The document discusses the historical reliability of the New Testament accounts by examining counterarguments from skeptics. It references scholars like Bart Ehrman questioning how Mark could know about Jesus' empty tomb since he wrote decades later in a different country. It also notes Richard Carrier arguing that Luke couldn't have been written before 94 AD based on references to other works. However, the document also mentions the New Testament accounts being corroborated by other early sources and unchanged despite being copied for hundreds of years. It concludes with a 4 point recap of arguments supporting the New Testament's reliability.
1) The document discusses dimensions of apostolic presence found in the Old Testament, including examples from Adam, Melchizedek, Noah, and Moses that demonstrated apostolic abilities and assignments.
2) It notes aspects of apostolic footprints seen through the actions of kings in their authority, regional reach, and ability to delegate and decree.
3) The absence of apostolic dimensions is said to bring chaos, disorder, rebellion and disobedience, as seen when Moses went to the mountain for 40 days and people turned to their own lusts.
This document provides an introduction to apologetics and defending the Christian faith. It summarizes several arguments for the existence of God, including the cosmological argument that there must have been an uncaused first cause (God), and the teleological argument that the order, design and complexity seen in nature point to an intelligent designer (God). It also discusses how all cultures have a sense of objective morality, implying a universal moral lawgiver (God).
The document discusses how the original apostles who witnessed Jesus began dying out in the late first century. It then explains how the gospels and New Testament were written down between 70-100 AD to preserve the oral traditions as the eyewitnesses passed away. The Holy Spirit is said to have inspired the writers so that he, not the human authors, should be considered the real author of the Bible. The Church's magisterium, led by the Pope and bishops who are successors of Peter and the apostles, continues to teach and interpret the faith through official documents and teachings, carrying on what the apostles did for the early Christians.
The document provides a brief examination of how the Bible was formed. It discusses that Christians view the Bible as the foundational text ("people of the book") and that the list of books included in the canon is closed and final. It explores the importance of the Old Testament to the early Church and Jesus. It then examines the process by which the books of the Bible were collected and canonized over centuries, including debates over the inclusion of certain texts.
The document discusses quotes from various historical figures throughout history praising the importance and value of the Bible. Napoleon praised the Bible as a living being that invades all that opposes it. Isaac Newton found more authenticity in the Bible than any other text. President Reagan and President Washington both acknowledged the fundamental influence of the Bible in shaping American society and governance.
The document discusses elements of worship in the Old Testament, including adoration, penitence, thanksgiving, intercession, meditation, and sacrifice. It describes the Ark of the Covenant, tabernacle, temple, Jewish feasts and festivals, synagogue worship, and liturgical cycles in ancient Israel. Key elements included sacrificial worship, the Ark as representing God's presence, and annual feasts like Passover, Pentecost, and Tabernacles that were precursors to Christian holy days.
Estos documentos proporcionan información sobre varios pueblos y localidades pequeñas en las provincias de Neuquén, Mendoza, Chaco y La Pampa. Detallan aspectos como el número de habitantes, actividades económicas principales como la ganadería, y servicios disponibles como escuelas, acceso a agua potable y electricidad. Algunas localidades han experimentado un crecimiento de población mientras que otras han visto una disminución o han sido consideradas como zonas rurales dispersas en censos anteriores.
1) The document discusses dimensions of apostolic presence found in the Old Testament, including examples from Adam, Melchizedek, Noah, and Moses that demonstrated apostolic abilities and assignments.
2) It notes aspects of apostolic footprints seen through the actions of kings in their authority, regional reach, and ability to delegate and decree.
3) The absence of apostolic dimensions is said to bring chaos, disorder, rebellion and disobedience, as seen when Moses went to the mountain for 40 days and people turned to their own lusts.
This document provides an introduction to apologetics and defending the Christian faith. It summarizes several arguments for the existence of God, including the cosmological argument that there must have been an uncaused first cause (God), and the teleological argument that the order, design and complexity seen in nature point to an intelligent designer (God). It also discusses how all cultures have a sense of objective morality, implying a universal moral lawgiver (God).
The document discusses how the original apostles who witnessed Jesus began dying out in the late first century. It then explains how the gospels and New Testament were written down between 70-100 AD to preserve the oral traditions as the eyewitnesses passed away. The Holy Spirit is said to have inspired the writers so that he, not the human authors, should be considered the real author of the Bible. The Church's magisterium, led by the Pope and bishops who are successors of Peter and the apostles, continues to teach and interpret the faith through official documents and teachings, carrying on what the apostles did for the early Christians.
The document provides a brief examination of how the Bible was formed. It discusses that Christians view the Bible as the foundational text ("people of the book") and that the list of books included in the canon is closed and final. It explores the importance of the Old Testament to the early Church and Jesus. It then examines the process by which the books of the Bible were collected and canonized over centuries, including debates over the inclusion of certain texts.
The document discusses quotes from various historical figures throughout history praising the importance and value of the Bible. Napoleon praised the Bible as a living being that invades all that opposes it. Isaac Newton found more authenticity in the Bible than any other text. President Reagan and President Washington both acknowledged the fundamental influence of the Bible in shaping American society and governance.
The document discusses elements of worship in the Old Testament, including adoration, penitence, thanksgiving, intercession, meditation, and sacrifice. It describes the Ark of the Covenant, tabernacle, temple, Jewish feasts and festivals, synagogue worship, and liturgical cycles in ancient Israel. Key elements included sacrificial worship, the Ark as representing God's presence, and annual feasts like Passover, Pentecost, and Tabernacles that were precursors to Christian holy days.
Estos documentos proporcionan información sobre varios pueblos y localidades pequeñas en las provincias de Neuquén, Mendoza, Chaco y La Pampa. Detallan aspectos como el número de habitantes, actividades económicas principales como la ganadería, y servicios disponibles como escuelas, acceso a agua potable y electricidad. Algunas localidades han experimentado un crecimiento de población mientras que otras han visto una disminución o han sido consideradas como zonas rurales dispersas en censos anteriores.
Leadbolt is a global mobile advertising network that has delivered over 10 billion ad impressions per month since 2015. It provides high performance advertising solutions to advertisers and app developers through innovative ad units, data-driven marketplaces, and dedicated global teams. Leadbolt helps clients achieve high engagement and results through options like self-service platforms, fully-managed services, and custom ad solutions.
This document is an advertisement for a graphic design studio called Les Improductibles. It summarizes the studio's services such as signage, branding, logos, print and digital design. It highlights benefits like quality, flexibility, and a personalized team. The studio works across various media and has experience since 2005 in graphic design, video production, and project management. Contact details are provided at the end.
Этот лифлет предлагает организациям, активистам и всем заинтересованным людям советы о том, как распознавать и противодействовать граффити, которые содержат расистские и ксенофобские послания, а также праворадикальные символы и коды.
Автор текста: Мария Грязнов, Kulturbüro Sachsen e.V.
Перевод:Денис Юрченко, ВГУ, Анастасия Мухлынина, YNRI.
Редактор перевода:Анастасия Никитина, YNRI.
Редакторы выпуска: Елена Дудукина, Елена Климова
Лифлет выпущен в рамках проекта «Построение партнерских отношений для успешного проведения ненасильственных молодежных акций по продвижению культуры Прав Человека, толерантности и межкультурного диалога», финансируемого Европейским Союзом. Содержание публикации является предметом ответственности международного Молодежного Правозащитного Движения и не отражает точку зрения Европейского Союза.
http://humane.by/nonazi
El documento describe dos modas urbanas de México: el estilo de ropa asociado con el reggaetón, como palabras del lenguaje y prendas anchas; y la moda hip hop, caracterizada por colores brillantes, accesorios grandes y la idea del hip hop como un movimiento cultural más que solo música. Menciona algunos de los artistas más reconocidos de reggaetón.
La orientación se originó en Suecia en 1890 y se ha convertido en un deporte olímpico. Llegó a España en 1972 y la Federación Española de Orientación se formó en 2003. Actualmente tiene 11 federaciones territoriales, 4 asociaciones y 175 clubes con unos 20.000 practicantes. Las principales modalidades son la orientación a pie, en bicicleta, raids de aventura y esquí orientación.
Cristina Rey Entrevista Revista EjecutivosOptimediaSpain
Optimedia España es la segunda agencia de medios más grande de España con más de 160 empleados. Perteneciente al grupo Publicis Groupe, Optimedia tiene presencia en 74 países y busca maximizar la inversión publicitaria de sus clientes a través de un enfoque integral en medios tradicionales y digitales.
Vocaroo es un servicio web que permite grabar mensajes de voz con el micrófono del computador y compartirlos en internet de forma rápida y sin necesidad de registro. Los usuarios pueden grabar un mensaje, reproducirlo y luego enviar el enlace por correo electrónico u otras redes sociales. Vocaroo Express es un software complementario que facilita el envío de los mensajes de voz grabados en Vocaroo como archivos adjuntos a correos electrónicos desde programas como Outlook Express.
El resumen contiene 3 oraciones:
El documento describe un libro de texto para estudiantes de 8o grado que aprenden español. El libro de texto sigue un enfoque basado en competencias, comunicativo y centrado en el estudiante de acuerdo con el programa actual de idiomas extranjeros. El material del libro de texto está estructurado temáticamente y cuenta con ejercicios y tareas optimizados para formar efectivamente la competencia comunicativa e intercultural de los estudiantes en español.
Este documento presenta un resumen de una conferencia sobre innovaciones en la educación peruana. Discutió el papel de las políticas públicas en la construcción del futuro a través de la ideología, la prospectiva y la planificación. También analizó la evolución histórica de las leyes y planes de educación en el Perú desde 1850, así como experiencias con consejos nacionales de educación. Finalmente, revisó planes y políticas de desarrollo nacionales y de educación, y la política de financiamiento público de la educación en el Perú.
Este documento habla sobre el bullying y cómo afecta a los niños, niñas, adolescentes y a sus padres y cuidadores. Explica que el bullying incluye agresiones físicas, verbales o virtuales que ocurren repetidamente y buscan humillar a la víctima. También describe los posibles efectos negativos del bullying en las víctimas, los agresores y los testigos, e insta a los padres a estar atentos a posibles señales de que sus hijos están siendo acosados para poder brindarles apoyo.
Daten-Journalismus: Lohnt der Aufwand?Mirko Lorenz
Was ist Datenjournalismus? Diese Präsentation nutzt Argumente aus älteren Vorträgen zum Thema, ist dafür aber mal in deutscher Sprache.
Gehalten auf dem Scoopcamp 2011.
Info: Diese Version wurde durch Links und Erklärungen erweitert, um die Verständlichkeit zu erhöhen.
This presentation will be useful to those
who would like to get acquainted with lifetime history
of successful monolithic Java application.
It shows architectural and technical evolution of one Java web startup that is beyond daily coding routine and contains a lot of simplifications, Captain Obvious and internet memes.
But this presentation is not intended for monolithic vs. micro services architectures comparison.
This document discusses patterns and practices for building living documentation using SpecFlow and Gherkin. It provides an overview of using SpecFlow in a project to gather requirements, develop tests, and build and release software. It also discusses special challenges like formalizing user stories and scenarios, dealing with cross-cutting concerns, and using test contexts and drivers for automation. The document is presented by Christian Hassa and Gaspar Nagy from TechTalk on their experiences using SpecFlow for the SpecLog project.
Los dos primeros fragmentos presentan resúmenes de la Ilíada y la Odisea de Homero, narrando brevemente los eventos clave de cada obra. Los fragmentos siguientes contienen reflexiones sobre la juventud, la vejez, el amor y el placer de la vida por parte de poetas griegos como Mimnermo, Safo y Teognis.
This document presents evidence for the resurrection of Jesus Christ from several historical sources. It summarizes the biblical accounts of Jesus' death, burial in the tomb of Joseph of Arimathea, and the discovery of the empty tomb by women on the third day. It also references early creeds and eyewitness testimony recorded in Pauline epistles that date back to within 3 years of Jesus' death. The document examines various hypotheses but finds naturalistic explanations like conspiracy theories or apparent death to be historically implausible. It concludes that the resurrection validates Jesus' claim to be the Son of God and is essential to the Christian faith.
In continuation of my studies of falsehood of all Abrahamic religions from 20...Navid Khiabani
In continuation of my studies of falsehood of all Abrahamic religions from 2008 to 2014
Complete historical study to indicate Jesus is a fictional character
Leadbolt is a global mobile advertising network that has delivered over 10 billion ad impressions per month since 2015. It provides high performance advertising solutions to advertisers and app developers through innovative ad units, data-driven marketplaces, and dedicated global teams. Leadbolt helps clients achieve high engagement and results through options like self-service platforms, fully-managed services, and custom ad solutions.
This document is an advertisement for a graphic design studio called Les Improductibles. It summarizes the studio's services such as signage, branding, logos, print and digital design. It highlights benefits like quality, flexibility, and a personalized team. The studio works across various media and has experience since 2005 in graphic design, video production, and project management. Contact details are provided at the end.
Этот лифлет предлагает организациям, активистам и всем заинтересованным людям советы о том, как распознавать и противодействовать граффити, которые содержат расистские и ксенофобские послания, а также праворадикальные символы и коды.
Автор текста: Мария Грязнов, Kulturbüro Sachsen e.V.
Перевод:Денис Юрченко, ВГУ, Анастасия Мухлынина, YNRI.
Редактор перевода:Анастасия Никитина, YNRI.
Редакторы выпуска: Елена Дудукина, Елена Климова
Лифлет выпущен в рамках проекта «Построение партнерских отношений для успешного проведения ненасильственных молодежных акций по продвижению культуры Прав Человека, толерантности и межкультурного диалога», финансируемого Европейским Союзом. Содержание публикации является предметом ответственности международного Молодежного Правозащитного Движения и не отражает точку зрения Европейского Союза.
http://humane.by/nonazi
El documento describe dos modas urbanas de México: el estilo de ropa asociado con el reggaetón, como palabras del lenguaje y prendas anchas; y la moda hip hop, caracterizada por colores brillantes, accesorios grandes y la idea del hip hop como un movimiento cultural más que solo música. Menciona algunos de los artistas más reconocidos de reggaetón.
La orientación se originó en Suecia en 1890 y se ha convertido en un deporte olímpico. Llegó a España en 1972 y la Federación Española de Orientación se formó en 2003. Actualmente tiene 11 federaciones territoriales, 4 asociaciones y 175 clubes con unos 20.000 practicantes. Las principales modalidades son la orientación a pie, en bicicleta, raids de aventura y esquí orientación.
Cristina Rey Entrevista Revista EjecutivosOptimediaSpain
Optimedia España es la segunda agencia de medios más grande de España con más de 160 empleados. Perteneciente al grupo Publicis Groupe, Optimedia tiene presencia en 74 países y busca maximizar la inversión publicitaria de sus clientes a través de un enfoque integral en medios tradicionales y digitales.
Vocaroo es un servicio web que permite grabar mensajes de voz con el micrófono del computador y compartirlos en internet de forma rápida y sin necesidad de registro. Los usuarios pueden grabar un mensaje, reproducirlo y luego enviar el enlace por correo electrónico u otras redes sociales. Vocaroo Express es un software complementario que facilita el envío de los mensajes de voz grabados en Vocaroo como archivos adjuntos a correos electrónicos desde programas como Outlook Express.
El resumen contiene 3 oraciones:
El documento describe un libro de texto para estudiantes de 8o grado que aprenden español. El libro de texto sigue un enfoque basado en competencias, comunicativo y centrado en el estudiante de acuerdo con el programa actual de idiomas extranjeros. El material del libro de texto está estructurado temáticamente y cuenta con ejercicios y tareas optimizados para formar efectivamente la competencia comunicativa e intercultural de los estudiantes en español.
Este documento presenta un resumen de una conferencia sobre innovaciones en la educación peruana. Discutió el papel de las políticas públicas en la construcción del futuro a través de la ideología, la prospectiva y la planificación. También analizó la evolución histórica de las leyes y planes de educación en el Perú desde 1850, así como experiencias con consejos nacionales de educación. Finalmente, revisó planes y políticas de desarrollo nacionales y de educación, y la política de financiamiento público de la educación en el Perú.
Este documento habla sobre el bullying y cómo afecta a los niños, niñas, adolescentes y a sus padres y cuidadores. Explica que el bullying incluye agresiones físicas, verbales o virtuales que ocurren repetidamente y buscan humillar a la víctima. También describe los posibles efectos negativos del bullying en las víctimas, los agresores y los testigos, e insta a los padres a estar atentos a posibles señales de que sus hijos están siendo acosados para poder brindarles apoyo.
Daten-Journalismus: Lohnt der Aufwand?Mirko Lorenz
Was ist Datenjournalismus? Diese Präsentation nutzt Argumente aus älteren Vorträgen zum Thema, ist dafür aber mal in deutscher Sprache.
Gehalten auf dem Scoopcamp 2011.
Info: Diese Version wurde durch Links und Erklärungen erweitert, um die Verständlichkeit zu erhöhen.
This presentation will be useful to those
who would like to get acquainted with lifetime history
of successful monolithic Java application.
It shows architectural and technical evolution of one Java web startup that is beyond daily coding routine and contains a lot of simplifications, Captain Obvious and internet memes.
But this presentation is not intended for monolithic vs. micro services architectures comparison.
This document discusses patterns and practices for building living documentation using SpecFlow and Gherkin. It provides an overview of using SpecFlow in a project to gather requirements, develop tests, and build and release software. It also discusses special challenges like formalizing user stories and scenarios, dealing with cross-cutting concerns, and using test contexts and drivers for automation. The document is presented by Christian Hassa and Gaspar Nagy from TechTalk on their experiences using SpecFlow for the SpecLog project.
Los dos primeros fragmentos presentan resúmenes de la Ilíada y la Odisea de Homero, narrando brevemente los eventos clave de cada obra. Los fragmentos siguientes contienen reflexiones sobre la juventud, la vejez, el amor y el placer de la vida por parte de poetas griegos como Mimnermo, Safo y Teognis.
This document presents evidence for the resurrection of Jesus Christ from several historical sources. It summarizes the biblical accounts of Jesus' death, burial in the tomb of Joseph of Arimathea, and the discovery of the empty tomb by women on the third day. It also references early creeds and eyewitness testimony recorded in Pauline epistles that date back to within 3 years of Jesus' death. The document examines various hypotheses but finds naturalistic explanations like conspiracy theories or apparent death to be historically implausible. It concludes that the resurrection validates Jesus' claim to be the Son of God and is essential to the Christian faith.
In continuation of my studies of falsehood of all Abrahamic religions from 20...Navid Khiabani
In continuation of my studies of falsehood of all Abrahamic religions from 2008 to 2014
Complete historical study to indicate Jesus is a fictional character
Inspiration and Inerrancy: A Power Point on How We Got the Bible, on supposed Bible contradictions and errors and on the Apocrypha. By John Oakes, first given in Manila 1/16/2010.
The canon of the Bible was determined through consideration of apostolic authority, orthodox doctrine, and acceptance by the early church. While some texts were disputed, by the 4th century the 27 book NT canon was established. The Church Fathers including Clement, Origen, Eusebius, and Athanasius cited or referenced most or all of the 27 books. The Reformation led Protestants to reject the Apocrypha, though some found individual books like Hebrews or Revelation less authoritative. Despite textual variations over history, Christian doctrine remains consistent.
The document provides evidence from biblical scripture and history to support the resurrection of Jesus Christ. It notes that Jesus prophesied his death and resurrection, and that the resurrection is the earliest creed of the Christian church dating to just years after Jesus' death. It also discusses the empty tomb, appearances of the risen Jesus to many witnesses, the explosive growth of the church following the resurrection, and analyses why alternatives like theft of the body or hallucinations cannot account for the facts. The document concludes the resurrection has self-authenticating beauty that points to its truthfulness.
The Bible (cannon of hebrew and christian scripture)jachian
The document discusses the Bible and its authority. It notes that the Bible is both the most loved and hated book, as it has inspired great acts but is also blamed for terrible acts. It then discusses evidence for the reliability and authority of the Bible, including its historical accuracy validated by archaeology, accurate prophecies, and manuscript consistency with very few errors. The document argues that both general revelation in nature and special revelation in the Bible are needed to fully understand God, and that the Bible has transformed many lives due to its timeless message. It concludes the Bible can be trusted as the inspired word of God.
The document discusses sources of claims that Jesus was a mythological figure rather than a historical person. It traces these claims back to 19th century German theologian Bruno Bauer, who argued Jesus was a fusion of Greek and Roman theology rather than based in Judaism. Others like Albert Kalthoff and James Frazer built on this, claiming Jesus never existed. Modern propagators cited include the movie Zeitgeist and authors Dan Brown and Freke/Gandy. The document questions the credibility and scholarly acceptance of these mythological claims, noting a lack of evidence and acceptance from reputable historians and scholars.
The document discusses several topics regarding the historical reliability of the gospels:
1) Scholars date the gospels of Mark, Matthew, Luke and John to have been written between AD 60-100, within the lifetimes of the eyewitnesses. Archaeological evidence corroborates details in the gospels.
2) Early church fathers from the 2nd century consistently quoted from and appealed to the apostolic writings as scripture, showing early circulation and acceptance of the gospels.
3) The Jewish culture had highly developed oral tradition practices, allowing Jesus' teachings and events to be reliably preserved orally for the few years before being written down.
The document discusses evidence for the historical reliability of the gospels, addressing claims from liberal scholars and popular books like The Da Vinci Code. It presents evidence that the gospels were written early, within the lifetimes of eyewitnesses, and examines early manuscript evidence, testimony from church fathers, and corroboration from Jewish and Roman sources. Archaeology has also upheld the accuracy of details in the gospels.
The Essentials of Apologetics - Why Jesus (Part 1)?Robin Schumacher
This document discusses the historical evidence for Jesus' existence and the claims that he was a myth. It addresses arguments that Jesus was copied from pagan gods and evaluates the reliability of the New Testament as a historical source. The document concludes that there is strong evidence that Jesus was a real historical figure based on multiple ancient sources, and most scholars accept certain facts about his life are beyond reasonable doubt, such as that he was baptized, taught in Galilee, and was crucified under Pontius Pilate.
The document discusses how historians assess the reliability of ancient texts using criteria like documentary style, reliable transmission, early composition date, external evidence, and reliable witnesses. It argues that the Bible compares favorably to other ancient texts under these standards. Specifically, it notes that the Gospels and Acts have an early documentary style, were reliably copied and transmitted, were composed within 25 years of events, and include many historical places, people, and artifacts corroborated outside the Bible. It concludes the Bible is as historically reliable as other ancient texts.
The document discusses the reliability and importance of the Bible from several perspectives:
1. The Bible withstands historical scrutiny, as evidenced by fulfilled prophecies, consistency between authors, and confirmation by other historical sources.
2. The Bible claims to be God's inspired word and provides a credible account of Jesus that is supported by eyewitness testimony.
3. Archaeological discoveries have corroborated many locations, artifacts, and details mentioned in the Bible.
Why the world was created in 4004 bc archbishop ussher and biblical chronologyZafnat Panea
Ussher calculated that the world was created in 4004 BC based on biblical chronology and external historical sources. He believed there were 4000 years between creation and Christ's birth, as was a long-held tradition. Ussher's calculations placed important biblical events like the start of Solomon's Temple in precise years, like 2993 AM for the start and 3000 AM for its completion. His chronology was based on correlating exact biblical dates with external historical events like the death of Nebuchadnezzar in 563 BC.
"The (New) History of Full Preterism" (Part One) - Powerpoint PresentationTodd Dennis
2007 Carlsbad Conference presentation of "The New History of Full Preterism" - PART ONE
To be used in conjunction with Audio Tapes available from http://www.preterist.org/preteristbookstore.asp#Audio_MP3s
This study guide, the second half of a two part study on how the early Christian church selected the books that comprise the canon of the New Testament, is one of a series to help leaders of a Bible study or Sunday School class who are too busy to research and prepare as well as they would like for the task. The entire series is engaging, colorful and challenging and is ready to go even at the last moment. More are in the works. Search using keyword "lessonstogo."
Notes to accompany HOW WE GOT THE BIBLE
Many have claimed that the Old Testament contains a number of myths and legends which were created by Jewish writers in the two or three centuries before the time of Christ or soon thereafter. Others would claim that most of the New Testament was written well into the late second century AD by Christian apologists who were creating a Jesus very different from the historical person. They would claim that the gospels are not an eye-witness account at all. Another common claim is that the original writings of the apostles were radically edited by the Catholic Church in the period after the conversion of the Roman Empire, to reflect Catholic doctrine. These people would claim that the doctrines found in the New Testament are very different from the original teachings of Jesus Christ. Still others will claim
that there were additional gospels written by the apostles which were excluded by leaders in the early church because of their bias against certain teachings...
This document discusses the formation of the Christian canon and diversity in early Christianity. It describes four major Christian groups in the 2nd century: Jewish-Christian Adoptionists, who believed Jesus was adopted by God; Marcionite Christians, who followed Marcion and believed the God of the Jews was different from the God preached by Jesus; Gnostic Christians, who had diverse beliefs but many thought Jesus had two distinct beings; and Proto-Orthodox Christians, who believed Jesus was both fully divine and human. It then outlines major developments from the 1st-3rd centuries that led to the establishment of the New Testament canon, including writings of early Church fathers and Marcion proposing an exclusive canon that prompted Orthodox Christians to define
The document examines evidence for the reliability of the gospels and the historicity of Jesus and his resurrection. It finds that the gospels were written early and by eyewitnesses, and are more reliable than other ancient texts. Extra-biblical sources like Josephus support Jesus' existence. Archeology confirms biblical accounts. Objections that Jesus was a lunatic, liar or merely a teacher are refuted. The resurrection is supported by the empty tomb and eyewitness accounts too consistent to be hallucinations. In conclusion, the document finds the New Testament reliable and that Jesus was the Son of God who was resurrected.
Lesson 12 - The Blessed Hope: The Mark of the Christian.pptxCelso Napoleon
Lesson 12 - The Blessed Hope: The Mark of the Christian
SBS – Sunday Bible School
Adult Bible Lessons 2nd quarter 2024 CPAD
MAGAZINE: THE CAREER THAT IS PROPOSED TO US: The Path of Salvation, Holiness and Perseverance to Reach Heaven
Commentator: Pastor Osiel Gomes
Presentation: Missionary Celso Napoleon
Renewed in Grace
The Book of Revelation, filled with symbolic and apocalyptic imagery, presents one of its most striking visions in Revelation 9:3-12—the locust army. Understanding the significance of this locust army provides insight into the broader themes of divine judgment, protection, and the ultimate triumph of God’s will as depicted in Revelation.
PHASE-IV
The very deep experience of silence helps to expand from the 3 - dimensional awareness of the body to all pervasive awareness. The bed of silence becomes deeper and more expansive - an ocean of silence with waves on it merge into complete silence called Ajapa state of the mind. This silence is the source of Creativity, Power, Knowledge and Bliss.
PHASE V
From this deep ocean of silence in the heart region, let one OM emerge as an audible sound which diffuses into the entire body and the space all around. Enjoy the beautiful vibrations.
Blink the eyes slowly, gently open the eyes and come out of meditation.
Heartfulness Magazine - June 2024 (Volume 9, Issue 6)heartfulness
Dear readers,
This month we continue with more inspiring talks from the Global Spirituality Mahotsav that was held from March 14 to 17, 2024, at Kanha Shanti Vanam.
We hear from Daaji on lifestyle and yoga in honor of International Day of Yoga, June 21, 2024. We also hear from Professor Bhavani Rao, Dean at Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham University, on spirituality in action, the Venerable BhikkuSanghasena on how to be an ambassador for compassion, Dr. Tony Nader on the Maharishi Effect, Swami Mukundananda on the crossroads of modernization, Tejinder Kaur Basra on the purpose of work, the Venerable GesheDorjiDamdul on the psychology of peace, the Rt. Hon. Patricia Scotland, KC, Secretary-General of the Commonwealth, on how we are all related, and world-renowned violinist KumareshRajagopalan on the uplifting mysteries of music.
Dr. Prasad Veluthanar shares an Ayurvedic perspective on treating autism, Dr. IchakAdizes helps us navigate disagreements at work, Sravan Banda celebrates World Environment Day by sharing some tips on land restoration, and Sara Bubber tells our children another inspiring story and challenges them with some fun facts and riddles.
Happy reading,
The editors
Lição 12: João 15 a 17 – O Espírito Santo e a Oração Sacerdotal | 2° Trimestr...OmarBarrezueta1
Esta lição é uma oportunidade para discutirmos um assunto multo mal interpretado no contexto cristão, que é o fato de algumas pessoas pensarem que o conhecer Jesus é ter a nossa vida mudada em todas as áreas, como se Deus tivesse o dever de transportar-nos deste mundo para um outro mundo onde muitas coisas maravilhosas que desejamos seriam reais. No entanto, a nossa fé não nos tira do mundo após nos convertermos; ao invés disso, permanecemos vivendo sob as mesmas circunstâncias. O propósito de Deus não é nos tirar do mundo, mas nos livrar das ações do maligno (Jo 17.15), Sendo assim, a vida eterna não significa estar fora da realidade deste mundo, mas conhecer o único Deus verdadeiro (Jo 17.3).
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"Lift off" by Pastor Mark Behr at North Athens Baptist ChurchJurgenFinch
23 June 2024
Morning Service at North Athens Baptist Church Athens, Michigan
“Lift Off” by Pastor Mark Behr
Scriptures: Luke 24:50-53; Acts 1:6-11.
We are a small country Church in Athens Michigan who loves to reach out to others with the love of God. We worship an Awesome God who loves the whole world and wants everyone to see and understand what He has done for us. (1 Corinthians 15:1-4) We hope you are encouraging by our Sunday Morning sermon videos. If you are ever in the area, please feel free to attend our Sunday Morning Services at North Athens Baptist Church 2020 M Drive South, Athens, Michigan. If you have any question and would like to talk to Pastor Mark, or have prayer request please call the church at (269) 729-553
Sunday School: 9:30 a.m.
Morning Service: 10:45 a.m.
Full Morning Service on Facebook Live at: https://www.facebook.com/groups/nabc2020athensmichigan
Sermon Only Live on YouTube at: https://www.youtube.com/@NABC2020AthensMI
Sermon Only Audio of Morning Sermon at: https://soundcloud.com/user-591083416
Lucid Dreaming: Understanding the Risks and Benefits
The ability to control one's dreams or for the dreamer to be aware that he or she is dreaming. This process, called lucid dreaming, has some potential risks as well as many fascinating benefits. However, many people are hesitant to try it initially for fear of the potential dangers. This article aims to clarify these concerns by exploring both the risks and benefits of lucid dreaming.
The Benefits of Lucid Dreaming
Lucid dreaming allows a person to take control of their dream world, helping them overcome their fears and eliminate nightmares. This technique is particularly useful for mental health. By taking control of their dreams, individuals can face challenging scenarios in a controlled environment, which can help reduce anxiety and increase self-confidence.
Addressing Common Concerns
Physical Harm in Dreams Lucid dreaming is fundamentally safe. In a lucid dream, everything is a creation of your mind. Therefore, nothing in the dream can physically harm you. Despite the vividness and realness of the dream experience, it remains entirely within your mental landscape, posing no physical danger.
Mental Health Risks Concerns about developing PTSD or other mental illnesses from lucid dreaming are unfounded. As soon as you wake up, it's clear that the events experienced in the dream were not real. On the contrary, lucid dreaming is often seen as a therapeutic tool for conditions like PTSD, as it allows individuals to reframe and manage their thoughts.
Potential Risks of Lucid Dreaming
While generally safe, lucid dreaming does come with a few risks as well:
Mixing Dream Memories with Reality Long-term lucid dreamers might occasionally confuse dream memories with real ones, creating false memories. This issue is rare and preventable by maintaining a dream journal and avoiding lucid dreaming about real-life people or places too frequently.
Escapism Using lucid dreaming to escape reality can be problematic if it interferes with your daily life. While it is sometimes beneficial to escape and relieve the stress of reality, relying on lucid dreaming for happiness can hinder personal growth and productivity.
Feeling Tired After Lucid Dreaming Some people report feeling tired after lucid dreaming. This tiredness is not due to the dreams themselves but often results from not getting enough sleep or using techniques that disrupt sleep patterns. Taking breaks and ensuring adequate sleep can prevent this.
Mental Exhaustion Lucid dreaming can be mentally taxing if practiced excessively without breaks. It’s important to balance lucid dreaming with regular sleep to avoid mental fatigue.
Lucid dreaming is safe and beneficial if done with caution. It has many benefits, such as overcoming fear and improving mental health, and minimal risks. There are many resources and tutorials available for those interested in trying it.
Tales of This and Another Life - Chapters.pdfMashaL38
This book is one of the best of the translated ones, for it has a warning character for all those who find themselves in the experience of material life. Irmão X provides a shrewd way of describing the subtleties and weaknesses that can jeopardize our intentions, making us more attentive and vigilant by providing us with his wise pages, reminding us between the lines of the Master's words: "Pray and watch."
Astronism, Cosmism and Cosmodeism: the space religions espousing the doctrine...Cometan
This lecture created by Brandon Taylorian (aka Cometan) specially for the CESNUR Conference held Bordeaux in June 2024 provides a brief introduction to the legacy of religious and philosophical thought that Astronism emerges from, namely the discourse on transcension started assuredly by the Cosmists in Russia in the mid-to-late nineteenth century and then carried on and developed by Mordecai Nessyahu in Cosmodeism in the twentieth century. Cometan also then provides some detail on his story in founding Astronism in the early twenty-first century from 2013 along with details on the central Astronist doctrine of transcension. Finally, the lecture concludes with some contributions made by space religions and space philosophy and their influences on various cultural facets in art, literature and film.
God calls us to a journey of worshiping Him. In this journey you will encounter different obstacles and derailments that will want to sway you from worshiping God. You got to be intentional in breaking the barriers staged on your way of worship in order to offer God acceptable worship.
2nd issue of Volume 15. A magazine in urdu language mainly based on spiritual treatment and learning. Many topics on ISLAM, SUFISM, SOCIAL PROBLEMS, SELF HELP, PSYCHOLOGY, HEALTH, SPIRITUAL TREATMENT, Ruqya etc.A very useful magazine for everyone.
Introduction
Mantra Yoga is an exact science. "Mananat trayate iti mantrah- by the Manana (constant thinking or recollection) of which one is protected or is released from the round of births and deaths, is Mantra." That is called Mantra by the meditation (Manana) on which the Jiva or the individual soul attains freedom from sin, enjoyment in heaven and final liberation, and by the aid of which it attains in full the fourfold fruit (Chaturvarga), i.e., Dharma, Artha, Kama and Moksha. A Mantra is so called because it is achieved by the mental process.
7. Our very first reference to Jesus’
tomb being empty is in the Gospel
of Mark, written 40 years
later by someone living in a
different country who
had heard that it was
empty. How would he know?
- Bart Ehrman
8. Can historians prove
that Jesus was
raised from the dead?
(I always argue that no,
no one can prove it.)
Are the Gospel accounts
of Jesus reliable?
(No, not completely.)
9.
10. In order to draw material
from the Jewish Antiquities,
as he appears
to have done, Luke could
not have written
before 94 A.D
- Richard Carrier
11. “No work … of any kind has
ever been discovered, … which
may be looked upon as
furnishing additional evidence of
the existence of those gospels,
and which was executed earlier
than the latter part of the second
century”
- Charles Burlingame Waite
Last week, our topic was “Is the Bible Divine, rather than Simply Human in Origin”? But, today, we’ll be examining the question “How Can We Trust the Historical Reliability of the New Testament”? This is a slightly different aspect of the biblical reliability question.
My hope and prayer is that you would walk away from today’s teaching having great confidence that the New Testament is historically reliable and that - having that confidence - you would relish opportunities to share your faith, not hesitating because of fear that someone will object that the New Testament is not reliable.
Our task is to look at the New Testament as a historian looks at ancient documents to see whether this body of work stands up to scrutiny. It is possible for someone to view the New Testament as historically reliable without seeing it as the divinely inspired, inerrant, Word of God. However, lack of historical trustworthiness would be a stumbling block for skeptics, preventing them from even considering the message contained in the New Testament. This is what we’ll be addressing today.
First, we’ll be taking a look at what some of the skeptical scholars are saying about the historicity of the New Testament…
One of the most popular anti-Christian voices in recent years is the great skeptic and New Testament scholar Bart Ehrman. He is the Distinguished Professor of Religious Studies at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
Ehrman has written widely on issues of New Testament and early Christianity at both an academic and popular level, with over (tap for next book) 27 books including three college textbooks and (tap for next book) five New York Times bestsellers. Here are a few quotes from Bart.
He said “Why was the tomb supposedly empty? I say supposedly because, frankly, I don’t know that it was. Our very first reference to Jesus’ tomb being empty is in the Gospel of Mark, written 40 years later by someone living in a different country who had heard that it was empty. How would he know?”
Can historians prove that Jesus was raised from the dead? (I always argue that no, no one can prove it.) Are the Gospel accounts of Jesus reliable? (No, not completely.)
Richard Carrier is a historian, atheist activist and author who has a doctorate in ancient history from Columbia University.
He said “in order to draw material from the Jewish Antiquities, as he appears to have done, Luke could not have written before 94 A.D.”
Charles Waite was a lawyer and author of the book “History of the Christian Religion to the Year 200”. In that book on page 304, he wrote, (Show Quote) “No work of art of any kind has ever been discovered, no painting, or engraving, no sculpture, or other relic of antiquity, which may be looked upon as furnishing additional evidence of the existence of those gospels, and which was executed earlier than the latter part of the second century.”
So, what are we to do? Is there an answer to these critics?
I would contend that there is a reasonable answer to these accusations.
We’ll make our case for the historicity of the new testament using 4 points – These 4 points will show that the New Testament was:
Written Early – in the lifetime of the eyewitnesses
Corroborated By External Sources
Unchanged Over Time
The Authors Were Not Biased
The first point we’ll cover is the dating of the New Testament writing. With Jesus being crucified in 33AD, the events happened in the 1st century, so early dating would be considered in the 1st century. Before we get into that, let me ask you a question. Why is it important that the New Testament was written early? What does that have to do with it being historically reliable? Answer: If the New Testament was written in the second century (100 – 200 AD) or later, they were not eyewitness accounts. Cold Case Homicide detective, J. Warner Wallace says “true eyewitnesses to the life of Jesus would have lived (and written) in the 1st century. The first criterion of eyewitness reliability requires us to answer the question, ‘Were the alleged eyewitnesses present in the first place?’”
I’m going to make the case that it is reasonable to conclude that many, if not all, of the books of the New Testament were written prior to 70 A.D., which is about 40 years after Jesus’s death. The reason for this is that there is a major historical event that is missing in the Biblical narrative…. Does anyone have a guess as to what that event is?
The New Testament, and the Book of Acts in particular, is a collection of writings describing the history of the early church, and therefore, certainly would have recorded the destruction of the Jewish temple in 70 AD if it had happened prior to being written.
I’m going to tell you a story, which I got out the book “I Don’t Have Enough Faith to be an Atheist”
Imagine this. You’re a devout Jew in the first century. The center of your national, economic, and religious life is Jerusalem, and especially the temple.
It has been that way in your nation…for a thousand years—ever since Solomon built the first temple. Most of the newest temple, constructed by King Herod, was completed when you were a child, but portions of it are still under construction and have been since 19 B.C.
For your entire life you have attended services and brought sacrifices there to atone for the sins. Why? Because you and your countrymen consider this temple the earthly dwelling place of the God, (tap to show Yahweh) the very Deity whose name is so holy you dare not utter it.
As a young man, you begin following a Jew named Jesus who claims to be the long-awaited Messiah.
He performs miracles, teaches profound truths, and scolds the priests in charge of the temple. Incredibly, he predicts his own death and resurrection.
He also predicts that the temple itself will be destroyed before your generation passes away (Mark 13:2, 30). This is scandalous!
Jesus is convicted of blasphemy by your temple priests and
is crucified on the eve of the Passover, one of your holiest holidays.
He’s buried in a Jewish tomb,
but three days later you and his other followers see Jesus alive just as he predicted. You touch him, eat with him, and he continues to perform miracles,
the last being his ascension into heaven.
Forty years later, your temple is destroyed just as Jesus had predicted, along with the entire city and thousands of your countrymen.
Question: If you and the other followers of Jesus write about Jesus after the temple is destroyed, aren’t you going to at least mention that unprecedented national, and religious tragedy -- especially since Jesus had predicted it? Of course!
Well, here’s the problem for those who say the New Testament was written after 70AD—there’s absolutely no mention of the fulfillment of this predicted tragedy anywhere in the New Testament documents. This suggests that most, if not all, of the documents must have been written prior to 70.
But, some may object,
They may say, “Wait a minute … that’s an ‘argument from silence’, and that doesn’t prove anything.” But in fact it is not an argument from silence, because…the New Testament documents do speak of Jerusalem and the temple, as if they were still intact at the time of the writings. But even if this were an argument from silence, that doesn’t mean it’s wrong. Consider these modern parallels…
If a former sailor aboard the USS Arizona wrote a book about that ship, and the book ends with no mention of the ship being sunk and 1,177 of its sailors being killed at Pearl Harbor, do you have any doubt that the book must have been written prior to December 7, 1941?
Or, if a former tenant of the World Trade Center wrote a book related to the history of those buildings, and the book ends with the towers still standing—there’s absolutely no mention of the towers being destroyed and nearly 3,000 people being killed—do you have any doubt that the book must have been written prior to September 11, 2001? Of course not.
Well, the disaster in 70 A.D., in terms of lives, property, and national scope, was many magnitudes greater than Pearl Harbor and 9/11. It marked the end of such a terrible war that Josephus—who himself surrendered to the Romans in 67—called it the “greatest” war of all time. The Jews didn’t lose just one ship or a couple of prominent buildings—they lost their entire country, their capital city, and their temple, which had been the center of their religious, political, and economic life for the last thousand years.
Since the New Testament does not mention these events anywhere and suggests that Jerusalem and the temple are still intact, we can reasonably conclude that most if not all of the New Testament documents must have been written prior to 70AD.
The second point we’ll cover is that the New Testament is corroborated by other sources. Question – what authors mention Jesus outside the Bible?
Josephus, who was the greatest Jewish historian of his time, was captured by the Roman General Vespasian in the year of 67AD during the siege of Jerusalem. In about 93 AD, while in Rome, he finished his now famous Antiquities of the Jews.
In book 18, chapter 3, section 3 of that work, Josephus, who was not a Christian, wrote these words: “At this time [the time of Pilate] there was a wise man who was called Jesus. His conduct was good and (he) was known to be virtuous. And many people from among the Jews and the other nations became his disciples. Pilate condemned him to be crucified and to die. But those who had become his disciples did not abandon his discipleship. They reported that he had appeared to them three days after his crucifixion, and that he was alive; accordingly he was perhaps the Messiah, concerning whom the prophets have recounted wonders.”
Additionally, there is Cornelius Tacitus, who was a senator and a roman historian that lived from 55AD – 117AD. In his work from 115AD titled “Annals”, writing about the Great Fire of Rome that burned much of Rome in July 64 AD, he said…
“Consequently, to get rid of the report [that Nero had started the fire], Nero fastened the guilt and inflicted the most exquisite tortures on a class hated for their abominations, called Christians by the populace. Christus, from whom the name had its origin, suffered the extreme penalty during the reign of Tiberius at the hands of one of our procurators, Pontius Pilatus, and a most mischievous superstition, thus checked for the moment, again broke out not only in Judea, the first source of the evil, but even in Rome, where all things hideous and shameful from every part of the world find their center and become popular.”
I’ve given only 2 examples of extra-biblical corroboration, but there are many more examples of this which, in some way, confirm New Testament narrative. In fact, there are at least ten known non-Christian writers who mention Jesus within 150 years of his life. By contrast, over the same 150 years, there are nine non-Christian sources who mention Tiberius Caesar, the Roman emperor at the time of Jesus. So, discounting all the Christian sources, Jesus is actually mentioned by one more source than the Roman emperor at the time. If you include the Christian sources, authors mentioning Jesus outnumber those mentioning Tiberius 43 to 10!
So, what can we learn from these non-Christian sources? We learn that they admit certain facts about early Christianity that help us piece together a storyline that is surprisingly congruent with the New Testament. Piecing together all ten non-Christian references, we see that:
Jesus lived during time of Tiberius Caesar
He lived a virtuous life
He was a wonder-worker
He had a brother named James
He was acclaimed to be the Messiah
He was crucified under Pontius Pilate
He was crucified on the eve of the Jewish Passover
Darkness and an earthquake occurred when he died
His disciples believed he rose from the dead
His disciples were willing to die for their belief
Christianity spread rapidly as far as Rome
His disciples denied the Roman gods and worshiped Jesus as God
In light of these non-Christian references, the theory that Jesus never existed is clearly unreasonable. How could non-Christian writers collectively reveal a storyline congruent with the New Testament if Jesus never existed? But the implications run even deeper than that. What does this say about the New Testament? On the face of it, non-Christian sources affirm the New Testament. So, considering all this evidence, we can safely conclude that the New Testament is corroborated by extra-biblical sources.
Quite obviously don’t have the time go into more depth about all of the non-biblical references today. But I’ve provided you a handout for some further reading (pass out handout). So we’ll now move on to our 3rd point…
Even if the New Testament was written early, how can we be sure it wasn’t altered significantly over the years? How do we know the Gospels we have today are the same as the Gospels originally written by the eyewitnesses?
This is the third point that we can use to support the historicity of the New Testament: it is unchanged over time
In criminal cases, potential alteration of evidence over time is evaluated by tracing what is called the “chain of custody”. From the officer who reported a particular piece of evidence, to the detectives who handled it, to those who examined it in the lab, to the detectives who delivered it into the courtroom, there is a record of what each and every one of them had to say about the evidence. They may’ve written about it or taken a picture of it. The “chain of custody” will help determine if the evidence was altered over time.
In a similar way, there is a New Testament “chain of custody” related to the transmission of the Gospels and letters of Paul. The Gospel of John, for example, can be traced from John to his three personal students (Ignatius, Polycarp and Papias) to their personal student (Irenaeus) to his personal student (Hippolytus). These men in the chain of custody wrote their own letters and documents describing what they had been taught by their predecessors. These letters survive to this day and allow us to evaluate whether or not the New Testament narratives have been changed over the years. The same can be said of the chain of custody related to the Apostle Peter and of Paul. It is an interesting fact to note that if all the New Testament documents had been completely lost, we would still be able to re-construct the New Testament by quotations from the early church fathers. Recently, however, some NT scholars announced that 46% of the New Testament could be reconstructed from church father quotations. Even if we didn’t have a single New Testament manuscript, we could still reconstruct nearly half of the entire New Testament from sermons, catechisms, lectionaries, and other writings of the 2nd and 3rd century church fathers.
We don’t have time to cover any more of this today, but I’ve provided a handout for you to take home (Passout the handout) . I would encourage you to go to coldcasechristianity.com to investigate this chain of custody in detail or you can purchase the excellent book “Cold-Case Christianity” by J. Warner Wallace.
So, the evidence is clear, the foundational claims related to Jesus have not changed at all from the first record to the last.
This is the fourth point that we can use to support the historicity of the New Testament: the authors were not biased.
Could it be that the New Testament documents are not biased religious writings full of myths and fables as many in our modern world assume, but instead describe events that actually occurred about 2,000 years ago? Are they documents written soon after the events by eyewitnesses (or by those who interviewed eyewitnesses), or are they documents written much later by biased followers who simply embellished details about the life of a real historical figure?
The great skeptic David Hume said witnesses should be unbiased if we’re going to consider them credible. So when skeptics look at the New Testament documents, they often ask, “How can you say they are reliable when they were written by Christians? These are biased accounts written by biased people.”
Now, what’s wrong with that logic? (wait) What’s wrong with that logic is that it fails to ask the most important question: Why were they Christians? Indeed, the first and most important question is not, “What were the beliefs of the New Testament writers?” The first and most important question is, “Why did they convert to these new beliefs?” In other words, why did the New Testament writers suddenly abandon their livelihoods and treasured religious traditions for these new beliefs?
The authors of the Gospels and the rest of the New Testament were not “Christian” believers until after they observed the life and ministry of Jesus. The Gospels are filled with examples of the disciples misunderstanding the predictions and proclamations of Jesus. There are many examples of doubt and hesitancy on the part of those who witnessed Jesus’ life.
The skeptical disciples continually asked Jesus for clarification about His message and His methods…
Thomas, after spending 3 years with Jesus, still wouldn’t believe His prediction of the resurrection until he saw Jesus with his own eyes and touched Jesus with his own hands. The apostles became convinced of Jesus’s deity after they observed His life and resurrection. They didn’t start off as Christians. The disciples ended up as Christians as a result of their observations. They were not prejudicially biased; they were evidentially certain.
The New Testament writers certainly had no reason to make up a new religion. We must remember that all of them (with the possible exception of Luke) were Jews who firmly believed they already had the one true religion. And that nearly 2,000-year-old religion asserted that they, the Jews, were the chosen people of God. Why would the Jews who converted to Christianity risk persecution, death, and perhaps eternal damnation to start something that:
wasn’t true
elevated non-Jews into the exclusive relationship the Jews claimed to have with God?
And unless the Resurrection actually happened, why would they, almost immediately, stop observing the Sabbath, circumcision, the Law of Moses, the centrality of the temple, the priestly system, and other Old Testament teachings? The New Testament writers had to have witnessed some very strong evidence to turn away from those ancient beliefs and practices that had defined who they were for nearly 2,000 years.
Someone might protest, “But since the New Testament writers were Christians, they can’t be objective.” Nonsense. People can be objective even when they aren’t neutral. A doctor can give an objective diagnosis even if he has strong feelings for the patient. That is, he can be objective even though he isn’t neutral.
The truth of the matter is that all books are written for a reason and most authors believe what they are writing! But that doesn’t mean what they write is wrong or has no objective element.
The survivors of the Holocaust who wrote down their experiences certainly were not neutral bystanders. They believed passionately in recording those events so that the world would never forget the Holocaust and, hopefully, never repeat it. While passion may cause some people to exaggerate, it may drive others to be all the more meticulous and accurate so as not to lose credibility and acceptance of the message they wish to communicate.
the New Testament documents are not “church propaganda” designed to promote some church-manufactured theology. What are they, then? They are the eyewitness testimony from 1st century people who witnessed Jesus and became convinced that He was in fact who He said He was.
As we have seen, there are at least four good reasons to believe that the New Testament is historically reliable:
It was written early enough for the authors present at the time of the events they recorded
It is corroborated by other contemporary authors near the time of the events
The core message of the New Testament (facts about Jesus and His teaching) can be traced through the transmission from the Apostles to their students the Early Church fathers
Writers were in fact unbiased and had nothing to gain by starting a new religion
Given all of this evidence, what is the most reasonable conclusion? The apostles lacked evil intent. They simply couldn’t benefit from lying about what they saw. In fact, they would have been far better off if they had kept their mouths shut! What could they possibly have gained from this elaborate lie? It’s clear that the writers of the New Testament appeared to be more concerned about eternal life than material gain. Could a lie about Jesus make His spiritual claims true? Does it make sense that the disciples would forsake everything for spiritual claims they knew were untrue? The evidence from history supports the conclusion that the New Testament writers accurately reported what they actually observed.
I sincerely hope this teaching has given you greater confidence in the New Testament as a record of the real historical events concerning the person of Jesus of Nazareth. As the Apostle John says in his gospel: “Jesus did many other miraculous signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not recorded in this book. But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.”
Finally, I want to acknowledge that the content of this teaching has relied heavily on 2 excellent books that you should all read – (click) Cold-Case Christianity and (click) I Don’t Have Enough Faith to be an Atheist.