Jesus' resurrection after his crucifixion and death is the cornerstone of the Christian faith. The apostle Paul, after giving an account (1 Cor 15) of this event, says that if it didn't happen, the Christian religion is useless. He adds that, then, Christians should be most pitied because they are still in trouble with the God of the universe. But even on a practical note, it … [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...]
Book Review: Cold Case Christianity
Introduction Cold-Case Christianity: A Homicide Detective Investigates the Claims of the Gospels (Paperback Kindle, Audiobook) is one of the latest books to examine the evidence for the reliability of the New Testament. Detective Jim Wallace was an atheist before he began putting Christianity to the same tests that he places witnesses and suspects to in his investigations of … [Read more...]
Eyewitness Testimony
[This post is a work in progress as part of the CAA Catechism.] [Add the title only in the title field, not in the body of the post.] Summary in 400 words or less: Eyewitness testimony has been a vital part of family and community life for thousands of years. Moses told Israel - "by the mouth of two or three witnesses the matter shall be established" (Deuteronomy … [Read more...]
Christmas Science
In an article from scienceblogs.com, the writer opens with this statement: “If there's one universal trait among humans, it seems to be an unquenchable thirst for certainty.” We want to know what is provable beyond a shadow of doubt. Where would you guess that most of us think that type of certainty is found? The realm of science! How is it that Science supposes gives us … [Read more...]
On having a perfect brother
Following the birth of Jesus, Scripture indicates that Mary went on to have other children. I quote Mark 6:3 below: “Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary, and brother of James and Joses and Judas and Simon? Are not His sisters here with us?” And they took offense at Him." (NASB) My question is, what would it have been like to grow up with a perfect older brother? Some of … [Read more...]
The Earliest Record of the Death and Resurrection of Jesus- A Look at 1 Corinthians 15:3-7
As historians evaluate the sources available for the resurrection of Jesus, a critical question is the dating of the sources. 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, all things being equal, is evidence which is most nearly … [Read more...]
Were Jesus’ Disciples Gullible?
One of the common attacks on the reliability of the Bible, and the New Testament in particular, is the idea that “people back then were a lot more gullible about things like miracles and people rising from the dead.” A commenter on a BBC internet thread put it like this, “Were the disciples just gullible? Aren't the followers of all religious leaders?” Or as Rudolph Bultmann … [Read more...]
Who Wrote the Gospels?
One often hears the claim, made frequently by skeptical scholars and laypeople alike, that we have no grounds on which to think the four canonical gospels were actually written by the people to whom they are ascribed. The original documents, we are told, were written in anonymity, the attributions being added by scribes at a later date. This claim is made frequently by the … [Read more...]
Are the Gospels Based on Eyewitness Testimony? The Test of Personal Names
Are the gospels based on credible eyewitness testimony? This is a question on which modern scholars line up on both sides of the divide. From my point of view, the cumulative case for the gospels being based on the testimony of eyewitnesses is clear and convincing. In his groundbreaking work, Jesus and the Eyewitnesses, Richard Bauckham (professor of New Testament studies at … [Read more...]