Ah yes, a splinter group of Armstrongism. Still spouts the stuff about Jesus beginning his ministry in AD 27 - except that the Gospel of Luke states otherwise.
First Luke 3:1–3 tells us that John the Baptist, Jesus’ forerunner, began his ministry “in the 15th year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar.” Both Roman historians Tacitus (Annales 4 §4) and Suetonius (Tiberius 73) date the beginning of Tiberius’s reign at A.D. 14 (the precise date is August 19, the day of Emperor Augustus’s death). Hence the 15th year of Tiberius’s reign, counting from August 19, A.D. 14, brings us to A.D. 29 (14 + 15 = 29). Not surprising that armstrongism would cherry pick the gospels to support their 'doctrines'
Luke’s account also indicates that John, who was older, had been preaching for a while before Jesus was baptized. Note that AD 29 is only one year away from AD 30. This only allows 1 year for Jesus’ ministry, which is far too short of a period to account for the gospel account. Woops, just another instance of selective citation of the scripture.
The Apostle John lists 3 passovers - (2:13, 23); (6:4); and (11:55; 12:1). It is possible that there was a fourth that might be inferred from Mt 12:1 - but that could be another feast as well. This adds up to a length of about 3 ½ years for Jesus’ ministry - placing His crucifixion in AD33. Once again, their numbers don’t match the scriptural account.
Finally, in 33 AD, the full moon occurred on Friday, Nisan 14th. That makes the Passover a double sabbath since it coincides with the weekly sabbath. John in 20:31 writes ¶ The Jews therefore, because it was the preparation, that the bodies should not remain upon the cross on the sabbath day, (for that sabbath day was an high day,) besought Pilate that their legs might be broken, and that they might be taken away.
The chronology from the gospels is very straight forward from there on. Jesus died at the time the Passover lambs were being killed and was buried before the start of the High Sabbath (before 6 PM Friday). The guard was placed at the tomb some time Saturday. And the women came to the tomb at dawn (the day after the sabbaths - a reference to the double sabbath celebrated Friday night - Sat night and at dawn the angel removed the stone. Much more can be said of this sequence, but the simple facts point to 33 AD as the year of Jesus’ death. -
1. Only 33 AD meets the clear time line for the ministry documented in the gospels
2. It has the passover coinciding with the weekly sabbath, matching the gospel narrative.
Not so hard if one reads the entire gospel account.
Snore.
They are prodigious if not accurate.