The Case for Christ

by

Lee Strobel

Class 2 – The Case for ChristQuestions from Class 11.How do we know when the gospels were written when we don’t have any original copies left?

2.Why do you believe in Christ’s authenticity? How did you come to that belief?

3.If someone didn’t come this week, will they be lost if they come next week or to the 3rd or 4th session?

4.What archaeological discoveries are there to solidify Jesus’ story?

5. What non-religious texts or accounts of Jesus are there? a census?

6. What do Muslims believe about Jesus? Is there any evidence that shows they are correct or incorrect?

7. How do these tests work when you look at other religions?

8. Formulating my own belief, in my faith and religion based off what I know and what has happened in my life. Not based on what those around me think. How do I relate my faith to others?

9. “Q” - How did this become a theory without evidence? (never heard of it.)

• 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.”

Creeds

• 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 in Greek• 650 copies of Iliad

• Papyrus copies of the New Testament 150-200 AD

• Copying Errors are few• 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• By the late 400’s the four gospels were

recognized as a biblical canon under Pope Innocent I

• Papias references the four gospels as authentic about 125 AD

• Gospel of Thomas

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

inconsistent with Jesus teaching• Written much later

• Other Gospels

• Gospel of Peter, Gospel of Judas, etc.• Written much later

Corroborating Evidence – outside the gospels

Dr. Edwin Yamauchi

•Josephus – wrote in latter half of 1st century

• Wrote the Antiquities• A Jew, Pharisee who collaborated with the

Romans• Records that “Ananias convened a meeting of the

Sanhedrin and brought before them a man named James, the brother of Jesus, who was called the Christ and certain others. He accused them of having transgressed the law and delivered them up to be stoned.”

• JosephusAbout this time there lived Jesus, a wise man, if indeed one ought to call him a man. For he was one who wrought surprising feats and was a teacher of such people as accept the truth gladly. He won over many Jews and many of the Greeks. He was the Christ. When Pilate, upon hearing him accused by men of the highest standing among us, had condemned him to be crucified, those who had in the first place come to love him did not give up their affection for him. On the third day he appears to them restored to life, for the prophets of God had prophesied these and countless other marvelous things about him. And the tribe of Christians, so called after him, has still to this day not disappeared.

• Josephus historical accounts are corroborated by archeological discoveries at Masada.

• Masada, a fortress atop a mountain near the Dead Sea built by Herod – Romans conquered in 74 AD

• Tacitus – 1st century Roman historian

• States that Nero persecuted Christians to divert suspicion that he started the fire in 64 A.D. which destroyed Rome.

Nero fastened the guilt and inflicted the most exquisite tortures on a class hated for their abominations, called Christians by the populace. Christus, from whom the name had its origin, suffered the extreme penalty during the reign of Tiberius at the hands of one of our procurators, Pontius Pilatus, and a most mischievous superstitution, thus checked for the moment, again broke out not only in Judea, the first source of the evil, but even in Rome…Accordingly, an arrest was first made of all who pleaded guilty: then, upon their information, an immense multitude was convicted, not so much of the crime of firing the city, as of hatred against mankind.

• Crucifixion was considered to be the most humiliating cause of death, reserved for only the worst people

• The only reason people would worship such a person would be that he rose from death

• Pliny the Younger, governor in northwest Turkey, wrote A.D. 111

I have asked them if they are Christians, and if they admit it, I repeat the question a second time and a third time, with a warning of the punishment awaiting them. If they persist, I order them to be led away for execution; for, whatever the nature of their admission, I am convinced that their stubbornness and unshakable obstinacy ought not to go unpunished…

They also declared that the sum total of their guilt or error amounted to no more than this: they had met regularly before dawn on a fixed day to chant verses alternately amongst themselves in honor of Christ as if to a god, and also to bind themselves by oath, nor for any criminal purpose, but to abstain from theft, robbery and adultery…

This made me decide it was all the more necessary to extract the truth by torture from two slave-women, whom they called deaconesses. I found nothing but a degenerate sort of cult carried to extravagant lengths.

•Christianity had spread to all classes, worship Jesus as God, maintain high standards, martyred

• Darkness During Crucifixion

• Thallus, historian writing 52 A.D. mentions a great eclipse. Phlegon, Greek writer, mentions a “great eclipse” in 33 A.D., 6th hour (noon), also earthquakes. Some say an eclipse couldn’t have happened then.

• Jewish Talmud (500 A.D.)

• Mentions Jesus as a miracle-worker, teacher who had disciples.

• Secular writings clearly depict Jesus as:

1. A teacher

2. A healer (sorcerer)

3. Was believed by some to be the Messiah

4. One rejected by Jewish leaders

5. Crucified under Pontius Pilate

6. Was claimed to be seen alive by followers

7. Was worshipped as God by a large, diverse number of people

• Paul, a Pharisee, a Jew, a Roman Citizen, versed in Greek culture, educated under Gameliel in Jerusalem

• Wrote earliest accounts regarding Jesus in his letters

• Paul’s encounter with Jesus (Acts 9)• “As he neared Damascus a light from

heaven flashed around him. He fell to the ground and heard a voice say to him, “Saul, Saul why do you persecute me?” “Who are you, Lord?” Saul asked. “I am Jesus whom you are persecuting,” he replied. “Now get up and go into the city and you will be told what to do.”

• Blind, healed in Damascus by Ananias• Went to “Arabia” for a period of time, possibly

three years. Probably was a time of spiritual preparation, prayer and reflection

• Returned to Damascus• Went to Jerusalem and spent 15 days with Peter

and James• Received their approval of the gospel he was

preaching

• Paul’s Journeys:

• Asia Minor (now Turkey, Syria). Accompanied by Barnabas and Mark. Stoned and left for dead. Mark goes home.

• Asia Minor and Greece. Meets up with Timothy. Speaks on Mars Hill to Athenians about the “unknown god”.

• Asia Minor and Greece. Accompanied by Luke. Lasts four years.

• Arrested in Jerusalem, sent to Caesaria to appear before Governor Felix and King Agrippa. Appeals as a Roman citizen to be sent to Rome to appeal to Caesar. Shipwrecked in Malta enroute to Rome.

• Spent two years under house arrest in Rome. Wrote letters – converted his guards. Was released, went to Crete and supposedly preached in Spain and possibly Britain.

• Paul is arrested again, returned to Rome and was reportedly beheaded by Nero in 68 AD.

• Paul’s message:

• Salvation is achieved by faith in Jesus, not works such as animal sacrifice, rituals, etc.

• Constantly battled to keep Christianity separated from a return to Jewish customs such as circumcision, food prohibitions and the Greek influence of Gnosticism.

• Displayed extraordinary bravery and commitment (39 lashes four times, beaten with rods, stoned, day and night in the open sea, etc.)

• Considered himself an Apostle due to his encounter with Jesus.

• What is most persuasive evidence for you?

• Why did early Christians submit to torture and execution rather than disavow their faith in Jesus?

• John McRay – Archeologist

• Excavation of harbor at Caesarea proved Josephus claims that it was a large harbor

• Luke’s reference to Lysanias being tetrarch of Abilene about 27 A.D. has been proven correct

• Had been two officials by same name, one lived much earlier

• Luke’s reference to “Politarchs” (city officials) proved by excavations

• Archeologists have proven Luke’s references to 32 countries, 54 cities and 9 islands to be completely accurate

• John’s reference to the Pool of Bethesda was proven accurate by excavation (John 5:1-9)

• Also Pool of Siloam, Jacob’s well, Jaffa Gate have been authenticated

• Census• Documents discovered have shown that

those residing outside of their provinces were required to “return to their own homes”• Luke said census was taken under

Quirinius, who ruled Syria on two occasions, not one

• Nazareth• Skeptics doubted its existence since it was

not mentioned by historians such as Josephus

• Archeologists found references to Nazareth in 70 A.D., also tombs defining town’s boundaries• Very small, about 400-500 people

• Murder of children in Bethlehem• No historical evidence• Bethlehem very small (500)

• Very few babies 2 or under• Herod killed lots of people• Not much reporting of such events

• Dead Sea Scrolls, 1947• Manuscripts dated 250 B.C. to 68 A.D.• Documents life of Essenes

• John the Baptist probably an Essene• Document 4Q521 refers to “the dead are

raised” when Messiah returns• Jesus answer to John’s question as to

whether Jesus is the Messiah contains this passage

• Jesus response refers to Isaiah 35• “The blind receive their sight, the lame walk,

those who have leprosy are cured, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good news is preached to the poor”• The underlined phrase was not is Isaiah

35, but was in 4Q521

• Book of Mormon

• Not authenticated by historians or artifacts

• On a scale of 0-10 how would you rate your level of confidence in the accuracy of the gospels?