The evidence for our New Testament writings is ever so much greater than the evidence for many writings of classical authors, the authenticity of which no one dreams of questioning. And if the New Testament were a collection of secular writings, their authenticity would generally be regarded as beyond all doubt.
Interpretation
The authenticity of the New Testament writings is more supported by evidence than many classical texts that are widely accepted.
F. F. Bruce emphasizes the substantial evidence supporting the authenticity of the New Testament compared to that of many classical authors. He argues that if the New Testament were treated like other secular texts, their authenticity would not be questioned, highlighting a bias in how ancient writings are assessed based on their content and context.
In practice
In a discussion on the reliability of ancient texts, this quote can be used to emphasize the evidence supporting religious writings.
Some writers may toy with the fancy of a ‘Christ-myth,’ but they do not do so on the ground of historical evidence. The historicity of Christ is as axiomatic for an unbiased historian as the historicity of Julius Caesar. It is not historians who propagate the ‘Christ-myth’ theories.
The soul’s deepest thirst is for God Himself, who has made us so that we can never be satisfied without Him.
When a human kills an animal for food, he is neglecting his own hunger for justice. Man prays for mercy, but is unwilling to extend it to others. Why should man then expect mercy from God? It's unfair to expect something that you are not willing to give.
The self of which you speak, whether it is the great self or the small self, is only a concept that does not correspond to any reality.
We save the world by being alive ourselves.
Spirituality is rebellion; religiousness is orthodoxy. Spirituality is individuality; religiousness is just remaining part of the crowd psychology. Religiousness keeps you a sheep, and spirituality is a lion's roar.
The true foundation of theology is to ascertain the character of God. It is by the aid of Statistics that law in the social sphere can be ascertained and codified, and certain aspects of the character of God thereby revealed. The study of statistics is thus a religious service.
When I was younger, I could do something useful just by being free for half a day, but now I need five days to get the world I've left out of my head and ten days or a fortnight not talking to anyone to hold what I need to hold inside my head.
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