Barántúlacht an teist Nua.

Opponents of Christianity often say the sacred Christian texts are not reliable. But an examination of the evidence that is now available proves the opposite. Tá an fhianaise ar bharántúlacht na dtéacsanna seo i bhfad níos mó ná aon doiciméad suntasach eile den aois chéanna. The main arguments are briefly summarised below. Click on the links for more detailed discussions.

1. Reason for the dispute.

For many centuries the reliability of the New Testament documents was seldom challenged. But at the beginning of the 20th century a group of historians, known as the ‘higher critics’, gained widespread academic acceptance. They claimed that these documents were gradually adapted over a period of more than 100 blianta. ach, more recent discoveries have refuted this theory. lá atá inniu ann, historians generally accept that these documents were written during the lifetimes of Jesus’ first disciples.

2. More reliable than all other writings from that era.

Sula ndéanaimid machnamh ar an teachtaireacht sna téacsanna Críostaí, caithfimid ceist eile a chur. An cóip iontaofa den bhunleagan iad na téacsanna seo? Is minic a deir lucht comhraic na Críostaíochta nach bhfuil na téacsanna seo iontaofa. Ach tá dul amú an-dona ar na daoine seo. Tá an-chuid fianaise stairiúil ar fáil chun an cheist seo a fhreagairt. Is féidir é a chur i gcomparáid leis an bhfianaise a úsáideadh chun doiciméid ársa eile a dhearbhú. Agus cad a léiríonn sé seo? Tá na téacsanna Críostaí i bhfad níos iontaofa ná aon leabhar eile ón ré sin. Sir Frederick Kenyon (an stiúrthóir agus an príomhleabharlannaí ag Músaem na Breataine) dúirt seo:

“… the last foundation for any doubt that the Scriptures have come down to us substantially as they were written has now been removed. Both the authenticity and the general integrity of the books of the New Testament may be regarded as finally established.”

“… tá an bunús deiridh le haon amhras bainte anois. Tá na Scrioptúr atá againn mar a chéile go substaintiúil leis na buntéacsanna. Is fíordhéantáin stairiúla iad na téacsanna Críostaí. Níor athraíodh a dteachtaireacht. It can now be considered an established fact.”

3. Evidence from early church sources.

These were people who had personal knowledge of the apostles and other founding members of the early church. They were ready to die for their testimony. These sources show that various letters written by Paul are the earliest texts in the New Testament. ansin, Matthew wrote the first gospel. Ar aghaidh, Mark wrote his gospel. (He had worked as an interpreter for Peter.) Luke often travelled with Paul. Scríobh Lúcás a shoiscéal níos déanaí, and then wrote the book of Acts. The last gospel was written by the apostle John.

4. Estimated dates of the New Testament texts.

Faoi láthair, most scholars think Luke was written about 63-70CE, and Mark about 60CE. Most of them think John’s gospel was written about 90CE. Some recent books suggest earlier dates: Mark 50CE, Matthew 55CE, Luke 59CE, Acts 63CE. Roinnt scoláirí, ar nós J.A.T. Robinson agus Thiering, abair anois gur scríobhadh soiscéal Eoin roimh shoiscéal Mharcais. Leagann na dátaí seo go léir téacsanna an tsoiscéil go soiléir laistigh de shaolré na gCríostaithe agus na ndaoine eile a chonaic go pearsanta beatha agus ministreacht Íosa..

Cheistigh roinnt scoláirí barántúlacht na litreacha a scríobhadh chuig na heaglaisí Críostaí luatha. Ach glacann an chuid is mó skeptics le litreacha Phóil atá liostaithe thíos. Aontaíonn staraithe de ghnáth gur scríobhadh na litreacha laistigh de chúpla bliain ó na dátaí a thugtar thíos..

51CE – 1 Teasalónaigh

52CE – 2 Teasalónaigh

53CE – Galataigh

55CE – 1 Corantaigh, 2 Corantaigh

57CE – Romans

60CE – Colosaigh, Eifisigh, Philemon

61CE – Filipigh

5. Conas a roghnaíodh leabhair an Bhíobla Críostaí?

Sa chéad haois ní raibh aon phlean ann liosta a dhéanamh de théacsanna a bhí aitheanta go hoifigiúil. Níor thosaigh an próiseas seo ach i lár an dara haois. By this time a variety of later texts had been written. Some were fake, and others were false teachings. So action was necessary. By the end of the second century there was a broad consensus about those books which should be endorsed. This list of books was officially confirmed in the fourth century. All these books were written by first-generation Christians. The other books were either from the second century, or of questionable authenticity.

6. Did the Gospel writers copy from each other?

John’s Gospel is very different from the other three. John tells the story a different way and does not describe all the same events that the others did. But Matthew, Mark and Luke contain quite a lot of passages that are very similar to each other. Aontaíonn staraithe gur bhain an triúr scríbhneoir seo úsáid as roinnt bunábhar comhroinnte. Ach tá tuairimí éagsúla acu faoin gcaoi ar scríobhadh na trí leabhar seo. Teoiric amháin ná gur chuir Matha agus Lúcás a gcuid tuairimí féin le soiscéal Mharcais. Ach tá cosúlachtaí agus difríochtaí idir gach soiscéal. Níl teoiric ar bith faoi shoiscéal amháin a chóipeáil ó shoiscéal eile ar féidir leis na difríochtaí seo go léir a mhíniú i gceart.

7. Luathchuntais Íosa.

Admhaíonn Lúcás go hoscailte foinsí béil agus scríofa níos luaithe a bheith ann. Mar sin is dócha go bhfuil Matha, D’úsáid Marcas agus Lúcás na téacsanna seo mar bhunús dá soiscéil féin. Níor caomhnaíodh na téacsanna luatha sin. Ní féidir linn ach tuairimíocht a dhéanamh faoin gcaoi ar socraíodh na téacsanna sin. Maíonn roinnt teoiricí coitianta gur mhúin siad rudaí a bhí an-difriúil ó na soiscéil. But these suggestions contradict the known historical evidence. These suggestions tell us the prejudices of the people who made them. They tell us very little about the real historical Jesus. (This article also discusses ‘Q’, ‘The Gospel of Thomas’ agus ‘The Gospel of Sayings’.)

8. If the Gospel writers cited other sources, does this make the gospels untrustworthy?

Would the gospel authors quote from reports that others had written? Ar ndóigh – ar choinníoll go raibh siad sásta lena gcruinneas. They clearly believe the gospels are a true and reliable description of the life and ministry of Jesus. And there is plenty of evidence that the gospel writers had direct knowledge of the facts. This is confirmed by linguistic analysis. Variations between the texts reveal the differing viewpoints of individual eyewitness accounts. And the texts contain a lot of historical and cultural information that was lost to later writers.