Can I trust the New Testament?

TL;DR

The New Testament stands up to every major test of historical reliability—early dating, eyewitness testimony, archaeological confirmation, fulfilled prophecy, and the apostles’ willingness to suffer and die for what they proclaimed. By any fair standard, the New Testament is not only one of the most trustworthy ancient texts ever written but the very God-breathed Word that calls us to trust and follow Christ.

WHAT DOES THE BIBLE SAY?

The Bible meets or exceeds the standards of reliability used to evaluate other ancient documents. This is also, therefore, true of the New Testament. For example, many scholars place the New Testament writings to less than a generation after Jesus’ death, whereas many other historical documents are written hundreds or even thousands of years after the events they describe. Even those who date the New Testament writings later would place them before the destruction of the Temple in 70 AD since the New Testament doesn’t record that event.

Additionally, much of the New Testament is based on eyewitness accounts (Luke 1:1, Acts), such as when Paul indicated that the resurrected Jesus appeared to more than five hundred men, “most of whom” were “still alive” when Paul wrote his first letter to the Corinthians (1 Corinthians 15:6). Any of those witnesses could have come forward to dispute Paul’s claims about Christ’s resurrection.

Besides this, archeological evidence confirms the places and particulars of the New Testament. One such example is the Pool of Siloam where Jesus heals the blind man (John 9:1-11), uncovered in 2005. No archaeological discoveries have countered the New Testament accounts.

The apostles' willingness to face persecution and even death for Christ fruther attests to the trustworthiness of the New Testament (Acts 5:40-41; 2 Corinthians 11:23–28; Acts 12:1-2).

By any standard metric, the New Testament is trustworthy, meaning it is "God-breathed" (2 Timothy 3:16). Only those who deliberately suppress the truth will likely come up with reasons not to believe the New Testament is trustworthy (John 3:19).

FROM THE OLD TESTAMENT

The many Old Testament prophecies that predict details of Jesus’ life are additional proof that the Gospels can be trusted. Micah 5:2 predicts where Jesus would be born, and Isaiah indicates it will be a virgin birth (Isaiah 7:14). Zechariah 11:12-13 is a prophecy about Judas’ betrayal of Jesus. Isaiah 53 is about Christ’s suffering. The clear links between the Old Testament and the four Gospel accounts emphasize the reliability of the Gospels.

FROM THE NEW TESTAMENT

Paul described Scripture as “God-breathed” (2 Timothy 3:16). We can trust the New Testament because God is its author and He has preserved it for us.
Many New Testament books and passages indicate that they are based on eyewitness accounts (Luke 1:1-4; John 19:35, 21:24; Acts 1:1-3, 2:32, 3:15; 1 Corinthians 15:3-8; 1 John 1:1-3; 2 Peter 1:16). This is considered direct evidence, accepted in any court of law, so it provides additional confidence in the veracity of the New Testament.
Archeological discoveries, such as the Pool of Siloam where Jesus heals the blind man (John 9:1-11), verify the truth of the New Testament. No archeological discoveries have undermined the New Testament.
The apostles suffered and even died based on their conviction of the truths of the New Testament (Acts 5:40-41; 2 Corinthians 11:23–28; Acts 12:1-2). It's unlikely that they would do this if they knew the New Testament claims weren't true.
People may object to the New Testament, despite evidence of its authenticity, because if they accept it as God's word, they would be obliged to live for Christ rather than themselves. As Jesus told Nicodemas, "the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil" (John 3:19).

IMPLICATIONS FOR TODAY

Trust doesn’t just happen. It is built on evidence. In relationships, that can come from years of “proof”—showing up on time, being there when the other person needs you, telling the truth even when a lie seems temporarily simpler.

Plenty of evidence also assures us we can trust the Bible. For instance, does it make sense that multiple eyewitnesses were willing to be persecuted even unto death for a lie? How about that archaeology has only confirmed the New Testament, not discovering anything that goes against it? How about the many eyewitnesses who could have stepped forward to deny the New Testament events but never did?

Believers also have the inner witness of the Holy Spirit testifying to the truth of God’s word (1 Corinthians 2:12). Since we have this precious truth literally at our fingertips, we should study it and be prepared to explain to unbelievers why it is the greatest collection of books ever written (1 Peter 3:15).

UNDERSTAND

The New Testament meets or exceeds the criteria for reliability used to evaluate ancient documents.
The many eyewitness accounts, archeological confirmations, and willingness of the New Testament writers to die for the truth testifies to the trustworthiness of the New Testament.
Believers should know the Bible well enough to defend it to skeptics who challenge it.

REFLECT

What challenges have you come across about the veracity of the New Testament?
Besides the inner witness of the Holy Spirit, what is the most compelling piece of external evidence that leads you to trust the New Testament?
If the New Testament truly is God-breathed, what areas of your life need to come more fully under its authority?

ENGAGE

What are some of the most common challenges to the believability of the New Testament, and how can we respond?
What historical standards are typically used to evaluate ancient documents, and how does the New Testament compare?
Why might skepticism about the New Testament be more than an intellectual issue, and how should believers thoughtfully respond?