The Case For Christ

More documents

Info

the Jews would gather the bones of their deceased and put them in boxes to be preserved until the resurrection at the end of the world, when God would raise the righteous dead of Israel and they would come together in the final kingdom of God. In light of this, it would have been simply a contradiction of terms for an early Jew to say that someone was raised from the dead but his body still was left in the tomb. So when this early Christian creed says Jesus was buried and then raised on the third day, it's saying implicitly but quite clearly: an empty tomb was left behind." HOW SECURE WAS THE TOMB? Having heard convincing evidence that Jesus had been in the tomb, it seemed important to know how secure his grave was from outtside influences. The tighter the security, the less likely the body could have been tampered with. "How protected was Jesus' tomb?" I asked. Craig proceeded to describe how this kind of tomb looked, as best as archaeologists have been able to determine from excavations of first-century sites. "There was a slanted groove that led down to a low entrance, and a large disk-shaped stone was rolled down this groove and lodged into place across the door," he said, using his hands to illustrate what he was saying. "A smaller stone was then used to secure the disk. Although it would be easy to roll this big disk down the groove, it would take several men to roll the stone back up in order to reopen the tomb. In that sense it was quite secure." However, was Jesus' tomb also guarded? I knew that some skeptics have attempted to cast doubt on the popular belief that Jesus' tomb was carefully watched around the clock by highly disciplined Roman soldiers, who faced death themselves if they failed in their duty. "Are you convinced there were Roman guards?" I asked. "Only Matthew reports that guards were placed around the tomb," he replied. "But in any event, I don't think the guard story is an important facet of the evidence for the Resurrection. For one thing, it's too disputed by contemporary scholarship. I find it's prudent to base my arguments on evidence that's most widely accepted by the majority of scholars, so the guard story is better left aside." I was surprised by his approach. "Doesn't that weaken your case?" I asked.
Craig shook his head. "Frankly, the guard story may have been important in the eighteenth century, when critics were suggesting that the disciples stole Jesus' body, but nobody espouses that theory today," he responded. "When you read the New Testament," he continued, "there's no doubt that the disciples sincerely believed the truth of the Resurrection, which they proclaimed to their deaths. The idea that the empty tomb is the result of some hoax, conspiracy, or theft is simply dismissed today. So the guard story has become sort of incidental." WERE ANY GUARDS PRESENT? Even so, I was interested in whether there was any evidence to back up Matthew's assertion about the guards. Although I understood Craig's reasons for setting aside the issue, I pressed ahead by asking whether there was any good evidence that the guard story is historical. "Yes, there is," he said. "Think about the claims and counterclaims about the Resurrection that went back and forth between the Jews and Christians in the first century. The initial Christian proclamation was, 'Jesus is risen.' The Jews responded, 'The disciples stole his body.' To this Christians said, 'Ah, but the guards at the tomb would have prevented such a theft.' The Jews responded, 'Oh, but the guards at the tomb fell asleep.' To that the Christians replied, 'No, the Jews bribed the guards to say they fell asleep.' "Now, if there had not been any guards, the exchange would have gone like this: In response to the claim Jesus is risen, the Jews would say, 'No, the disciples stole his body.' Christians would reply, 'But the guards would have prevented the theft.' Then the Jewish response would have been, 'What guards? You're crazy! There were no guards!' Yet history tells us that's not what the Jews said. This suggests the guards really were historical and that the Jews knew it, which is why they had to invent the absurd story about the guards having been asleep while the disciples took the body." Again a nagging question prompted me to jump in. "There seems to be another problem here," I said, pausing as I tried to formulate my objection as succinctly as I could. "Why would the Jewish authorities have placed guards at the tomb in the first place? If they were anticipating a resurrection or
Page 2 and 3:
The Case For Christ By: Lee Strobel
Page 4 and 5:
CONTENTS Introduction: Reopening th
Page 6 and 7:
assistance; Chad Meister and Bob an
Page 8 and 9:
"Check out the evidence yourself,"
Page 10 and 11:
make mistakes. Looking through thos
Page 12 and 13:
ooks, college professors, family me
Page 14 and 15:
and yanked the trigger. The gun roa
Page 16 and 17:
Blomberg's books include Jesus and
Page 18 and 19:
granted that exception, the rest of
Page 20 and 21:
that gave meaning to a period of hi
Page 22 and 23:
crowd of journalists that once corn
Page 24 and 25:
merely emphasizing that 'he was a f
Page 26 and 27:
Holocaust. But it has been the Jewi
Page 28 and 29:
was written before Paul was put to
Page 30 and 31:
which is cited by Christians as the
Page 32 and 33:
they couldn't find one. They questi
Page 34 and 35:
going to be returning during their
Page 36 and 37:
actually, scrolls of papyrus-were r
Page 38 and 39:
3. THE CHARACTER TEST This test loo
Page 40 and 41:
about Mark and Luke saying that Jes
Page 42 and 43:
ever met him yet because of their i
Page 44 and 45:
"In addition, we can learn through
Page 46 and 47:
us the full story about Jesus? I lo
Page 48 and 49:
But the most eye-popping cache of d
Page 50 and 51:
Theological Seminary and both a mas
Page 52 and 53:
"Quite so," he replied. "And this i
Page 54 and 55:
Papyrus number two contains large p
Page 56 and 57:
the fidelity with which this materi
Page 58 and 59:
author of I John was inspired to wr
Page 60 and 61:
sources for the history of Jesus. T
Page 62 and 63:
'hurch had already determined. You
Page 64 and 65:
text-what has all this done to your
Page 66 and 67:
4: THE CORROBORATING EVIDENCE Is th
Page 68 and 69:
the case against Harry Aleman? The
Page 70 and 71:
"Now," I said a little pointedly, "
Page 72 and 73:
feats and was a teacher of such peo
Page 74 and 75:
the Baptist was more important beca
Page 76 and 77:
Pliny the Younger became governor o
Page 78 and 79:
a Jewish mob by executing Jesus, ot
Page 80 and 81:
would know that first, Jesus was a
Page 82 and 83:
asked. Yamauchi pondered the questi
Page 84 and 85:
and the truth will make you free."
Page 86 and 87:
question of whether the New Testame
Page 88 and 89:
Herodium, all in Israel, over an ei
Page 90 and 91:
People thought Josephus was wrong,
Page 92 and 93:
to thirty-two countries, fifty-four
Page 94 and 95:
Still, there were some matters I ne
Page 96 and 97:
ancient historians or geographers m
Page 98 and 99:
thought might challenge him. So the
Page 100 and 101:
McRay tossed me the article in whic
Page 102 and 103:
For Further Evidence More Resources
Page 104 and 105:
commentator Paul Harvey likes to sa
Page 106 and 107:
to me, 'Well, Greg, it looks like t
Page 108 and 109:
miracles - walking on water, raisin
Page 110 and 111:
history is based on single sources.
Page 112 and 113:
proximity to the event, the less ch
Page 114 and 115:
athed in its blood and guts. Then t
Page 116 and 117:
it fits well with the Gnostic mind-
Page 118 and 119:
But your love goes beyond that. You
Page 120 and 121:
elying on the news media in reporti
Page 122 and 123:
Theological Seminary, where I found
Page 124 and 125:
Testament formed his people and set
Page 126 and 127:
elationship between a child and his
Page 128 and 129:
there's still no non-messianic Jesu
Page 130 and 131:
had always done-to intervene and se
Page 132 and 133:
Marshall, I. Howard. The Origins of
Page 134 and 135:
146 THE CASE FOR CHRIST Shock; Can
Page 136 and 137:
Granted, as we look back through hi
Page 138 and 139:
feeling intoxicated, just as if the
Page 140 and 141:
I laughed. "I told you it was an in
Page 142 and 143:
it's quite another to embody the ch
Page 144 and 145: Now, Jesus claims to be God. But do
Page 146 and 147: saying, 'Who can forgive sins but G
Page 148 and 149: type of thing. That's getting Close
Page 150 and 151: "If you're going to quote Colossian
Page 152 and 153: eternal suffering for those who rej
Page 154 and 155: e done for all to see. And no one w
Page 156 and 157: followed by the 'new man.' Trouble
Page 158 and 159: himself and being born into humble
Page 160 and 161: validate the credentials of the aut
Page 162 and 163: I shook my head, saddened at the th
Page 164 and 165: throwing Eastern philosophy at them
Page 166 and 167: though he had done no violence, nor
Page 168 and 169: that God objectively spoke to my he
Page 170 and 171: would respond. 1. The Coincidence A
Page 172 and 173: issued a decree for the Jewish peop
Page 174 and 175: For Further Evidence More Resources
Page 176 and 177: stabbing of Jesus by the Roman sold
Page 178 and 179: specifically, to the Garden of Geth
Page 180 and 181: that day and went on to the cross-w
Page 182 and 183: tension on the muscles would be eas
Page 184 and 185: to the cross by ropes.' Won't you c
Page 186 and 187: A QUESTION FOR THE HEART Convincing
Page 188 and 189: McDowell, Josh. The Resurrection Fa
Page 190 and 191: gaze, Craig still looks the role of
Page 192 and 193: Bible in my lap and quickly reviewe
Page 196 and 197: the disciples faking one, this woul
Page 198 and 199: contradiction says, 'This cannot be
Page 200 and 201: "Jesus said in Matthew 12:40, 'For
Page 202 and 203: Essentially, he said a major argume
Page 204 and 205: the empty tomb. In other words, the
Page 206 and 207: But I had heard the tapes of the de
Page 208 and 209: a car, drive to Lynchburg, and make
Page 210 and 211: "When I was young, I was reading a
Page 212 and 213: convinced," he insisted indignantly
Page 214 and 215: willing to be interviewed. Now, sto
Page 216 and 217: people in the gospels and Acts-some
Page 218 and 219: MARKS MISSING CONCLUSION When I fir
Page 220 and 221: central proclamation of the earlies
Page 222 and 223: Christians-how did they get talked
Page 224 and 225: death in 1995. And do you know what
Page 226 and 227: Ask Timothy McVeigh. He may have th
Page 228 and 229: eaten, imprisoned. And finally, mos
Page 230 and 231: Muhammad's conversion to Islam as b
Page 232 and 233: they could be in right standing wit
Page 234 and 235: together to celebrate his teachings
Page 236 and 237: and the amazing emergence and growt
Page 238 and 239: willing to lay down your life for a
Page 240 and 241: IS THERE CREDIBLE EVIDENCE FOR JESU
Page 242 and 243: DID JESUS-AND JESUS ALONE-MATCH THE
Page 244 and 245:
evidence that Jesus is the unique S
Page 246 and 247:
Evidence? By November 8, 1981, my l
Page 248 and 249:
cross of Jesus to bridge that gulf.
Page 250 and 251:
case for Christ is conclusive. The
Page 252 and 253:
Boyd, Gregory A. Cynic Sage or Son
Page 254 and 255:
Gruenler-Royce Gordon Cruenler, New
Page 256 and 257:
O'Collins-Gerald O'Collins, The Eas
Page 258 and 259:
NOTES INTRODUCTION: REOPENING THE I
Page 260 and 261:
Press, 1996), 196-97. 10. Paul L. M
Page 262 and 263:
1. Leland H. Gregory 111, "Fop Ten
show all

The Case For Christ

Create successful ePaper yourself

Delete template?

Save as template?