The New Testament Writers Trustworthyness Part 2

3. The New Testament Writers Left In Demanding Sayings Of Jesus


If the New Testament writers were making up a story,they certainly didn't make up a story that made life easier for them. This Jesus had some very demanding standards. The Sermon on the Mount,for instance,does not appear to be a human invention:


. "I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already commited adultery with her in his heart"(Matt. 5:28).


. "I tell you that anyone who divorces his wife,except for marital unfaithfulness,causes her to become an adulteress,and anyone who marries the divorced woman commits adultery"(Matt. 5:32).


. "I tell you,Do not resist an evil person. If someone strikes you on the right cheek,turn to him the other also(Matt. 5:39).


. "I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,that you may be sons of your Father in heaven"(Matt. 5:44-45).


. "Be perfect...as your heavenly Father is perfect"(Matt.5:48).


."Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth,where moth and rust destroy,and where thieves brake in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven,where moth and rust do not destroy,and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your,treasure is,there your heart will be also(Matt. 6:19-21).


. "Do not judge,or you too will be judged,and with the same measure you use,it will be measured to you"(Matt. 7:1-2).


All these commands are difficult or impossible for human beings to keep and seem to go against the natural best interest of the men who wrote them down. They certainly are contray to the desires of many today who want a religion of spirituality that has no moral demands. Consider the extremity and undesirable implications of these commands:


. If thinking about a sin is sinful,then everyone-including the New Testament writers-is guilty.


. To set such stringent standards for divorce and remarriage does not appear to be in the earthly best interests of the men who recorded this saying.


. To not resist the insults of an evil person is to resist our basic human instints;it also sets up an inconvenient standard of behavior for the apostles,who were undergoing persecution when this saying was written down.

. To pray for our enemies goes well beyond any ethic ever uttered and commands kindness where enmity is natural.

. To accumulate financial wealth contradicts our deepest desires for temporal security.

. To be perfect is an unattainable request for fallible human beings.

. To not judge unless our own lives are in order counters our natural tendency to point out our faults in others.


These commands clearly are not the commands that people would impose on themselves. Who can live up to such standards? Only the perfect person. Perhaps that's exactly the point.


4. The New Testament Writers Carefully Distinqished Jesus' Words From Their Own


Even quotations marks did not exist in first-century Greek,the N.T. writers distinquished Jesus' words very clearly. Most red letter editions of the Bibles are identical,illustrating how easy the N.T. writers made it to see what Jesus said and what he didn't say.

Why is this cited as evidence of their trustworthyness? Because it would be very easy for the N.T. writers to solve first century theological disputes by putting words into Jesus mouth. After all,if you were making up the story "Christian story" and trying to pass it off as the truth,wouldn't you simply make up more quotes from Jesus to convince stubborn people to see things your way? Think of how convenient it would have been for them to end all debate on contraversal issues such as circumcision,obeying the law of Moses,speaking in tongues,women in the church,and so forth by merely making up quotes from Jesus!


To be continued...