I was recently sent an article by Matthew Ferguson of Adversus Apologetica where he attempts to knock down the minimal facts approach. Looking through the article, I was largely unimpressed. For those interested, it can be found here: The minimal facts approach is used by Gary Habermas and Mike Licona. This strategy take facts that even liberal scholarship acknowledges and … [Read more...]
Challenging Eyewitnesses of the Resurrection
Last year I wrote a post regarding the irony of rejecting the eyewitness accounts to Jesus' resurrection. I received the following challenge that attempts to undermine the reliability of eyewitnesses and the truth of the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Since the Christian faith is grounded on this unique event in history (1 Corinthians 15), the challenge must be addressed. Here … [Read more...]
Days of Future Past: Do Our Choices Matter?
“So many battles waged over the years... and yet, none like this. Are we destined to destroy each other, or can we change each other and unite? Is the future truly set?” – Charles Xavier X-Men: Days of Future Past is a story about free will and human nature. It’s many other things as well – an excellently crafted movie, an equal rights parable, a commentary on human atrocities, … [Read more...]
What Does the Bible Teach About the Nature of the Soul?
The Biblical authors used two words currently translated as “soul”: “nephesh” (neh’-fesh) in the Old Testament and “psuche” (psoo-khay’) in the New Testament. These Hebrew and Greek words are used to describe many characteristics of animals and humans other than their soulish nature, so for the most part, they typically don’t tell us much about the nature of the soul. There … [Read more...]
On Miracles and Historiography: Can The Supernatural Ever Be The Best Explanation?
Anyone who has engaged in or interacted with any public discourse on the subject of miracles in the New Testament (especially the resurrection) will have encountered this objection: How can an historian infer that a miracle is the best explanation of historical data, given that supernatural phenomena are, by their very nature, extremely improbable? One might grant that the mass … [Read more...]
God in History
With Easter just a few days around the corner, I believe it is important that we remember the greater historical reality this day points to: that God became man, “made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant” (Phil. 2:7) and remained obedient to death – “even to death on a cross” (Phil. 2:8). This postulate (“God became man”) has incalculable historical, … [Read more...]
Theories about the Mystery of Christ Crucified
What did Jesus’ death accomplish, and how did it accomplish it? Although Christians regard Jesus’ death as tremendously significant, there’s some disagreement as to why and how that is so. This being Good Friday, it might be appropriate to reflect on the following C.S. Lewis quotation: The central Christian belief is that Christ's death has somehow put us right with God and … [Read more...]
The Resurrection of Jesus: A Look at the Evidence
I can’t lay claim to being great at planning, as I had intended to finish this series some time ago. But with it being Holy Week, and with Easter just around the corner, it seemed a perfect time to conclude by looking at the evidence for the Resurrection of Jesus. … [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...]
Does the Mosaic Law Apply to Christians? (Conclusion)
(I continue a possible solution to this question from part 1 last month) Before moving to a possible solution, it is pertinent to understand the purpose of the Mosaic Law in the Old Testament. First and foremost, the Law did not confer salvation. There was a causal relation between keeping God’s laws and blessing (cf. Exodus 20:12, Leviticus 18:5), but this in no way imparted … [Read more...]