The question of how we know that eyewitnesses of the resurrection wrote the Bible touches upon faith, tradition, and historical scholarship. The New Testament, particularly the Gospels, are central to this discussion. While the Bible itself does not explicitly state, “This was written by an eyewitness to the resurrection,” there are several ways in which the early Christian community, and subsequent generations, have understood these texts to be intimately connected to eyewitness accounts.

1. Apostolic Tradition: The early Church held that the Gospels were written by apostles or those closely connected to them. For example, Mark’s Gospel is traditionally believed to be the teachings of Peter, as Mark was a companion of Peter. Luke, though not an eyewitness himself, begins his Gospel by noting that he has followed “all things closely for some time past” (Luke 1:3, ESV), suggesting a careful gathering of accounts from those who were firsthand witnesses. John’s Gospel is traditionally attributed to John the apostle, whom the Gospel itself describes as “the disciple whom Jesus loved” and an eyewitness to many events he records (John 21:24).
2. Internal Evidence: Within the texts themselves, there are claims to eyewitness testimony. For instance, the author of 1 John begins with a strong emphasis on the physical reality of Jesus Christ, whom they have “heard,” “seen,” and “touched” (1 John 1:1). This serves as an implicit claim to eyewitness authority. Similarly, the preface to Luke’s Gospel indicates a careful compilation of accounts handed down by “those who from the beginning were eyewitnesses and ministers of the word” (Luke 1:2).
3. Early Christian Testimony: Early church fathers, such as Irenaeus, Tertullian, and Papias, provide external attestations to the authorship and reliability of the Gospels, linking them to eyewitnesses or those closely associated with them. These early testimonies, while not part of the biblical canon, offer insight into how the earliest Christians understood the origins of these texts.
4. Historical Reliability and Research: Modern biblical scholarship continues to explore these questions, with some scholars affirming traditional authorship attributions and others proposing various theories about the texts’ origins. While debates continue, many scholars note the Gospels’ emphasis on historical events and locations, the specificity of details, and the portrayal of characters in ways that suggest access to eyewitness accounts.

Understanding the connection between eyewitnesses and the New Testament writings ultimately involves a combination of faith in the Christian tradition, consideration of internal and external evidences, and engagement with ongoing scholarly research. The belief that these texts convey the truth of the events they describe, especially the resurrection of Jesus, is foundational to Christian faith.