SCRIPTURES 1 Cor 15 3 4 SCRIPTURES The

SCRIPTURES 1 Cor. 15. 3 -4

SCRIPTURES The resurrection is found throughout the Bible: Jesus FORETOLD His resurrection: Luke 9. 22; John 2. 18 -22; Deut. 18. 15 -22 Jesus CLAIMED authority to rise from the dead: John 10. 17 -18 Jesus’ ENEMIES testified about His resurrection: Mark 14. 55 -64; Matt. 27. 62 -66 If Jesus was not raised He was a LIAR or a LUNATIC!

SCRIPTURES O. T. Scriptures contained PROPHECIES: Psalm 16. 10; 22; Isaiah 53 1 st century gospel sermons were FOCUSED on the risen Christ: Acts 2. 24, 32; 3. 15, 26; 13. 3037, 17. 31

If I cannot believe in the resurrection, I cannot believe in any ancient history!

Author Book Date Written Earliest Copy (circa) Gap (yrs. ) Copies Homer Iliad 800 BC AD 400 643 Herodotus History 480 -425 BC AD 900 1, 350 8 496 -406 BC AD 1000 1400 193 460 -400 BC AD 900 1, 300 8 Plato 400 BC AD 900 1, 300 7 Aristotle 384 -322 BC AD 1100 1400 49 Demosthenes 300 BC AD 1100 1, 400 200 Sophocles Thucydides History Caesar Gallic Wars 100 -44 BC AD 900 1, 000 10 Livy History Rome 59 BC-AD 17 4 th century (partial) 400 1 partial 10 th century (mostly) 1, 000 19 AD 100 AD 1100 1, 000 20 Suetonius AD 75 -160 AD 950 800 8 Pliny Secundus Natural History AD 61 -113 AD 850 7 God AD 50 -100 AD 114 (fragment) AD 200 (books) AD 250 (most of NT) AD 325 (complete NT) 25 -50 100 150 225 5, 700 19, 000 24 -25, 000 Tacitus Annals New Testament Edited from The New Evidence That Demands a Verdict by Josh Mc. Dowell (p. 38) with material added by BG

“The evidence for our New Testament writings is ever so much greater than the evidence for many writings of classical authors, the authenticity of which no-one dreams of questioning. And if the New Testament were a collection of secular writings, their authenticity would generally be regarded as beyond all doubt. ” 1990) NT Scholar F. F. Bruce (1919– Bruce, F. , Are the New Testament documents reliable? The Inter-Varsity Fellowship, London, UK, p. 19, 1956

EYEWITNESSES 1 Cor. 15. 5 -8

EYEWITNESSES Cephas (Peter); the twelve then seen by all the apostles 500 brethren: most who were still ALIVE at the writing of 1 Corinthians (circa A. D. 55 -57) James: John 7. 5 Paul on the road to Damascus: Acts 9

EYEWITNESSES Jesus APPEARED to eyewitnesses for 40 days: Acts 1. 3 Not every eyewitness recorded: Mark 16. 1; Luke 24. 13 -32; Acts 1. 23 None of the eyewitnesses FALSIFIED the claims of 1 Cor. 15. Why not? Were they all LIARS?

EYEWITNESSES Why would they all KNOWINGLY spread an unprofitable lie in the face of persecution, imprisonment and death? 1 st century skeptics DIED for preaching the risen Christ Paul went on to be an apostle of Jesus: 1 Cor. 15. 8; Acts 8. 1 -3; 9. 1 -5 James handled doctrinal issues in the church (Acts 15) and probably wrote the book of James: John 7. 5; Mark 3. 21; Acts 1. 14

Eyewitnesses & Theories Conspiracy theory (His friends stole the body): Matt. 28. 11 -15 If true, the disciples had to fight skilled Roman guards at the tomb: Mark 14. 50; John 20. 19; Mark 16. 3 -4 If true, the disciples suffered and died for a hoax. There’s still the empty tomb!

Eyewitnesses & Theories His foes stole the body: If true, they never claimed to have done so. The Jews requested a Roman guard: Matt. 27. 62 -66 If true, why didn’t they produce the body to stop the successful spread of the gospel in the very city where the crucifixion occurred? There’s still the empty tomb!

Eyewitnesses & Theories The swoon theory (Jesus didn’t really die, he passed out): If true, Jesus had to go through six trials, be beaten, tortured, scourged, have a crown of thorns placed on his head, clothing ripped from drying flesh wounds, nailed to a cross and stabbed in the side by a spear. Spend a total of 6 hours nailed to a cross while suffering internal damage and massive blood loss and then sit in a tomb for three days without medical attention, food or water. Then He had to roll a large stone away, escape the Roman guards, convince hundreds of people that He was back from the dead and in good health and then disappeared without a trace! There’s still the empty tomb!

Eyewitnesses & Theories The Hallucination Theory (all the eyewitness experienced hallucinations) If true, you have both auditory and visual hallucinations of Jesus by over 500 people some of which were skeptics at different locations and times and some eyewitnesses saw Jesus two or more times! There’s still the empty tomb!

Eyewitnesses & Theories The Impersonation Theory (someone was impersonating Christ) Jesus was with them for three years! What about His wounds? John 20. 27 There’s still the empty tomb!

Eyewitnesses & Theories A Spiritual Resurrection (not a real physical resurrection) But, they claimed to have seen and touch Jesus: 1 John 1. 1 There’s still the empty tomb!

“Many theories have been advanced, attempting to show that the resurrection of Jesus Christ was a fraud. I believe that many of the people who came up with these theories must have had two brains--one lost, and the other one out looking for it. Historians have to become anti-historical to invent some of their ideas. ” Josh Mc. Dowell The Resurrection Factor, p. 76

CONSEQUENCES 1 Cor. 15. 12 -18

IF There Is No Resurrection… then Christ has not been RAISED: vv 12 -13 then our PREACHING is in vain: vv 14 -15 then our FAITH is vain: v 14 then the testimony is FALSE: v 15

IF There Is No Resurrection… then our faith is FUTILE: v 17 then we are still in our SINS: v 17 then those who have fallen asleep have PERISHED: v 18 then we of all people are most to be PITIED: v 19

Nothing else sufficiently accounts for the early spread of the gospel and growth of the church. The resurrection confirmed the gospel!

Christ DIED for our sins and ROSE for us justification: Rom. 4. 25; 5. 10; 6. 3 -4