Introduction to Christian Evidences

Acts 28:16-24)

Evidences and Apologetics

Apologetics: making a formal defense of a position (Stephen: Acts 6:8-14 and Acts 7)

Evidence: Body of information collected in order to present the truth of a position. The process:o Facts→Evidence→Reasoning→Deduction,

judgment→Belief, or disbelief (Homer Hailey, “Internal Evidences of Christianity”)

Christianity is NOT blind faith. “Human reason cannot prove the Christian

religion to be true. It can only show it to be more reasonable than unbelief.” (L.S. Keyser, “A System of Christian Evidences.”)

Why learn “Christian Evidences”?

1. Does God exist?2. Is the Bible the word of God?3. Is Jesus the Son of God, the resurrected Christ?

To answer the disbelievers, doubters, and skeptics of Christianity. To persuade the lost and despairing.

External and Internal Evidences

External evidence: What can be observed and learned outside of the scriptures (secular history, archaeology, geography, anthropology, literature, natural science).

Internal evidence: What can be learned from study of the Old and New Testaments.

Does God Exist? Is God active and relevant to mankind? Is He good or bad? Why is there evil and suffering? What about the teachings of modern science?

Does God exist? External evidence:

o Existence of a physical universe (What is its cause?)o Order, harmony, predictability in the universeo The limited mind of man compared to the existence of

speech, morality, empathy, and other “high” qualities and abilities

o Universal recognition and desire toward a divine being, throughout history

Internal evidence:o Scripture states and assumes God’s existenceo Rom. 1:18-22; Ps. 19:1-6 Universe suggests Godo Acts 14:15-17 Blessings from the physical world come

from Godo Isa. 55:8-9 God the source of all high and noble

thoughts

Is the Bible the Word of God?

Where did we get the Bible? Do we have a reliable text? What about other religions that do not use the

Bible, or that add to the Bible?

Is the Bible from God? External:

o Profound acts of devotion and service by believerso Archaeological, historical finds (Hittites, Canaanites;

various cities, peoples, and persons)o Agreement between Biblical descriptions and the

geology of the landso Vast sources of manuscripts of the texts

Internal:o Unity of theme and thought over 3,000 yearso Consistency of accounts; prophecieso Divine moral and spiritual nature of the writingso Honesty (sins of its heroes)o Timeless relevance to humanity

Is Jesus the Christ? Is Jesus a historical character? Are the New Testament writers reliable? What is the evidence for the resurrection? If so, what is expected of me?

Is Jesus the Christ? External

o His unique character and exalted natureo The exalted nature of the writings, compared to other

literatureo Consistency of the 5,000 or so New Testament

manuscriptso Mention by secular or pagan writers (Josephus, Tacitus,

Pliny the Younger) Internal

o His life compared to ancient prophecieso Rapid spread of the consistent gospel; difficult to put

over a hoaxo Eyewitness testimonyo Complete dedication of the early disciples, at enormous

cost.