In the Gospels, a rich, young man approached Jesus and said to him, "Good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?" Jesus gave the infamous reply, "Why do you call me good? No one is good except God alone." This story is found in Matthew, Mark, and Luke; critics of Jesus' claims to deity often use it as ammunition in their case for a non-divine Jesus. It seems, they … [Read more...]
Tips in Studying Messianic Prophecy
Why should we study Messianic Prophecy? … [Read more...]
What is True Christianity(tm)? (part 3)
In part 1, I talked about how skeptics and atheists often complain when I (or another apologist) make the comment that such-and-so Christian is wrong. The skeptic usually says it means I have found “True Christianity™” and every other Christian who disagrees is going to go to hell. In part 2, I discussed degrees of wrong, using a traffic light as a guide. Green light is 99% … [Read more...]
Why Christianity Is True
There are only a handful of religions rooted in historical events rather than in philosophy. When something is historical, we can examine it by looking at events, documents and other historical records. Out of all of the religions in the world, only one provides a concrete, objective means for testing to see whether or not it is true: Christianity. … [Read more...]
Why the Hypothesis that God Raised Jesus from the Dead is the Best Explanation
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 show how … [Read more...]
The Unlikely Story of the Women
Critics of the Gospel’s Resurrection accounts often allege the story of Mary Magdalene and the “other Mary” visiting the tomb of Jesus contains contradictory details. For instance, Matthew 28:8 states “And they departed quickly from the sepulchre with fear and great joy; and did run to bring his disciples word.” Contrast this with Mark 16:8, which says, “And they went out … [Read more...]
Is Physical Healing a Guarantee in the Atonement?
Before I get started, let me take this quick moment to thank those who have voiced prayers for my wife and our family, as Kathy recovers from right thumb surgery. This posting is a revisiting of a subject I wrote on back in 2009 on the Real Issue blog. That posting and this one deal with the issue of the atonement as it relates to healing. The passage that is often … [Read more...]
Are We Born Evil?
In the book Isn't Religion Weird? Quotations for Atheists by Dave Lane, an anonymous quote reads: “Why does God punish us with suffering throughout life and an eternity in hell afterwards? Because we are born evil and depraved! But why are we born evil and depraved? Because God makes us that way. So God makes us a certain way and then punishes us for being that way!” … [Read more...]
A Look at the Carrier/Goodacre Debate: How Did Paul Receive the Gospel?
Clearing Up A Supposed Contradiction Between Galatians 1:11-12, and 1 Corinthians 15:3-5 Introduction Recently I was looking at some of the exchange of a debate between skeptic Richard Carrier and Marc Goodacre. Carrier said that one of the first places to start looking at the evidence for Jesus is Paul’s Letters. After all, they are the earliest documents we have for the … [Read more...]
What is True Christianity(tm)? (part 2)
In my last post, I said that we should bow to the weaker brother and let him have his ritual. If he thinks that we must be baptized by triune immersion in a lake, then let him get baptized that way. If he thinks all Christians should abstain from alcohol, then don’t crack open an ice-cold Corona with a lime wedge in front of him. In the non-essentials of faith, let the … [Read more...]