Approaching God Through Christianity on The Rational Pilgrim

Is the Bible We Have Today Faithful to the Writings of the Disciples?

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

7.1 Is the Bible We Have Today Faithful to What the Disciples Wrote? #

Historians assess the reliability of an ancient text by examining two key factors:

The time gap between the writing of the text and the oldest surviving manuscript.
The number of copies available for comparison.

We will evaluate these two criteria for the New Testament, and then compare its results with those of other texts from the antiquity that most historians consider reliable.

How Was the New Testament Canon Formed?

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

7.2 How Was the New Testament Canon Formed?

Showing that the New Testament is close to its originals does not answer every question. Indeed, from the earliest centuries, other writings were circulating within Christian communities: gospels, letters, acts, and apocalypses. Some of these texts were not included in the Bible: they are called apocryphal writings.

What Is an Apocryphal Text? #

The word apocryphal comes from the Greek ἀπόκρυφος (apókruphos), meaning “hidden” or “secret.” By extension, the term refers to writings attributed to biblical figures but whose origin is doubtful, late, or not recognized by the Church.

Is the Testimony of the Disciples Reliable?

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

7.3 Is the Testimony of the Disciples Reliable?

In the previous section, we saw that there is a very high probability that the text of the New Testament as it has come down to us is extremely close to the originals. The next question naturally arises: can we trust its authors?
Most of the things we believe or know are based on authority. To believe something “on the authority of” someone simply means accepting it because a trustworthy person has reported it to us. According to C. S. Lewis (in Mere Christianity¹), “Ninety-five percent of the things you believe are accepted on authority.” He gives the following example: “I believe there is such a city as New York. I have not seen it with my own eyes and could not prove by abstract reasoning that it really exists. I believe it because trustworthy people have told me so. […] Every historical statement rests on authority. None of us has seen the storming of the Bastille or the coronation of Napoleon.”
The question now is whether the authors of the New Testament are trustworthy. Can their testimony be considered reliable? Let us begin our critical evaluation with the Gospels.

Reading the New Testament: A Style That Can Sometimes Be Difficult

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

7.4 Reading the New Testament: A Style That Can Sometimes Be Difficult

After seeing that the text of the New Testament has been faithfully transmitted, that the canon was formed according to solid criteria, and that its authors are trustworthy witnesses, we now have everything we need to approach its reading with an open mind and with confidence.
And yet, what often strikes the modern reader first is the distinctive style of the Gospels, which can seem difficult at first glance: sometimes unusual, repetitive, or even mysterious, far removed from contemporary literary norms. Several factors help explain this impression.

Did Jesus Really Exist?

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

7.5 Did Jesus Really Exist?

Today, very few serious historians question the existence of a Jewish man named Yeshua (Jesus)—a shortened form of Yehoshua (“God saves”).
The real question, then, is not so much “Did he exist?” but rather “Who was he, really?”

Since he lived more than 2,000 years ago, it is natural that non-Christian sources are limited. Nevertheless, several references outside the Bible confirm that a man named Jesus did indeed live in Judea in the first century and was crucified under Pontius Pilate.

Did Jesus really died on the cross?

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

7.6 Did Jesus really died on the cross?

The death of Jesus lies at the very heart of the Christian faith. Without the crucifixion, there is no resurrection. Yet some have claimed that Jesus did not actually die on the cross. The Qur’an, written in the 7th century, explicitly states otherwise:

155. (They were cursed) for breaking their covenant, for rejecting the signs of Allah, for unjustly killing the prophets, and for saying, “Our hearts are wrapped.” Rather, Allah has sealed them because of their disbelief, so they believe only a little.
156. And for their disbelief and their terrible slander against Mary,
157. and for saying, “We killed the Messiah, Jesus, son of Mary, the messenger of Allah.” But they did not kill him, nor did they crucify him—it only appeared so to them. Those who disagree about it are full of doubt, with no certain knowledge, only conjecture. They certainly did not kill him.
158. Rather, Allah raised him up to Himself. And Allah is Almighty, All-Wise.

— Surah 4:155–158

Context of the passage: the denial of the crucifixion appears within a series of accusations against certain Jews in Surah 4 (An-Nisā’). These include:

Did Jesus Really Rise from the Dead?

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

7.7 Did Jesus Really Rise from the Dead?

The resurrection is so central to the Christian faith that the apostle Paul writes: If Christ has not been raised, our faith is in vain (1 Corinthians 15:17). In other words, the entire Christian faith depends on whether this event is historically true or not.

To evaluate its credibility from a historical perspective, we will consider three approaches. The first is the “minimal facts” approach proposed by Gary Habermas and Michael Licona, which focuses on the facts most widely accepted by scholars, including skeptics¹. The second is the observation of the radical transformation of the disciples before and after Jesus’ resurrection. Finally, the third approach is the analysis of N. T. Wright, who highlights the unexpected emergence of belief in an individual and immediate bodily resurrection within first-century Judaism, along with the social and theological changes that followed²³.

The Human Nature of Jesus

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

7.8 What evidence points to the human nature of Jesus?

The New Testament highlights the genuine humanity of Jesus. Although he is recognized as the One sent by God, he appears with human limitations: he grows in age and wisdom, experiences hunger, fatigue, sorrow, and suffering. His words indicate that he was not omniscient, that he received his teaching from the Father, that he prayed to God, and that he submitted himself to God’s will.

The Divine Nature of Jesus

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

7.9 What evidence points to his divine nature?

In the previous chapter, we examined the evidence in favor of the human nature of Jesus: he learns, prays, grows tired, experiences hunger, thirst, emotion, temptation, and suffering. His words highlight his dependence on the Father, from whom he receives his teaching, and his constant willingness to submit to God. The disciples themselves presented him as the servant and messenger of God.

The Concept of Incarnation

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

7.10 How Can Jesus Be Both God and Man? The Concept of Incarnation

Introduction #

The question of how Jesus can be both fully human and possess a divine nature lies at the heart of Christianity. For many, this idea seems contradictory: how could one and the same person possess divine attributes (eternity, omniscience, omnipotence) while also experiencing human limitations (fatigue, ignorance, suffering, death)?

Several philosophers and theologians have proposed different approaches to try to resolve this tension. The main theories are presented and discussed in a video in french (Philo addict. INCARNATION - Dieu peut-il devenir un homme ?)¹. I will summarize its content below.