Note: See Part One Here: Introduction One of the most prominent themes throughout the Bible is the kingdom of God. The framework of Israel’s existence and self-understanding was formulated from God’s covenant with Israel and Israel’s servant to God the King. Israel is the people of the king, and the holy land is the land of the king’s rule. Given the Messiah is supposed to be … [Read more...]
Who is the One True God? A Look at Prophecy as a Verification Test
Introduction The skeptical issue in our culture mostly enters into the religious dialogue in the following way: “In the case of God, who isn’t some physical object but a divine being, what kind of evidence should we expect to find? [1] There is a tendency to forget that the Bible stresses that sin can dampen the cognitive faculties that God has given us to find Him. … [Read more...]
Did Jesus' Disciples Have Hallucinations? (Tolle Lege)
Most New Testament scholars, even non-believers and skeptics, acknowledge that Jesus' followers had experiences of Him being alive following His crucifixion.* But a common skeptical reply to this well-founded fact is that these experiences are best explained as hallucinations on the part of the disciples.** But how reasonable is this claim? In his recent book Can You Believe … [Read more...]
Answering Jewish Objections: “Jewish People Don’t Believe in a Suffering/Atoning Messiah”: Part Four
This is our final post in our series on Answering Jewish Objections: “Jewish People Don’t Believe in a Suffering/Atoning Messiah." See Part One, Two, and Three. Here are some more rabbinical sources: Messiah of Justice [Meshiah Tsidenu], though we are Thy forebears. Thou are greater than we because Thou didst bear the burden of our children’s sins and our great opresssions … [Read more...]
Review: Jesus on Trial by David Limbaugh
Dan Barkman | With endorsements from apologists like Frank Turek and Ravi Zacharias, I had high hopes for David Limbaugh's Jesus on Trial and the book did not disappoint. Limbaugh-a New York Times best-selling author-revealed that he has long been fascinated by intellectual defenses of the Christian faith but finally decided to put his thoughts to writing after being … [Read more...]
Handling a Rabbi’s Objection About The Resurrection of Jesus
Dan Cohn-Sherbock, a well-known rabbi of Reform Judaism, and Jewish theologian has given some of his reasons for rejecting the resurrection of Jesus. He says: “As a Jew and a rabbi, I could be convinced of Jesus’ resurrection, but I would set very high standards of what is required. It would not be enough to have a subjective experience of Jesus. If I heard voices or had a … [Read more...]
Did Jesus Inherit The House Of Joseph?
Christianity is founded on the idea that Jesus is the Jewish Messiah. Out of all of the requirements for the Messiah, being born in the House of David is the most important one. Yet in order to inherit that house in the Old Testament sense, Jesus would have to be counted as the son of a male descendant of David. Given the Biblical account (which I believe to be the true … [Read more...]
EQUIPPED: Vol. 1, No. 2 – Evidence for the Existence of Jesus
Vol. 1, No. 2 Evidence for the Existence of Jesus "The Word Became Flesh and Dwelt Among Us" If you’re looking for a good conversation starter, try asking, “Who is the most important person in history?” and follow it up with, “Why do you say that?” After reading this issue, you will be EQUIPPED to discuss these questions and answer the most important question: “Who do you say … [Read more...]
Debating Christianity and Islam on Spice FM: A Conversation on the Deity of Christ
I was recently invited to do a debate on a local radio station that airs in Tyneside, England, called Spice FM. Every Thursday, a Muslim program, called "Eye on the East", run by Muslim activist Daniel Johnson of the Islamic Diversity Center airs. In the video above, I take on Daniel Johnson and Muslim apologist Majid Younus on the identity of Christ and the validity of the … [Read more...]
Answering Jewish Objections: “Jewish People Don’t Believe in a Suffering/Atoning Messiah”: Part Three
This is the third part in our series. To see Part One, click here. To see Part Two, click here. Remember the following: Targums are the Aramaic Translations of the Jewish Scriptures (The Tanakh), that were read in the synagogues on the Sabbath and on feast or fast days. Scholars usually assume the Targums were … [Read more...]