Jesus and the bible

Written by Moises Alaniz

The existence of Jesus

In today’s world, skepticism toward religious figures, particularly Jesus of Nazareth, is not uncommon.  When someone claims to doubt Jesus ever existed, such skepticism often stems from a lack of historical awareness or unwillingness to engage with credible evidence.  While a degree of skepticism is healthy and even necessary in the pursuit of truth, being overly skeptical– where no source is trusted – can lead to intellectual dishonesty and a closed mind.

Globally, Christianity is not the majority religion.  According to research by Wasserman (2024), over seventy-five percent of the world’s population is not Christian.  However, a significant portion of the global population, including followers of Christianity and Islam, acknowledges the historical figure of Jesus – totaling over forty-one percent of the world’s population.  Such widespread recognition should compel any sincere seeker of truth to thoughtfully consider the historical credibility of Jesus, regardless of personal religious belief.

Religious beliefs are often shaped by culture and personal experience, but historical claims must be evaluated based on evidence.  To fairly assess whether Jesus truly lived, one must look beyond the Bible and consult independent historical resources.  William Lane Craig (2010) points out that ancient Roman and Jewish writings – completely independent of Christian texts – also reference Jesus.  These include the works of Josephus, a first-century Jewish historian, and Tacitus, a Roman historian who mentioned Jesus’ execution under Pontius Pilate.  Lucian of Samosata, a Greek satirist, also made refences to Jesus in his critiques of early Christianity (Habermas & Licona, 2004).  These sources demonstrate that Jesus was not a mythical figure invented by his followers, but a historical person recognized even by non-Christians of the time.

In addition to non-Christian sources, the New Testament itself holds value as a historical document.  While it is a religious text, historians analyze it as they would other ancient documents, focusing on authorship, dating and consistency.   Craig (2010) affirms that the Gospels were written within the lifetime of eyewitnesses, increasing their reliability.  Habermas and Licona (2004) emphasize that the early oral traditions and firsthand testimonies preserved in the Gospels provide a rich historical foundation.  Komoszewski et al. (2006) contend that the preservation of Jesus’ teachings through a stable oral tradition, along with their consistent representation across independent sources, strengthens the historical reliability of the Gospel narratives.  Faith, therefore, does not have to rely solely on tradition or emotion; it can be grounded in credible evidence and rational thought.

The global impact of Jesus’ life is profound and enduring.  If the Bible is read not only as sacred scripture but also as a historical record, it reveals a figure whose life and teachings transformed the ancient world and continue to influence billions.  The Apostle Paul wrote that over five-hundred people witnessed Jesus after His resurrection – most of whom were still alive when the Gospels were being written and could challenge ant false claims (1 Corinthians 15:6, ESV, 2016).  Paul also asserts that if Jesus had not risen from the dead, then Christian faith would be meaningless (v. 17).  The willingness of countless early Christians to suffer persecution and death for their belief further affirms their conviction in a real, living Savior.     

In conclusion, dismissing Jesus’ existence without considering the historical evidence is neither fair nor intellectually honest.  Ancient Roman and Jewish records, early Christian testimonies, and the reliability of the New Testament writings all point to Jesus as a real historical figure.  His life and teachings have left an undeniable mark on billions across cultures and centuries – something no fictional character could achieve.  To ignore this evidence is to reject not just faith, but also reason and historical integrity.  The combined witness of history, logic, and personal transformation supports that Jesus lived.

Corruption of the New Testament

Throughout the centuries, there is no denying that the Bible has at times been misused for personal, political, or institutional gain.  Mark Nickens (2020) highlights several historical examples of such misuse within the early and medieval church.  These include the sale of indulgences – false promises that one could buy their way out of purgatory – the violent Crusades, which were often framed as divinely sanctioned missions to spread Christianity, and the justification of slavery through the manipulated interpretations of scripture.  These examples reflect not a corruption of biblical text itself, but rather a corruption of its interpretation and application by fallible human beings.

A common belief today is that the New Testament has been textually corrupted over time, especially since it contains the life, teachings, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ – central tenets of Christian faith.  Critics often argue that the text has veered too far from the original Greek manuscripts due to centuries of hand-copying and translation.  While concerns about accuracy are understandable, this view does not hold up under the scrutiny of textual scholarship and historical evidence.

Despite moments in history where God’s Word was misapplied to serve sinful agendas, the integrity of the New Testament text itself has remained remarkably intact through the process of transmission.  Among ancient documents, the New Testament is unparalleled in both the quantity and quality of manuscript evidence available to scholars today.  Komoszewski et al. (2006) point out that whereas researchers examining ancient writings frequently have limited evidence to work with, “those who work the New Testament suffer an embarrassment of riches” (p.76).  To date, more than 5,700 Greek manuscripts have been discovered, along with early translations and citations by church fathers – many of which date to the early second century (Komoszewski et al., 2006).

This wealth of manuscripts allows scholars to reconstruct the original writings of the New Testament with a degree of confidence.  The notion that the Bible has been distorted through centuries of copying is largely inaccurate.  While textual variants do exist among manuscripts, they are overwhelmingly minor:  simple spelling errors, variations in word order, or grammatical nuances.  As Komoszewski et al. (2006) notes, more than ninety-nine percent of these variants do not affect any essential doctrine of the Christian faith (p. 63).  Rather than obscuring the original message, the multitude of manuscripts enables scholars to identify and correct scribal errors, further affirming the authenticity and reliability of biblical text.

In conclusion, while the Bible has regrettably been misused throughout history – whether through institutional corruption, political agendas, or cultural manipulation – this should not be confused with the corruption of its original message.  The distinction between abuse of scripture and the integrity of the text itself is critical.  The New Testament stands as a well-preserved and rigorously verified collection of ancient writings, supported by an overwhelming wealth of manuscript evidence.  Its textual stability over centuries is a testament not only to human diligence in preserving sacred scripture but also to the enduring truth and reliability of God’s Word.  Despite human failings, the message of the Gospel has remained clear and consistent, offering hope, redemption, and truth to each new generation.

References

Craig, W. L. (2010). On Guard: Defending Your Faith with Reason and Precision. David C. Cook.

English Standard Bible. (2016). Crossway Bibles. (Original work published 2001)

Habermas, G. R., and Licona, M. R. (2004). The Case for the Resurrection of Jesus. Kregel Publications.

Komoszewski, J. E., Sawyer, M. J., & Wallace, D. B. (2006). Reinventing Jesus: How contemporary skeptics miss the real Jesus and mislead popular culture. Kregel Publications.

Nickens, M. (2020). A Survey of the history of Global Christianity (Second). B&H Academic.

Wasserman, P. (2024). World population by religion, global stats. Population Education. https://populationeducation.org/world-population-by-religion-a-global-tapestry-of-faith/