The Case for ChristSermon Outline Three
Evidence Outside the Bible
[The quote by Tacitus, Annals, on page 38 of the Study Guide should be prepared in PowerPoint or given in a handout.]
Introduction:The answer to the question, “Who is Jesus Christ?” also is informed by literature outside the Bible. Lee Strobel calls this “corroborative evidence,” that is, evidence that confirms or makes some truth more certain. Astoundingly, there is enough material outside the New Testament to reconstruct the essentials about the life, death, and significance of Jesus Christ. There is, then, outside testimony to put on the witness stand in the case for Christ. Let’s consider this: even the New Testament authors referred to material outside the Bible as they created their books. Even more, non-Christian historians outside the New Testament make references to Jesus Christ and aspects of his life.
I.The New Testament writers use material from outside the Bible.
A.Have you heard of Jannes and Jambres? The apostle Paul writes that they opposed Moses (2 Timothy 3:8). There is no mention of these two men anywhere in the Old Testament. Where did Paul get his information? Other Jewish (Targum) and Christian literature (Contra Celsum)outside the Bible reports that these two famous characters were the archenemies of Moses in Pharoah’s court.
B.Other New Testament authors useliterature outside the Bible to make their case.
1.Peter uses information from The Books of Enoch.
1 Peter 3:19-20;2 Peter 2:4-5
2.Jude (verse 9) uses information from The Assumption of Moses.
3.The Apostle Paul quotes pagan poetsSeneca and Aratus in Acts 17:28, Epicurean cynical philosophy in 1 Corinthians 15:32, and the Greek philosopher Epimenides in Titus 1:12.
Sermon Outline Three
II.Ancient writers outside the Bible make references to Jesus Christ.
A.Historian Edwin Yamauchi states, “We would have a considerable amount of important historical evidence [about Jesus without the New Testament]; in fact, it would provide kind of outline for the life of Jesus.” That outline would include Jesus as a Jewish teacher, reports of his healings and exorcisms, reports that he was believed to be the Messiah, that he was rejected by the Jewish leaders, that he was crucified under Pontius Pilate, that he was believed to still be alive, and that he was worshiped as God.
1.Josephus, a Jewish historian born in 37 AD, writes of Jesus, and Jesus’ brother, James; he writes of Jesus’ crucifixion under Pilate and that Christians were named for him (Christos).
2.Tacitus, a Roman historian, provides “the most important reference to Jesus outside the New Testament,” according to Yamauchi.
[read quote by Tacitus, Annals, here]
3.Pliny the Younger,who died in 79 AD,writes of the Christians’ commendable ethics and their stubborn refusal to renounce faith in Christ even under the threat or torture and death (Letters to Emperor Trajan).