Moreland 5 Flashcards
To what three tests for historicity do apologists appeal?
biographical test
internal test
external test
What is an external test?
asks whether material external to the document confirms the reliability of the document
What is the bibliographical test?
seeks to determine how many manuscript copies we have of the document and how far removed they are in time from the originals
How would you compare the manuscript evidence for the NT versus other writings of
history?
NT documents have many more manuscripts
How many manuscripts do we have of the NT?
5000
What is the significance of quotations from the church fathers?
nearly the entire of the NT can be compiled from these quotations
How early are some of our manuscripts of the NT?
120, 200, 350
What are the indications that a manuscript is highly reliable with regard to its content?
personal letter
intended for small audiences
written in unpolished style
contains trivia and list of details
How does the NT pass the test of containing eyewitness accounts?
mentioned explicitly
apostalic position in the church qualification was being a eyewitness
early church valued the testimony of eyewitnesses
indirect testimony to eyewitness evidence in Gospels
What about the motivation of the writers?
very little to gain and much to use
they were Jews and to change the religion of Israel would risk damnation to hell
apostles lived lives of hardship stress and affliction
died martyrs
What can be said about the accuracy of reporting facts in the ancient world?
Greek historians saw the importance of accurate reporting
ancient historians were not as critical or precise as their modern counterparts
NT writers show a concern to preserve historical facts accurately
understood the difference btw fact and fiction
What is the Uppsala school of interpretation?
the Jesus tradition was expanded freely into various forms of material which were finally put into writing
What are answers to the objections about the historicity of Jesus’ statements?
many of Jesus’ sayings are in poetic or otherwise memorizable form
other recognizable characteristics and terms are found in Jesus’ words and no where else
some of the material in the Gospels is irrelevant to the issues facing the early church
lack of relevant material
if a document contains features which which are embarrassing or counterproductive, it has a high probability of being historical
the time factor
