Received wisdom is that the historian can say nothing about miracles. This statement can take one of several different forms. For example, Bart Ehrman says of the Resurrection that "Historians can only establish what probably happened in the past, and by definition a miracle is the least probable occurrence. And so, by the very nature of the canons of historical research, we … [Read more...]
The Discrepancies of Bart Ehrman Examined
In his debate against William Lane Craig on “Is There Historical Evidence for the Resurrection of Jesus?” Bart Ehrman gives a laundry list of alleged discrepancies in the Gospel accounts of the Resurrection (transcript here). Ehrman argues that the Gospels are not reliable as history because of these discrepancies. Detailed examination, however, will show that Ehrman’s alleged … [Read more...]
Hume and Modern Miracle Claims
In his famous essay “Of Miracles,” David Hume argues that “it forms a strong presumption against all supernatural and miraculous relations, that they are observed chiefly to abound among ignorant and barbarous nations; or if a civilized people has ever given admission to any of them, that people will be found to have received them from ignorant and barbarous ancestors, who … [Read more...]
The Appearance to Paul
In his first letter to the Corinthians the apostle Paul testified that Christ appeared to him after being raised from the dead (1 Cor. 15:8). This experience transformed him from a leading opponent and persecutor of the church to its most famous missionary. The record indicates that Paul spent the last three decades or so of his life after this experience traveling around the … [Read more...]