About this video

• Video Title: CORE Christian Confessions BEFORE the New Testament - Gary Habermas
• Channel: Gary Habermas
• Speakers: Gary Habermas
• Duration: 1:00:13

Overview

This video by Gary Habermas explores the early creedal traditions within Christianity that existed before the New Testament books were written. Habermas argues that these early confessions, often found as oral sayings within the epistles and rarely in the Gospels, predate their written texts and are remarkably consistent in their core message about Jesus' deity, death, and resurrection. He presents evidence from critical scholars and linguistic analysis to support the trustworthiness and early origins of these confessions, highlighting their significance in understanding early Christology.

Key takeaways

• Early Creedal Traditions: The video emphasizes the existence and importance of Christian confessions (creeds) in the first 20 years after Jesus' death, before any New Testament book was written.
• Content of Early Creeds: These early confessions primarily focus on Jesus' deity, death, and resurrection, forming the core of early Christian belief.
• Trustworthiness of Early Creeds: Habermas presents arguments from critical scholars suggesting these creeds are reliable because they originate from the apostles and were formulated very soon after Jesus' crucifixion (days or months).
• "Early High Christology": The lecture introduces the concept of "early high Christology," referring to the elevated view of Jesus' nature and identity as expressed in these early confessions.
• Jesus' Deity and Pre-existence: Evidence is presented from early creeds and sayings, such as Philippians 2 and Mark 14, to argue for Jesus' divine nature, his pre-existence before earthly birth, and his identification with Yahweh.

According to the video, here's a general timeline for some New Testament books:

• Gospels:

  • Gospel of John: Latest, around 95 AD.
  • Gospel of Luke: Around 85 AD.
  • Gospel of Matthew: Around 80 AD.
  • Gospel of Mark: Could be as early as 35 years after the crucifixion (roughly 65-75 AD).

• Apostle Paul's Epistles:

  • Latest of Paul's books: Around 62-63 AD.
  • First Thessalonians: Around 50 AD (considered the first New Testament book written).