It is written:
“Men of Israel, hear these words: Jesus of Nazareth, a Man attested by God to you by miracles, wonders, and signs which God did through Him in your midst, as you yourselves also know…” (Acts 2:22)
The Books of the Bible are genuine, i.e., they were written by their purported authors. Several lines of evidences may be used to demonstrate this fact.
One such comes from the testimony of hostile witnesses (i.e., witnesses who hate the truth to which they are acknowledging and confirming).
For example, there are several hostile witnesses who testify to the genuineness fo the New Testament. One author has well written:
“All the early adversaries of Christianity granted the genuineness of the New Testament books. These adversaries were men of talent and learning. By worldly interests and intense hatred of Christianity they were urged to use against it every possible weapon. The fact that they did not show its sacred books to be spurious is proof that they were not able to do so….”Testimony of Julian. The Emperor Julian composed his work against Christianity in 361. He united talent, learning, power, and persecuting zeal. If anything could have been said against the genuineness of the New Testament he would have been eager to make his attack from this side, but he did not. He bore witness to the genuineness of the Gospels and the Acts of the Apostles. He concedes their early date and quotes them as the genuine works of their reputed authors. He quotes Romans, Corinthians, and Galatians. His whole attack assumes the genuineness and credibility of the New Testament…”2. Testimony of Hierocles. In 303 he was president of Bithynia; a cruel persecutor, and a sarcastic writer. He concedes the genuineness, and confines his efforts to the hunting up of internal flaws and contradictions. He refers to six of the eight authors of the New Testament. 3. Testimony of Porphyry. He was the most severe and formidable adversary of the primitive church…”He wrote about 270. He was well acquainted with the New Testament. He has plain references to Matthew, Mark, John, Acts, and Galatians. There is no trace of a suspicion that the sacred books were spurious. That he would have made this point, if possible, is evident from the fact that he did attack the book of Daniel in this manner…4. “Testimony of Celsus. He flourished about 176, and about 76 years after the death of the Apostle John. What we know about his work entitled ‘The True Word’ has been preserved by Origen. More than eighty quotations, made by him from the New Testament, have been thus preserved. His whole argument proceeds upon the concessions that the books he quoted were in existence, were held in high esteem by the churches, and were genuine. Thus by a plain and independent path we can trace the New Testament back to the Apostolic Age. It is also a remarkable fact that these bitter enemies are made to bear this unwilling, but decisive, testimony.” Harvey W. Everest, The Divine Demonstration: A Textbook Of Christian Evidence, 54-55; Nashville, TN; Gospel Advocate Company)
We can have full confidence that the New Testament Books were written by their traditional authors, and this helps build our faith.
If the authors of these Books had been twisting the facts, then they would have quickly been called down by the unbelievers, and the faith of Christianity would have been shattered and destroyed in its’ infancy.
Yet the audiences were familiar with Jesus and His Apostles and the miraculous deeds which they performed. As Peter said on Pentecost, Jesus had been confirmed by these miraculous signs and wonders, as THEY THEMSELVES KNEW!
They could not deny these events: they could simply either accept them or reject them.
Acts 2:41-Then those who gladly received his word were baptized; and that day about three thousand souls were added to them.
Have you gladly received the Word of God?
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