Jesus and History How We Know His Life and Claims Dr. Steven Waterhouse Westcliff Press P.O. Box 1521, Amarillo TX 79105 i Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Waterhouse, Steven W. Jesus and History; How We Know His Life and Claims/Steven W. Waterhouse 282p. 23cm. Includes Biblical References ISBN 0-9704051-7-6 1. Bible. N.T. Gospels – Evidences, Index, Glossary – 2. Bible. N.T. Gospels – Criticism, interpretation, etc. 3. Jesus Christ – Historicity BS 2555.2 226 Cover photograph by the author: These artifacts remain over the 1st Century foundation of the synagogue of Capernaum. Jesus taught at this site. ii About The Author Dr. Steven Waterhouse has served as the Pastor of Westcliff Bible Church in Amarillo, Texas, since 1985. He has degrees from Dallas Theological Seminary (D.Min.); Capital Bible Seminary, Lanham, MD (Th.M. in Hebrew and Greek); Spring Arbor University in Michigan (B.A. Social Science); and Cornerstone University in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Information about this book and others written by Dr. Waterhouse can be accessed at his web site: www.webtheology.com iii Other Books By Steven Waterhouse Not By Bread Alone; An Outlined Guide to Bible Doctrine Strength For His People; A Ministry For the Families of the Mentally Ill Blessed Assurance; A Defense of the Doctrine of Eternal Security What Must I Do To Be Saved; The Bible’s Definition of Saving Faith Life’s Tough Questions Strength For His People; A Ministry for the Families of the Mentally Ill Holy Matrimony; The Image of God in the Family Depression Recovery According to the Bible (Available on amazon.com or at www.webtheology.com) ____________________________________________________ First Edition 2009, Copyright 2009 by Steven W. Waterhouse This book or portions thereof may be reproduced in any form without written permission from the publisher. It is requested that any such reproduction or distribution be on a non-profit basis. Westcliff Press, P.O. Box 1521, Amarillo TX 79105 1-806-359-6362 email: [email protected] web site: www.webtheology.com ISBN: 0-9704051-7-6 Library of Congress Catalog Card Number 2009926703 Scripture taken from the New American Standard Bible, Copyright The Lockman Foundation 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 Note: Minor variations exist because the NASB undergoes periodic refinement. iv Preface Motivation for this work came from our son. While I have long tried to stay current with reading New Testament scholarship, I had no plans to write this book. Nathan, a soldier in the U.S. Army, explained he would not have the opportunity to read the 100 books that I did, and then asked me to evaluate the complex topic for him. That was sufficient incentive to write this research. We hope that others who want a simple introduction to the history of Jesus will also benefit from this book. Some of the admitted literary flaws (such as repetition) result from the assumption most readers would be intelligent beginners but not professional historians. Note the many fine reference materials in the bibliography. They represent international scholars from many denominations. Those who want to pursue deeper reading can identify the experts. We should be encouraged that after 2,000 years the life of Jesus remains of deep interest across the world. The subject cannot be made into easy reading but will repay serious students and direct honor to the Lord Jesus Christ. v Acknowledgments The congregation of Westcliff Bible Church, Amarillo, Texas deserves praise for allowing pastoral energies to be devoted to Bible study and for the financial backing of Bible research. Many faithful servants of God labored on this project. My own strength would have failed without you. Anne Coberly Judith Conway Mary Daily Ben and Gay Kollmar Rachel Waterhouse Alan N. Good, Editor vi Jesus and History How We Know His Life and Claims Dr. Steven Waterhouse Chapter One: Historical Reliability of the Gospels p.1 Chapter Two: The Gospel of Matthew - p.7 Chapter Three: The Gospel of Mark - p.19 Chapter Four: The Gospel of Luke - p.35 Chapter Five: The Gospel of John - p.45 Chapter Six: Conclusions on the Four Gospels - p.61 Chapter Seven: Jesus and Gospel History from A.D. 30 – A.D. 60 - p.65 Chapter Eight: The Life of Jesus in the Epistles - p.89 Chapter Nine: Gospel People also Mentioned in non- Christian Sources: Jesus and Followers - p.95 Chapter Ten: Gospel people also Mentioned in non- Christian Sources: Jewish and Roman Leaders - p.111 Chapter Eleven: Places in the Gospels - p.137 Chapter Twelve: Jesus, History and Miracles - p.157 Chapter Thirteen: Review and Conclusions p.177 vii Endnotes p.187 Chapter 1 p.187 Chapter 2 p.188 Chapter 3 p.193 Chapter 4 p.196 Chapter 5 p.203 Chapter 6 p.206 Chapter 7 p.207 Chapter 8 p.210 Chapter 9 p.211 Chapter 10 p.218 Chapter 11 p.229 Chapter 12 p. 233 Appendix: Outside the Heavenly City p.239 Bibliography p.257 Index p.267 Glossary p.270 viii Jesus and History How We Know His Life and Claims ix Chapter One The Historical Reliability of the Gospels ______________________________________________________________________ Chapter 1 The Historical Reliability of the Gospels The latest round in the relentless attack upon the Bible directs criticism at the reliability of the Gospel accounts. Liberals claim the Gospel records were written long after the time of Christ by those who did not have eyewitness information about the life of Christ. Skeptics deny that the words attributed to Christ give Jesus’ actual sermons or conversations. They claim early Christians made up stories and teachings to persuade people to join the church. In this radical view, Jesus Himself never made the grandiose claims that were attributed to Him by early Christians. This study intends to condense and simplify the argument for the reliability of the Gospels, especially the facts given on the life of Christ. Its goal is not a thorough analysis of all issues but an introduction in the hopes the reader will consult the full treatments in the fine works given in the bibliography. Some of the greatest attacks on the Bible are in our time. Some of the greatest Bible research on this and other more theological issues is also being done in our time. Why Four Gospels? Evidence for the life of Christ is strengthened by having four accounts with minor variations. If there were only one Gospel, then skeptics would charge only one account has no support. On the other hand, if the four accounts were virtually identical, then skeptics would charge there was a conspiracy. With four Gospels that give variations, we have four witnesses to the life of Christ not just one. No one can claim any collusion. Thus, the divergences (not contradictions) in the Gospels actually strengthen their credibility. Even scholars who do not work with the premise of biblical infallibility point out a number of criteria for its general trustworthiness. When two or three (usually the synoptics, i.e. Matthew, Mark and Luke) and especially when all four accounts give the same event, this gives increased confidence in its historicity. A list of such “multiple attestations” gives the main events in the life of Christ. 1 Chapter One The Historical Reliability of the Gospels ______________________________________________________________________ Other criteria by which historians judge reliability include historical cohesion, embarrassment, and dissimilarity. Historical cohesion refers to the Gospels fitting the culture, geography and known history of the time (see Chapters 9-12). Embarrassment means that embarrassing accounts are not likely to be fiction. The failures of disciples, e.g., Peter’s flaws or accounts involving women as witnesses, would not be contrived by those making up stories. Regarding the life of Christ, his baptism by John would not be fictional, as no one would contrive that Jesus would need baptism. It must have happened. Dissimilarity refers to actions that do not conform to societal expectations. Therefore, they too, must have happened. Jesus was constantly associating with outcasts and those in sin. This feature is likely to be true given the culture of His time. Also, the term Son of Man occurs in the Lord’s sermons but not in the New Testament epistles. Thus, it clearly originates with Jesus and is not a reading of early church doctrine back into the Gospel accounts. The existence of four Gospels with variations enhances rather than diminishes credibility. A second consideration is the evidence that the Gospels were all written in the first century A.D. It is not possible to maintain they originated in later generations. The Late Range for Composition: Before A.D. 100 Quotations in the writing of the early church fathers plus the earliest papyrus fragments require dates for the Gospels within the possible lifetimes of the eyewitnesses. A third consideration for an early date is the attachment of titles in the early manuscripts. Gospel Quotes in Early Church Immediately following the close of the New Testament era Christian authors began writing books and sermons. Among the earliest authors and dates for composition we find: Clement of Rome (A.D. 69- 70 or 95-96), Ignatius, Bishop of Antioch, (A.D. 107), Polycarp, Bishop of Smyrna, (about A.D. 110) and the Didache (A.D. 90-110, Didache is Greek for “the teaching”).1 Scholars detect what appear to be quotes from the Gospels within these materials.2 Since the words 2 Chapter One The Historical Reliability of the Gospels ______________________________________________________________________ and ideas from the Gospels are already within these early writings, the Gospels themselves (or minimally the early written and/or oral sources) must have been composed even earlier.