Evidence for an Historical Jesus

The Burden of Proof

Skeptical Scholars Start with the assumption that the gospel

accounts are unreliable and therefore should not be accepted unless and until proven reliable on any given account

Build from that assumption an argument for disregarding the scriptures

Five Reasons For Accepting the Scriptural Accounts

The Argument of Time IntervalsRegardless of the time we accept for the

scriptural writings, there is insufficient time between when the events occurred and when they were recorded for the memory to be erased.

These Are Not Typical of Folk Tales or Urban Legends.

The presence of known, identifiable and verifiable historical characters who could argue the veracity of events is not typical of folk tale writing.

The Argument from Jewish Oral Traditions

The Jewish culture centered on oral transmission of sacred stories that required memorization of extensive and detailed oral accounts.

Restraints on EmbellishmentsEye witnesses were still around and could

argue the facts.The apostles, who had walked with Jesus and

witnessed His life, were present.This history would be scrutinized in detail.

The Stories Stand.Attempts to disprove or test the scriptures

throughout history have consistently failed.