I Don't Have Enough Faith to Be an Atheist (72 page)

6
. Quintilian,
Declarationes maiores
6:9; referenced in Gary Habermas and Michael Licona,
The Case for the Resurrection of Jesus
(Grand Rapids, Mich.: Kregel, forthcoming).

7
. William D. Edwards, Wesley J. Gabel, and Floyd E. Hosmer, “On the Physical Death of Jesus Christ,”
Journal of the American Medical
Association
255, no. 11 (March 21, 1986): 1463.

8
. Some skeptics claim that this was merely a subjective appearance in the mind of Paul because his companions did not see anyone (Acts 9) or understand what the voice said (Acts 9 and 22). But this conclusion is incorrect because Paul’s companions did experience objective phenomena: 1) they did see a real light, they just didn’t see a person; and 2) they did hear a real voice, they just didn’t understand what it said.

9
. See Gary Habermas,
The Historical Jesus
(Joplin, Mo.: College Press, 1996), 202-205.

10
. Referenced by Origen (A.D. 185?–254?). See Habermas,
Historical Jesus,
218. Phlegon’s writings do not survive but are referenced by Origen and Julius Africanus. Skeptics might object to the use of quotations referenced by Christians like Origen, but this objection is unreasonable. While we can’t check to see if Origen quoted Phlegon accurately, we can assume he did because Origen’s audience at the time would have probably had access to Phlegon’s original. It wouldn’t make sense for Origen to make up or alter Phlegon’s quote if it could be easily checked out at the time.

11
. See Paul Maier,
In the Fullness of Time
(Grand Rapids, Mich.: Kregel, 1991), 202; see also Habermas,
Historical Jesus,
176.

12
. Maier, ibid.

13
. Seutonius,
Claudius,
25; quoted in Habermas,
Historical Jesus,
191.

14
. Muslims sometimes appeal to the
Gospel of Barnabas
as evidence, but this has proven to be a fraud. See Norman Geisler and Abdul Saleeb,
Answering
Islam,
2nd ed. (Grand Rapids, Mich.: Baker, 2002), appendix 3.

15
. Paul opan, ed.,
Will the Real Jesus Please Stand Up? A Debate Between
William Lane Craig and John Dominic Crossan
(Grand Rapids, Mich.: Baker, 1998), 65.

16
. Ibid.

17
. C. S. Lewis,
Christian Reflections,
Walter Hooper, ed. (Grand Rapids, Mich.: Eerdmans, 1967), 209.

18
. Craig L. Blomberg,
The Historical Reliability of John’s Gospel
(Downers Grove, Ill.: InterVarsity Press, 2001), 259.

19
. See Edwin Yamauchi, “Easter—Myth, Hallucination or History?”
Christianity Today
(March 15, 1974; and March 29, 1974).

20
. Gary Habermas and Michael Licona,
The Case for the Resurrection of Jesus
(Grand Rapids, Mich.: Kregel, forthcoming).

21
. For a comprehensive treatment of these and other alternative theories for the Resurrection, see ibid.

22
. Thanks to Gary Habermas for this point (personal conversation, July 29, 2003).

23
. Quoted in Paul Copan and Ronald Tacelli, eds.,
Jesus’ Resurrection, Fact or
Figment? A Debate Between William Lane Craig and Gerd Lüdemann
(Downers Grove, Ill.: InterVarsity Press, 2000), 181.

24
. In ibid.

25
. Copan, ed.,
Will the Real Jesus Please Stand Up?
61-62, emphasis added.

26
. Recall our example from chapter 5 about evidence needing context: a man who cuts open a woman’s stomach is a criminal or a hero depending on the context of the event. If it takes place in an alley and the man intends to harm her, he’s a criminal; but if it takes place in a hospital delivery room, he’s a hero.

27
. See Paul Maier,
Eusebius: The Church History
(Grand Rapids, Mich.: Kregel, 1999), 57, 81.

28
. A similar argument was made from the unusual exploits of Napoleon in the satire by Richard Whately titled
Historical Doubts Relative to Napoleon
Bonaparte.
See H. Morely, ed.,
Famous Pamphlets
(New York: Routledge, 1890).

29
. Adapted from “Arise, Sir Knight,” a sermon by James Allan Francis, in
The
Real Jesus and Other Sermons
(Philadelphia: Judson, 1926), 123-124.

C
HAPTER
13
W
HO
I
S
J
ESUS
: G
OD
?

O
R
J
UST A
G
REAT
M
ORAL
T
EACHER
?

1
. Barry’s testimony is taken from his chapter in Norman Geisler and Paul Hoffman, eds.,
Why I Am a Christian: Leading Thinkers Explain Why They
Believe
(Grand Rapids, Mich.: Baker, 2001), 205-221; and from our personal conversations with him.

2
. When compared with the next oldest existing manuscript of Isaiah—the Masoretic text from A.D. 1000—the text is 95 percent identical, and the 5 percent variation consists mostly of slips of the pen and spelling differences (none of these variances affect any matter of doctrine). This is an example of the meticulous care Jewish scribes took in copying the Scriptures over the centuries. For more on Old Testament manuscripts, see Norman Geisler and William Nix,
General Introduction to the Bible
(Chicago: Moody, 1986), 357-382.

3
. Larry R. Helyer,
Yesterday, Today and Forever: The Continuing Relevance
of the Old Testament
(Salem, Wis.: Sheffield, 1996), 318.

4
. Many Jewish rabbis down through the centuries, even before the time of Christ, took Isaiah 53 as a reference to the coming Messiah. See S. R. Driver and A. D. Neubauer,
The Fifty-third Chapter of Isaiah According to Jewish
Interpreters
(Oxford and London: Parker, 1877). For example, this work quotes rabbinic opinions saying that the following verses refer to the Messiah: “tender shoot” from verse 2 (page 22); “man of sorrows” from verse 3 (page 11); “He carried our infirmities” from verse 4 (page 23); “He was pierced for our transgressions” from verse 5 (page 24).

5. For a detailed explanation of this prophecy, see Harold Hoehner,
Chronological Aspects of the Life of Christ
(Grand Rapids, Mich.: Zondervan, 1978), 115-138.

6
. So-called psychic predictions cannot compare to those of the Bible. For example, the
People’s Almanac
(1976) did a study of the predictions of twenty-five top psychics. They found that 66 of the 72 (or 92 percent) were dead wrong. Those that were correct to some degree were vague or could be explained by chance or by a general knowledge of world circumstances. One prediction, for example, was that the United States and Russia would remain leading powers and there would be no world wars. Isn’t that incredible? By contrast, some of the Bible’s predictions are hundreds of years in advance where future circumstances could not be foreseen without divine help, and all of the Bible’s predictions have proven to be 100 percent accurate. See Norman L. Geisler,
Baker Encyclopedia of Christian Apologetics
(Grand Rapids, Mich.: Baker, 1999), 475-478. See pages 544-546 for problems with the alleged Nostradamus predictions.

7
. J. Barton Payne,
Encyclopedia of Biblical Prophecy
(Grand Rapids, Mich.: Baker, 1973), 665-670. Payne also identified 95 messianic prophecies for Christ’s second coming (42 in the Old Testament, 53 in the New Testament).

8
. Philip B. Payne, “Jesus’ Implicit Claim to Deity in His Parables,”
Trinity
Journal,
2 NS (1981), 17.

9
. C. S. Lewis,
Mere Christianity
(New York: Macmillan, 1952), 54-55.

10
. Ibid., 55-56.

11
. Peter Kreeft, “Why I Believe Jesus Is the Son of God,” in Geisler and Hoffman, eds.,
Why I Am a Christian,
228-229.

12
. Quoted in Jeffrey L. Sheler,
Is the Bible True?
(San Francisco: arperSanFrancisco, 1999), 208.

13
. Lewis,
Mere Christianity,
145.

14
.See Geisler,
Baker Encyclopedia of Christian Apologetics.
The following comes from page 730: The Holy Spirit is called “God” (Acts 5:3-4). He possesses the attributes of deity, such as omnipresence (cf. Ps. 139:7-12) and omniscience (1 Cor. 2:10-11). He is associated with God the Father in creation (Gen. 1:2). He is involved with other members of the Godhead in the work of redemption (John 3:5-6; Rom. 8:9-17, 23-27; Titus 3:5-7). He is associated with other members of the Trinity under the “name” of God (Matt. 28:18-20). Finally, the Holy Spirit appears, along with the Father and Son, in New Testament benedictions (e.g., 2 Cor. 13:14). Not only does the Holy Spirit possess deity but he also has a differentiated personality. That he is a distinct person is clear in that Scripture refers to “him” with personal pronouns (John 14:26; 16:13). Second, he does things only persons can do, such as teach (John 14:26; 1 John 2:27), convict of sin (John 16:7-8), and be grieved by sin (Eph. 4:30). Finally, the Holy Spirit has intellect (1 Cor. 2:1011), will (1 Cor. 12:11), and feeling (Eph. 4:30).

C
HAPTER
14
W
HAT
D
ID
J
ESUS
T
EACH
A
BOUT THE
B
IBLE
?

1
. The Jewish Old Testament contains the same material as the Protestant Old Testament, but the book divisions are different. The Protestant Old Testament splits Samuel, Kings, Chronicles, and Ezra–Nehemiah into two books each, and the twelve minor prophets into twelve separate books. So while they are numbered as 22 books in the Jewish Old Testament, these same books are split into 39 books in the Protestant Old Testament. The Roman Catholic Old Testament contains 11 additional books (seven listed separately and four inserted as pieces of other books) that are called the Apocrypha. These books were added by the Roman Catholic Church at the Council of Trent in 1546, largely in response to the reformation initiated by Martin Luther.

2
. Except for its title, the chart is from Norman Geisler and William Nix,
General Introduction to the Bible
(Chicago: Moody, 1986), 85.

3
. The Bible affirms what we know by general revelation—that there must be an unchanging standard of truth. The Bible claims that God is truth (Ps. 31:5; 33:4; John 14:6; 1 John 4:6); that God cannot lie (Heb. 6:18; Titus 1:2); and that God cannot change (Num. 23:19; 1 Sam 15:29; Ps. 102:26-27; Mal. 3:6; Heb. 13:8; James 1:17). For more on the attributes of God, see Norman Geisler,
Systematic Theology,
vol. 2 (Minneapolis: Bethany, 2003), part 1.

4
. Quoted in Jeffrey L. Sheler,
Is the Bible True?
(San Francisco: Harper SanFrancisco, 1999), 78.

5
. Ibid., 80.

6
. Norman Geisler,
Baker Encyclopedia of Christian Apologetics
(Grand Rapids, Mich.: Baker, 1999).

7
. For sermon tapes by Andy Stanley, see
www.northpoint.org
.

8
. For a listing of biblical miracles, see “Miracles in the Bible,” in Geisler,
Baker
Encyclopedia of Christian Apologetics.

9
. This is not an argument from silence because the Bible is not silent on the nature, purpose, and function of these special apostolic miracles (see, for example, 2 Cor. 12:12; Heb. 2:3-4). This function of confirming apostolic revelation fits with their cessation, since they were not needed after the revelation was confirmed.

10
. Bruce Metzger, interview by Lee Strobel,
The Case for Christ
(Grand Rapids, Mich.: Zondervan, 1998), 69.

11
. Only Philemon, 2 Peter, James, and 3 John are not cited. Yet, Clement of Rome (writing A.D. 95–97) and/or Ignatius (A.D. 110) confirm Philemon, 2 Peter, and James even before Polycarp and Irenaeus. So the only book not cited as authentic by anyone in the first two centuries is the tiny letter called 3 John. See Geisler and Nix,
General Introduction to the Bible,
294.

12
. Irenaeus,
Adversus haereses,
3.3.4.

13
. From Geisler and Nix,
General Introduction to the Bible,
294.

14
. Luke, while technically not an apostle, possibly was one of the 500 who witnessed the resurrected Christ. But even if he was not, Luke had his writings confirmed by his traveling companion, the apostle Paul (1 Tim. 5:18; cf. Luke 10:7). Therefore, Luke’s work is considered apostolic teaching.

15
. See Norman Geisler and Thomas Howe,
When Critics Ask
(Grand Rapids, Mich.: Baker, 1992); and Norman Geisler,
Systematic Theology,
vol. 1 (Minneapolis: Bethany, 2002), chapter 27.

16
. Augustine,
Reply to Faustus the Manichaean,
in P. Schaff, ed.,
A Select Library
of the Nicene and Ante-Nicene Fathers of the Christian Church,
14 vols. (1st series, 1886–1894; reprint, Grand Rapids, Mich.: Eerdmans, 1952), 11.5.

17
. Copyist errors have been found in manuscripts, but they are easily identified and known not to be in the original by comparing the many manuscripts in existence (see chapter 9). While no Bible originals have yet been found, earlier manuscripts of other works have survived. So it is possible that a Bible original may someday be discovered.

18
. For example, at one time critics thought the Bible was wrong about a people known as the Hittites. There was no evidence of their existence outside of the Bible. That is, until their entire library was uncovered in Turkey. Likewise, critics thought that writing did not exist in Moses’ time, so there was no way he could have written any of the Old Testament. That is, until they found the Ebla tablets in Syria, which predate Moses by 1,000 years. As research continues, the Bible continues to be affirmed.