Jesus and the Gospels
Extra-biblical references to Jesus and Christianity
A Gospel-focused study of extra-biblical references to jesus and christianity, attentive to historical setting, literary purpose, and how parallel accounts relate.
Jesus and the Gospels
Read each account as testimony with a purpose.
Studying Extra-biblical references to Jesus and Christianity requires attention to historical setting and to the literary choices of each Gospel or early source.
- 01
Map the witnesses
List which sources contain the claim and which details are shared, distinctive, or absent.
- 02
Respect literary shape
Difference in order, emphasis, or compression is not automatically agreement or contradiction.
- 03
Ask what follows
Separate what the text reports from later doctrinal or skeptical conclusions drawn from it.
Questions to keep open
Use these checks while you read.
- Which sources are independent or related?
- What does each account emphasize?
- What conclusion is historical and what conclusion is theological?
Return to the wider inquiry