Like many ideas or systems, Christianity has a central theme to it, which without causes it to collapse. Whether it be a car, a watch or a refrigerator, there are critical components which if removed cause it to be something else. Moses seems to have recognized he was a contingent component in God’s plan, which could have gone on without him, when he said, "Send someone else…" … [Read more...]
Did Jesus Exist? (Part 5: Mara Bar-Serapion & the Talmud)
It’s remarkable that many thinking people today deny the historical existence of Jesus. In this series of articles, we have been exploring the evidence for the existence of Jesus purely from extrabiblical sources, rather than by appealing to the NT documents (see Evidence Unseen “Part Four,” 2013). In earlier articles in this series, we have considered the works of … [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...]
Frozen- The Eyewitness of "No Greater Love"
Before I go into any content about this movie, I want to warn the reader that there are major spoilers in this post. A thorough examination of the message behind the movie is not the intention of this post, rather I want to focus on one important detail in the movie that has value for understanding the force behind the eyewitness testimony of Jesus' disciples. If you have not … [Read more...]
A Defense of the Minimal Facts: Part 1
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...]
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...]
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...]
The Resurrection of Jesus: Investigation & Apologetic Approach
“... God is now declaring to men that all people everywhere should repent, because He has fixed a day in which He will judge the world in righteousness through a Man whom He has appointed, having furnished proof to all men by raising Him from the dead.” Now when they heard of the resurrection of the dead, some began to sneer, but others said, “We shall hear you again concerning … [Read more...]
Minimal Facts Method
[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: The “minimal facts approach” argues for the resurrection of Jesus based on its ability to explain the relevant historical facts that are “strongly evidenced…[and] granted by virtually all scholars on the … [Read more...]
The Resurrection of Jesus: A Christian Apologetics Cornerstone
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...]