What Is The Non-Christian Evidence For Jesus?

“So Paul, standing in the midst of the Areopagus, said: ‘Men of Athens, I perceive that in every way you are very religious. For as I passed along and observed the objects of your worship, I found also an altar with this inscription: “To the unknown god.” What therefore you worship as unknown, this I proclaim to you.’” —Acts 17:22–23

If Jesus is really God, it would seem we wouldn't need the New Testament to tell us so. Non-Christians writing during the early years of the Christian movement surely would have known something about him.

In fact, they did. 

If you refused to open a New Testament, what could we tell you about Jesus? 

Everything you would need to know to trust in him as your Lord.

If we had no New Testament, we could defend the belief that Jesus is Lord solely on the basis of non-Christian writings, which are nearly all as old as the New Testament books themselves. Consider this brief survey of the evidence, presented chronologically. 

• In the earliest pagan reference to Jesus' existence and death, Thallus the Samaritan (AD 52) attempted to explain the darkness of the crucifixion of Jesus as an eclipse of the sun.
• Mara bar Serapion (writing after AD 70, as he describes the Fall of Jerusalem) adds: "What advantage did the Jews gain from executing their wise King? It was just after that their kingdom was abolished." His letter shows that the first Christians saw Jesus not just as a religious teacher, but as their King.
• The Roman historian Suetonius (AD 65–135) records: "Punishments were also inflicted on the Christians, a sect professing a new and mischievous religious belief" (Nero 16.2). Note that the Empire would not punish people who followed a religious teacher, only one who made him Lord in place of Caesar. 

Finally, consider Jewish historian Josephus' (AD 37/38–97) most famous statement about Jesus (Antiquities 18.3.3): 

Now, there was about this time, Jesus, a wise man, if it be lawful to call him a man, for he was a doer of wonderful works, a teacher of such men as receive the truth with pleasure. He drew over to him both many of the Jews, and many of the Gentiles. He was Christ; and when Pilate, at the suggestion of the principal men amongst us, had condemned him to the cross, those that loved him at the first did not forsake him, for he appeared to them alive again the third day, as the divine prophets had foretold these and ten thousand other wonderful things concerning him; and the tribe of Christians, so named from him, are not extinct at this day. 

While most historians do not believe that this paragraph represents Josephus' own faith, it does document the beliefs of early Christians regarding Jesus. And note that it was written before the end of the first century. 

So, from these early non-Christian records we know that Jesus Christ existed, that he was crucified, and that the first Christians believed that he was raised from the dead and worshiped him as Lord. 

These are the facts of the gospel. 

And we can be sure of them without opening a Bible.