Questions for Christians

• We know of at least fourteen gospels but only four appear in the New Testament.

  Who decided which ones to include and which ones to exclude - and why and when?

• Who were the authors of the gospels of "Matthew", "Mark", "Luke" and John"?
• When were the four gospels written?
• Jesus was a miracle worker, he even raised people from the dead, why is there no mention of him in any Roman or Jewish records?
• Why do only two of the gospels, Matthew and Luke, describe the birth of Jesus?
• Why does only one gospel, Matthew, mention the Magi? How do we know there were three? When did they become "kings" rather than wise men? When were they given names?
• Matthew 2.17 says that King Herod, Herod the Great, ordered the death of all boys under two years old in the Bethlehem area. Why is there no historical record for this?

  King Herod died soon after an eclipse of the moon which can be dated to 12-13th March, 4BC - four years before the alleged birth of Jesus.

• Luke 2:1-3 says "Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. (That this was the first census to take place while Quirinus was governor of Syria.) And everyone went to his own town to register."

  Quirinus took over direct Roman rule of Syria, including Judea, in 6AD - six years after the alleged birth of Jesus.

  Before Quirinus took over direct rule it was not possible for the Romans to issue a decree relating to a census or taxation since they ruled through subject kings who would have been responsible for decrees and taxation.

  Quirinus did indeed carry out a local census in 6AD

  A Roman census was concerned about property ownership - the common basis for taxation. The Romans were not interested in where someone's family originally came from (after all, they could not define "originally") so they wanted to know who lived where and what they owned. Joseph would be registered in Nazareth not Bethlehem and, then as now, only the head of the household would provide the census information - Mary would not have been involved.

  Roman and Chinese records show that a bright comet (Halley's comet) was seen in the sky in 12BC.

  If Jesus was born when a comet was in the sky (12BC) he would have been 48 when he died.

  If Jesus was born in the rein of Herod the Great (6BC) he would have been at least 42 when he died.

  If Jesus was born at the time of the census of Quirinus (6AD) he would have been 30 when he died.

  Why do we not know when Jesus was born?

• Matthew assumes that Jesus was born in Bethlehem but he and his parents fled to Egypt to avoid the massacre of the innocents, avoided Bethlehem on their return and decided to settle in Nazareth.

  Luke assumes that Joseph and Mary came from Nazareth but, for whatever reason, were in Bethlehem when Jesus was born.

  The need for a Messiah to be born in Bethlehem, the City of David, was part of a prophesy in Micah 5.2.

  Matthew and Luke cannot both be right so did one or both of them twist the facts to fit the prophesy?

• Jesus started preaching after John the Baptist was arrested because he objected to the marriage of Antipas, ruler of Galilee, to Herodias, his sister-in-law, following the death of Antipas' brother, Philip, in 33/34AD.

  Luke mentions three passovers during the time Jesus was preaching - he was arrested on the third. His alleged crucifixion therefore took place on Friday 30th March, 36AD.

  The stories in the gospels therefore relate to the last two or three years of the life of Jesus - apart from Luke's mention of Jesus in the temple at the age of 12.

  Why do we have no records or stories relating to over 30 years of the life of Jesus?

• Jesus is supposed to have had 12 disciples. Why did none of them write about their experiences?
• Why do we have nothing written by anyone who was an eye witness to the preaching and miracles of Jesus?
• At the time of Jesus the local language was Aramaic, not Hebrew. Why do we have nothing written in Aramaic that describes the ministry of Jesus?
• Why do Matthew and Luke give completely different family trees for Jesus?
• Mark and Matthew name the disciples: Simon (called Peter), Andrew, James (son of Zebedee), John, Philip, Bartholemew, Thomas, Matthew, James (son of Alphaeus), Thadeus, Simon (the zealot), and Judas Iscariot.

  Luke names the disciples: Simon (called Peter), Andrew, James (son of Zebedee), John, Philip, Bartholemew, Thomas, Matthew, James (son of Alphaeus), Simon (the zealot), Judas son of James and Judas Iscariot.

  Why does Luke have "Judas son of James" while Mark and Matthew have "Thadeus"?

  John does not name all the disciples but adds a new one: "Nathaniel".

  Who were the 12 disciples?