(May 25, 2016 at 8:42 am)SofaKingHigh Wrote:(May 25, 2016 at 8:32 am)SteveII Wrote: I don't think you can consider the NT as the claim. "The claim" is Jesus was God, came to Palestine in the first century, performed miracles, preached a new message, died, and rose again for the purpose of redemption.
I have reasons to believe the NT contains 27 books written by different people within a lifetime of Jesus. Paul's letters actually are older than the Gospels. Paul discusses "the claim" in great length and it was clear that a large number of people from Palestine to Rome were receiving letters discussing "the claim" that they already believed. A few years later (possible decades for the latter 2), 3 editors compiled Matthew, Mark, and John, much the same way Luke did from existing writings and testimony.
Where was this claim made Stevie?
In Palestine around 27-30AD. We find out about the claim, as I said, first in Paul's letters, then in other epistles, and then someone figured they should write all this down--so then we have the gospels. It is reasonable to conclude from this and the very existence of the church in 50AD (evidenced by Paul's letters) that people believed the claim in an unbroken chain from the time the events occurred.
I understand the point you are trying to make. However a more careful understanding of the timing and contents of what we call the NT undercuts the charge of circular reasoning.
