Bible Reliability / Answer across Scripture
The New Testament presents itself as apostolic witness to Jesus, centered on his death, resurrection, lordship, and fulfillment of Scripture.
Study theme
Bible Reliability
The New Testament can be trusted as apostolic witness to Jesus when it is read according to what it claims to be. Luke describes investigated testimony. John writes so readers may believe Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God. Paul says the gospel he received and delivered centers on Christ's death and resurrection according to the Scriptures. Historical and textual questions should be handled honestly, but the New Testament's own center is the witnessed gospel of Jesus.
Luke begins by describing careful investigation, John writes so readers may believe, and Paul summarizes the gospel he received and passed on. The New Testament presents its witness to Jesus as public testimony rooted in his death and resurrection.
Luke 1, John 20, and 1 Corinthians 15 provide strong initial anchors. Manuscript and canon claims belong in separate source-supported pages, but the New Testament's own center is the witnessed gospel of Jesus.
Key passages
1Because many have undertaken to draw up a narrative concerning those matters which have been fulfilled among us,
2even as they delivered them to us, who from the beginning were eyewitnesses and ministers of the word,
3it seemed good to me also, having traced the course of all things accurately from the first, to write to you in order, most excellent Theophilus;
4that you might know the certainty concerning the things in which you were instructed.
30Therefore Jesus did many other signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not written in this book;
31but these are written, that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in his name.
1Now I declare to you, brothers, the gospel which I preached to you, which also you received, in which you also stand,
2by which also you are saved, if you hold firmly the word which I preached to you -- unless you believed in vain.
3For I delivered to you first of all that which also I received: that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures,
4that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures,
5and that he appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve.
6Then he appeared to over five hundred brothers at once, most of whom remain until now, but some have also fallen asleep.
7Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles,
8and last of all, as to the child born at the wrong time, he appeared to me also.
9For I am the least of the apostles, who is not worthy to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the assembly of God.
10But by the grace of God I am what I am. His grace which was bestowed on me was not found vain, but I worked more than all of them; yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me.
11Whether then it is I or they, so we preach, and so you believed.
One mistake is saying trust means there are no historical questions. The New Testament should not be reduced to generic religious reflection detached from testimony.