This is either the biggest hoax in history or the most sensational event--either way its history, but history, by its very nature, is unrepeatable, and it takes faith because it cannot be proved without laboratory conditions or controls and variables to repeat and measure scientifically. It has been well said, "Christian faith goes beyond reason, but not against it." Our experience in Christ is real, though subjective because it is verifiable by the objective, external, historical fact of the resurrection that would meet the standards of any honest jury deciding the case according to Professor Simon Greenleaf, professor of Royal Law at Harvard University.
The resurrection doctrine is most vital and it is what establishes the deity of Christ and positive proof according to Paul in Romans 1:4 where He declared Himself the Son of God by His resurrection from the dead. The other declaration that it makes is that the Father was satisfied with the atonement and that we can live in victory believing in Christ.
If you could disprove the resurrection, the Gibraltar of our faith, it would be dismissed as myth, legend, wishful thinking, or pie in the sky. "If Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins" (1 Cor. 15:17). This is the linchpin of Christianity--it is like taking Christ out of Christianity--there is nothing left to believe; however, on the contrary, you can take Buddha out of Buddhism, or Mohammad out of Islam, and you can have the essential religion still intact. The risen Christ shows us that He conquered death and this is vital because then we can know that we will live eternally.
It is not enough to believe He died for a good cause, or set a good example; and not just a martyr, one must realize He died for you (not just died) and rose again on your behalf. Dead martyrs don't change lives though they inspire or teach us religious beliefs or convictions--one must also acknowledge that He was victorious over death itself, the final enemy. Believing not only that He died for you, but He is alive for you all on your behalf. Accepting the historical fact that He died (and many extra-biblical sources even confirm this) does not save--that's history, but knowing He died and rose for you will save you, that is more than just history--it's a revelation!
If you want to disprove Christianity, attack the resurrection evidence and come up with an alternate explanation, other than that He rose from the dead. Where is the body, for example? It was never reproduced and doing so would have nipped the new so-called sect called "the Way" in the bud and nix its influence and outreach. There were over 500 eyewitnesses to His post-resurrection appearances and this constitutes historical evidence, which much relies on the veracity (these were not your liar types who had the motive to make up stories or myths or lies). Veracity is the test of a witness--you don't put much credence in a consummate liar, do you? Satan is the father of liars--don't believe anything he tells you. The apostles were all (with the exception of John) subjected to a martyr's death and a person will usually tell the truth at death--so this is another test of their credibility. It has been said that one doesn't knowingly die for a lie. Indeed, He is risen, just like He said at least 5 times. And the Pharisees knew this in addition and posted guards to make it as secure a tomb as they knew how.
One famous lawyer, Frank Morrison, resolved to disprove the resurrection. He wrote a book Who Moved the Stone? and the first chapter was entitled, "The Book that Refused to be Written." He had unwillingly, against his better intentions, become a believer after objectively examining the evidence. Simon Greenleaf, Royal Professor of Law at Harvard University, was told to "examine the evidence" before commenting on the resurrection: He became a believer and wrote a book, The Testimony of the Apostles. Gen. Lew Wallace (encouraged by Robert Ingersoll, the Great Agnostic) wrote Ben-Hur: A Tale of The Christ, originally intending to disprove Christianity!
Not everyone who heard of the resurrection believed; we aren't forced to believe! Of course, Judas never lived to see it and who knows if he would have, but some people only hardened their hearts and became more set in their evil ways. The idea is that if you meet Jesus and have an encounter with Him, you will never be the same--it is life-changing! The real proof of the resurrection is how the lives of the apostles were changed--from moping cowards who had lost all hope to daring, brave, positive witnesses for Christ. The changed lives were immediate and dramatic and not explainable by anything else but a supernatural occurrence of some kind. What made them into such roaring lions of the faith? These timid, clueless men were transformed suddenly, upon seeing the risen Lord, into bold preachers and proclaimers of the gospel of Jesus! Who turned the known world upside-down? A group of deluded madmen? No collusion could possibly have been sustained to explain such a revelation that took place in society spiritually and morally. How do we account for the sudden authorship of the New Testament and its acceptance by the new Church all in a relatively short time span? The answer is a dramatic encounter that we all can have when we come to know Christ personally and make the leap of saving faith to trust Him as Savior and submit to Him as the Lord of our lives.
There are other circumstantial pieces of evidence that cannot be explained otherwise: the switching to the day of worship from the Sabbath Day to the Lord's Day on the first day of the week was an early sign or tribute to the first believers' faith and testimony to Jewry; the growth of the church to eventually take over the Roman Empire; and the changes effected upon the morals and standards of society, such as the ending of gladiator fights. There are serious issues or questions to raise: To look at the relevancy, why is it that today millions would die for Him, and conquer not with fear nor bloodshed, but with love. He is the emperor of love and His kingdom is in the love in our hearts. Why do we remember and still worship Him as God and no one respects or names their children after Tiberius, Pilate, nor Herod to this day? His kingdom has outlasted Rome's and Christianity is the predominant religion of the world? Soli Deo Gloria!
The resurrection doctrine is most vital and it is what establishes the deity of Christ and positive proof according to Paul in Romans 1:4 where He declared Himself the Son of God by His resurrection from the dead. The other declaration that it makes is that the Father was satisfied with the atonement and that we can live in victory believing in Christ.
If you could disprove the resurrection, the Gibraltar of our faith, it would be dismissed as myth, legend, wishful thinking, or pie in the sky. "If Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins" (1 Cor. 15:17). This is the linchpin of Christianity--it is like taking Christ out of Christianity--there is nothing left to believe; however, on the contrary, you can take Buddha out of Buddhism, or Mohammad out of Islam, and you can have the essential religion still intact. The risen Christ shows us that He conquered death and this is vital because then we can know that we will live eternally.
It is not enough to believe He died for a good cause, or set a good example; and not just a martyr, one must realize He died for you (not just died) and rose again on your behalf. Dead martyrs don't change lives though they inspire or teach us religious beliefs or convictions--one must also acknowledge that He was victorious over death itself, the final enemy. Believing not only that He died for you, but He is alive for you all on your behalf. Accepting the historical fact that He died (and many extra-biblical sources even confirm this) does not save--that's history, but knowing He died and rose for you will save you, that is more than just history--it's a revelation!
If you want to disprove Christianity, attack the resurrection evidence and come up with an alternate explanation, other than that He rose from the dead. Where is the body, for example? It was never reproduced and doing so would have nipped the new so-called sect called "the Way" in the bud and nix its influence and outreach. There were over 500 eyewitnesses to His post-resurrection appearances and this constitutes historical evidence, which much relies on the veracity (these were not your liar types who had the motive to make up stories or myths or lies). Veracity is the test of a witness--you don't put much credence in a consummate liar, do you? Satan is the father of liars--don't believe anything he tells you. The apostles were all (with the exception of John) subjected to a martyr's death and a person will usually tell the truth at death--so this is another test of their credibility. It has been said that one doesn't knowingly die for a lie. Indeed, He is risen, just like He said at least 5 times. And the Pharisees knew this in addition and posted guards to make it as secure a tomb as they knew how.
One famous lawyer, Frank Morrison, resolved to disprove the resurrection. He wrote a book Who Moved the Stone? and the first chapter was entitled, "The Book that Refused to be Written." He had unwillingly, against his better intentions, become a believer after objectively examining the evidence. Simon Greenleaf, Royal Professor of Law at Harvard University, was told to "examine the evidence" before commenting on the resurrection: He became a believer and wrote a book, The Testimony of the Apostles. Gen. Lew Wallace (encouraged by Robert Ingersoll, the Great Agnostic) wrote Ben-Hur: A Tale of The Christ, originally intending to disprove Christianity!
Not everyone who heard of the resurrection believed; we aren't forced to believe! Of course, Judas never lived to see it and who knows if he would have, but some people only hardened their hearts and became more set in their evil ways. The idea is that if you meet Jesus and have an encounter with Him, you will never be the same--it is life-changing! The real proof of the resurrection is how the lives of the apostles were changed--from moping cowards who had lost all hope to daring, brave, positive witnesses for Christ. The changed lives were immediate and dramatic and not explainable by anything else but a supernatural occurrence of some kind. What made them into such roaring lions of the faith? These timid, clueless men were transformed suddenly, upon seeing the risen Lord, into bold preachers and proclaimers of the gospel of Jesus! Who turned the known world upside-down? A group of deluded madmen? No collusion could possibly have been sustained to explain such a revelation that took place in society spiritually and morally. How do we account for the sudden authorship of the New Testament and its acceptance by the new Church all in a relatively short time span? The answer is a dramatic encounter that we all can have when we come to know Christ personally and make the leap of saving faith to trust Him as Savior and submit to Him as the Lord of our lives.
There are other circumstantial pieces of evidence that cannot be explained otherwise: the switching to the day of worship from the Sabbath Day to the Lord's Day on the first day of the week was an early sign or tribute to the first believers' faith and testimony to Jewry; the growth of the church to eventually take over the Roman Empire; and the changes effected upon the morals and standards of society, such as the ending of gladiator fights. There are serious issues or questions to raise: To look at the relevancy, why is it that today millions would die for Him, and conquer not with fear nor bloodshed, but with love. He is the emperor of love and His kingdom is in the love in our hearts. Why do we remember and still worship Him as God and no one respects or names their children after Tiberius, Pilate, nor Herod to this day? His kingdom has outlasted Rome's and Christianity is the predominant religion of the world? Soli Deo Gloria!
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