"Christians": Is the bible the revealed truth from God or a collection of eye witness accounts written by men?

Question

Revealed Truth from God? Why then do the descriptions of the discovery of Jesus' empty tomb, as provided in the four gospels, disagree? Each of the four gospels describes the event differently, with a different cast of characters in each one. If God is making sure the writers get it right, why then do they disagree?

Eye witness accounts? Who witnessed the temptation of Jesus in the desert, when Satan offered him the world? Are we to believe Jesus later re-told the story, bragging about how he resisted Satan?

Who witnessed the prayers in Gethsemane? According to the account, the disciples were sleeping while Jesus prayed to God. Are we to believe Jesus whined to the disciples about how he prayed to God to be delivered and was refused?

So which is it: God-inspired truth (in which case God couldn't tell the story of the empty tomb the same way twice) or eye-witness (in which case whomever wrote the stories of the Temptation and Gethsemane invented these stories)?

Answer 1

Why did God give us four Gospels?




Question: "Why did God give us four Gospels?"



Answer: Here are some reasons why God gave four Gospels instead of just one:



(1) To give a more complete picture of Christ. While all of the Bible is inspired by God (2 Timothy 3:16), He used human authors with their different backgrounds and personalities to accomplish His purposes in their writing. Each of the Gospel authors had a distinct purpose behind their Gospels and in carrying out those purposes, they each emphasize different aspects of the person and ministry of Jesus Christ.



Matthew was writing to a Hebrew audience and one of the purposes of his Gospel was to show from Jesus' genealogy and fulfillment of Old Testament Prophecies that Jesus was the long-expected and promised Messiah, and thus should be believed on. Matthew's emphasis is upon Jesus as the Messiah or promised King, the "Son of David" who would forever sit upon the throne of Israel.



Mark, a cousin of Barnabas (Colossians 4:10), was an eyewitness to the events in the life of Christ as well as being a friend of the Apostle Peter. Mark wrote for a Gentile audience as is brought out by his not including things important to Jewish readers (genealogies, Christ's controversies with Jewish leaders of His day, frequent references to the Old Testament, etc.). Mark emphasizes Christ as the suffering Servant, the One who came not to be served but to serve and give His life a ransom for many (Mark 10:45).



Luke, the "beloved physician" (Colossians 4:14), evangelist, and companion of the Apostle Paul, wrote both the Gospel of Luke and the Acts of the Apostles. Luke is the only Gentile author of any of the New Testament. He has long been accepted as diligent and master historian by those who have used his writings in geological and historical studies. As a historian, he states that it is his intent to write down an orderly account of the life of Christ based on the reports of those who were eyewitnesses (Luke 1:1-4). Because he specifically wrote for the benefit of Theophilus, apparently a Gentile of some stature, his gospel was composed with a Gentile audience in mind, and his intent is to show that a Christian's faith is based upon historically reliable and verifiable events. Luke often refers to Christ as the "Son of Man," emphasizing His humanity and shares much detail that is not contained in the other Gospel accounts.



The Gospel of John, written by John the Apostle, is distinct from the other three gospels and contains much theological content in regards to the person of Christ and the meaning of faith. Matthew, Mark, and Luke are often referred to as the "Synoptic Gospels" because of their similar styles and content. The Gospel of John begins not with Jesus' birth or earthly ministry but with the activity and characteristics of the Son of God before His becoming man (John 1:14). The Gospel of John emphasizes the Deity of Christ as is seen in his use of such phrases as "the Word was God" (John 1:1), "the Savior of the World" (4:42), the "Son of God" (used repeatedly), "Lord and...God" (John 20:28) in describing Jesus. In John's Gospel, Jesus also affirms His Deity with several "I Am" statements, most notable among them is John 8:58, in which He states that "...before Abraham was, I Am" (compare to Exodus 3:13-14). But John also emphasizes the fact of Jesus' humanity, desiring to show the error of a religious sect of his day, the Gnostics, who did not believe in the humanity of Christ. John's spells out his overall purpose for writing towards the end of his gospel: "And truly Jesus did many other signs in the presence of His disciples, which are not written in this book; but 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" (John 20:30-31)(NKJV).



Thus, in having four distinct and yet accurate accounts of Christ, you have different aspects of His person and ministry that are brought out. Each account, when added to the other three, becomes like a different colored thread in a tapestry woven together to form a more complete picture of this One who is beyond description. And while we will never fully understand everything about Jesus Christ (John 20:30), yet through the four Gospels we can know Him sufficiently to appreciate who He is and what He has done for us so that we may have life through faith in Him.



2) To enable us to objectively verify the truthfulness of their accounts. The Bible, from earliest times, states that judgment in a court of law was not to be made against a person based on the testimony of a single eyewitness but that two or three as a minimum number were required (Deuteronomy 19:15). Even so, in having different accounts of the person and earthly ministry of Jesus Christ, enables us to assess the accuracy of the information we have concerning Him.



Simon Greenleaf, a well-known and accepted authority of what constitutes reliable evidence in a court of law, examined the four Gospels from a legal perspective. He noted that the type of eyewitness accounts given in the four Gospels, in which one finds agreement but with each writer choosing to omit or add details that the others chose to include or omit respectively, is typical of reliable, independent sources that would be accepted in a court of law as strong evidence. Had the Gospels contained exactly the same information with the same details provided and written from the same perspective, it would be an indication of collusion, i.e., of there having been a time when the writers had gotten together beforehand to "get their stories straight" in order to make their writings seem credible. The differences between the Gospels, even the apparent contradictions of details upon first examination, give indication of the independent nature of the writings. Thus, the independent nature of the four Gospel accounts, agreeing in their information but differing in perspective, amount of detail, and which events were recorded, indicate that the record that we have of Christ's life and ministry as presented in the Gospels is factual and reliable.



3) To reward those who are diligent seekers. Much can be gained by a individual study of each of the Gospels. But still more can be gained by comparing and compiling the different accounts of specific events of Jesus' ministry. For instance, in Matthew 14 we are given the account of the feeding of the 5,000 and Jesus walking on the water. In Matthew 14:22 we are told that Jesus "made His disciples get into the boat and go before Him to the other side, while He sent the multitudes away." One can ask, why did He do this? There is no apparent reason given in Matthew's account. But when you combine it with the context given in Mark 6, you see that the disciples had come back from casting out demons and healing people through the authority He gave them before sending them out two-by-two. But they returned with "big heads," forgetting their place and ready now to instruct Him (Matthew 14:15)! So in sending them off, in the evening, to go to the other side of the Sea of Galilee, Jesus reveals two things to them as they struggle against the wind and waves in their own self-reliance until the early hours of the morning when He then walks on the water, and is about to walk past them until they call out to Him (Mark 6:48-50). He reveals (1) that they can achieve nothing for God in their own ability and (2) that nothing is impossible as they call upon Him and live in dependence upon His power. There are many such instances in which there are "jewels" to be found by the diligent student of the Word of God who takes the time to compare Scripture with Scripture that will be lost to the casual reader.

Answer 2

"Christians": Is the bible the revealed truth from God or a collection of eye witness accounts written by men? "

Both. The accounts of what happened according to some men who wrote about who also were inspired.

"Revealed Truth from God? Why then do the descriptions of the discovery of Jesus' empty tomb, as provided in the four gospels, disagree? Each of the four gospels describes the event differently, with a different cast of characters in each one. If God is making sure the writers get it right, why then do they disagree?"

I don't see that they disagree. I see that they include a part of the same story that the other left out. With an event so complex, like who went to Jesus tomb, I think that it was a lot of women going first, certain authors didn't talk about the other women. When I read the story after the Resurrection, and compare them, what I get is honest reporting by different eyewitnesses. What the women saw at the tomb was a report heard by the men and then written down after. And note that the men went to see because they did not believe the women. They went after.

"Eye witness accounts? Who witnessed the temptation of Jesus in the desert, when Satan offered him the world? Are we to believe Jesus later re-told the story, bragging about how he resisted Satan? "
We can say that at the very least, Jesus talked in between verses in the Bible. You see, many people act like Jesus didn't have anything to say that wasn't in the Bible. I figure that Jesus told them what happened. They didn't have TV you know. The nights were long at times, they probaby talked

". Who witnessed the prayers in Gethsemane? According to the account, the disciples were sleeping while Jesus prayed to God. Are we to believe Jesus whined to the disciples about how he prayed to God to be delivered and was refused?"
If I was there as a disciple, I would write that the disciples slept while he prayed. But only if they slept. What I would write is that the disciples slept. I might not include that I didn't sleep. It's difficult to sleep and listen at the same time, you know.

"So which is it: God-inspired truth (in which case God couldn't tell the story of the empty tomb the same way twice) or eye-witness (in which case whomever wrote the stories of the Temptation and Gethsemane invented these stories)?"
Both.

Answer 3

Both. Have you ever wondered why several eyewitnesses of the same account have differing stories? It's called filtering, oh, knowledgeable one. We experience everything through our own personal filter. Some would notice if there were children there. Others would not. Some would say they saw a man running. Some would say they didn't. But the fact remains. It happened one way. Mark himself wasn't an eyewitness. He's giving account of what eyewitnesses told him. Each of their accounts may have been from different perspectives, through different filters, but that doesn't invalidate the event. Or the witnesses.

God witnessed the rest, and inspired the writers to record it. Otherwise, how can you explain three out of the four gospels recounting Jesus' prayer in Gethsemane, with such accuracy?

Oh, and did it say He went alone into the wilderness to be tempted? Neither Matthew of Luke said that. Perhaps they did witness it.

Answer 4

I don't mean to be rude, but the sarcastic tone of your question seems to indicate that you are hesitant to put your faith in the bible despite not really understanding it. The bible is a very complex book to understand and in order to get the most from it, you need to devote a great deal of time towards anylising and understanding the origins and meanings of it. I was not brought-up as a christian and tend to have a rather sceptical mind that requires proof in order to commit to a belief (I'm not convinced about the theory of evolution and man-made global warming for example, as I am not satisfied with the available evidence)

The new testament was written by Jesus' disciples, hence "The gospel according to Luke/Mathew....etc". There are a few differences between the accounts, however these differences are very minor and can be explained by differences in perception amongst the disciples. The reason their accounts are all included in the bible is so that we can get a "full and fair picture" from all the witnesses. As for Jesus, he didn't whine about his praying, he spoke to his disciples and told them about his prayers and his communications with God so that they could follow in his footsteps when he was gone and learn from his experiences.

The Old Testemant was largely written by Moses and based upon the words of god as heard by Moses.

Yes, the bible does seem rather unbelievable in parts...but then that is half the point. God intended to test people's faith amongst other things so that he may assess them and place judgement's upon them.

There are many things that are hard to believe in life, but it doesn't make them untrue. The bible is no more unbelievable than other theories of how the world came to exist At the end of the day it is up to you to decide who you believe, but don't make up your mind until you have truly looked at things in more detail.

As I said, I was not brought-up as a Christian and until my mid-twenties I took the theory of evolution as gospel. It was only when I looked further into the theory of evolution and saw how sketchy and weak it was that I decided to reject it. It was a seperate process a little later on that saw me look further into Christianity and satisfy myself that it was the truth.

Whatever you choose to believe in, just make sure you investigate by yourself and come to your own conclusions,as everyone has an agenda that they want you to believe in...whether it be a priest, scientist, politician, Author, journalist or me! If, after your investigations, you come to a different conclusion than me..then all the best to you. As long as somebody is a good person, that's enough to make me respect them no matter what they believe in.

Take care!

Answer 5

As stated above - both. However, there is more to it. Jewish storytelling tradition allows for up to 40% of the story to be different at each telling. And that is exactly the vairance in the 4 Gospels. So to say that they are different accounts is not true. Besides, since when did 4 people witnessing the same event give the same story, detail for detail? If they had been in line 100%, they would be suspect as just copying each other.

Answer 6

Thus far the books of the Old Testament and New Testament have been taken simply as given, and no attempt has been made to inquire how or when they were written or compiled, or how they came to acquire the dignity and authority implied in their reception into a sacred canon. The field here entered is one bristling with controversy, and it is necessary to choose one's steps with caution to find a safe way through it. Details in the survey are left, as before, to the special articles.

Answer 7

reason it advance into written 2000 years in the past, and no one in the international has been alive for 2000 years. it is likewise no longer fairly uncomplicated for even a written account approximately something in any respect to stay to tell the tale for 2000 years. they are particularly fairly uncommon. that's fairly amazingly staggering adequate, even the writings, in the Bible, could have existed see you later as an entirety. surprisingly against all the scrutiny their teachings have persevered for hundreds of years upon centuries in the international. oftentimes, such documentation could have come to being destroyed via ignore, or perhaps plenty extra planned skill. certainly, the even life of the scriptures even against such time and scrutiny, themselves, is arguably describable as, "fabulous". surprisingly thinking the main significant clarification for his or her survival, is that maximum of persons over such and expanse of time could discover plenty fee of their teachings. thinking the climate that would have destroyed such issues from off the face of the earth for actually Millenium, in case you choose evidence Miracles take place it controversial all one choose do is look at a Bible, and look at what it took for it to additionally be there in front of them. There could be few Miracles likened unto it. That, is an eye fixed witness account. The Bible, is, eye witness debts. that's an assembled number of separate books, written via different people. There are certainly different different writings from the time that weren't secure in the Bible. those writings could or could no longer be proper "Revelation of God", and international require help of Biblical writings to be seen of authority in any particular element, yet they exist, and definitely do provide eyewitness debts of events in the Bible. an uncomplicated and beginner learn into the history, of even the Bible itself, and how even in the present day that's revealed by way of the full international, fairly will become an exceedingly actual and matchlessly epic tale, with surely no unquestionably comparable equivalent.

Answer 8

Very good question,you should read
"IS THE BIBLE GOD'S WORD? " by (late)Sheikh Ahmed Deedat

Using the Bible as the bedrock, and the words of Biblical scholars to support his case. Sheikh Ahmed Deedat exposes the fallibility of the Bible. An excellent read.
It is available here:
http://www.jamaat.net/bible/BibleIntro.html

Answer 9

Jesus told the disciples all those things. Learn to read the harmony of the gospels it will help.

Answer 10

The bible is both.
If you'd do a little research, you'd discover that the gospels were written years apart. Men are liable to make mistakes....especially those regarding memory. Do YOU remember every event that ever happened in YOUR life? I doubt it.

Answer 11

2 Timothy 3:16,17