BTM 182 - Can the New Testament Be Trusted? 13 Arguments for Its Reliability | Dr. Benjamin Shaw

Can the New Testament really be trusted? Was it written too late, copied too often, or shaped by biased authors? In this episode of the Bible and Theology Matters Podcast, Dr. Paul Weaver is joined by Dr. Benjamin Shaw, author of Trustworthy: 13 Arguments for the Reliability of the New Testament, to examine the historical evidence supporting the trustworthiness of the New Testament.

This conversation explores:
-Manuscript evidence and textual reliability
-Early dating of the New Testament writings
-Eyewitness testimony
-Why skeptics treat the Bible differently from other ancient texts
-External historical sources like Josephus and Tacitus
-Whether the earliest Christians believed Jesus was God
-Why the apostles were willing to suffer and die for their testimony

Dr. Shaw, president of Core Apologetics and former research assistant to Dr. Gary Habermas, presents compelling arguments showing that the New Testament stands as the best-attested document of antiquity.

📘 Book discussed: Trustworthy: 13 Arguments for the Reliability of the New Testament
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00:00 Can the New Testament Be Trusted?
01:10 About the Bible and Theology Matters Podcast
03:10 Introducing Dr. Benjamin Shaw and Trustworthy
06:00 Purpose and Audience of the Book
10:20 Manuscript Evidence for the New Testament
18:30 Do Textual Variants Change Christian Doctrine?
25:10 Early Dating of the New Testament Writings
33:40 Eyewitnesses and Close Associates of Jesus
43:00 External Historical Sources (Josephus & Tacitus)
52:30 Did the Earliest Christians Believe Jesus Was God?
01:04:00 Apostolic Martyrdom and Sincerity of Testimony
01:15:30 Why Reliability Matters for Faith and Practice