Trustworthy: Thirteen Arguments for the Reliability of the New Testament

by Benjamin Charles Fox Shaw

Publisher:

IVP Academic

, 2024

Overview

How do we know the New Testament is reliable?

It matters—but discussions on whether the New Testament is historically accurate can be tedious and overwhelming. We want to be confident that the reports in the New Testament are true and dependable, but scholarly discussions around the authenticity of the events recounted in Scripture can be challenging to navigate.

Dr. Ben Shaw provides the clear introduction we’ve needed for understanding the New Testament’s historical reliability. In his book, Trustworthy, he systematically surveys key issues related to New Testament reliability and provides guidance for those setting out to explore the evidence. Concise, to-the-point chapters equip readers to answer the challenging questions one encounters when discussing the credibility of the New Testament. Addressing a wide variety of evidence including archaeology, authorship, text criticism, and non-Christian sources, Shaw leads readers through the key scholarly topics related to New Testament reliability.

Here’s the truth: we can trust the New Testament not only for its historical accuracy but also as a guide to life.

Key Features

• Provides a clear introduction to the New Testament’s historical reliability
• Surveys key issues related to New Testament reliability
• Offers guidance for those setting out to explore the evidence

Contents

• Foreword by Gary Habermas
• Introduction
• 1. New Testament Textual Evidence
• 2. New Testament Genres and Audience Expectations
• 3. New Testament Dating
• 4. New Testament Authorship
• 5. New Testament Creedal Traditions
• 6. Historical Criteria
• 7. Undesigned Coincidences
• 8. Archaeology
• 9. Non-Christian Sources
• 10. Non-Canonical Christian Sources
• 11. New Testament Canon and Credibility
• 12. Spiritual and Life Transformation
• 13. The Minimal Facts Approach
• Conclusion and Final Thoughts
• Scripture Index

Praise for Trustworthy

In light of the amount of misinformation in today's world about the reliability of the Bible, we cannot have too many books like Benjamin Shaw’s to set the record straight. For an absolutely up-to-date and succinct introduction to a representative selection of key issues about New Testament trustworthiness, Shaw’s little book is hard to top.

—Craig L. Blomberg, distinguished professor emeritus of New Testament at Denver Seminary and author of The Historical Reliability of the Gospels

Sometimes we need basic orientation to a topic. With as much debate about reliability as the New Testament generates, Trustworthy shows as a first step that there is good reason to be confident of the New Testament for many different reasons. This book is of special value to those new to faith or for those who have heard general objections to the New Testament and are looking for initial responses. The book also shows where follow-up can be found.

—Darrell L. Bock, executive director of cultural engagement and senior research professor of New Testament Studies at Dallas Theological Seminary

For those who are wondering about the credibility of the New Testament, Trustworthy proves to be an accessible guide toward building confidence in the biblical text. Step by step, Dr. Shaw lays out an easy-to-understand cumulative case for why and how the Bible can be trusted as a reliable source of information. Readers are invited to simply survey the supportive evidence of each chapter or head into the substantive footnotes leading toward deeper study. Either way, Dr. Shaw invites us all to come and see that the biblical claims of Jesus are worthy of belief.

—Jana Harmon, teaching fellow at the C. S. Lewis Institute of Atlanta

For Christians the New Testament forms their belief system and approach to life. Surveys have shown trust in the Scripture is at an all-time low. When the New Testament cannot be trusted, its message will not be accepted nor its truth applied. As a result, Christianity is facing an unprecedented decline. Dr. Shaw has written the right book to meet this need. His New Testament evidences are apologetic essentials, but his ability to communicate these on an entry level sets his work apart, making it accessible to both students and anyone with questions on why the New Testament can be a trustworthy guide for faith and practice.

—J. Randall Price, former distinguished research professor of biblical and Judaic studies at the John Rawlings School of Divinity, Liberty University, and president of World of the Bible Ministries

Product Details

• Title: Trustworthy: Thirteen Arguments for the Reliability of the New Testament
• Author: Benjamin Charles Fox Shaw
• Publisher: IVP Academic
• Print Publication Date: 2024
• Logos Release Date: 2024
• Pages: 142
• Era: era:contemporary
• Language: English
• Resources: 1
• Format: Digital › Logos Reader Edition
• Subject: Bible. N.T. › Evidences, authority, etc
• ISBNs: 9781514007587, 9781514007594, 1514007584, 1514007592
• Resource ID: LLS:TWTTRGRNT
• Resource Type: Monograph
• Metadata Last Updated: 2024-07-01T22:14:11Z