Master Class: Can We Trust the Gospels?

The Gospels―Matthew, Mark, Luke, John―are four accounts of Jesus’s life and teachings while on earth. But should we accept them as historically accurate? What evidence is there that the recorded events happened?

Recordings of Dr Peter J Williams's five Master Classes on the Gospels, filmed in September in partnership with the Forum of Christian Leaders, are now available to watch online.

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Part 1 - What are the earliest records of Christianity?

What do the earliest non-Christian sources (Tacitus, Pliny the Younger, Josephus) tell us about the beginnings of Christianity?

Part 2 - Did the Gospel writers know what they were writing about?

This session will examine the levels of knowledge of the Gospel writers and see that they were familiar with the things they wrote about.

Part 3 - How were Jesus' teachings handed down?

This session will examine how Jesus’s teachings came to be recorded in the Gospels, including the languages and methods of his teaching.

Part 4 - How do sceptics explain the data?

Sceptical approaches to the Gospels often have predictable anatomy. This session will evaluate the method and claims of a leading Bible sceptic, Professor Bart D. Ehrman.

Part 5 - What about contradictions?

This session will consider one of the biggest objections to the truth of the Gospels today.