From the Pastor's for June 2026

Lighthouse Church:

As we study the parables of Jesus, I am drawn to the question of the “Historical Jesus” and whether he had disciples. This is one approach to nonbelievers who claim our Savior is a myth. My undergraduate degree is in History; therefore, I am particularly interested in the writings regarding the historical Jesus and the resources supporting the hypothesis that we can know Jesus existed beyond our faith in the truth of the Bible. Warren Carter in Chapter Three of the book Jesus Among Friends and Enemies avers that the “criterion of multiple attestation” indicates that Jesus had disciples. . It posits that if a claim appears in multiple independent literary sources, it is highly likely to be historical rather than an invention.

He also argues that the criterion of embarrassment has also been met because of information such as Peter’s denial of Jesus and Judas’s betrayal. This theory is that an account can be believed if it contains less than flattering material.

The criterion of dissimilarity illustrates that the material comes from Jesus because is not influenced by cultural context. The Gospels are not like any other written material of its time. The criterion of dissimilarity (or discontinuity) is a historical methodology used primarily in Biblical studies to verify if a saying or event attributed to Jesus is historically authentic.

The thrust of each Gospel differs respecting the disciples. Each Gospel presents them in a unique way. Mark shows them as noncomprehending and flawed. Jesus must explain the parables to them. In Matthew, they both understand and fail to comprehend; with Jesus as teacher demonstrating in large  blocks of material God’s will and purposes. Luke also emphasizes Jesus’s teaching role, especially on the journey to Jerusalem. In John, they are witnesses to Jesus’s ministry as set forth especially in the “farewell discourse.” In all four Gospels, Jesus is the dominate figure who called his disciples to follow him to fulfill God’s purpose.

It was typical in ancient times for a teacher or philosopher to have adherents and followers. Jesus would have been expected to have students since he was a “rabbi,” which is Hebrew for “teacher.” The 1st-century Jewish historian Flavius Josephus is one of the most important non-Christian sources corroborating the early Christian movement. While he never mentions individual apostles like Peter or Paul, he specifically references Jesus, Jesus's disciples, and the execution of Jesus's brother, James. Josephus directly addresses the disciples and the early Christian movement in two notable passages in his work Antiquities of the Jews. By faith we accept the Bible and the existence of the disciples, but we also have reliable historical records.

                                                            God Bless,

                                                            Pastor Eric