Whew, that was quite a journey through historical and religious perspectives! The main points seem to be about the reliability of early Christian sources, with a focus on Paul and his careful preservation of traditions. If there's anything specific you want to delve deeper into or discuss further, feel free to let me know!
Here are the key facts extracted from the provided text:
1. The gospel books include the first three called the synoptic gospels: Mark, Matthew, and Luke.
2. The dating of these gospels varies, with Mark placed at 65 to 75 A.D., Matthew at about 80 A.D., Luke at about 85 A.D., and John at about 95 A.D.
3. Secular history often has sources that are written centuries after the events, such as Alexander the Great, where the earliest sources start about 280 years after his death.
4. Despite this time gap, secular historians do not question the existence of figures like Alexander the Great.
5. The New Testament sources, including the gospels and Paul's epistles, provide historical information about Jesus.
6. Scholars have applied historical criteria to the New Testament and consider certain books and passages to be reliable historical sources.
7. The seven authentic epistles of Paul (Romans, 1 Corinthians, 2 Corinthians, Galatians, Philippians, 1 Thessalonians, and Philemon) are highly regarded by scholars for historical information.
8. Early Christian beliefs, including the crucifixion of Jesus, his disciples' experiences, and the proclamation of these events, were widespread.
9. Early Christian leaders, including Paul, Peter, James, and John, played key roles in spreading the faith.
10. Paul's willingness to travel to Jerusalem and meet with other early Christian leaders for validation underscores the seriousness of his historical investigation.
These facts are derived from the text and do not include opinions or interpretations.