Essex Fells Apologetics Seminar

November 8, 1989

Robert C. Newman

                                                               EVIDENCEFOR

                                                      THERESURRECTION OF

                                                                JESUSCHRIST

 

 

Evidence from Prophecy:

 

            Psalm16:  God will not abandon his HolyOne to the grave, nor let him see decay

 

            Psalm22:  one pierced in hands &feet, surrounded by enemies, laid in dust of death, is delivered and his deliverancebecomes worldwide news down thru generations

                       

            Isaiah53:  unbelievable report ofservant's exaltation; despised by Israel, suffered as sin offering, but then hewill see his offspring, prolong his days

 

Evidence from History:

 

            Can'tgo back in time machine to see what really happened, but several significantlines of evidence:

 

            TheExistence of the Church.

 

                        Themen and women who had followed Jesus were completely demoralized by his death.

                                    --wehad hoped that he was Messiah

                                    --hidingfrom enemies

                        Withina few months they were boldly proclaiming Jesus in the very city where he wascrucified.

                        Mostof the apostles (all but John) died at the hands of enemies, but would notretract their testimony that they had seen (etc.) the risen Jesus.

                        Thechurch's expansion to fill empire was made in face of persecution without usingmilitary forms of evangelism.

 

            TheExistence of the New Testament.

 

                        TheNT comes from within a century of the events it records, as even liberalsadmit.

                        Theexternal historical evidence of authorship points to two apostles and two oftheir associates for the four Gospels and to a former enemy of Xy for most ofthe letters.

                        Uniformtestimony of NT is that many eyewitnesses to resurrected Jesus, includingextended appearances to multiple witnesses, with multiple senses involved.

                        Unlessone a priori rejectsthe miraculous, the evi­dence for the reliability of the NT is as good asfor any ancient histories.

 

            Responsesof Opponents.

           

                        Severalattempts to avoid resurrection:

 

                        StolenBody Theory:

 

                          Oldest alternative, but originalversion has soldiers (asleep) testifying!

                          Later versions invariably try to getrid of soldiers

                          Doesn't explain:

                                    Tacticsof apostles

                                    Careerof Paul

                                    Contentof NT

 

                        ComaTheory:

 

                          Various versions by Reimaurus,Schonfield

                          But, how get out of tomb?

                          How get past soldies?

                          How convince disciples death conquered?

                          Fatal objection in physiology ofcrucifixion

                                    unconsciousperson will die of suffocation

 

                        HallucinationTheory:

 

                          Women go to wrong tomb, mistakegardener for angel

                          Disciples begin to have hallucinationsof risen Jesus

                          But, how avoid authorities producingbody when Xns begin preaching Gospel?

                          How mistake tomb in daylight?

                          How avoid correction from otherdisciples?

                          Grief-induced (or even drug-induced)hallucinations do not produce hour-long, multiple-sense, multiple-witnessappearances.

 

Conclusions

 

            Evidenceis about as good as one could get for controversial event in history.

            Occurringin a time of more advanced technology would not avoid possible objections.

            Theimportance of knowing God and finding out what He is like is so great that wemust not go through life assuming it doesn't matter until we have throroughlyinvestigated matter.