1. Argument from the Historicity of Jesus
Summary:
The life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ is the most attested event in history.
J.P. Moreland, American philosopher & theologian, 1948-
“The second proposition that I would like to defend is that Jesus of Nazareth is God’s supreme revelation of Himself to mankind. Among other things, this claim that hinges upon the truthfulness of His resurrection from the dead. I want to argue that the historical evidence for Jesus’ resurrection is strong and belief in His resurrection is reasonable. At least four lines of evidence can be used to defend the historicity of the resurrection.
“First, the time factor. Let us consider the New Testament, not as an inspired book, though I believe it to be, but as a set of alleged historical sources about Jesus of Nazareth... This means we have clear widespread testimony to a miracle-working, supernatural, resurrected Jesus no later than fifteen to twenty years after the events of His life.“In addition, the writings of the New Testament themselves contain statements, phrases, and hymns that are heavily Semantic and which translate easily back into Aramaic from Greek. These hymns are embedded in the epistles of the New Testament, and they existed prior to the New Testament because they are not spoken in characteristically Pauline language...
“All of this means that a clear, widespread picture of a miracle-working, supernatural Jesus who rose bodily from the dead existed within a few weeks after His death, and at the latest within the first decade of the spread of Christianity. There was just not enough time for the facts of Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection to be forgotten and replaced by a set of myths...
“Secondly, the empty tomb. A large number of New Testament scholars hold that the New Testament statements that Jesus’ tomb was found empty three days after His death are historically reliable. They do so for several reasons.
“First, archaeological discoveries have verified the accuracy of the description of Jesus’ burial and tomb and the plausibility of its location...
“Second, there were at least fifty tombs of holy men during the time of Jesus in Jerusalem that were sites of religious veneration. Thus, the location of Jesus’ tomb would have been carefully noted by His followers in order to venerate Him after His death. But there is no evidence whatsoever that His tomb was ever a site of veneration. This is explained by the fact that His tomb was empty.
“Third, the Gospel narratives of the discovery of the empty tomb bear features of historicity. To site [sic] but one, the narratives tell us that women were the first to discover and witness the empty tomb. Given the low social status of women then and the fact that they were not allowed to give legal testimony, it is highly probable that women were in fact the first ones to see the risen Christ. A fabricated account of the empty tomb would have used men, certainly not women...
“Third, the appearances of Jesus of Nazareth. The historical evidence indicates that on separate occasions different individuals and groups, one group of at least five hundred persons, saw appearances of Jesus from the dead...
“...Many who deny that it was a real resurrection interpret these reported experiences as subjective experiences or hallucinations... First, the variety and number of people seeing the appearances makes hallucination unlikely. Second, hallucinations do not create completely new thoughts, but they put together old thoughts.
“...The resurrection picture of Jesus is so out of touch with what was already in existence in Judaism that it is hard to explain how [Jesus’ followers] would have used a resurrection to interpret hallucinating experiences. According to Jewish belief at that time, there was to be only one resurrection, all at once...
“Finally, the origination of the Christian church implies a resurrection. Why did Christianity begin? Where did it come from? What motivation did the early church have for spreading Christianity? Christianity didn’t come from the stork. Christianity was a unique new movement. Without the resurrection, there is no adequate explanation for where it came from or how it got going.
“The resurrection of Jesus offers the best explanation for the incredible success of the early church. Without the resurrection there would have been no early church...
“The resurrection also explains the motivation and endurance of the early Christians. The early disciples experienced a life of pain, physical and social abuse, and martyrs’ deaths for their message. What kept them going? The question is even more pressing in light of their state of betrayal, fear, and disillusionment just after Jesus’ crucifixion. What changed them and motivated them? The resurrection.”
— J.P. Moreland, Does God Exist?, Prometheus Books, 1988 p39-42
“The second proposition that I would like to defend is that Jesus of Nazareth is God’s supreme revelation of Himself to mankind. Among other things, this claim that hinges upon the truthfulness of His resurrection from the dead. I want to argue that the historical evidence for Jesus’ resurrection is strong and belief in His resurrection is reasonable. At least four lines of evidence can be used to defend the historicity of the resurrection.
“First, the time factor. Let us consider the New Testament, not as an inspired book, though I believe it to be, but as a set of alleged historical sources about Jesus of Nazareth... This means we have clear widespread testimony to a miracle-working, supernatural, resurrected Jesus no later than fifteen to twenty years after the events of His life.“In addition, the writings of the New Testament themselves contain statements, phrases, and hymns that are heavily Semantic and which translate easily back into Aramaic from Greek. These hymns are embedded in the epistles of the New Testament, and they existed prior to the New Testament because they are not spoken in characteristically Pauline language...
“All of this means that a clear, widespread picture of a miracle-working, supernatural Jesus who rose bodily from the dead existed within a few weeks after His death, and at the latest within the first decade of the spread of Christianity. There was just not enough time for the facts of Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection to be forgotten and replaced by a set of myths...
“Secondly, the empty tomb. A large number of New Testament scholars hold that the New Testament statements that Jesus’ tomb was found empty three days after His death are historically reliable. They do so for several reasons.
“First, archaeological discoveries have verified the accuracy of the description of Jesus’ burial and tomb and the plausibility of its location...
“Second, there were at least fifty tombs of holy men during the time of Jesus in Jerusalem that were sites of religious veneration. Thus, the location of Jesus’ tomb would have been carefully noted by His followers in order to venerate Him after His death. But there is no evidence whatsoever that His tomb was ever a site of veneration. This is explained by the fact that His tomb was empty.
“Third, the Gospel narratives of the discovery of the empty tomb bear features of historicity. To site [sic] but one, the narratives tell us that women were the first to discover and witness the empty tomb. Given the low social status of women then and the fact that they were not allowed to give legal testimony, it is highly probable that women were in fact the first ones to see the risen Christ. A fabricated account of the empty tomb would have used men, certainly not women...
“Third, the appearances of Jesus of Nazareth. The historical evidence indicates that on separate occasions different individuals and groups, one group of at least five hundred persons, saw appearances of Jesus from the dead...
“...Many who deny that it was a real resurrection interpret these reported experiences as subjective experiences or hallucinations... First, the variety and number of people seeing the appearances makes hallucination unlikely. Second, hallucinations do not create completely new thoughts, but they put together old thoughts.
“...The resurrection picture of Jesus is so out of touch with what was already in existence in Judaism that it is hard to explain how [Jesus’ followers] would have used a resurrection to interpret hallucinating experiences. According to Jewish belief at that time, there was to be only one resurrection, all at once...
“Finally, the origination of the Christian church implies a resurrection. Why did Christianity begin? Where did it come from? What motivation did the early church have for spreading Christianity? Christianity didn’t come from the stork. Christianity was a unique new movement. Without the resurrection, there is no adequate explanation for where it came from or how it got going.
“The resurrection of Jesus offers the best explanation for the incredible success of the early church. Without the resurrection there would have been no early church...
“The resurrection also explains the motivation and endurance of the early Christians. The early disciples experienced a life of pain, physical and social abuse, and martyrs’ deaths for their message. What kept them going? The question is even more pressing in light of their state of betrayal, fear, and disillusionment just after Jesus’ crucifixion. What changed them and motivated them? The resurrection.”
— J.P. Moreland, Does God Exist?, Prometheus Books, 1988 p39-42
Robert Dabney, American theologian, chaplain, & architect, 1820-1898
“The change of the Sabbath is a perpetual monumental evidence of the resurrection. For 4,000 years it had been observed on the 7th day of the week. It is now universally observed on the 1st day by Christians. Whence the change? The Church has constantly asserted that it was made to commemorate the rise of its Redeemer from the dead. Now a public, monumental observance cannot be propagated among men to commemorate an imaginary event. The introduction of the observance would inevitably challenge remarks, and the imposture would have been instantly exposed.”
— Robert Dabney, Lectures in Systematic Theology, Zondervan, 1975 p548 (quoted by Elmer L. Towns, Theology for Today, Wadsworth/Thomson Learning, 2002 p236)
“The change of the Sabbath is a perpetual monumental evidence of the resurrection. For 4,000 years it had been observed on the 7th day of the week. It is now universally observed on the 1st day by Christians. Whence the change? The Church has constantly asserted that it was made to commemorate the rise of its Redeemer from the dead. Now a public, monumental observance cannot be propagated among men to commemorate an imaginary event. The introduction of the observance would inevitably challenge remarks, and the imposture would have been instantly exposed.”
— Robert Dabney, Lectures in Systematic Theology, Zondervan, 1975 p548 (quoted by Elmer L. Towns, Theology for Today, Wadsworth/Thomson Learning, 2002 p236)
Everett F. Harrison, American theologian, 1902-1999
“The crucial importance of the resurrection for the demonstration of the divine origin and full authority of the Christian religion has long been recognized, both by friends and foes, perhaps by the latter even more than by the former, since they are on the alert to detect that portion of the foundation which will involve the collapse of the whole edifice in case it can be successfully removed. Though the method of attack has changed through the years and consequently, to a degree, the method of defense, yet the basic facts remain as they have from the very beginning, and to them we must make our appeal. The three prominent lines of evidence for Jesus’ resurrection are the empty tomb, His appearances to the disciples, and the transformation wrought in them by those appearances. In the background, but no less deserving of consideration as historical evidence, are the very existence of the church and the literature which emanated from it, our New Testament. Finally, though not lying properly within the category of evidence, there is a congruity between His resurrection and all else that we know about Him. The consistent supernaturalism that belongs to Him makes the resurrection a virtual necessity and creates in one who starts from the fact the increasing realization that it was inevitable.”
— Everett F. Harrison, The Christian Doctrine of the Resurrection, unpublished (quoted by Elmer L. Towns, Theology for Today, Wadsworth/Thomson Learning, 2002 p237)
“The crucial importance of the resurrection for the demonstration of the divine origin and full authority of the Christian religion has long been recognized, both by friends and foes, perhaps by the latter even more than by the former, since they are on the alert to detect that portion of the foundation which will involve the collapse of the whole edifice in case it can be successfully removed. Though the method of attack has changed through the years and consequently, to a degree, the method of defense, yet the basic facts remain as they have from the very beginning, and to them we must make our appeal. The three prominent lines of evidence for Jesus’ resurrection are the empty tomb, His appearances to the disciples, and the transformation wrought in them by those appearances. In the background, but no less deserving of consideration as historical evidence, are the very existence of the church and the literature which emanated from it, our New Testament. Finally, though not lying properly within the category of evidence, there is a congruity between His resurrection and all else that we know about Him. The consistent supernaturalism that belongs to Him makes the resurrection a virtual necessity and creates in one who starts from the fact the increasing realization that it was inevitable.”
— Everett F. Harrison, The Christian Doctrine of the Resurrection, unpublished (quoted by Elmer L. Towns, Theology for Today, Wadsworth/Thomson Learning, 2002 p237)
Elmer Leon Towns, American professor of theology & pastor, 1932-
“...There can be no denying that Jesus died physically on the cross. The Romans were professionals; they understood when a man was dead. When they came to break the legs of those on the cross, they realized that Jesus was already dead: ‘When they came to Jesus, and saw that he was dead already, they broke not his legs’ (John 19:33). Later when they pierced the side of Jesus, the blood and water had began to separate, indicating approaching death (John 19:34). There is not doubt concerning the physical death of Christ.”
— Elmer L. Towns, Theology for Today, Wadsworth/Thomson Learning, 2002 p239
“...The witness of the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead begins in historical verification, i.e., He was ‘crucified under Pontius Pilate, dead and buried.’ This same Jesus Christ was reunited with His physical body and came back from the dead a spiritual body, subjecting the power of death and Hell to God. He ended the kenosis, and made available all the spiritual resources to those who through faith were co-raised with Him. And as such, the resurrection is the indispensable foundation of Christianity.”
— Elmer L. Towns, Theology for Today, Wadsworth/Thomson Learning, 2002 p245
“Now granted, historical verification cannot give one faith, even if it is an accurate verification of the resurrection. But one cannot have faith without an object that has credibility (biblical faith is not blind faith). Biblical faith cannot have as its object that which is untrue or that which has no reality (if an interpretation of an event such as the resurrection is inconsistent with the facts or does not correspond to the existing world, then it is not true). Since biblical faith involves an inner commitment to one’s understanding of God, an honest person could not commit himself in faith to that which he inwardly knows is false or does not exist. Therefore, a person could not have biblical faith in an interpretation of a non-historical resurrection. The question is raised, ‘What good is this interpretation of the resurrection since it cannot produce faith?’ It is apparently an explanation to satisfy those who reject the supernatural, but still desire to retain historical language.”
— Elmer L. Towns, Theology for Today, Wadsworth/Thomson Learning, 2002 p237-238
“...There can be no denying that Jesus died physically on the cross. The Romans were professionals; they understood when a man was dead. When they came to break the legs of those on the cross, they realized that Jesus was already dead: ‘When they came to Jesus, and saw that he was dead already, they broke not his legs’ (John 19:33). Later when they pierced the side of Jesus, the blood and water had began to separate, indicating approaching death (John 19:34). There is not doubt concerning the physical death of Christ.”
— Elmer L. Towns, Theology for Today, Wadsworth/Thomson Learning, 2002 p239
“...The witness of the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead begins in historical verification, i.e., He was ‘crucified under Pontius Pilate, dead and buried.’ This same Jesus Christ was reunited with His physical body and came back from the dead a spiritual body, subjecting the power of death and Hell to God. He ended the kenosis, and made available all the spiritual resources to those who through faith were co-raised with Him. And as such, the resurrection is the indispensable foundation of Christianity.”
— Elmer L. Towns, Theology for Today, Wadsworth/Thomson Learning, 2002 p245
“Now granted, historical verification cannot give one faith, even if it is an accurate verification of the resurrection. But one cannot have faith without an object that has credibility (biblical faith is not blind faith). Biblical faith cannot have as its object that which is untrue or that which has no reality (if an interpretation of an event such as the resurrection is inconsistent with the facts or does not correspond to the existing world, then it is not true). Since biblical faith involves an inner commitment to one’s understanding of God, an honest person could not commit himself in faith to that which he inwardly knows is false or does not exist. Therefore, a person could not have biblical faith in an interpretation of a non-historical resurrection. The question is raised, ‘What good is this interpretation of the resurrection since it cannot produce faith?’ It is apparently an explanation to satisfy those who reject the supernatural, but still desire to retain historical language.”
— Elmer L. Towns, Theology for Today, Wadsworth/Thomson Learning, 2002 p237-238
C.H. Douglas Clark, British inorganic & structural chemistry professor, 1890-19??
“Let us remember that from the point of view of contemporary history Christ was an insignificant peasant teacher in an outlying province of the Roman Empire. In view of this, it must be accounted noteworthy that there appear to be several well-accredited references to Christ and His followers in contemporary pagan literature. The earliest of these, so far as we know, was made by the Roman historian Tacitus, who lived from about A.D. 55 to 119. When he was about forty years old he wrote his Germania, which gave the first detailed account of the manners and customs of the people who lived in central Europe in the beginning of the Christian era. In his Annals (xv 44), he mentions those commonly known as Christians, the originator of which title suffered capital punishment in the reign of Tiberius under the procurator Pilate. The reference to the name ‘Christians,’ to the emperor Tiberius and to Pilate can scarcely leave any doubt that the Christ of the Gospels is meant. The same author (loc. cit.) also refers to the condemnation of Christians under Nero on false charges, whereby they were subjected to being crucified, or being set on fire or covered with the skins of beasts that they might be torn to pieces by dogs. All this evidence, so far as we know, is not disputed. It would appear that an almost contemporary historian not only believed in the existence of Christ, but also knew a considerable amount about Him. It therefore seems questionable whether [Bertrand Russell] is justified in raising such doubt.
“There is other evidence we may briefly mention. The younger Pliny (A.D. 61-c.113), as governor of Bithynia in A.D. 112, had to deal with the persecution of Christians. In one of the most famous of his letters he wrote to the emperor Trajan asking for instructions. The correspondence contains Trajan’s rescript on the treatment of Christians. Suetonius, who was private secretary to the emperor Hadrian, wrote (Claud. 25) about Jews who were under the influence of Christ being expelled from Rome. Suetonius lived c. A.D. 70 to 140. There are also references in Marcus Aurelius, Roman emperor from A.D. 161 to 180, and probably also in Epictetus, a Stoic philosopher who lived about A.D. 100. In fact, many of these authors seem to be remembered more in the public mind for their references to Christ and to Christians than in any other connection.“...If Christ did not exist, we must explain how he became invented. The point to be decided is whether, in face of the evidence, the doubt is reasonable.
“If Christ did not exist, then we must recognize in those who wrote the Gospels at least as much spiritual insight and excellence as we see in the Person they invented. The spiritual stature and grandeur of an historical Christ is credible if we believe Him to be the Son of God: a like spiritual eminence in those who supposedly created Him is far less credible. Of course, critics are open to deny the spiritual excellence of Christ, and this in effect is what [Russell] tries to do. We contend that all these objections are answerable, as we try to show in these pages. But, in any case, no one can reasonably deny the uniqueness of the character of Christ described by four different men, and we should have to say that all these writers were equally unique to have thought of Him. Therefore we think it far more reasonable to assume that they reported a real Christ than that such generally ordinary and unimaginative people could have invented Him. This is borne out by the fact that they boldly recorded their own failure to understand Him and His mission...”
— C.H. Douglas Clark, Christianity and Bertrand Russell: A Critique of the Essay: ‘Why I Am Not a Christian,’ Lutterworth Press, 1958 p48-49
“Let us remember that from the point of view of contemporary history Christ was an insignificant peasant teacher in an outlying province of the Roman Empire. In view of this, it must be accounted noteworthy that there appear to be several well-accredited references to Christ and His followers in contemporary pagan literature. The earliest of these, so far as we know, was made by the Roman historian Tacitus, who lived from about A.D. 55 to 119. When he was about forty years old he wrote his Germania, which gave the first detailed account of the manners and customs of the people who lived in central Europe in the beginning of the Christian era. In his Annals (xv 44), he mentions those commonly known as Christians, the originator of which title suffered capital punishment in the reign of Tiberius under the procurator Pilate. The reference to the name ‘Christians,’ to the emperor Tiberius and to Pilate can scarcely leave any doubt that the Christ of the Gospels is meant. The same author (loc. cit.) also refers to the condemnation of Christians under Nero on false charges, whereby they were subjected to being crucified, or being set on fire or covered with the skins of beasts that they might be torn to pieces by dogs. All this evidence, so far as we know, is not disputed. It would appear that an almost contemporary historian not only believed in the existence of Christ, but also knew a considerable amount about Him. It therefore seems questionable whether [Bertrand Russell] is justified in raising such doubt.
“There is other evidence we may briefly mention. The younger Pliny (A.D. 61-c.113), as governor of Bithynia in A.D. 112, had to deal with the persecution of Christians. In one of the most famous of his letters he wrote to the emperor Trajan asking for instructions. The correspondence contains Trajan’s rescript on the treatment of Christians. Suetonius, who was private secretary to the emperor Hadrian, wrote (Claud. 25) about Jews who were under the influence of Christ being expelled from Rome. Suetonius lived c. A.D. 70 to 140. There are also references in Marcus Aurelius, Roman emperor from A.D. 161 to 180, and probably also in Epictetus, a Stoic philosopher who lived about A.D. 100. In fact, many of these authors seem to be remembered more in the public mind for their references to Christ and to Christians than in any other connection.“...If Christ did not exist, we must explain how he became invented. The point to be decided is whether, in face of the evidence, the doubt is reasonable.
“If Christ did not exist, then we must recognize in those who wrote the Gospels at least as much spiritual insight and excellence as we see in the Person they invented. The spiritual stature and grandeur of an historical Christ is credible if we believe Him to be the Son of God: a like spiritual eminence in those who supposedly created Him is far less credible. Of course, critics are open to deny the spiritual excellence of Christ, and this in effect is what [Russell] tries to do. We contend that all these objections are answerable, as we try to show in these pages. But, in any case, no one can reasonably deny the uniqueness of the character of Christ described by four different men, and we should have to say that all these writers were equally unique to have thought of Him. Therefore we think it far more reasonable to assume that they reported a real Christ than that such generally ordinary and unimaginative people could have invented Him. This is borne out by the fact that they boldly recorded their own failure to understand Him and His mission...”
— C.H. Douglas Clark, Christianity and Bertrand Russell: A Critique of the Essay: ‘Why I Am Not a Christian,’ Lutterworth Press, 1958 p48-49
2. Argument from the Reliability of the Bible or Other Authority
Summary:
God exists because the Bible, which is inerrant, testifies that God exists.
C.S. Lewis, British writer and lay-theologian, 1898-1963
“...In other words, I believe it on His authority. Do not be scared by the word authority. Believing things on authority only means believing them because you have been told them by someone you think trustworthy. Ninety-nine per cent of the things you believe are believed on authority. I believe there is such a place as New York. I have not seen it myself. I could not prove by abstract reasoning that there must be such a place. I believe it because reliable people have told me so. The ordinary man believes in the Solar System, atoms, evolution, and the circulation of the blood on authority–because the scientists say so. Every historical statement in the world is believed on authority. None of us has seen the Norman Conquest or the defeat of the Armada. None of us could prove them by pure logic as you prove a thing in mathematics. We believe them simply because people who did see them have left writings that tell us about them: in fact, on authority. A man who jibbed at authority in other things as some people do in religion would have to be content to know nothing all his life.”
— C.S. Lewis, Mere Christianity (1952), The C.S. Lewis Signature Classics, HarperOne, 2017 p58
“...In other words, I believe it on His authority. Do not be scared by the word authority. Believing things on authority only means believing them because you have been told them by someone you think trustworthy. Ninety-nine per cent of the things you believe are believed on authority. I believe there is such a place as New York. I have not seen it myself. I could not prove by abstract reasoning that there must be such a place. I believe it because reliable people have told me so. The ordinary man believes in the Solar System, atoms, evolution, and the circulation of the blood on authority–because the scientists say so. Every historical statement in the world is believed on authority. None of us has seen the Norman Conquest or the defeat of the Armada. None of us could prove them by pure logic as you prove a thing in mathematics. We believe them simply because people who did see them have left writings that tell us about them: in fact, on authority. A man who jibbed at authority in other things as some people do in religion would have to be content to know nothing all his life.”
— C.S. Lewis, Mere Christianity (1952), The C.S. Lewis Signature Classics, HarperOne, 2017 p58
Erwin W. Lutzer, American Christian author & speaker, 1941-
“John claimed that the visions that comprise the book of Revelation are the words of the Lord and warned that if anyone added to these words, ‘God will add to him the plagues which are written in this book; and if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God will take away his part from the tree of life and from the holy city, which are written in this book’ (Revelation 22:18-19). For Paul, Peter, and John to have made such claims for what they wrote would have been sheer madness unless, of course, they were, in fact, speaking the words of God.
“What if we were to systematically page through the Bible, listing all of the instances in which it claims to be of divine origin? Either directly or indirectly we would find some fifteen hundred statements that claim its divine origin. The sixty-six books speak with a consistent voice that these are the words of God.
“Still, accusations fly of deception on the part of biblical authors, even if they don’t stick: ‘Many of the claimed fulfilled prophecies in scriptures were actually made after the prophesized [sic] events took place,’ writes one atheist professor, though he doesn’t explain how the writers could have pulled that off.
“To say that the writers were either deceived or lying just does not wash. If so, the Bible is surely the most fraudulent book that has ever been written! It would be a matter of incomprehensible irony that the very book that has inspired the highest standard of morality, the book that has given the world the most coherent worldview, the book that has given us a Christ who is admired even by skeptics–that this book is based on multiplied deceptions is beyond belief.
“In effect, God signed every page of the Bible. We have every reason to believe that His signature was not forged. God has spoken and He has told us so.”
— Erwin W. Lutzer, Seven Reasons Why You Can Trust the Bible, Moody Publishers, 1998 (2008 edition), p39-40
“John claimed that the visions that comprise the book of Revelation are the words of the Lord and warned that if anyone added to these words, ‘God will add to him the plagues which are written in this book; and if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God will take away his part from the tree of life and from the holy city, which are written in this book’ (Revelation 22:18-19). For Paul, Peter, and John to have made such claims for what they wrote would have been sheer madness unless, of course, they were, in fact, speaking the words of God.
“What if we were to systematically page through the Bible, listing all of the instances in which it claims to be of divine origin? Either directly or indirectly we would find some fifteen hundred statements that claim its divine origin. The sixty-six books speak with a consistent voice that these are the words of God.
“Still, accusations fly of deception on the part of biblical authors, even if they don’t stick: ‘Many of the claimed fulfilled prophecies in scriptures were actually made after the prophesized [sic] events took place,’ writes one atheist professor, though he doesn’t explain how the writers could have pulled that off.
“To say that the writers were either deceived or lying just does not wash. If so, the Bible is surely the most fraudulent book that has ever been written! It would be a matter of incomprehensible irony that the very book that has inspired the highest standard of morality, the book that has given the world the most coherent worldview, the book that has given us a Christ who is admired even by skeptics–that this book is based on multiplied deceptions is beyond belief.
“In effect, God signed every page of the Bible. We have every reason to believe that His signature was not forged. God has spoken and He has told us so.”
— Erwin W. Lutzer, Seven Reasons Why You Can Trust the Bible, Moody Publishers, 1998 (2008 edition), p39-40
Elmer Leon Towns, American professor of theology & pastor, 1932-
“Inspiration is the guidance or influence of the Holy Spirit on the human writers of Scripture so that God controlled them in such a way that what they wrote was exactly what God wanted them to write without error. There was no error in grammar, historical locations, sociological understanding, mathematics, geology, geometry, or geography. Inspiration is a supernatural guidance executed on the sacred writers by the Spirit of God, by which their own personal writings become the divine Word of God. The influence of inspiration is applied to the author’s vocabulary, knowledge of grammar, ability to develop a logical thought, or to his poetic, homiletical or scientific ability to do historical research. While inspiration has used the limitation of the authors, it does guarantee that what they wrote was accurate...”
— Elmer L. Towns, Theology for Today, Wadsworth/Thomson Learning, 2002 p59
“The a priori argument states that God would guard the gathering of the books into the canon because He had originally written each book. The argument is based on the following premise: (1) God had a message that He wanted to reveal to man. (2) God chose a multiple number of authors who would write the message for others to understand. (3) God knew that His message/revelation would be attacked from without (4) God knew that the recipients of His revelation were not scholars, but average people in average circumstances. (5) Therefore, God could be expected to personally guarantee the contents (revelation), the accuracy of the words (inspiration), the compilation of the different messages from all His messengers into one coherent unit (canon), and that the message would be transmitted to future generations (inerrancy), so that there would be no corruption, alteration, deletion and/or addition to the Word of God...
“...God implied in Scripture that the giving of revelation was complete. God’s wisdom has anticipated the tendency towards corruption of His message, and He had issued warnings against those who ‘corrupt the word of God’ (2 Cor. 2:17). The same warning was given to those who ‘pervert the gospel’ (Gal. 1:7). Any tendency toward heresy was also condemned by God, apostasy being that which took away from God’s message. God warned in the Old Testament not to add to His Word (Prov. 30:6). The New Testament ends with a warning of taking away or adding to the Word of God (Rev. 22:18-18). Since God has implied that there is a complete content of revelation to which man cannot add, nor from which he can take away, and God further recognizes and warns that some will try to add or take from revelation, then we should determine the completeness of revelation as a mandatory step to determining the makeup of the canon...
“...The Bible indicates that all doctrine that was revealed is complete and whole. From the very beginning God wanted a written revelation of His Word. The revelation began when ‘The LORD said unto Moses, Write this for a memorial in a book.’ (Exod. 17:14). The end of Scripture was noted by Jude who speaks of the faith (objective revelation) ‘once delivered’ (Jude 3). This means that objective revelation is once and for all time delivered to the saints. It implies there will be no more revelation. There has been no revelation by God to men since the closing of the New Testament canon, hence we do not need additional books in the Bible because there is no additional message to communicate.”
— Elmer L. Towns, Theology for Today, Wadsworth/Thomson Learning, 2002 p80
“Inspiration is the guidance or influence of the Holy Spirit on the human writers of Scripture so that God controlled them in such a way that what they wrote was exactly what God wanted them to write without error. There was no error in grammar, historical locations, sociological understanding, mathematics, geology, geometry, or geography. Inspiration is a supernatural guidance executed on the sacred writers by the Spirit of God, by which their own personal writings become the divine Word of God. The influence of inspiration is applied to the author’s vocabulary, knowledge of grammar, ability to develop a logical thought, or to his poetic, homiletical or scientific ability to do historical research. While inspiration has used the limitation of the authors, it does guarantee that what they wrote was accurate...”
— Elmer L. Towns, Theology for Today, Wadsworth/Thomson Learning, 2002 p59
“The a priori argument states that God would guard the gathering of the books into the canon because He had originally written each book. The argument is based on the following premise: (1) God had a message that He wanted to reveal to man. (2) God chose a multiple number of authors who would write the message for others to understand. (3) God knew that His message/revelation would be attacked from without (4) God knew that the recipients of His revelation were not scholars, but average people in average circumstances. (5) Therefore, God could be expected to personally guarantee the contents (revelation), the accuracy of the words (inspiration), the compilation of the different messages from all His messengers into one coherent unit (canon), and that the message would be transmitted to future generations (inerrancy), so that there would be no corruption, alteration, deletion and/or addition to the Word of God...
“...God implied in Scripture that the giving of revelation was complete. God’s wisdom has anticipated the tendency towards corruption of His message, and He had issued warnings against those who ‘corrupt the word of God’ (2 Cor. 2:17). The same warning was given to those who ‘pervert the gospel’ (Gal. 1:7). Any tendency toward heresy was also condemned by God, apostasy being that which took away from God’s message. God warned in the Old Testament not to add to His Word (Prov. 30:6). The New Testament ends with a warning of taking away or adding to the Word of God (Rev. 22:18-18). Since God has implied that there is a complete content of revelation to which man cannot add, nor from which he can take away, and God further recognizes and warns that some will try to add or take from revelation, then we should determine the completeness of revelation as a mandatory step to determining the makeup of the canon...
“...The Bible indicates that all doctrine that was revealed is complete and whole. From the very beginning God wanted a written revelation of His Word. The revelation began when ‘The LORD said unto Moses, Write this for a memorial in a book.’ (Exod. 17:14). The end of Scripture was noted by Jude who speaks of the faith (objective revelation) ‘once delivered’ (Jude 3). This means that objective revelation is once and for all time delivered to the saints. It implies there will be no more revelation. There has been no revelation by God to men since the closing of the New Testament canon, hence we do not need additional books in the Bible because there is no additional message to communicate.”
— Elmer L. Towns, Theology for Today, Wadsworth/Thomson Learning, 2002 p80
3. Argument from Archeological Verification of Biblical Claims
Summary:
Some biblical claims can be supported by archeological evidence, therefore, other biblical claims (like the existence of God), must be true.
William F. Albright, PhD, American archeologist & biblical scholar, 1891-1971
“The excessive scepticism [sic] shown toward the Bible by important historical schools of the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, certain phases of which still appear periodically, has been progressively discredited. Discovery after discovery has established the accuracy of innumerable details, and has brought increased recognition to the value of the Bible as a source of history.”
— William F. Albright, The Archaeology of Palestine, p127-128 (quoted by Josh McDowell, The New Evidence That Demands A Verdict, Thomas Nelson, 1999 p61)
“The excessive scepticism [sic] shown toward the Bible by important historical schools of the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, certain phases of which still appear periodically, has been progressively discredited. Discovery after discovery has established the accuracy of innumerable details, and has brought increased recognition to the value of the Bible as a source of history.”
— William F. Albright, The Archaeology of Palestine, p127-128 (quoted by Josh McDowell, The New Evidence That Demands A Verdict, Thomas Nelson, 1999 p61)
E. M. Blaiklock, Chair of Classics at University of Auckland & Christian apologist, 1903-1983
“Near Eastern archaeology has demonstrated the historical and geographical reliability of the Bible in many important areas. By clarifying the objectivity and factual accuracy of biblical authors, archaeology also helps correct the view that the Bible is avowedly partisan and subjective. It is now known, for instance, that, along with the Hittites, Hebrew scribes were the best historians in the entire ancient Near East, despite contrary propaganda that emerged from Assyria, Egypt, and elsewhere.”
— E. M. Blaiklock, “Editor’s Preface,” The New International Dictionary of Biblical Archaeology, Regency Reference Library/Zondervan, 1983 pvii-viii
“Near Eastern archaeology has demonstrated the historical and geographical reliability of the Bible in many important areas. By clarifying the objectivity and factual accuracy of biblical authors, archaeology also helps correct the view that the Bible is avowedly partisan and subjective. It is now known, for instance, that, along with the Hittites, Hebrew scribes were the best historians in the entire ancient Near East, despite contrary propaganda that emerged from Assyria, Egypt, and elsewhere.”
— E. M. Blaiklock, “Editor’s Preface,” The New International Dictionary of Biblical Archaeology, Regency Reference Library/Zondervan, 1983 pvii-viii
4. Argument from Internal Consistency of the Bible (or Other Holy Books)
Summary:
The Bible carries a consistent message across 1,600 years and 40 different authors. This is unlikely to have happened by accident.
Elmer Leon Towns, American professor of theology & pastor, 1932-
“We cannot prove that the Bible is the Word of God merely by saying, ‘It claims to be the Word of God.’ This is a circular argument. Many false leaders have claimed to speak God’s word, but they were wrong. Therefore, how can we use this argument to prove the Bible’s credibility? We do this by putting it to the test. Either the Bible is the Word of God (and it must be accepted as from God) or it is the greatest forgery every [sic] printed (and must be rejected). First, let us examine the claims that the Bible makes concerning the source of its message. Over 3,000 times in Scripture the authors claim their message is from God. Expressions like ‘thus saith the LORD’ appear approximately 500 times in the Pentateuch and over 1,200 times in the prophets...
“We would expect that if God wrote a book, His truthfulness would demand that He claims to be its author. Therefore, when we find such phrases as ‘The word of the LORD came to me’ or ‘The mouth of the LORD has spoken...’ it is not unusual that God is claiming authorship of the Bible. Seldom do human authors not add their by-lines to their stories or their names to the front of their books. So that man could not mistake its source. God has placed His autograph throughout the Scriptures in thousands of places.
“If we argue from the a priori arguments that there must be a message from God, and if we argue that Jesus Christ could not be invented by the human mind, then we must have a book with a unique message from God. Then, to argue a step farther, the uniqueness of the message demands a unique avenue of communication. Since the message demands credibility so it can be accepted, God must communicate the message in a way that guarantees its reliability. Therefore, God gives the message, and the human messengers tell everyone the message came from God.
“The question of revelation does not concern the reliability of the human authors, but the authenticity of its divine author, God. Did God write the Bible? We must accept the Bible as the Word of God, or we must reject it as a hoax or a fraud. If it is a fraud, we should reject it completely for its lack of integrity and reliability. On the other hand, if the Bible is God’s Book, we must accept its message and respond accordingly.
“The world has attempted to minimize the Bible by stating, ‘It is a good book, but full of errors.’ Actually, this antithesis is difficult to believe, if not impossible. How can the Bible be a good book with errors? If it is a good book, meaning it has an acceptable message, then it should be accepted and believed. If it is a book with errors, then it cannot be trusted and should be rejected. Actually, ‘a good book with errors’ is a fairy tale, cartoon, or fiction. These ‘good’ books have a purpose to amuse us, or to allow us to escape reality, but we do not accept their message as authoritative. If a book is merely for our enjoyment, it surely does not compare with the Word of God. If it is written to deceive us, surely it could not be from God who claims to be the truth.”
— Elmer L. Towns, Theology for Today, Wadsworth/Thomson Learning, 2002 p47-48
“The unity of the message from different human sources. The unity of the message of Scripture is an internal argument that has its strongest appeal to those who are familiar with the Bible’s content. As a persona objectively reads the Bible, he finds a unified message that centers in Jesus Christ, a unified theme which is the redemption of God, a unified structure so that each part of the Bible contributes to the whole. And when a person is finished reading the Bible he realizes that the subtraction of any book takes away from the composition of the whole. Finally, there is a unity of literary emphasis, even though there are numerous authors, so that the reader gets the impression that there was one mind that guided the preparation of the entire Bible.“The unity of the Bible is contrary to what one would normally expect from a book that was written by authors in the circumstances in which they wrote...
“The argument of unity is based on the dual authorship of Scripture. First, human authors wrote scripture and each book of the Bible is reflective of that author’s occupation, vocabulary, style, and his sociological background. But the Bible does not have a single author. Rather, it has dual authorship. Each book of the Bible was written by a human author as he was guided by the Holy Spirit. The human author used the literary tools available to him, such as vocabulary, ability to think rationally, poetical nature and historical observation, but the Holy Spirit guided the writing of Scripture so that each book was inspired of God and was written without error or mistake. As such, the Holy Spirit gives unity to the Scriptures, hence supplying a supernatural dimension that proves it is the Word of God.”
— Elmer L. Towns, Theology for Today, Wadsworth/Thomson Learning, 2002 p54
“We cannot prove that the Bible is the Word of God merely by saying, ‘It claims to be the Word of God.’ This is a circular argument. Many false leaders have claimed to speak God’s word, but they were wrong. Therefore, how can we use this argument to prove the Bible’s credibility? We do this by putting it to the test. Either the Bible is the Word of God (and it must be accepted as from God) or it is the greatest forgery every [sic] printed (and must be rejected). First, let us examine the claims that the Bible makes concerning the source of its message. Over 3,000 times in Scripture the authors claim their message is from God. Expressions like ‘thus saith the LORD’ appear approximately 500 times in the Pentateuch and over 1,200 times in the prophets...
“We would expect that if God wrote a book, His truthfulness would demand that He claims to be its author. Therefore, when we find such phrases as ‘The word of the LORD came to me’ or ‘The mouth of the LORD has spoken...’ it is not unusual that God is claiming authorship of the Bible. Seldom do human authors not add their by-lines to their stories or their names to the front of their books. So that man could not mistake its source. God has placed His autograph throughout the Scriptures in thousands of places.
“If we argue from the a priori arguments that there must be a message from God, and if we argue that Jesus Christ could not be invented by the human mind, then we must have a book with a unique message from God. Then, to argue a step farther, the uniqueness of the message demands a unique avenue of communication. Since the message demands credibility so it can be accepted, God must communicate the message in a way that guarantees its reliability. Therefore, God gives the message, and the human messengers tell everyone the message came from God.
“The question of revelation does not concern the reliability of the human authors, but the authenticity of its divine author, God. Did God write the Bible? We must accept the Bible as the Word of God, or we must reject it as a hoax or a fraud. If it is a fraud, we should reject it completely for its lack of integrity and reliability. On the other hand, if the Bible is God’s Book, we must accept its message and respond accordingly.
“The world has attempted to minimize the Bible by stating, ‘It is a good book, but full of errors.’ Actually, this antithesis is difficult to believe, if not impossible. How can the Bible be a good book with errors? If it is a good book, meaning it has an acceptable message, then it should be accepted and believed. If it is a book with errors, then it cannot be trusted and should be rejected. Actually, ‘a good book with errors’ is a fairy tale, cartoon, or fiction. These ‘good’ books have a purpose to amuse us, or to allow us to escape reality, but we do not accept their message as authoritative. If a book is merely for our enjoyment, it surely does not compare with the Word of God. If it is written to deceive us, surely it could not be from God who claims to be the truth.”
— Elmer L. Towns, Theology for Today, Wadsworth/Thomson Learning, 2002 p47-48
“The unity of the message from different human sources. The unity of the message of Scripture is an internal argument that has its strongest appeal to those who are familiar with the Bible’s content. As a persona objectively reads the Bible, he finds a unified message that centers in Jesus Christ, a unified theme which is the redemption of God, a unified structure so that each part of the Bible contributes to the whole. And when a person is finished reading the Bible he realizes that the subtraction of any book takes away from the composition of the whole. Finally, there is a unity of literary emphasis, even though there are numerous authors, so that the reader gets the impression that there was one mind that guided the preparation of the entire Bible.“The unity of the Bible is contrary to what one would normally expect from a book that was written by authors in the circumstances in which they wrote...
“The argument of unity is based on the dual authorship of Scripture. First, human authors wrote scripture and each book of the Bible is reflective of that author’s occupation, vocabulary, style, and his sociological background. But the Bible does not have a single author. Rather, it has dual authorship. Each book of the Bible was written by a human author as he was guided by the Holy Spirit. The human author used the literary tools available to him, such as vocabulary, ability to think rationally, poetical nature and historical observation, but the Holy Spirit guided the writing of Scripture so that each book was inspired of God and was written without error or mistake. As such, the Holy Spirit gives unity to the Scriptures, hence supplying a supernatural dimension that proves it is the Word of God.”
— Elmer L. Towns, Theology for Today, Wadsworth/Thomson Learning, 2002 p54
Arthur Walkington Pink, influential English Bible teacher, 1886-1952
“The manner in which the Bible has been produced argues against its unity. The Bible was penned on two continents, written in three languages, and its composition and compilation extended through the slow progress of sixteen centuries. The various parts of the Bible were written at different times and under the most varying circumstances. Parts of it were written in tents, deserts, cities, palaces, and dungeons, some parts in times of imminent danger and others in seasons of ecstatic joy. Among its writers were judges, kings, priests, prophets, patriarchs, prime ministers, herdsmen, scribes, soldiers, physicians, and fishermen. Yet, despite these varying circumstances, conditions, and workmen, the Bible is one Book; behind its many parts there is an unmistakable organic unity. It contains one system of doctrine, one code of ethics, one plan of salvation, and one rule of faith.”
— Arthur Walkington Pink (quoted by Elmer L. Towns), Theology for Today, Wadsworth/Thomson Learning, 2002 p54
“The manner in which the Bible has been produced argues against its unity. The Bible was penned on two continents, written in three languages, and its composition and compilation extended through the slow progress of sixteen centuries. The various parts of the Bible were written at different times and under the most varying circumstances. Parts of it were written in tents, deserts, cities, palaces, and dungeons, some parts in times of imminent danger and others in seasons of ecstatic joy. Among its writers were judges, kings, priests, prophets, patriarchs, prime ministers, herdsmen, scribes, soldiers, physicians, and fishermen. Yet, despite these varying circumstances, conditions, and workmen, the Bible is one Book; behind its many parts there is an unmistakable organic unity. It contains one system of doctrine, one code of ethics, one plan of salvation, and one rule of faith.”
— Arthur Walkington Pink (quoted by Elmer L. Towns), Theology for Today, Wadsworth/Thomson Learning, 2002 p54
5. Argument from History
Summary:
The Bible has withstood thousands of years of attempts to eradicate it. Christianity has many barriers to success and longevity, and it would likely have not survived if it were not true.
James Patrick Holding, minister & Christian apologist, 1968-
“Christianity, as we can see, had every possible disadvantage as a faith. As I have recently noted, some religions thrive by being vague (Rastafarianism) or by having only philosophical demands, or demands beyond verification (Buddhism, Hinduism). Others staked a claim to survival by isolation (Mormonism) or by the sword (Islam). Christianity did none of these things and had none of these benefits, other than a late flirtation with the sword when it was already a secure faith and it was being used for political purposes, as indeed any religion could be–not as a means of spreading the Gospel. Every disadvantage, and none of the advantages.”
— James Patrick Holding, The Impossible Faith, Xulon Press, 2007
“Christianity, as we can see, had every possible disadvantage as a faith. As I have recently noted, some religions thrive by being vague (Rastafarianism) or by having only philosophical demands, or demands beyond verification (Buddhism, Hinduism). Others staked a claim to survival by isolation (Mormonism) or by the sword (Islam). Christianity did none of these things and had none of these benefits, other than a late flirtation with the sword when it was already a secure faith and it was being used for political purposes, as indeed any religion could be–not as a means of spreading the Gospel. Every disadvantage, and none of the advantages.”
— James Patrick Holding, The Impossible Faith, Xulon Press, 2007
John Dick, Scottish minister and theological writer, 1764-1833
“It is astonishing that a few simple and uneducated men should have been able to devise and execute a plan, which has eluded all search, and has obtained credit among the wise and learned, as well as among the vulgar, for the space of eighteen hundred years.”
— John Dick, Lectures in Theology, Robert Carter & Brothers, 1878 2:106 (quoted by Elmer L. Towns, Theology for Today, Wadsworth/Thomson Learning, 2002 p236)
“It is astonishing that a few simple and uneducated men should have been able to devise and execute a plan, which has eluded all search, and has obtained credit among the wise and learned, as well as among the vulgar, for the space of eighteen hundred years.”
— John Dick, Lectures in Theology, Robert Carter & Brothers, 1878 2:106 (quoted by Elmer L. Towns, Theology for Today, Wadsworth/Thomson Learning, 2002 p236)
6. Argument from Reliability of Prophecy
Summary:
Biblical prophecies have accurately come to pass, which proves it is the word of God, which proves God exists.
Elmer Leon Towns, American professor of theology & pastor, 1932-
“The strongest empirical argument that the Bible is the Word of God is based on its demonstrated ability to predict the future. Man does not have knowledge of the future. Only God claims to have that knowledge. Therefore, if one can accurately predict the future, He must be God, and we must accept the truthfulness of his message. Christianity is the only religion that gives fulfilled prophecy as one of its bases for credibility. When the writers of Scripture predict the future, and then their predictions are fulfilled, they have credibility for their claims that they speak for God. Note what Wilbur Smith said of fulfilled prophecy.
“’A man who has read several thousand books concludes that whatever one may think of the authority of the message presented in the book we call the Bible, there is worldwide agreement that in more ways than one it is the most remarkable volume that has ever been produced in these some five thousand years of writing on the part of the human race.
“’Mohammedanism cannot point to any prophecies of the coming of Mohammed uttered hundreds of years before his birth. Neither can the founders of any cult in this country rightly identify any ancient text specifically foretelling their appearance.’
“The enemies of Scripture usually do not attack the fact of fulfilled prophecy. They usually try to explain it away. First, they try to make fulfilled prophecy an historical event by moving the date of the prediction forward. They claim the bible is not the Word of God and that the bible is a human book. Giving their motives the benefit of the doubt, they are trying to make the Bible consistent in their own eyes, but it would be a deceitful way of writing history. They discredit the Bible. A second attempt to explain away prophecy is to ‘spiritualize’ the prediction and fulfillment. They try to make words mean something other than what the authors originally wrote.
“An English deist once said that a man named Jesus Christ read the Old Testament prophecies concerning the Messiah and then went out and attempted to fulfill them. If this man were correct, Jesus Christ was a lunatic for dying to prove predictions that He knew were not true.“Some say that certain Old Testament prophets wrote after the events happened. But the Septuagint and the Dead Sea Scrolls establish a historical date to indicate that these books were written before the events they predicted. The Septuagint was the Greek translation of the Old Testament (c 285 BC) that indicates that Daniel correctly predicted the events of Jesus Christ before they transpired. The Dead Sea Scrolls indicate that the Hebrew text was written and collected before Christ was born.”
— Elmer L. Towns, Theology for Today, Wadsworth/Thomson Learning, 2002 p48-49
“1. The prediction of names. Cyrus was predicted by name (Isa. 44:26-28, and 45:1) one hundred years before he lived. Three hundred years before Josiah was born, an unnamed prophet predicted that Josiah would reign (1 Kgs. 13:2). Josiah became the sixteenth king of the Southern Kingdom and the fulfillment is recorded in 2 Kings 23:15-18.
“2. Predictions concerning Messiah. The messianic prophecies related to Christ that have already been fulfilled are divided into four areas. The exact details of their fulfillment indicate the supernatural insight that the author had into the future and qualifies the Bible as the Word of God.
“a. The prophecies of the birth of Christ
“1.) To be born of the lineage of David.
“(a) Abraham (Gen. 12:1-3)
“(b) Issac (Gen. 17:19)
“(c) Jacob (Gen. 28:14)
“(d) Judah (Gen. 49:10)
“(e) David (2 Sam. 7:12-13)
“2.) Date of birth. According to Daniel 9:35, the Messiah was to be born before AD 30, or the expiration of the Daniel’s 69 weeks of years (445 BC-AD 30)
“3.) Place of birth. Bethlehem (Mic. 5:2)
“4.) Supernatural of a virgin. (Isa. 7:14)
“b. Prophecies of His life on earth
“1.) To be a Savior and Deliverer. (Gen. 3:15; John 19:23; Isa. 53:5-6, 12)
“2.) His deity. (Isa. 7:14; 9:6-7; Mic. 5:2; Isa. 11)
“3.) To be preceded by a messenger. (Mal. 3:1a; cf. Isa. 40:3-5)
“4.) To be a prophet. (Deut. 18:15; cf. John 1:21; 4:29; 6:14; Acts 3:20-24; John 5:46; 8:28; 14:24) 52:13-53:12.
“5.) To be a priest. (1 Sam. 2:35; Psa. 11:4; Zech. 6:12)
“6. To be a king. (Gen. 49:10; Num. 24:17; Sam. 7:12-16; Psa. 2; Isa. 2:1-4; 4:1-6; 9:6-7; 11:1-12; 49:7; 52::15; Jer. 23:1-6; Zech. 9:9)
“7.) To be a corner stone and foundation. (Isa. 28:14-18; Gen. 49:24; 1 Kgs. 7:10-22; Psa. 118:22; Isa 8:14; Zech. 4:7)
“8.) To be the obedient Servant of Jehovah. Important passages: Isa. 42:1-7; 49:1-7; 52:13-53:12
“c. Prophecies of His death
“1.) Betrayed by a friend. (Psa. 41:9)
“2.) Falsely accused. (Psa. 35:11)
“3.) Spit upon. (Isa. 50:6)
“4.) Pierced. (Psa. 22:16-17)
“5.) Ridiculed. (Psa. 22:6-7)
“6.) Forsaken of God. (Psa. 22:1)
“7.) Bones not broken. (Psa. 34:20)
“8.) Silent before accusers. (Isa. 53:7)
“9.) To die with the wicked. (Isa. 53:9)
“10.) To be buried in a rich man’s tomb. (Isa. 53:9)
“11.) To be a sacrifice for sin. (Isa. 53:5-6, 12)
“12.) New Testament Prophecies. (Matt. 16:21; Mark 8:31; Luke 9:22; John 12:32-33)
“d. Prophecies of His Resurrection (Psa. 16:10; cf. Psa. 22:22; 118:22-24; Matt 12:38-40; 16:21; 17:9, 23; 20:19; 27:63; Mark 3:31; 9:9, 31; 12:34; 14:58; Luke 9:22; 18:33; John 2: 19-22)
“Predictions concerning the nations. Many predictions about nations were made concerning events unlikely to happen when the prophecy was made. Isaiah predicted that Babylon would fall and not be inhabited (Isa. 13:19-22). When this prediction was made, Babylon was the capital city of the most powerful nation on earth. This becomes an important fact because this prophecy was fulfilled outside the Bible. Also, the downfall of Nineveh (Zeph. 2:13-15) was predicted when it ruled the world. Its collapse was unexpected, yet fulfilled. Tyre was a mighty city when God predicted it would be thrown into the Mediterranean Sea (Ezek. 26:3-6, 12:14); later, Nebuchadnezzar partly destroyed the city, and, in 330 BC, Alexander came and took pillars from the city and cast them into the sea to make a causeway to an island offshore where the people were fortified. Today, the pillars are used for a spreading of the nets exactly as God had predicted. Philistia was strong when God predicted its downfall (Zeph. 2:4-7) and by the time of the New Testament, the land of Gaza was called desert (Acts 8:26). Egypt was one of the primary kingdoms of the world during the time of the Bible, but God predicted, ‘It shall be the basest of the kingdoms, neither shall it exalt itself anymore above the nations: for I will diminish them and they shall no more rule over the nations’ (Ezek. 29:15). Egypt has never again gained international superiority since God predicted its downfall. These are only a few of the then unfulfilled prophecies regarding the nations...
“For all of the prophecies that have been complete, the most miraculous demonstration is yet to come. Some have estimated that approximately 75 percent of biblical prophecy has yet to be fulfilled. This involves the Second Coming of Christ, the Great Tribulation, the Millennium and the judgments by God...
— Elmer L. Towns, Theology for Today, Wadsworth/Thomson Learning, 2002 p49-51
“The strongest empirical argument that the Bible is the Word of God is based on its demonstrated ability to predict the future. Man does not have knowledge of the future. Only God claims to have that knowledge. Therefore, if one can accurately predict the future, He must be God, and we must accept the truthfulness of his message. Christianity is the only religion that gives fulfilled prophecy as one of its bases for credibility. When the writers of Scripture predict the future, and then their predictions are fulfilled, they have credibility for their claims that they speak for God. Note what Wilbur Smith said of fulfilled prophecy.
“’A man who has read several thousand books concludes that whatever one may think of the authority of the message presented in the book we call the Bible, there is worldwide agreement that in more ways than one it is the most remarkable volume that has ever been produced in these some five thousand years of writing on the part of the human race.
“’Mohammedanism cannot point to any prophecies of the coming of Mohammed uttered hundreds of years before his birth. Neither can the founders of any cult in this country rightly identify any ancient text specifically foretelling their appearance.’
“The enemies of Scripture usually do not attack the fact of fulfilled prophecy. They usually try to explain it away. First, they try to make fulfilled prophecy an historical event by moving the date of the prediction forward. They claim the bible is not the Word of God and that the bible is a human book. Giving their motives the benefit of the doubt, they are trying to make the Bible consistent in their own eyes, but it would be a deceitful way of writing history. They discredit the Bible. A second attempt to explain away prophecy is to ‘spiritualize’ the prediction and fulfillment. They try to make words mean something other than what the authors originally wrote.
“An English deist once said that a man named Jesus Christ read the Old Testament prophecies concerning the Messiah and then went out and attempted to fulfill them. If this man were correct, Jesus Christ was a lunatic for dying to prove predictions that He knew were not true.“Some say that certain Old Testament prophets wrote after the events happened. But the Septuagint and the Dead Sea Scrolls establish a historical date to indicate that these books were written before the events they predicted. The Septuagint was the Greek translation of the Old Testament (c 285 BC) that indicates that Daniel correctly predicted the events of Jesus Christ before they transpired. The Dead Sea Scrolls indicate that the Hebrew text was written and collected before Christ was born.”
— Elmer L. Towns, Theology for Today, Wadsworth/Thomson Learning, 2002 p48-49
“1. The prediction of names. Cyrus was predicted by name (Isa. 44:26-28, and 45:1) one hundred years before he lived. Three hundred years before Josiah was born, an unnamed prophet predicted that Josiah would reign (1 Kgs. 13:2). Josiah became the sixteenth king of the Southern Kingdom and the fulfillment is recorded in 2 Kings 23:15-18.
“2. Predictions concerning Messiah. The messianic prophecies related to Christ that have already been fulfilled are divided into four areas. The exact details of their fulfillment indicate the supernatural insight that the author had into the future and qualifies the Bible as the Word of God.
“a. The prophecies of the birth of Christ
“1.) To be born of the lineage of David.
“(a) Abraham (Gen. 12:1-3)
“(b) Issac (Gen. 17:19)
“(c) Jacob (Gen. 28:14)
“(d) Judah (Gen. 49:10)
“(e) David (2 Sam. 7:12-13)
“2.) Date of birth. According to Daniel 9:35, the Messiah was to be born before AD 30, or the expiration of the Daniel’s 69 weeks of years (445 BC-AD 30)
“3.) Place of birth. Bethlehem (Mic. 5:2)
“4.) Supernatural of a virgin. (Isa. 7:14)
“b. Prophecies of His life on earth
“1.) To be a Savior and Deliverer. (Gen. 3:15; John 19:23; Isa. 53:5-6, 12)
“2.) His deity. (Isa. 7:14; 9:6-7; Mic. 5:2; Isa. 11)
“3.) To be preceded by a messenger. (Mal. 3:1a; cf. Isa. 40:3-5)
“4.) To be a prophet. (Deut. 18:15; cf. John 1:21; 4:29; 6:14; Acts 3:20-24; John 5:46; 8:28; 14:24) 52:13-53:12.
“5.) To be a priest. (1 Sam. 2:35; Psa. 11:4; Zech. 6:12)
“6. To be a king. (Gen. 49:10; Num. 24:17; Sam. 7:12-16; Psa. 2; Isa. 2:1-4; 4:1-6; 9:6-7; 11:1-12; 49:7; 52::15; Jer. 23:1-6; Zech. 9:9)
“7.) To be a corner stone and foundation. (Isa. 28:14-18; Gen. 49:24; 1 Kgs. 7:10-22; Psa. 118:22; Isa 8:14; Zech. 4:7)
“8.) To be the obedient Servant of Jehovah. Important passages: Isa. 42:1-7; 49:1-7; 52:13-53:12
“c. Prophecies of His death
“1.) Betrayed by a friend. (Psa. 41:9)
“2.) Falsely accused. (Psa. 35:11)
“3.) Spit upon. (Isa. 50:6)
“4.) Pierced. (Psa. 22:16-17)
“5.) Ridiculed. (Psa. 22:6-7)
“6.) Forsaken of God. (Psa. 22:1)
“7.) Bones not broken. (Psa. 34:20)
“8.) Silent before accusers. (Isa. 53:7)
“9.) To die with the wicked. (Isa. 53:9)
“10.) To be buried in a rich man’s tomb. (Isa. 53:9)
“11.) To be a sacrifice for sin. (Isa. 53:5-6, 12)
“12.) New Testament Prophecies. (Matt. 16:21; Mark 8:31; Luke 9:22; John 12:32-33)
“d. Prophecies of His Resurrection (Psa. 16:10; cf. Psa. 22:22; 118:22-24; Matt 12:38-40; 16:21; 17:9, 23; 20:19; 27:63; Mark 3:31; 9:9, 31; 12:34; 14:58; Luke 9:22; 18:33; John 2: 19-22)
“Predictions concerning the nations. Many predictions about nations were made concerning events unlikely to happen when the prophecy was made. Isaiah predicted that Babylon would fall and not be inhabited (Isa. 13:19-22). When this prediction was made, Babylon was the capital city of the most powerful nation on earth. This becomes an important fact because this prophecy was fulfilled outside the Bible. Also, the downfall of Nineveh (Zeph. 2:13-15) was predicted when it ruled the world. Its collapse was unexpected, yet fulfilled. Tyre was a mighty city when God predicted it would be thrown into the Mediterranean Sea (Ezek. 26:3-6, 12:14); later, Nebuchadnezzar partly destroyed the city, and, in 330 BC, Alexander came and took pillars from the city and cast them into the sea to make a causeway to an island offshore where the people were fortified. Today, the pillars are used for a spreading of the nets exactly as God had predicted. Philistia was strong when God predicted its downfall (Zeph. 2:4-7) and by the time of the New Testament, the land of Gaza was called desert (Acts 8:26). Egypt was one of the primary kingdoms of the world during the time of the Bible, but God predicted, ‘It shall be the basest of the kingdoms, neither shall it exalt itself anymore above the nations: for I will diminish them and they shall no more rule over the nations’ (Ezek. 29:15). Egypt has never again gained international superiority since God predicted its downfall. These are only a few of the then unfulfilled prophecies regarding the nations...
“For all of the prophecies that have been complete, the most miraculous demonstration is yet to come. Some have estimated that approximately 75 percent of biblical prophecy has yet to be fulfilled. This involves the Second Coming of Christ, the Great Tribulation, the Millennium and the judgments by God...
— Elmer L. Towns, Theology for Today, Wadsworth/Thomson Learning, 2002 p49-51
7. Argument from Common Consent
Summary:
A. Belief in God is common to most people from most eras.
B. Either all these people are/were wrong, or they aren’t.
C. It is more likely that they are not wrong.
D. Therefore, it is more likely that God exists.
B. Either all these people are/were wrong, or they aren’t.
C. It is more likely that they are not wrong.
D. Therefore, it is more likely that God exists.
Peter John Kreeft, American professor of philosophy, 1937-
“Everyone admits that religious belief is widespread throughout human history. But the question arises: Does this undisputed fact amount to evidence in favor of the truth of religious claims? Even a skeptic will admit that the testimony we have is deeply impressive: the vast majority of humans have believed in an ultimate Being to whom the proper response could only be reverence and worship. No one disputes the reality of our feelings of reverence, attitudes of worship, acts of adoration. But if God does not exist, then these things have never once — never once — had a real object. Is it really plausible to believe that?
“The capacity for reverence and worship certainly seems to belong to us by nature. And it is hard to believe that this natural capacity can never, in the nature of things, be fulfilled, especially when so many testify that it has been. True enough, it is conceivable that this side of our nature is doomed to frustration; it is thinkable that those millions upon millions who claim to have found the Holy One who is worthy of reverence and worship were deluded. But is it likely?
“It seems far more likely that those who refuse to believe are the ones suffering from deprivation and delusion — like the tone-deaf person who denies the existence of music, or the frightened tenant who tells herself she doesn't hear cries of terror and distress coming from the street below and, when her children awaken to the sounds and ask her, ‘Why is that lady screaming, Mommy?’ tells them, ‘Nobody's screaming: it's just the wind, that's all. Go back to sleep.’”
— Peter Kreeft, “The Common Consent Argument,” 20 Arguments for God’s Existence (website)
“If people were wrong about the theory of heliocentrism, they still experienced the sun and earth and motion. They were simply mistaken in thinking that the motion they perceived was the sun's. But if God does not exist, what is it that believers have been experiencing? The level of illusion goes far beyond any other example of collective error. It really amounts to collective psychosis.
“For believing in God is like having a relationship with a person. If God never existed, neither did this relationship. You were responding with reverence and love to no one; and no one was there to receive and answer your response. It's as if you believe yourself happily married when in fact you live alone in a dingy apartment.
“Now we grant that such mass delusion is conceivable, but what is the likely story? If there were no other bits of experience which, taken together with our perceptions of the sun and earth, make it most likely that the earth goes round the sun, it would be foolish to interpret our experience that way. How much more so here, where what we experience is a relationship involving reverence and worship and, sometimes, love. It is most reasonable to believe that God really is there, given such widespread belief in him — unless atheists can come up with a very persuasive explanation for religious belief, one that takes full account of the experience of believers and shows that their experience is best explained as delusion and not insight. But atheists have never done so.”
— Peter Kreeft, “The Common Consent Argument,” 20 Arguments for God’s Existence (website)
“Everyone admits that religious belief is widespread throughout human history. But the question arises: Does this undisputed fact amount to evidence in favor of the truth of religious claims? Even a skeptic will admit that the testimony we have is deeply impressive: the vast majority of humans have believed in an ultimate Being to whom the proper response could only be reverence and worship. No one disputes the reality of our feelings of reverence, attitudes of worship, acts of adoration. But if God does not exist, then these things have never once — never once — had a real object. Is it really plausible to believe that?
“The capacity for reverence and worship certainly seems to belong to us by nature. And it is hard to believe that this natural capacity can never, in the nature of things, be fulfilled, especially when so many testify that it has been. True enough, it is conceivable that this side of our nature is doomed to frustration; it is thinkable that those millions upon millions who claim to have found the Holy One who is worthy of reverence and worship were deluded. But is it likely?
“It seems far more likely that those who refuse to believe are the ones suffering from deprivation and delusion — like the tone-deaf person who denies the existence of music, or the frightened tenant who tells herself she doesn't hear cries of terror and distress coming from the street below and, when her children awaken to the sounds and ask her, ‘Why is that lady screaming, Mommy?’ tells them, ‘Nobody's screaming: it's just the wind, that's all. Go back to sleep.’”
— Peter Kreeft, “The Common Consent Argument,” 20 Arguments for God’s Existence (website)
“If people were wrong about the theory of heliocentrism, they still experienced the sun and earth and motion. They were simply mistaken in thinking that the motion they perceived was the sun's. But if God does not exist, what is it that believers have been experiencing? The level of illusion goes far beyond any other example of collective error. It really amounts to collective psychosis.
“For believing in God is like having a relationship with a person. If God never existed, neither did this relationship. You were responding with reverence and love to no one; and no one was there to receive and answer your response. It's as if you believe yourself happily married when in fact you live alone in a dingy apartment.
“Now we grant that such mass delusion is conceivable, but what is the likely story? If there were no other bits of experience which, taken together with our perceptions of the sun and earth, make it most likely that the earth goes round the sun, it would be foolish to interpret our experience that way. How much more so here, where what we experience is a relationship involving reverence and worship and, sometimes, love. It is most reasonable to believe that God really is there, given such widespread belief in him — unless atheists can come up with a very persuasive explanation for religious belief, one that takes full account of the experience of believers and shows that their experience is best explained as delusion and not insight. But atheists have never done so.”
— Peter Kreeft, “The Common Consent Argument,” 20 Arguments for God’s Existence (website)
8. Utilitarian Argument for the Usefulness of Theism
Summary:
Belief in God has benefited the advancement of society more than any (other?) human invention.
Peter John Kreeft, American professor of philosophy, 1937-
“The idea of God is either a fact, like sand, or a fantasy, like Santa.
“If it is a fantasy, a human invention, it is the greatest invention in all of human history. Measure it against all other inventions, mental or physical. Put on one side of the scale the control of fire, the domestication of animals, and the cultivation of wheat; the wheel, the ship, and the rocket ship; baseball, the symphony orchestra, and anesthetics–and a million other similarly great and wonderful things. Then put on the other side of the scale a single idea: the idea of a being that is actual, absolute, perfect, eternal, one, and personal; all-knowing, all-loving, all-just, all-merciful, and all-powerful; undying, impervious, unbribable, uncompromising, and unchangeable; a cosmic creator, designer, redeemer, and provider; cosmic artist, musician, scientist, and sage; the infinite abyss of pure Being who is yet a person, a self, an “I.” It is disputable whether such a being is a fact or a fantasy, but it is indisputable that if it is a fantasy, it is by far the greatest fantasy in history. If it is humanity’s invention, it is humanity’s masterpiece.”
— Peter Kreeft, Does God Exist?, Prometheus Books, 1988 p11
“The idea of God is either a fact, like sand, or a fantasy, like Santa.
“If it is a fantasy, a human invention, it is the greatest invention in all of human history. Measure it against all other inventions, mental or physical. Put on one side of the scale the control of fire, the domestication of animals, and the cultivation of wheat; the wheel, the ship, and the rocket ship; baseball, the symphony orchestra, and anesthetics–and a million other similarly great and wonderful things. Then put on the other side of the scale a single idea: the idea of a being that is actual, absolute, perfect, eternal, one, and personal; all-knowing, all-loving, all-just, all-merciful, and all-powerful; undying, impervious, unbribable, uncompromising, and unchangeable; a cosmic creator, designer, redeemer, and provider; cosmic artist, musician, scientist, and sage; the infinite abyss of pure Being who is yet a person, a self, an “I.” It is disputable whether such a being is a fact or a fantasy, but it is indisputable that if it is a fantasy, it is by far the greatest fantasy in history. If it is humanity’s invention, it is humanity’s masterpiece.”
— Peter Kreeft, Does God Exist?, Prometheus Books, 1988 p11