{"id":360,"date":"2008-02-20T01:01:49","date_gmt":"2008-02-20T01:01:49","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.beliefnet.com\/markdroberts\/2008\/02\/james-arlandson-finishes-series-on-the-historical-reliability-of-the-gospels.html"},"modified":"2008-02-20T01:01:49","modified_gmt":"2008-02-20T01:01:49","slug":"james-arlandson-finishes-series-on-the-historical-reliability-of-the-gospels","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/2008\/02\/james-arlandson-finishes-series-on-the-historical-reliability-of-the-gospels.html","title":{"rendered":"James Arlandson Finishes Series on the Historical Reliability of the Gospels"},"content":{"rendered":"

Dr. James Arlandson, my first guest blogger, has just finished an in-depth series on the reliability of the Gospels<\/a>. James in a fine scholar and an excellent communicator. I’ve been proud to supply a platform for his work. His final post includes a review of all previous fourteen posts, as well as some concluding thoughts. I’ll quote an extended excerpt from his post below. If you haven’t checked out this series, I encourage you to do so. And then save the link for the future.
\nThanks, James, for your great work, and for allowing me to share it with my blog readers.
\nExcerpt from “The Historical Reliability of the Gospels: Summary and Conclusion,” by Dr. James Arlandson<\/strong><\/a>
\nTo explore the thesis that the four Gospels are historically reliable and accurate \u2013 that is the main goal. I did not discuss their inerrancy or infallibility, for how can we go that far if we do not first find out whether they are historically reliable, as inerrancy and infallibility have been traditionally understood? I leave those two doctrines to professional theologians, who have worked out clever means to argue for them.In case this Summary and Conclusion has not been clear already, let me state it categorically:<\/p>\n

The four Gospels are historically reliable and credible and accurate, particularly measured by the standards of their own historical and literary context.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Still another goal: critics of the Bible get onto the mass media airwaves and throw mud on the Gospels, implying that these historical (and sacred) texts were imaginative fictions invented by anonymous disciples who did not witness the ministry of Jesus.
\nThis series, however, contradicts that widespread belief that had been circulating even since the first-fifth of the twentieth century. To counter this belief, I brought onto the web scholarship that supports a traditional view of the Gospels. But rather than depending too much on the details of this high-quality scholarship, I chose those parts that uncover a lot<\/em> of textual evidence (e.g. Richard Bauckham\u2019s books). This kind of evidence stands the test of time. Or I chose to bring onto the web the conclusions that have in fact stood the test of time (e.g. Birger Gerhardsson\u2019s books).
\nFinally, a minor theme that was threaded through all of the articles is coherence. The four Gospels cohere together remarkably closely (see Part Fourteen<\/a>), despite the variations, which, it should be noted, all histories and biographies have about an historical person in the Greek and Roman world. In fact, the coherence of the Gospels is much<\/em> closer than various versions of the life of Socrates, for example (see Part Four<\/a> and Q & A Seven). Coherence is a good standard by which to measure truth and accuracy, but this criterion received only minor attention in the series.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Dr. James Arlandson, my first guest blogger, has just finished an in-depth series on the reliability of the Gospels. James in a fine scholar and an excellent communicator. I’ve been proud to supply a platform for his work. His final post includes a review of all previous fourteen posts, as well as some concluding thoughts.…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":214,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[22],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-360","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-guest-bloggers"],"yoast_head":"\nJames Arlandson Finishes Series on the Historical Reliability of the Gospels - Mark D. Roberts<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/2008\/02\/james-arlandson-finishes-series-on-the-historical-reliability-of-the-gospels.html\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"James Arlandson Finishes Series on the Historical Reliability of the Gospels - Mark D. Roberts\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Dr. James Arlandson, my first guest blogger, has just finished an in-depth series on the reliability of the Gospels. James in a fine scholar and an excellent communicator. I’ve been proud to supply a platform for his work. His final post includes a review of all previous fourteen posts, as well as some concluding thoughts.…\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/2008\/02\/james-arlandson-finishes-series-on-the-historical-reliability-of-the-gospels.html\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Mark D. Roberts\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2008-02-20T01:01:49+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"http:\/\/www.markdroberts.com\/images\/guest-bloggers-vegas-5.jpg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Mark D. Roberts\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"James Arlandson Finishes Series on the Historical Reliability of the Gospels - Mark D. Roberts","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/2008\/02\/james-arlandson-finishes-series-on-the-historical-reliability-of-the-gospels.html","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"James Arlandson Finishes Series on the Historical Reliability of the Gospels - Mark D. Roberts","og_description":"Dr. James Arlandson, my first guest blogger, has just finished an in-depth series on the reliability of the Gospels. James in a fine scholar and an excellent communicator. I’ve been proud to supply a platform for his work. His final post includes a review of all previous fourteen posts, as well as some concluding thoughts.…","og_url":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/2008\/02\/james-arlandson-finishes-series-on-the-historical-reliability-of-the-gospels.html","og_site_name":"Mark D. Roberts","article_published_time":"2008-02-20T01:01:49+00:00","og_image":[{"url":"http:\/\/www.markdroberts.com\/images\/guest-bloggers-vegas-5.jpg"}],"author":"Mark D. Roberts","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/2008\/02\/james-arlandson-finishes-series-on-the-historical-reliability-of-the-gospels.html","url":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/2008\/02\/james-arlandson-finishes-series-on-the-historical-reliability-of-the-gospels.html","name":"James Arlandson Finishes Series on the Historical Reliability of the Gospels - Mark D. Roberts","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/2008\/02\/james-arlandson-finishes-series-on-the-historical-reliability-of-the-gospels.html#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/2008\/02\/james-arlandson-finishes-series-on-the-historical-reliability-of-the-gospels.html#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"http:\/\/www.markdroberts.com\/images\/guest-bloggers-vegas-5.jpg","datePublished":"2008-02-20T01:01:49+00:00","dateModified":"2008-02-20T01:01:49+00:00","author":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/#\/schema\/person\/1ff094a57b7e41f534434b1723df3d73"},"breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/2008\/02\/james-arlandson-finishes-series-on-the-historical-reliability-of-the-gospels.html#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/2008\/02\/james-arlandson-finishes-series-on-the-historical-reliability-of-the-gospels.html"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/2008\/02\/james-arlandson-finishes-series-on-the-historical-reliability-of-the-gospels.html#primaryimage","url":"http:\/\/www.markdroberts.com\/images\/guest-bloggers-vegas-5.jpg","contentUrl":"http:\/\/www.markdroberts.com\/images\/guest-bloggers-vegas-5.jpg"},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/2008\/02\/james-arlandson-finishes-series-on-the-historical-reliability-of-the-gospels.html#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"James Arlandson Finishes Series on the Historical Reliability of the Gospels"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/#website","url":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/","name":"Mark D. Roberts","description":"Mark D. Roberts: Thoughtfully Christian Reflections on Jesus, the Church, and the World","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/#\/schema\/person\/1ff094a57b7e41f534434b1723df3d73","name":"Mark D. Roberts","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-content\/wphb-cache\/gravatar\/f2d\/f2ddf5f080861f66ea230384f9d1bab2x96.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-content\/wphb-cache\/gravatar\/f2d\/f2ddf5f080861f66ea230384f9d1bab2x96.jpg","caption":"Mark D. Roberts"},"description":"The Rev. Dr. Mark D. Roberts is a pastor, author, retreat leader, speaker, and blogger. Since October 2007 he has been the Senior Director and Scholar-in-Residence for Laity Lodge, a multifaceted ministry in the Hill Country of Texas. Before coming to Laity Lodge, he was for sixteen years the Senior Pastor of Irvine Presbyterian Church in Irvine, California (a city in Orange County about forty miles south of Los Angeles). Before his time at Irvine Pres, Mark served on the staff of the First Presbyterian Church of Hollywood as Associate Pastor of Education. (Thanks to Janel Pahl for taking the photo to the right.) Mark studied at Harvard University, receiving a B.A. in Philosophy, an M.A. in the Study of Religion, and a Ph.D. in New Testament and Christian Origins. He has taught classes in New Testament for Fuller Theological Seminary and San Francisco Theological Seminary. Mark has written several books, including No Holds Barred: Wrestling with God in Prayer (WaterBrook, 2005), Dare to Be True (WaterBrook, 2003), Jesus Revealed (WaterBrook, 2002), After \"I Believe\" (Baker, 2002), and Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther (Word, 1993). His most recent book is Can We Trust the Gospels? Investigating the Reliability of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John (Crossway, 2007). He is currently working on a commentary on Ephesians that will be published by Zondervan in 2014. Mark writes a devotional for The High Calling of Our Daily Work, a website associated with Laity Lodge. His \"Daily Reflections\" can be viewed online or sent as a daily email. If you wish to receive this email, just visit TheHighCalling.org and sign up. Mark serves on the editorial board of Worship Leader magazine, where he publishes articles and reviews, including his regular column \"Lyrical Poetry.\" Additionally, he has published dozens of articles in leading magazines and journals. He often speaks for churches and other Christian groups, and has been interviewed on over seventy-five radio programs nationwide. Mark is married to Linda, who is a Marriage and Family Therapist, a Spiritual Director, and a retreat speaker. They have two children, Nathan and Kara.For Publicity Photos and Bio Statements for Mark, please check here. Mark's Dossier Professional History: Senior Director and Scholar-in Residence, Laity Lodge, October 2007 to present. Senior Pastor Irvine Presbyterian Church, June 1991 to September 2007 Adjunct Assistant Professor Fuller Theological Seminary, 1994 to 2007. Courses: New Testament Theology and Exegesis. Adjunct Instructor San Francisco Theological Seminary, 1995 to 2001. Courses: New Testament Greek and Exegesis Associate Pastor of Education First Presbyterian Church of Hollywood, 1987-1991 Teaching Fellow Harvard University, 1980-1983 Education: Ph.D. in the Study of Religion. Harvard University, 1992. Area: New Testament and Christian Origins M.A. in the Study of Religion Harvard University, 1984. A.B. magna cum laude in Philosophy Harvard University, 1979. Phi Beta Kappa; Danforth Fellowship Books: Can We Trust the Gospels? Investigating the Reliability of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. Crossway, 2007 No Holds Barred: Wrestling with God in Prayer. WaterBrook, 2005 Dare to Be True: Living in the Freedom of Complete Honesty. WaterBrook, 2003. Jesus Revealed: Know Him Better to Love Him Better. WaterBrook, 2002. After \"I Believe\": Experiencing Authentic Christian Living. Baker, 2002. Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther in the Communicator's Commentary Series. Word, 1993. Contacting Mark: You can reach Mark at: E-mail: mark@markdroberts.com mroberts@laitylodge.org Phone: Laity Lodge: (830) 792-1216 Address: Laity Lodge 719 Earl Garrett Kerrville, TX 78028","url":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/author\/mroberts"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/360","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/214"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=360"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/360\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=360"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=360"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=360"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}