Peter Kozushko
For anyone seeking to learn about Jesus of Nazareth, the New Testament Gospels are the essential starting point. These biographies are the primary sources for understanding His life, and this is not solely a Christian assertion. It is the consensus among biblical scholars and historians, both Christian and secular, at prominent universities worldwide. If there is any doubt about this, check out any of the scholarly works listed below. There are three main reasons for this consensus.
The New Testament Gospels are the earliest narratives about Jesus' life.
Historians prioritize sources written closest to the events or individuals they describe. In terms of proximity to Jesus’ life and teachings, no surviving ancient documents surpass the New Testament writings. All 27 New Testament documents were penned in the first century AD, with Paul's letters dating as early as 48 AD and the Gospel of John no later than the '90s AD. By comparison, the earliest non-biblical reference to Jesus, written around 93 AD, appears more than 60 years after the latest canonical Christian source.
By historical standards, this level of proximity is exceptional. Many prominent figures of antiquity lack such robust documentation. For example, the earliest historical account of Alexander the Great by Polybius dates 120 years after his death in 323 BC, but it only mentions him in passing. The best source on Alexander, written by Arrian, appeared 400 years after Alexander's time. Even Emperor Tiberius, who ruled during Jesus’ life, fares worse than Jesus in historical documentation. Our best source on Tiberius comes from Tacitus, writing 80 years after his reign. For ancient figures, this is "as good as it gets."
A similar disparity exists when comparing the sources of other religious leaders. The earliest biography of Muhammad was composed about 100 years after his death in 632 AD, and the first written records of the Buddha appear roughly 350 years after his death in 483 BC. Despite this, historians treat these accounts with seriousness. However, the New Testament writings are regarded as far more reliable and valuable due to their proximity to the events they describe.
The Gospels, however, differ from the other New Testament writings in that they offer narrative accounts of Jesus' life, while the letters of Paul, Peter, and others contain only passing references to His words and actions. While Paul's letters, for example, were composed earlier than the Gospels, they do not provide detailed descriptions of Jesus' ministry. Instead, they focus on theological reflections and exhortations, often assuming familiarity with Jesus’ teachings without elaborating on specific events. By contrast, the Gospels, as Graeco-Roman biographies, aim to present a fuller, continuous narrative of Jesus' life, teachings, and deeds, preserving details about His public ministry and interactions with others.
The Gospels contain the most abundant narratives about Jesus' life.
The four Gospels collectively offer a rich array of biographical material on Jesus. Historians are fortunate to have multiple biographies of any ancient figure, yet with Jesus, we have four. This abundance allows for a more critical and balanced assessment of the Gospels’ portrayal of Jesus. Beyond the Gospels, historians also rely on other New Testament writings and non-Christian sources to form a comprehensive view.
Additionally, there is an impressive number of ancient copies of these texts. Over 5,000 New Testament manuscripts in Greek survive, with thousands more in Latin and other languages. In comparison, only two copies of Tacitus’ Histories and Annals exist, and only ten copies of Caesar’s Gallic War. The sheer number of Gospel manuscripts, some dating as early as 300 AD, ensures greater confidence in reconstructing the original texts.
The value of having numerous copies is significant. Textual critics can cross-reference these manuscripts to identify the most likely original wording. When variations exist, the abundance of copies allows scholars to trace the origins of those differences, aiding in a more accurate reconstruction of the original texts.
Although textual variations exist—estimated to range from 200,000 to 500,000—they are largely insignificant. The vast majority pertain to spelling, punctuation, or vocabulary, with minimal impact on the meaning of the text. In fact, the most recent Greek New Testament edition, the UBSGNT, lists only 1,438 variants. Of these, less than a quarter are considered difficult to resolve, reflecting a remarkable degree of certainty in the text’s fidelity to the original manuscripts.
The Gospels are the most reliable narratives about the life of Jesus.
Given their early composition and the abundance of copies, the Gospels stand as the most reliable sources of biographical information about Jesus. However, this does not mean historians accept every Gospel detail as historically certain. The rigorous historical-critical method is applied to determine the authenticity of specific details. This process, while essential, has its limitations—especially when it comes to supernatural claims or theological assertions, such as Jesus’ divinity.
Historians acknowledge that much of the Gospel material cannot be verified using standard historical methods. The Jesus Seminar, for example, concludes that only about 18% of Jesus' sayings and 16% of His actions can be validated historically. Yet, this does not undermine the value of the Gospels; rather, it is an expected outcome of historical inquiry. The historian's goal is to achieve the highest degree of impartial certainty possible, and this requires the application of rigorous methods. Most critical scholars approach the Gospels in this manner—not with the intent to debunk or defend Christian claims, but to engage in a neutral, dispassionate examination of the evidence. Their commitment is to uncover facts rather than validate or challenge religious beliefs. This approach resembles the methodical nature of the Dragnet detective, whose famous line was, "Just the facts, Ma’am. Just the facts." Scholars treat the Gospels as part of an ongoing academic conversation, contributing to a deeper understanding of the historical Jesus.
Some scholars approach the Gospels with skepticism, assuming that what cannot be verified must be inauthentic. This negative approach is flawed, as it imposes an unreasonable standard. Instead, a positive application of the historical method treats the Gospel material as authentic unless compelling reasons suggest otherwise. This approach affirms that Christian faith rests on verifiable historical foundations, making it more credible than beliefs based solely on subjective or unverifiable claims.
Despite the limitations of historical methods, there is widespread agreement among scholars about certain facts regarding Jesus. It is undisputed that Jesus existed, and beyond this, a substantial number of basic facts about His life are accepted by most scholars:
He was born around 6 to 4 BCE.
He was a Galilean Jew from northern Palestine.
He grew up in Nazareth.
His mother tongue was Aramaic, though He may have also known Hebrew and Greek.
He was associated with John the Baptist and was baptized by him in the Jordan River shortly before John’s arrest and execution by Herod Antipas.
He conducted an itinerant ministry throughout Galilee and the surrounding regions.
He preached a message about the Kingdom of God, often using parables.
He gathered around Him disciples, both men and women, with twelve being particularly notable.
He had a reputation for healing and casting out demons.
He showed and preached compassion to people considered unclean or sinful, such as lepers, tax collectors, prostitutes, and Romans.
He stirred opposition among the Jewish leaders, particularly towards the end of His life during the Passover Feast in Jerusalem.
He shared a final meal with the twelve disciples, which became the basis for the Christian sacrament of Communion.
He was arrested by Jewish leaders, put on trial, and sentenced to crucifixion by Pontius Pilate for claiming to be the king of the Jews.
He was believed by His disciples to have appeared to them shortly after His death, in experiences that convinced them He had been raised from the dead.
Although this list may seem modest to modern readers, by ancient historical standards, it is impressive. Very few ancient figures, especially non-royals like Jesus, have such well-documented lives. The historical evidence for Jesus far exceeds that for contemporaneous figures like Pontius Pilate, whose existence is attested by only a few scant sources.
In conclusion, the Gospels remain the most reliable, plentiful, and earliest sources for understanding the life of Jesus. They pass the test of historical inquiry better than any other ancient texts on Jesus, making them invaluable to historians and believers alike. While not all details can be historically validated, the core narrative is robust and reliable, making the Gospels the most significant sources on the life of Jesus.
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Key Secular Sources on the Gospels:
Borg, Marcus. Jesus: A New Vision. New York, NY: Harper and Row, 1987.
Brown, Raymond. The Death of the Messiah. 2 vols. New York, NY: Doubleday, 1994.
Charlesworth, James. The Historical Jesus: An Essential Guide. Nashville: Abingdom Press, 2008.
Fitzmyer, Joseph A. A Wandering Aramean. Grand Rapids: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1979.
Fredriksen, Paula. Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews. New York: Vintage Books, 2000.
Meyer, Ben F. The Aims of Jesus. London: SCM Press, 1979.
Sanders, Ed. The Historical Figure of Jesus. London: Penguin, 1993.
Peter Kozushko (DMIN Acadia University) is Senior Associate Pastor of Countryside Community Church, Sherwood OR.
Related Resources by Peter Kozushko
The Historical Reliability of the Gospels: A Response to the Influence of Bart Ehrman
Book Review: Is Jesus History? by John Dickson
So Bart Ehrman is Right about Discrepancies in the Gospels?
Plausible Solutions to Gospel Discrepancies
Are the Gospels Really Based on Eyewitness Testimony?
How Well Did the Eyewitnesses Remember the Words and Deeds of Jesus?
Mind the gap: the role of eyewitness testimony, orality, and memory in the development of the Gospel tradition – Kozushko's doctoral dissertation: