# II: The New Testament explained — The Age of Reason

> Chapter companion for The Age of Reason by Thomas Paine.

## What happens

Paine systematically attacks the authenticity and consistency of the New Testament, arguing that the Gospels are contradictory forgeries written long after the events they describe. He highlights the irreconcilable genealogies of Jesus in Matthew and Luke, dismisses the story of the resurrection as a common apparition tale, and denounces the epistles of Paul as the work of a fanatic. Paine concludes that the New Testament is a collection of improbable, indecent, and contradictory tales, urging readers to embrace deism instead.

## Themes in this chapter

### Critique of Biblical Inerrancy

Paine highlights contradictions in the genealogies of Jesus and the resurrection timeline to argue the New Testament is not divinely inspired.

### Reason vs. Revelation

Paine contrasts rational analysis with the miraculous claims of the New Testament, advocating for deism based on reason.

### Critique of Organized Religion

Paine accuses the church of suppressing investigation and using forgery to maintain power, especially in the context of the French Revolution.

## Character check-ins

### Thomas Paine

Author and critic; systematically deconstructs the New Testament's authenticity and contradictions.

### Jesus Christ

Central figure of the New Testament; Paine discusses the contradictory genealogies and the resurrection story as a fabricated legend.

### Matthew

Attributed author of a Gospel; Paine contrasts Matthew's genealogy of Jesus with Luke's, showing irreconcilable differences.

### Luke

Attributed author of a Gospel; Paine notes Luke's genealogy contradicts Matthew's, undermining the Gospel's credibility.

### Paul

Author of the epistles; Paine dismisses Paul's conversion story as unremarkable and his character as fanatical.

### Mary Magdalene

Mentioned in the context of the Gospel of Mark's story about her having seven devils, which Paine uses to illustrate the credulity of the era.

## Key lines

> Each writer told a tale as he heard it, or thereabouts, and gave to his book the name of the saint or the apostle whom tradition had given as the eyewitness.

Each Gospel author simply wrote down stories they had heard, attributing their work to a saint or apostle who was traditionally considered an eyewitness.

_Paine argues the Gospels are not firsthand accounts but later compilations of hearsay._

> If they cannot be believed in their account of his natural genealogy, how are we to believe them when they tell us he was the son of God, begotten by a ghost?

If the Gospel writers are unreliable about Jesus's human ancestry, why should we trust their claim that he was conceived by the Holy Spirit?

_Paine uses the contradictory genealogies to undermine the credibility of the entire Gospel narrative._

> The story of his being struck to the ground as he was journeying to Damascus, has nothing in it miraculous or extraordinary; he escaped with life, and that is more than many others have done, who have been struck with lightning.

Paul's conversion on the road to Damascus is not miraculous; being struck down and surviving is no different from what happens to many lightning strike victims.

_Paine dismisses Paul's conversion as a natural event, not a divine revelation._

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/the_age_of_reason_se/chapters/part-ii-ii-the-new-testament
- Book: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/the_age_of_reason_se
- All chapters: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/the_age_of_reason_se/chapters