Entire Class Notes - Living Water School of Ministry

Love of Truth Ministries Presents:
An Introduction to Classical Apologetics1
by
Dr. Daryl Rodriguez, B.F.A., Th.M., D.Min.
The following information and presentation (including the above Logo and PowerPoint
slides) are taken and or adapted from Norman L. Geisler and Frank Turek, “12 Points that show
Christianity is True,” in Powerful PowerPoint, “The Top Twenty Three Presentations,” 2002, compact
disc. Additional information was taken from Norman L. Geisler and Frank Turek, I Don’t Have
enough Faith to Be an Atheist (Wheaton, Illinois: Crossway Books, 2004).
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Introduction
WHY ARE WE DOING APOLOGETICS?
1. Because
2. Because the Bible
demands it.
it.
SCRIPTURE REFERENCES
1. Matt. 22:37
2. 1 Pet. 3:15
3. 2 Cor. 10:5
4. Acts 17:16-17
5. Tit. 1:9
6. Phil. 1:7
7. Jude 3
THE 12 POINTS (A PANORAMIC VIEW)
1. The truth about reality is knowable.
2. The opposite of true is false.
3. It is true that the theistic God exists.
4. If God exists, then miracles are possible.
5. Miracles can be used to confirm a message from God.
6. The New Testament is historically reliable.
7. The New Testament says that Jesus claimed to be God.
8. Jesus’ claim to be God was miraculously confirmed.
a. His fulfillment of many prophecies about Himself;
b. His sinless and miraculous life;
c. His prediction and accomplishment of His resurrection
9. Therefore, Jesus was God.
10. Whatever Jesus (who is God) teaches is true.
11. Jesus taught that the Bible is the Word of God.
12. Therefore, it is true that the Bible is the Word of God (and anything
that is opposed to it is false).
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The 12 Points
I. THE TRUTH ABOUT REALITY IS KNOWABLE
A. Truth is that which corresponds to its
.
➣ Pilate asked the question, “What is truth?”
➣ Truth corresponds to its object.
➣ Truth is “telling it like it is.”
➣ Truth accurately expresses an actual state of affairs.
➣ The Truth About Truth
1. All truth claims are absolute, narrow, and exclusive.
2. Truth is discovered, not invented. It exists independent of
anyone’s knowledge of it (gravity existed prior to Newton).
3. Beliefs cannot change a fact, no matter how sincerely held.
4. Truth is trans-cultural (2+2=4 here, there, and everywhere).
5. Being raised in a given culture doesn’t make the beliefs of
that culture true (a Nazi in Nazi Germany)
6. Truth is not affected by the attitude of the one professing it.
➣ Summary: The Truth About Truth
1. Contrary
are not possible.
2. We can
are possible, but contrary
everything is true, but we cannot
everything true.
B. We can know reality. It is
. (I exist, 2+2, gravity)
1. People demand absolute truth when it comes to: safety, money,
medicine, advertising, relationships, transportation, court
proceedings.
2. Why not
?
3. Acts 26:22-25: Paul knew that absolute truth exists!
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II. THE OPPOSITE OF TRUE IS FALSE
A. The law of non-contradiction affirms that opposites cannot both be true.
B. The law is
- Even those who deny it use it!
C. Therefore, the opposite of true is false.
➣ Opposite ideas cannot both be true at the same time and in the
same sense.
➣ Example: The earth is either round or not round (flat).
➣ “Anyone who denies the law of non-contradiction should be beaten and
burned until he admits that to be beaten is not the same as not being
beaten and to be burned is not the same as not to be burned.” (AvicennaGreat Medieval Philosopher)
➣ YOUR GREATEST TOOL IN ANSWERING FALSE CLAIMS:
Apply the claim to
➣ THE
!
TACTIC:
How would you respond to the following statements?:
1. “All truth is relative”2. “There is no truth”3. “You can’t know truth”4. “There are no absolutes?”5. “It’s true for you but not for me!”-
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6. “No one has the truth!”7. “You should doubt everything”8. “All truth depends on your perspective”-
9. “You ought not to judge!”10. “You should be tolerant”-
III. IT IS TRUE THAT THE THEISTIC GOD EXISTS
A. Three Major World Views of God
1. Theism: God
all
2. Pantheism: God
all
3. Atheism:
God at all
B. If one is true, then all others are false: (Law of Non-contradiction)
C. Three Great Arguments for the existence of God.
1. Cosmological: A beginning has a beginner
2.
: A design has a designer
3.
: A law has a lawgiver
➣ THE COSMOLOGICAL ARGUMENT
A. Everything that has a
has a cause (beginner).
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B. The
had a beginning.
C. Therefore, the universe had a cause (beginner).
➣ Did the universe have a beginning?
1. Only two possibilities: Beginning or No Beginning!
2. Evidence that the Universe Had a Beginning: S.U.R.G.E.
Second law of thermodynamics
Universe is expanding
Radiation Echo
General Relativity
End of infinite time impossible
➣
SECOND LAW O F THERMODYNAMICS
1. The universe is running down; running out of usable energy.
2. The universe is like a dying flashlight; it is running out of energy
and will eventually burn out.
3. Therefore, everything is moving from order to
➣
.
UNIVERSE IS EXPANDING
1. If you were to video tape the universe & play it backwards, it would
collapse into
!
2. That means there was a time when there was NO- THING!
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➣
RADIATION ECHO
1. Sound discovered from initial explosion- BIG BANG (OF GOD)
2. The universe exploded out of nothingness.
➣
GENERAL RELATIVITY
1. Demands an absolute beginning for space, time, and matter
2. They are co-relative and interdependent.
➣
END OF INFINITE TIME IMPOSSIBLE
1. An infinite has no
2.
.
is the end day in the series of days before today.
3. Therefore, there were not an infinite number of days before today
(i.e., time and universe had a beginning).
➣ If the universe had a beginning, then it must have a beginner.
Anything measurable cannot be infinite: Illustration-History of Days!
Distant
History
Previous days
Yesterday
Today
➣ Tomorrow will add another day, therefore time is finite (has a beginning & end).
➣ If there were an infinite amount of days before today, today would have never
gotten here!
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This leaves us with two options:
1. NO ONE CREATED SOMETHING OUT OF NOTHING (Atheism) or
2. SOMEONE CREATED SOMETHING OUT OF NOTHING (Theistic)
➣ Which view is more reasonable?
➣ If there is no God, why is there something rather than nothing at all?
➣ Nothing can’t create something!
➣ THE TELEOLOGICAL ARGUMENT
A. Every design has a
.
B. The universe and life have highly
design.
C. Therefore, the universe and life have a highly complex Designer.
➣ Paley’s Watch: If you found a watch in the woods, would you think it was
made by natural law?
➣ What is Science? “A search for causes” – (Sir Francis Bacon)
➣ What caused the Universe?
➣ Two Types of causes:
NATURAL (Grand Canyon)
(Mt. Rushmore) or
➣ What caused life? INTELLIGENCE or NO INTELLIGENCE?
➣ What caused the Universe?
➣ The Principle of Uniformity: Causes in the past were like those in the
.
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➣ The Anthropic Principle: The universe is slightly tweaked to support life
on earth.
1. Oxygen comprises
% of the atmosphere. If it were 25%, fires
would break out. If it were 15%, we would suffocate.
2. If the 23-degree axial
of the earth were altered slightly,
surface temperatures would be too extreme on the earth.
3. If the Gravitational force were altered by 1 part in 10 to the 40th,
the
would not exist, & the moon would fly off into space.
4. If the centrifugal force didn’t balance the gravitational forces,
nothing would be held in
around the sun.
➣ OBJECTION: “If there is no intelligent life out there, there is a lot
of wasted space!” (From the movie, Contact)
1. FALSE: All of space is necessary to have existence on Earth.
2. There are as many stars as grains of sand in all the Earth.
3. Ps. 19:1- “The Heavens declare the Glory of God.”
4. Ps. 103:11- God’s love/mercy is higher than the heavens above
the Earth.
5. How much does God love you? Higher than the heavens above
the Earth!
6. How high are the heavens? One star to another star is 30
trillion miles. If you were going 5 miles a second, it would
take you 201,450 years to get from one star to another.
5. If Jupiter were not in its current orbit, which is a “vacuum cleaner,”
we would be bombarded with space material.
6. The rotation of earth is exact (24 hr. days). Too fast and the wind
velocity is too great; too slow and it is too hot/cold on the earth.
➣ CONCLUSION: In light of the Anthropic Principle, I don’t have
enough
to be an Atheist!
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➣ Alphabet Cereal “Take out the garbage-Mom”
➣ DNA: Four letter genetic alphabet (Adenine, Thymine, Cystosine, Guanine)
1. DNA of one human cell=
(that’s 25,000 two hundred-page books).
pages of information
2. DNA of on living cell (an ameba)=
volumes.
3. DNA of the human brain=
books.
4. If we require a mind for “take out the garbage” then what kind of
mind would we require for 20 million volumes?
➣ Darwin’s Black Box: A Mystery: How did we get from dead matter to the
origin of species? In between these events, WHAT
CAUSED THE FIRST LIVING
?
➣ Irreducible complexity (Mouse Trap, Car, etc.)
1. All complex parts have to be there simultaneously for it to work.
2. “If it could be demonstrated that any complex organ existed, which
could not have possibly have been formed by numerous, successive
changes, my theory would absolutely break down.” (Charles Darwin)
3. Darwin said of the eyeball,
“The eye gives me a cold
shudder.”
4. They eyeball is irreducibly
complex: You have to have
all the parts together to
see!
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5. CONCLUSION: To go from non-living matter to a living organism,
the Cause must be
.
➣ Origin of New Life Forms (There are only two possibilities)
1. Intelligent Intervention (Intelligent
)
2. No Intelligent Intervention (Naturalistic
Evolution)
➣ Does Evolution Occur?
1. Dog Breeding: An example of “Evolution”
2. Breeding in a short time vs. Macroevolution (over a long time)
3. If intelligent breeding meets genetic
can
. . . how can
exceed them?
4. Macroevolution claims unlimited change.
Microevolution
within type: YES
Macroevolution
across types: NO
5. Macroevolution is a Theory- not Fact!
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Does
similarity of
structure
prove a
common
ancestor or
a common
designer?
Does similarity
of design
prove that the
pot evolved
from the tea
spoon?
6. True Picture: There aren’t Missing Links; there’s a missing
!
5. Transitional form from reptile to bird: How would it
?
6. The Miller-Urey
intelligent agent to produce life.
: Proved the need for an
➣ THE MORAL ARGUMENT
1. Every law has a
.
2. There is an absolute moral
.
3. There is an
moral lawgiver.
➣ How do we know there is a moral law?
1. Absolutes are
our reactions, not our actions).
(we know right and wrong by
2. We can’t know injustice unless we know
.
➣ C.S. Lewis (A former atheist) “There can’t be a God because
there is too much injustice in the world.”
3. Real moral disagreements imply an objective
(Hitler/Mother Teresa). How do you know who’s wrong?
➣ Have you ever met a Jewish atheist who didn’t believe Hitler
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was absolutely wrong?
➣ How do you know if a map of Scotland is accurate?
➣ Answer for #1: The Unchanging Moral Law (and the following)
➣ Answer for #2: An independent Standard for Measurement
4. We wouldn’t make
was no moral law.
for doing wrong if there
5. We wouldn’t know the
was getting worse (or better)
if there was no Moral law (and we wouldn’t know what’s best).
➣ IF THERE IS ONE ABSOLUTE MORAL LAW FOR EVERYONE,
THEN THERE IS AN ABSOLUTE MORAL LAW GIVER.
➣ But . . .Why does God allow evil?
1. To allow us to make
choices.
2. To build
and virtues.
3. To bring people to
.
4. For reasons we can’t
(cf. Deut. 29:29; Rom. 11:33ff)
completely.
➣ CONCLUSION: From these 3 arguments, we know that GOD . . .
1. has always existed
2. is infinitely
the universe
(COSMOLOGICAL ARGUMENT)
3. is infinitely
4. has a
(TELEOLOGICAL ARGUMENT)
5. is absolutely
6. is
perfect
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(MORAL ARGUMENT)
➣ THIS IS THE THEISTIC GOD OF BIBLICAL CHRISTIANITY!!!
➣ From the 3 Worldviews: Theism, Pantheism, Atheism, only Theism remains!
➣ Can’t be Pantheism (Hinduism, Buddhism, New Age, Polytheism, Mormon,
Wicca, J.W., etc.)
➣ Can’t be Atheism/Agnostic (Sec. Humanism, Buddhism, Confucianism,
Taoism, etc.)
➣ This leaves 3 Major Theistic religions: (Judaism, Christianity, Islam)
➣ WHICH ONE IS TRUE? The rest of this presentation will tell you!
IV. IF GOD EXISTS, THEN MIRACLES ARE POSSIBLE
A. Miracles are possible because of supernatural creation (the first miracle).
B. If this miracle is possible, then others are (parting the Red Sea, Jonah
swallowed by a fish, healing the sick, raising the dead, the Resurrection).
C. As theists, we must answer the greatest skeptic: David Hume
D. Hume’s Argument: (Put true or false in parenthesis after each statement)
1. Natural law is by definition a description of a
occurrence. (
)
2. A miracle is by definition a rare
occurrence. (
3. The evidence for the regular is always
for the rare. (
)
4. A wise man always bases his
evidence. (
)
5. Therefore, a wise
(
)
)
than
on the greater
man should never believe in miracles.
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E. The Answer to Hume’s Argument:
1. The “
Theory” is not based on regular events.
2. The
of life on earth does not occur regularly (Pasteur’s
sterilized beaker).
3.
evolution cannot be repeated. (If it happened at all, it
only happened once.)
4. The entire
of the earth cannot be repeated.
V. MIRACLES CAN BE USED TO CONFIRM A MESSAGE
FROM GOD
A. A Miracle of God manifests the “
of God.”
B. Characteristics of a Miracle of God (Divine Confirmation)
1. Connected with a
2.
truth claim
Beginning (Cosmological: Power of God)
3. Shows intelligent
4. Displays
(Teleological: Mind of God)
nature (Moral: Character of God)
VI. THE NEW TESTAMENT IS HISTORICALLY RELIABLE
A. The One True God has used miracles to confirm which religion?
B. Is the Bible (N.T.) true or false? Can we trust it as ultimate truth?
C. TWO QUESTIONS FOR INVESTIGATING THE NEW TESTAMENT:
1. How do we know we have an accurate
of the original N.T.?
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2. How do we know the
N.T. is fact, not fiction?
D. QUESTION #1 (How do we know we have an accurate copy of the original?)
1.
manuscripts
(John Rylands-125 A.D. within 25 years vs. 1000 yr. gap)
2.
Manuscripts (5,600 vs. 10-20 mss.)
3. More accurately
manuscripts (99.9% vs. 90-95%)
4. More abundantly
manuscripts (18,000 non-Greek
manuscripts and 36,000 quotations)
Reliability of NT Documents
# Manuscript Copies
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New Testament
Demosthenes
Caesar
1400
200
Herodotus
Tacitus
5686
500
643
Homer
Plato
Time Gap in Years
1400
8
1200
7
20
1000
1000
10
750
Pliny
7
0
1000
2000
3000
4000
5000
6000
➣ Why didn’t God protect the original?
1. Worship it?
2. Walk by faith, not by sight.
3. If only one person had the original, he could change it. If everyone
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had a copy, then you could keep each other accountable, comparing
and reconstructing the original with accuracy.
➣ By comparing the different manuscript copies, you can reconstruct the
original with about 99.9% acc. (What is different doesn’t effect any
major theological teaching/doctrine.)
➣ The Roman Emperor
tried to burn all the N.T. manuscripts.
➣ You could reconstruct the entire N.T. (except 11 vs. mostly from 3rd John)
from writings of Church Fathers (quotes).
E. QUESTION #2: How do we know the original N.T. is fact and not fiction?
1. The N.T. was written
by eyewitnesses.
2. These eyewitnesses recorded selfevents
and were later beaten and killed for what they wrote and affirmed.
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3.
writers and archaeology confirm what
the N.T. says.
➣ Eyewitness Evidence:
1. They claimed to be or to know
(e.g., 1 John 1:1; 2 Pet. 1:16; Luke 1:1-4)
2. They included hundreds of eyewitness details regarding:
a.
b.
c.
d.
e.
➣ Evidence for Early N.T. Authorship:
1. 1st Century
exist.
2. Critical scholars agree 1st Cor. Was written by the mid
3. Acts written by
culturally correct)
4. Luke was written
A.D.
A.D. (geologically, archeology, historically,
Acts.
5. No mention of destruction of Jerusalem and the
(70 A.D.).
6. Any 1st Cent. dates are too early to allow for
development.
➣ The N.T. Writers:
1. Did not attempt to
2. Left in
minor details
sayings and demanding morals of Jesus
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3. Depicted
as stupid, uncaring, rebuked cowards
4. Were persecuted and killed, yet could have saved
by denying what they saw
5. Had every motive to
, not invent the resurrection story
➣ Non-Christian Sources:
➣ We have
non-Christian sources including:
a. Historians: Josephus, Tacitus, Suetonius, Thallus, Phlegon
b. Government Officials: Pliny the Younger, Emperor Trajan,
Emperor Hadrian
c. Other Sources: The Jewish Talmud; the Greek writer, Lucian
➣ Compiling their references, we get a story congruent with the N.T. . . .
1. Jesus lived during the time of
Caesar
2. He lived a
life
3. Was a
4. Had a brother named
5. He was acclaimed to be the
6. He was crucified under
7. An
& earthquake occurred when He died
8. He was crucified on the eve of the
9. His Disciples believed he
from the dead
10. Disciples were
to die for their belief
11. Christianity
rapidly as far as Rome
12. Disciples denied Roman gods and worshipped Jesus as
➣ Archaeology confirms what the N.T. says:
A. Archaeologists confirm Luke named 32 countries, 54 cities, 9 islands,
100’s of details without making a single error!
B. Archeological discoveries:
1. Isa. 53 in the Great Isaiah Scroll (A Dead Sea Scroll: 100 B.C.)
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2. Pontius Pilate Prefect of Judea, 26-37 A.D. (Discovered in
1961)
3. “House of David” 900 B.C. (Discovered in 1993)
4. Crucifixion Victim: 1st Cent. A.D. (Discovered in 1968,
Jerusalem)
5. Ossuary (Bin of Bones) of Joseph Caiaphas: High Priest, A.D.
18-36 (Discover in 1990: The Bones of a Bible Character!)
C. Conclusion: THE N.T. IS HISTORICALLY RELIABLE.
a. It is Fact & Not
.
b. If it says Jesus said it, then Jesus
said it.
c. If it says Jesus did it, then Jesus really did it.
➣ Why the “Jesus Seminar” Doesn’t speak for Jesus:
1. The Wrong
2. The Wrong
3. The Wrong
4. The Wrong
5. The Wrong
6. The Wrong
VII. THE NEW TESTAMENT SAYS JESUS CLAIMED TO
BE GOD
➣ Jesus Asserted He was God By Claiming to be:
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1. The great “
2.
”
(LORD)
3. Equal with
4.
with the Father
5. The
- God
6. Worthy of
due only God.
7. Worthy of
8. Equal in
with God
9. The object of
like God
➣ (1) Jesus claimed to be The Great I Am (Exod. 3:14 with John 8:58-59)
➣ (2) Jesus claimed to be Yahweh (LORD)
1. “Good Shepherd” (Ps. 23 cf. John 10:11)
2. “First and the Last” (Isa. 44:6 cf. Rev. 1:17)
3. “Judge of all men” (Joel 3:12 cf. John 5:27; Matt. 25:31f.)
4. “Bridegroom” (Isa. 62:5 cf. Matt. 5:21)
5. “Light of the World” (Ps. 27:1 cf. John 8:12)
6. “Savior” (Isa. 43:11 cf. John 4:42)
7. “God’s Glory” (Isa. 42:8 cf. John 17:5)
8. “Giver of Life” (1 Sam. 2:6 cf. John 5:21)
➣ (3) Jesus claimed to be Equal with God (Mark 2:5-7)
➣ (4) Jesus claimed to be one with God the Father (John 10:30-33)
➣ (5) Jesus claimed to be Messiah-God (Isa. 9:6 cf. John 4:25)
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➣ (6) Jesus claimed to be worthy of honor due only to God (John 5:22-23).
➣ (7) Jesus claimed to be God by being worthy of worship: accepted it from:
1. The
2. The Gerasene
3. A
4.
5. The woman at the
6. A
7. His
8. A healed
9. A rich young
of James and John (Matt. 20:20)
(Mark 5:6)
man (Matt. 28:17)
Thomas (John 20:28)
(Matt. 28:9)
woman (Matt. 15:25)
(Matt. 14:33)
(Matt. 8:2)
(Matt. 9:18)
Note: Jesus never rebuked anyone who worshiped Him. He even
commended some (John 20:29; Matt. 16:17).
➣ (8) Jesus claimed to be equal in authority with God (Matt. 24:35; 28:18).
➣ (9) Jesus claimed to be the object of prayer like God (John 14:13-14)
The disciples prayed in His Name (I Cor. 5:4) and prayed to Christ
(Acts 7:59).
➣ Who was Jesus?- Not just a great moral teacher, but Liar, Lunatic, or Lord!
➣ OBJECTIONS TO THE DEITY OF CHRIST
1.
- “The Father is greater than I”
➣ Response: A human father is not more human than his son (subhuman). The same is true with God the Father and Jesus. The
Father is not more God than the Son is God (lesser/sub-God).
➣ Response: The Father has greater office, function, and position, not
in nature, essence or character (like a human marriage of husband
and wife).
2.
- “No one is good but One, that is, God.”
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➣ Response: Jesus was affirming His deity and wanted to challenge
the young ruler’s implications.
3.
- “That day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of
heaven, but My Father only.”
➣ Response: Jesus, in His human nature did not know everything,
including His 2nd Coming (as God-Yes).
➣ God, in Trinity, is three Who’s in one What.
➣ Jesus is the only One in the Trinity that is One Person, with Two
Natures (one Who, with two What’s).
➣ Only the Son has flesh/human body!
➣ Study the following Diagram:
Draw your diagram here
➣ With Jesus, you always have to ask two questions (as a man/as God).
a. Did Jesus get tired? (as man, yes, as God, no)
b. Did Jesus get hungry? (as man, yes, as God, no)
c. Did Jesus know everything? (as man, no, as God, yes)
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➣ Jesus learned things (when He was born, He didn’t know 2+2=4).
➣ Luke 2:50-55-“He grew in wisdom, stature, & favor with God & man.”
➣ The Trinity is a mystery, not a contradiction.
➣ We can’t totally comprehend the trinity, but we can apprehend it!
4. Why wasn’t Jesus more overt in His claim to be God?
a. To accomplish mission of sacrificial
b. To be an example and
the Father (Phil. 2)
c. To allow people to draw their own
(as parables, such as the “pearls before swine”)
VIII. JESUS’ CLAIM TO BE GOD WAS MIRACULOUSLY
CONFIRMED
A. His fulfillment of many prophecies about Himself
B. His sinless and miraculous life
C. His prediction and accomplishment of His resurrection
➣ No other religion/worldview/person/book has had 100% accuracy!
➣ EXAMPLE: A comparison of Jesus and Mohammed:
1. Jesus had a virgin birth- Mohammed did not
2. Jesus lived a sinless life- Mohammed did not
3. Jesus was called the Messiah- Mohammed was not
4. Jesus was called the Word of God- Mohammed was not
5. Jesus performed miracles/resurrection- Mohammed did not
(only later so-called prophecies in the Hadith)
6. QUESTION: Whom should we follow?
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➣ The prophecies of Jesus were 100% correct in their fulfillment.
➣ Human
- of Woman (Gen. 3:15)
➣
group- descendant of Abraham (Gen. 12:1-3; 22:18
cf. Matt. 1:1; Gal. 3:16)
➣
of Judah (Gen. 49:10 cf. Luke 3:23, 33-34; and cf. Matt.
1:1-3)
➣
- House of David (2 Sam. 7:14 cf. Matt. 22:42-45)
➣ How
- to a virgin (Isaiah 7:14)
➣
Born- in Bethlehem (Micah 5:2)
➣ When
- A.D. 33 (Dan. 9:24)
➣ The amazing prophecy of Daniel 9:24:
1. Daniel 9:24 speaks of the 70 weeks prophecy (this is
interpreted by most scholars as 70 seven-year periods).
2. Daniel 9:25-26 says that the Messiah would be “cut off” in 69
7’s from Restoration (referring to the time of His crucifixion).
3. Thus, 69 x 7= 483 (according to the Gregorian Calendar)
4. Artaxerxes ordered to restore Jerusalem in 444 B.C..
5. From this time (444 B.C.) to 33 A.D. is 476 years (since only
one year expired between 1 B.C. and A.D. 1)2
6. Why the difference in years? Answer: This is according to
the Gregorian Calendar of 365-day years. The Jewish
Calendar has 360 days per year.
7. The fact is: Both the Jewish and Gregorian calendar have
the same total number of days (173,880 days)= 483 years!3
J. Dwight Pentecost, “Daniel,” in The Bible Knowledge Commentary, ed. John F. Walvoord
and Roy B. Zuck (Victor Books, 1985), 1363.
2
For a detailed explanation of the 70-weeks prophecy of Daniel see Harold W. Hoehner,
Chronological Aspects of the life of Christ (Grand Rapids: Zondervan Publishing House, 1977). In
3
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➣ Other significant prophecies:
1. Anointed by the Holy Spirit (Isa. 11:2 cf. Matt. 3:16-17)
2. Heralded by a messenger (Isa. 40:3; Mal. 3:1 cf. Matt. 3:1-2)
3. A worker of miracles (Isa. 35:5-6 cf. Matt. 9:35)
4. Cleanser of the Temple (Mal. 3:1 cf. Matt. 21:12f)
5. Rejected by Jews (Ps. 118:22 cf. 1 Peter 2:7)
6. Die a humiliating death (Ps. 22 and Isa. 53 cf. Matt 27:31f)
a. Rejected by own people (Isa. 53:3 cf. John 1:10-11; 7:5, 48)
b. Standing in silence (Isa. 53:7 cf. Matt. 27:12-19)
c. Being mocked (Ps. 22:7-8; cf. Matt. 27:31)
d. Hands and feet pierced (Ps. 22:16; cf. Luke 23:33)
e. Crucified with thieves (Isa. 53:12; cf. Mark 15:27-28)
f. Praying for His persecutors (Isa. 53:12 cf. Luke 23:34)
g. Piercing of His side (Zech. 12:10 cf. John 19:34)
h. Burial in a rich man’s tomb (Isa. 53:9; cf. Matt. 27:57-60)
i. The casting of lots for His garments (Ps. 22:18; cf. John
19:23-24)
7. Being raised from the dead (Ps. 2:7; 16:10 cf. Acts 2:31 and Mark
16:6)
8. Ascending into heaven (Ps. 68:18; cf. Acts 1:9)
9. Sitting at the right hand of God (Ps. 110:1; cf. Heb. 1:3)
➣ No other Religious leader had these kind of predictions (number and
accuracy) fulfilled.
➣ Confucius didn’t claim to be God, with miracles- only a wise man.
➣ Buddha claimed to be an enlightened one. He’s dead.
➣ Muhammad had no prophecies hundreds of years in advance. He left his
wife and kids, died from dysentery and is still dead.
➣ Prophecies? What about the Psychics? (and other books!)
this work (p. 64), Hoehner (using biblical and historical documents) notes that the decree to build
Jerusalem given to Nehemiah was March 5 (Nisan 1 on the Hebrew Calendar), 444 B.C. He then
concludes that the date for Jesus, triumphal entry (the initiation of his “cutting off”) was March
30 (Nisan 10), A.D. 33. He calculates that that the difference between 444 B.C. and A.D. 33 is 476
solar years or 173,885 days. By adding the 25 days to March 5 (of 444 B.C.), one comes to March
30 A.D. 33 which was Nisan 10 in A.D. 33. This is the triumphal entry of Jesus in Jerusalem (when
He was presented as “Messiah” but killed just days later. See also John F. Walvoord, The Prophecy
Knowledge Handbook (Colorado Springs: Chariot Victor Publishing, 1990), 248-259.
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1. Response: Other religions do not have specific, repeated, unfailing
prophecies many years in advance of events over which the
predictor had no control.
2. Response: Psychics and Satan cannot make infallible, consistent
predictions of the future and any that do “come to pass” will not
lead to good/God, but immorality and false gods (See Deut. 13 & 18).
3. Response: A study in The People’s Almanac (1976) of the top 25
psychics revealed of the total of 72 predictions, 66 were
completely wrong (only 92% correct). The other 8% could easily be
explained by chance and general knowledge of circumstances.
4. The Bible and Jesus were the only ones correct 100% of the time!
➣ His sinless & Miraculous life:
➣ Only Jesus dared to say, “Can you find anything wrong in Me?”
➣ Only Jesus proved He was perfect and sinless.
➣ Jesus Predicted and accomplished His resurrection.
➣ Jesus had to die first in order to resurrect.
➣ Evidence Jesus Died
1. Nature of His
side) insured death.
(whipping, crucifixion and spear in his
2. His mother, friends, and closest disciple
3. Romans, who were professional
experts in death.
4.
His death.
were
double-checked to make sure Jesus was dead
a. Jesus was embalmed with 75 lbs. of spices and bandages.
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b. He was laid in a garden tomb & sealed by a 4,000 lb. rock with
a Roman seal.
c. He was in the tomb for 3 days (if he wasn’t dead by the time
He went in, then He would have been dead by the next day).
5. The
never denied the account of Jesus being buried in
the tomb of Joseph of Arimathea (a member of the Sanhedrin).
6.
writers from the first and second
centuries recorded the death of Jesus (e.g., Josephus, Tacitus,
Thallus, Lucian, Phlegon, The Jewish Talmud.)
7. In light of the historical evidence, modern
have verified His death.
authorities
➣ Evidence that He rose
1. The tomb was empty with grave
in it. Someone who
stole the body wouldn’t take the time to unwrap the body, or fold
the face napkin and put it in the corner. (Jesus used it as a sign.)
2. Over 500 witnesses saw Him
times.
3. They touched His
body.
4. They saw His crucifixion
.
5. They
with Him four times.
6. He
them for 40 days.
7. He did
8. He
for them.
them.
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The Order of the Twelve Appearances of Christ
#
Persons
1.
Mary Magdalene
(John. 20:10-18)
Mary Magdalene &
other Mary
(Matt. 28:1-10)
Peter (1 Cor. 15:5) &
John (John 20:1-10)
Two Disciples
(Luke 24:13-35)
Ten Apostles (Luke:
24:13-35)
Eleven Apostles
(John 20:24-31)
Seven Apostles
(John 21)
All Apostles (Matt. 28:
16-20; Mark 16:14-18)
500 Brethren
(1 Cor. 15:6)
James
(1 Cor. 15:6)
All Apostles
(Acts 1:4-8)
Paul (Acts 9:1-9; 1 Cor.
15:8)
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
Saw
* Implied
Heard
Touched Other Evidence
X
X
X
Empty Tomb
X
X
X
Empty Tomb
X
X
X
X
X
X
X**
X
X
X**
X
X
X
X
X
X*
X
X*
X
X
X
X
Empty Tomb &
Grave clothes
Ate with Him
Saw wounds,
Ate Food
Saw wounds
Ate Food
Ate with Him
**Offered Himself to be touched
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Alternative Theories to the Resurrection
Theory
1. The Swoon
Theory: He really
didn’t die
Refutation
2. Hallucinations:
Witnesses
hallucinated the
Resurrection
3. The Disciples
stole the body
4. Witnesses went
to the wrong
tomb
5. Judas was
substituted for
Jesus (on the
cross)- The
Muslim View
6. It was a case of
mistaken identity
30
IX. THEREFORE, JESUS IS GOD
➣ JESUS CLAIMED IT AND PROVED IT!
X. WHATEVER JESUS (who is God) TEACHES IS TRUE
A. God is morally perfect (The moral argument from point #3).
B. Jesus, who is God, morally perfect, and all knowing, would not teach error.
XI. JESUS TAUGHT THE BIBLE IS THE WORD OF GOD.
➣ Seven things Jesus taught about the Bible
1. It is divinely
(Matt. 4:4, 7, 10)
2. It is
(like God) (Matt. 5:17-18)
3. It is
(and cannot be broken) (John 10:35)
4. It is
(without error) (Matt. 22:29)
5. It is
reliable (Matt. 12:40; 24:37-38)
6. It is
accurate (Matt. 19:4-5)
7. It has ultimate
(Matt. 15:3-6)
➣ Christ vs. The Critics (Christ affirmed and Critics deny that . . .)
1.
was a prophet
2. God created Adam and Eve
3. Jonah was swallowed by a great fish
4. The world was drowned in a flood
5. One prophet wrote
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➣ GOD Cannot
➣ The
➣ The
of God Cannot Err
, which is the Word of God Cannot Err
32
➣ Jesus did not accommodate to false teachings
1.
those who accepted false teachings (Matt. 15:1-6)
2. Set His Word against false views of the O.T. (Matt. 5:21, 43)
3. Rebuked
(John 3:10)
4. Said the Sadducees were mistaken (Matt. 23:29)
5. Denounced the
(Matt. 23:18-34)
6.
7.
the temple (John 2:15-16)
recognized Jesus did not compromise (Matt. 22:16)
➣ Jesus affirmed the O.T.
1. “Beginning at
, He expounded to them all the Scriptures the
things concerning Himself.”
2. The
3. From
. . . testify of Me. (John 5:39)
to Zechariah . . . . (Matthew 23:35)
4. “Do not think that I came to
prophets.” (Matt. 5:17, 18)
the law or
5. “It is written” (The authority of the O.T. is cited that way
times in the N.T.)
➣ Jesus promised the N.T.
1. Jesus
the Holy Spirit would teach the
Apostles “all things” and lead them into “all truth.”
2. See John 14:26; 16:13
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XII. THEREFORE, IT IS TRUE THAT THE BIBLE IS THE
WORD OF GOD (AND EVERYTHING OPPOSED TO IT
IS FALSE) (see point 2)
A. Everything affirmed as true in the Bible (the Word of God) is true.
B. Not everything affirmed in other writings is true. (This is not to say that
there is no truth in other beliefs or religions.)
C. Anything that is opposed to the Bible is False!
For resources go to: www.impactapologetics.com
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