4.36 Guy Waters, Trent Hunter & Stephen Wellum • Interview • "The Reliability of the Gospels: Rock or Sand?"

ABOUT THE EPISODEChristianity hinges on history: if the Gospels are not trustworthy accounts of Jesus’s life, death, and resurrection, the faith collapses. But are they myth shaped by early belief, or historical testimony grounded in eyewitness experience and apostolic oversight? This question is not peripheral—it is foundational.Timestamps00:36 – Intro02:18 – Guy Waters’ and Stephen Wellum’s Introductions05:43 – Christianity Stands or Falls Upon Historical Facts11:10 – Four Gospels and No More15:48 – What About Gnostic or Apocryphal Gospels?17:32 – Why is the Idea of ‘Myth’ Appealing?23:00 – The Gospels Are Reliable Accounts26:33 – The Gospels Are Historical Accounts by Eyewitnesses30:46 – The Synoptic Problem34:03 – Three Proposals to This Problem38:00 – When to Turn to a Passage in Another Gospel?44:35 – Why Is John Just Different?49:12 – Concluding Thoughts53:47 – OutroResources to Click“The Reliability of the Gospels: Rock or Sand?” – Guy WatersTheme of the Month: One Gospel, Four WitnessesGive to Support the WorkBooks to ReadJesus and the Word – Rudolf BultmannJesus Outside the New Testament: An Introduction to the Ancient Evidence – Robert E. Van VoorstThe Canon of Scripture – F.F. BruceThe Canon of the New Testament: Its Origin, Development, and Significance – Bruce MetzgerThe Biblical Canon: Its Origin, Transmission and Authority – Lee Martin McDonaldThe Gospel and the Gospels: Christian Proclamation and Early Jesus Books – Simon J. GathercoleThe Genuine Jesus and the Counterfeit Christs: New Testament and Apocryphal Gospels – Simon J. GathercoleJesus and the Gospels: An Introduction and Survey – Craig BlombergThe Life of Jesus Critically Examined – David F. Strauss ed. Peter C. HodgsonJesus and the Eyewitnesses: The Gospels as Eyewitness Testimony – Richard BauckhamMatthew (BECNT) – David L. TurnerThe Gospel According to John (PNTC) – D.A. CarsonStudying the Synoptic Gospels – E.P. Sanders and Margaret DaviesThe Synoptic Problem: An Introduction – Robert H. SteinThe Reliability of the Gospel Tradition – Birger GerhardssonJohn: The Maverick Gospel – Robert KysarThe Testimony of the Beloved Disciple: Narrative, History, and Theology in the Gospel of John – Richard BauckhamThe History of the Church – Eusebius“Why Four Gospels,” in Selected Shorter Writings, Vol. 2. – B.B. Warfield ed. John Meeter