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: 

1. Cornelius Tacitus
2. Pliny the Younger
3. Flavius Josephus. 

Continue reading “Can We Trust the Gospels? – Ch 1: Non-Christian Sources”

Summary Introduction

This is a summary of this book by New Testament scholar Peter J Williams.  

This book addresses the following: 

1. Is there evidence to believe the Gospels?
2. Should we accept them as historically accurate? 
3. What evidence is there that the recorded events actually happened?
4. What is the evidence from non-Christian sources? 
5. How do we explain different accounts of the same events in the gospels?
6. How were the texts handed down throughout the centuries?

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.