It is an often-stated position of persons opposing the historical eyewitness testimony of the men who saw and heard Jesus, that Christians must prove that the New Testament is true.

When critics make this assertion they are rewriting the historical legal definition for the burden of proof. The New Testament presents the world with a systematic body of eyewitness accounts by the men who say they saw Jesus, “with their own eyes.” These men clearly wrote their testimony and dispatched it early in the first century, for the express purpose of telling the world what happened concerning Jesus of Nazareth.

This essay examines what the legal definition of “burden of proof” consists of and how to correctly apply this to the narratives about Jesus in the New Testament.

According to some modern secular scholars, the four Gospels of the New Testament are not written by eyewitnesses. The hypothesis of this assertion is based upon the idea that the Gospels were written decades after the events, by men who were not present when the events described in these texts took place.

The problem with this posit is that there is absolutely no evidence anywhere that these claims are true. In every determination of truth in documentation that claims eyewitness testimony, it is the text itself that is the primary evidence used to determine its authenticity—not the opinions of persons in opposition two thousand years after the fact.

The texts themselves of the 27 letters that comprise the New Testament demonstrate they are historical

1. These testimonies, accounts, and narratives about Jesus, were written early in the first century.
2. The men who write these narratives say they saw Jesus, “with their own eyes.”
3. This testimony has remained in the historical record for nearly two thousand years.
4. These extant manuscript copies of the New Testament were written closer to the events they describe, than any extant secular manuscript evidence for any secular event of antiquity.
5. These extant manuscript copies are uniform in all their testimony about Jesus, in every primary event of His life, death, and resurrection.
6. These extant manuscript copies are the largest body of evidence for any one person in all of antiquity.
7. As required by the rules for evidence, these extant manuscript copies have remained under the custodial care of the Christian church, since their inception.

When we utilize our current Federal Rules of Evidence and apply these to the canonical Gospels, we find that they would be judged precisely the same as all other historical eyewitness testimony is judged by courts of law today.[1] According to these rules that determine whether testimony is valid in proving facts, the narratives in the four Gospels would be admitted into the courts of justice in America today.

According to these guidelines, the four Gospels meet the requirements of the “Ancient documents” hearsay exception.[2] In an examination of the credibility of the witnesses as the authors of the four Gospels, the Federal Rules of Evidence also find that these witnesses are reliable.[3] When we investigate the content and context of the testimony given by the four Gospel writers, and assess the reliability and credentials of these authors, we find them to be credible witnesses according to the Federal Rules of Evidence.[4]

In the final analysis of the four canonical Gospels, according to all the rules set forth by the Federal Rules, these testimonies would be admissible and credible in a court of law.[5]

According To The Rules For What Constitutes Valid Evidence, The Objector Must Prove The Evidence Is Not True

“Evidence is generally admitted for consideration unless the opposing party objects, at which time the burden shifts to the opposing party to provide specific grounds for the objection and to demonstrate that the offered evidence should not be admitted.”[6]

In these matters, “the benefit of the doubt is given to the party presenting the evidence, thus erring on the side of inclusion rather than exclusion, to consider the greatest amount of relevant information possible in the quest for the truth of the matter.”[7]

In matters of past inquiry, as well as today, the burden rests upon the objectors. Also at all times, any evidence related to religious questions has been “unjustly presumed to be false until it is proved to be true,”[8] rather than accepted as truth until explicitly impeached.

Legal and Historical Standards Prove the New Testament is Both Historical and Eyewitness

Although critics assert that the New Testament is not a historical, eyewitness narrative, the legal standards that determine evidence that is admissible in United States courts of law, define the New Testament as both historical and eyewitness.

“[a] proposition of fact is proved when its truth is established by competent and satisfactory evidence.”[9] Such evidence is the “amount of proof, which ordinarily satisfies an unprejudiced mind, beyond any reasonable doubt.”[10] The facts attested to in the Gospels “are cognizable by the senses, [and] may be said to be proved when they are established by that kind and degree of evidence which . . . would . . . satisfy the mind and conscience of a common man.”[11]

In Viewing the Claims of the Canonical Gospels by the same Legal Standards as All Other Evidence:

“[T]he narrative is more likely to be true than false, and it may be in the highest degree more likely, but still be short of absolute mathematical certainty. Yet this very probability may be so great as to satisfy the mind of the most cautious, and enforce the assent of the most reluctant and unbelieving. . . . If it is such as usually satisfies reasonable men, in matters of ordinary transaction, it is all which the greatest skeptic has a right to require; for it is by such evidence alone that our rights are determined, in the civil tribunals; and on no other evidence do they proceed, even in capital cases.[12]

Federal Rules of Evidence Applied To The Four Gospels Today

Rule 803. Hearsay Exceptions; Availability of Declarant Immaterial

The following are not excluded by the hearsay rule, even though the declarant is available as a witness:

(16) Statements in ancient documents

Statements in a document in existence for twenty years or more the authenticity of which is established.[13]

Rule 901. Requirement of Authentication or Identification

(a) General Provision

The requirement of authentication or identification as a condition precedent to admissibility is satisfied by evidence sufficient to support a finding that the matter in question is what its proponent claims.[14]

(b) Illustrations

By way of illustration only, and not by way of limitation, the following are examples of authentication or identification conforming with the requirements of this rule:

Ancient documents or data compilation. Evidence that a document or data compilation, in any form, (A) is in such condition as to create no suspicion concerning its authenticity, (B) was in a place where it, if authentic, would likely be, and (C) has been in existence 20 years or more at the time it is offered.[15]

Rule 601. General Rule of Competency

Every person is competent to be a witness except as otherwise provided by these rules.[16]

Rule 602. Lack of Personal Knowledge

A witness may not testify to a matter unless evidence is introduced sufficient to support a finding that the witness has personal knowledge of the matter. Evidence to prove personal knowledge may, but need not, consist of the witness’s testimony.[17]

Rule 702. Testimony by Experts

If scientific, technical, or other specialized knowledge will assist the trier of fact to understand the evidence or to determine a fact in issue, a witness qualified as an expert by knowledge, skill, experience, training, or education, may testify thereto in the form of an opinion or otherwise, if (1) the testimony is based upon sufficient facts or data, (2) the testimony is the product of reliable principles and methods, and (3) the witness has applied the principles and methods reliably to the facts of the case.[18]

No Reasonable Doubt Regarding Confidence In The Witnesses

“Proof beyond a reasonable doubt is synonymous with proof to a moral certainty, or subjective certitude.”[19] “[E]verything relating to human affairs, and depending on moral evidence, is open to some possible or imaginary doubt” – in other words, absolute certainty is unattainable in matters relating to human affairs. Moral evidence, in this sentence, can only mean “empirical evidence offered to prove such matters—the proof introduced at trial.”[20]

Rule 102. Purpose and Construction

These rules shall be construed to secure fairness . . . and promotion of growth and development of the law of evidence to the end that the truth may be ascertained and proceedings justly determined.[21]

Rule 601. General Rule of Competency

Every person is competent to be a witness except as otherwise provided by these rules.[22]

Rule 603. Oath or Affirmation

Before testifying, every witness shall be required to declare that the witness will testify truthfully, by oath or affirmation administered in a form calculated to awaken the witness’s conscience and impress the witness’s mind with the duty to do so.[23]

Rule 607. Who May Impeach

The credibility of a witness may be attacked by any party, including the party calling the witness.[24]

Reliability

“[W]here, when, and how the declarant made the statement, to whom the declarant made the statement, what prompted the statement, and the statement’s contents all provide indicia of reliability. [Also], the nature and character of the statement, the relationship of the parties, the declarant’s probable motivation for making the statement, and the circumstances surrounding the making of the statement [are] probative of the statement’s trustworthiness.”[25]

The Testimony Presented By The Gospels

Regarding ancient documents as valid evidence

An objection to these documents as hearsay evidence, and their validation under the “ancient documents” exception, remain consistent: a document more than twenty years old and whose authenticity has been established is admissible.[26]

Ancient documents may be authenticated by:

[e]vidence that a document or data compilation, in any form, (A) is in such condition as to create no suspicion concerning its authenticity, (B) was in a place where it, if authentic, would likely be, and (C) has been in existence 20 years or more at the time it is offered.[27]

There were not many questions regarding the authenticity of the four Gospels during the time of Greenleaf. Since 1864, a phenomenal amount of additional evidence has been acquired that adds greatly to the certainty of the New Testament narratives as authentic, reliable, truthful accounts of true events.[28]

At the time Greenleaf wrote Testimony of the Evangelists, there were approximately 5,000 manuscripts available. Today we have 24,593 manuscripts from all over the world in 13 languages, yet all bear the same testimony about Jesus. New Testament criticism has never proven that the Gospels were written late in the first century, as many liberal scholars claim. The idea that the non-eyewitnesses wrote the Gospels, not the four authors named, is strictly hyperbole and conjecture. The New Testament has 203 statements that the writers saw and heard the things they are writing. 396 references describe Jesus’ death and resurrection.[29]

When we examine the internal text of the New Testament, we find that the documents themselves provide us with evidence of a very early date of writing.

Jesus repeatedly stated that He called 12 men to act as His witnesses. Acts 1:8: “And you are my witnesses, telling people about me everywhere—in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”

Jesus told these 12 Apostles that they would tell the whole world what they had seen and heard. John 15:27: “And you must also testify about me because you have been with me from the beginning of my ministry.”

Jesus certainly intended that these men would immediately write and send their written testimony to the world, describing all they had seen and heard because it was not possible for them to travel the entire world on foot. Jesus made it clear that the time to go was immediate, not decades later. Matthew 28:19: “Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations.”

Jesus said that after He was raised from the dead, He would send the Holy Spirit to remind them of all He had said and done. John 14:26: “But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you.”

Just before His return to heaven, Jesus instructed the Apostles to wait at Jerusalem for the arrival of the Holy Spirit, who would enable them to remember and write their testimony: Acts 1:8: “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. And you will be my witnesses, telling people about me everywhere—in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”

After the Apostles received this power, they would immediately send out their testimony to the churches in Asia Minor, as Paul was traveling to visit these churches.

Jesus’ final instructions were to tell people about Him everywhere—starting in Jerusalem, then the local communities surrounding Israel, and finally to the ends of the earth. Once again, unless this meant that a written testimony would be recorded and sent out, obeying Jesus’ command would not be possible.

Just 14 years after Jesus was raised from the dead, we see Paul beginning his first missionary journey to Asia Minor, teaching this Gospel to the churches in these areas. If there was no written narrative, it would be impossible to accurately tell others about Jesus on this journey. Paul said that he received the Gospel directly from Christ. Galatians 1:11-12: “Dear brothers and sisters, I want you to understand that the gospel message I preach is not based on mere human reasoning. I received my message from no human source, and no one taught me. Instead, I received it by direct revelation from Jesus Christ.”

Luke begins his Gospel by telling us: Luke 1:1-3: “Many people have set out to write accounts about the events that have been fulfilled among us. They used the eyewitness reports circulating among us from the early disciples. Having carefully investigated everything from the beginning, I also have decided to write an accurate account.”

Luke understood that writing an account of all that Jesus had said and done was of paramount importance. Certainly, Luke wrote his Gospel early, before he wrote his second book, Acts.

In Paul’s letter to the church at Ephesus, he speaks of “spreading this Good News (Ephesians 3:7). What would be the point of spreading the Good News if it did not include distributing the Good News by written letters to all of the churches in Asia Minor?

At the church of Thessalonica, Paul thanks the Christians there for receiving the Gospel of Christ as it is—the word of God, scripture equal to the Old Testament. 1 Thessalonians 2:13: “You received the word of God which you heard from us, you welcomed it not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the word of God.”

In Acts 17:10-11, while at Berea, we see Paul before the Jews as they listened to him present the Gospel to them, and their response: “to search the scripture to find out whether these things about Jesus were true.“

If there were no written testimonies about Jesus recorded by the Apostles, stating what they had seen and heard from Jesus and personally documenting the events of His healing miracles, raising the dead, crucifixion, and resurrection, Paul would have nothing to present to the people in Asia Minor except his words. It is doubtful that without a written testimony from the men who saw Jesus crucified and risen on the third day, very few would become a believer in Jesus.

When Paul and Silas went to the church at Thessalonica, they remained there for three consecutive Sabbaths (Acts 17:1-4). He explained the prophecies and proved that the Messiah must suffer and rise from the dead. He said, “This Jesus I’m telling you about is the Messiah.” Unless there were written Gospels from the Apostles to demonstrate that these prophecies about the Messiah had been fulfilled, the people would not have believed in Jesus.

In Paul’s letter to Timothy, chapter 5, verse 18, he quotes from Luke’s gospel. Paul: For the Scripture says, “You shall not muzzle an ox while it treads out the grain,” and, “The laborer is worthy of his wages” (1 Timothy 5:18). When we examine Luke’s Gospel, we see that what Paul had written in 1 Timothy 5:18 came from what Luke had already written before in Luke 10:7. Luke: And remain in the same house, eating and drinking such things as they give, for the laborer is worthy of his wages. Do not go from house to house.

This dates the Gospel of Luke as written before Paul’s letter to Timothy, corroborating a very early writing for the Gospels. Luke’s Gospel was written after Matthew and Mark, as described in the first paragraph of Luke, where he defines the source of his Gospel as coming from the eyewitness reports from the early disciples.[30

In 2 Peter 1:16-19, Peter recalls an event that is recorded in Matthew 17:1-6, Mark 13:26, and Luke 9:28-32: Jesus took Peter, James, and John up to a mountain, and He was transformed before their eyes into what He will look like when He returns to establish His kingdom on earth. Peter wrote, after this event took place, in 2 Peter Chapter 1—meaning that the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke were already written when Peter wrote these words, as he refers back to these narratives in writing his later letter.

In Luke 19:43-44 and Matthew 24:34, Jesus predicts the destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple in 32 AD, just before He is crucified. He states, in Matthew 24:34, that this will take place within one generation. A generation of judgment is described by Numbers 32:14, where the generation of those who complained against the Lord in the desert is defined as 40 years.

Just 38 years later, Titus destroyed Jerusalem and left “not one stone upon another” at the Temple, just as Jesus had predicted in Matthew 24:1-2.  The Epistle of Barnabas, chapter 16.3, states that the destruction of Jerusalem happened in 70 AD. Josephus describes 1.1 million Jews being killed at that time.

This was the most important event to take place in the Jewish nation in the first century. The Gospels were written before 70 AD, or the writers would certainly have written that this event took place and the words of Jesus were fulfilled.

The preceding facts allow us to determine that the Gospels of Christ must have been written very early in the first century—not later, as critics assert. This means that these Gospels were written by the men who saw and heard the things they recorded in their Gospels. These men were eyewitnesses who told us the truth about Jesus.

What Legal Scholars Found Concerning The Historicity Of The Four Gospels

The New Testament presents us with not only the largest body of surviving manuscript copies of the events it describes, written closer to the events than any other manuscripts of antiquity—they have massive support from archeology.

One of the world’s greatest archeologists and historians is Sir William Ramsay. Notice how Dr. Ramsay describes the accuracy and detail of Luke’s historical references without a single error.

“I began with a mind unfavorable to (the accuracy of the New Testament) but more recently I found myself brought into contact with the Book of Acts as an authority for the topography, antiquities, and society of Asia Minor. It was gradually borne upon me that in various details the narrative showed marvelous truth.”[31]

Dr. Ramsay believed at the onset that the accounts described in the Gospel of Luke and the Book of Acts were inaccurate. Over 100 years ago he undertook an expedition to Asia to try and refute the New Testament, only to become so overwhelmed by the evidence that he became a follower of Jesus Christ.

“Luke is a historian of the first rank; not merely are his statements of fact trustworthy…this author should be placed along with the very greatest historians.”[32]

Archeological Accuracy Points To Literary Accuracy

Since Luke’s description of cities, names, places, and customs are perfect in their historical accuracy, certainly, the accounts of Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection are also accurate and reliable.

The fact that Luke has been confirmed as a scholarly historian of specific details regarding the history of the first century, it is certain that he also recorded the specific events of Jesus’ ministry with the same precision. Luke’s integrity as a historical scholar demands that we accept with confidence his testimony of Jesus’ resurrection, which is the foundation of the entire Christian church.

One of the criticisms of Luke’s account of Jesus’ life is found in his description of the census that he says was ordered by Caesar Augustus.

Luke 2:1-3: “And it came to pass in those days that a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered. his census first took place while Quirinius was governing Syria. So all went to be registered, everyone to his own city.”

Because no previous archeological discovery had ever verified that such a census took place, Luke was regarded as having embellished this story. A later discovery regarding the taxes of the kingdom of the Roman government revealed that the taxpayers were enrolled every 14 years by the use of a census. Archeology has uncovered facts that verify Caesar Augustus did conduct the precise census described during the period Luke specified, near the birth of Jesus in Bethlehem.[33]

Further, an inscription discovered in Antioch describes Quirinius in 7 BC, who was the governor of Syria on two occasions, 7 BC and 6 AD—a fact that is confirmed by the Jewish historian, Josephus.[34]

An archeological discovery in Egypt uncovered a Papyrus that specifically describes the details of this census, spoken of by Luke, under Caesar Augustus.

Archeologist, John Elder in his book: “Prophets, Idols and Diggers, wrote:

“Because of the approaching census it is necessary that all those residing for any cause away from their homes should at once prepare to return to their own governments so that they may complete the family registration of the enrollment and that the tilled lands may retain those belonging to them.”[35]

In his book, Archeological Confirmation of the New Testament, Dr. F. F. Bruce describes a problem that was present in Luke’s description of the Tetrarch of Abilene, in Luke 3:1.

Luke 3:1: “Now in the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar, Pontius Pilate being governor of Judea, Herod being tetrarch of Galilee, his brother Philip tetrarch of Iturea and the region of Trachonitis, and Lysanias tetrarch of Abilene.”

Previously, there was no record of anyone called “Lysanias” as the tetrarch of Abilene during the time Luke specified that he was there. In recent history, an archeological discovery made in Damascus, Syria describes a person called the “Freedman of Lysanias the Tetrarch.” Scholars date this inscription between 14 AD and 29 AD31 This is the same period in which Luke had written in his gospel describing Lysanias.

An interesting discovery in 1910 by Sir William Ramsay debunked the secular record of Cicero of the Romans, who described Iconium as being in Lycaonia. Luke describes Lystra and Derbe as being in Lycaonia.

Acts 14:6: “…they became aware of it and fled to Lystra and Derbe, cities of Lycaonia, and to the surrounding region.”

This secular record was erroneously held as more reliable and accurate than the Biblical record in history. Today, we know that the Bible was correct all along. This continues to be a common error that is frequently repeated today. The facts bearing witness—the Bible is always right in matters of history, and the secular record is consistently wrong. This truth has been confirmed by archeological discoveries over the entire course of human history all over the world.

Other noted scholars such as Dr. Adrian Nicholas Sherwin-White, a British historian and scholar regarding Ancient Rome, wrote his doctoral thesis on the treatment of the New Testament from the point of view of Roman law and society.

Dr. Sherwin-White said this regarding the work of Dr. Ramsay’s conclusions on the book of Acts:

“Any attempt to reject its (the New Testament’s) basic historicity even in matters of detail must now appear absurd. Roman historians have long taken it for granted.”[36]

Dr. Sherwin-White examined the records of Rome and concluded that their history proved the narrative of the New Testament scriptures regarding the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.[37]

Of all four gospel writers, Luke exhibits the greatest precision in recording specific details. This has allowed for the verification of every statement Luke has made in his account of Jesus. As a result of Luke’s meticulous record, and the verification of his writing as accurate and reliable, we have great confidence as the readers of this gospel that it is true. When a man takes the time to ensure that everything he writes is accurate, we can be certain that even events that seem unlikely to us are truthful. Because Luke is classified as a scholarly historian, by accomplished experts, we can have great confidence that his accounts of Jesus’ resurrection are also truthful.

With Luke, we find that every word he recorded for us regarding the specific events, in which he was writing, is true. Integrity is a quality a person either has or they don’t have. Luke’s integrity as a historian is unparalleled amongst the writers of the New Testament. Although all the men who penned the pages of scripture that are in our Bible today were men of honor, integrity, and honesty, Luke exceeds every standard of excellence.

If a man tells the truth about the smallest details, he can be relied upon when he describes magnificent details. If Luke exercised such honesty in preserving the details of his gospel, we can also trust that what he said about Jesus’ resurrection from the dead is also a true account.

When we evaluate all of the men who said that Jesus rose from the dead, we see that these individuals are exceptional. The character of these writers comes through in the words they recorded. Every one of the writers of the New Testament agrees on one critical fact: Jesus rose from the dead, in fulfillment of the Hebrew scriptures. These men understood that what they were describing was the most important event that had ever taken place in the history of the world. They diligently sought to write and preserve the true details of these events, so that the whole world could know and believe they were true.

In the conclusions of legal scholars, the consistency of archeological records is support for the testimony of the narratives. Greenleaf said that unless there is good reason to suspect that forgery or tampering has occurred, the substance of a document of adequate age is most likely in its original form and therefore trustworthy.[38]

Scholars make their foundation from the idea that the text of the four Gospels has come to us today as it was originally written and has not been materially corrupted or falsified in every fundamental principle described for Jesus. This does not include errors in punctuation or grammar, alternative words that mean the same, or commentary added in the margins.[39]

Greenleaf maintained that the canonical Gospels have been recognized as true narratives of the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus since they were first written early in the first century. They have been found in the repositories where we would expect to find them—the Christian church—and have been trusted and used for nearly 2,000 years.[40]

Because there are 24,593 extant manuscript copies of the New Testament in existence today from various places all over the world and in multiple languages, we can cross-check these manuscripts to detect changes or forgeries in the fundamental texts. Incredibly, we find that the integrity of the basic story of Jesus, His miracles, claim to be God, crucifixion, and resurrection are all consistent in all of these surviving manuscript copies.

The New Testament is unique, in that we have nearly all of the books in manuscript copies dated from 175-225 AD. This is in comparison to other ancient texts that have produced very few copies, five to ten centuries after the events took place. Despite this great duration of time, these other manuscripts are considered reliable; while those of the New Testament are frequently doubted, coming to us just 100 years from the time the events took place.

The Preceding Is From Rob’s Book: “New Testament Apologetics.”

NOTES:

[1] Federal Rules For Evidence. (2009).

[2] Federal Rules For Evidence. 803(16); TESTIMONY, supra note 5, § 9; see infra Table 1 (comparing Greenleaf’s evidentiary principles to corresponding modern rules).

[3.]Compare TESTIMONY, supra note 5, §§ 12–25, with People v. Farrell, 34 P.3d 401, 406-07 (Colo. 2001) (considering factors to assess the reliability of hearsay testimony). While such reliability tests do not overcome a criminal defendant’s right to cross-examine witnesses against him, Crawford v. Washington, 541 U.S. 36 (2004), these “indicia of reliability” continue to demonstrate what it means for a witness to provide credible testimony. See also infra note 168, 174.

[4] TESTIMONY, supra note 5, §§ 12-14 (analysis of Matthew as author), §§ 15–17 (Mark), §§ 18–22 (Luke), §§ 23–25 (John), §§ 29–44 (examining the credibility of the authors and the reliability of their testimony); see also infra Part II.B.1-2.

[5] TESTIMONY, supra note 5, § 48.

[6]  Federal Rules For Evidence. 103(a)(1); TESTIMONY, supra note 5, §§ 8–10

[7] a.Nancy J. Kippenhan, Assistant Professor of Law, Liberty University School of Law.

b. Relevant evidence means evidence having any tendency to make the existence of any fact that is of consequence to the determination of the action more probable or less probable than it would be without the evidence.”); see also FED. R. EVID. 402 (“All relevant evidence is admissible . . .”); FED. R. EVID. 403 (favoring admission, but excluding evidence “if its probative value is substantially outweighed by the danger of unfair prejudice”). See United States v. Dennis, 625 F.2d 782, 797 (8th Cir. 1980) (“In weighing the probative value of evidence against the dangers and considerations enumerated in Rule 403, the general rule is that the balance should be struck in favor of admission.”).

[8] See, e.g., TESTIMONY, supra note 5, §§ 10, 28, 33.

[9] Id. § 27.

[10] Id. (emphasis added).

[11] Id. (emphasis added).

[12] Id. § 41.

[13] Federal Rules For Evidence. 803(16).

[14] Federal Rules For Evidence. 901(a).

[15] Federal Rules For Evidence. 901(b)(8).

[16] Federal Rules For Evidence. 601.

[17] Federal Rules For Evidence. 602.

[18] Federal Rules For Evidence. 702.

[19] Stoltie v. California, 501 F. Supp. 2d 1252, 1259 (C.D. Cal. 2007).

[20]  Victor v. Nebraska, 511 U.S. 1, 13 (1994) (quoting California jury instruction using the term “moral certainty” in its instruction regarding reasonable doubt).

[21] Federal Rules For Evidence. 102.

[22] Federal Rules For Evidence. 601.

[23] Federal Rules For Evidence. 603.

[24] Federal Rules For Evidence. 607.

[25] People v. Farrell, 34 P.3d 401, 406 (Colo. 2001) (internal citations omitted).

[26] Federal Rules For Evidence. 803(16).

[27] Federal Rules For Evidence. 901(8).

[28] WILSON, supra note 17, at 16-17.

[29] “You Are My Witnesses: The Men Who Saw Jesus,” by Robert Clifton Robinson. ASIN: B07TCCN6L8, June 18, 2019. This book documents the evidence of eyewitness testimony from the historical record and proves that the Gospels were written immediately after Jesus was resurrected and ascended back to heaven. Jesus gave explicit commands to the Apostles in Acts 1:8 to “go into all the world,” with the Gospel. Critics assert that these Gospels were written late in the first century, by non-eyewitnesses, but present no evidence to prove this assertion. The New Testament itself is self-proving in that it contains evidence that these narratives must have been written very early in the first century.

[30]  Luke 1:1-4

[31] William M. Ramsay, St. Paul the Traveler and the Roman Citizen, 1982.

[32] William M. Ramsay, The Bearing of Recent Discovery on the Trustworthiness of the New Testament, 1915, page 222.

[33] John Elder, “Prophets, Idols and Diggers.” Indianapolis, New York: Bobbs-Merrill,1960. Pages 159, 162.

[34] Joseph Free,. “Archaeology and Bible History.” Wheaton: Scripture Press Publications, 1969, Page 285.

[35] 1. Elder, John. Prophets, Idols, and Diggers. Indianapolis, New York: Bobbs-Merrill,1960, Page 160

2. Free, Joseph. Archaeology and Bible History. Wheaton: Scripture Press Publications, 1969, page 285.

[36] F. F. Bruce, “Archaeological Confirmation of the New Testament.” Revelation and the Bible. Edited by Carl Henry. Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1969. Page 321.

[37] Adrian Nicholas Sherwin-White, Roman Society and Roman Law in the New Testament, 1963, page 189.

]38] Tacitus’ characterization of “Christian abominations” may have been based on the rumors in Rome that during the Eucharist rituals, Christians ate the body and drank the blood of their God, interpreting the symbolic ritual as cannibalism by Christians. References: Ancient Rome by William E. Dunstan 2010 ISBN 0-7425-6833-4 page 293 and An Introduction to the New Testament and the Origins of Christianity by Delbert Royce Burkett 2002 ISBN 0-521-00720-8 page 485.

[39] The only questions for the trial judge are: (1) Were the documents in question what they purported to be? and (2) Do they purport to have been in existence twenty years or more?).

[40] TESTIMONY, supra note 5, § 8.

Categories: Anonymity of the Four Gospels, Apologetics, Common errors of Atheists, Common objections by Atheists, Comparing Islam to Christianity, Defending the Gospel, does god harden hearts?, Evidence: Eyewitness Testimony For Jesus, Eyewitnesses, How Salvation Occurs, How The NT Writers Remembered, Inability to perceive evidence for God, Jesus is God, Jesus is the Messiah, Literary authenticity of the New Testament, New Testament Apologetics, New Testament Apologetics, New Testament Criticism, New Testament Manuscripts, Principles of Biblical Interpretation, Reasons For Unbelief, Religion vs. Relationship, Robert Clifton Robinson, Salvation is a free gift, Salvation through Jesus, Secular sources for Jesus, The Creation of the Universe, The Existence of God, The Historical Jesus, The Historical Jesus, The Historicity of Jesus, We must repent, We must see our need

Tags: Atheist New Testament Scholars, Historical Jesus, Manuscript Evidence For Jesus, New Testament Apologetics, New Testament Criticism, New Testament Forensic Evidence, Reliability of the New Testament, Secular historical errors, The Historical Jesus, The literary evidence for the Bible, The New Testament as a Historical Document, What constitutes valid evidence?