Tag: New Testament

  • Apostles’ Martyrdom: Evidence of Early Conviction

    — by

    Matthew Frisbee
    in

    People often die for what they believe to be true, but rarely — if ever — for what they know to be a lie. This simple insight forms a powerful starting point for evaluating the apostles’ testimony for the resurrection. The men and women closest to Jesus would have known if his resurrection was fabricated,…

  • New Testament Manuscript Reliability: Comparison to Other Ancient Works

    — by

    Matthew Frisbee
    in

    When historians evaluate the reliability of ancient writings, they use textual criticism to determine how reliably a surving copy represents the original. In this process, historians typically ask three main questions: By these standards, the Bible — especially the New Testament — surpasses every other ancient work. 📚 Manuscript Comparison: New Testament vs. Classical Works…

  • The New Testament: A Text with Over a Million Ancient Citations

    — by

    Matthew Frisbee
    in

    When considering the reliability of the New Testament, one of the most overlooked but powerful pieces of evidence comes from the writings of the early church fathers, often called the Patristic citations. These early Christian leaders and apologists quoted the New Testament so extensively in their sermons, letters, and theological works that, even if every…

  • Medical and Historical Corroboration of the Crucifixion of Jesus

    — by

    Matthew Frisbee
    in

    Modern medical analysis of the crucifixion of Jesus not only illuminates the physical realities of Roman execution practices but also reinforces the reliability of the biblical narrative. By examining the physiological responses and injuries described in the Gospels, scholars and medical experts have found remarkable alignment with what we know today about human anatomy, trauma,…

  • Fulfillment of the New Covenant

    — by

    Matthew Frisbee
    in

    🧭 Introduction The New Covenant prophecy found in Jeremiah 31:31–34, Ezekiel 36:26–27, and Joel 2:28–29 stand as pivotal promises in the biblical narrative—a New Covenant, written not on stone, like the Old Testament law, but on hearts. These prophetic texts were written approximately 400–800 years before the birth of Jesus, foretelling a radical internal transformation.…

  • The Nazareth Decree

    — by

    Matthew Frisbee
    in

    📝 Summary The Nazareth Decree is a marble inscription containing a Roman legal order against disturbing graves or moving bodies. Dated broadly to the late 1st century BC to early 1st century AD, the decree’s most striking feature is its prescription of capital punishment for such offenses—a rare penalty in Roman law. Some scholars believe…

  • Pliny the Younger

    — by

    Matthew Frisbee
    in

    In 111–113 AD, Pliny the Younger, governor of Bithynia and Pontus, wrote to Emperor Trajan asking for guidance on how to handle trials of individuals accused of being Christians. The preserved correspondence provides valuable insight into the legal status of Christians, their worship practices, and the imperial policy toward them in the early 2nd century.…

  • Darkness at the Crucifixion

    — by

    Matthew Frisbee
    in

    🌑 Ancient References to Darkness at the Crucifixion Multiple ancient sources — Christian and non-Christian — report an unusual period of darkness during the time of Jesus’s crucifixion, traditionally dated around 30–33 AD. While the Gospel accounts describe this darkness as a supernatural event, several external sources appear to reference or attempt to explain a…

  • Tacitus on Jesus

    — by

    Matthew Frisbee
    in

    Tacitus, a Roman historian writing in 116 AD, provides one of the most important non-Christian references to Jesus Christ. In Annals 15.44, he confirms that Christus (Jesus) was executed under Pontius Pilate during the reign of Emperor Tiberius and documents the brutal persecution of early Christians under Nero. This source is widely accepted by historians,…

  • The Antiquities of the Jews by Josephus

    — by

    Matthew Frisbee
    in

    One of the most compelling arguments for the historical existence of Jesus is the documentation from non-Christian sources. The most authoritative of these is the work of the Jewish historian Flavius Josephus, particularly his extensive chronicle The Antiquities of the Jews, written around 93–94 AD. Commissioned by the Roman Emperor Vespasian, Josephus’s writings carry significant…