campus commonwealth academy apologetics class january 3-4, 2015 campus commonwealth academy...

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Campus Commonwealth Academy

Apologetics ClassJanuary 3-4, 2015

The Historicity of Jesus

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Did Jesus really exist? Did the Resurrection really

happen?

Lesson Outline

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Core Reading

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Proving Jesus’ Historicity

Address skeptic’s questions Identify the most reliable historical

resource: The Gospels Corroborate The Gospels with other

historians Verify the facts with Archaeological

evidence Case Study: The Resurrection - the

greatest miracle!

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The Value of Evidence

Has the collection of evidence really been thorough?

Which explanation best fits the totality of the facts? [Strobel]

An argument without evidence is merely an assertion or opinion [Koukl]

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1. Eyewitness Evidence (the gospel accounts)2. Documentary Evidence (preservation of

the gospels)3. Corroborating Evidence (evidence outside

of the gospels)4. Scientific Evidence (the role of

archaeology)5. Rebuttal Evidence (refuting opposing

claims)

Types of Evidence

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3 types of “scholarship”: Sceptical – biased to gain headlines, may be from

educated authors but written directly for public rather than academic review

Apologetic – defending the faith, may be from educated authors but written directly for public rather than academic review

Mainstream – requires peer review, quality assurance, contributes to the body of scholarly knowledge

“The Christ Files,” John Dickson, 2010

Sensational vs. Scholarly?

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Did Jesus Exist?

The Jesus Myth Other Jesus Myths The Gospel Record The Historical Record The Archaeological Record

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Did Jesus Exist?

“Honest and accurate testimony will withstand scrutiny, while false, exaggerated or misleading testimony will be exposed”

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What is the “Jesus myth”?

“In simpler terms, the historical Jesus did not exist. Or if he did, he had virtually nothing to do with the founding of Christianity." Bart Ehrman, Did Jesus Exist? 2012, p. 12

3-fold argument from the 19th century:1. The New Testament has no historical value2. No non-Christian 1st century references3. Christianity’s pagan and/or mythical roots

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How would you answer the “Jesus myth”?

1. The New Testament has no historical value

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1. The New Testament has no historical value Assess the validity of NT historical references Identify archaeological corroboration

2. No non-Christian 1st century references

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2. No non-Christian 1st century references Evaluate non-Christian historical references Compare to references from other historical

events

3. Christianity’s pagan and/or mythical roots

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2. No non-Christian 1st century references Evaluate non-Christian historical references Compare to references from other historical

events

3. Christianity’s pagan and/or mythical roots Do parallelisms discredit or verify Christ’s

historicity? Find unique teachings of Jesus

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If we apply to the New Testament, as we should, the same sort of criteria as we should apply to other ancient writings containing historical material, we can no more reject Jesus' existence than we can reject the existence of a mass of pagan personages whose reality as historical figures is never questioned. Michael Grant (1977), Jesus: An Historian's Review of the Gospels

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"modern critical methods fail to support the Christ-myth theory”

“no serious scholar has ventured to postulate the non-historicity of Jesus”

the mythicists: "have not succeeded in disposing of the much stronger, indeed very abundant, evidence to the contrary”

Michael Grant (1977), Jesus: An Historian's Review of the Gospels

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Other “Jesus myths”

1993: Barbara Thiering's reinterpretation of the New Testament: “the married, divorced, and remarried Jesus, father of four, becomes the "Wicked Priest" of the Dead Sea Scrolls”

2003: Dan Brown’s The Da Vinci Code:Jesus had a secret wife, named Mary Magdalene, and he fathered two children with her… the ‘Holy Grail’ is the secret of Jesus’ bloodline

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Are some Gospels missing?

Additional “Christian” Writings 52 ancient texts based upon the teachings of

several spiritual leaders Written from the 2nd to the 4th century AD Example: The Gospel of Thomas emphasizes

the Gnostic theme of knowledge as the key to salvation

No Early Church Father quoted them and no Christian denomination includes them in their canon

Any Doubts? Read them! They are not similar to the New Testament

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Debunking Da Vinci

Brown’s factual errors (The Christ Files, p.29) NT Gospels published 200 years before

Constantine None of the “additional gospels”

confidently date to the first century or were considered for NT inclusion by Constantine

No Christian texts found with the Dead Sea Scrolls

No ancient text suggests that Jesus married Mary Magdelene or had children with her

Nag Hammadi manuscripts are readily available to the public in Cairo!

Good entertainment ≠ History!

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Three Questions to Answer: Can the Gospels be used as reliable

eyewitness accounts? Why weren’t the Gospels written down

right away? Oral vs. Written Tradition Are there any earlier Christian records?

Can we trust the Gospel record?

The Gospel Record

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“Because of similarities in language and content, it has traditionally been assumed that Matthew and Luke drew upon Mark’s earlier gospel in writing their own. In addition, scholars have said that Matthew and Luke also incorporated some material from this mysterious Q, material that is absent from Mark.” [Strobel]

The Gospel’s Origins

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Matthew (50-70 AD): eyewitness, used Mark and QMark (50-60 AD): probably the earliest Gospel, collaborated with eyewitness PeterLuke (~60 AD): historical account from eyewitnesses including Mark and QJohn (50-85 AD): most likely a later independent Gospel account, also an eyewitness

“Q” (quelle or source) – used by Luke and Matthew

Eyewitness Evidence

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General agreement among scholars:1. Mark was written before Matthew and

Luke2. Matthew and Luke broadly follow

Mark’s sequence and incorporate Markan material into their gospels

3. John’s outline of events does not easily dovetail with Mark’s or vice versa

- Barnett

The Gospels

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Source critics (practitioners of the science of

Source Criticism) see 3 threads in Matthew:1. Mark: (90% of Mark in Matthew) ~50% of

Matthew2. “Q”: (shared with Luke) ~25% of Matthew3. “M”: (unique Matthew material) ~25% of

Matthew

Q: As one of the Twelve, Matthew was an eyewitness, so why borrow from Mark?

Matthew: Eyewitness

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Second century church writers agreed that it

was Mark who wrote the second gospel, based on information supplied by Peter:

1. Papias (AD 130) writing from Hierapolis in Asia Minor

2. Justin (AD 150) writing in Rome3. Irenaeus (AD 170) writing in Gaul4. Clement (AD 180) writing in Alexandria

Mark: Peter’s Eyewitness Account

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Peter says: Acts 2:32 “God has raised this Jesus to life,

and we are all witnesses of it.” Acts 3:15 “You killed the author of life, but God

raised him from the dead. We are witnesses of this.”

1 Peter 5:1 “To the elders among you, I appeal as a fellow elder and a witness of Christ’s sufferings who will also share in the glory to be revealed.”

Mark: Peter’s Eyewitness Account

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Luke 1:1-4 “Many have undertaken to draw up an account of the things that have been fulfilled among us, just as they were handed down to us by those who from the first were eyewitnesses and servants of the word. With this in mind, since I myself have carefully investigated everything from the beginning, I too decided to write an orderly account for you, most excellent Theophilus, so that you may know the certainty of the things you have been taught.”

Luke: Eyewitness Compiler

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Barnett draws 3 inferences from the above passage:1. Certain eyewitnesses compiled narratives

about Jesus2. These were passed on to Luke who was not

an eyewitness 2nd century writers (e.g., Papias, Irenaeus)

agree that Luke was not an eyewitness3. Using eyewitness testimony, Luke compiled a

more comprehensive history

Luke: Eyewitness Compiler

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John 19:35 (ESV) “He who saw it has borne

witness-his testimony is true, and he knows that he is telling the truth-that you may also believe.”

John 21:24 (ESV) “This is the disciple who is bearing witness about these things, and who has written these things, and we know that his testimony is true.”

John as a “Witness”

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Strobel, quotes scholar Dr. Gregory Boyd (author of “Cynic Sage or Son of God? Recovering the Real Jesus in an Age of Revisionist Replies”)“The gospels have a very confident eyewitness perspective, as if they had a camera there”“Generally, if a source is considered reliable-and I would argue that there are plenty of reasons to believe that the gospels are reliable-it should be considered credible, even if it can’t be confirmed by other sources”

Confident eyewitness perspective

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“On the whole, the gospels are excellent sources…they’re the most trustworthy, complete and reliable sources for Jesus. The incidental sources really don’t add much detailed information; however, they are valuable as corroborative evidence”-Edwin Yamauchi, Ph. D

The Gospels are reliable

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Why were the Gospels written down 30-

60 years after his death? Did Christians use Jewish mnemonics to

memorize Jesus’ teachings? Professor James Dun of U of Durham (UK)

proposed “informal, controlled oral tradition” passed down through “Teachers”

2 Timothy 2:2 “And the things you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses entrust to reliable people who will also be qualified to teach others.”

Oral vs. Written Tradition

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Paul’s earliest letter is likely Galatians

(45-48 AD) This represents a gap of about 15

years after Jesus’ death and resurrection Or less…

Q: Anything major that you know happened about 15 years ago (9-11)?

Paul’s letters:Earlier than the Gospels

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Early Hymns

I. Philippians 2:6-11I. Written <61 ADII. The “Gospel”!

II. Colossians 1:15-20I. Written <60ADII. Theology Depth!

Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts.

Colossians 3:16

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For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, and that he appeared to Cephas, and then to the Twelve. After that, he appeared to more than five hundred of the brothers and sisters at the same time, most of whom are still living, though some have fallen asleep. Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles…”

1 Corinthians 15:3-7

1 Cor 15: An Early “Creed”

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30 AD – Jesus’ crucifixion 32 AD – Paul’s conversion 35 AD – Paul meets apostles in Jerusalem

Galatians 1:18 “after three years, I went up to Jerusalem to get acquainted with Cephas”

Likely scenario: Paul “received” the well-known “creed” of 1 Co. 15 within 5 years of the crucifixion!

Q: What is the purpose of “Creeds”? Q: Do we use them?

When Did Paul “Receive” 1 Cor 15?

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Close Proximity in time

“…A good case can be made for saying that Christian belief in the Resurrection, though not yet written down, can be dated to within two years of that very event.” [Strobel quoting Blomberg]

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Proving Jesus’ Historicity

Address skeptic’s questions Identify the most reliable historical

resource: The Gospels Corroborate The Gospels with other

historians Verify the facts with Archaeological

evidence Case Study: The Resurrection - the

greatest miracle!

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“…if we want any details about Jesus’ life and teachings, we must turn to the New Testament. Extrabiblical sources confirm what we read in the gospels, but they don’t really tell us anything new. The question then must be: how historically reliable are the New Testament documents?”[William Lane Craig]

The Historical Record

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“We can have great confidence in the fidelity with which this material has come down to us, especially compared with any other ancient literary work.”Bruce Metzger, Ph. D

NT material stands out

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The Purity of the NT

“The New Testament, then, has not only survived in more manuscripts than any other book from antiquity, but it has survived in a purer form than any other great book-a form that is 99.5 percent pure” [Geisler and Nix, “A General Introduction to the Bible,” page 367]

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Corroborate (Webster): to

make more certain; confirm. This type of evidence deals with

whether ancient historians confirm or contradict the New Testament’s claims about Jesus’ life, teachings and miracles.

Corroborating Evidence

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“…The New Testament writers themselves are the best reason for believing about the existence of Jesus. However, there is other early information about Jesus written by non-Christians. These non-Christian sources fall into two broad classes, Roman and Jewish.”[Is the New Testament History? Paul Barnett]

Non-Christian sources

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Roman Sources

Pliny the Younger

Tacitus Suetonius

Jewish Sources

Josephus Rabbi Eliezer Benediction

Twelve

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Roman Corroboration

Pliny The Younger A Roman Nephew of Pliny

the Elder Letters from

Bithynia” (approx. AD 112)

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Pliny, an experienced administrator, complained

to Emperor Trajan about a movement involving “many of all ages and every rank and also of both sexes.” He further lamented the effect on “not the cities only, but also the villages and the country.”

“Based on what Pliny wrote there can be no doubt about the existence in about AD 110 of a substantial body of Christians in remote Bithynia. This is a fact of history.”

[Barnett, “Is the New Testament History?”]

Pliny’s Complaints

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Roman Corroboration

Tacitus One of his main

works was “The Annals”

In AD 115 he explicitly stated that Nero persecuted the Christians as scapegoats after the fire of AD 64

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Jewish Corroboration

Josephus Born in AD 37 Wrote The Antiquities of

the Jews (93 AD) Lived through the Jewish-

Roman War of 66-73 AD A priest; a Pharisee Disliked by Jews, popular

among Christians

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“He convened a meeting of the Sanhedrin and brought before them a man named James, the brother of Jesus, who was called the Christ, and certain others. He accused them of having transgressed the law and delivered them up to be stoned.”

Josephus: The Antiquities


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“Now there was about this time Jesus, a wise man, if it be lawful to call him a man; for he was a doer of wonderful works, a teacher of such men as receive the truth with pleasure. He drew over to him both many of the Jews and many of the Gentiles. He was [the] Christ…”

Josephus: The Testimonium Flavianum


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“…And when Pilate, at the suggestion of the principal men amongst us, had condemned him to the cross, those that loved him at the first did not forsake him; for he appeared to them alive again the third day…”

Josephus: The Testimonium Flavianum


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“…as the divine prophets had foretold these and ten thousand other wonderful things concerning him. And the tribe of Christians, so named from him, are not extinct at this day”

Book 18, Chapter 3,3, The Antiquities


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Yamauchi observes: “…today there’s a remarkable consensus among both Jewish and Christian scholars that the passage as a whole is authentic, although there may be some interpolations… But even so, Josephus corroborates important information about Jesus.”


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Other Sources Thallus (writings were around 52 AD ) Phlegon (Greek author who wrote around

137 AD) Julius Africanus (wrote around 221 AD and

quoted Thallus) The books of the apostolic fathers

(especially the 7 letters of Ignatius)

Other Corroboration

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Historical ComparisonAuthor Date Oldest Copy Interval Copies

Aristophanes 400 BC AD 900 1,300 years 45

Aristotle 340 BC AD 1100 1,450 years 5

Demosthenes 300 BC AD 1100 1,400 years 200

Julius Caesar 50 BC AD 900 950 years 10

Herodotus 435 BC AD 900 1,350 years 8

Homer 800 BC AD 100 900 years 643

Plato 360 BC AD 800 1,150 years 15

Sophocles 415 BC AD 1000 1,400 years 7

Thucydides 410 BC AD 900 1,300 years 8

Old Testament 1500 BC – 500 BC

200 BC 300+ years 5,000

New Testament AD 50-90 AD 125 50 years 8,000

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“…we have better historical documentation for Jesus than for the founder of any other ancient religion” [Yamauchi]1.The Gathans of Zoroaster (1000 BC) Scriptures written after 3rd century AD – 1300 yr

gap2.The scriptures of Buddha (6th century BC) Biography written in 1st century AD – 700 year

gap3.The sayings of Muhammed (570-632 AD) Biography written in 767 AD – 150 year gap

Historical Comparison

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“The stones cry out…” Are the facts found in

Bible compatible with what Archaeologists discover?

Is the Bible a reliable source for historical information?

Archaeological Evidence

Pilate Inscription Caesarea AD 30

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Rylands Fragment AD 125 John 18:31-33, 37 Manchester, UK Manuscript

evidence for the canonical gospels

Archaeology Confirms Historicity

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“The general consensus of both liberal and conservative scholars is that Luke is very accurate as a historian…archaeological discoveries are showing over and over again that Luke is accurate in what he has to say.”

Lee Strobel quoting McRay

Luke: 1st Class Historian

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Luke’s Historical Accuracy

“One prominent archaeologist carefully examined Luke’s references to 32 countries, 54 cities and 9 islands, finding not a single mistake” Geisler & Howe, “When Critics Ask”

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Inscription from the time of Tiberius Caesar (ruled from 14-37AD) names Lysanias as tetrarch of Abila near Damascus. [Abila was the capital city of the Roman district of Abilene]

Luke 3:1 Lysanias Tetrarch of Abilene

For the salvation of the Au[gust] lordsand of [all] their household,Nymphaeus, free[dman] of Ea[gle]Lysanias tetrarch establishedthis street and other things.

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“Now there is in Jerusalem near the Sheep Gate a pool, which in Aramaic is called Bethesda and which is surrounded by five covered colonnades.” Excavated Pool about

40 feet below the ground with 5 colonnaded porches or walkways

John 5:2 Pool of Bethesda

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John: Well, Pool, Pavement

John 4:12 Jacob’s Well

John 9:7 The Pool of

Siloam

John 19:13 The Stone Pavement

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Archaeological Evidence

Australian archaeologist Clifford Wilson: “Those who know the facts now recognize that the New Testament must be accepted as a remarkably accurate source book.”

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Scholars accept the historicity of

Jesus The Gospels are reliable eyewitness

accounts Paul’s testimony dates from a few

years of the events Historians corroborate the Gospels Archaeology corroborates the

Gospels

Summary:What does the evidence

reveal?

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Are Miracles Possible? Resurrection Implications Resurrection Facts Resurrection Options Resurrection Conclusion

Reference for this Resurrection Argument: Jacoby, “Compelling Evidence” and “True and Reasonable”

Case Study: Resurrection

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Miracles would break the laws

of nature The laws of nature cannot be

broken Therefore miracles are

impossible

Are Miracles Possible?

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Many claim to do miracles:

Are they exaggerations? Is there any proof? Some discount Bible miracles, but accept

"paranormal phenomena” Witnessing a miracle does not guarantee

future obedience and can cause wrong motivations (Deut 8)

Miracles can't convince a person who is unwilling to be convinced! (Luke 16:31)

Watch out for counterfeits! (2 Thes 2:9)

Are Miracles Possible?

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God, by definition, can perform miracles! Apostles as Con-Men/Tricksters/Magicians?

Jesus' miracles were undeniable and accepted even by his enemies (John 11:47)

Jesus' followers were men integrity who performed miracles publicly with no appeal for money (Acts 8:20)

Miracles were not to stun or thrill, but to verify that the teachings were from God (Mark 16:20)

God wants our faith based on reason, not sensation!

Biblical Miracles

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Luke’s observation about Jesus:

Acts 1:3 (NIV) “After his suffering, he presented himself to them and gave many convincing proofs that he was alive.”

Jesus himself offered proof that he had been raised from the dead

Many convincing proofs

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For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ... was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, and that he appeared to Peter... then to the Twelve... to more than five hundred of the brothers at the same time... to James ... to all the apostles, and ...to me also.And if Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is your faith... More than that, we are then found to be false witnesses about God. And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins. Then those who have fallen asleep [died] in Christ are lost. If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are to be pitied more than all men ... If the dead are not raised, "Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die." 1 Corinthians 15:3-32

1 Corinthians 15

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Preaching is useless. Christians are liars. Christian faith is useless. Sins are still unforgiven. The dead have no hope of salvation. We are the most pathetic people in the

world. Party, since life is short and has no

meaning.

Without Resurrection…

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Any miracle is possible. Jesus’ prediction came true. The claims of Jesus stand. We have hope! We must share our hope with others!

With the Resurrection…

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Matthew 27:26-28:15 Mark 15:15-16:14 Luke 22:63-24:12 John 19:1-20:28

Resurrection Accounts

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Historian’s Criteria for Establishing Facts: Eyewitness account Multiple sources Authenticity and honesty (may be

embarrassing or difficult)

Establishing Historical Facts

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Eyewitness account?

Gospel authors = eyewitnesses Paul = eyewitness 500 eyewitnesses (1 Cor. 15)

Multiple sources? Gospels, Paul’s letters Authentic? (embarrassing or unlikely)

Women as first eyewitnesses Tomb of Joseph of Arimathea Conversion of skeptical disciples, James, Paul

Resurrection Evidence

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Resurrection Facts

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“If you talked about the ‘empty tomb’ [30 years ago in scholarly academic circles] there would be a lot of snickering and nobody but the evangelicals who published in that area would accept it. If you talked about resurrection appearances of Jesus...everybody would have laughed. Today, the majority of NT scholars, historians, theologians and philosophers who publish in the area believe in the empty tomb – almost two-thirds... Today, bodily resurrection is the predominant view in the academy.”

Dr. Gary Habermas, Veritas Forum, Nov 2012

Shifting Scholarly Opinion?

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Disciples created an elaborate hoax that grew

into a legend Why?

What possible motive would they have for lying? Why would they be willing to die for a lie?

How? These “unschooled” fisherman fooled the

Jews/Romans? When?

So close to the events – others would have exposed them

What? What type of men does that make the disciples?

All a Big Hoax?

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Resurrection Options

A Big Mistake!Tomb Occupied

A Big Mystery:Tomb Empty

Wrong Tomb Hallucination Remiss:Jesus was Still Alive

Jesus Died

Removed:Someone elseRemoved Jesus

Resurrected:God Removed JesusHe is Who He Claims

DisciplesGardenerRobbers

RomansJews

UFOs/Worms

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Disciples went to the wrong tomb and found it

empty Sooner or later someone (Joseph of Arimathea,

owner of the tomb?) would have discovered the right tomb and realized the mistake!

A Big Mistake:The Wrong Tomb?

Wrong Tomb Right Tomb

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Eventually they would have

found the dead body of Jesus and disproved the resurrection claims

James (skeptic) and Paul (enemy): wouldn’t be easy to fool!

Paul stated that there were more than 500 witnesses of the resurrection -- a foolish claim if they were still around to be questioned.

The tomb was empty!

A Big Mistake:Just a Hallucination?

Hallucination

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A Big Mistake:Tomb Occupied

A Big Mystery:The Empty Tomb

Wrong Tomb Hallucination Remiss:Jesus was Still Alive

Jesus Died




RomansJews

UFOs/Worms

X

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Disciples and Roman executioners were

confused about whether Jesus actually died (John 19:23, 32-33)

Jesus survived the whipping, torture, and crucifixion with a spear thrust into his heart (John 19:34)

He spent 36 hours in the tomb covered in 75 pounds of ointments (John 19:39), with no food or water!

Jesus revived, got up, rolled the stone away, overpowered the Roman guards, walked miles and miles on pierced feet…

A Big Mystery: He’s Not Really Dead?

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Jesus Developed an elaborate con to trick

people: Convinced his disciples that he conquered

death and rose from the dead Taught them to pass on the resurrection hoax to

others Asked his followers to give up their lives for a lie Led millions of people to suffer “in his name”

The Remiss Theory refutes itself This theory is totally out of character for Jesus You can’t trick Roman executioners The disciples weren’t part of an elaborate hoax

A Big Mystery:He’s Not Really Dead?

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Deceitful Disciples Assume the disciples stole the body and

then spread a lie Stealing and lying in violation of Jesus’

teachings Then they gave their lives and were martyred

for a lie Men may give their lives for a worthy cause, but

this would mean that these men of extraordinary character not only sacrificed themselves for a lie, but also sent thousands of men to their grave for a lie

Declare that Disciples are not Deceitful!

A Big Mystery Who Stole the Body?

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Early Bird Gardener

If the gardener stole the body, broke the seal of Pilate (Matthew 27:66), and overpowered the Roman guards, he committed a serious crime against the Roman state.

Why? If he were a friend to the Christians, would he

not produce the body to save them from persecution?

If he were against the Christians, would he not produce the body to stop the rapid spread of Christianity?

Grant the gardener the benefit of the doubt!


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Thoughtless Thieves

Grave robbers typically look for valuables, not corpses!

What motivation would thieves have for risking their lives to overpower the Roman soldiers and steal a corpse?

Case dismissed!


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Rebellious Romans

The Romans had no motivation to steal the body and produce a stir that would launch the Christians into a world-shaking growth spurt!

The soldiers were put to death for letting this happen!

Release the Roman Regiment!


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Jealous Jews

Now we are getting absurd! The Jews would be the last ones to

aid the Christian movement by creating the circumstances for promoting a "myth" of the resurrection!

If they took they body, all they would have to do to stop the movement was to produce the body and prove that it was all a hoax

Judge the Jews innocent!


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UFOs or Worms?

Since we are examining all of the absurd possibilities, let's also dismiss the claims of science fiction writers and non-scientific types that the body was removed by aliens or eaten by starving worms in a 36-hour period

Come back to earth!


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A Big Mistake:Tomb Occupied

A Big Mystery:The Empty Tomb

Wrong Tomb Hallucination Jesus was Still Alive

Jesus Died




RomansJews

UFOs/Worms

X

XX

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The tomb: occupied or empty?

We saw that it was certainly empty Jesus: dead or alive in the tomb:

We saw that he was dead The body: removed by others or

resurrected by God himself? No one could not have taken the body God must have resurrected Jesus!

Mystery Solved:Must Be a Resurrection!

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The Disciples: Hallucinators or Holy

Spirit Believers The Church: Resurrection Driven or

Liars?


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In the past God overlooked such

ignorance, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent. For he has set a day when he will judge the world with justice by the man he has appointed [Jesus]. He has given proof of this to all men by raising him from the dead. (Acts 17:30-31)


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Relationship with God is personal,

therefore… It requires a personal relationship to

understand Not email, friend request, or poke… he

sent us! It challenges the very fiber of our beliefs

Hard to admit our ignorance It judges us sinners in need of

forgiveness Give up our sin!

It demands a response… Jesus is Lord!

Motivation…

campus commonwealth academy apologetics class january 3-4, 2015 campus commonwealth academy...

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