The Gospels are trustworthy for six solid reasons.
Although the historical reliability of the Gospels is sometimes questioned, there are good reasons to trust their testimony. Whole books have been written on this subject! The Gospels are trustworthy because they are:
- A good fit. The details match up to other evidence from the ancient world.
- Close to the events. They were written approximately within 40 years of Jesus’ crucifixion. Compared with other ancient sources, the Gospels are fresh news! E.g. Alexander the Great’s adventures were recorded more than 200 years after his death.
- Eyewitness testimonies. The Gospels indicate their sources by naming the individuals who witnessed the events (e.g. Simon Peter in Mark 1:16 and 16:7).
- Reliable, independent testimonies. Each Gospel has the hallmarks of reliable, independent testimony. They each relate the same basic story, filled in with different details as they share their unique perspectives.
- Not afraid to include embarrassing details. No-one likes sharing embarrassing stories! The Gospels share potentially embarrassing elements of their story, showing that they’re not self-censoring or editing the truth.
- Written about people who cared about the truth. The writers had nothing to gain from sharing these stories – in fact, some faced great danger because of it. They wrote their story because they believed it to be truth. And truth worth sharing.