# Best book on historicity of Jesus



## nwink (Feb 21, 2014)

What is/are the best book(s) out there regarding the historicity of Jesus? Providing the evidence of his existence and sayings and events in his life, arguing for the accuracy of the Gospels, addressing counterarguments such as from the Jesus Seminar or Ehrman or others, etc. (Note: when I said "Ehrman," I was moreso referring to his works on the sayings of Jesus or addressing his arguments for reducing the historical Christ down to a normal teacher or prophet who had a following.)


----------



## Logan (Feb 21, 2014)

Nathan,
I thought about this and would have to say for me, the best witness would be the four gospels themselves. I would include them as primary source evidence, as they speak with a unified witness to Christ's historicity. Each time I re-read the gospels I am struck with how real Jesus is. I read a lot of fiction and there is no fictional character I have ever seen that is as real as Jesus is in the gospels.

To read the gospels might seem the "obvious" or "pious" answer, but I have become increasingly aware of what presuppositions people bring as to what they count as "evidence" these days. For example, citation of an oral conversation, even witnessed by many people does not count as "evidence" unless it is printed. For the culture in Jesus' day, oral evidence was treated much differently, and when the gospels were written could be verified by many eye-witnesses. Some might not like to count that as evidence today but it was evidence of the strongest sort in that day. If it cannot be reliable, what can?


----------



## jogri17 (Feb 21, 2014)

N.T. Wright is the go to scholar on this topic. Even DA Carson says so.


----------



## py3ak (Feb 21, 2014)

You could try Bauckham's "Jesus and the Eyewitnesses."


----------



## arapahoepark (Feb 21, 2014)

Ben Witherington, Darrell Bock


----------



## JP Wallace (Feb 21, 2014)

I found Craig L. Blomberg's 'Jesus and the Gospels' helpful, if you can tolerate the cover (Jesus on the cross).

It deals with more than the 'historical Jesus' so it's a good resource generally.


----------



## Sensus Divinitas (Feb 21, 2014)

py3ak said:


> You could try Bauckham's "Jesus and the Eyewitnesses."



Seconded. That's an excellent book.


----------



## MW (Feb 21, 2014)

F. F. Bruce, The New Testament Documents: Are they Reliable?


----------



## timmopussycat (Feb 21, 2014)

Josh McDowell "Evidence that Demands a Verdict" has some good stuff.


----------



## SolaSaint (Feb 21, 2014)

Gary Habermas "The Historical Jesus". Craig Evans "fabricating Jesus" is a good refutation of the Jesus Seminar and Erhman.


----------

