The “Jesus papers” refer to a collection of ancient documents and artifacts that some scholars believe shed light on the historical Jesus. These include:
The Gospel of Thomas
The Gospel of Thomas is a collection of 114 sayings attributed to Jesus. It was discovered in 1945 near Nag Hammadi, Egypt. Some scholars believe it may contain some authentic sayings of the historical Jesus that aren’t found in the New Testament gospels. However, the Gospel of Thomas was likely composed in the 2nd century AD, long after the time of Jesus.
The Gospel of Mary
The Gospel of Mary is a fragmentary text discovered in 1896. It appears to record conversations between Jesus and Mary Magdalene and presents Mary as a prominent disciple. However, it was probably written in the 2nd century AD and contains Gnostic ideas that conflict with the teachings of Jesus in the New Testament gospels.
The Gospel of Judas
The Gospel of Judas is a fragmented Coptic text discovered in the 1970s. It presents Judas in a positive light as the only disciple who truly understood Jesus. But it was written by Gnostics in the 2nd century AD and includes strange mythological stories about Jesus that contradict the New Testament accounts.
The James Ossuary
The James Ossuary is a 1st century limestone box that was discovered in 2002. An inscription on it reads “James, son of Joseph, brother of Jesus.” If authentic, it could refer to Jesus of Nazareth. However, the inscription’s authenticity is widely disputed among scholars.
The Talpiot Tomb
In 1980, a tomb was discovered in Talpiot, Jerusalem, that contained ossuaries inscribed with names associated with Jesus like “Jesus son of Joseph,” “Mary,” and “Judah son of Jesus.” Some claim this could be the family tomb of Jesus of Nazareth. But most scholars reject this identification for various reasons.
While fascinating, the vast majority of scholars do not believe these discoveries undermine the reliability of the New Testament accounts of Jesus. The four New Testament gospels remain the earliest and most historically reliable sources on the life of Jesus. None of the later “Jesus papers” can claim the same historical credibility.
What the Bible Says About Jesus
Rather than obscure “Jesus papers,” the most authoritative source on Jesus is the Bible itself. The New Testament contains four biographical accounts of Jesus’ life and ministry:
- Matthew – Emphasizes Jesus as the fulfillment of Old Testament prophecies about the Messiah.
- Mark – Focuses on Jesus’ deeds more than his words.
- Luke – Methodically investigates the truth about Jesus.
- John – Presents Jesus as the divine Son of God and giver of eternal life.
These accounts are corroborated by over 25,000 existing New Testament manuscripts. They were written within decades of Jesus’ life by eyewitnesses or those recording eyewitness testimony. The gospels provide detailed historical accounts of Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection.
In addition to the gospels, Jesus is mentioned by several 1st century non-Christian authors like Josephus, Tacitus, and Suetonius. These ancient sources confirm Jesus existed and founded Christianity.
Jesus’ Birth and Early Life
The gospels record Jesus was miraculously conceived by the virgin Mary through the power of the Holy Spirit (Luke 1:26-38). He was born in Bethlehem during the reign of King Herod (Matthew 2:1). As an infant, Jesus and his family fled to Egypt to escape Herod’s attempt to kill him (Matthew 2:13-15). They later relocated to Nazareth in Galilee (Matthew 2:19-23).
Little is recorded about Jesus’ childhood other than an episode at the Temple when he was twelve (Luke 2:41-52). He worked as a carpenter prior to beginning his ministry around age 30 (Mark 6:3).
Jesus’ Public Ministry
All four gospels record Jesus’ public ministry, which lasted around 3 years. Jesus announced the arrival of God’s Kingdom and called people to repentance (Mark 1:14-15). He taught with great authority, often through parables. Jesus performed many miracles of healing and deliverance with compassion. He also demonstrated his divine authority by forgiving sins (Mark 2:1-12), commanding nature (Mark 4:35-41), and even raising the dead (John 11:38-44).
Jesus chose 12 disciples who accompanied him during his ministry (Mark 3:13-19). The core of his teaching was love for God and neighbor (Matthew 22:37-40). Jesus frequently clashed with the religious leaders for holier-than-thou hypocrisy and failing to recognize his identity (Matthew 23).
Death and Resurrection
Jesus was crucified under Pontius Pilate around 30 AD, despite being found innocent of any crime (Matthew 27:11-26). His crucifixion fulfilled Isaiah’s prophecy 700 years earlier of the suffering servant (Isaiah 52:13-53:12). On the third day after his death, Jesus rose again from the grave, conquering sin and death (Matthew 28:1-10). His resurrection fulfilled the sign of Jonah (Matthew 12:38-40) and launched the Christian movement.
Jesus’ Claims About Himself
Jesus made radical personal claims that shocked his listeners. He stated he existed before Abraham (John 8:48-59). Jesus took the divine title “Son of Man” and declared he had authority to forgive sins (Mark 2:5-12). He stated that he was the only way to the Father (John 14:6). Jesus said that to reject him was to reject God (Luke 10:16).
By applying Old Testament prophesies to himself (Luke 4:16-30), Jesus claimed to be the long-awaited Messiah. His disciples recognized him as “the Christ, the Son of the living God” (Matthew 16:13-20). The greatest claim Jesus made about his identity was to share the personal name of God revealed to Moses – “I AM” (John 8:58).
Salvation through Jesus
The Bible teaches that all people have sinned and fall short of God’s perfect standard (Romans 3:23). But God in his love sent Jesus to die for sinful humanity (John 3:16-17). Those who repent of their sins and trust in Christ’s atoning sacrifice on their behalf receive forgiveness and eternal life as God’s free gift (Ephesians 2:4-9).
Jesus established a new covenant and is the one mediator between God and humanity (Hebrews 8:6-13, 1 Timothy 2:5-6). Salvation comes through faith in Jesus Christ apart from works of the law (Galatians 2:15-21). Those who believe in Jesus are spiritually reborn into God’s family as his children (John 1:10-13).
Conclusion
While non-biblical “Jesus papers” offer some interesting historical insights, they lack credibility to overturn the authoritative New Testament eyewitness accounts. The Bible remains the preeminent source documenting Jesus’ life, ministry, death and resurrection. The gospel records reveal Jesus’ true identity and mission to save sinners. No alternative Jesus theories proposed in more recently discovered ancient texts change these foundational truths.