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Bible Query from the Gospels April 2008 version. Copyright (c) Christian Debater(r) 1997-2007. All rights reserved except as given in the copyright notice. |
Q: What is the origin of the English word "gospel"?
A: The English word gospel comes from the Old English / Anglo-Saxon "godspell" meaning good news or good tidings. This is according to the New International Dictionary of the Bible p.396 and the skeptical Asimov’s Guide to the Bible p.770. The English Dictionary edited by Charles Earle Funk, Litt.D. p.1122 adds the Old English "spell" means story, tidings, or statement. "spell", meaning to signify, comes from the Old French espeler, which is from the Middle Lower German spellen, "say".
Q: What is the origin of the English word "evangelist"?
A: It comes from the French word evangeliste (evangelist) as well as the Latin evangelicus which ultimately came from the Greek euangelion (eu = good and angelia = message.)
Q: Who was the first to write a book answering questions on the gospels?
A: The earliest I have found is Eusebius of Caesarea (313-339/340 A.D.) who wrote two works. The first is called Gospel Questions and Solutions Addressed to Stephanus, which is also entitled Questions and Solutions on the Genealogy of our Savior, and the second is Gospel Questions and Solutions Addressed to Marinus. The two works combined together are called Gospel Questions and Solutions. In addition, Eusebius wrote a refutation of the alleged contradictions put forth by Hierocles, a neo-Platonic philosopher and Roman governor of Bithynia and later Egypt who severely persecuted Christians under Domitian.
See Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers Second Series vol.1 p.32,38-39 for more info
Q: Who were the first writers in history to make a harmony of the gospels?
A: Tatian (170 A.D.) was the first we know of to make a harmony of the gospels, called the Diatessaron, meaning "the four". This testifies that there were only four gospels accepted, and it accurately quotes word for word 70% of the gospel verses. However, Tatian was an Encratite Gnostic, and he selectively left out all verses that emphasize the humanity of Jesus, such as genealogies. But even this heretic included all the verses that show that Jesus is God.
Ammonius of Alexandria made a harmony of the gospels in the early third century. He used Matthew as a standard, and showed how the other gospels compared. See Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers Second Series vol.1 p.38-39.
Eusebius of Caesarea (313-339/340 A.D.) made a harmony that was easier to read, because he put the columns side by side. See Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers Second Series vol.1 p.38-39.
Augustine of Hippo (354-430 A.D.) also wrote a Harmony of the Gospels.
Q: My professor is allowing me to do a 75-minute presentation on the "Historical Jesus." In my research, I’ve come across a couple of arguments that I don’t quite know how to address, and I was wondering if you might have any insights!
1) We don’t know that the original manuscripts were written in Greek, since the oldest documents are [allegedly] a couple hundred years A.D. They could have been translated from some other language, and errors could have resulted.
2) Jesus might not have spoken in Greek. That would mean that the authors (or translators) of the New Testament had to interpret his words in their own way, and then translate them (not necessarily correctly).
Is there any information on the Helenization of Palestine in Jesus’ day, which might indicate that the New Testament authors actually did write in Greek? Jesus most likely spoke Aramaic, so how would you explain the inerrancy of what he is reported to have said? If the authors wrote in Aramaic, or some other language, how can we prove (or at least demonstrate beyond reasonable doubt) that it has been translated and passed down
accurately over the centuries?
If you know of any sources you could point me to, that would be great. Or if you’ve already thought through this one, I’d love to hear your conclusions. I believe in God’s sovereignty and in His ability to protect His Word, but any explanations as to how He’s done this would definitely help!
A: It seems there are four basic issues here:
1. What Jesus spoke
2. What the Gospels were written in
3. Testimony of the gospels’ reliability
4. Inerrant recording of Jesus’ teaching
1. What Jesus spoke
We know that Jesus spoke Aramaic, because he uttered some phrases in Aramaic. (Matthew 5:22, etc.) When Jesus spoke on the cross, Eloi, Eloi, Lama Sabathchani, some thought he was calling Elijah because they did not know Aramaic, though all the Romans would have known Greek and Latin. In the area he lived in, many people spoke Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek. For example, just north and all east of the Sea of Galilee was all Greek-speaking. That is why Pilate had the sign above Jesus’ head written in three languages. When Jesus spoke of Peter’s confession at Caesarea Philippi, Jesus’ deliberate play on words (Peter ... rock) is a pun in Greek but not in Aramaic.
2. What the Gospels were written in
As to the gospels, we have the testimony of Papias, a disciple of the apostle John. According to what has been preserved by the church historian Eusebius, Papias said the Gospel of Matthew was originally written in the language of the Hebrews (Aramaic?). The early Christians predominantly spoke Greek, though converts from Judaism spoke Hebrew and Aramaic also.
3. Testimony of the gospels’ reliability
I have heard a number of people say that the oldest complete (or nearly complete) New Testaments we have are from around 350 A.D. However, that misses the point. We have the vast majority of all the verses of the gospels preserved much earlier. For example, up through 200 A.D. we have preserved manuscripts contained 71% of the verses of Luke (818 out of 1151 verses). They are: Luke 1:58-59; 1:52-2:1; 2:6-7; 3:8-4:2; 4:29-32; 4:34-5:10; 5:30-7:32; 7:35-39,41-43; 7:46-9:2; 9:4-17:15; 17:19-18:18; 22:4-24:53.
For John manuscripts only up through 200 A.D. (p45, p52, p66, p75, p90), contain 855 out of the 878 verses of John (97%). They include verses 1:1-14:30; 15:2-26; 16:2-4, 6-7, 10-33; 17:1-20:20; 20:22,23,25-41; 21:1-9,12,17.
Don’t forget early church and other writings. The earliest non-Biblical Christian writings we have are First Clement (to the Corinthians) 97/98 A.D., which quotes extensively from Hebrews in addition to other books and the Shepherd of Hermas which was around 100 A.D. We also have the Diatessaron where a Encratite Gnostic named Tatian wrote a word for word harmony of about 70% of the verses of the gospels 170 A.D.
4. Inerrant recording of Jesus’ teaching
The originals were just paraphrases of Jesus’ teaching. When Jesus taught the crowd for hours, and we can read his words in five paragraphs, obviously it was not word for word. The Christian doctrine of inerrancy has five basic parts:
1. The Bible in the original manuscripts is correct on all that which it speaks
2. We have to understand the context, poetry is poetry, narrative is narrative, we can understand metaphors and expressions of speech, etc,
3. God was free to "use his own pens" in writing the Bible, and the pens were the people writing the words. Thus, different books by different human authors have different style, and that is OK; God’s truth shines through all of them.
4. It is the meaning that was written without error, not necessarily every word.
5. The Bible manuscripts preserved today do have some variations and errors in them, but God’s word was preserved without significant error that alters Christian doctrine, faith, or practice.
For more info, see www.BibleQuery.org under gospels and New Testament Manuscripts.
Q: What does the English word "synoptic" mean?
A: The Wycliffe Bible Dictionary p.723 says "synoptic comes from the Greek syn (together with" and opsis, (a sight, a view) as does The NIV Study Bible p.1437. Likewise The New International Dictionary of the Bible p.399 says the Greek word synoptikos means "to see the whole together, to take a comprehensive view."
In contrast to this, the skeptical Asimov’s Guide to the Bible p.770 says the word "synoptic" comes from the Greek word meaning "one-eye" because each of the three synoptic Gospels tells the history of Jesus from their viewpoint. Perhaps he confused "syn/sun" with "mono" which means "one".
Strong’s Concordance for "sun" (4862) says "a prim. Prep. Denoting union; with or together (but much closer than 3326 or 3844) i.e. by association, companionship, process, resemblance, possession, instrumentality, addition etc." - beside, with. In comp. It has similar applications, include. completeness."
Q: Which of the four gospels was written first?
A: The most common view among Christians is Mark, though there are reputable Bible scholars who believe it was Matthew or Luke. The Bible Knowledge Commentary : New Testament p.98 says, "Some literary dependence seems to be the only way to explain adequately the close relationship between the Synoptic Gospels. The priority-of-Mark theory, though not without problems, accounts best for the basic outline of events and the detailed similarities between the Synoptic Gospels. The difference are probably due to a combination of oral and written traditions which Matthew and Luke used independently in addition to Mark."
The skeptical Asimov’s Guide to the Bible p.770 says that Matthew was listed first because it was thought to be first, but today people generally think it was Mark. (p.770, p.903) However, Asimov p.771 also mentions that Papias wrote that Matthew was originally written in Hebrew [Aramaic?]. It is possible that Matthew was written first in Aramaic, Mark used that as a primary source in composing his gospel, and later the Gospel of Matthew was translated verbatim.
As a side note, of the 661 verses in Mark (shorter ending, 600 are similar to verses in Matthew, 350 are similar to verses in Luke, and only 31 are found nowhere else.
Q: In the Gospels, what are the Messianic prophecies?
A: These are prophecies God gave so that God’s people would be clearly able to recognize the Messiah. Here are many of them.
Who will the Messiah be?
From the tribe of Judah. Genesis 49:10; Matthew 1:2; Luke 3:23,33; Hebrews 7:14.
From Jesse. Isaiah 11:1; Matthew 1:6; Luke 3:23,32
From David. Jeremiah 23:5; Luke 3:31; Matthew 1:1; 9:27; Mark 10:47-48; John 7:42; Acts 13:22-23; Revelation 22:16 Many Jewish Talmuds say the Messiah will come from David’s line
A priest after Melchizedek. Psalm 110:4; Hebrews 5:6
Son of God. Psalm 2:7 Matthew 3:17; 16:16-17; 27:54; 9:7; Luke 9:35; John 1:34; Acts 13:33; Hebrews 5:5
Lord said to my Lord. Psalm 110:1; Matthew 22:43-45;Mk12:36-7; Like 2:11; 20:42-44. Midrash Tehillim, Commentary on Psalms, (200-500 A.D.) recognizes Psalm 110 as Messianic
Called ‘God with us’ (dual fulfillment). Isaiah 7:14; Matthew 1:23; Luke 7:16; ~John 20:28
Child called Mighty God, Prince of Peace, etc.. Isaiah 9:6. Messianic according to the Yemenite Midrash 349-350 and the Pereq Shalom p.101
Seed of the woman will crush Satan’s head. Genesis 3:15. Messianic according to Targum Pseudo-Jonathan
Born of a virgin (dual fulfillment). Isaiah 7:14; Matthew 1:18,25; Luke 1:26-35. Virgin according to the Septuagint
Where will the Messiah be?
Born in Bethlehem in Judah. Micah 5:2; Matthew 2:1,5-8; John 7:42; Luke 2:4-7. Targum Isaiah says Messianic
Minister in Galilee. Isaiah 9:1-2; Matthew 4:12-16; Mark 1:14; Luke 4:31; John 4:43
Enter Temple in Jerusalem. Malachi 3:1; Matthew 21:12; Mark 11:15
When will the Messiah come?
The scepter will not depart. Genesis 49:10; Luke 3:23,33 Messianic according to Babylonian and Jerusalem Talmuds, Targum Jonathan, Targum Pseudo-Jonathan, Targum Onkelos, Dead Sea Scroll Commentary, and the Aramaic Targum. Jews lost the right to execute people in 11 A.D. according to the Babylonian Talmud, Sanhedrin chapter 4.
Israel abandoned until the Messiah comes. Micah 5:3
Before the Temple is destroyed (70 A.D.). Malachi 3:1
After a forerunner. Isaiah 40:3; Matthew 3:1-3;11:10; Luke 1:17; John 1:23
Killed 32/33 A.D. Daniel 9:20-27 + Nehemiah 2:1-10 (445/4 B.C.) Messianic according to Maimonides in Igeret Teiman, Rabbi Moses Abraham Levi in The Messiah of the Targums, Talmuds and Rabbinical Writers
What will the Messiah do?
Ministry of miracles. Isa 35:5,6a; Mt 9:6-7,22,32-35; 11:4-6; 12:13; John 5:5-9; 9:6-11, etc.
Carried our diseases. Isaiah 53:4; Matthew 8:17; Mark 2:10-12; Luke 5:13; John 5:5-9
Teach in parables. Psalm 78:2; Matthew 13:34
Enter as a king on a donkey. Zech 9:9; Mk 11:2-10; Lk 19:35-37; Mt 21:5-9; Jn 12:15
Stumbling block to cornerstone. Ps 118:22-23; Isa 8:14-15; 28:16; Mt21:42; Mk12:10-11; 1Pet2:6-8; Acts4:11
Not abandoned to death. Ps 16:8-11; 30:3; Acts 2:31; 13:33; Mk 16:6; Mt 28:6; Lk 24:46
Zeal for His Father’s house. Ps 69:9; Jn 2:17
Spirit of the Lord will be on Him. Isa 11:2; Mt 3:16; Mk 1:10-11; Lk 4:15-21,32; Jn 1:32 Messianic according to Targum Isaiah and the Babylonian Talmud
Mt shows Christ’s life parallels the Israelite people (Jer 31:15 and Mt 2:18, Hos 11:1 and Mt 2:15, Isa 9:1,2 and Mt 4:15-16; etc.)
Reactions of the People
Hated without cause. Ps 35:19; 69:4; Isa 49:7; Jn 15:25
Some plotted Jesus’ ruin. Ps 38:12; Mk 11:18
Betrayed by a friend. Ps 41:9; Mt 10:4; 26:48-50; Mk 14:43-44; Lk 22:47-48; Jn 18:3,5
Rejected by His own people. Isa 53:3-4; Ps 69:8; Jn 1:11; 7:5; Mt 21:42-44
Gave Him gall for his drink. Ps 69:21; Mt 27:48;
Even friends stood afar. Ps 38:11; Mt 27:55; Mk 15:40; Lk 23:49
After shepherd struck, sheep scattered. Zech 13:7; Mk 14:27,50; Mt 26:31
Rejected by government. Ps 2:1-2; Acts 4:25-28
How will the Messiah die?
Sold for 30 pieces of silver. Zech 11:12-13; Mt 26:15
Threw, not placed, coins in temple. Zech11:13b;Mt27:5a
Money for a potter. Zech 11:13; Mt 27:7
Unjustly taken away. Isa 53:7-8; Mt 26:60; Mk 14:55; Lk 23:4
False witnesses. Ps 35:11; Mt 26:60
Silent before his accusers. Ps38:13-14; Isa53:7; Mt27:12
Asked why God forsook Him. Ps22:1;Mt27:46;Mk15:34
Mocked. Ps 22:7,8 Mt 27:31,39; Mk 15:31-32;
Heart like wax. Ps 22:14b; Jn 19:34
Pierced for us. Ps 22:16; Isa 53:5; Zech 12:10; Mt 27:26; Jn 19:34
People stared at him. Ps 22:17; Lk 23:35
Cast lots for his clothes. Ps 22:18; Lk 23:34; Jn 19:23,24
No bones broken. Ps 22:17; Ps 34:20; Jn 19:33
Struck, spit on Him. Isa50:6;Mic5:1;Mt26:67;Lk22:63
Killed with transgressors. Isa53:12; Mt27:38; Mk15:27
Interceded for transgressors Isa 53:12b; Lk 23:34
Buried in a rich man’s grave. Isa 53:9; Mt 27:57-60
Bore our sins as a guilt offering. Isa 53:5,6,10-12; Jn 1:29; 1 Cor 15:3; 1 Jn 2:2; 4:10
Jesus died with a Psalm on his lips. Ps 31:5; Lk 23:46
Q: In Mt 2:1,5-8; Lk 2:4-7; Jn 7:42 what does the name "Bethlehem" mean?
A: Bethlehem means "house of bread" according to the Wycliffe Bible Dictionary p.225.
Bethlehem in Judea is a very old town that predated the Israelites. Genesis 35:19 says, "So Rachel was buried on the way to Ephraph (that is Bethelehem)". Genesis 48:7 says similar. So Bethlehem was originally called Ephraph, and that is why in Micah 5:2 the town is addressed as "Bethlehem Ephrathah"
The Amarna letters, writing by Canaanites to Egypt a little after 1400 B.C. during Joshua's time, mention that "Bit-Lahmi" had gone over to the 'Apiru people according to the Wycliffe Dictionary of Biblical Archaeology p.142, the Wycliffe Bible Dictionary p.225, which references ANET p.489.
By the way, there is also a second, northern town called Bethlehem, in the territory of Zebulun in Joshua 19:15.
Q: In Mk 15:25, was Jesus crucified on the third hour, or was He still before Pilate on the third hour according to John 19:14.
A: Both are true, because the Jews and Romans kept the hours differently. John 19:15 says that He left Pilate on the 6th hour, which would be 6:00 am, because the Roman day started at midnight. Mark 15:22,25 says he was crucified on the third hour, which would be 9:00 am because the Jewish day was counted at sunup (about 6:00 am), and the Jewish night started at sundown (about 6:00 pm).
Q: In Mt 26:49-50 why is Jesus is betrayed by Judas with a kiss, then Jesus is seized but in John 18:2-9 Jesus voluntarily steps forward identify himself, Judas gives no kiss?
A: Not mentioning a kiss in John 18:2-9 does not prove there was no kiss. Judas could have kissed Jesus, per Matthew 29:49; then the soldiers drew back in John 18:2-9, and then they finally seized him in Matthew 26:50. The only part that was said to happen "immediately" was Judas' kiss at first.
Q: In Mt 27:11-14 why does Jesus not answer a single charge at his hearings at Pilate, since Jn 18:33-37 tells us that Jesus answered all charges at his hearings before Pilate.
A: These are at different times. In Matthew 27:11-14, when the chief priests and elders were with him (in verse 12), Jesus answered nothing. John 18:28 said the Jews would not enter the Praetorium, so in John 18:29 Pilate (presumably with Jesus in tow) went out to them. John 18:33 says that after that Pilate entered the Praetorium and called to Jesus. Then in John 18:34-37 Jesus answered Pilate's questions. By the way, it does not actually say that Jesus answered all charges, only that Pilate said "I find no fault with this man."
Q: In Mt 27:14, at the hearing before Pilate, did Jesus answer no charges, or did He respond directly to all of Pilate's questions as John 18:33-37 [allegedly] shows?
A: John 18:33-37 does NOT say Jesus answered all of Pilate's questions. Pilate may have asked him many questions, and John 18:33-38 lists only four, of which Jesus responded to three. Matthew 27:14 says that Jesus did not answer a word at the time the priests and elders accused him and the time Pilate asked him a question that was not given in John 18:33-37. So Jesus answered nothing that the priests and elders said, even when Pilate asked Jesus if he was hearing these accusations. Afterwards, Jesus answered [at least] three questions Pilate asked.
Q: In Mt 28:1-8, why would prophecies prove Jesus was God, if Jesus as an alien? (I actually heard this from a college student who was into Star Trek and the Church of Scientology.)
A: If Jesus were an extra-terrestrial, he would have to be a highly intelligent being to be able to have all these prophecies come true. In fact, compared to us, he would appear all-knowing. Jesus would also have to be an extremely powerful alien to do all the miracles he did, including rising from the dead. We would view them as all-powerful. For Him to teach man the teaching that Jesus taught, he would have to be morally very good, nearly perfect. So if you think Jesus might be an All-knowing, All-powerful, morally perfect being not from this world, who came to show us the truth, I agree!
Q: In the gospels, who else besides Jesus has claimed to be either a Messiah or God?
A: The following people have either made the following claims, or else others made the following claims about them.
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…Christ returned |
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Rev. Jim Jones of Jonestown (died 11/16/1978) |
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Rev. Moon of the Unification Church |
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Jacob Katzan (1977-) |
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Guru Maharah Ji of the Divine Light Mission |
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Many Hindu and New Age gurus |
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…A Jewish Messiah Come the First Time |
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Dositheus the Samaritan claimed to be the Messiah returned according to Origen Against Celsus book 1 ch.47 p.421 |
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A Jewish leader in 1500 A.D. |
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Sabbatai Sevi (17th century) |
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Rabbi Schneerson of New York (now dead) |
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Probably Theudas in Acts 5:36. He claimed to be someone great |
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…The Mahdi in Shi’ite Islamic Religions |
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First Fatimid caliph ‘Obaidallah/’Ubaydullah (909-933/934 A.D.) |
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Imam al Husayn bin al-Kasim al-’Iyani (1010-1013 A.D.) (Husayniyya Zaydite sect) |
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Mirza Ghulam Ahmad (1879 A.D., Ahmadiyya Movement) |
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The Bahaullah (The Baha’i religion 1863 A.D.) |
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Sliman Murshad of Syria (1900-1949 A.D.) |
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The Mahdist movement in Sudan |
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Many others |
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…Zoroastrian Messiahs, or Saoshyants |
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…Visible God |
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Mohammed is worshipped as visible God by Muhammidiyya |
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‘Ali is divine according to the ‘Ulyaniyya/’Alaya’iyya |
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Lord Hakim (The Druze) |
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‘Ali bin Abi Talib and Saliman al-Farisi (long after their death some ‘Alewite sects worshipped them as sort of a Muslim Tritheism. |
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God existed in the form of all the prophets according to the Rizamiyya / Muslimiyya Shi’ite sect |
Q: Besides Jesus is there anybody else who did great miracles in Palestine?
A: No. However, some claim Onias the circle maker from the first century B.C. did a miracle, because he prayed for rain and it rained. Here is the quote from Taanith 3.8 in The New Testament Background p.170. "Once they said to Onias the Circle-Maker, ‘Pray that rain may fall.’ He answered, ‘Go out and bring in the Passover ovens that they be not softened [i.e. by the rain].’ He prayed, but the rain did not fall. What did he do? He drew a circle and stood within it and said before God, ‘O Lord of the world thy children have turned their faces to me, for that I am like a son of the house before thee. I swear by thy great name that I will not stir hence until thou have pity on thy children.’ Rain began falling drop by drop. He said, ‘Not for such rain have I prayed, but for rain that will fill the cisterns, pits, and caverns.’ It began to rain with violence. He said, ‘Not for such rain have I prayed, but for rain of goodwill, blessing, and graciousness.’ Then it rained in moderation [and continued] until the Israelites went up from Jerusalem to the Temple Mount because of the rain." Eventually it rained so much they asked him to pray that the rain stop.
Q: In the gospels, what are extra-Biblical references to Jesus prior to 200 A.D.?
A: One might expect Jesus’ life and Christianity not to go unnoticed, even outside the Bible. One purpose of giving these quotes is to put to rest the claim that a few skeptical critics assert, that Jesus never existed.
Cornelius Tacitus (c.55-c.117 A.D.) was a Roman historian who wrote about events in Rome and Great Britain from 15-70 A.D. By his contemptuous tone, he certainly was no friend of Christianity. In Annals 15:44 he wrote: "…But all human efforts, all the lavish gifts of the emperor, and the propitiations of the gods, did not banish the sinister belief that the conflagration [fire of Rome] was the result of an order [of the Emperor]. Consequently, to get rid of the report, Nero fastened the guilt and inflicted the most exquisite tortures on a class hated for their abominations, called Christians by the populace. Christus, from whom the name had its origin, suffered the extreme penalty during the reign of Tiberius at the hands of one of our procurators, Pontius Pilatus, and a most mischievous superstition, thus checked for the moment, again broke out not only in Judaea, the first source of the evil, but even in Rome, where all things hideous and shameful from every part of the world find their centre and become popular. Accordingly, an arrest was first made of all who pleaded guilty; then, upon their information, an immense multitude was convicted, not so much of the crime of firing the city, as of hatred against mankind. Mockery of every sort was added to their deaths. Covered with the skins of beasts, they were torn by dogs and perished, or were nailed to crosses, or were doomed to the flames and burnt, to serve as a nightly illumination, when daylight had expired…."
Tacitus (c.55-c.117 A.D.) in Histories Book 5 lists differing speculations on the Jews being from Crete, or Egypt, or Ethiopia, or Assyrians, and then relates an interesting story. "Most writers, however, agree in stating that once a disease, which horribly disfigured the body, broke out in Egypt, that king Bocchoris, seeking a remedy, consulted the oracle of Hammon, and was bidden to cleanse his realm, and to convey into some foreign land this race detested by the gods. The people, who had been collected after diligent search, finding themselves left in a desert, sat for the most part in a stupor of grief, till one of the exiles, Moyses by name, warned them not to look for any relief from God or man, forsaken as they were of both, but to trust to themselves, taking for their heaven-sent leader that man who should first help them to be quit of the present misery…. Moyses, wishing to secure for the future his authority over the nation, gave them a novel form of worship, opposed to all that is practised by other men. … They slay the ram, seemingly in derision of Hammon, and they sacrifice the ox, because the Egyptians worship it as Apis."
Tacitus in Histories book 5 also discusses in detail how various Roman legions, the 5th, 10th, 15th, 12th and some men from the 18th and 3rd put down the revolt in Judea and destroyed Jerusalem.
Quotes of Tacitus are takes from The Annals and The Histories by P. Cornelius Tacitus, Encyclopedia Britannica, Inc. 1952.
Mara Bar-Serapion was an ordinary Syrian man who wrote a letter to his son, Serapion, sometime after 73 A.D. He encourages him to emulate the wise men of history who died for what they believed in, such as Socrates, Pythagoras, and the wise King the Jews executed. The document is in the British Museum, and F.F. Bruce mentions this in The New Testament Documents : Are They Reliable.
Josephus was a Jewish scholar, born 37/38 A.D., who wrote positively about Christ. There are two versions of this passage; the Latin is shown here, and the 10th century Arabic. They are essentially the same except that the Arabic does not have the underlined parts.
"Now there was about this time, Jesus, a wise man, if it be lawful to call him a man
Q: Which surviving version of Josephus is closest to what he originally wrote?
A: It is probably the shorter version. First we will show the differences, then the evidence for three views, and then the conclusion of various scholars.
The Differences:
The Latin version has the underlined parts, and the tenth century Arabic version does not.
"Now there was about this time, Jesus, a wise man, if it be lawful to call him a man, for he was a doer of wonderful works, - a teacher of such men as receive the truth with pleasure. He drew over to him both many of the Jews, and many of the Gentiles. He was [the] Christ; and when Pilate, at the suggestion of the principal men amongst us, had condemned him to the cross, those that loved him at the first did not forsake him, for he appeared to them alive again the third day, as the divine prophets had foretold these and then ten thousand other wonderful things concerning him; and the tribe of Christians, so named from him, are not extinct at this day." (Antiquities of the Jews 18.3.3, written about 93-94 A.D.) (Taken from Josephus : Complete Works. Kregel Publications 1960. This is a combination of the William Whiston translation (1867) and the Standard Edition published by Porter and Coates, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania)
Evidence for the Underlined Parts:
This text, with the underlined parts, is quoted in: Eusebius’ Ecclesiastical History 1.11 (324 A.D.).
Hieronym. De Vir. Illustr (400 A.D.)
Isidorus Pelusiota book 4 letter 225.
Macarius in Actis Sanctorum tome 5 p.149 ap. Fabric. Joseph p.61 (unknown time)
Cedrenus. Compendium Historia p.196 (c.1060 A.D.)
Zonaras Annal. Tome 1 p.27 (c.1120 A.D.)
Gotfridus Viterbiensis Chron. P.366 e Vers. Rufini (c.1170 A.D.)
Platina de Vitis Pontificum (c.1480 A.D.)
The following did not quote Josephus but said that Josephus openly called Him the Christ.
Sozomen’s Ecclesiastical History book 1 chapter 1 (440 A.D.)
Cassiodorus in the Three-Part History e Sozomeno (510 A.D.)
Chronicles of Alexandria p.514,526,527,584,586 (640 A.D.)
Johan. Malela Chronicles book 10 (c.850 A.D.)
Photius Codex book 48 I Codex 238, Codex 33 (c.860 A.D.)
Glycus Annal. P.234 (c.1120 A.D.)
You can read the text of these in Josephus : Complete Works p.640-643.
Also, the style of the underline parts appears to match the rest.
Evidence Against the Underlined Parts:
The tenth century Arabic does not have this, and the Latin version does. The Latin version says so much about Christ that one would wonder why Josephus was not a Christian. As a point of fact, the early Christian scholar Origen says that Josephus did not believe Jesus was the Messiah in Origen Against Celsus book 1 ch.47 p.416; book 2 ch.13 p.437. F.F. Bruce in The New Testament Documents: Are They Reliable p.108 speculates that Josephus might have in fact wrote this but that Josephus was being sarcastic. However, nothing in the Latin version betrays any sarcasm. In Josephus : Complete Works, the Appendix on p.644 says that Josephus is calling Jesus the Christ [Messiah] merely because He was one of a number of people who were presented as the Messiah, without implying that Josephus himself believed that.
Was Either One Accurate?
Pro: Tertullian is silent on Josephus, and Clement of Alexandria records what Josephus said about some years, but nothing relating to Christ.
Con: So many sources mention at least the basic Arabic version that it would be improbable that all of these sources were totally wrong. Even sources such as Origen that state Josephus did not believe Jesus was the Messiah imply that Origen read in Josephus’ works where he mentioned Jesus. The quote from Origen (as given in the Appendix of Whiston’s translation is in part: "for Josephus testifies in the eighteenth book of his Jewish Antiquities, that John was the Baptist, and that he promised purification to those that were baptized. The same Josephus, also, although he did not believe in Jesus as Christ, when he was inquiring after the cause of the destruction of Jerusalem, and of the demolition of the temple, and ought to have said that their machinations against Jesus were the cause of those ‘miseries coming on the people, because they had slain that Christ who was foretold by the prophets, he, though as it were unwillingly, and yet as one not remote from the truth, says, these miseries befell the Jews by way of revenge for James the Just, who was the brother of Jesus that was called Christ;"
Conclusion - The Arabic is More Accurate
New Testament scholar R. T France says the following at http://www.leaderu.com/truth/1truth21.html.
"Virtually all scholars are agreed that the received text is a Christian rewriting, but most are prepared to accept that in the original text a brief account of Jesus, perhaps in a less complimentary vein, stood at this point /2/. Josephus’ passing mention of ‘Jesus, the so-called Messiah’ in Antiquities XX.200 is hard to explain without some previous notice of this Jesus, especially since Josephus elsewhere makes no reference to Christianity, nor even uses the term Christos of any other figure. The different and less ‘committed’ version of the Testimonium preserved in a tenth-century Arabic quotation from Josephus/3/, while it is unlikely to represent the original text, does testify to the existence of an account of Jesus in Josephus’ work underlying the Christianized text. But reconstruction of what Josephus wrote is necessarily speculative."
The Baker Encyclopedia of Christian Apologetics p.382 says "The genuineness of this passage has been questioned by scholars from all areas of belief because it seems doubtful that a Jew who lived and worked outside the Christian context would have said such things about Jesus…. Despite these concerns, there are reasons in favor of accepting most of the text as genuine. … Even without portions that are likely Christian interpolations, this test is an extraordinary witness to the life, death, and influence of Jesus.
References
For more info see the Baker Encyclopedia of Christian Apologetics p.253-254, 382 and Dissertation I in the Appendix of the translation of Josephus by Whiston.
Q: In the gospels, why is there a need for gospel harmony?
A: Gospel harmonization would not be an issue if God had only preserved one gospel, or if God Himself had given a complete Gospel harmony. Instead, we have four accounts, where each human writer recorded what he believed was most important of what God providentially had him remember. See the next question for why we have four gospels.
According to Manuscripts of the Greek Bible p.42 the church historian Eusebius of Caesarea (flourished 325 A.D.) was the first we know of to arrange the gospels in a harmony.
Q: In the gospels, why are there four gospels?
A: The four gospels have different purposes and somewhat different audiences.
Matthew: was first written in Hebrew according to Papias. It emphasizes the Kingdom of God, in contrast to John, which emphasizes how to be saved. Matthew lists many Old Testament prophecies, and it shows how the life of Christ paralleled the life of Israel in the Old Testament. Many think of Matthew’s gospel as a "lion" emphasizing Christ as the King. Irenaeus (182-188 A.D.) in fragment 28 says that the Gospel of Matthew was written to the Jews, stressing that Christ was descended from David.
Mark: Emphasizes the actions of Christ. Many think of Mark’s Gospel as an "ox", emphasizing Christ as Servant.
Luke: The longest gospel, was written by a physician and traveling companion of Paul. Luke has been called the greatest historian of the ancient world. Many think of Luke’s gospel as a "man", emphasizing the humanity of Christ.
John: Perhaps the most profound Gospel, emphasizes less of Christ’s life and more of his claims and teaching. Many think of John’s gospel as an "eagle", emphasizing the divinity of Christ.
The Believer’s Bible Commentary p.1198 mentions that in the Old Testament the Messiah is called The Branch in four contexts: "…to David a Branch … a King" (Jeremiah 23:5,6), "My Servant, the Branch" (Zechariah 3:8), The Man … the Branch" (Zechariah 6:12), and "The Branch of the LORD" (Isaiah 4:2).
There were no more gospels that Christians accepted. Irenaeus, who wrote about 182-188 A.D., said there were exactly four gospels (Against Heresies book 3 chapter 11.
See 1001 Bible Questions Answered p.11-12 and Hard Sayings of the Bible p.82-85 for more info.
Q: Is each gospel in chronological order?
A: No. Here are what four conservative sources say.
The NIV Study Bible p.1437 says, "(Chronological order does not appear to have been rigidly followed in any of the Gospels, however.)"
The New Geneva Study Bible p.1504 says "However, Matthew and Luke do not follow Mark at every point in the order of events of Jesus’ life, or the order of His teachings." On p.1698 it says, "While some difficulties arise in the correlation of details, the main elements are in complete harmony."
F.F. Bruce in Hard Sayings of the Bible p.454-455 says, …none of the Gospel writers claims to be giving a careful chronology. … It was far more important to the ancient historian that we grasp the meaning of history than that we get the chronology straight. Thus Matthew groups the sayings of Jesus in five major ‘books" by topic:…Luke has another way of grouping his material. … In each case we get topical groupings, which give us an orderly account in that they order the material so we can better understand it. In neither case do we necessarily get the exact setting I which Jesus said all of the material."
In the early church, Eusebius’ Ecclesiastical History 3:39 records Papias, a disciple of John the apostle, as saying, "Mark, who was the interpreter of Peter, wrote down accurately all that he remembered, whether of sayings or doings of Christ, but not in order. For he was neither a hearer nor a companion of the Lord; but afterwards, as I have said, he accompanied Peter, who adapted his instruction as necessity required, not as though he were making a compilation of the Lord’s oracles. So then Mark made no mistake when he wrote down thus some things as he remembered them; for he concentrated on this alone - not to omit anything that he had heard, nor to include any false statement among them" (taken from The New Bible Dictionary 1962 p.782)
The writers assumed people would read the whole book multiple times. For example, John 11:2 mentions that is was the Mary anointed Jesus with fragrant oil. But it did not relate the account of Mary anointing Jesus with fragrant oil until John 12:1-3. In Matthew 10:4 is mentions "Judas Iscariot, who betrayed him", and Judas had not betrayed Jesus yet.
Q: Why are the three Synoptic Gospels (Matthew, Mark, and Luke) as similar as they are?
A: There are three views, and one could believe all of them.
1. Similarity of Purpose: The first three gospels are very much in parallel and were written to give a "synopsis" of the life of Christ. John, which was written later, perhaps assumed readers already knew of the other gospels. John was stated to be written so that people would believe and have life in his name, as John 20:31-31 says. See 1001 Bible Questions Answered p.12 for more info on this view.
2. Verbal link: Mark was a companion of Peter, and Luke traveled with Paul. Mark was in Rome in 1 Peter 5:13. Luke and Mark were likely in Rome at the same time, and as one person put it "they probably did not spend all their time talking about the weather." While we do not know everywhere Matthew traveled, this view says the similarities are due to verbal communication among the writers. Hard Sayings of the Bible p.454 also discusses a common link between Matthew and Luke, saying that link probably was verbal.
3. Written link of Mark: The New Geneva Study Bible (p.1504) says "The Gospels do not simply present a schedule of Jesus’ activities. Nor are they modern, technical biographies that follow methods unknown in their day."
Q: Why does the genealogy of Luke go back to Adam, while the genealogy of Matthew only go back to Abraham?
A: Scripture does not say, but we have a guess. Luke’s emphasis was on Jesus as the Son of man, while Matthew’s emphasis was on Jesus the promised Jewish Messiah.
Q: In Mt 1:1-17 how does this genealogy reconcile with Lk 3:23-38?
A: Matthew records Jesus’ genealogy of "law" (i.e. his adopted father, Joseph, and Luke records the genealogy of "nature", i.e. biological genealogy of Mary. Genealogies of women were not generally kept in the ancient world, and Luke was breaking new ground in putting this ancestry here.
Justin Martyr (wrote 135-165 A.D.) "For we know that the fathers of women are the fathers likewise of those children whom their daughters bear" in Dialogue with Trypho the Jew ch.100 p.249
Julius Africanus (232-245 A.D.) in his Letter to Aristides (Ante-Nicene Fathers vol.6 p.125-127) also differentiated between genealogies of law and nature. However, he said one was a biological genealogy of Joseph and the other the natural genealogy of Joseph. See also Eusebius’ Ecclesiastical History Book 1 chapter 7 and book 6 chapter 31.
See The Complete Book of Bible Answers p.97-98, Bible Difficulties & Seeming Contradictions p.170-171, and When Critics Ask p.385-386.
Q: In Mt 1:12 and 1 Chr 3:15-17, was the father of Shealtiel Jeconiah, or Neri in Lk 3:27?
A: These were multiple people named Shealtiel and Zerubbabel.
In Matthew 1:12 it goes Josiah (grandfather)->Jeconiah->Shealtiel->Zerubbabel->Abiud->Eliakim
Luke 3:26-27 goes Melchi->Neri->Shealtiel->Zerubbabel->Rhesa->Joannas->Judah->Joseph
In 1 Chronicles 3:15-17 the genealogy goes Josiah->Jehoiakim->Jeconiah->Shealtiel and Pedaiah. Shealtiel has no children mentioned, but the next in the royal line is Pedaiah’s son Zerubbabel.
The genealogies of Mary and Joseph were the same until David, and then diverged. There is no similarity in either ancestor or descendant after that. Perhaps the Shealtiel and Zerubbabel in Luke were named in honor of the governors mentioned in 1 Chronicles 3:15-17 and Matthew 1:12. Not also that Luke 3:26-27 mentions Judah and Joseph, but these were different people than Judah Jacob’s son, Joseph Jacob’s son, and Joseph Mary’s husband.
Q: In Lk 1:26, was the birth of Christ announced to Mary, or was it announced to Joseph in Mt 1:20?
A: Both. It was first announced to Mary, since she would wonder why she was pregnant. Later, Joseph was told in the context of not divorcing Mary for unfaithfulness. See When Critics Ask p.381 for more info.
Q: In the Gospels, what points do the infancy narratives have in common?
A: Mark and John do not mention and details anything about Jesus’ birth. Here are six common points of Matthew and Luke:
1. Genealogy from Abraham to David (Mt 1:2-6; Lk 3:31-34)
2. King Herod was ruling (Mt 2:1; Lk 1:5)
3. An angel of the Lord visits (Joseph: Mt 1:20; Mary: Lk 1:26-38)
4. Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea (Mt 2:1; Lk 2:4-7)
5. The three of them returned to Nazareth. (Mt 2:19-22; Lk 2:39)
6. Jesus grew up in Nazareth. (Mt 2:23; Lk 2:40)
In general, the two gospels dovetail beautifully to give a fairly complete picture of Jesus’ infancy. Matthew tells of Joseph’s genealogy, the wise men, and the flight to Egypt. Luke has Gabriel, John the Baptist’s birth, Mary’s genealogy, the shepherds, Simeon, and Anna. While we do not know which was written first, Luke mentions that others have drawn up accounts of Jesus. So, perhaps Luke was written after Matthew, and having read Matthew, Luke choose to bring in details that Matthew did not already write. John probably wrote after both of them, and John apparently did not have anything to add.
Q: In the Gospels, did Jesus believe scripture was inerrant (without error in the original manuscripts)?
A: This answer was taken from www//wam.umd.edu /~cbernard/Theology/inerrancy.html.
Jesus consistently treats Old Testament historical narratives as straightforward records of fact. He mentions refers to:
Abel (Luke 11:51)
Noah (Matthew 24:37-39; Luke 17:26,27)
Abraham (John 8:56)
The institution of circumcision (John 7:22; c.f. Genesis 17:10-12; Leviticus 12:3)
Sodom and Gomorrah (Matthew 10:15; 11:23,24; Luke 10:12)
Lot (Luke 17:28-32)
Isaac and Jacob (Matthew 8:11; Luke 13:28)
manna in the desert (John 6:31,49,58)
The snake in the desert (John 3:14)
David eating the consecrated bread (Matthew 22:43; Mark 12:36; Luke 20:42)
Solomon (Matthew 6:29; 12:42; Luke 11:31; 12:27)
Elisha (Luke 4:27)
Jonah (Matthew 12:39-41)
Luke 11:29,30,32)
Zechariah (Luke 11:51)
The last passage brings out Jesus’ sense of the unity of history from "the creation of the world" to "this generation." He repeatedly refers to Moses as the giver of the Law (Matthew 8:4; 19:8; Mark 1:44; 7:10; 10:5; 12:26; Luke 5:14; 20:37; John 5:46; 7:19). He frequently mentions the sufferings of the true prophets (Matthew 5:12; 13:57; 21:34-36; 23:29-37; Mark 6:4 [cf. Luke 4:24; John 4:44]; 12:2-5; Luke 6:23; 11:47-51; 13:34 20:10-12) and comments on the popularity of the false prophets (Luke 6:26). He sets the stamp of His approval on such significant passages as Genesis 1 and 2 (Matthew 19:4,5; Mark 10:6-8).[6]
Some might object at this point and argue that Jesus was just using the myths and stories of the culture to illustrate his points. This is certainly possible for some passages but it seems unlikely. First, the feel one gets from reading the gospel accounts is that Jesus takes the stories of the Old Testament as real history. The spirit of his use of Scripture indicates that he believed the accounts in the Old Testament are historical. Second, it does not look like a real option to claim that Jesus was just using the myths of his culture to illustrate his teachings in passages like Matthew 12:41; 24:37; 11:23,24; 5:12; 4:4
Second, Jesus assumes the inspiration of the Bible. He uses "Scripture says..." and "God says..." interchangeably and in so doing he identifies the Old Testament text with the Word of God. Quoting Genesis 2:24 Jesus says, "Haven’t you read that at the beginning the Creator ‘made them male and female,’ and said ‘For this reason a man will leave his father and mother...". Note that Genesis 2:24 is not a direct quote of God in the text but is a comment by the author or narrator of the text. Jesus considers the words of the Scriptural texts to be the very words of the Creator. Inspiration of the original copies (autographa) presupposes inerrancy. If Jesus is correct in recognizing the Old Testament as the very words of the Creator, then attributing error to the Old Testament is the same as attributing error to God Himself.
Third, Jesus clearly believed in the authority of the Bible. In His disputes with Pharisees and Sadducees, Jesus appeals to the Scripture as if they have the authority to settle the dispute. He sees the Scriptures as the final word (John 5:39-47; Matthew 22:29,31; Mark 12:24-26, Luke 20:37) When Scriptures speak, God speaks and the issue is settled.
Q: In the gospels, what is a harmony prior to the ministry of Jesus?
A: It is important to distinguish between what is said to be order versus what may be in order. For these 27 events, numbers refer to events that must follow preceding numbers. Letters such as a,b,c refer to events that could happen in any order. Prior to the ministry of Jesus, everything in the gospels was written in chronological order, except the underlined parts. Markers of location, time, and sequence found in the gospels are in bold.
Before Jesus’ Ministry: Mt 4:1-11; Mk 1:1-13; Lk 1:1-3:18; Lk 3:21-4:13; Jn 1:1-42
B1a. In the beginning, Jesus pre-existed in Heaven. Jn 1:1-5; Jn 17:5
B1b. Mary’s genealogy from Adam (with gaps). Lk 3:23-37
B1c. Joseph’s genealogy from Abraham (with gaps). Mt 1:1-17
B2. In Jerusalem, while Herod ruled (37 B.C. to 4 B.C.), Gabriel visits Zechariah; Elizabeth will be expecting. Lk 1:1-25
B3. In Elizabeth’s 6th month, Gabriel visits Mary in Nazareth, telling her she will be with child. Lk 1:26-38
B4. Mary is pregnant, though still a virgin. Mt 1:18-19
B5. After Mary is pregnant, Gabriel visits Joseph. Mt 1:20-25
B6. Traveling to Judea, Mary visits Elizabeth. Lk 1:39-56
B7. John the Baptist is born. Lk 1:57-80
B8. While Herod was king (37-4 B.C.), Christ is born in Bethlehem of Judea. Mt 2:1; Lk 2:1-7
B9. In nearby fields, angels tell shepherds to visit Jesus. Lk 2:8-20
B10a1. On the 8th day, Jesus is circumcised. Lk 2:21
B10a2. After Mary’s purification (33 days later according to Lev 12:1-4), at the temple in Jerusalem, Jesus is presented to the Lord. Lk 2:22-38
B10b. In a house in Bethlehem, Magi from the east come to worship Jesus. Mt 2:2-12
B11. After the Magi left, the flight to Egypt. Mt 2:13-15
B12. Within 2 years, Herod kills the male babies of Bethlehem. Mt 2:16-18
B13. After Herod died, Joseph, Mary, and Jesus return to Nazareth. Mt 2:19-22; Lk 2:40a
B14a. In Nazareth of Galilee, Jesus grows up. Mt 2:23; Lk 2:40b
B14b. Every year at Passover, Jesus’ parents go to Jerusalem. Lk 2:41
B15. At 12 years old, Jesus goes to the Temple in Jerusalem. Lk 2:42-52
B16. In the Desert of Judea, John the Baptist preaches. Mt 3:1-12; Mk 1:1-8; Lk 3:1-18; Jn 1:6-28
B17a. When Jesus was about 30 (probably 33-34), He is baptized in the Jordan River. Mt 3:13-17; Mk 1:9-11; Lk 3:21-23
B17b. The next day [after John’s remark] Jesus comes to John the Baptist. John testifies that Jesus is the Lamb of God. Jn 1:29-34
B18a. At the Jordan River, Jesus calls Peter, Andrew and another. Jn 1:35-42
B18b1. Jesus decides to return to Galilee the next day after John the Baptist speaks. Jn 1:43a
B18b2. Jesus calls Philip and Nathanael. Jn 1:43b-51
B18c. For 40 days in the wilderness, Satan tempts Jesus. Mt 4:1-11; Mk 1:12-13; Lk 4:1-13
In this list, 1 event is identical to all four gospels, 2 are in the synoptic gospels, 3 are in Matthew and Luke, 5 are in Matthew alone, 5 are in John alone, 10 are in Luke alone, and 0 are in Mark alone. Mark only supplies 3 events here, and there are in common with Matthew and Luke. One could easily conclude that none of these were eyewitnesses of these early events, they got their material primarily from different sources, though Luke has the most information prior to Jesus’ ministry and Mark has the least.
Q: Is it true that the information on the life of Jesus prior His public ministry is "meager"?
A: No, this view is not a result of objective scholarship, but of unbelief of "Christian critics". Five points to consider in the answer.
1. For reference, during Jesus public ministry prior to His death, we are given at least 176 facts on the life and teachings of Jesus.
2. Before Jesus began His ministry, we know at least 37 facts about Jesus.
3. We are given more information about Jesus prior to His public life, than historians give us about the most famous kings of Babylon, Egypt, Media, Persia, Greeks, Macedon, or early Rome. In other words, we know more about Jesus, prior to His first public appearance, than we do about the childhood of the Babylonian Nebuchadnezzar, the Egyptians Akhenaten and Nefertiti, the Medes Kyaxares and Astyges, the Persians Cyrus, Darius, and Xerxes, the Greeks Agamemnon and Pericles, Alexander of Macedon, or the most famous Senators of Rome.
4. We actually have less information about some historical figures in the 18th and 19th century, prior to their public lives, than we have about Jesus.
5. If somebody is going to say the information on Jesus’ life prior to his ministry is meager, at least compared to others, they should either produce a number of ancient historical people of whom more information is given about their life prior to being in the public eye, or else stop giving misinformation.
See also the next question for at least thirty things we are told about Jesus prior to His ministry.
Q: Prior to the public ministry of Jesus, what exactly are we told about Jesus?
A: We are told at least 37 things about Jesus prior to His ministry. The information we are given can be divided into three categories:
Jesus Himself
1. His mother was Mary.
2. Born of a virgin. (Even if a skeptic denies this, the skeptic has to admit that the claim was made that Jesus was born of a virgin)
3. Legal father was Joseph.
4. Born under Herod the Great. (37-4 B.C.)
5. Born in Bethlehem.
6. Circumcised on the eighth day.
7. Presented at the temple. (like many Jewish babies)
8. Family traveled to Egypt. (Matthew 2:13-15)
9. After Herod died, the family returned to Nazareth in Galilee. (Matthew 2:19-23)
10a. Grew up in Nazareth (Luke 2:39-51), a small town considered by others as insignificant.
10b. After Jesus went to the Temple, He returned to Nazareth too (Luke 2:51)
11a. At 12 years old, Jesus went to the Temple.
11b. Every year Jesus’ parents went to the Temple at Passover (Luke 2:41).
12. By 12, was inquisitive and knew the scriptures well. (Luke 2:41-46)
13. Jesus was sinlessly perfect (Hebrews 4:15; 2 Corinthians 5:21) Even if a skeptic does not agree with this statement, these verses as well as Luke 2:40 present us with the fact that at the very least, "Jesus was a good kid".
14. Jesus spoke Aramaic. (Matthew 5:22, etc.)
15. People from Galilee generally spoke Greek too.
16. Jesus’ religion was Judaism; specifically he was closer to the Pharisees, believing all the Old Testament books. The early church writers said the Sadducees only accepted the Torah.
17. Jesus worked as a carpenter. (Mark 6:3)
18. Around 30 years old, baptized by John the Baptist. (Matthew 3:13; Mark 1:9-11)
19. Went to the wilderness prior to his public ministry. (Matthew 4:1-11; Mark 1:12-13)
Jesus’ Family
20. Joseph was a carpenter.
21. Mary pregnant before she was married. (Matthew 1:18)
22. Joseph considered divorcing Mary. (Matthew 1:19)
23. Genealogy of Joseph. (counted as only 1 item) (Matthew 1:1-16)
24. Genealogy of Mary. (counted as only 1 item)
25. Had four brothers named James, Joses/Joseph, Judas/Jude, and Simeon. (Matthew 13:55-56; Mark 6:4; Galatians 1:19; Jude 1, Eusebius’ Ecclesiastical History (c.360 A.D.) 2:23 and 3:20)
26. Though of royal ancestry, grew up in a common family of a subject people, and probably were poor (Luke 2:23 + Leviticus 12:6-8).
27. Mary’s cousin was Elizabeth, who was a descendant of Aaron the priest. (Luke 1:5)
28. Elizabeth’s husband was the priest Zechariah, of the division of Abijah. (Luke 1:5)
29. John the Baptist, firstborn/only child of Zechariah and Elizabeth, was a relative of Jesus.
30. Mary, James, and Jude were still alive when Jesus was crucified.
Reactions to Jesus and Expectations of Him
31. Mary’s expectations for her son.
32. Jesus was thought to fit the Messianic prophecies. (Matthew 2:6)
33. Worship by the shepherds. (Luke 2:15-20)
34. Gifts by the kings. (Matthew 2:10-11)
35. The paranoid reaction of Herod the Great.
36. John the Baptist’s testimony.
37. Anna and Simeon in the Temple. (A person could argue this is two items, but I will only count it as one.)
This is not at all meager compared to what we know of the lives of other public figures prior to their public life. For a comparison, see the next question.
Q: Since we know at least 34 things about Jesus prior to His public ministry, for comparison what do we know about other secular historical figures prior to their public appearing?
A: For comparison purposes, we know only a few things about Pompey, about 12 things about Aristotle, and 26 things Alexander of Macedon, prior to their public life. (Much of this is taken from the Encyclopedia Britannica).
Pompey
Pompeius Gnaeus was a famous Roman general and politician born September 30, 106 B.C.
He was the son of a military commander.
3. When he was 17, he fought with his father in the Social War.
4. Like most Romans, he probably worshipped the Roman gods.
5. He spoke Latin, and perhaps also Greek.
There likely are more items, but certainly not 20+ more items.
Aristotle Himself
1. Born around 384 B.C.
2. Born in Stagira, a Greek town on the northwest coast of the Aegean sea.
3. Spoke Greek.
4. People commonly believed in the Greek gods.
5. Father was Nicomachus, a doctor of the guild of the "sons of Aesculapius"
6. From 17 to 37 years old, studied under Plato at the Academy of Athens.
7. In 342 B.C., Aristotle became the tutor of Alexander of Macedon for 7 years.
8. In a grave near Eretria in Euboea, we have a skull and personal items which might be of Aristotle. He died around 322 B.C.
Aristotle’s Family
9. His father was a court physician to Amyntas II, the father of Philip of Macedon
10. Father’s genealogy: of Ionian Greek background
11. Mothers genealogy: Ionian from Chalcis in Euboea.
Reactions to Aristotle and Expectations of Him
12. They had some academic hopes for him, sending him to study under Plato at the Academy in Athens.
We only have five manuscripts of his writings, and the earliest is 1100 A.D.
From India to Spain, by far the most famous person prior to Jesus was Alexander of Macedon, often called Alexander the Great. Let’s look at what we know about his early life.
Alexander Himself
1. His father was Philip II of Macedon.
2. His mother was Olympias, a Molossian princess from Epirus.
3. Born around October in 356 B.C.
4. Born in Pella, the capital of Macedon.
5. When Alexander was 14 years old (342 B.C.), Aristotle became his tutor for 7 years.
6. Alexander loved to read Homer.
7. Alexander spoke some dialect of Greek.
8. Alexander believed in the Greek gods.
9. Alexander was a good horseman, with a white horse name Beucephalus.
10. At 16, Alexander crushed a revolt of the hill tribes while his father was away.
11. Alexander led the charge which defeated the Sacred Band at Chaeronea in 338 B.C.
12. After Philip divorced Olympias, Alexander lived with his mother in Epirus.
Alexander’s Family
13. Genealogy of Olympias. She was the daughter of King Neoptolemos of Epirus, and niece of Arybbas, both sons of king Alketus, the Molossian king of Epirus.
14. Genealogy of Philip II. His father was Amyntas II.
15. His uncle was Alexander I, king of Epirus.
16. Thus Alexander had the upbringing of a prince.
17. We have a statue and the casket of Philip II of Macedon (The Greek World p.174-175).
18. Philip was regent of Macedon in 359 B.C., but took control as king in 356 B.C.
19. Philip divorced Olympias to marry Kleopatra/Cleopatra, a Macedonian noblewoman.
20. Alexander I married his niece Kleopatra/Cleopatra, the half-sister of Alexander in 337 or 336 B.C.
21. Alexander had a baby half brother from Philip and Cleopatra, whom he had killed whom Alexander killed when he became king.
22. Alexander had a cousin named Amyntas, whom Alexander killed when he became king.
23. In 336 or 336 B.C., Philip II was assassinated with a Celtic knife on the morning of the wedding of his daughter Kleopatra.
24. Alexander’s sent his mother spoils in 335 B.C.
Reactions to Alexander and Expectations of Him
25. Philip originally groomed him as the next king
26. He and Philip apparently were estranged after Philip divorced Alexander’s mother.
The writings of many who wrote on Alexander have been lost. The surviving ancient writings include:
"Didot edition of Arrian" by Karl Muller
Diodorus book 17 (c.20 B.C.)
Quintus Curtius (c 42 A.D.)
Plutarch (c.45-125 A.D.) Life of Alexander
Arrian’s Anabasis and Indica (150 A.D.)
Justin’s abridgment of the History of Trogus (c.10 B.C.?)
Itinerarium Alexandri (324-361 A.D.)
Epitome Rerum Gestarum Alexandri Magni (4th or 5th century)
For more information see the Encyclopedia Britannica, The Greek World, and the National Geographic.
If someone wants to claim that what we are told about Jesus prior to his public ministry is "meager", they should be honest and add that they think what we are told about the early life of most historical figures up to Roman times is more meager than the life of Jesus.
I also believe that we know more about the early life of Jesus than of other famous contemporary Jews Josephus, Philo (20 B.C. to 50 A.D.), and Bar Kochba, though I have not researched this yet. I also believe that we know more about the life of Jesus prior to 30 than we know about the early life of Moses, Buddha, and Mohammed, though I have not researched this yet. Perhaps we have more background on Julius Caesar and Josephus, but I do not know of any others.
Moses
Here is what we know about Moses prior to his public life.
1. Moses was born around 1525 B.C. in northern Egypt.
2. Either his parents, or more probably his ancestors were named Amram and Jochabed.
3. He was a Hebrew, a people who had been enslaved for 320 years.
4. He had an older sister named Miriam.
5. He had a brother named Aaron.
6. Moses was in his father’s house for his first three months. (Acts 7:20)
7. As a child, when Pharaoh decreed that male Hebrew babies were to be thrown in the Nile River, his mother put him in a basket.
8. Pharaoh’s daughter found him, and cared for him as her own son.
9. He grew up in Pharaoh’s court, was educated in all the wisdom of the Egyptians, and was powerful in speech and actions. (Acts 7:21-22)and had the knowledge and learning of the Egyptians
10. His own mother served as his nurse.
11. He was concerned about the Hebrews as he killed an Egyptian who was beating a Hebrew.
12. Even at 40 years old Moses was fairly strong, to kill the Egyptian.
13. Pharaoh tried to kill Moses.
14. Moses fled to Midian, where he saw some women drawing water for their flocks.
15. When shepherds tried to drive them away, Moses rescued them from the shepherds.
16. Moses married Zipporah.
17. The father-in-law of Moses was named Reuel, who also was named Jethro.
18. Moses and Zipporah had a son named Gershom.
19. Moses was about 80 when he saw the burning bush.
Gautama Buddha
For the sake of argument, we will assume that all legends about the young Buddha are true.
The son of a king of the Sakyas, a warrior caste people north of Kosala
Most likely worshipped the Hindu idols as a child.
3. He would renounce the world if he saw a sick man, an old man, and a corpse.
4. He left his home when he was 29.
5. He spent 6 years seeking enlightenment, which he claimed to find under a Bo tree.
6. He died either in 544 B.C. or 483 B.C. when he was 80 years old.
Mohammed
Mohammed was not a part of ancient history, but since he was a major religious leader, we will see what we know about his early life, prior to the start of his ministry, for comparison.
1. Mohammed was born around 567-569 A.D.
2. The son of Abdullah and his wife Aminah.
3. A member of the Quaryash tribe, which controlled Mecca.
4. His father died before he was born.
5. He first was raised by his uncle ‘Abd al-Mottalib.
6. Late he was raised by another uncle, Abu Talib.
7. His family was rather poor.
8. In his younger years he probably led caravans.
9. He married Khadija, a wealthy 40-year old widow when he was about 25.
10. After that he probably was a partner in a shop in Mecca which sold produce.
11. He probably could not write.
12 .Familiar with the Arab idols, including the three "daughters of Allah" Al-Lat, ‘Uzza, and Manat. (See the abrogated part of Sura 53:19)
13. Somewhat familiar with Judaism and Christianity.
14. Mohammed was wrong and misunderstood the following though. Suras 9:68, 21:51-71; 29:16,17; 37:97,98 say Abraham was delivered from Nimrod’s fire. Nimrod lived soon after Noah and long before Abraham. This story is very similar to a Jewish fable in the Midrash Rabbah. How could it be that Haman, the Persian minister in Esther’s time (500 B.C.) actually work in Egypt in Moses’ time (1450 B.C.) building the Tower of Babel (before 2500 B.C.) as Suras 27:4-6, 28:38, 29:39, 40:23-24,36-37 indicate? This is another "Mohammed and French-Canadians" problem again. The same Mary (Mariam in Hebrew and Arabic) was not the mother of Jesus and the sister of Moses (~1450 BC.) as Sura 19:28 says.
15. Mohammed was a white person, who later dyed his hair red.
16. Mohammed most likely suffered from epilepsy. Here are his symptoms after his 23-year ministry began. When Mohammed had a vision, the Hadiths record that strange things would happen. He would experience a ringing in his ears Bukhari Hadiths 1:1;4:438, his heart would beat rapidly 1:3, his face would turn red Bukhari Hadiths 2:16;5:618; 6:508, he would breathe heavily Bukhari Hadiths 6:508, he would fall on the ground with both eyes open toward the sky Bukhari Hadiths 5:170;6:448, he would sweat profusely Bukhari Hadiths 1:2;2:544;3:829, and see and hear things no one else did Bukhari Hadiths 1:2,3 4:458,461; 6:447. These may have appeared to be strange back then, but a doctor would see these as describing an epileptic fit.
17. Mohammed said the angel Gabriel appeared to him, and on one occasion basically beat him up.
He wondered if they were from Satan, but his wife convinced him they were from God.
Q: In Mt 1:18 and Lk 2:7, is Christ’s virgin birth incompatible with His pre-existence, as Rudolph Bultmann and Wolfgang Pannenberg thought?
A: No. It only seems incompatible to apostate theologians who believe in a god that is required to meet their restrictions. Christ pre-existed, but this did not restrict Him from:
1. Temporarily and voluntarily choosing not to use some of attributes and hiding some of His glory
2. Appearing as anything He wanted, including a man
3. Actually taking on humanity and becoming a man.
4. Coming to earth initially as an adult, a child, a baby, or an embryo, or however He wised.
Actually, Christ’s pre-existence as Almighty God did not restrict Him from anything at all. The only restrictions on Almighty God are self-imposed restrictions. God cannot lie (Hebrews 6:18; Titus 1:2), cannot deny Himself (2 Timothy 2:13), cannot be tempted by evil (James 1:13), and cannot do evil.
Q: In Mt 1:18-21 did the "Annunciation" took place after Mary was pregnant, or before Mary was pregnant from Luke 1: 26-31?
A: Joseph and Mary are two different people. The angel spoke to MARY in Luke 1:26-31 before she was pregnant. The angel spoke to JOSEPH after Mary was pregnant and Joseph had considered divorcing her in Matthew 1:18-21.
Q: In Mt 1:18 and Lk 2:7, where were the Ebionite heretics, and what did they believe?
A: Ebionites had a "low" view of Christ, believing Him to be from God the Father, but not God the Son. They believe Jesus could be called God in the manner of honor, but that He was not divine. The Ebionites believed Jewish customs should still be practiced. They denied the virgin birth of Christ saying He was born of Joseph (Irenaeus Against Heresies book 3 ch.21 p.451), and they only accepted a shortened form of the Gospel of Matthew (Irenaeus Against Heresies book 3 ch.10 p.428).
Q: In Mt 2:2,7, who else mentioned this star in the east that the Magi saw?
A: A number of early writers mention this.
Origen (225-249 A.D.) considered it a new star, not an existing heavenly body in Origen Against Celsus book 1 ch.48 p.422 mentions this.
Q: In Mat 2:11, it seems reasonable to believe that the magi who came to worship Jesus were acquainted with Daniel’s Messianic prophecy, had studied it, and realized that the coming of the Messiah was near. Do you know of any reference in the writings of the Zoroastrians or other Persians (middle easterners), to Daniel’s prophecy of the Messiah?
A: The Magi were a tribe of Zoroastrian / Persian priests, similar to the Levites being the priests and temple workers of Israel. I am not that up on Zoroastrian literature, but I am not sure many people are, as the Muslims would have destroyed all that they could. The Zoroastrians had less protection under the Muslims that "people of the Book", that is, Christians, Jews, and Sabi. Muslim literature has frequent references to Zoroastrians, and Muslim literature to my knowledge has no reference to the Zoroastrians coming.
Q: In Mt 2:11, why did the Magi enter a house, since Jesus was born in a manger in Lk 2:7?
A: Jesus was born in a stable because there was no room at the inn. Joseph and Mary would not want to stay in a stable nay longer than needed. They moved to a house by the time the Magi came.
Modern western Christmas songs generally present the Magi as coming the very night Jesus was born. Actually it was some time after that Jesus came. The Orthodox Church celebrates Christmas December 25th, but celebrates the Magi coming in mid-January.
See 1001 Bible Questions Answered p.30-31 and Catholic Apologetics Today p.249 for more info.
Q: In Lk 2:22-38, was Jesus presented at the Temple (in Jerusalem), or after the Magi came did Joseph take his family to Egypt as Mt 2:13-18 says?
A: Both.
1. Jesus was presented at the Temple in Jerusalem eight days after he was born. Then they returned to Bethlehem on the way to Egypt. After Mary was ready, they started out.
2. Contrary to western Christmas stories, the wise men did not come the very night Mary was in labor. They came some weeks later. As a side note, eastern Orthodox Christians generally do not give presents at Christmas. They give presents in the middle of January, when they believe the wise men came.
See Bible Difficulties & Seeming Contradictions p.171 for more info.
Q: In Mt 3:17, did God say "This is my beloved Son…", or did God say "You are my beloved Son…" as Mk 1:11 says?
A: It could be either way for three reasons.
1. The Gospel writers frequently paraphrased quotes.
2. The Father could have said it in Hebrew or Aramaic, but the Gospels we have are in Greek.
3. Papias, disciple of John the apostle, records that Matthew was originally written in the language of the Hebrews (Aramaic?), and it could have been paraphrased when it was translated into Greek.
See Bible Difficulties & Seeming Contradictions p.173-174 for more info.
Q: In Mt 4:1 and Mk 1:12, was Jesus sent into the desert right after His baptism, or did He delay a few days as Jn 1:29,35,43 says and then go to Cana as John 2:1 implies?
A: Though Jesus went to Galilee sometime after these temptations ended, Matthew 4:11-12; Mark 1:13-14; and Luke 4:13-14 do not say where Jesus was immediately when the 40 days ended. Thus there are two different possibilities.
Baptism then 40 Days then Galilee: It is likely that John baptized Jesus on the day of John 1:29-34. Then Jesus stayed one more day (John 1:35), and the following day decided to leave for Galilee (John 1:43).
The wedding in Cana was much later, either on the third day of the week or the third day after arriving in Galilee. It could not be the next day after John 1:43 (which was after John 1:35), because that would be four days, not three days.
Matthew 4:1 simply says that Jesus went to the wilderness after He was baptized. Mark 1:12 says that Jesus went into the wilderness "at once", but that could still mean a few days later.
Baptism then 40 Days then back to John: John 1 never says when Jesus was baptized. Jesus could have been baptized by John 40 days or so prior to John 1:19. After Jesus’ temptations, He returned to John in John 1:29.
Q: In Mt 4:1-11, was the order of Jesus temptations bread, pride, and power, or was it bread, power, and pride in Lk 4:1-12?
A: There are two answers, and both may be true.
1. Luke simply uses the word "and", which does not necessarily imply he is giving these in order. See Hard Sayings of the Bible p.454-457 for more on the view that Matthew is in order and Luke is not.
2. Also, in the forty days Jesus was tested, these and other temptations likely were given multiple times in different order.
See Encyclopedia of Bible Difficulties p.320-321 for more info.
Q: In Mt 4:1-11 and Lk 4:1-13, how do Satan’s temptations of Jesus echo Satan’s temptations of Eve in Gen 3:6?
A: While they are not identical, Satan often uses similar tactics over and over, and that is probably because they have not stopped working.
Eve saw that the forbidden fruit was
1. Good for food [physical appetite],
2. Pleasing to the eye [beauty, lust of the eyes],
3. Desirable for gaining wisdom, [eyes will be opened, and like God, knowing good and evil. [godlike power after following Satan’s command].
Jesus, who was fasting, was tempted with
1. Stones becoming bread [physical appetite],
2. Throwing himself from the wing of the temple [showing off],
3. Authority over all the kingdoms of the earth [godlike power under Satan’s command.]
1 John 2:16 mentions three kinds of sins in the world, the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life.
Q: In Mt 4:12 and Mk 1:14, after Jesus’ temptation, was John put in prison prior to Jesus’ ministry in Nazareth and Capernaum, or after Jesus came to Galilee in Jn 1:43?
A: The Bible says the following:
John 1:43 says that Jesus decided to return to Galilee (not that he returned that day) the day after John the Baptist again said that Jesus was the Lamb of God. John the Baptist was not arrested yet.
Matthew 4:12 says that at the time that Jesus heard of John’s imprisonment, Jesus returned to Galilee.
Mark 1:14 says that after John was put in prison, Jesus went into Galilee.
Sequence of Events:
1. John again said that Jesus was the Lamb of God.
2. The very next day Jesus decided He would (sooner or later) return to Galilee.
3. Either before Jesus left for Galilee, or else after he left but before he arrived in Galilee, John was imprisoned.
4. Jesus came into Galilee.
Q: In Mk 1:12-13, did Jesus go in the wilderness for 40 days after His baptism, or did He go to the wedding feast in Cana on the third day as Jn 2:1 says?
A: Both. The "third day" was the third day after coming to Galilee, not the third day after baptism as Bible Difficulties & Seeming Contradictions p.196 and the Believer’s Bible Commentary p.1473 say. A different answer is that "the third day" was the third day of the week.
The Expositor’s Bible Commentary volume 9 p.42 says the third day might be the third day from leaving John the Baptist. While it says, "the next day" in John 1:29-35,43 might all refer to the same day, this is unlikely this meaning would be more clear if "the next day" were not used multiple times.
Q: In Lk 3:22 on Jesus’ baptism, should it say, "You are my son, today have I begotten thee.", according to Justin Martyr, [allegedly] Clement of Alexandria, [allegedly] Augustine, and others, or "You are my son, the beloved, with whom I am well pleased". (This is the first half of an objection a Muslim brought up.)
A: First let’s see the implications of this Muslim’s argument, second apply the same standard to Islam, third the details of this manuscript variant, and finally apply this to Christianity in general.
A. Implications of the Muslim’s argument
Let’s assume for a second that the Muslim is absolutely right. The verse originally said what the Muslim states. Or alternately, assume we can only be sure of what was in common in both versions: "YOU ARE MY SON". Congratulations: If God really said that, to anyone, the Muslim’s own words have just disproved Islam and convicted the Qur’an of telling a lie about Allah. The Qur’an says the it is very wrong to say that Allah is a Father, or that Allah has sons (Sura 2:116; 4:171; 5:116,117; 6:100; etc.). If God really called Jesus "my son", then the Qur’an is telling a lie about God. (I assume the Muslim questioner is an orthodox Sunni Muslim, though I could be wrong about this.)
B. Apply the Same Standard to Islam
This variant changes no Christian doctrine, for both phrases are mentioned elsewhere. Inerrancy of the Bible means that the Bible was without any error in the original manuscripts, manuscript variations have crept in, but none that significantly change faith or practice. In contrast to this, most Muslims believe the Arabic Qur’an today is an exact copy of the original on earth, which was an exact copy of tablets in Heaven. (Sura 85:20-22). Yet the Qur’an has provably undergone changes too.
a) Sahih Muslim 2:2286 p.500,501 mentions a lost Sura of the Qur’an. It has an extensive quote from this Sura, and sure enough, it is not in the Qur’an today.
b) An early Qur’anic rescension (‘Ubai) that survived ‘Uthman’s standardization did not have the first and last suras. (The are not just torn off, they were never there.). It is in the Al-Azhar museum in Cairo today.
c) Abu Yunus the freed slave of ‘Aisha transcribed a copy of the Qur’an for ‘Aisha. It was a little bit different in Sura 2:208. "Abu Yunus, the freed slave of ‘A’isha said: ‘A’isha (Allah be pleased with her) ordered me to transcribe a copy of the Qur’an for her and said: When you reach this verse: ‘Guard the prayers and the middle prayer’ (2:28) inform me; so when I reached it, I informed her and she gave me dictation (like this): Guard the prayer and the middle prayer and the afternoon prayer, and stand up truly obedient to Allah. ‘A’isha (Allah be please with her) said: This is how I have heard from the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him)" Sunan Nasa’i vol.1 no.475 p.340
d) "Then Allah revealed to us a verse that was among the cancelled ones later on." Bukhari 5:416 p.288.
"Narrated Anas bin Malik: ... There was revealed about those who were killed at Bi’r-Ma’una a Qur’anic Verse we used to recite, but it was cancelled later on. The verse was: ‘Inform our people that we have met our Lord. He is pleased with us and He has made us pleased.’" Bukhari 4:69 p.53. See also the History of al-Tabari vol.7 p.156.
Other references to cancelled verses are: Bukhari 4:57 p.45, Bukhari 4:299 p.191, Bukhari 5:416 p.288, and Bukhari 5:421 p.293 all repeat the same thing about the same verse.
e) Bukhari Hadiths saying parts of the Qur’an were missing and/or abrogated are 4:57,62, 69,229; 6:510,511 p.479-480.
f) A few of the other places with variants (not just on vowels) are:
Sura 11:46 Abu Dawud vol.3 footnote 3383 p.1116
Sura 11:46 Abu Dawud vol.3 footnote 3383 p.1116
Sura 18:76 Abu Dawud vol.3 footnote 3384 p.1116
Sura 18:86 Abu Dawud vol.3 footnote 3385 p.1116
Sura 24:35 Abu Dawud vol.3 footnote 3387 p.1116
Sura 34:23 due to vowels, but in one case a consonant. Abu Dawud vol.3 footnote 3392 p.1117
Sura 39:59. This quotes with a feminine pronoun for soul, while the well-known readings has a masculine pronoun. Abu Dawud 3:3979 footnote 3393 p.1117
Sura 89:86 Abu Dawud vol.3 footnote 3399 p.1118
Sura 89:25-26 Abu Dawud vol.3 footnote 3408 p.1119
Sura 12:23 Abu Dawud vol.3 footnote 3411 p.1120
Sura 2:58 Abu Dawud vol.3 footnote 3413 p.1121
Sura 24:1 (missing or an extra "r" Faradnaha (and which we have ordained) vs. the majority farradnaha (which we have described in detail) Abu Dawud vol.3 footnote 3414 p.1121
g) A rationalization of changes in Mohammed’s lifetime: Satan always throws something in with a prophet’s words according to Sura 22:52, but God has to cancel it out. This might be an explanation for why four different Muslim historical sources report that Sura 53:19-20 originally said the intercession (help) of four idol goddesses was to be hoped for.
Would the Muslim questioner be satisfied about the Bible if Christians just destroyed the evidence and burned all of the manuscripts except one favored version? On one hand you would think not, except that is exactly what ‘Uthman did when he ordered people to turn in their copies of the Qur’an to be destroyed, and he reissued other copies. However, the Qur’ans today are not even identical with ‘Uthman’s text. For example, Variant: Sura 6:160a (6:159a in Yusuf ‘Ali): "…sects, I am not of them in anything;" (in ‘Uthman’s time) vs. "…sects, thou hast No part in them in the least:" al-Tabari vol.15 p.181 and footnote 323.
C. Details of this Manuscript Variant
"You are my Son, the Beloved; with you I am well pleased." (p4 (3rd century), Sinaiticus, Vaticanus, Alexandrinus, Byzantine Lectionary, some Italic, Sahidic Coptic, Ethiopic, Georgian, Augustine). Augustine had the first reading according to Aland et al. (4th edition), so the Muslim questioner was incorrect to put Augustine in the second category.
"You are my Son, today I have begotten you" (Bezae Cantabrigiensis, some Italic, Justin Martyr Dialogue with Trypho ch.88 p.244 (written about 138-165 A.D.); Hilary, Methodius apocryphal Gospel of Nicodemus (Greek form ch.2; Apocryphal Infancy Narrative 54.)
"You are my beloved Son, today I have begotten you" Clement of Alexandria 193-217 A.D.). This is similar to the second reading, except with the "beloved" aspect of the first reading. Thus the Muslim questioner was incorrect to lump Clement of Alexandria in the second category.
D. Application to Christianity in General
Justin might have been quoting from memory, and even good people can have small mistakes of memory. We do not believe God’s message is the consonants and vowels of the Bible, but the message of the Bible, and the message is constant, even if you go with the second reading, since other verses both say that a) Jesus was beloved, and b) today I have begotten you (Psalm 2). What could be an honest mistake, an erroneous memory, does not prove forgery, that is, unless A’isha the wife of Mohammed having a verse of the Qur’an writing with a different meaning proves she was a forger too.
Q: In Lk 3:22, does this manuscript variation prove a forger was at work, and the Bible verse was changed to take out Jesus becoming God’s son at baptism, vs. birth or before? (This is the second half of the Muslim’s objection)
A: Not at all. While we do not know all the details, there are four possibilities, any one of which gives a satisfactory answer.
Multiple statements: Perhaps the Father made multiple statements. Why would God the Father be limited to calling Jesus His Son only once here?
One Comprehensive Statement: Perhaps the Father only said one sentence, and it was something like: "You are my beloved son, with whom I am well pleased; today I have begotten you." Everyone correctly recorded parts of that.
Memory error by Justin Martyr: Justin Martyr, perhaps quoting this from memory made a mistake, and later writers who had read Justin Martyr and writings of earlier writers who had read Justin Martyr, copied this mistake.
Bible Variant: Someone before Justin Martyr erroneously copied this phrase here, and Justin correctly quoted what was in his Bible.
For Muslims, if any changes, even non-theological ones, prove a forgery, then every copy of the Qur’an today should be burned because it is a forgery too. It has changes from ‘Uthman’s version (Sura 159a (or 160a) is just one example. And ‘Uthman’s standardized text is different from ‘Ubai’s text, and both of those left out the lost Sura. In fact, the Qur’an admits that Satan (at least temporarily) throws a little of his teaching into the prophet’s words too (Sura 22:52). As an example of that, consider the original wording of Sura 53:19-20.
Q: In Lk 3:23 how old was Jesus when He began His ministry?
A: Luke 3:23 says "about thirty" which could be 25 to 35 years old. Jesus was born during the reign of Herod the Great, who died in 4 B.C., and Jesus began his ministry after John the Baptist began his. John began his ministry in the 15th year of Tiberius Caesar, which was 28 A.D. Thus, if archaeological dates are considered precise enough, Jesus was about 34 or 35 years old. Also, Pontius Pilate was only prefect of Judea from 26 A.D. until 36/37 A.D., so Jesus had to have been crucified before then. The best guess we have is that Jesus began his ministry about 30 A.D. and died 33 A.D. See Today’s Handbook for Solving Bible Difficulties p.61-62 for more info.
Q: In Mt 4:12-13, how did Simon and Andrew become disciples when Jesus was with John the Baptist, since Jesus told them to follow him in Galilee as in Mt 4:18-20, Mk 1:16-20, and Lk 5:1-11?
A: First they became "disciples" when Jesus was with John the Baptist. They only later became special disciples, later being designated apostles, in Galilee. Remember, that Jesus had a large number of disciples, some of whom left Him in John 6:66. In addition to those, he had specially appointed disciples, 72 in number, in Luke 10:1. Finally, Jesus had the twelve, who became apostles, in Matthew 6:7 and John 6:67.
Q: In Jn 1:35-37, did Andrew and the other disciple follow Jesus the day after His baptism, or did they wait 40 days after Jesus’ temptations?
A: -After. Jesus was baptized by John (Matthew 3:13-17; Mark 1:9-11; Luke 3:21-23), was tempted for 40 days (Matthew 4:1-11; Mark 1:12-13; Luke 4:1-12) returned the John (John 1:29-32)
Q: In the ministry of Jesus, can we know the order of the events?
A: We can only know the order of some events. However, many people can be very confused about the order of the gospels because of three misconceptions, which need to be cleared up.
Not every event was recorded by the gospel writers; however, they never claimed to do so either. For example, John, who formerly was a disciple of John the Baptist, is understandably silent between the time Jesus was baptized and the time he joined Jesus. John 21:25 specifically says that Jesus did many other things that were not written down. The Gospel of John was written after the other gospels, and John seems to emphasize the parts the others did not mention.
Repetition: Imagine Jesus traveling through the many towns he visited throughout Galilee, Judea, and Decapolis, and never repeating a single command or parable, and telling every town something completely different. ¾
not very likely! Jesus probably told these parables many more times than were recorded in each gospel, and people talked about Jesus more than is recorded. Thus for example, it is an open question whether the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew, and the Sermon on the level place in Luke, was two events, where he repeated some teaching, or one event, where Jesus spoke on a plateau.
Not in order: The Gospel writers did not record all the events in order, but they never claimed to record them in order either. As a matter of fact, Papias, a disciple of John the apostle, specifically says Mark did not record the events in order.
Within each general period of Christ’s ministry, the Gospel writers did not claim anything was in order, except for the following parts, where the words "after", "the next day", etc. were used. In the Gospel harmony questions, see the bold words that indicate markers of time, order, and location.
Q: In the Gospels, what is a harmony for the early ministry of Jesus?
A: The early ministry is up to the time John the Baptist is killed. Before giving the order of events, it is good to know some geography.
Geography: The Sea of Galilee, the Lake, the Sea of Tiberias, are all the same freshwater lake. Galilee is west of the Sea of Galilee, and Decapolis is southeast of the Sea of Galilee. Bethsaida is on the Sea of Galilee due north, and west of it is Capernaum on the shore, with Korazin due north of Capernaum. Magdala is on the shore due west of the Sea of Galilee, and Cana is due west of that. Nain is southwest of the Sea of Galilee about 10 miles away from the shore. The land of the Gerasenes, Gennesaret, or the Gadarenes are either all the same place or places very close to each other east and southeast of the Sea of Galilee. Hard Sayings of the Bible p.373 says that Gerasa was 30 miles southeast of the Sea of Galilee and its lands did not reach to the Sea. Gadara was five miles southeast of the Sea of Galilee and its lands did reach the Sea, as proved by Josephus mentioning this and a coin of Gadara showing a ship.
Order: It is important to distinguish between what is said to be order versus what may be in order. For these 65 events, numbers refer to events that must follow the preceding numbers in order. Letters such as a,b,c refer to events that might be in order, but could happen in any order. The bold words indicate markers of time, order, and location. The underlined verses show passages that likely are not in chronological order in the gospel.
Early Ministry: Mt 4:12-14:12, Mk 1:14-6:29, Lk 3:19-20; 4:14-9:9, Jn 1:43-5:47
E1a1. At Cana on the third day (3rd day after return to Galilee, after John spoke, or 3rd day of the week?), Jesus turns water into wine. 1st miracle, though His time is not yet come. Jn 2:1-11
E1a2a. During the Passover (14th day 1st month) in Jerusalem, Jesus drives out the moneychangers. Jn 2:12-25
E1a2b. Jesus teaches Nicodemus on being born again. Jn 3:1-21
E1a3. In the Judean countryside, John testifies of Jesus. Jn 3:23-35
E1a4a. At Sychar in Samaria, en route to Galilee, Jesus speaks with a Samaritan woman. Jn 4:1-42
E1b1. John rebukes Herod the Tetrarch. Mt 14:3; Lk 3:19-20
E1b2a. After Jesus hears John is cast in prison, Jesus returns to Galilee and begins to preach "The Kingdom of God is near". Mt 4:12-17, Mk 1:14-15; Jn 4:43-45
E1b2b. From Cana Jesus heals nobleman’s son in Capernaum as His 2nd miracle. Jn 4:46-54
E1b2c1. In Galilee and Nazareth, Jesus reads a scroll. Lk 4:14-15
E1b2c2. Jesus explains the prophecy, and the Jews try to kill Him. Lk 4:16-31
E1b2d1. Beside the Sea of Galilee, Jesus calls Simon Peter and Andrew. Mt 4:18-20; Mk 1:16-18; Lk 5:1-10
E1b2d2. In Capernaum Jesus casts out demon. Mk 1:21-28; Lk 4:31-37
E1b2e. Calling James and John. Mt 4:21-22; Mk 1:19-20; Lk 5:6-11
E1b2f. In Galilee, Jesus heals the sick. Mt 4:23-25; Lk 4:40-44
E2a. Sermon on the Mount, including the Lord’s prayer. Mt 5:1-7:29
E2b. In the evening, heals Simon’s mother-in-law and others. Mt 8:14-17; Mk 1:29-34; Lk 4:38-39
E2c. Jesus prays alone. Mk 1:35-38; Lk 4:42-44
E2d. Travel through Galilee. Mk 1:39
E2e. Heals gossipy leper. Mt 8:1-4; Mk 1:40-45; Lk 5:12-15
E2f. In lonely places, Jesus often withdrew to pray. Lk 5:16
E2g1. In Capernaum Jesus heals paralytic. Mk 2:1-12; Lk 5:17-26
E2g2. Calling Matthew/Levi. Mt 9:9-13; Mk 2:13-17; Lk 5:27-32
E3c1. In Galilee by the lake, cost of following Jesus. Mt 8:18-22
E3c2. In Nazareth Jesus heals the paralytic. Mt 9:1-8
E3c3. John’s disciples ask about fasting. Mt 9:14-17; Mk 2:18-22; Lk 5:33-39
E2h1. One Sabbath, Jesus in a field; appeal to David. Mt 12:1-8; Mk 2:23-27; Lk 6:1-11
E2h2. In the synagogue, Jesus heals withered hand. Mt 12:9-14; Mk 3:1-6; Lk 6:6-11
E2h3. Crowds follow Jesus. Mk 3:7-12
E2i1. On a mountainside, Jesus prays all night to God. Lk 6:12
E2i2. Jesus appoints the 12 apostles. Mk 3:13-19; Lk 6:13-16
E2j1. Sermon on the level place. Lk 6:17-49. If it was the same as in Matthew, it should be called the Sermon on the Plateau.
E2j2. In Capernaum Jesus heals the centurion’s servant. Mt 8:5-13; Lk 7:1-10
E3a. Some time later in Jerusalem for a feast [probably in the 7th month, at the pool Jesus heals a man who was an invalid for 38-years. Jn 5:1-15
E3b. Life through Jesus. Jn 5:16-47
E3c. At Nain, Jesus heals the widow’s son. Lk 7:11-17
E4. En route to the land of the Gadarenes/Gerasenes, Jesus calms the storm from inside the boat. Mt 8:23-27; Mk 4:35-41; Lk 8:22-26 (Note: storms are more frequent in the fall and winter]
E5a. In Gennesaret, healing two demon-possessed men; demons in swine. Mt 8:28-34
E5b. Healing the Gerasene [Gennesaret] demoniac. Mk 5:1-20; Lk 8:26-39 (Note: Gadarenes, Gennesaret, and Gerasene refer to the same place.)
E6. Raising Jairus’ daughter and the woman with blood. Mt 9:18-26; Mk 5:21-43; Lk 8:40-56
E7. As He went on Jesus heals two gossipy blind men. Mt 9:27-31
E8. While they were going out, Jesus heals a mute demoniac. Pharisees accuse Jesus of casting out demons by Beelzebub. (Apparently Jesus does not respond to this accusation at this time.) Mt 9:32-34
E9a. Jesus goes to many cities and villages. Mt 9:35-38; Mk 6:6
E9b. Jesus sends out the twelve. Mt 10:1-42; Mk 6:7-13; Lk 9:1-9
E9c. Jesus preaches in Galilee. Mt 11:1
E9d. John the Baptist sends a message from prison and Jesus tells the parable of the kids in the market. Mt 11:2-19; Lk 7:18-35
E9e. Eating at Simon the Pharisee’s house, a sinful woman with an alabaster jar anoints Jesus’ feet with oil. Jesus speaks on loving more and loving less. Lk 7:36-50
E10. Immediately Jesus withdraws to a mountain. Mk 6:45-46
E11. Afterwards at Gennesaret, Jesus heals many. Mk 6:53-56
E12a. Rebuking Galilean cities. Mt 11:20-24
E12b. At that time, Jesus taught rest for the weary. Mt 11:25-30
E13. Jesus withdraws from that place. Mt 12:15-21
E14. In a house where it was too crowded to eat, Jesus’ family thinks He is out of his mind. Mk 3:20-21
E15. Jesus heals a blind demon-possessed man. Mt 12:22-23
E16. Jesus speaks of the strong men in the house, and blasphemy against the Holy Spirit. Mt 12:24-37; Mk 3:22-30
E17. Jesus’ mother and brothers. Mt 12:46-50; Mk 3:31-35; Lk 8:19-21
E18. First demand for a sign, and prophecy of 3 days and nights. Mt 12:38-45
E19. In Galilee from the boat, the parable of the sower. Mt 13:1-23; Mk 4:1-20; Lk 8:1-15
E20. Parable of the weeds. Mt 13:24-30
E21. Parable of the lamp on a stand. Mk 4:21-25; Lk 8:16-18
E22. Parable of the growing seed. Mk 4:26-29
E23. Parable of the mustard seed. Mt 13:31-35; Mk 4:30-34
E24. In the house, explains parable of the weeds. Mt 13:36-43
E25. Parables of the hidden treasure, pearl, and net. Mt 13:44-53
E26. Jesus returns to Nazareth; prophet without honor. Mt 13:53-58; Mk 6:1-6
E27. How John the Baptist was killed. Mt 14:1-12; Mk 6:14-29; Lk 9:7-9
In this list of 65 events, 0 events were common to all 4, 13 events were common to the three Synoptics, 1 event was common to Matthew and Luke, 4 events were common to Matthew and Mark, 4 events were common to Matthew and Luke, 4 events were common to Mark and Luke, 15 events were in Matthew alone, 7 events were in Mark alone, 7 events were in Luke alone, and 8 events were in John alone.
Q: In the Gospels, what were the key assumptions made for the early ministry of Jesus?
A: Everything has assumptions, and here are the assumptions I used here.
a) The Sermon on the Mount and the sermon on the plain might have been two events, though they could have been one event on a plateau.
b) Some of John’s passages were placed in the middle period, when they could fit here too. The gospel harmony in The NIV Study Bible places John’s passages differently.
c) The Gospels were in chronological order, except where underlined, which is in more than 10 places.
Q: In Jn 1:43-50, did Jesus call these disciples to follow Him at this time, or did he appoint them as apostles later as Mt 4:18-22; Mk 1:14-20, and Lk 5:1-11 show?
A: Both. Jesus called them to follow Him, and only later designated them as the twelve. When Critics Ask p.405 distinguishes between their initial interview and their permanent call. It points out that in John 1:39, they only stayed with Jesus that one day.
Today God first calls us to be His children. Many people He later calls to greater service, and some He later calls to even greater ministry.
Q: In Mt 4:17; 10:17; Mk 1:15; Lk 8:10; Jn 3:5 are the kingdom of God and Kingdom of heaven identical, or is there a slight difference between the two?
A: Many have seen them as identical; you will not be a part of one if you are not a part of the other. Matthew uses both terms, and Mark, Luke, and John use only the kingdom of God. Jesus uses both terms in adjacent verses in Matthew 19:23-24. Others see a slight difference; the kingdom of heaven is where all believers go when we die, and the kingdom of God is what we belong to now when we are saved.
Regardless of the individual words, we can all agree that our salvation has both a "now" aspect on earth and a future aspect in heaven (1 Cor 13:12; Php 1:21-24) that will not be realized until we reach heaven. In John 3:5 some think water refers to amniotic fluid when a baby is born, but others think it refers to baptism. It cannot mean Jesus told Nicodemus that a person cannot be saved unless they are baptized, unless the thief on the cross was not saved! But it can mean that a person is not a visible part of God’s kingdom on earth until they are baptized. Similar to this, many churches do not want someone to take the Lord’s Supper until they are baptized.
See the Wycliffe Bible Dictionary p.991 for more info.
Q: In Jn 4:46-54, was the second miracle healing the nobleman’s son?
A: Yes. The other gospels do not record this miracle, but they do not claim any other miracle as the second miracle Jesus did in Galilee either.
Q: In Lk 12:3-38, why does this sound similar to the Sermon on the Mount in Mt 5:1-7:29?
A: There are three different answers.
a. Perhaps Jesus delivered a similar sermon at least two times. Everyone could not have heard the sermon the first time.
b. Perhaps it was the same sermon, and each writer wrote down a paraphrase of what he remembered. A "plain" on top of a mountain is simply what we call a plateau.
c. When Critics Ask p.387 observes that it only said that Jesus stood on a level place, not that the crowds did. Jesus standing on a level place to preach to a crowd sitting on a mountainside would make a natural amphitheater.
Regardless, the Jesus’ teaching is timeless, and true no matter how many times He said it.
Q: In Mt 5:3, did Jesus mention the "poor in spirit", or just the poor in Lk 6:20?
A: Jesus could have said both. Matthew and Luke both paraphrase what Jesus taught. These two sermons might have been different occasions, and Jesus could have said both. On the other hand, these two Sermons could have been the same. One was on a mountain, and one was on a plain. They might have been one Sermon on a plateau, which is a flat place on the top of some mountains.
Regardless, we understand that Jesus referred to those who were needy and acknowledged that they were needy. See Encyclopedia of Bible Difficulties p.366 for more info.
Q: In Mt 8:5-13; 9:9-13; did Jesus heal the centurion’s servant before calling Matthew (Levi), or after as Lk 5:27-32; 7:1-10 implies?
A: It could be either way, as neither gospel gives the order, and the gospels are not said to be in chronological order. However, both says that Matthew/Levi was called after healing the paralytic.
Q: In Mt 8:5-10, did the centurion see Jesus, directly, or did the centurion not see Jesus but send friends in Lk 7:6?
A: There are two possible answers.
1. The centurion approached Jesus through friends, not directly. Matthew is leaving out this detail, and simply says the centurion came to Jesus with his request, without specifying that it was through friends. Perhaps Matthew did not want to blur the fact that Jesus was helping a non-Jew, according to The Expositor’s Bible Commentary vol.8 p.200. The NIV Study Bible p.1453 adds that likewise when Pilate flogged Jesus in Matthew 27:26, Matthew is NOT saying Pilate personally flogged Jesus, but had Jesus flogged.
2. The centurion originally used friends. A likely reason is because that way it would not be too embarrassing if Jesus refused this request of a non-Jew. Later the centurion came himself.
See Hard Sayings of the Bible p.458-459 for more info.
Q: In Mt 9:18, was Jairus’ daughter dead, or was she dying as Mk 5:22 and Lk 8:42?
A: First some Greek, two things that are probably not the answer, and then the likely answer.
Greek
In Matthew 9:18, the Greek phrase arti eteleutesen means "just now died" according to Green’s literal translation, or "has just died" but not "is now dying" according to The Expositor’s Bible Commentary vol.8 p.230.
In Mark 5:22 the Greek phrase eschatus exei means at the last end. We get our word eschatology from the first word.
In Luke 8:42 the Greek word apethnesken means "dying".
Not the answer: coma is like death
The breathing of a person in a coma is very shallow, and it is difficult to tell when they had died. However, this is probably not the correct answer because Jairus had left some time ago, and someone in a coma would still be somewhat warm. Finally, Jairus’ friends later telling him his daughter finally died would go against this.
Probably not the answer: Jairus said all three
Jairus himself was not sure if his daughter was still alive when he talked to Jesus, or if she had already passed away while he journeyed to Jesus. So Jairus might have at one point said she had died, and at another point said she was at the last end, and at another point said she was dying. However, in all three gospels, Jairus said the words in question to Jesus, and while he might have repeated his request to Jesus three times, using three different wording, the next answer is more probable.
The answer: Gospel writers paraphrased
In other places in the gospels dialogues are paraphrases, not exact quotes, and focusing on the main points with details left out. For example, when people cam all day to hear Jesus’ teaching, yet we can read the account in only five minutes, what did they do for the rest of the time? As John 21:25 says, "Jesus did many other things as well. If every one of them were written down, I suppose that even the whole world would not have room for the books that would be written." (NIV)
Consider this: it only takes about three seconds to read what Jairus said in any one account. When Jairus came, did he only speak three seconds to Jesus, and then was silent? – of course we do not think that. But that means that each gospel writer chose to leave out many extraneous details and simply wanted to record the main point Jairus had. Whichever phrase Jairus used, and he may have used more than one, his beloved daughter was passing the end of her life.
Q: In Mt 9:22,28,29 Can you explain to me the difference between faith that heals and saving faith. For example in Mt 9:22 Jesus says 'Daughter, take courage, your faith has made you well' and in Mt 9:29 Jesus touched their eyes saying 'It shall be done to you according to your faith.' and in Mt 9:28 Then Jesus said to her, "O woman, your faith is great, it shall be done for you as you wish." And her daughter was healed at once. Is faith a natural thing? Was the faith exhibited in the healings done by Jesus generated by the people who were healed or did God through the Holy Spirit grant them the faith necessary for the healing so that God could be glorified. In Eph 2:8 For by grace you have been save through faith, and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; I read this to be that faith is the gift of God.
A: You asked a deep question. The short answer is that there is only one faith; faith in God. But that faith can express itself in physical healing, and holy living, and that faith can also be entangled or snatched away.
For a more extensive answer, First let's look at faith in general, and then different aspects of faith. While faith includes intellectual agreement, James 2:19 shows that it is much more than that; it is trusting. There is a famous story that in the 19th century a famous tightrope walker named Blondin was walking across Niagara Falls on pushing a wheelbarrow a tightrope. Somebody told him they had faith he could do it. He said that if they really did, then get in the wheelbarrow. Faith is not merely saying "I believe" but be willing to get in the wheelbarrow. Do we trust in God, to the extent that we would be willing to look foolish if God didn't come through? Faith is a commendable thing, and Hebrews 11 gives many examples of not just intellectually believing, but living by faith.
Faith has to have the right object; sincerely believing in an idol is not going to get you anywhere, or at least anywhere good. If a person believes and practices many good things, but they do not believe that Jesus died for our sins and rose from the dead, their faith is in vain according to 1 Cor 15:1-8. They were not healed by having faith in healing, faith in themselves, faith in some saint, or even faith in faith; they were healed though having faith in Jesus. It is interesting that just prior to this passage, in Matthew 9:1-8, Jesus healed a paralytic, and there is no mention of his faith, or really anything whatsoever about him. We can easily infer that his friends had enough faith to go to the trouble to carry him to Jesus; and while he may have had faith, it is not mentioned. So while we cannot have saving faith for anybody but ourselves, our faith can be an effective tool God uses in the lives of others. On the other side of the coin, Jesus chose not to do many miracles in Nazareth because of their lack of faith in Matthew 13:57-58.
Unfortunately our faith can be partial and incomplete in time, sincerity, and scope.
Faith Only for a Time: Judas Iscariot believed in Jesus to leave his former life and follow Jesus, - at least for a time. Yet even prior to Judas betraying Jesus, Judas would steal from the money bag in John 12:6. Judas would even go out with the other eleven disciples and preach in the countryside in Matthew 10:4-16, but though many people’s faith could have been increased by seeing the great miracles, he did not (or perhaps it is better to say would not) have the faith that God would take care of his financial needs and he did not need to steal from Jesus and the disciples. So for having faith for a time, though I believe that the truly saved can never be "unelected", I also believe the Bible’s warnings that some who have been enlightened, and tasted (does not say swallowed) the heavenly gift, can fall away to eternal destruction (Hebrews 6:4-6).
Insincerity and Faith: So some people, like the seed sown on shallow ground, have faith for a while, but then get entangled. They can be honest and say they do not have faith anymore, or dishonest and claim to have faith but be hypocritical. A person can have a sincere faith mixed in insincerity but be honest about it. When Jesus asked the father of a demon-possessed boy if he believed, he answer, "I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!" in Mark 9:24. Others have no sincere faith, only insincere faith, such as Simon the magician in Acts 8:18-22.
Scope of faith: Some people can believe God in the big things where there is no other option, but not believe God in the little things. Some like Gideon can have tremendous faith in God to save them in battle with just a few soldiers, but then not believe God’s way is the best way instead of making money off an idol, as Gideon shamefully did in Judges 8:24-27. Samson was similar.
I do not believe there are two kinds of faith, saving faith and healing faith; there is only one faith (Eph 4:5). But this faith, as a seed in Matthew 13:12-23, it can grow (either a lot or just a little), multiply in others, but it can also wither and die. As a warning to use, let’s look at four examples of faith that died:
Jesus taught in Matthew 7:21-23 that there will be people will preach the gospel (presumably the true gospel), and even do miracles in Jesus’ name, which I am sure you will agree would take great faith. Yet in the end these people will go to Hell because they were evildoers. It is significant that Jesus did not say "I forgot you", "I lost you" or "you lost your salvation". Rather, Jesus said to these evildoers with great faith "I never knew you."
Can a hell-bound person be helped by Faith? Yes, at least for a short time. 2 Peter 2:20-22 says, "If they have escaped the corruption of the world by knowing our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and are again entangled in it and overcome, they are worse off at the end than they were at the beginning. If would have been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than to have known it and then to turn their backs on the sacred command that was passed on to them. Of them the proverbs are true: ‘A dog returns to its vomit,’ and ‘A sow that is washed goes back to her wallowing in the mud.’" (NIV) The person was never saved, they were always a dog or a sow. Yet that person "knew" in some sense, our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Their knowledge was enough to even lift them from a sinful life to a godly one, but only for a while
Many people are helped by Jesus just like the nine lepers were in Luke 17:11-19. Jesus healed ten lepers, and yet only one, a Samaritan, came back and thanked Jesus. "Jesus asked, ‘Were not all ten cleansed? Where are the other nine? Was no one found to return and give praised to God except this foreigner?’ Then he said to him, ‘Rise and go; your faith has made you well.’" The other nine were genuinely helped physically, and nothing says their physical healing was taken away. But physical healing was all they got; only the Samaritan came to Christ and praised God. If I had a physical problem, and I had to choose either a faith that healed or a faith that saved, I would want the faith that saved and spiritually healed more than the faith that merely physically healed. God gives faith that can do both, but make sure you emphasis on the Giver, not merely the give.
Our faith must be tough as James 1:12 teaches; to be able to persevere even under harsh conditions; yet the faith of some only lasts for a while and then dies. I think the entire difference is whether a faith is tended by the Gardener (John 15:1b) and whether or not your faith is connected to the Vine (John 15:1-8). Having faith, even great faith, will not last, unless it is constantly tended by God. So while faith is important, it is more important to draw near to God. "And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these if love." (1 Cor 15:13 NIV)
But what is the role of saving faith?
Salvation is a gift of God; it is not from us and we are not saved by our faith. Rather, we are saved by God’s grace, through our faith, not works as Ephesians 2:8-9 says. Three things this short but complex pair of verses says:
It is by grace. We cannot "merit" our salvation, or else it would not be grace.
It is through faith. Faith has a different role than grace. Faith is our response to God’s initiative.
It is not works. Works do not have the same role as grace, they do nothing to merit our salvation.
Works have a different role than faith; we are not saved through works, but rather through faith.
So one might wonder if works have anything to do at all with salvation. Paul anticipates this question and answers it in Ephesians 2:10. Works do have a role in salvation, but not the role some people and many Catholics teach. Works are an output of our salvation, not an input. We are not saved by serving, but rather saved to serve. If the two do not go hand-in-hand in a believer’s, you might question if someone was really a believer as James 2:14-25 does, but they have different roles.
But since it is wrong to say works have the same role as faith in our salvation as some Catholics say, it is also wrong to say that faith has the same role as works in our salvation, as some Calvinists teach. Hebrews 4:2 says, For we also have had the gospel preached to us, just as they did; but the message they heard was of no value to them, because those who heard did not combine it with faith." (NIV)
As to whether this enduring faith is a gift of God, or our responsibility, it is both. God gives us faith as a gift, and we can and should ask for faith. Yet we have a responsibility to believe and a responsibility to run with perseverance (Heb 12:1). We have a responsibility to test/examine both ourselves and our teachers (2 Corinthians 13:5-6). Yet we can rely on God sealing all who are saved with His Holy Spirit, "who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession…" (Eph 1:14 NIV). See www.BibleQuery.org on the left hand menu under Doctrine and then under Predestination for more info.
Q: In Mt 9:24, Mk 5:39 and Lk 8:52, why did Jesus say she was only sleeping?
A: First what is probably not the answer, and then the answer.
Probably not the answer – vegetative state is like death
While sleep is often used for death, it could be a coma or vegetative state. Jesus said, "your daughter is not dead but asleep" in Mark 5:39. However, in Mark 5:35 when Jairus’ friends told him not to bother Jesus because his daughter had died, she was completely dead as far as they could tell.
The Answer:
Jesus wanted to emphasize that do Him death is no more than the physical body sleeping.
See Hard Sayings of the Bible p.421-422 for more info.
Q: In Mk 5:35 and Lk 8:49 was Jairus given new information that his daughter was dead?
A: While it could be either way, the first way is more likely to be correct.
a) It could be that Jairus knew his daughter was about to die when he left to see Jesus, and as he was coming back, they told him that his daughter had just