[squirt]

the next assignment is clear: figure out whether these gospels have been reliably handed down to us over the centuries, how can we be sure that the texts we're reading today bear any resemblence to what was originally written in the first century? what's more, how do we know that the gospels are telling us the full story about Jesus? it's ironic: the bible considers it praiseworthy to have a faith that does not require evidence, remember how Jesus replied to Thomas: "You believe because you can see; blessed are those who have not seen and yet believe." evidence can never compel or coerce faith, we cannot supplant the role of the Holy Spirit, which is often a concern of Christians when they hear discussions of this kind, there are plenty of stories of scholars in the New Testament field who have not been Christians, yet through their study of these very issues have come to faith in Christ, and there have been countless more scholars, already believers, whose faith has been made stronger, more solid, more grounded, because of the evidence