Introduction

Opening Prayer - Ps 2

The Apostle's Creed

"... [Jesus] rose again from the dead on the third day"

The Nicene Creed

"On the third day he rose again in accordance with the scriptures"

Romans 10:9

"... because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved"

The Philosophy PhD dissertation committee chair, at Michigan State University, gives Habermas direction on his Resurrection Dissertation

"But don't try telling us the resurrection happened because the Bible says so."

Gary Robert Habermas (born June 28, 1950) is an American New Testament scholar and theologian who frequently writes and lectures on the resurrection of Jesus. He has specialized in cataloging and communicating trends among scholars in the field of historical Jesus and New Testament studies. He is distinguished research professor and chair of the department of philosophy and theology at Liberty University. 

Path Forward

• Habermas was told he cannot say the resurrection happened because the Bible says so!

• What options does he have left then at a secular university if he can't say the Bible says so?

• His option is using History

• For the moment, for his dissertation, he had to regard the Bible as history, not as scripture

That Which can be Assessed Historically

Abraham Lincoln

Existed, was assasinated, and before he was assassinated, he gave the Gettysburg Address

(Teddy Roosevelt, the Vice President, heard from eyewitnesses present at the Gettysburg Address 41 years later)

Jesus of Nazarath

Existed, was crucified, and after he was crucified, he rose again

(Paul, the Apostle, heard from eyewitnesses of the resurrection 4 to 5 years later)

Example of Assessing Lincoln Historically

• Suppose I told you I did not believe the Gettysburg Address happened

• I said "Show me something to convince me"

• If I gave you 3 weeks to show me, how would you spend your time?

• You would spend your time writing history

Hard Evidence

• Like eye witnesses - Here is a 6 minute YouTube that has video of 90 year old witnesses to the address

• Like Pictures - There are 2 pictures 

• Products - Like Writings - There are five different versions: Nicolay, Hay copy, Everett, Bancroft copy, Bliss copy

Historical Sources

• The Nearer to the date, the better

• Should have good stories that

  • Are Independent of each other

  • Corroborate each other

We can't prove anything historically at a full 100%. All we can do is provide enough compelling evidence to convince a reasonable person.

So we need good evidence ... (This is easier)

Provide the evidence to a reasonable person ... (This is harder)

It would be difficult for me to believe that a holocaust denier is a reasonable person!

Do you consider yourself to be a reasonable person? Why?

When have you been unreasonable? Why?

Summary

Just as we could show the historical case for Lincoln, we could show the historical case for Jesus