THINK ABOUT THIS: Evidence That the Gospels are Based on Eyewitnesses
Mention eyewitnesses in the Gospels to a biblical skeptic like Bart Ehrman and the response will a litany of claims that amount to either accusing Matthew, Mark, Luke and John of making it all up, or that the church in the century after them embellished their work with legendary stuff.
Why did John specifically note the names of Simon of Cyrene’s two sons? (Screenshot from YouTube).
That legendary stuff included, according to the skeptics, the major doctrines concerning the death of Jesus, especially the one about His being resurrected from the dead on the third day after His crucifixion and burial.
“Is Jesus Alive’s” Erik Manning notes that the Gospel of John has 34 anonymous witnesses, but there are a few who are named.
Noting the recent scholarship of Richard Bauckham, Manning points to the fact they are named ought to be taken as a sign they merit extra attention, attention that reinforces the credibility of the Gospels as factual sources about the life, death and resurrection of Jesus:
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