The document discusses evidence for the historicity of Jesus from sources outside the Bible such as the Jewish historian Josephus and Roman historians Pliny the Younger, Tacitus, and Suetonius. It also examines the development of the Bible, noting that the Old Testament was established by 300 BC and the New Testament was collected and accepted as authoritative by the early Christian church by 400 AD.

1. George Tan, Follower of Christ

2.  Josephus
◦ Jewish historian born AD 37.
◦ Son of a priest.
◦ Wrote ‘The Jewish War’ in AD77
◦ ‘Antiquities of the Jews’ in AD 93
◦ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Josephus_on_Jesus

3.  If there is Jesus, history would record
 Apart from Bible, any others?

4.  Jews literature
 Explanation on the Old Testament
 Most important classic apart from the Torah.
 Babylonian Talmud, Jesus was referred to 6
times.
 All negative but shows Jesus exists.

5.  Pliny the Younger, 63 – 113
 Tacitus, 55-117
 Suetonius, 70 – 160
 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Historicity_of_Je
sus

6.  Not much records
 Not surprising
 But enough

7.  Basis of Christian faith is the Bible.
 40+ authors
 Different backgrounds
 Different eras
 No communications across all authors
 Complete book

8.  2Tim3:16 , 2Pet1:20-21
 Written by man, controlled by God.
 Bold declaration, either truth or false.

9.  Authors declaration, Jer 1:9 , 2Sam 23:2
 Compare Rom 9:17 and Exo 9:16
 Authors point of view, 1Cor 14:37

10.  About Christ:
◦ Luke 24:25,27, Isaiah 53 and Micah 5:2
 Regarding Jews
◦ Deportation, Return and Restoration. Jeremiah 31
 Non Jewish Town Tyre, Ezekiel 26
 Temple, Mark 13:2, Matthew 24:2
 http://www.raptureforums.com/BibleProphec
y/101lastdays.cfm

11.  Christianity: religion developed throughout
history
 Bible is also developed in history

12.  OT
◦ Honor in copying scriptures
◦ Completed around 200 BC
◦ Masoretic Text around 900BC
◦ Dead Sea scrolls 1000BC
 Little differences between Masoretic Text

13.  From Jesus’s mouth to words
 To apostles letters to NT
 Apostles wrote with authority 2Pet3:15-16
 Now 4000 copies of NT. Little differences.
 Time difference very small.

14.  Old Testament:
◦ Established about 300BC
◦ Jewish historian Josephus also testified this.
◦ Dead Sea Scrolls also included the whole Old
Testament.
◦ During the New Testament time, all Jews including
Jesus accepted the Old Testament.

15.  Early churches was already reading and
collecting. Col 4:16, 1Thes 5:27, 2Pet3:15,
16
 Used by early church fathers; 200AD is the
foetus stage.
 From the 300AD to 400AD, churches and
church fathers both accepted the New
Testament.
 Official acceptance in Carthage Council in
397AD

16.  From the apostles or PA.
 Acceptance from the original church to other
churches
 Content is in line with the apostles teachings
 Acknowledged by all as the work of the Holy
Spirit
 Accepting not deciding

17.  Bible was completed in history
 God’s work in history
 Church accepting bible: Under its authority
 Under apostles, under bible
 Creation is a miracle.

18.  What is the big difference?