Catholic Bible Study Augustine Institute

Some attempt to cast doubt on the reliability of the Gospels, asserting they were written too late in the first century to provide accurate information about Jesus. Is there any evidence that the Gospels were written closer to the events they describe? And how did the disciples’ training as students influence the reliability of their witness?

Do the Gospels tell us the truth about Jesus? Or should we view them as folklore, fables, or legends? Dr. Pitre demonstrates how the Gospels are best understood as ancient biographies, and, consequently, as reliable sources of historical information about Jesus.

The early church is not silent on the authorship of the Gospels. From the earliest members of the Christian faith, the early Church Fathers, we learn how well-attested it was that the Gospels are in fact written by Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John.

Can we trust the Gospels? Were these accounts written by individuals with firsthand knowledge of Jesus Christ? Dr. Brant Pitre begins this series by examining why the Gospels are reliable sources of information about Jesus and by looking at the historical evidence that backs up this claim.

As the study comes to the end, we pause to reflect on some questions that have arisen during our journey through Mark's Gospel.

Those mocking Jesus at the foot of the Cross are silenced when he utters a single sentence. As Jesus breathes his last and the Temple veil is torn, Mark records the words uttered by the Roman centurion, words which signal that God's people will finally see, hear and understand.