Category Archives: Apologetics

October 14, 2012

The Resurrection

By John Paine

The resurrection of Jesus is the basis for the Christian faith.  No resurrection, no Christian faith—it’s that simple according to the Apostle Paul, who wrote half the New Testament.  But how well does the resurrection stand up to historical scrutiny?

The Gospel accounts of Jesus’ burial and resurrection are found in:

Matthew 27:27 – 28:15,
Mark 15:42 – 16:8,
Luke 23:50 – 24:12, and
John 19:38 -20:18.

Here’s a presentation on the historical reliability of these accounts by Dr. William Lane Craig, in which he uses analytic philosophy to get at the truth of the resurrection.  If this sounds a bit intellectually over the top, check out our recent Apologetics 101 post where he explains the process—using logic, clear definition, and the careful enunciation of arguments, with an emphasis on the derivations of conclusions from premises.  It’s a lengthy video, packed full of sound reasoning, and well worth the time it takes to watch.

Backstory

So how did William Lane Craig, one of the greatest deep thinkers of our time, come to faith in Christ?  It must have been in response to the writings of someone like C.S. Lewis or Søren Kierkegaard, right?  Maybe he read classical theologians like Augustine of Hippo, or reformists like Martin Luther, John Calvin, or Thomas Aquinas?  Or maybe he read the Bible and found some special truth that appealed to his intellect?

Here’s Dr. Craig’s surprising answer (you just can’t make this stuff up).

He was “hit like a ton of bricks” by an annoyingly happy girl named Sandy.  Go figure.

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October 12, 2012

Apologetics 101

By John Paine

Here’s an interview with Dr. William Lane Craig in which he answers basic questions about the importance of Christian apologetics, the resurrection of Jesus, the problem of evil, and the lack of atheistic explanatory models.  He also gives some practical advice for those interested in apologetics.

Enjoy!

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October 6, 2012

Who Is Jesus?

By John Paine
Michelangelo's Pietà

Pietà by Michelangelo, 1499

Who is Jesus?  Wow, talk about a profoundly important question!

There are a lot more people who “believe in Jesus” than there are those who know what Jesus actually claimed about himself.  Many think he was a great moral teacher, a prophet, or a wise Rabbi.  Some think a legend, a myth, or a contrivance.  Still others that he was one of many gods, or one of many roads to God.  That Jesus straightforwardly and clearly attacked these notions is of little consequence to those who will not invest the time to read the Gospels and weigh the evidence for his claims.

Jesus had to fulfill hundreds of Old Testament prophecies written centuries before he appeared on earth, and live within the Mosaic law of the Torah.  He had to submit to the cruelest punishment mankind could dish out, and to top it all off he had to rise from the dead.  No small feat.  When you think about it, he had to color between some extremely tight lines.  Lee Strobel calls this framework the “unmistakable fingerprint of the Christ.”  Only Jesus was man enough for the job—that was the whole point. Continue reading

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October 1, 2012

Unreasonable Doubt

By John Paine

Felix Barthe (1796-1863), Minister of Justice and Deputy by Honore Daumier, 1833

Some people will not allow themselves to be convinced by evidence. I touched upon this topic recently in a post entitled Judge for Yourself, that illustrates the need to explore the standard of proof we each demand, the need to check our biases, and our ability to weigh evidence.

Lee Strobel took the approach that he was willing to follow the evidence for a Creator whether it led him to an uncomfortable conclusion or not.  Unfortunately, many atheists lack this kind of integrity.

Ironically, there are scientists who investigate the facts behind the Big Bang, the DNA molecule, the fine tuning of the universe, cellular machines, and many other physical phenomena and draw the conclusion that the data clearly indicates intelligent design. Yet some of them can’t call the designer ‘God’.  Really?

However…before we throw any rocks at scientists for not having the integrity to counter their professional biases, shouldn’t we revisit our own biases—professional and otherwise?

As Ken Petzinger points out, how we approach theism determines a lot about our lives, and how we interact with the world. Here’s a thought-provoking, on-topic article entitled Unreasonable Doubt, that Mary Petzinger wanted to share. The article (by Jim Spiegel writing in  Christianity Today, January 2011) calls intractable skepticism into the light of day.  The byline reads “The reasons for unbelief are more complex than many atheists let on.” To read the article, click here.

Enjoy!

HT: Mary Petzinger

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September 29, 2012

Does God Exist?

By John Paine

Believe it or not, formal debates on the existence of God regularly turn out thousands of ticket-buying intellectuals to hear atheists and theists go at it. Although it may seem silly to give out medals for something every kindergartener should know, there is much to appreciate in well-turned arguments that support the affirmative.

Setting personal style biases aside, how do the best theists make their case for the existence of God? For a sampling of how heady this question can get, check out William Lane Craig, Research Professor of Philosophy at Talbot School of Theology. Sam Harris, one of today’s most prominent atheists, recently described Dr. Craig as “the one Christian apologist who seems to have put the fear of God into many of my fellow atheists.” Continue reading

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