Christian Apologetics Study - Temple Christian School

Apologetics Study

EVIDENCES FOR THE CHRISTIAN FAITH

Compiled by Richard Helsby

Please send comments and suggestions to rhelsby@

This is an introductory small group study on Christian Apologetics. Please note that this is a compilation and selection of existing material, and that throughout this study I have referenced the original literature sources. It is highly recommended that you consult

these sources if a more in-depth study is required.

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Table of Contents

STUDY ONE ? APOLOGETICS INTRODUCTION ............................................................................... 5

WHY APOLOGETICS? .................................................................................................................................. 6 Obedience ............................................................................................................................................. 6 Removing Barriers ................................................................................................................................ 6 Strengthens Christians .......................................................................................................................... 6

INTELLECTUAL SUICIDE?............................................................................................................................ 7 LOGICAL COURSE OVERVIEW..................................................................................................................... 7

STUDY TWO ? DID JESUS EXIST?....................................................................................................... 12

INTRODUCTION ......................................................................................................................................... 12 EVIDENCE FROM CHRISTIAN SOURCES FOR THE HISTORICITY OF JESUS ................................................... 12 EVIDENCE FROM SECULAR SOURCES FOR THE HISTORICITY OF JESUS...................................................... 12

Cornelius Tacitus ................................................................................................................................ 13 Flavius Josephus ................................................................................................................................. 13 Thallus, The Samaritan-Born Historian.............................................................................................. 14 Pliny the Younger................................................................................................................................ 15 Lucian of Samosata ............................................................................................................................. 15 Suetonius ............................................................................................................................................. 16 Mara Bar-Serpaion ............................................................................................................................. 16 The Rabbinic Writings ........................................................................................................................ 16 CONCLUSION ............................................................................................................................................ 17

STUDY THREE ? IS SCRIPTURE RELIABLE AS A HISTORICAL RECORD? ............................ 20

STUDY THREE ? PART 1 ? THE BIBLIOGRAPHICAL TEST ......................................................... 21

HOW MANY COPIES OF NEW TESTAMENT MANUSCRIPTS ARE AVAILABLE? .............................................. 21 WHAT LENGTH OF TIME PASSED BETWEEN THE ORIGINAL AND THE EARLIEST COPIES? ............................ 22 WHAT VARIANCES EXIST BETWEEN THE COPIES OF THE NEW TESTAMENT ............................................... 23 COMMENTS ON COLLUSION ...................................................................................................................... 23 BIBLIOGRAPHICAL TEST CONCLUSION ..................................................................................................... 24

STUDY THREE ? PART 2 ? THE INTERNAL EVIDENCE TEST .................................................... 28

WHEN WAS THE NT WRITTEN? ................................................................................................................. 29 DOES THE NT CONTAIN "GOSPEL FICTIONS" OR LIES? ............................................................................. 31 DOES THE NT CONTAIN MYTHS? .............................................................................................................. 34 WHAT ARE WE TO MAKE OF ALL THE SUPERNATURAL EVENTS RECORDED IN THE NEW TESTAMENT DOCUMENTS?............................................................................................................................................ 43 DOES THE NT CONTAIN CONTRADICTIONS?.............................................................................................. 44

What constitutes a contradiction?....................................................................................................... 44 The approach to apparent contradictions ........................................................................................... 45 Difference versus Contradiction ......................................................................................................... 46 Translation .......................................................................................................................................... 46 Use of Language ................................................................................................................................. 47 Context ................................................................................................................................................ 47 Which standards to use? ..................................................................................................................... 47 Descriptions of God ............................................................................................................................ 48 External Contradictions ...................................................................................................................... 49 Conclusion .......................................................................................................................................... 49 INTERNAL EVIDENCE TEST CONCLUSION ................................................................................................. 49

STUDY THREE ? PART 3 ? THE EXTERNAL EVIDENCE TEST? ................................................. 50

THE EVIDENCE FROM EXTRA-BIBLICAL AUTHORS .................................................................................... 50 THE EVIDENCE FROM MARTYRS ................................................................................................................ 50 ARCHEOLOGICAL EVIDENCE .................................................................................................................... 50 HISTORICAL-GEOGRAPHICAL EVIDENCE .................................................................................................. 52 JEWISH CULTURAL EVIDENCE .................................................................................................................. 53

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EXTERNAL EVIDENCE TEST CONCLUSION ................................................................................................ 54

STUDY THREE ? CONCLUSION........................................................................................................... 54

STUDY FOUR - DID JESUS CLAIM TO BE GOD? ............................................................................. 59

THE IMPORTANCE OF THE ISSUE ............................................................................................................... 59 THE DIFFICULTY OF THIS ISSUE ................................................................................................................. 60 DID JESUS MAKE ANY CLAIMS TO DEITY? ................................................................................................. 60 WAS JESUS MISUNDERSTOOD? ................................................................................................................. 62 EVIDENCE FOR JESUS' DEITY.................................................................................................................... 62

Jesus' use of divine titles / names ........................................................................................................ 63 YHWH - Lord ................................................................................................................................................ 63 Son of God ..................................................................................................................................................... 63 Son of Man ..................................................................................................................................................... 64 Abba - Father.................................................................................................................................................. 65

Jesus' claims to be God ....................................................................................................................... 65 Jesus' claims to pre-existence ......................................................................................................................... 65 Jesus' claims to be omnipresent ...................................................................................................................... 66 Jesus' claims to be omniscient ........................................................................................................................ 66 Jesus' claims to be omnipotent........................................................................................................................ 66 Jesus asks for and accepts worship as God ..................................................................................................... 67 Jesus' claims to authority - authority that only God has.................................................................................. 67 Jesus makes claims that make no sense if he is not God................................................................................. 69 Additional claims about his nature and powers .............................................................................................. 70 Jesus' claims to equality with God .................................................................................................................. 71

How those around Jesus Christ responded to Him [16]........................................................................ 73 CONCLUSION ............................................................................................................................................ 74

STUDY FIVE ? WAS JESUS WHO HE CLAIMED TO BE? ............................................................... 77

THE POSSIBILITY ...................................................................................................................................... 77 WHO WAS JESUS? ..................................................................................................................................... 77

Was Jesus a Liar? ............................................................................................................................... 79 Was Jesus a noble Liar? ..................................................................................................................... 81 Was Jesus honestly mistaken?............................................................................................................. 82 Was Jesus a lunatic? ........................................................................................................................... 83 Did Jesus claim to be God in a non-literal, mystical sense?............................................................... 86 CONCLUSION ............................................................................................................................................ 88 WHY ARE MANY NOT CONVINCED?........................................................................................................... 89

STUDY SIX ? CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS ....................................................................... 94

FOUR STEPS IN THE CHRISTIAN JOURNEY................................................................................................. 94 DO JESUS' CLAIMS MAKE A DIFFERENCE? ................................................................................................. 97 THE SCEPTICS PRAYER ............................................................................................................................. 97

APPENDIX ? ADDITIONAL SECTIONS............................................................................................. 103

THE RESURRECTION: HOAX OR HISTORY? ............................................................................................. 104 The importance of the Resurrection .................................................................................................. 104 The Argument for the Resurrection ................................................................................................... 104 Jesus didn't die ? The Swoon Theory........................................................................................................... 105 The disciples were deceivers ? The Conspiracy Theory............................................................................... 107 The disciples were deceived - Hallucination Theory .................................................................................... 108 The disciples were myth-makers - Myth Theory .......................................................................................... 110 Jesus Rose .................................................................................................................................................... 111 Conclusion.................................................................................................................................................... 114

DOES GOD EXIST? .................................................................................................................................. 118 The Possibility................................................................................................................................... 118 Observational Evidence for the Existence of God............................................................................. 119 Anthropological Research ............................................................................................................................ 119 Astronomical Observation of Design ........................................................................................................... 119 The Improbability of "Mere" Chance ........................................................................................................... 120 Our Inherent Sense of Right and Wrong....................................................................................................... 121 Origin of the Universe .................................................................................................................................. 122 The Beginning of Time................................................................................................................................. 122 Philosophical Arguments for the Existence of God........................................................................... 123 Pascal's Wager [1] ......................................................................................................................................... 123

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Cosmological Arguments ............................................................................................................................. 124 The Argument from Efficient Causality [1] ............................................................................................. 124 The Argument from Change [1]............................................................................................................... 125 The Argument from Time and Contingency [1] ...................................................................................... 125 The Argument from Degrees of Perfection [1] ........................................................................................ 126 The Design Argument [1] ........................................................................................................................ 126 The Kalam Argument [1]......................................................................................................................... 127 The Argument from Contingency [1] ...................................................................................................... 128

Psychological Arguments ............................................................................................................................. 129 The Argument from the Origin of the Idea of God [1]............................................................................. 129 The Moral Argument [1].......................................................................................................................... 129 The Argument from Morality / Conscience [1] ....................................................................................... 130 The Argument from Desire [1] ................................................................................................................ 131 The Argument from Truth [1].................................................................................................................. 131 The Argument from Religious experience [1] ......................................................................................... 132 The Common Consent Argument [1]....................................................................................................... 132

Conclusion ........................................................................................................................................ 134 ARE MIRACLES POSSIBLE? ...................................................................................................................... 138

What is a Miracle? ............................................................................................................................ 138 Two Different Questions ................................................................................................................... 138 Arguments for the Possibility of Miracles ......................................................................................... 138 Conclusion ........................................................................................................................................ 139 Related issues.................................................................................................................................... 139

What about Science and Miracles? ............................................................................................................... 139 Is it not more likely that miracles never really occurred as described?......................................................... 140 A BRIEF NOTE ON PROPHETIC EVIDENCE ............................................................................................... 144 Common Objections .......................................................................................................................... 144 The prophecies were written at or after the time of Jesus ............................................................................. 144 Fulfilled prophecy in Jesus was deliberate ................................................................................................... 144 Fulfilled prophecy in Jesus was coincidental, an accident ............................................................................ 144 Important Old Testament Prophecies About Jesus ........................................................................... 145 Conclusion ........................................................................................................................................ 147 BIBLIOGRAPHY..................................................................................................................................... 149

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SSttuuddyy OOnnee ?? AAppoollooggeettiiccss IInnttrroodduuccttiioonn

The term apologetics is derived from the Greek word apologia. The English equivalent of apologia is defense, or literally, 'a speech for the defense'. [31 p .2] An apologia typically focuses on explaining, justifying, or making clear the grounds for some course of action, belief, or position. This study focuses on Christian apologetics, a reasoned defense of Christianity.

Discussion Groups

This Apologetic Study has been designed with a small discussion group in mind. The material is broken up into 8 to 10 weekly modules, and the group should meet once a week in order to discuss the material covered in the previous week. This discussion will prove to be invaluable as you work through concepts, various evidences, and gain insights from one another.

To facilitate this discussion, a number of questions are provided throughout the study material. Participants are encouraged to bring questions, raise difficulties, and to point out weaknesses and strengths in the material. The discussion group should provide an environment where open and honest discussion can take place.

For this first introductory module, it would be worthwhile to get to know the different members of the group. Who they are, where they come from, how did they land up on this course, what are they hoping to gain from it, etc. It may also be a good idea to let each member of the group read a paragraph or two as you work through this introductory material.

The responsibility of giving a reasoned defense of Christianity is not the job of a select few theologians who specialize in apologetics. The Bible makes it clear that the job of defending Christianity belongs to every Christian and that all Christians should be prepared to do this at any time. [31, p.7] Christians are commanded to be prepared to give an answer for the reason that they have hope in Jesus Christ. "... Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have..." (1 Peter 3:15)

Jude supports Peter's exhortation, instructing his readers to "contend earnestly for the faith" (Jude 3). He was instructing them to defend Christianity against the false teachings that were arising in the church. [31, p.7]

A Christian's reason for their hope in Jesus should include how and why they became a Christian e.g. Paul's account in Acts 22. It should also include their current relationship with, and experience of God; as well as a knowledge of who Jesus Christ is, and why what he did is so fundamentally important i.e. explaining the 'Good News' or 'Gospel'.

This apologetics study will examine only one aspect of a Christian's reason for trusting (placing one's faith) in Jesus Christ. It will examine intellectual reasoning, arguments and factual evidence for Christianity.

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