Thank you boogerman for that comprehensive list of verses, I looked up and read the first list and what struck me is that several scriptures speak of hearing and seeing what they witness about. Obviously those reading the apostle's letters had been alive when Jesus was on earth, they were literal eye witnesses.
None of us can claim to be eye witnesses of Jesus, so are we witnesses at all? Can we even claim to be witnesses of prophecies, what prophecies if so? Reading an old book doesn't make us very reliable witnesses does it? At least not the kind that would be listened to in a court of law.
I feel like there is something I should be able to see here but I can't, it's too vague. Maybe someone else can see it clearly?