Eyewitnesses

2 Peter 1:16-18 (ESV)
¹⁶  For we did not follow cleverly devised myths when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eyewitnesses of his majesty. ¹⁷  For when he received honor and glory from God the Father, and the voice was borne to him by the Majestic Glory, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased,” ¹⁸  we ourselves heard this very voice borne from heaven, for we were with him on the holy mountain.

I love this passage.  It speaks of the certainty of the Gospel record, that the books weren’t written by people who had nothing to do with the story but by people who were eyewitnesses to the Lord’s ministry.  In fact, one of the requirements for the books of the New Testament were that they be written by those with “apostolic authority,”  those who were there throughout the three years Jesus walked the earth or, like Luke and Mark, were close companions of those who were.

At the beginning of his first letter, John speaks of his time with Jesus and tells us the same thing Peter does: 

1 John 1:1-2 (ESV)
¹  That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we looked upon and have touched with our hands, concerning the word of life— ²  the life was made manifest, and we have seen it, and testify to it and proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and was made manifest to us—

So, John was an eyewitness as well and identifies himself as such. 

Luke opens his Gospel telling us he has researched this and tells of what he found, that he interviewed people who had seen and walked with the Lord:

Luke 1:1-4 (ESV)
¹  Inasmuch as many have undertaken to compile a narrative of the things that have been accomplished among us, ²  just as those who from the beginning were eyewitnesses and ministers of the word have delivered them to us, ³  it seemed good to me also, having followed all things closely for some time past, to write an orderly account for you, most excellent Theophilus,
⁴  that you may have certainty concerning the things you have been taught.

His opening to the book of Acts is very similar:

Acts 1:1-3 (ESV)
¹  In the first book, O Theophilus, I have dealt with all that Jesus began to do and teach, ²  until the day when he was taken up, after he had given commands through the Holy Spirit to the apostles whom he had chosen. ³  He presented himself alive to them after his suffering by many proofs, appearing to them during forty days and speaking about the kingdom of God.

Much of Paul’s ministry was personally witnessed by Luke since the third person narrative is replaced in chapter 16 with the first-person, “we”.  Luke was Paul’s partner in ministry through most of Paul’s work, and as such, met the great leaders as well as the common Christians who had witnessed the Lord’s ministry.  In fact, many think Luke had a prolonged interview with Mary, Jesus’ mother, since his is the Gospel with the most information about Jesus’ childhood.

Another evidence of the genuineness of the books of the New Testament, of course, the apostles themselves. All but one, John, died violent deaths without ever denying what they had witnessed.  You might live for a lie, but you don’t die for one especially one you made up yourself.

And, if it were a lie, for what reason, so the apostles could live in wealth?  No, the apostles all lived lives of humility.  Was it for fame?  No, the apostles spent most of their time trying not to attract the attention of the powers that be who sought to kill them.  Was it for power?  No, during their lives, these men held very little sway over people except for the message they carried.  The teachings and character these men displayed were also consistent with their message of honoring God with honesty, love, and truth.

The Gospel message is true, not some made up story by a conspiracy of men who thought they would spring a lie upon the world.  Take it from those who were there, the eyewinesses.