Historical Accuracy of the Gospels | Dr. Craig Keener

Dr. Craig Keener explores the historical accuracy of Jesus as depicted in the Gospels. He addresses common objections from skeptics, including the Jesus Seminar and the new atheists, using historical methods to demonstrate that the Gospels are reliable sources. Dr. Keener examines the genre of ancient biography and the reliability of oral traditions, offering compelling insights into how the Gospels present a true account of Jesus' life and teachings. This video provides a thoughtful defense of the historical Jesus for people who want to understand the Gospels' authenticity.

Asbury Theological Seminary is a multi-denominational graduate school equipping students for ministry and leadership in the Wesleyan tradition. It offers master’s and doctoral degrees in theology, ministry, counseling, and missiology.

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Time Stamps:
00:00 - Opening prayer and introduction
00:44 - Addressing atheists and Jesus Seminar
03:12 - Genre of the Gospels
04:20 - Comparing Gospels to biographies
06:34 - Historical accuracy of biographies
09:31 - Gospels and their sources
11:10 - Reliability of ancient biographies
17:06 - Gospels as historical sources
18:18 - Gospels' dependence on earlier writings
19:57 - Variations between Gospels
22:17 - Luke’s sources and investigation
23:24 - Oral tradition and memory
28:49 - Memorization in ancient education
33:35 - Disciples’ memory reliability
35:12 - Importance of memorization in antiquity
37:02 - Chain of transmission in traditions
39:31 - Disciples' ability to remember
41:18 - Jewish traditions in the Gospels
44:23 - Early traditions in the Gospels
45:30 - Credibility of women’s testimony
49:15 - Gospels and early church history
52:21 - Dating of Acts and Jerusalem
57:06 - Early date of Mark
59:22 - Concluding thoughts on Gospels