Are the Gospel Accounts Reliable?

The answer to this question is an unqualified yes! Most recognize that the Gospels comprise a truly unique treasure bequeathed as an enduring testimony from the first-century church to the rest of mankind. This testimony has left an unfailing historical record that God loved the whole world and demonstrated that love by sending His Son to save mankind from alienation from Him (John 3:16-18).

Matthew, Luke, Mark, and John are unique historical accounts set apart from other ancient historical writings. No other ancient account is like them or comparable. As a result, some scholars describe the Gospels using the Latin words ‘sui generis’ (“unique”). How so? Today, classical scholars recognize that ancient historians of the past, especially during the Greek era, often admitted to writing history that they were not eyewitnesses to (Thucydides, Plutarch).[1] In addition, none of them were completely accurate in the details they reported. Indeed, they even acknowledged that in writing their records they often invented speeches and created details about the characters to make them larger than life. No ancient historical account compares to the accurate record that the Gospel writers left as a witness to Jesus’s life as they were empowered by God’s Spirit of truth.

The Testimony of the Very Early Church

Many factors affirm the absolute reliability of the Gospels. The consistent testimony of the early church stands as a firm, inviolable witness to the absolute truthfulness, accuracy, and reliability of the 27 New Testament

books, including the four Gospels. What is more, the testimony of the early church stands in direct contrast to the negative criticism of the Gospels that developed so much later during the eighteenth and subsequent centuries.

Those who lived closest to the time of Jesus knew with certainty of the assuredness of the Gospel record. What can we learn from this early Christian testimony? First, the four canonical Gospels—Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John— were unanimously affirmed by the earliest orthodox (or “catholic”) Christian communities throughout the Roman Empire. Wherever Christianity had spread, the Gospels were never doubted in any way.[2]The first great church historian, Eusebius (ca. AD 260–341), as well as many other very early church fathers, left us a valuable record about the genuineness of the Gospels from which the church derives its information.

Eusebius called the four canonical Gospels “the holy four Gospels” that were never once doubted by the orthodox church as coming from the apostles whose names they bore.[3]The early fathers knew that the Gospel of Matthew was written by Levi the tax collector;[4] that Mark, the companion and interpreter of Peter, took Peter’s preaching and made it into the Gospel that bears Marks name; that Luke, Paul’s personal traveling companion as seen in the “we” sections of Acts (Acts 16:10-18), composed a two-part series known as Luke-Acts (Luke 1:1-4);[5] and that John the apostle wrote the Gospel that bears his name.[6] Eusebius told us that an unbroken chain of custody in the early church, consisting of orthodox bishops throughout the entire Roman world, from the first to the fourth centuries AD, affirmed these four Gospels, and only these four Gospels, as genuinely from the men whose names they bore.

Second, from the earliest times (AD 125), while anonymous in their text, the Gospels bore titles on all their manuscripts: “The Gospel according to Matthew,” “The Gospel According to Mark,” “The Gospel According to Luke,” “The Gospel According to John.” No other names ever appeared on any of the manuscripts. From the earliest beginnings, the orthodox church was extremely careful to guard these four Gospels as the only true and authoritative witnesses to Jesus’s life. They firmly rejected all other gospels as false. The earliest church fathers authoritatively quoted only the four Gospels, demonstrating their unwavering belief in the full trustworthiness and accuracy of these records of Jesus’s life. The early church knew with certainty that they were written testimonies that came from the first-century disciples of Jesus.

Third, the early fathers left a clear record of the chronological order in which the Gospels were written. Clement of Alexandria (AD 150–215) wrote that the Gospels with genealogies (Matthew and Luke) were written before the Gospels without (Mark and John).[7] They tell us always, and without fail, that Matthew was written first. Moreover, Irenaeus tells us that John the apostle wrote his Gospel last. So the chronological order of the Gospels is Matthew, then Luke, then Mark, then finally John.[8]

Finally, and most importantly, the summary impact of the certain testimony of the early church as it testified to the canonical Gospels cannot be overstated. Matthew, Luke, Mark, John were written either by direct apostolic eyewitnesses (Matthew, John) or based on apostolic eyewitness testimony (Mark was based on Peter’s preaching, and Luke [Luke 1:1-4] gathered his information by interviewing eyewitnesses and traveling with Paul [Acts]). When a Christian reads these four Gospels, he or she is literally “sitting at the feet” of Jesus, as well as listening to eyewitness reports of men and women who knew Him directly and intimately, and accompanied Him from His birth (Matthew 1-3; Luke 1-3) through His ministry (Matthew 4–27; Luke 3–23; Mark 1–15; John 1–19) to His resurrection and ascension to heaven (Matthew 28; Luke 24; Mark 16; John 20–21; Acts 1).

The Testimony of the Gospels Themselves

When the Gospels are examined, one can readily see the eyewitness elements in them that affirm their reliability. Luke said that he interviewed many eyewitnesses of Jesus’s life. One must read the opening verses of his Gospel (Luke 1:1-4), which indicate his reliance on eyewitness accounts:

Inasmuch as many have undertaken to compile a narrative of the things that have been accomplished among us, just as those who from the beginning were eyewitnesses and ministers of the word have delivered them to us, it seemed good to me also, having followed all things closely for some time past, to write an orderly account for you, most excellent Theophilus, that you may have certainty concerning the things you have been taught.

From Luke, Christians can learn how “closely” the gospel writers “followed” Jesus’s life “from the beginning” supported by firsthand “eyewitnesses.” In Acts, Luke accompanied Paul on his missionary journeys as the “we sections” (see above) indicate, making Luke an eyewitness. Interestingly, Luke was a physician. Because of his education and the fact his kind of work required attention to detail, he would likely have been a good researcher worthy of conducting a careful investigation.

Matthew was a trained tax collector, and this required him to be a keeper of records. Thus he would have been well qualified to be the first writer selected to testify about the promised Jewish Messiah. In John, we learn of firsthand details about Jesus’s life that are not recorded in the other Gospels, making John’s account 92 percent unique.

Furthermore, John was mindful of the smallest details regarding people, times, numbers, and places, which could only come from direct eyewitness experience. He knew the very hour (“the tenth hour”—John 1:39) that Jesus’s disciples accompanied Him to his house. He knew when Judas slipped out of the last supper with Jesus (John 13:30) to accomplish his betrayal. John even remembered how many fish were caught when Jesus, after His resurrection, told the disciples to cast their nets into the Sea of Galilee (153! —John 21:11).

John also knew the very thoughts and feelings of the apostles (2:11,17,22; 4:27; 6:19,60; 12:16; 13:22,28; 20:9; 21:12). He knew how his fishing partner, Peter, would die—Jesus told them the details in a personal conversation during breakfast by the Sea of Galilee (John 21:18-19).

Throughout his Gospel and epistles, John used “we” many times to inform the reader of his personal witness to the life of Jesus (for example, John 1:14—“we have seen his glory”; 1 John 1:1-3—“from the beginning,” “we have heard”; “we have seen with our eyes”; “we looked upon”; “[we] have touched with our hands”). What is more, he spoke of “testimony” and “witness” throughout his Gospel, which carries the ring of authority and truth, giving the reader confidence in the truthfulness of his documented record of Jesus’s life (John 19:35).

John’s use of descriptive words and details reveals that he was intimately acquainted with the life of Christ. For example, he was acquainted with Jewish feasts, such as Passover (2:13,23; 6:4; 11:55; 12:1; 18:28), the Feast of Tabernacles (7:2), and the Feast of Dedication (Hanukkah—10:22). John was acquainted with various Jewish customs, such as how water pots were to be arranged (2:1-10) and procedures for burial of the dead (11:38,44; 19:40). He was well aware of the negative feelings that existed between the Jews and the Samaritans (4:9).

Concerning geographical details, John recorded the depth and exact location of Jacob’s well (4:11) and distinguished Bethany (2 miles east of Jerusalem) from “Bethany across the Jordan” (21 miles east of Jerusalem— 1:28; 11:18).

We learn from the Gospels that Peter and John, along with James, were the three disciples closest to Jesus. They were privileged to witness Jesus’s radiant transfiguration (Matthew 17:1-8; Luke 8:51). This witness continued among all the apostles, from the beginning of Jesus’s ministry (His baptism) to the very day when He was resurrected and ascended to heaven (Acts 1:21-22). In 2 Peter 1:16-17, we learn that Peter boldly rejected myth and proclaimed his role as an eyewitness, stating, We did not follow cleverly devised myths when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eyewitnesses of his majesty. For when he received honor and glory from God the Father, and the voice was borne to him by the Majestic Glory, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.”

Often, ancient historians of the Greco-Roman tradition were prone to invent tales or myths about a major person’s life, but Peter firmly distanced himself from such ancient practices in the course of writing his accounts, declaring the eyewitness status of those who produced the Gospels.

The Testimony of Jesus Christ as to the Certain Reliability of the Eyewitnesses Who Wrote the Gospels

The accuracy and reliability of the Gospels are, most importantly, anchored to the certainty of the promises Jesus made to those who were eyewitnesses of His life and teaching. In John 14:26, Jesus promised the Gospel writers, “The Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you.” From this verse we learn that the writers of the Gospels would have the Spirit of God to empower, energize, and bring to memory everything Jesus taught them. Jesus said, When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth, for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come. He will glorify me, for he will take what is mine and declare it to you.

All that the Father has is mine; therefore I said that he will take what is mine and declare it to you (John 16:13-15). Here we read a direct promise from Jesus that the eyewitness accounts recorded by those who wrote the Gospels would not be based on mere human recollections, but that they would receive the miraculous ability to remember “all the truth.” The power of God guided, controlled, and governed these eyewitnesses as they composed Matthew, Luke, Mark, and John. Indeed, because God’s Spirit is “the Spirit of truth” (John 16:13; 1 John 4:6), the Gospels stand as unique eyewitness accounts that are considered inerrant (without error) as well as reliable (John 10:35). As Hebrews 6:18 reminds us, “It is impossible for God to lie, we who have fled for refuge…have strong encouragement to hold fast to the hope set before us.” Because the Gospels record our hope in Jesus, they give us the promised “strong encouragement.” And because the Gospels foundationally rest in the nature of God Himself, they are not only reliable, they originated from and are sustained in their certainty by the living God Himself.

Moreover, not even the most cunning nonhuman intelligence created in the history of the universe (known variously as Satan, the Adversary, Lucifer the “god of light” or the “illumined one,” and the devil) has never been able to defeat or destroy God’s Word, though he has often tried, nor will he ever be able to do so. Why? The Gospels demonstrate the supernatural intelligence of the living God Himself, who is actively sustaining His Word. Although copies of the Gospels have been destroyed through the ages, they are still here in abundance. Though the apostles were killed, the records they wrote have endured.

One promise given by Jesus deserves special mention here. In Matthew 24:35, He said, “Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will not pass away.” The earth and all its records will one day be gone, but not Jesus’s words. While mere human accounts will decay and disappear, the Gospels are a unique genre and will stand forever, for their existence stands on a central promise from Jesus as well as the unfailing power of the Spirit of God, the Spirit of truth Himself.

Are the Gospels reliable? With absolute certainty, yes!

Conclusion

The Gospels offer an accurate and reliable portrait of Christ, and that’s because they were “breathed out by God” (2 Timothy 3:16). As such, they are a reflection of God’s character, which serves as a guarantee of the Gospel’s truthfulness. To put it another way, whatever the Bible says, God says! This means the Bible carries the authority of God Himself. Therefore, any assault on the Bible by critics is essentially an attack on the authority of the Father, who gave it; on the testimony of the Son, who confirmed it; and on the ministry of the Holy Spirit, who inspired it.

Because the Word of God is “living and active,” and can act as a critic of “the thoughts and intentions of the heart” (Hebrews 4:12), it is the only book possessing the ability to read you as you read it with an open heart and mind. 

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[1] For example, see Thucydides’s comments on his writing of history in History of the Peloponnesian War, 1.22.1. Charles Fornara lamented that ancient historians “invented speeches” and “unintentional perjury” into their works. Charles William Fornara, The Nature of History in Ancient Greece and Rome (Berkeley, CA: University of California, 1983), 167-168. Another example is Plutarch, who displayed imperfect understanding and faulty memory as “historically inaccurate” and “sacrificing the truth” many times in works; see Christopher Pelling, Plutarch and History: Eighteen Studies (London, UK: Gerald Duckworth, 2002), 156.

[2] Read the thrilling account of David Laird Dungan’s “Eusebius’s Defense of Catholic Scripture” in his Constantine’s Bible (Minneapolis, MN: Fortress Press, 2007), 54-93.

[3] Eusebius, Ecclesiastical History, 3.25.1.

[4] Eusebius, Ecclesiastical History, 3.36.15-16.

[5] E.g., Irenaeus, Against Heresies, 3.1.

[6] E.g., Irenaeus, Against Heresies, 2.22.5; 3.1.1.

[7] Eusebius, Ecclesiastical History, 6:14.5-7.

[8] Eusebius, Ecclesiastical History, 6.14.7.