Of the many non-Christian explanations for the Resurrection, the “Swoon Theory” is amongst the most popular. If Jesus didn’t really die on the cross, His alleged “resurrection” is really nothing more than a remarkable “resuscitation”. Those who doubt Jesus’ death often point to the short amount of time Jesus spent on the cross prior to dying. Victims of crucifixion typically … [Read more...]
Paul – Apostle or Fraud (Part 7)
“Now the apostles and brethren who were in Judea heard that the Gentiles had also received the word of God. And when Peter came up to Jerusalem, those of the circumcision contended with him, saying, ‘You went in to uncircumcised men and ate with them!” Acts 11:1-3 Uh-oh, Peter’s in trouble. The other apostles and brethren who were in Judea heard what had happened in Caesarea. … [Read more...]
What Did the Disciples See?
Introduction When it comes to the Christian faith, there is no doctrine more important than the resurrection of Jesus. Biblical faith is not simply centered in ethical and religious teachings. Instead, it is founded on the person and work of Jesus. If Jesus was not raised from the dead, we as His followers are still dead in our sins (1Cor.15:7). Explanations try to … [Read more...]
Is Good Friday a Myth? What 5 Ancient, Non-Christian Writings Reveal
Is Good Friday a Myth? “Good Friday? What’s the difference between Good Friday and a fairytale?” Imagine a skeptical relative asked you this question at a family gathering. I know--Awkward. But really, what would you say? Something similar happened to me when I was a teenager. But what was odd about it was that this lady just threw out a challenge that seemed to come out of … [Read more...]
Convince Me There’s A God – Archaeology 10
I used to think that Christians were ignorant to believe the “stories” in the Bible. I was taught those stories as a child, but grew up to “know” they weren’t true. Or did I? My investigation into the claims of theists about the existence of God and Christians about the existence of God’s Son led me into a study of archaeology in 1971. I was especially interested in … [Read more...]
A Look at the Evidence for the Death, Burial and Resurrection of Jesus
Introduction When it comes to the formation of the early Jesus movement, 1 Corinthians 15: 3-7 is a crucial element to the proclamation of the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus. In relation to early testimony, historian David Hacket Fisher says, “An historian must not merely provide good relevant evidence but the best relevant evidence. And the best relevant evidence, … [Read more...]
Convince Me There’s A God – Archaeology 9
As I mentioned in the last post, the Bible story about Abraham became a “possibility” for me as an atheist based on the archaeological evidence available during my 1971 investigation into theism and Christianity. It seemed from what I was researching that Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and Jacob’s sons “could” have lived during the time frame the Old Testament claimed in the locations … [Read more...]
Paul – Apostle or Fraud (Part 6)
In the last part of our study, we saw disciples of Christ sending Saul (Paul) from Jerusalem to Tarsus for his safety. That led to a time of peace for the believers throughout all Judea, Galilee and Samaria. “And walking in the fear of the Lord and in the comfort of the Holy Spirit, they were multiplied.” (Acts 9:31) Luke, the human author of Acts, then turned his attention … [Read more...]
Quickly Answering Memes
A staple for skeptics of religion on social media is the use of memes: pictures with captions that quickly elucidate an argument or display a contradiction in doctrine or Scripture. Most arguments against Christianity can be articulated in a sentence or two, but it takes a 1,000 word article to unpack. That isn't universal, however. To wit, I have selected three memes I … [Read more...]
Dissecting a camel tale – apologetics meets the media
While browsing the news the other day, I ran across this article on CNN’s ‘Belief Blog,’ “Will camel discovery break the Bible's back?” by Joel Baden, an associate professor of Old Testament at Yale Divinity School. I soon discovered it was one among many even more umm, ‘provocative,’ articles gaining popularity around the Internet. The conclusion of many of the articles was … [Read more...]