Law. Faith. Justice. Community. Culture.
In this short article, I set out some reasons why the Bible we have today is reliable.
When I mean reliable, I mean it is reliable as to:
This is a chapter summary of Peter J Williams, “Can We Trust the Gospels?”. For the book overview and chapter summary links, click here.
In the last chapter, Williams asks the big question – who would make all of the Gospels up?
Continue reading “Can We Trust the Gospels? – Ch 8: Who Would Make All This Up?”
This is a chapter summary of Peter J Williams, “Can We Trust the Gospels?”. For the book overview and chapter summary links, click here.
When one reads the Gospels for the first time, some contradictions seem to appear. In this short chapter, Williams briefly goes into the ‘deliberate formal contradictions’ in the Gospel of John.
Continue reading “Can We Trust the Gospels? – Ch 7: What about Contradictions?”
This is a chapter summary of Peter J Williams, “Can We Trust the Gospels?”. For the book overview and chapter summary links, click here.
In this chapter, Williams discusses whether the text has been changed.
Continue reading “Can We Trust the Gospels? – Ch 6: Has the Text Changed?”
This is a chapter summary of Peter J Williams, “Can We Trust the Gospels?”. For the book overview and chapter summary links, click here.
In this chapter, Williams explains whether we truly have Jesus’s actual words. Compared to other ancient people who did not write books, there is arguably more knowledge available on Jesus’ words than others.
Continue reading “Can We Trust the Gospels? – Ch 5: Do We Have Jesus’s Actual Words?”
This is a chapter summary of Peter J Williams, “Can We Trust the Gospels?”. For the book overview and chapter summary links, click here.
In this chapter, Williams explores certain details between the Gospels which would corroborate each other, yet are extremely unlikely to have been planned due to the nature of the details. He argues that it is not plausible that the authors could have put these details independently. The best explanation for them is that the authors gave true complementary accounts of actual events.
Continue reading “Can We Trust the Gospels? – Ch 4: Undesigned Coincidences”
This is a chapter summary of Peter J Williams, “Can We Trust the Gospels?”. For the book overview and chapter summary links, click here.
In this chapter, Williams aims to show that the authors of the Gospels wrote accurately about the time and place of the events they wrote about. He explains that if the authors did not show that they knew the things they were writing about, then they could not be trusted. To fake such knowledge would be implausible without making some mistakes, especially without the access to information we have today.
Continue reading “Can We Trust the Gospels? – Ch 3: Did the Gospel Authors Know Their Stuff?”
This is a chapter summary of Peter J Williams, “Can We Trust the Gospels?”. For the book overview and chapter summary links, click here.
In this chapter, Williams explores the four Gospels themselves.
The four Gospels are some of the earliest and best historical sources on the life of Jesus. Even most serious non-Christian historians agree on that point (he cites a famous scholar Bart Ehrman who became an ex-Christian and sceptic).
Continue reading “Can We Trust the Gospels? – Ch 2: What Are The Four Gospels?”
This is a chapter summary of Peter J Williams, “Can We Trust the Gospels?”. For the book overview and chapter summary links, click here.
Williams begins by arguing that it is only natural that those who are enthusiastic about any topic would logically write on that topic more.
The Gospels, which were written by early Christians, would naturally be written to drive belief in Jesus. However this lack of impartiality per se does not necessarily make them untrustworthy.
To examine this, the first chapter looks at three main non-Christian sources from that time period:
Continue reading “Can We Trust the Gospels? – Ch 1: Non-Christian Sources”
This is a summary of this book by New Testament scholar Peter J Williams.
This book addresses the following:
Watch a lecture by Peter J Williams here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hBLyatge8BM
Here are the links to the chapter summaries:
Ch 1: Non-Christian Sources
Ch 2: What Are The Four Gospels?
Ch 3: Did the Gospel Authors Know Their Stuff?
Ch 4: Undesigned Coincidences
Ch 5: Do We Have Jesus’s Actual Words?
Ch 6: Has the Text Changed?
Ch 7: What about Contradictions?
Ch 8: Who Would Make All This Up?
The summary is written by Ryan Loh and myself.