The Case for Christ

by

Lee Strobel

Questions

1. Are the records (the Gospel Acts) of Jesus life accurate?

2. Is Jesus recorded by sources outside of the scriptures? Did he really exist?

3. Did Jesus really claim to be the Son of God?

4. Was Jesus sane?

5. Was Jesus the Messiah?

6. What about the empty tomb?

7. Did Jesus actually rise from the dead?

Schedule

Class 1 – February 9th – 7:30 pm

•Examining eyewitness, documentary evidence (pages 1-72)

Class 2 – February 16th – 7:30 pm

•Examining corroborating, scientific, rebuttal evidence (pages 73-128)

No class – February 23rd

Schedule

Class 3 – March 2nd – 7:30pm

•Examining identity, psychological, profile, fingerprint evidence (pages 129-187)

Class 4 – March 9th – 7:30pm (8:30pm possible)

•Examining the resurrection, medical evidence, the missing body, appearances, circumstantial evidence, history (pages 191-272)

Class 1 – The Case for Christ

Things not as they seem

•James Dixon Story

• Dixon and girlfriend arguing, Officer Scanlon intervenes, shot fired from Dixon’s gun, Scanlon wounded in stomach, Dixon confesses – open and shut case

• Lee Strobel

• Atheist• Belief System not sympathetic to Christian

theology – Christianity not intellectually sound and consistent

• Wife’s conversion to Christianity caused him to re-examine Christianity

• Was a Yale Law Graduate• Was Legal Affairs Editor for the Chicago

Tribune

• World ViewTheistic Secular

1.Creator 1.No Creator

2. History is purposeful, according to design, plan

2. History is random, no purpose, design

3. Mankind is flawed – original sin

3. People are capable of perfection – evolving toward utopia

4. Redemption is needed – sacrifice – legalism – faith

4. No need for redemption

5. Moral absolutes exist 5. Postmodernism – society determines standards of behavior – no absolute standards

• Interview with Craig Blomberg, Professor of New Testament, Denver Seminary• Papias – Bishop of Hierapolis (Turkey)

• Wrote early 2nd Century, approx. 125 AD• Interviewed those who had been with Peter,

Phillip, Thomas, Andrew, James and other disciples

• Papias confirms that:• Mark recorded Peter’s account of Jesus’ life

– accurately• Matthew (Disciple) also recorded Jesus’ life• Luke wrote a gospel – follower of Paul –

historian, doctor – also wrote Acts• John (Disciple) wrote his gospel in Ephesus

• Mark wrote the earliest gospel• Not a biography of Jesus, focused mainly on

crucifixion and resurrection (nothing about birth or childhood)

• Matthew and Luke may have drawn material from Mark• Matthew, a disciple but not inner circle, may

have profited from Peter’s experience relayed to Mark – Transfiguration

• Q – collection of Jesus teachings, not in narrative form• May have been a source of material for

synoptics (Matthew, Mark, Luke)

• John – last gospel written (90 AD)• More philosophical• Emphasizes Jesus as Son of God• “Son of Man” refers to term in Daniel

referring to the Messiah• Acts – written by Luke, ends before Paul’s death

about 62 AD• Luke was written before Acts (62 AD)• Luke incorporates parts of Mark – written

earlier than Matthew and Luke• Mark written as early as 25-30 years after

crucifixion, Luke and Matthew 30-40 years after crucifixion• Eyewitnesses still alive

• John written 90 years AD• 60 years after crucifixion

• 30-60 years after Jesus death not long• Biographies of Alexander the Great

written 400 years after his death• Paul’s letters were mostly written before

Gospels• 40-50 AD (10-20 years after crucifixion)

• Paul incorporated earlier creeds• 1st Corinthians 15 “For what I received I

passed on to you” (2-5 years after crucifixion)

• Testing the Eyewitness Evidence

• The intention test: did the writers intend to write an accurate account?

• Luke's opening statement to Theophilus

• The ability test: did the writers have the ability to record accurately several years after the fact?

• Rabbis committed to memory the whole Old Testament.  Oral tradition was committed to memory at that time.  Even though there might be variations, the key themes were consistent.

• The character test• The authors had unimpeachable character

• The consistency test• The Gospels are amazingly consistent in

main content, yet enough variation exist to show that the Gospels were written independently.  The different genealogies in Mathew and Luke are because Mathew reflects Joseph’s lineage and Luke traced his genealogy through Mary.

• The bias test• The authors had nothing to gain but danger

and ostracism for recording the life of Jesus. Therefore making Him to appear something other than what he was without motive.

 • The Cover-Up test

• The writers included controversial material which would have been eliminated if they were trying to enhance Jesus image. Mark says that Jesus could do few miracles in Nazareth.  Jesus was without sin, so why was he baptized? On the cross Jesus says ”my God, my God why have you forsaken me?”

• The corroboration test• Archeological discoveries continue to

corroborate specific references in the scriptures regarding places events and people.

• The adverse witness test• There is no evidence that people who lived at

the time of Jesus and who opposed him denied that he performed miracles.  They called him a sorcerer.  They did not deny that the tomb was empty.  They did not deny Jesus existence.

• There are no original copies of the New Testament

• But a huge number of copies of copies• Multiple languages (Greek, Latin, Coptic,

Armenian Gothic) all in close agreement• Tacitas wrote history of Rome in 116 AD

• Only existing copy written 850 AD• Josephus – 1st Century

• Copies 10th & 11th centuries

• Chronology of Scriptures

• The Creeds – oral transmission within 2-5 years of Crucifixion:• 1st Corinthians 15:3-4

“For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the scriptures.”

• Philippians 2:6-11

“Your attitude should be the same as Christ Jesus: Who being in the very nature of God did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant being made in human likeness, and being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient unto death – even death on a cross! Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every name should bow in heaven and on earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

• Q – Hypothetical collection of Jesus teachings

• Paul’s letters• 34-37 AD converted on road to Damascus• Regains sight, goes to Arabia, back to

Damascus, on to Jerusalem, then to Gentiles• 1st and 2nd Thessalonians – 52 AD• 1st and 2nd Corinthians – 54 AD• Galatians – 55-56 AD• Romans – 56 AD

• Mark – 55-60 AD• Peter’s companion – recorded peter’s

recollections• Emphasized events toward end of Jesus life

• No story of Jesus birth, youth• Straightforward, basic account• Nephew of Barnabus

• Went home on Paul’s first journey• With Paul in Rome later

• Paul’s Letters – Part II• Ephesians 61-62 AD

• Philippians 61-62 AD

• Colossians 61-62 AD

• 1st Timothy 61 AD

• 2nd Timothy 64 AD

• Philemon, Titus 64 AD

• Luke 60-65 AD• Paul’s companion – knew some apostles

• Gentile and a historian

• Probably a doctor

• Extensively wrote of women and children

• Probably referenced Mark

• Matthew 60-65 AD• Disciple – not member of inner circle

(Peter, James, John)• Tax collector, Jew• Emphasized Jesus being the Messiah• Referenced Mark, probably written slightly

later than Luke

• Acts 65-66 AD• Written by Luke• Story of Paul’s conversion, ministry• History of early church

• John 85-90 AD• Inner circle, “disciple Jesus loved”

• Spiritual

• No mention of Jesus birth, baptism

• Also wrote revelation

• 5,000 copies of New Testament• 650 copies of Iliad

• Papyrus copies of the New Testament 200 AD• “Copies have come down as they were written”• Copying Errors

• No eyeglasses until 1373• Estimates are that manuscript accuracy is

99.5% - main content consistent

• Which books included in New Testament?

• Apostolic authority• Written by apostles, or followers of apostles

(eyewitness expertise)• Congruent with basic Christian tradition• Continuous acceptance by the church

• Gospel of Thomas

• Partly consistent with Jesus teaching• Contains pantheism, anti-feminist statements

inconsistent with Jesus teaching• Written much later