What's At Stake Regarding the Four Gospels?
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The Game of Telephone Comparison
The Game of Telephone Comparison
Illustration:
Imagine you’re at a party, and someone suggests playing the game of telephone. The first person whispers, ‘The dog chased the ball,’ and by the time it gets to the last person, they say, ‘The frog baked a cake!’ Everyone laughs because the message got completely twisted as it was passed down the line.
Transition to the Gospel critique:
Now imagine someone saying that’s exactly how the story of Jesus was passed down—just a big game of telephone where details were exaggerated, events were added, and the message was distorted until we ended up with the Gospels we have today.
Pivot to the truth:
But here’s the good news: That’s not how the Gospels came to us. Far from being a distorted game of telephone, they were carefully preserved by eyewitnesses and written down under the guidance of the Holy Spirit. Tonight, I want to show you why the Gospels are trustworthy, what’s at stake if they aren’t, and how their message can change your life.
The Reliability of the Gospels
The Reliability of the Gospels
The Gospels Are Not Like Telephone - They are a Reliable Message from God
The Flawed Analogy
In the game of telephone, there’s no accountability—anyone can change the message. But in the ancient world, oral tradition was sacred. Jewish and early Christian communities passed down teachings with precision because they knew these messages were life-changing.
J. Warner Wallace: “The oral tradition in the ancient world was not like a game of telephone; it was a reliable method of communication, safeguarded by those who were accountable for what they said.”
The “Copies of Copies of Copies” Critique
Another common critique is that we only have “copies of copies of copies” of the orginial Gospels, so how can we trust them? Critics say error must have crept in over time.”
The Response:
While it’s true we don’t have the original manuscripts, we have over 5,800 Greek New Testament manuscripts - far more than any other ancient work. These copies were made carefully and can be cross-referenced to reconstruct the originals with remarkable accuracy.
Dr. Daniel Wallace (Senior Research Professor of New Testament Studies at Dallas Theological Seminary): “We have an embarrassment of riches when it comes to the New Testament manuscripts. The sheer volume allows us to reconstruct the text with a degree of confidence unrivaled by any other ancient document.”
The Gospel’s Timing
The Gospels weren’t written hundreds of years later. They were written within the lifetimes of the eyewitnesses - people who saw Jesus heal, teach, die, and rise again. These weren’t legends - they were actual historical events and people whose lives were transformed by Jesus.
1 John 1:1–2 “That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we looked upon and have touched with our hands, concerning the word of life— the life was made manifest, and we have seen it, and testify to it and proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and was made manifest to us—”
God’s Hand in the Messages
The Gospels are more than history - they are God’s Word. He didn’t just leave the truth about Jesus up to human memory. The Holy Spirit guided the writers, ensuring that the message would be clear for every generation - including ours.
2 Peter 1:21 “For no prophecy was ever produced by the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.”
2 Timothy 3:16 “All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness,”
Evidence for the Gospels
Eyewitness Accounts
The Gospels were written by people who either walked with Jesus (Matthew & John) or carefully interviewed those who did (Mark & Luke). When you read the Gospels, you’re hearing the voices of people who were there when He calmed the storm, healed the sick, and defeated death itself.
Luke 1:2–3 “just as those who from the beginning were eyewitnesses and ministers of the word have delivered them to us, it seemed good to me also, having followed all things closely for some time past, to write an orderly account for you, most excellent Theophilus,”
External Evidence
History and archaeology back up the Gospels. From places to Nazareth and Capernaum to names like Pontius Pilate, every detail reminds us: This really happened.
Craig Blomberg: “Archaeology has not produced anything that is unequivocally a contradiction to the Bible. On the contrary, there have been many opinions of skeptical scholars that have become more tentative or have changed altogether because of archaeological discoveries.”
A Faithful God
God didn’t just preserve the truth through history; He made sure it reached you and me. The Gospels aren’t an accident - they are God’s personal message to us, telling us the story of His Son Jesus, and inviting us to trust Him.
Why This Matters: The Stakes Are Eternal
Why This Matters: The Stakes Are Eternal
The Stakes Are High
If the Gospels aren’t reliable, then we don’t know Jesus. And if we don’t know Jesus, we have no hope for forgiveness, no purpose in life, and no promise of eternal life.
1 Corinthians 15:14 “And if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain and your faith is in vain.”
That’s why critics attack the Gospels - because the message of Jesus is offensive. And if it’s true, it changes everything.
CS Lewis: “Christianity, if false, is of no importance, and if true, of infinite importance. The only thing it cannot be is moderately important.”
A Message of Love and Hope - For Unbelievers
The Gospels aren’t just stories - they are the good new that God loves you so much He sent His Son, Jesus, to rescue you.
A Call to the Church
Church, we cannot afford to treat this topic lightly. The reliability of the Gospels is not just an academic debate—it is the foundation of our faith and the message we are called to proclaim. If the Gospels are true—and they are—then the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ is the greatest news the world has ever heard. But here’s the question: Are we living like we believe that?
We live in a culture that is constantly questioning the truth of Scripture. The critics are loud, but our response cannot be silence. We must know why we believe the Gospels are true. We must be ready to defend their reliability. And most importantly, we must boldly proclaim the truth they contain: that Jesus Christ is the Son of God who came on a rescue mission to seek and save the lost.
Read the Gospels. Know their message. Defend their truth. And live like you believe the good news they proclaim. Jesus is alive. His Word is true. And the world desperately needs to hear it—from us.
The stakes couldn’t be higher. Eternity is at stake. Souls are at stake. The mission of the Church is at stake. Let us be a people who declare with confidence: The Gospels are true, and the Jesus they reveal is worth everything.
Resources
Resources
Books
Lee Strobel - The Case for Christ
J. Warner Wallace - Cold-Case Christianity: A Homicide Detective Investigates the Claims of the Gospels
CS Lewis - Mere Christianity
Sean McDowell & Josh McDowell - Evidence That Demands a Verdict: Life-Changing Truth for a Skeptical World
Craig Blomberg - The Historical Reliability of the Gospels
YouTube & Podcast
ColdCaseChristianity
Cross Examined
Sean McDowell
Wes Huff - Can I Trust the Bible?