The four Gospels are our primary sources of information about Jesus Christ, and thus they are prime targets for skeptics. Those who want to discredit the Christian faith must in some way cast doubt on the Gospels and what they tell us about Jesus.
They use various strategies. Some point out that the Gospels record Jesus performing miracles, which don’t fit with a materialist worldview. However, many don’t employ such naked anti-supernaturalism—which stems from a philosophical position rather than from arguments based on historical evidence.
Many try to undermine the Gospels by trying to distance them from the events they record. Common strategies involve claims that they were written (a) late, (b) not by eyewitnesses, or (c) by people we don’t know.
There are problems with each of these claims (see “Appreciating the Gospels”), but for the sake of argument—as a thought experiment—let’s take the Gospels completely off the table. Suppose that they had never been written. What would we still know about Jesus?
The primary sources of evidence we would be left with would be the rest of the New Testament: Acts and the letters of Paul and other authors, including the book of Revelation (which is also a letter). Just to be generous, though, let’s remove Acts as well, since it’s the sequel to one of the Gospels and is a historical work that repeats a lot of information from Luke.
Appreciating the Gospels
The arguments that the Gospels are unreliable based on when and who they were written by are unpersuasive.
In the first place, when a book was written does not tell you much about its accuracy. A competent historian can write quality work about any period in time that he has studied. It’s more about how he handles his sources than how distant in time he is.
Historians today write about events decades, centuries, and even millennia ago, but we don’t simply dismiss them.
Roman historians like Suetonius, Tacitus, and Cassius Dio wrote about events as far before their day as Jesus was before the Gospels, but their works are taken seriously as sources.
And the Gospels weren’t written that late. On the late dating of the Gospels, they were written between thirty and eighty years after Jesus and within a generation.
In actuality, the gospels were likely written in the 50s and 60s—between twenty and thirty years after Jesus and easily within living memory.
We also know who was behind them. As German scholar Martin Hengel pointed out, the Gospels needed names as soon as more than one was in circulation. The names Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John were thus attached to them as soon as they started appearing.
Finally, whether someone is an eyewitness has little to do with whether one can write a competent biography. Many biographies are written today about historical figures—from Alexander the Great to Abraham Lincoln—whose authors could not possibly have been eyewitnesses. Again, it’s about how a biographer handles his sources.
In the case of the Gospels, two (Matthew and John) are attributed to eyewitnesses and two (Mark and Luke) are written by men who knew eyewitnesses.
History Without Historical Works
By removing the Gospels and Acts from the discussion, we’re depriving ourselves of the historical books that the New Testament contains—that is, the books written to chronicle early Christian history.
But it’s entirely possible to learn about history from other sorts of documents. For example, scholars can learn about what happened during the Civil War by reading the letters people wrote to each other at the time.
Some time ago, I started a project of reading the letters of the New Testament to see what could be learned about Christ and early Christian history just from them.
That project is large and ongoing, but even a brief look at the New Testament letters reveals that we’d still know quite a bit about Jesus and the early Church even if the Gospels had not been penned.
Paul and the Historical Jesus
Sometimes skeptics who dismiss the Gospels state that Paul’s letters are actually the earliest Christian documents we have, implying that they should be more historically reliable.
This is misleading, as the evidence indicates the Gospels and Paul’s letters were written during the same period—the A.D. 50s and 60s—but it is true that at least some of Paul’s letters were likely written before the Gospels.
In particular, Romans, 1 and 2 Corinthians, and Galatians were, and even the most skeptical acknowledge that these were written by Paul. (Also, none of these might be the earliest document in the New Testament. The letter of James could be.)
The historical value of Paul’s letters is sometimes dismissed by saying that he isn’t very interested in the historical Jesus, meaning that he doesn’t tell extended stories about Jesus or regularly quote his sayings.
This is sometimes coupled with a distinction between “the Jesus of history” and “the Christ of faith.” The former refers to the historical observable facts about Jesus (e.g., he lived in first century Palestine—something anyone alive at the time could have seen), while the latter deals with his significance for religious belief (e.g., he is the Son of God and Savior of mankind—things that are matters of faith).
While Paul is obviously concerned about Jesus’ religious significance, what would he make of the claim that he isn’t interested in the historical Jesus? Given his fiery temper, he’d blow his stack. Paul is emphatic about the importance of the historical figure of Jesus and the events connected with his life, death, and resurrection.
He tells the Corinthians: “Jews demand signs and Greeks seek wisdom, but we preach Christ crucified. When I came to you, brethren, I did not come proclaiming to you the testimony of God in lofty words or wisdom. For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified” (1 Cor. 1:22-23; 2:1-2).
Paul thus considers knowledge of the historical Jesus absolutely crucial, and he made it the central theme of his in-person preaching. It was the first thing he wanted his converts to know about and the foundation of everything else.
His letters take a different approach because they are written to people who already know about Jesus. He’s not writing to people who have never heard the gospel but to those who have already been converted.
Still, there is a lot of information about Jesus in his letters. In the passage we just quoted from 1 Corinthians, we learn (1) that there was a man named Jesus, (2) who is regarded as the Christ, or Jewish Messiah, and who (3) was crucified.
Jesus’ Family
Since Jesus was regarded as the Jewish Messiah, it’s unsurprising that Paul indicates (4) he was an Israelite (Rom. 9:4-5) and (5) was “descended from David according to the flesh” (Rom. 1:3).
The fact Paul adds “according to the flesh” suggests that there was something more than simply human about Jesus, and when Paul oddly notes the Jesus was “born of woman” (Gal. 4:4)—with no mention of a human father—it suggests (6) that there may have been something unusual about his birth.
Jesus also had other family members, (7) who are referred to as “the brethren of the Lord” (1 Cor. 9:5), and (8) one of them was named James (Gal. 1:19).
Jesus’ Ministry
As an adult, (9) Jesus began a ministry. “Christ became a servant to the circumcised to show God’s truthfulness, in order to confirm the promises given to the patriarchs” (Rom. 15:8)
As part of this ministry, (10) Jesus taught on various subjects. One teaching was (11) a prohibition on divorce. “To the married I give charge, not I but the Lord, that the wife should not separate from her husband . . . and that the husband should not divorce his wife” (1 Cor. 7:10-11)
Jesus also taught (12) that “The Lord commanded that those who proclaim the gospel should get their living by the gospel” (1 Cor. 9:14). Paul later gives a direct quotation of Jesus on this point: “The laborer deserves his wages.” (1 Tim. 5:18), which is a quotation of Luke 10:7.
Without using direct quotations, Paul also cites other teachings of Jesus that we know from the Gospels, including love being the fulfillment of the law (Rom. 13:8), blessing those who persecute you (Rom. 13:14), and not judging others (Rom. 14:4).
To spread his teachings, (13) Jesus was associated with a group of men known as apostles (1 Cor. 15:7), and in particular (14) with a group known as “the Twelve” (1 Cor. 15:5b). One member was a notable man (15) known as Cephas—or, to use this name’s Greek equivalent, Peter (1 Cor. 15:5a, Gal. 1:18-19, 2:9).
Conflict over Jesus
Jesus’ ministry did not please everyone, and (16) some opposed him (Rom. 15:3). Apparently, these included some of Jesus’ own countrymen, who Paul says “killed both the Lord Jesus and the prophets” (1 Thess. 2:15). So, (17) Jewish individuals somehow caused the Romans to crucify Jesus.
Crucifixion was a punishment that Romans inflicted on certain criminals, provided that they were not Roman citizens. We can thus infer (18) that Jesus was regarded by the Romans as a criminal—which would not be at all surprising if he was publicly regarded as the Messiah, who was expected by Jews to throw off Roman rule, and who thus would be regarded by the Roman authorities as a rebel king.
We also can infer (19) that Jesus—unlike Paul—was a Jew who was not a Roman citizen.
How did Jesus get into trouble with the Roman authorities? Does Paul give us any information about how that happened?
He says, “I received from the Lord what I also delivered to you, that the Lord Jesus on the night when he was betrayed took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it, and said, ‘This is my body which is for you. Do this in remembrance of me.’ In the same way also the chalice, after supper, saying, ‘This chalice is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me’” (1 Cor. 10:23-25).
So, (20) there was a night on which Jesus was betrayed to the authorities (presumably by someone close to him), and (21) on that night he participated in an important supper where a group of his disciples were present.
He then (22) took bread and wine and declared them to be his body and blood (notice that we have direct quotations from Jesus here). He also (23) claimed to institute the new covenant prophesied by Jeremiah (Jer. 31:31-33) and (24) instructed his followers to perform this ceremony in remembrance of him.
Jesus’ Death, Resurrection, and Ascension
After being turned over to the authorities, (25) Jesus was taken before the Roman governor, for Paul refers to “Christ Jesus who in his testimony before Pontius Pilate made the good confession” (1 Tim. 6:15). This tells us that Jesus’ crucifixion happened between A.D. 26 and 36, which was the period during which Pilate was the governor of Judaea.
Paul indicates that, after his encounter with Pilate, “Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day” (1 Cor. 15:3-4).
Jesus was not only crucified but also (26) died, (27) was buried, and (28) raised back to life (cf. Rom. 6:4).
He was then (29) seen alive by his disciples. “He appeared to Cephas, then to the Twelve. Then he appeared to more than five hundred brethren at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have fallen asleep. Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles” (1 Cor. 15:5-7).
Following this, (30) Jesus ascended into heaven (Eph. 4:8-10), and (31) he is currently in heaven (Rom. 10:6).
The Christ of Faith
At this point we pass from the realm of what could be observed by a person present at these historical events, but Paul is not done telling us about Jesus.
He indicates that (32) Jesus is the Son of God (Rom. 1:3). While this term can be applied to righteous men, Paul indicates that (33) it was true of Jesus in a unique sense (Rom. 8:29).
Paul indicates that (34) Jesus was present at and active in the creation of the world, “for in him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or authorities—all things were created through him and for him” (Col. 1:16).
Christ died on the cross (35) so that we could be saved from our sins. “While we were yet sinners Christ died for us. Since, therefore, we are now justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God” (Rom. 5:8-9).
While Jesus is currently in heaven, (36) he will return from there (1 Thess. 4:16), and (37) the dead will be raised back to life (1 Thess. 4:17). At this point, (38) Christ will judge the living and the dead. “For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may receive good or evil, according to what he has done in the body” (2 Cor. 5:10).
Conclusion
All of the points that we’ve covered are found in the four Gospels. From what we’ve seen, it is possible to reconstruct basically the entire Gospel message just from the letters of Paul.
And this is when Paul isn’t even trying to give us a lesson in the life of Christ! Imagine how much more of the Gospel story we would hear if we were listening to Paul’s introductory preaching to his converts!
Nor are we limited to Paul’s letters. We haven’t even considered the rest of the New Testament letters (including Revelation).
These also contain multiple facts about both the historical Jesus and the Christ of faith. To cite just one example, Peter reports what happened on the Mount of Transfiguration (2 Pet. 1:16-18)
It’s also worth noting that Paul is not unique in his presentation of the Gospel facts. They were widely agreed upon, including by those who knew Jesus personally, such as Peter and James.
Paul is emphatic that his presentation of the gospel must be accepted (Gal. 1:8-9), and he indicates that the leaders of the Jerusalem church agreed with him.
“When they perceived the grace that was given to me, James and Cephas and John, who were reputed to be pillars, gave to me and Barnabas the right hand of fellowship, that we should go to the Gentiles and they to the circumcised” (Gal. 2:9; cf. 2:1).
While the Gospels are precious and irreplaceable sources about Jesus and his life and teachings, the substance of the Christian faith itself—including the key facts about Jesus—would remain known to us today even if the Gospels had never been written.
Rather than dismissing the Gospels because they are not (quite) as early as some of the letters, we should see the letters as providing powerful confirmation of the message of the Gospels.
Taken together, the twenty-seven documents of the New Testament provide a dramatic and consistent picture of what the first Christians proclaimed about their Lord as both the Jesus of history and the Christ of faith.
Dates of the New Testament Documents
Below are dates proposed for the New Testament documents. The “late dating” figures are adapted from liberal scholar Raymond Brown’s An Introduction to the New Testament. The “reevaluated dating” figures are taken from my own work, The Bible Is a Catholic Book.
| |
Late Dating |
Reevaluated Dating |
| Matthew |
80-90 |
c. 63 |
| Mark |
68-73 |
c. 55 |
| Luke |
c. 85 |
59 |
| John |
80-110 |
c. 65 |
| Acts |
c. 85 |
60 |
| Romans |
57-58 |
54-55 |
| 1 Corinthians |
56-57 |
c. 53 |
| 2 Corinthians |
57 |
54-55 |
| Galatians |
54-55 |
c. 50 |
| Ephesians |
c. 65 or c. 95 |
58-60 |
| Colossians |
61-63 or c. 85 |
58-60 |
| Philippians |
c. 56 |
58-60 |
| 1 Thessalonians |
50-51 |
c. 50 |
| 2 Thessalonians |
c. 51-52 or c. 85 |
c. 50 |
| 1 Timothy |
c. 65 or c. 95 |
c. 65 |
| 2 Timothy |
64-67 or 68-95 |
c. 66 |
| Titus |
c. 65 or c. 95 |
c. 65 |
| Philemon |
c. 55 |
58-60 |
| Hebrews |
c. 65 or c. 85 |
c. 68 |
| James |
c. 85-95 |
c. 48 |
| 1 Peter |
60-63 or c. 80 |
c. 62-63 |
| 2 Peter |
c. 130 |
c. 64-65 |
| 1 John |
c. 100 |
c. 65 |
| 2 John |
c. 100 |
c. 65 |
| 3 John |
c. 101 |
c. 65 |
| Jude |
c. 55 or c. 95 |
c. 64-65 |
| Revelation |
92-96 |
c. 68 |
