Testing the New Testament Texts

(The first in a series of posts offering a look into why it is reasonable to believe that the Bible is authoritative.)

I met a young woman at church recently and I doubt either of us would have thought, at that time, that she would make an appearance in a blog post about onomastic congruence. I was a bit surprised to learn that her name was Freda. Surprised because it is an old name and because it was my grandmother’s name and she was born in 1910.

 According to The Bump (Look! I am quoting from a resource called, The Bump!), “Freda is a girl’s name of German origin that means “peaceful ruler.” The feminine version of Fred and a short form of Frederica, this name has been around for a long time… Freda made its first appearance in the charts way back in 1880 but aligns beautifully with today’s trend of old-timer baby names being selected, giving these names a new lease on life.”1

Think about the things that influence naming our children. What we choose to call our kids is greatly influenced by the names of ancestors, immediate family members, notable contemporaries, or even the names of historical figures. Another layer of consideration is the naming conventions within our circle of friends, family, and even what is going on in popular culture at the moment, as we have just seen with my new friend Freda.

Onomastic congruence, Freda will be thrilled to learn, is a research term that describes how ancient authors’ use of proper names align with what’s known about the naming patterns and practices of the time and place they’re writing about.2 Who knew that people 2,000 years ago               named their kids after Uncle Fred?

Essentially, onomastic congruence is one check on the authenticity of ancient texts by taking a look at how they handle proper names. Proper names can either confirm or cast a shadow of doubt on the legitimacy of ancient texts.

Take the case of the Gospel of Judas for instance, a non-canonical religious text, its content consists of conversations between Jesus and his disciples, especially Judas Iscariot. The only copy of it known to exist is a Coptic [Egyptian] language text.The text is part of the Codex Tchacos, which has been radiocarbon dated to 280 AD, plus or minus 60 years.3 There are just two proper names, Judas and Jesus, that appear in this gospel that would have been popular in Judea in the first century. All the other proper names contained in the document are names popular in Egypt in the 2nd and 3rd centuries AD.4 Notice that the radiocarbon dating confirms the shadow of doubt cast upon the veracity of the gospel by onomastic congruence.

The early Christian Church dismissed the Gospel of Judas because of the quality of its content and dubious authorship. Several gospels, and epistles too for that matter, were rejected for inclusion in the Christian Bible’s canon, including the Gnostic Gospels, Gospel of Peter, and Infancy Gospels. Key reasons for rejection included apostolic authority, age, popularity, and orthodoxy. So, these fraudulent gospels and epistles of the early church period were judged in much the same fashion and ultimately never made it to the list of the 27 approved New Testament books.

Over the course of a few hundred years, these dubious texts were dismissed for not satisfying the criteria of canonization set by the early church. It was at the Council of Hippo (AD 393), that the official list of the 27 books of the New Testament was canonized. So, even though the list was made official at Hippo, the books were not chosen there. The process took more than three centuries to complete.

The first book of the New Testament to be revered as inspired and authoritative was probably Paul’s epistle to the Galatians (2 Peter 3:15-16). It was written about AD 53 and in circulation, being copied well before the turn of the first century. The Synoptic Gospels (Matthew, Mark, and Luke) probably written in AD 63 – 65, also enjoyed the reverence and respect afforded the Word of God.5  It is generally accepted that the latest of the New Testament books had to be written by the early part of AD 70 as none of them make mention of the destruction of Jerusalem in the Spring of that year, and is believed, had any of the books been written past this date, mention would have been made of such a cataclysmic event. The exception is the book of Revelation, written around AD 90, the prophetic work written by John the Apostle is extremely symbolic in nature and many believe the fall of Jerusalem is mentioned in it.

Finally, The New Testament canon was formed through a combination of apostolic authority, orthodoxy, and widespread acceptance among early Christian communities. Essentially, the criteria for inclusion were that a writing be authentically linked to an apostle or their close associates, that its teachings align with the core beliefs of the early church, and that it be recognized and used by a broad segment of Christian communities.6 The 27 books of the New Testament canonized at the Council of Hippo in AD 393, ratified what took 300 years to accomplish.

Onomastic congruence, along with textual attestation, unintended coincidences, the witness of external history, archaeology, the manuscript testimony, and more, all work in concert to prove the authenticity, veracity, and authority of the New Testament that cannot be ignored.

NOTES

1Freda, Baby Names, The Bump, https://www.thebump.com/b/freda-baby-name, (retrieved 6/4/2025)

 2Van de Weghe, Luuk, Name Recall in the Synoptic Gospels, Cambridge University Press, Website (retrieved 6/5/2025)

3The Gospel of Judas, Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gospel_of_Judas, (retrieved 6/5/2025)

4Huff, Wes, Onomastic congruence – how names show the Bible’s accuracy, YouTube Video, (accessed 6/4/2025)

5Childers, Alisa, Did Early Christians Believe the Bible was Inspired, Inerrant, and Authoritative?, website, https://www.alisachildersblog.com/blog/did-early-christians-believe-the-bible-was-inspired-inerrant-and-authoritative, (website accessed 6/5/2025). Included are selected quotes from the early church fathers on the inspiration of the Bible: Clement of Rome, Justin Martyr, Irenaeus, and Tertullian.

6Jennings, Toby, How Did We Get the New Testament Canon?, Lifeway website: https://explorethebible.lifeway.com/blog/adults/how-did-we-get-the-new-testament-canon/ (accessed 6/5/2025)