Why Differences Between the Gospels Demonstrate Their Reliability

here's another instruction that's important witnesses never ever agree in their order of testimony matters oh I see some differences between the Gospels I could never I could come on I've known people who were challenged in their faith because a professor told them to go home and read the passion narrative in all four Gospels and write down how they vary and after doing that this Christian was disturbed by how different the passion of narratives seemed to be that never bothered me when I first read this stuff because I know that witnesses never agree that's why the first thing I asked when I get called out in the middle of night is really simple the first thing I asked the dispatcher is are officers still on the scene yep they are ok great have them separate the eyewitnesses why do I ask for that that's the only thing I ask for I don't ask for anything else because I know if you don't separate those eyewitnesses when I get there they'll have talked to each other and they'll give me the same story four times I do not want the same story that's not what real eyewitnesses that sound like I want you to hold onto your differences doesn't mean anyone's lying doesn't even mean anything was wrong it just means you're coming at this from a different perspective and the order in which you're actually interviewed matters let me give an example of this let's say I've got a robbery the first witness I talk to gives me this description of the robber he wore a white t-shirt and jeans is here was short he yelled a lot okay can you see here what she's doing she's really trying to answer three key questions what was he wearing what did he look like and what did he say so he's got a white t-shirt and jeans his hair short and yellow now the next person comes along and I've separated my witnesses so they can't hear each other they're saying that's good and I sure enough the second witness I interview says something slightly different t-shirts the same and eyes got jeans his hair was blond hmm and that's new and he demanded money but you can at least say he is answering the same three questions just slightly differently what did he wear what did he look like What did he say I get a third person he's been separated so he doesn't hear what the first to say he says he had a short sleeved shirt and jeans doesn't say it's t-shirt like I well that's new he screamed at the clerk slightly different but he at least is answering the same three questions what did he wear what did he look like what did you say now you see in the shadows here there's another guy and if I'm not careful and I don't know that that's a witness and I allow him to overhear the first three witnesses that's gonna mess everything up so now he's heard what the first three said now he identified himself as a witness really why didn't someone separate this guy why didn't somebody identify okay come on over Tim what you wait what do you know and he now offers something somewhat different having heard the first three he now comes over and here's what his statement is he says you know he's a regular customer really that's nothing afterwards you out to a white van what the first three were answering these questions what did he wear what do you look like What did he say and this one that comes up with these two kinds of questions well who was he and what did he do afterward why is he doing that well something similar happens in the Gospels it's of all about order he knew what the first three had said so his goal and his mind was to fill in the blanks now I don't want you to fill in the blanks feel like you didn't hear them just go back and start at the beginning and give me the whole thing from the beginning but if you don't stop somebody to have him do that he will just fill in the blanks now let's go for example to the Gospels we have a description of the Lord's Supper first witness someone like Mark says hey they were declining at the table and eating and Jesus said truly I say to you that one of you will betray me okay here the author is trying to answer these two questions where were they what did Jesus say here comes another account from Matthew as they were eating he said truly I say to you that one of you will betray me slightly different but at least he's answering the same two questions go to Luke but behold the hand of the one betraying me is with mine on the table oh that's a little different but it is answering the same two questions then we get to the last gospel gospel written last and actually if it's clear that this gospel author is aware of what the first three had said already so John comes along says this he says there was reclining on Jesus's bosom one of his disciples whom Jesus loved so when he had dipped them or so he took it and gave to Judas the son of Simon Iscariot this is all new information ok after the morsel Satan then entered into him this is all new therefore jesus said to him what you do do quickly really the other two were answering these questions this is not John's intention at all John's answering these two questions whose is favorite and why did Jesus did you just do this well what is that what's going on there again is because he is being interviewed last witnesses never totally agree and he liked my other witness is trying to fill in the blanks don't let someone tell you that differences between the gospel is what invalidates them in fact it's the differences between the Gospels that validate them that make them reliable if God has intention was to get us four accounts that we could examine with the skill set we need to examine reliable eyewitness testimony and determine that they were in fact reliable he did a great job because that's what we have

Channel: Cold-Case Christianity - J. Warner & Jimmy Wallace

Views: 9,938

Keywords: Standard of proof, possible, reasonable, beyond a reasonable doubt, epistemology, evidence, faith and reason, reasonable faith, forensic faith, Christian faith, Christian belief, Christian apologetics, apologetics, Christian Case Making, Christian worldview, veritas forum, historically reliable, crossexamined.org, cross examined, textual variants, textual criticism, church fathers, gospels, bible reliability debate, christian case making, reliability of the gospels

Id: zimP8m3_hCk

Length: 5min 36sec (336 seconds)

Published: Wed Feb 14 2018