Evidence: Beyond Reasonable Doubt

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Is there any evidence that Jesus rose from the dead? An amazing amount, actually!

Transcript of Evidence: Beyond Reasonable Doubt

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“Christianity, if false, is of no importance, and if true, of

infinite importance. The only thing it cannot be is

moderately important.” (C. S. Lewis)

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the claim of the first Christians:

ACTS 2:32 “God has raised this Jesus to life,

and we are all witness of the fact”

1 CORINTHIANS 15:17 “If Christ has not been raised, your

faith is futile, you are still in your sins.”

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if Jesus rose from the dead:

God is real

Death is not the end

The things Jesus taught are true

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be good historians

“The purpose of the historian is not to construct a history from preconceived notions and to adjust it to his own liking,

but to reproduce it from the best evidences and to let it speak for itself”.

PHILIP SCHAFF

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FACT #1: Jesus really lived and died

RICHARD DAWKINS, THE GOD DELUSION (2006) “It is even possible to mount a serious, though not widely supported,

historical case that Jesus never lived at all, as has been done by, among others, Professor G. A. Wells of the University of London

in a number of books, including Did Jesus Exist?”

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FACT #1: Jesus really lived and died

RICHARD DAWKINS, THE GOD DELUSION (2006) “It is even possible to mount a serious, though not widely supported,

historical case that Jesus never lived at all, as has been done by, among others, Professor G. A. Wells of the University of London

in a number of books, including Did Jesus Exist?”

Professor G. A. Wells… is a Professor of German Language

Professor Wells’ next 3 books retracted this claim: “I no longer maintain this position” (Wells, 2004)

In a debate with John Lennox, Dawkins also retracted this claim. “Ok, Jesus existed” (Dawkins, 2009)

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FACT #1: Jesus really lived and died

the reality: it is completely uncontroversial in scholarly circles

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TACITUS (AD 56 – 120) in Annals 15.44

“Christians derived their name from a man called Christ, who, during the reign of Emperor Tiberius had been executed by sentence of the procurator Pontius Pilate. The deadly superstition, thus checked for the moment, broke out afresh not only in Judea, the first source of the

evil, but also in the City of Rome, where all things hideous and shameful from every part of the world meet and become popular.”

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THALLOS (AD 55) – refers to reports of an eclipse at the time of Jesus’ crucifixion. Mark 15:33 records darkness during the crucifixion.

MARA BAR SERAPION (AD 70) – refers to the Jews executing ‘their wise king’ PLINY THE YOUNGER (AD 110) – records that groups met regularly to sing a

hymn to Christ as to a God SUETONIUS (AD 120) – says Emperor Claudius expelled the Jews from Rome in AD 49 due to riots caused by “Chrestus” (recorded in the New Testament, Acts 18:2) LUCIAN OF SAMOSATA (AD 115-200) – refers to a man in Palestine who was crucified and is still worshipped today. CELSUS (AD 175) – ridicules Christianity by saying Jesus was the illegitimate result of his mother’s affair with a Roman soldier. Explains reports of Jesus’ miracles as mere Egyptian sorcery.

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JOSEPHUS (AD 37-100) 2 passages. First shows signs of tampering by a later Christian scribe. The wide consensus of scholars accept this is what Josephus wrote [with probable additions in brackets]: JEWISH ANTIQUITIES 18.63-64 At this time there appeared Jesus, a wise man [if indeed one ought to refer to him as a man]. For he was a doer of starling deeds, a teacher of people who received the truth with pleasure. And he gained a following both among many Jews and among many of Greek origin. [He was the Messiah-Christ.] And when Pilate, because of an accusation made by the leading men among us, condemned him to the cross, those who had loved him previously did not cease to do so. [For on the third day he appeared to them again alive, just as the divine prophets had spoken about these and countless other marvelous things about him.] And up until this very day the tribe of Christians, named after him, has not died out.

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JOSEPHUS (AD 37-100) Second passage shows no signs of tampering: JEWISH ANTIQUITIES 20.200 “he assembled the Sanhedrin of judges, and brought before them the brother of Jesus the so-called Messiah-Christ, whose name was James”.

THE TALMUD PASSAGE DATED AD 100-200 “On the eve of Passover Jesus was hanged (on a cross). For forty days before the execution took place, a herald went forth and cried, ‘He is going forth to be stoned because he has practised sorcery and enticed and led Israel astray. Anyone who can say anything in his favour, let him come forward and plead on his behalf’. But since nothing was brought forward, he was hanged on the eve of the Passover.” PASSAGE DATED LATER, AT LEAST AD 200 Reflects the story that Mary was unfaithful to her husband, showing that there was widespread mystery surrounding Jesus’ birth.

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John Dickson: before we even open a Bible, we can learn from history: §  The name ‘Jesus’ §  Place and time-frame of his public ministry (Palestine during Pontius Pilate’s

governorship, AD 26-36) §  The name of his mother (Mary) §  The ambiguous nature of his birth §  The name of one of his brothers §  His fame as a teacher §  His fame as a miracle worker / sorcerer §  That he was called the Messiah/Christ. §  Some considered him kingly §  The time and manner of his execution (crucifixion around the Passover festival) §  The involvement of both Roman and Jewish leadership in his death §  The coincidence of an eclipse at the time of his crucifixion §  The report of Jesus’ appearances to his followers after his death §  The flourishing of a movement that worshipped Jesus after his death.

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FACT #1: Jesus really lived and died

the reality: it is completely uncontroversial in scholarly circles

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FACT #2: Jesus’ tomb was empty

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FACT #2: Jesus’ tomb was empty

1) Jesus was buried in a known tomb

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FACT #2: Jesus’ tomb was empty

1) Jesus was buried in a known tomb

2) A dead body of Jesus would have easily disproved their claim

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FACT #2: Jesus’ tomb was empty

1) Jesus was buried in a known tomb

2) A dead body of Jesus would have easily disproved their claim

3) The resurrection was first preached and accepted in Jerusalem, where anyone could check the tomb

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FACT #2: Jesus’ tomb was empty

1) Jesus was buried in a known tomb

2) A dead body of Jesus would have easily disproved their claim

3) The resurrection was first preached and accepted in Jerusalem, where anyone could check the tomb

4) None of the opponents of Christianity denied that the tomb was empty

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4) None of the opponents of Christianity denied that the tomb was empty

FRANK MORRISON: “In all the fragments and echoes of this far-off controversy

which have come down to us we are nowhere told that any responsible person asserted that the body of Jesus was still in the tomb. We are only given reasons why it was not there.

Running all through these ancient documents is the persistent assumption that the tomb of Christ was vacant.”

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FACT #2: Jesus’ tomb was empty

1) Jesus was buried in a known tomb

2) A dead body of Jesus would have easily disproved their claim

3) The resurrection was first preached and accepted in Jerusalem, where anyone could check the tomb

4) None of the opponents of Christianity denied that the tomb was empty

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FACT #3: Hundreds of eye-witnesses claim they saw him alive

4) None of the opponents of Christianity denied that the tomb was empty

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FACT #3: Hundreds of eye-witnesses claim they saw him alive

ACTS 2:32 “God has raised this Jesus to life, and we are all witnesses of the fact”

2 PETER 1:16-17 “We did not follow cleverly invented stories when we told you about the

power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eye-witnesses”

1 JOHN 1:1-3 “That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked at and our hands have touched

– this we proclaim…”

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FACT #3: Hundreds of eye-witnesses claim they saw him alive

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 Peter, and then to the Twelve. After that, he appeared to more than five hundred of the brothers 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”

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FACT #3: Hundreds of eye-witnesses claim they saw him alive

1 CORINTHIANS 15:3-8 (AD 53-57) “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 Peter, and then to the Twelve. After that, he appeared to more than five hundred of the brothers 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”

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FACT #3: Hundreds of eye-witnesses claim they saw him alive

1) There were HUNDREDS of eye-witnesses

2) The eye-witness accounts are EARLY

3) The eye-witness accounts DIFFER in minor details and AGREE in major details

4) The eye-witness accounts are DETAILED

5) Accounts are from a wide VARIETY of circumstances and people

6) Accounts contain EMBARRASSING details

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FACT #3: Hundreds of eye-witnesses claim they saw him alive

7) Many eye-witnesses SUFFERED and even DIED defending their claims that they saw him risen.

8) They had NOTHING TO GAIN from their claim.

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FACT #3: Hundreds of eye-witnesses claim they saw him alive

FACT #1: Jesus really lived and died

FACT #2: Jesus’ tomb was empty

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But how do we know the New Testament Documents are reliable?

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1) We can be confident that the New Testament documents have not been changed.

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1) We can be confident that the New Testament documents have not been changed.

WORK   WRITTEN   EARLIEST COPY   NUMBER OF MANUSCRIPTS  

PLINY SECONDUS “Natural History”  

TACITUS “Annals”  

HOMER “Iliad”  

 

NEW TESTAMENT  

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1) We can be confident that the New Testament documents have not been changed.

WORK   WRITTEN   EARLIEST COPY   NUMBER OF MANUSCRIPTS  

PLINY SECONDUS “Natural History”  

AD 61-113   AD 850 (gap: 750 years)   7  

TACITUS “Annals”   c. AD 100   AD 1100

(gap: 1000 years)   20  

HOMER “Iliad”  

 c. 800 BC   c. 400 BC   643  

NEW TESTAMENT  

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1) We can be confident that the New Testament documents have not been changed.

WORK   WRITTEN   EARLIEST COPY   NUMBER OF MANUSCRIPTS  

PLINY SECONDUS “Natural History”  

AD 61-113   AD 850 (gap: 750 years)   7  

TACITUS “Annals”   c. AD 100   AD 1100

(gap: 1000 years)   20  

HOMER “Iliad”   c. 800 BC   c. 400 BC

(gap: 400 years)   643  

NEW TESTAMENT   AD 50-100  

Fragments: AD 114 (gap: 50 years)

Complete NT: AD 325 (gap: 225 years)  

5686 (Greek) + 19,284

(Translations)  

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2) seven reasons to think what the original authors wrote was true:

1) Based on eye-witnesses, recorded very close to the time of the events, not legends recorded long after.

2) Unlikely they fabricated events to promote a teacher who taught: “let your yes be yes and your no be no”

3) No motive to lie and nothing to gain

4) Suffered and died for it

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2) seven reasons to think what the original authors wrote was true:

5) Accounts were circulated during the life-time of contemporary witnesses, some hostile

6) The accounts do not sound like legend

7) Confirmed by archaeology

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2) seven reasons to think what the original authors wrote was true:

SIR WILLIAM RAMSAY:

“'I began with a mind unfavorable to it...but more recently I found myself brought into contact with the Book of Acts as an authority for the

topography, antiquities, and society of Asia Minor. It was gradually borne upon me that in various details the narrative showed marvellous truth”

“Further study...showed that the book could bear the most minute scrutiny as an authority for the facts of the Aegean world, and that it was written with such judgment, skill, art and perception of truth as to be a model of

historical statement"

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FACT #3: Hundreds of eye-witnesses claim they saw him alive

FACT #1: Jesus really lived and died

FACT #2: Jesus’ tomb was empty

FACT #4: the explosion of a completely new worldview

FACT #5: Jewish Christians moved the day of worship to a Sunday

FACT #6: Crazy changes in the lives of early Christians

FACT #7: Monotheistic Jews began to worship Jesus as God