Are the Gospel accounts historically reliable? This is perhaps the most important question in Christian apologetics, for if the Gospels are trustworthy, then we have good reason to believe in the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ.
The evidence is compelling. The Gospels were written within the lifetimes of eyewitnesses. Luke, in his prologue, explicitly states that he carefully investigated everything from the beginning. The manuscript tradition for the New Testament is unparalleled in the ancient world, with over 5,800 Greek manuscripts.
Archaeological discoveries continue to confirm details mentioned in the Gospels. The Pool of Bethesda, Pontius Pilate’s inscription at Caesarea, and the ossuary of Caiaphas the high priest all testify to the historical grounding of the Gospel narratives.
Furthermore, the criterion of embarrassment supports their authenticity — the authors included details that would have been embarrassing to the early church, such as the disciples’ frequent misunderstandings and Peter’s denial. This is not the behavior of fabricators.