Recker's World
Reason 43
The gospels are hearsay - not eyewitness accounts
As a Christian growing up I was always taught that the gospels; Matthew, Mark, Luke and John were written by Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. Eye witness accounts. Never once did anyone ever say otherwise. No Sunday School teacher or Preacher ever pointed out that the writers of these gospels were unknown. Neither did they say that they were written around 70 years after the events took place.
It wasn’t until around 2003 when I first started debating online that I found out the Gospels were hearsay. I was 35 years old! And it put me in an embarrassing situation, considering I was the one claiming they were eye-witness accounts.
It’s quite obvious when you think about it. Look and see. They were all written in third person. And not only that but there are stories in there that nobody could have possibly witnessed! Here are some examples:
· When Jesus talked to the Samaritan woman he was alone. There were no witnesses to the conversation (John 4:7-8).
· Jesus was alone in the desert where the devil tempted him.
· The Angel Gabriel appeared to Mary privately to announce her impending pregnancy. No one else was present.
· Jesus prayed alone in the garden of Gethsemane. His disciples could not hear what he said because they were sleeping ''a stone's throw'' away from him (Luke 22:41) etc.
· John would not have been there during the trial of Jesus, waiting inside Pilate's palace for Pilate and Jesus to come in to record their conversation (John 18:33).
The fact that the Gospels are NOT eye-witness accounts and nothing more than hearsay is a HUGE problem when it comes to believing in Jesus. We don’t even have any original copies of the gospels. Only copies of copies of translations of copies of translations of copies. All translated into a heap of different English versions and Christians are unable to agree on which one is the most accurate! Not only that but many Christians want to put their own alternate translation on top of the English ones, thinking that they are more qualified than the professional publishers!
How can anyone rely on the Bible for accuracy?
Reason 42: God did not notify anyone I knew that I was no longer a believer
Reason 44: The gospels were manipulated to reach target audiences