Legally, witnesses are generally given the benefit of the doubt, unless proven otherwise.

• Simon Greenleaf, lawyer and author, refers to the following municipal law applicable in trials by jury.

  • Rule 28 "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.”1

The manner in which certain accounts in the Bible are recorded are written as documenting history.

• Tim Barnett of Stand-to-reason makes this point in the video below, including refering to the following verse.2

  • Now in the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar, when Pontius Pilate was governor of Judea, and Herod was tetrarch of Galilee, and his brother Philip was tetrarch of the region of Ituraea and Trachonitis, and Lysanias was tetrarch of Abilene, in the high priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas, the word of God came to John, the son of Zacharias, in the wilderness. (Luke 3:1-2 NASB)

• Other verses in the Bible are written as if recording history, including reference of dates and places.

The apostles were willing to abandon core Jewish beliefs, which were essential to following God, and die for their convictions. 3 (page 290-291)

• Examples include animal sacrifice for sins being replaced by Jesus’ sacrifice and the Sabbath no longer being observed.3 (page 290-291)

• Followers of Jesus who were primary sources for the NT were willing to die for this content - click to see evidence.

Writers carefully distinguished Jesus' words from their own.3 (page 280-281)

• In the example below, the Apostle Paul was careful to distinguish between his words and Jesus. If Paul was lying, he could easily have attributed all words to Jesus.

  • I command the married-not I, but the Lord-a wife is not to leave her husband. But if she does leave, she must remain unmarried or be reconciled to her husband-and a husband is not to leave his wife. But to the rest I, not the Lord, say: If any brother has an unbelieving wife, and she is willing to live with him, he must not leave her. (1 Corinthians 7:10-12 CSB emphasis added)

Writers included demanding sayings of Jesus, which they likely would not have done if they were inventing a religion for people to follow.3 (page 279)

• Looking at women lustfully is adultery (Matthew 5:28), Love your enemies  (Matthew 5:44-45), etc.

Writers included embarrassing details about Jesus’ followers.3 (page 275-276)

• In multiple instances, Jesus’ disciples failed to understand His teachings.

  • Then Peter replied to Him, "Explain this parable to us." "Are even you still lacking in understanding?" He asked. (Matthew 15:15-16 CSB emphasis added)

• After Jesus predicts His death and Peter attempts to rebuke Him, Jesus rebukes Peter and calls Him Satan.

  • But turning around and looking at His disciples, He rebuked Peter and said, "Get behind Me, Satan, because you're not thinking about God's concerns, but man's!" (Mark 8:33 CSB emphasis added)

• After the Resurrection, the apostles are cowards.

  • In the evening of that first day of the week, the disciples were [gathered together] with the doors locked because of their fear of the Jews. Then Jesus came, stood among them, and said to them, "Peace to you!" (John 20:19 CSB emphasis added)

• The Bible says that some doubted even after seeing Jesus, which the writers clearly would NOT have included if they were lying about this account or if it evolved and changed over time (legendary development). In this one particular verse we have two essential elements of Christianity: Jesus is God (they worshiped Him) and His resurrection (they saw Him); and, the verse can be trusted because of the embarrassing admission that some people still doubted.

  • When they saw Him, they worshiped, but some doubted. (Matthew 28:17 CSB emphasis added)

Writers included embarrassing details about Jesus.3 (page 277-278)

• When Jesus healed a demon-possessed man the people of the town did not praise or worship Him, but rather begged Him to leave their area. This is an embarrassing reaction that likely would not have been included if the account was a lie.

  • Then the whole town went out to meet Jesus. And when they saw him, they pleaded with him to leave their region. (Matthew 8:34 NIV)

• At one point, Jesus’ family believes He might be crazy.

  • When His family heard this, they set out to restrain Him, because they said, "He's out of His mind." (Mark 3:21 CSB emphasis added)

• Jesus’ hometown lacks belief in Jesus and are offended by Him.

  • And they were offended by Him. But Jesus said to them, "A prophet is not without honor except in his hometown and in his household." (Matthew 13:57 CSB emphasis added)

• Jesus is called demon possessed, because He is performing miracles and Jews were jealous.

  • The scribes who had come down from Jerusalem said, "He has Beelzebul in Him!" and, "He drives out demons by the ruler of the demons!" (Mark 3:22 CSB)