1. Expected testimony
2. Early testimony
3. Eyewitness testimony
4. Embarrassing testimony
5. Excruciating testimony
We've already taken a look at #1 & #2. Today we will look at #3, eyewitness testimony.
Eyewitness Testimony
As we saw in part two, we have a lot of evidence by which we can argue that the New Testament was written within the age of the eyewitnesses. For instance, Jerusalem was destroyed by Rome in 70 A.D. But this destruction is never even mentioned in the N.T. except for Jesus' prediction of it. So it's a safe bet to say that most or all of the N.T. was written prior to 70 A.D.
There is so much detail given in the books of the N.T. that you just can't believe that the writers are making things up. The details are many times backed up by historical and archaeological evidence. For instance, Luke 3:1-2 (HCSB)
In the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar, while Pontius Pilate was governor of Judea, Herod was tetrarch of Galilee, his brother Phillip tetrarch of the region of Iturea and Trachonitis, and Lysanias tetrarch of Abilene, during the high priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas, God's word came to John the son of Zechariah in the wilderness.
Does it sound like he's making up a story to you?
1. An exact date is given--A.D. 29.
2. All eight people are known from history.
3. All were known to live at this exact time.
4. This is not a "once upon a time" story (myth).
And the entire N.T. has details that are confirmed like this. There are numerous confirmed eyewitness details.
1. Acts--84 historically-confirmed eyewitness details
2. Luke includes several others in his gospel
3. John--59 historically-confirmed or historically probable eyewitness details
4. New Testament documents cite more than 30 people confirmed by secular sources or archaeology.
So let's take a look at these historical persons cited in the N.T. Remember all of these people have been confirmed by either archaeology, secular sources or both.
1. Agrippa I---Acts 12
2. Agrippa II---Acts 25
3. Ananias---Acts 23, 24
4. Annas---Luke 3; Jn. 18; Acts 4
5. Aretas---2 Cor. 11
6. Bernice---Acts 23
7. Augustus---Lk. 2
8. Caiaphas---Mt. 26; Lk. 3; Jn. 11, 18; Acts 4
9. Claudius---Acts 11, 18
10. Drusilla---Acts 24
11. Egyptian (false prophet)---Acts 21
12. Erastus---Acts 19
13. Felix---Acts 23
14. Gallio---Acts 18
15. Gamaliel---Acts 5
16. Herod Antipas---Mt. 14; Mk.6; Lk. 3, 23
17. Herod Archelaus---Mt. 2
18. Herod the Great---Mt. 2; Lk. 1
19. Herod Philip I---Mt. 14; Mk. 6
20. Herod Philip II--Lk. 3
21. Herodias---Mt. 14; Mk. 6
22. James---Acts 15; Gal. 1
23. John the Baptist---Mt. 3; Mk. 1; Lk. 3; Jn. 1
24. Judas of Galilea--Acts 5
25. Lysanias---Lk. 3
26. Pilate---Mt. 27; Mk. 15; Lk. 23; Jn. 18
27. Quirinius---Lk. 2
28. Porcius Festus---Acts 24, 26
29. Salome---Mt. 14; Mk. 6
30. Sergius Paulus---Acts 13
31. Tiberius Caesar---Lk. 3
The amount of evidence from all of these confirmed people from history is too much to just push aside and say that the "stories" of the N.T. are just imagined or made-up tales. And archaeology is continually finding new evidence that supports the N.T. historical references. In 1961 an engraved stone was found that named Pontius Pilate as the Prefect of Judea 26-37 A.D. A more recent find, discovered in 1990, was the Ossuary, or bone box, of Joseph Caiaphas High Priest 18-36 A.D. Any way you look at it, the overwhelming eyewitness testimony points to the credibility of the N.T. documents and the message that it proclaims.
"And I will also make every effort that you may be able to recall these things at any time after my departure. For we did not follow cleverly contrived myths when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ; instead, we were eyewitnesses of His majesty." (2 Peter 1:15-16)(HCSB)