall see the son of God sitting at the right hand of the power of God and coming in the clouds of