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Overview > Is
the New Testament reliable? > Internal Evidence Test
The Internal Evidence Test
This test determines whether what is written is credible (accurate/true)
and to what extent. We may have what the New Testament writers originally
wrote (the bibliographical test),
but were they telling the truth? [6 p.51]
In order to establish this historical credibility of the New Testament
documents please click on the following questions:
- When was the New Testament
of the Bible written?
- Does the New Testament contain
lies?
- Does the New Testament contain
myths?
- Does the New Testament
contain contradictions?
- What about all the supernatural
events? This includes Are
Miracles Possible? and Does God Exist?
Internal Evidence Test Conclusion
In examining whether the New Testament is credible (accurate/true)
in its accounts of Jesus, we investigated whether the authors of the
documents disqualify themselves by contradictions or known factual inaccuracies.
We did this by examining when the New Testament was written (as the
witness’s nearness geographically and chronologically is closely linked
to their ability to tell the truth), if it contains contradictions,
and then exploring possible alternatives to it accuracy and credibility,
namely does it contain fabrications, lies or myths.
We discovered that the New Testament was written in the same generation
in which the events took place and that it was circulated among the
very people about whom these documents spoke - while they were still
alive to deny them. We discovered a number of reasons why we can safely
conclude that the authors of the New Testament did not event stories
or tell lies. We also concluded that the accounts of Jesus are not myth
and that the New Testament does not contain contradictions.
In terms of the Internal Evidence Test, the New Testament documents
pass with flying colours. When examining the internal testimony of the
New Testament documents we can conclude that they are highly credible
and accurate in their historical accounts.
Additonal Note: Important principles used to examine document credibility
Law professor and historian, John Warwick Montgomery, applies the following
four 'fundamental principles of laws of evidence' to the New Testament
documents: [31 p. 42]
- The ancient documents rule
In order to establish the credibility of a document, Aristotle's dictum
is to be followed by the literary critic. This dictum states: "The benefit
of the doubt is to be given to the document itself, and not arrogated
by the critic to himself." In other words, one must listen to the claims
of the New Testament under analysis, and not assume fraud or error unless
the authors disqualify themselves by contradictions or known factual
inaccuracies. [6 p. 51]
External, oral testimony or tradition will not be received in evidence
to add to, subtract from, vary, or contradict an executed written instrument
such as a will. This rule insists that the New Testament documents should
be allowed to 'interpret itself' and not be twisted to external, extra-biblical
data. In other words, we should not interpret the documents in the light
of our own - or other's - preconceived assumptions. For example, we
should not simply dismiss the New Testament as unreliable because we
feel that miracles cannot happen. We should not make up our minds before
we have examined the evidence. [31 p.
42]
"A witness must testify 'of his own knowledge', not on the basis of
what has come to him indirectly from others i.e. hearsay. Were the writers
on the New Testament documents eyewitnesses of the events that they
recorded? [31 p. 42]
- The cross-examination principle
The more a witness is subjected to close and searching cross examination,
the more confidence we can place in their testimony. Were the witnesses
of Jesus and his life subjected to severe opposition - hostile cross-examiners
who would destroy the case of Christianity if the early Christian's
testimony been contradicted by the facts? [31
p. 42]
When these four legal principles are considered, with regards to the
credibility and accuracy of the New Testament documents, we find that
the documents should be unequivocally pronounced valid and reliable
as evidence about Jesus Christ. [31 p.
42]
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