the resurrection of jesus christ: the critical evidence for christianity

©2013 Third Column Ministries

Resurrection: The Critical Evidence for Christianity


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References Scriptural references taken from the following and their

respective copyrights retained: NIV: THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION® NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984

by International Bible Society® NASB: Scripture taken from the NEW AMERICAN STANDARD BIBLE®, Copyright ©

1960,1962,1963,1968,1971,1972,1973,1975,1977,1995 by The Lockman Foundation. ESV: The Holy Bible, English Standard Version® (ESV®) Copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a

publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. HCSB: Holman Christian Standard Bible® Copyright © 1999, 2000, 2002, 2003 by Holman

Bible Publishers. NLT: Holy Bible, New Living Translation copyright © 1996, 2004, 2007 by Tyndale House

Foundation. Book Citations from: The Case for the Resurrection

of Jesus by Gary R. Habermas and Michael R. Licona and their respective copyrights are retained: Kregel Publications 2004


Resources needed for this Class Video Lectures: The Case for the Resurrection, by Dr. Michael Licona & Michael Patton (Credo House)

Book: The Case for the Resurrection of Jesus by Gary R. Habermas and Michael R. Licona (Sep 25, 2004)

Kindle location provided for book citation in the notes area.


Questions Did the resurrection of Jesus really happen? Is the resurrection reasonable? What evidence is there for the resurrection? Was it a heavenly vision or bodily appearance?

What significance is the Shroud of Turin, if any?

Did God have anything to do with the resurrection?

Can I use the resurrection in sharing my faith?


Topics covered Miracles – Naturalism v. Supernaturalism Historical inquiry – how can we know what happened in the past

Minimal Facts Argument Objections to the Resurrection Our future hope Videos Resurrection Game


Critical Evidence Why is the resurrection critical evidence for Christianity?

Christianity is a falsifiable religion If the resurrection did not happen then Christianity is false

Paul makes the statement in the 1st letter to the Corinthians


1 Corinthians 15:12-17• 12Now if Christ be preached that he rose from the dead,

how say some among you that there is no resurrection of the dead? 13But if there be no resurrection of the dead, then is Christ not risen: 14And if Christ be not risen, then is our preaching vain, and your faith is also vain. 15Yes, and we are found false witnesses of God; because we have testified of God that he raised up Christ: whom he raised not up, if so be that the dead rise not. 16For if the dead rise not, then is not Christ raised: 17And if Christ be not raised, your faith is vain; you are yet in your sins.


Historical Research Absolute certainty and reasonable certainty Scale of Certainty

Absolute Certainty

Virtual Certain

Extremely Likely

Highly Likely Likely Neutral Unlikely Highly

UnlikleyExtreamly Unlikely

Virtually Impossible

Absolute Impossibili

ty


Videos in this Class The Case for the Resurrection

Credo House Dr. Michael Licona & Michael Patton

Session One: Why is the resurrection of Jesus so important?

Isn’t it adequate to hold that Jesus was a great teacher?

Can the Resurrection be proven?


Discussion Why is the resurrection of Jesus so important?

Isn’t it adequate to hold that Jesus was a great teacher?

Can the Resurrection be proven? Do we have biases? Why specifically do we want to prove the resurrection?


Part 1


C.S. Lewis “Christianity is a statement which, if false, is of no importance and if true, is of infinite importance. The one thing it cannot be is moderately important.” C.S. Lewis, God in the Dock: Essays on

Theology and Ethics


Preface Who has bias? What should people do with their biases? Everyone has biases and presuppositions. We do too.

“However, intellectual integrity requires that we set aside biases to the point that we can recognize them for what they are.”


The Evidence What kind of evidence does Christianity have?

“In our opinion, the quality and quantity of evidence that Christianity is true far surpasses the evidence in favor of any other religion or worldview.”

“The evidence suggests that God exists and has actually revealed himself to us in Jesus Christ. The evidence attests that Christians have the most accurate view of reality.”


Dialogue What do we need to do in order to have effective dialogue?

“…we must learn how to summarize arguments in less than thirty seconds.”

“Everything should be as simple as possible, but no simpler.”


Introduction – Jesus Seminar Not all “New Testament” scholars are equal.

Jesus Seminar Founder John Dominic Crossan TV Show “The Search for Jesus” July 2000 on ABC


Jesus Seminar Most genuine scholars reject their methods or conclusions

Luke Timothy Johnson says the group is self-selected based on prior commitment to radical liberal views

Craig Blomberg says their methodology is seriously flawed and their conclusions are unnecessarily skeptical

Crossan admits his views are not representative of most scholar’s


Public Opinion Is the average person equipped to recognizing how misleading poor scholarship is?

“There is no basis on which most people can counter these authoritative-sounding statements.” Luke Timothy Johnson

Luke Timothy Johnson


Pew Forum on Religious Religion and Public Life September 28, 2010 Atheists and Agnostics scored higher on it than anyone else, closely followed by Jews and Mormons, all Christians, Protestants and Catholics, were far behind.


Chapter 1

Unwrapping the Gift


Chapter 1 What is the primary message that Christians should want to share?

The gospel


The Gospel What are the minimum three essential facts of the gospel? The deity of Jesus The death of Jesus in our place The resurrection of Jesus

If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. - Romans 10:9


Difficulties What can make proclaiming the gospel difficult?

Culture is constantly bombarded with different worldviews


Critical Jesus Resurrection is a crucial issue Was the resurrection the focal point for the writers of the New Testament?

What is a test that Jesus said we could use to determine that He was telling the truth?


Critical Jesus Resurrection is a crucial issue Was the resurrection the focal point for the writers of the New Testament?

What is a test that Jesus said we could use to determine that He was telling the truth?

Jesus predicted His resurrection as a sign of His authority


Conclusion Christianity therefore is falsifiable. Meaning, in theory, it can be proven to be false.

If Jesus did not rise form the dead we can’t take His claims seriously.

However, if He did, we can be confident that His statements are true.


Mormon and Muslim claims What type of judgment is demanded for the book of Mormon and the Quran’s claims?

“All that is demanded is a subjective judgment.”


Christian Claims How is our test for Jesus different? “Jesus’ test is different in that it leaves no room for ambiguity. Either Jesus rose from the dead confirming his claims to divinity or he was a fraud.”


“I am trying here to prevent anyone saying the really foolish thing that people often say about Him: “I’m ready to accept Jesus as a great moral teacher, but I don’t accept His claim to be God.” That is the one thing we must not say. A man who said the sort of things Jesus said would not be a great moral teacher. He would either be a lunatic — on a level with the man who says he is a poached egg — or else he would be the Devil of Hell. You must make your choice. Either this man was, and is, the Son of God: or else a madman or something worse. You can shut Him up for a fool, you can spit at Him and kill Him as a demon; or you can fall at His feet and call Him Lord and God. But let us not come with any patronizing nonsense about His being a great human teacher. He has not left that open to us. He did not intend to.” - C. S. Lewis


Confirmation What does the resurrection evidence of Jesus confirm?

“The external evidence of Jesus’ resurrection confirms the truth we have received via God’s written revelation.”


The obvious question then is: “Is there enough evidence for a rational person to be justified in concluding that Jesus’ resurrection was a real event in history?”

The ramifications of the resurrection go beyond theology and directly into our lives.

It gives us hope. The resurrection also becomes the foundation for the trustworthiness of the New Testament.


Evidence Proof does not aim at “absolute historical certainty”

It is impossible to have absolute certainty about anything.

Degrees of certitude


Not all evidence is the same Each piece of evidence, for or against something, carries a different weight


No Evidence “Absence of evidence is not evidence of absence.”

Lack of evidence (or attestation) is not proof something did not occur in history.

However, difficult to prove historically. No evidence to the contrary.


Bible Has the Bible been demonstrated to be untrustworthy?

Not ever fact in the Bible has been demonstrated to be true. However, “…the Bible has demonstrated that its accounts are trustworthy as far as they have been verified.”

“The Bible has never been controverted by solid historical data”


Certainty When it comes to history we cannot speak of 100% absolute certainty

We can only speak of probability Important to note that other world views including Atheism cannot claim absolute certainty either


Spectrum of historical certainties


Reasonable Historical Certainty We want to show the resurrection happened based on reasonable historical certainty

Historians look at all the data and consider all the possibilities to determine which scenario best explains the data

“…proof that makes the truth of an accusation more probable than not.” Annette Gordon-Reed


Reasonable Historical Certainty When should we believe that something has happened historically?

“…when the reasons for accepting it significantly outweigh the reasons for rejecting it. If there are no reasonable opposing theories, a finding of historicity is the default position.” Graham H. Twelftree


Sharing the Gospel Does sharing the gospel entail giving evidence?

“For some, evidence will not matter. For others, it is all they want.”

“The Holy Spirit can use both sorts of conversations to speak salvation to different human hearts.”


Sharing the Gospel Does sharing evidence for the gospel mean changing the gospel?

The message of the gospel never changed. The method Paul used to present it did. You must determine how to relate to the person with whom you share your faith, for it is up to you to do the work of sharing.


What about Faith? Believing the facts is one thing. Acting upon them is faith.


Chapter 2

History 101


History 101 What are some principles that historians use to determine if an account of history is credible that we can use for investigating the resurrection?

Multiple independent sources Enemy attestation Embarrassing admissions Eyewitness testimony Early testimony


Multiple independent sources When an event or saying is attested by more than one independent source, there is a strong indication of historicity

Conflicting accounts can confuse matters However, areas of agreement are strong evidentially


Enemy attestation If testimony affirming an event or saying is given by a source who does not sympathize with the person, message, or cause that profits from the account, we have an indication of authenticity.

It is an indication that the source does not have a bias


Embarrassing admissions An indicator that an event or saying is authentic occurs when the source would not be expected to create the story, because it embarrasses his cause and weakened its position in arguments with opponents.

People are not likely to include embarrassing facts if they are lying


Eyewitness testimony Eyewitness testimony is usually stronger than a secondhand account.

Secondhand accounts can also provide information

Not at the same level as an eyewitness Secondhand testimony might be ineligible hearsay in a court of law, but a historian could take it into account


Early testimony The closer the time between the event and testimony about it, the more reliable the witness, since there is less time for exaggeration, and even legend, to creep into the account.

Legend is difficult to creep into accounts when eyewitnesses are still alive and available to refute them


Conclusion Historians don’t have access to certified video recording of past events

Historians use these principles for evaluating past events

In this way historians can reach reasonable historical certainty for past events


Part 2 Introduction


Criteria What Criteria should we have for the facts that we plan to use as support for the resurrection?

Two Criteria:1. They are well evidenced2. Nearly every scholar accepts them

1. Including the skeptical ones


The Minimal Facts Approach The minimal facts approach seeks to use the evidence with the highest degree of certainty

This approach considers only those data that are so strongly attested historically that they are granted by nearly every scholar who studies the subject, even the rather skeptical ones.


The Minimal Facts Our objective will be to build a strong yet simple case for Jesus' resurrection on just a few facts.

We will build our case on four facts plus one The first four facts are backed by enough evidence that even skeptical scholars will agree with

The last fact enjoys a majority of scholars


Objections How will the skeptical nonbeliever view the Bible?

While we hold that the Bible is trustworthy and inspired, we cannot expect the skeptical nonbeliever with whom we are dialoguing to embrace this view.


Historians What do historians recognize in most writings of antiquity?

Most writings contain factual errors Most writings contain propaganda


Skeptic’s views Skeptics may wish to address alleged contradictions in the Bible

Historians recognize that most writings of antiquity contain factual errors and propaganda

The minimal fact approach allows us to divert the objections by simply approaching the New Testament as we would any other book in antiquity


Talking to the Skeptic Can we expect a nonbeliever to embrace the view that the Bible is trustworthy and inspired right of the bat?

“While we hold that the Bible is trustworthy and inspired, we cannot expect the skeptical nonbeliever with whom we are dialoguing to embrace this view.“


Contradictions What if the skeptic brings up contradictions?

Debates about contradictions can go on endlessly

We are not asking them to view the Bible any differently than any other historical document

Keep the main thing the main thing Belief in Jesus resurrection is essential in order to have eternal life not inspiration of inerrancy


Mythicists Some scholars will deny that Jesus existed and that everything about Him including the Bible is a myth

These are a minority of scholars and they hold extreme and radical positions

Their problem is they don’t treat all other Historical documents with the same level of skepticism

The fact is most scholars, even the skeptical ones, will grant that some things in the Bible are true


Skeptic’s views …most scholars, even skeptical ones, grant that some things are true in the Bible

Of course there are those that deny that Jesus even existed (hyper-skepticism)

Like Richard Carrier or David Fitzgerald However they are in minority


Chapter 3

A Quintet of Facts (4+1)The First 2


A Quintet of Facts (4+1) There are other examples using a different arrangement of facts

Habermas makes a case based on 12 historical facts

Hanegraaff makes a case based on 4 N.T. Wright has 6 essential details Licona in other places makes a case on 3 facts


A Quintet of Facts (4+1)1. Jesus died by crucifixion2. Jesus disciples believed that he rose and

appeared to them3. The church persecutor Paul was suddenly

changed4. The skeptic James, brother of Jesus, was

suddenly changed5. The tomb was empty (+1)


Jesus died by Crucifixion Crucifixion was a common form of execution at the time

It was considered horrendous torture and an extreme penalty We know much about crucifixion from ancient sources such as

Seneca, Livy, Plutarch, Cicero, Tacitus, Josephus, etc…


Before the crucifixion Hematidrosis: blood and sweat (Luke 22:44).

Flogging with flagrum that cut deep into the subcutaneous tissues.

Abandoned & Betrayed. Crown of thorns. Carry the cross. Nailed to the cross.

http://unioncitycc.org/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/Crucifixion-1.jpg


Pain and blood loss generally set the stage for circulatory shockThe Journal of the American Medical Association March 21, 1986, Volume

256

©2013 Third Column MinistriesThe Journal of the American Medical Association March 21, 1986, Volume

256


…nails commonly were driven through the wrists rather than the palms… The Journal of the American Medical Association March 21, 1986, Volume

256

©2013 Third Column MinistriesThe Journal of the American Medical Association March 21, 1986, Volume

256


…the water probably represented serous pleural and pericardial fluid…The Journal of the American Medical Association March 21, 1986, Volume

256


The stated order of "blood and water" may not necessarily indicate the order of appearance, but rather the relative prominence of each fluid. In this case, a spear through the right side of the heart would allow the pleural fluid (fluid built up in the lungs) to escape first, followed by a flow of blood from the wall of the right ventricle. Edwards, W.D., Gabel, W.J and Hosmer, F.E. "On the Physical Death of

Jesus Christ." JAMA. 255 (11), pp. 1455-1463, 1986.


Cause of Death Pulmonary embolism Cardiac rupture Suspension trauma Asphyxiation Fatal stab wound ShockJournal of Forensic and Legal Medicine 12 APR 2012

Each wound apparently was intended to produce intense agony, and the contributing causes of death were numerous.

The Journal of the American Medical Association March 21, 1986, Volume 256


Crucifixion Reported by Non-Christians Josephus, Jewish historian, (Antiquities 18.3, 18.64), 1st century

Tacitus (Annals 15.44), circa A.D. 115 Lucian de Samosata, Greek satirist, (The Death of Peregrine, 11-13), circa mid-2nd century

Mara bar Serapion (Letter to his son – currently at British Museum), late 1st-3rd century

Talmud (Sanhedrin 43a), late 2nd century


Josephus At this time there was a wise man who was called Jesus, and his conduct was good, and he was known to be virtuous. And many people from among the Jews and the other nations became his disciples. Pilate condemned him to be crucified and to die. And those who had become his disciples did not abandon their loyalty to him. They reported that he had appeared to them three days after his crucifixion, and that he was alive. Accordingly they believed that he was the Messiah, concerning whom the Prophets have recounted wonders.


Tacitus “Christus, from whom the name had its origin, suffered the extreme penalty during the reign of Tiberius at the hands of one of our procurators, Pontius Pilatus, and a most mischievous superstition, thus checked for the moment, again broke out not only in Judaea, the first source of the evil, but even in Rome, where all things hideous and shameful from every part of the world find their centre and become popular…”


Lucian of Samosata "The Christians, you know, worship a man to this day-the distinguished personage who introduced their novel rites, and was crucified on that account."


Mara Bar-Serapion "Or [what advantage came to] the Jews by the murder of their Wise King, seeing that from that very time their kingdom was driven away from them?"


Talmud (Jewish Writings) The Talmud reports that "on the eve of the Passover Yeshu was hanged.“

Hanging was a typical term used for crucifixion


Non-Christian Sources

Death by Crucifixi

on

• Josephus• Tacitus• Lucian• Mara Ber-Serapion• Talmud


Gospel Accounts Matthew 27:35-56 Mark 15:24-41 Luke 23:33-49 John 19:18-30 1 Corinthians 15:3-6


Post Resurrection Appearances Jesus disciples believed that he rose and appeared to them

First they claimed to have see, talked with, walked with, ate with and touched the risen Jesus

Second their lives were dramatically transformed

They did not change that belief in the face of imprisonment, torture or martyrdom


They claimed it the testimony of Paul about the disciples the oral tradition that passed through the early church

the written works of the early church

The Early Church Fathers, 38 Volumes


Circular reasoning Skeptics will often make the charge that we are using the Bible to prove the Bible

We are not asking them to treat these documents any different than they would any other historical document

“In our minimal facts approach, we are only regarding the New Testament as an ancient volume of literature containing twenty-seven separate books and letters.”


Early accounts Jesus' resurrection was an early belief in Christianity.

1 Corinthians 15:3-6 Contains creedal form statement of the resurrection of Jesus.

Most likely taken directly from Aramaic oral tradition.

Creed was widespread within 2-3 years of Christ death. (Jerusalem & Damascus)


1 Corinthians 15:3-8 For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, and that he appeared to Cephas, and then to the Twelve. After that, he appeared to more than five hundred of the brothers and sisters at the same time, most of whom are still living, though some have fallen asleep. Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles, and last of all he appeared to me also, as to one abnormally born.


Dating of the Creed Most Biblical Scholars, including skeptical ones, generally agree on these dates


Gospel Accounts It is a well-accepted fact that the four gospels were written in the first century

That is within 70 years of the event All of the accounts attest to the resurrection


Early Church Fathers Clement of Rome 30-100 AD Polycarp 69-155 AD Both Irenaeus and Tertullian wrote that both Clement and Polycarp were directly appointed by the apostles.

Polycarp by John and Clement by Peter Both attest to the tradition that was handed down to them


One critic says The late New Testament critic at the University of Chicago, Norman Perrin, who rejected Jesus' resurrection wrote, "The more we study the tradition with regard to the appearances, the firmer the rock begins to appear upon which they are based."


POW Paul Oral Tradition Written Tradition


The Apostles paid the price Clement of Rome Polycarp Ignatius 110 AD Tertullian just before 200 AD

Paul beheaded and Peter crucified during Nero's rule 54 – 68 AD Probably in 64 AD during the great fire Tertullian says check the public records in Rome

Origen 185-254 AD – confirms Tertullian’s account


The Apostles paid the price Eusebius 263-339 AD quotes many as sources

For Peter and Paul he cites Dionysius of Corinth 170 AD Tertullian 200 AD Origen 230-250 AD


The Apostles paid the price Eusebius 263-339 AD quotes many as sources

For James he cites Josephus 95 AD Hegesippus 165-175 AD Clement of Alexandria 200 AD


Dying for a lie People often do die for a lie they believe to be true

People don’t die for a lie they know is a lie “The disciples' willingness to suffer and die for their beliefs indicates that they certainly regarded those beliefs as true. The case is strong that they did not willfully lie about the appearances of the risen Jesus. Liars make poor martyrs.”


Critical Scholars Agree Both Rudolf Bultmann & Gerd Lüdemann, skeptical scholars, agree that the disciples had experiences that they believed to be the risen Jesus


The Disciples claimed Jesus rose Paul

Paul’s Letters and Acts Oral Tradition

Creeds (1 Cor 15:3-8) Sermon Summaries (Acts 2)

Written Tradition Gospel Accounts (Matthew, Mark, Luke/Acts, John) Apostolic Fathers (Clement and Polycarp)


Disciples paid the price Their willingness to suffer Acts Clement of Rome Polycarp Ignatius Dionysius of Corinth (by Eusebius) Tertullian Origen


Chapter 4

A Quintet of Facts (4+1)The Last 3


What about… People often believe in something that is false

So what if the disciples believed sincerely Is there anything that will lead us to believe the disciples belief was in something real?


Paul …Paul, changed from being a skeptic who believed that it was God's will to persecute the church to becoming one of its most influential messengers


Paul's Persecution of the Church Stephen Martyred Acts 7:58 Putting Christians in Prison Acts 8:3, Acts 9:1-2

Paul’s persecution know widely Galatians 1:13

“For you have heard of my previous way of life in Judaism, how intensely I persecuted the church of God and tried to destroy it.” - Galatians 1:13

Huperballo – Above and beyond, excessive Portheo – Make havoc, destroy, ravage


Paul’s Change of Heart What caused Paul to change his mind? Why would someone who was persecuting Christians become one?

Paul’s conversion is important because he went from being an enemy of the Church to being one of it’s largest supporters.

What would it take for someone to have such a drastic change?


Paul’s Conversion Paul’s Conversion Acts chapter 9 His belief that he had witnessed the risen Christ was so strong that he, like the original disciples, was willing to suffer continuously for the sake of the gospel, even to the point of martyrdom.


Paul’s Evidence Paul did not hear from a secondary source and then believe

Acts 9:3-9 Jesus directly appeared to Paul Paul had first hand evidence “Paul, his experience came from primary evidence: the risen Jesus appeared directly to him.”


Primary vs. Secondary Sources Which type of sources better as evidence? Primary is better than secondary sources For most people are faith is based on secondary sources

For Paul it was based on a primary source What other religions are based on primary evidence


Sources: Paul’s Conversion Paul Luke (Acts) Well known (Galatians)


Sources: Paul’s Martyrdom Paul Luke Clement of Rome Polycarp Tertullian Dionysius of Corinth (Eusebius) Origen (Eusebius)


James brother of Jesus Matthew 12:46-50; 13:55-56 Mark 3:31-35; 6:3 Luke 8:19-21 John 2:12; 7:3, 5, 10 Acts 1:13-14 1 Corinthians 9:5 Galatians 1:19


James Josephus The Antiquities of the Jews 20.200 Hegesippus (Eusebius Ecclesiastical History 2.23)

Clement of Rome (Eusebius)


James Conversion James was against Jesus during His life

Mark 3:21; John 7:5 Jesus appeared to James

1 Corinthians 15:3-7 James believes and becomes a leader of the Church Acts 15:12-21; Galatians 1:19

James Martyred for his beliefs Josephus, Eusebius, Hegesippus, Clement of Rome


Empty Tomb Not one of the minimal facts (the +1) Not every scholar accepts the empty tomb However, nearly 75% of scholars do

It would have been impossible for Christianity to get off the ground in Jerusalem if the body had still been in the tomb.


Acts Starting 50 days after the crucifixion in Jerusalem the disciples fearlessly started proclaiming the resurrection

Anyone could have recovered the body by then

The Jews and Romans could have produced the corps and dissuaded anyone from becoming Christians


Enemy Attestation When your enemy validates your contention it carries more evidential weight


Sources The Jewish authorities said the disciples stole the body

Matt 28:12-13 Justin Martyr, Trypho 108 Tertullian, De Spectaculis 30


Sources The woman are listed as primary witnesses Generally a woman’s testimony was held in low esteem in Jewish and Roman cultures of the day

The woman’s testimony would be seen as questionable and certainly not as good as a man’s testimony

Why included it, if it wasn’t true?


Woman Witnesses “But let not the testimony of women be admitted, on account of the levity and boldness of their sex.” Josephus The Antiquities of the Jews 4.8.15

Any evidence which a woman [gives] is not valid (to offer), also they are not valid to offer. This is equivalent to saying that one who is Rabbinically accounted a robber is qualified to give the same evidence as a woman. Talmud, Rosh Hashannah 1.8


The Disciples Reaction How did the disciples react to the woman’s news?

Remember they were Jewish men. “And these words appeared as insanity in their eyes and they did not believe them.” Luke 24:11(Aramaic Bible in Plain English)

“And these words appeared in their sight as the wild talk of those in delirium or hysteria. And they refused to believe them.” Luke 24:11 Kenneth Wuest Expanded Translation


Summary of the Empty Tomb “Thus, the empty tomb appears to be historically credible in light of the principle of embarrassment.” Licona & Habermas

"All the strictly historical evidence we have is in favor of [the empty tomb], and those scholars who reject it ought to recognize that they do so on some other ground than that of scientific history.“ William Wand Christianity: A Historical Religion?


JET Empty tomb JET Jerusalem Factor Enemy Attested Testimony of Women


Conclusion The minimal facts approach Consider only evidence strongly attested historically

Four facts that meet stringent criteria One additional fact has acceptance by an impressive majority of scholars


Conclusion What is the best explanation for the five facts?

The resurrection of Jesus of Nazareth


Conclusion Opposing theories “Any opposing theory to Jesus' resurrection, however, is going to have to account for all of these facts as well as others.”


Part 3

Chapter 5


Resurrection or another explanation Commonly called naturalistic explanations Many of these alternate explanations are

Based on assumption Riddled with inconsistencies Ignored by serious scholars Unrespectable Refuted and dismissed years ago Based on bias


Honesty "I can neither explain away the evidences to which Habermas appeals, nor can I simply agree with Flew's or Hume's positions.... My metaphysical bias is against resurrections.“ - Charles Hartshorne


Miracles Is it fair to seek naturalistic explanations over supernatural explanations?

If there is a God there is no reason to exclude supernatural explanations

Is Christianity exempt from examining claims of miracles?

We examine reports from other religions and should welcome investigation.


Not a threat Any other explanations must account for all the data

If they do not account for all the data then there is no reason to prefer the explanation

Others reject the resurrection because it isn’t absolutely certain


Hypothesis Evaluation1. Can the hypothesis account for all the

facts?2. Can it account for them without forcing

the facts?3. Can it account for them without

speculation?4. Can it account for them given other

widely accepted knowledge?


Hypothesis Evaluation The resurrection passes the first three and is plausible for the fourth

It does not fail the fourth – many will claimed it is not a naturalistic explanation and thus fails the fourth

However, there is no definitive proof of naturalism over supernaturalism

It is an a priori rejection of supernaturalism


Common Hypothesis Legend, Lies and Lapses Psychological Phenomena


Chapter 5


Three types of legend Embellishments It is a non-historical literary style Myths from other religions


Embellishment Assumes the disciples never claimed Jesus rose from the dead

Assumes the story grew over time


Disciples never claimed This does not account for all the facts Paul claims to have seen the risen Lord and writes about it

Paul meets with James, John and Peter Matthew and John write gospels about


Legend grows over time Generally legend takes time to grow Difficult but not impossible to happen quickly

People were still alive when the tradition started – could have refuted the legend

Even liberal scholar Bart Erhman agreed 1 Cor 15 verbal creed was popular within 2 years

New Testament completed within 60 years


Hypothesis Evaluation1. Can the hypothesis account for all the

facts?2. Can it account for them without forcing

the facts?3. Can it account for them without

speculation?4. Can it account for them given other

widely accepted knowledge?


Non-historical Genre Meaning the gospel writers did not intend to write history or actual events

Doesn’t account for the empty tomb A fable would not have convinced James and Paul

Just because some people wrote non-historical genre in the 1st century does not mean the gospel are

Clearly the gospels intend to be taken as literal history


Risen gods in myth Claim Christians took from previous mystery cults

The question is who copied who? Most are vague and not actual parallel Many are written after the New Testament is complete

Many are associated with agriculture or seasons

Some like Marduk are not clearly dead Osiris did not bodily rise (plus conflicting stories)


Risen gods in myth Lack evidence Other myth accounts don’t account for the evidence for Jesus resurrection


Titan Written in 1898 by Robertson Titan April night triple screw "unsinkable" Not enough lifeboats Struck an iceberg Sunk 400 nautical miles

from NF

Titanic 15 April 1912 triple screw "unsinkable“ Not enough lifeboats Struck an iceberg Sunk 400 nautical miles

from NF


Fraud theories (they lied) The story of Jesus resurrection was made up

Motive Save face, gain, promote their views Matthew’s gospel records Jews claimed fraud


Fraud 1 Disciples invented the resurrection and stole the body

Accounts for death by crucifixion Accounts for empty tomb Doesn’t explain martyred disciples Doesn't explain James or Paul’s drastic change

Motive? Need to offer a plausible motive


Fraud 2 Someone else stole the body and the disciples capitalized on it and made up the story to save face

Or they mistakenly thought he rose Accounts for death by crucifixion Accounts for the empty tomb Doesn’t account for Paul or James Doesn’t account for martyred disciples


Dying for a lie People die for causes they think are true People don’t die for their lies


Witnesses went to the wrong tomb Went to the wrong tomb and concluded Jesus was raised

Woman took Jesus to tomb and went back to the tomb

Romans soldiers guarded the tomb This does not account for their belief in seeing the risen Lord

Mary thought gardener stole the body at first


Witnesses went to the wrong tomb It doesn’t account for Paul’s conversion It doesn’t account for James conversion Tomb was owned by Joseph of Arimathea he would know which one it was

Jewish official only had to produce the body to refute the claims – or an occupied tomb


Apparent Death Theory “Swoon Theory” Jesus had not actually died Accounts empty tomb Accounts for bodily appearances Attempts to account for death by crucifixion


Apparent Death Theory Doesn’t seem likely a barely alive person could convince disciples he had actually risen let alone James and Paul

If alive he would need immediate medical attention

How did a barely alive Jesus move the stone?

Walk miles? So many reason why he would have been dead DEAD!


Chapter 6


Psychological Phenomena Illusions, delusions and hallucinations Illusion is a distorted perception of something

Delusion is a false belief Hallucination is a false perception Hallucination theory was popular over a hundred years ago


Hallucinations Hallucinations can be cause by grief, drugs and/or alcohol

Attempts to explain why disciples believe they saw the risen Lord


Hallucinations Major problem Hallucinations are private occurrences They are not collective experiences No record of anyone having the same hallucination as someone else

Not a naturalistic explanation – materialism and the brain

Doesn’t account for the empty tomb, Paul or James


Illusion Distorted perception


Delusion “A fixed false belief that is resistant to reason or confrontation with actual fact” – Dictionary.com

In spite of incontrovertible evidence to the contrary


Hallucination “a false perception of something that is not there”

“a sensory experience of something that does not exist outside the mind, caused by various physical and mental disorders, or by reaction to certain toxic substances, and usually manifested as visual or auditory images.” Dictionary.com


Hallucinations explain the appearances Hallucinations are private experiences Hallucinations are not collective experiences Group Hallucination

Groups of people have hallucinations at the same time don’t hallucinate the same things

Hallucinations don’t transform lives No naturalistic explanations for collective hallucinations


More problems with Hallucinations Hallucinations are not multi sensory Most hallucinations are transitory – people know afterward it was a hallucination


Hallucinations Jesus appeared to group (over 500 at one time)

Jesus appeared in multiple locations Don’t account for the empty tomb Don’t account for skeptics Paul and James Too many personal variances “It pushes credulity beyond reason to regard every last one of these appearances as hallucinations.”


Delusions Don’t explain the conversion of skeptics Paul and James

Don’t explain the empty tomb


Visions Visions are typically like dreams Seen without using normal senses Some claim Jesus rose in a glorified body Thomas saw and felt the wounds on Christ, Jesus ate with disciples (Bodily nature of appearances)

Suffer from the same problems hallucinations


Conversion Disorder “Conversion disorder is a psychological problem in which a person experiences symptoms or deficits to one's senses that are not intentionally produced and may have a neurological origin.”

Paul does not fit any of the typical categories of people that suffer from conversion disorder

Acts 9:7 Paul’s companions also experienced


Probability What is the likelihood that Paul would suffer from conversion disorder (or guilt) to come to the same belief as the disciples

While the disciples suffer from extreme depression that leads to the same belief as Paul


Conclusion “No psychological phenomena-such as hallucinations, delusions, visions, conversion disorder, grief, guilt, epiphany, or Paul's lust for power can adequately account for all of our five facts. Serious problems stand in the way of these theories.”


Chapter 7

Stopping at NothingMore Critical Comebacks


Combination of Explanations Combination of explanations typically lead to higher improbability

Many of the same problems exist Additional explanations require further speculation

Evidence?


Asserting an opposing theory “…the mere stating of an opposing theory does nothing to prove that this is what really happened.”


Discrepancies Critics suggest that we cannot know what happened because there are discrepancies in the resurrection accounts

May call in to question the complete accuracy but not the general trustworthiness of historic events

Historians do discount accounts because of discrepancies


Discrepancies “the discrepancies in the Gospels may indicate that they were independent accounts…diversity adds to their credibility”

Much like eyewitness accounts “coherent and plausible explanations exist that account for many if not all of the discrepancies.”


Biased Accounts Critics claim that because the authors were biased we cannot assume they accurately reported the event

However, Paul and James were biased against the resurrection prior to conversion

“recognizing the bias of an author does not automatically merit the conclusion that he or she has distorted the facts.“


Biased Accounts Fallacious reasoning: genetic fallacy, must answer the evidence

Fallacious reasoning: ad hominem, attacking the author and not the facts

Biased does not automatically mean they are lying

People can be biased and correct Would need to eliminate all history


Greater Impact Skeptics sometimes claim a risen Jesus would have had a greater impact

We know of many ancient books that are now lost to history

“…at least forty-two authors, nine of them secular, mention Jesus within 150 years of his death.”

Only 5 source report of Julius Caesar military conquests – Yet they had a profound impact


Greater Impact Tiberius (Contemporary of Jesus) Within 150 years of his death 10 total: Tacitus, Suetonius, Velleius Paterculus, Plutarch, Pliny the Elder, Strabo, Seneca, Valerius Maximus, Josephus and Luke

Jesus had 42 (9 secular)


Something we will never know Rejection of the conclusion of the resurrection

Ignores the evidence Evidence point to resurrection Opposing theories fail Religious and Historical Context Jesus claims of divinity and miraculous deeds

There is other evidence for God and the resurrection


Jesus was an extraterrestrial alien Alien theory does not deny the evidence Alien theory denies God was the cause of the resurrection

Actually a naturalistic explanation that can account for all the data

Jesus life is not a typical alien encounter Probability of extraterrestrial life capable of getting to Earth is astronomical

the resurrection of jesus christ: the critical evidence for christianity

Spiritual