During a discussion on the ordination of women, a friend asked:
How do we know for sure that Jesus only had male apostles? The Bible was only written down hundreds of years after Christ died and some situations could very well have been changed to suit the people in power or the authors.
First of all, the New Testament was *not *written “hundreds of years after Christ died.” Even liberal biblical scholars concede that it was written down within living memory of Christ and the apostles (180 years). Many scholars believe that the New Testament was completed by the end of the first century, which is within seventy years of the death of Christ. The books of the New Testament were not officially placed into the canon of Scripture by the Church for several hundred years, but they were certainly written well before that time.
The New Testament offers several lists of the names of Christ’s apostles, all of whom were men (cf. Matt. 10:2-3; Luke 6:13-16; Acts 1:13, 26), and records that they were specifically chosen by Christ from among his disciples. As your friend is the one claiming that the New Testament is incorrect, at best, or a falsified document, at worst, it is your friend’s burden to prove that assertion.
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