Christianity begins with the claim of a miracle - the resurrection of Jesus Christ. The author of more than two thirds of the N.T. - Paul the Apostle says that if Christ be not risen we are liars.
Yes, indeed, there are only two options: We christians are liars or we are telling the plain truth - there is nothing in between.
The N.T. says God will provide ONE sign - the sign of the prophet Jonah, which Jesus interpreted as being His death and resurrection. If Jesus rose from the dead then this miracle is the greatest event in history.
First of all, if you do not believe Jesus lived then it is irrelevant to debate if He rose from the dead. Roman historian Tacitis admits He lived. We must assume that Jesus lived and that He died or this debate is pointless.
Anyway, to those who can assume the necessary facts to have this debate read on please.
The entire case for the resurrection stands or falls on the veracity of the eyewitnesses - the Apostles. Did they tell the truth or did they make the whole thing up ?
There are a lot of sources of information about the Apostles - a lot, and in these sources there is one common denominator, which is that all of the Apostles died believing and maintaining that Jesus was alive that He rose from the dead. Of all the sources available about the lives of the Apostles not a one of them ever even suggests that they did not die for the testimony of the risen Christ.
The best scholarship agrees that Catholic theologian Thomas Aquinas offers the single greatest piece of evidence that Jesus rose from the dead.
All of the sources about the Apostles and their deaths are in complete agreement : They all died a horrible martyrs death, and they died ALONE.
Thomas Aquinas says it is INCONCEIVABLE that each of the Apostles would die alone in a remote part of the world for a lie.
If together in any amout of 2 or more it is plausible that they would maintain the lie, but that wasn't the case. They each died a horrible martyrs death alone for the testimony that Jesus rose.
In each case all they had to do was recant and be let go and their fellow apostles would never know they recanted. Obviously N.T. times had no modern communication abilities. If one apostle were to falter under the threat of death and recant none of the others would ever find out. But this is not the case history records that the Apostles died alone and each died a horrible martyrs death - ALL FOR A LIE ?
Nobody is going to die a martyrs death alone for a lie especially with the escape hatch of recanting available. This is what history records in unison about the Apostles of Jesus.
The Apostles told the truth, they were honest eyewitnesses of the risen Christ and they reported what they saw.
The veracity of the witnesses is confirmed by the circumstances in which they died.
How does any of this evidence creationism ?
Before Jesus died He predicted His death and resurrection which if true validates as true everything else He said.
Jesus said " All authority in heaven and earth is given unto Me". Paul said that Jesus existed eternally that He was the speaking agent by which God spoke the universe into existence..."universe be"....universe was, and there you have the first cause.
P.S. Please spare me any slanderous Jesus Seminar arguments. The J.S. are dishonest atheists posing as honest scholars, and don't accuse me of saying all atheists are dishonest - I didn't say that. And please keep the non seqiutors to a minimun.
Sources of Information : the teaching of Dr.Gene Scott PhD Stanford University {
Pastor Melissa Scott presents Dr. Gene Scott - The Official Site}
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