In his fictitious novel, The Da Vinci Code, author Dan Brown suggests that one of the motives for Constantine’s alleged banning of the Gnostic writings was a desire to suppress women in the church. So was Constantine a sexist? Would the inclusion of the Gnostic writings in the Bible have elevated women? [Read more…]
What Impact Has Jesus Had on the World?
Despite evidence to the contrary, there are people who still insist that Jesus is a myth. But myths have little, if any, impact on history. The historian Thomas Carlyle said, “The history of the world is but the biography of great men.”¹
There is no nation or regime which owes its foundation or heritage to a mythological person or god.
But what has been the impact of Jesus Christ? [Read more…]
What Does the Bible Say about Messiah’s Return?
As we have seen our last few blogs, the evidence from science, history, archaeology and fulfilled prophecy make a compelling case that the Bible is the true word of God. So we would be wise to know what it says about the future.
Jesus said that he would return in power and judgment in the last days. When Jesus left Earth after his resurrection, two angels reminded his disciples of that future promise.
They said, “Men of Galilee, why are you standing here looking into the sky? Jesus, whom you saw taken up from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you saw him go.”¹ [Read more…]
Can the New Testament Accounts Be Trusted?
How can we trace our New Testaments today back to the originals? How do we know that Matthew, Mark, Luke and John wrote the gospels? How do we know that Paul and Peter wrote the letters that have their names attached?
Skeptics say we can’t know. In fact, they say the New Testament books weren’t written by eyewitnesses at all. They cite 19th century German critics, who argued that unknown authors wrote the New Testament 100-200 years after Christ.
For example, Ferdinand Christian Baur contended that John’s Gospel was not written until about AD 160. This, if true, would not only undermine John’s Gospel, it would cast suspicion on the entire New Testament as well. [Read more…]
Is the Bible Historically Reliable?
We have seen how the Bible demonstrates divine authorship and how it is consistent with science. But if the Bible is true, it must also be historically reliable. In other words, its portrayal of people, places and events must be accurate.
Many skeptics argue that the Bible as we know it has changed over the years, and therefore isn’t reliable. For example, how do we know its characters such as Abraham, Moses, David and Jesus Christ actually existed? [Read more…]
Is the Bible Consistent with Science?
Last time we studied the Bible’s rational, unified themes which would be expected if it is truly God’s Word. That is our first line of evidence that the Bible at least could be God’s special message to us. Let’s look at how other evidence lines up. Our next question is: Is the Bible Consistent with Science?
Many people don’t believe in the Bible because they think it contradicts science. But new scientific evidence has changed that thinking, even for many agnostics. In fact, many scientists have radically changed their minds about the Bible, and are now talking openly about “God” or a Creator behind our universe. (See http://www.y-origins.com/index.php?p=quotes)
While many scientists remain skeptical of the Bible, others admit that they’ve been wrong by saying it contradicts science. Stunning new scientific discoveries have changed their minds. Let’s look at this new evidence. [Read more…]
Does Evidence Support the Bible?
Isaac Newton was the scientist famous for discovering gravity. Called by many as the greatest scientific mind prior to Einstein, Newton began investigating the Bible to determine whether or not it is authentic. Applying his brilliant mind to the evidence, Newton concluded,
“There are more sure marks of authenticity in the Bible than in any profane history.”¹
But wait a minute! Newton lived over 300 years ago. What are scientists and other scholars today saying about the Bible, and are the “sure marks of authenticity” that convinced him still valid today? [Read more…]
The Lost Gospel: Truth or Fiction?
Did Jesus and Mary Magdalene marry and have two children?
According to a widely publicized new book, The Lost Gospel, he did! Authors Simcha Jacobovici and Barrie Wilson begin their book with this sensational claim:
What the Vatican feared—and what Dan Brown only suspected—has come true![1]
How could that be? Such a sensational claim totally contradicts the four gospel accounts of Jesus in the New Testament, which portray Jesus ascending to heaven forty days after his resurrection.
So is this just another non-factual conspiracy about Jesus like Dan Brown’s The DaVinci Code, or is there really evidence to support it? This latest attack on the truth of the Christian message has become a major news story—just in time for Christmas!
The British tabloid, The Daily Mail, reports,
If true, this would make it the greatest revelation into the life of Jesus in nearly 2,000 years.[2]
Do Christians Have to Rely on the Bible Alone to Prove Jesus’ Existence?
Another argument used by people who claim that Christ is only a myth is that secular historians make no mention of Jesus Christ. Their point is that if Jesus had really existed, he would have been written about by virtually all contemporary historians.
On the surface, that seems like a logical point to make. [Read more…]
The Christ Myth Theory: Claim #1 Examined
Virtually every historian accepted Jesus’ existence as a reality until the 18th century when two French skeptics, Volney and Dupuis, argued that he was a compilation of ancient mythological deities.¹
Later in the 19th century, German theologian Bruno Bauer expanded the argument against Jesus’ existence based upon a three-fold argument which became known as the Christ-Myth theory.²
The first pillar of Bauer’s theory is that the New Testament was written in the 2nd century by unknown authors, not by eyewitnesses as it alleges.
Let’s see how this first claim of the Christ-myth theory holds up to the evidence. [Read more…]