Peter Williams’s book is quite frankly brilliant. In many ways it is unique, and its a significant addition to the many books that defend the trustworthiness of the Bible. Williams limits himself to the four gospel accounts, bringing some focus to what would otherwise be a very long book. Over eight accessible chapters, he layers up evidence upon evidence for the trustworthiness of these four accounts.
Particularly of note are chapters three and four. Here the focus is on how the incidental details within the accounts themselves show that they were written within a close time period to the actual events they were recording. Williams utilises their awareness of names, of places, and of the culture to build our confidence that they were written by, or with the help of, eyewitnesses. He also shows that these four sources, while independent, support each other in incidental though remarkable ways.
This is a great book to pass on to a sceptic or someone exploring the faith. However, it’s also well worth reading to grow in your confidence in the gospel accounts and to be able to give a defence when the opportunity arises.
