Were the Gospel Writers Biased?

Summary

In this discourse, the reliability of the gospels is examined through their early authorship, corroboration, consistency over time, and the absence of bias. The speaker explores the motivations behind lying, identifying financial gain, lust, and the pursuit of power as the primary reasons. They argue that the authors of the gospels, having nothing to gain in these areas, were not biased. The speaker also addresses the skepticism around trusting Christian sources, using an analogy to demonstrate the absurdity of dismissing eyewitness accounts due to belief. Concluding that the gospels meet all criteria for reliability, the speaker shares their conversion to Christianity based on the robust evidence presented.

Takeaways

• 🕵️‍♂️ The reliability of the gospels is examined based on four criteria: early authorship, corroboration, consistency over time, and absence of bias.
• ✍️ The authors of the gospels wrote their accounts early enough for their testimonies to be considered credible.
• 🔗 The gospels are corroborated by other historical documents and writings of the time.
• 🔄 The content of the gospels has remained consistent over time, indicating honesty and accuracy.
• 🤔 The concept of bias is discussed, with a focus on whether the authors had motives such as financial gain, sexual or relational reasons, or the pursuit of power.
• 💰 The idea that the authors of the gospels could have been motivated by financial gain is deemed unlikely.
• ❤️ The possibility of the authors being driven by sexual or relational desires is also considered an improbable motive for their writings.
• ⚖️ The pursuit of power is presented as a potential bias, but the speaker argues that it is unreasonable to believe the authors would have sacrificed their positions for such a motive.
• 🗣️ The speaker emphasizes the importance of considering the martyrdom of the gospel authors as evidence of their commitment to the truth of their accounts.
• 👀 The speaker refutes the notion that non-Christian sources are more reliable, using the analogy of a bank robbery witness to illustrate that belief does not invalidate eyewitness testimony.

Q & A

What are the three main factors that can cause someone to lie according to the speaker?

The speaker identifies three main factors that can cause someone to lie: financial gain, sexual or relational lust, and the pursuit of power, respect, authority, position, or influence.

How does the speaker suggest evaluating the reliability of the Gospels?

The speaker suggests evaluating the reliability of the Gospels by considering if they were written early enough, if they have been corroborated, if they have remained unchanged over time, and if the authors show any bias that would motivate them to lie.

What is the speaker's stance on the idea that the Gospels are not reliable because they were written by Christians?

The speaker argues against the notion that the Gospels are not reliable because they were written by Christians, using the analogy of a bank robbery witness who becomes a believer in the guilt of the robber after witnessing the crime.

Why does the speaker believe that the martyrdom of the Gospel authors supports their reliability?

The speaker believes that the martyrdom of the Gospel authors supports their reliability because they were willing to die for their claims, indicating that they knew their testimonies were true since they had experienced the events themselves.

What is the speaker's view on the necessity of having a non-Christian source to validate the story of Jesus?

The speaker rejects the idea that a non-Christian source is necessary to validate the story of Jesus, arguing that a witness's belief in the events they witnessed does not invalidate their testimony.

How does the speaker use the analogy of a bar fight to illustrate the difficulty in determining truth?

The speaker uses the analogy of a bar fight where two drunk individuals are accusing each other of starting the fight to illustrate how difficult it can be to determine who is telling the truth, and how this scenario can be a learning exercise for new officers in discerning truth-telling.

What does the speaker imply about the motivations of the Gospel authors in terms of financial gain?

The speaker implies that it is unlikely that the Gospel authors were motivated by financial gain, as they did not receive money from their stories and in fact faced persecution and death.

What is the speaker's opinion on the possibility of the Gospel authors lying for the sake of power?

The speaker finds it unreasonable to believe that the Gospel authors lied for the sake of power, as their actions, including their martyrdom, suggest they sacrificed positions of authority for their beliefs.

Why does the speaker consider the Gospel of Matthew as a significant account?

The speaker considers the Gospel of Matthew significant because Matthew was a skeptic before becoming a believer, similar to the bank robbery witness who did not expect the robbery but witnessed it and became convinced of the truth.

What does the speaker mean when he says that the Gospels 'measure up' in terms of reliability?

When the speaker says the Gospels 'measure up' in terms of reliability, he means that they pass the tests for early authorship, corroboration, consistency over time, and lack of bias that would lead to lying, thus supporting their reliability.