The Testimony of the Evangelists
Bible Based Book Reviews
Would the Gospels stand trial and
pass with flying colors if they were tried for being "The Word of God in
court?" Greenleaf rightly says "YES!"
The
Testimony of the Evangelists
by Simon Greenleaf
Kregel Publications, Grand Rapids, MI: 1995
128 Pages, Paperback
How would the Gospels be regarded if they
were submitted as evidence in a court of law? Applying the same
rules of justice as a lawyer would in a courtroom, Greenleaf applies
these procedures to a the New Testament Gospels. Would they be
rejected? Greenleaf shows that it is unwarranted to dismiss the
Gospels as those which do pose questions beyond a reasonable
doubt. If they were admitted in a courtroom, they would
unquestionably stand the test of the
justice system and hold up to their testimony. This continues to
prove the reliability and relevance of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, and
the Salvation which is found in Him alone.
Greenleaf's book is excellent. Its
chapter "An Examination of the Testimony of the Evangelists"
is superb. I would love to see the Bible placed in a court room
before the whole world and placed under the scrutiny of Greenleaf's
book. He also address the members of the legal profession and implores
them to consider the work.
Not only does he examine the Gospels, but
also the trial of Jesus, the Jew's account of Christ's trial, and the
trial before Ciaphas and Pilate. He concludes with an examination
of the various translations of the Bible. This is a an excellent
resource and well worth the time of the responsible Bible apologist.
Some Quotes:
"He [Man] must forever remain enslaved to his idols, unless a new
and pure object of worship were revealed to him, with a display of
superior power sufficient to overcome his former faith and present
fears, to detach his affections from grosser objects, and to fix them
upon that which alone is worthy. This is precisely what God, as
stated in the Holy Scriptures, has done."
"in trials of fact, by oral
testimony, the proper inquiry is not whether it is possible that the testimony
may be false, but whether there is sufficient probability that it is
true."
"A proposition of fact is proved,
when its truth is established by competent and satisfactory
evidence."
"In the absence of circumstances
which generate suspicion, every witness is to be presumed credible,
until the contrary is shown; the burden of impeaching his credibility
lying on the objector."
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