The New Testament is the best documented literary work from ancient times. Over 5,000 manuscripts have survived. Fragments now available date back to the beginning of the second century. Even liberal scholars acknowledge the early dates of many New Testament books. Consequently, there is no reasonable basis for believing that Christ’s teachings were distorted by the apostolic church. To the contrary, it is only logical that the apostles would be the ones most likely to remain faithful to the teaching of their Lord, and that they, in turn, would select documents on the basis of their reliability.
It’s one thing to deny the authority of the New Testament, but quite another to be able to justify one’s denial. The following books offer a good overview of early church history:
- A History Of Christianity by Kenneth Scott Latourette
- A History Of The Christian Church by Williston Walker
- New Testament History by F.F. Bruce
Each of these books is a “classic” in its own right, and can be ordered through most bookstores.
Also visit our 10 Reasons To Believe In The Bible site.
