There are people in our day who say that Jesus never existed. However, there are references to Jesus in first century writings by both Jewish scholars and Roman officials. No one from that era ever denied that Jesus was a real person. The gospels are eye witness accounts and the authenticity of their accounts on … Continue reading How can we be sure that Christ arose?
resurrection
Where is Paradise?
The first paradise was the Garden of Eden. In the Septuagint “garden” in Genesis 2:8 appears as “paradise,” the paradise of Eden. The Hebrew word in the original refers to a walled garden of pleasure and delight, where sin cannot enter. It appears that all peoples of the earth have in their traditions a memory … Continue reading Where is Paradise?
Did Jesus descend into hell?
The Apostles’ Creed says: “He descended into hell.” Or does it? This short little confession of the essentials of the faith is thought to have begun as questions that were asked of applicants for baptism: “Do you believe . . . ?” It was soon compiled into the form we have today - except for … Continue reading Did Jesus descend into hell?
No evidence for this hypothesis
The hypothesis that the Apostles were knaves is quite absurd. Follow it out to the end and imagine those twelve men meeting after Jesus's death and conspiring to say that he had risen from the dead. This means attacking all the powers that be. The human heart is singularly susceptible to fickleness, to change, to … Continue reading No evidence for this hypothesis
All power
And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. Matthew 28:18 These are bold words, yet coming as they did from the mouth of one who had risen from the dead we must grant their credibility. The question then is, at what point was Jesus … Continue reading All power
Do the saved go to heaven when they die?
I used to think that when a Christian died he or she was ushered straight through the pearly gates into heaven. I guess I got that from the popular cultural perception of how Christians believed. Ten years ago, the picture that I had was challenged on Scriptural grounds, and my thinking has changed. Today I … Continue reading Do the saved go to heaven when they die?
How long is three days?
To begin this discussion, let me ask: How long is it from now until the same day next week at this time? Sounds like a dumb question doesn’t it? If you are English-speaking, the answer is seven days. To say anything else would be ludicrous. But. If you are French-speaking, the answer is equally obvious, … Continue reading How long is three days?
Evidences of the Resurrection
People despise Christian faith. They hate it, and are afraid that it may be true. - Blaise Pascal Unbelievers say that the disciples stole Jesus’ body and lied about the resurrection to save face. How believable is that? How long would the disciples have kept up that fiction, if it was a fiction, when they … Continue reading Evidences of the Resurrection