Deep Thinking
The three early and independent facts about the end of Jesus' life.
This alternative hypothesis to the resurrection was mocked by the Babylon Bee.
The Roman governor who condemned Jesus to death
(Tell us the story)
Who is "Pontius Pilate"?
The reasons why “People who insist on evidence taken only from writings outside the New Testament don’t understand what they’re asking us to do"
"They're demanding that we ignore the earliest, primary sources about Jesus in favor of sources that are later, secondary, and less reliable, which is just crazy as historical methodology."
This is the book+chapter/moment when Jesus explicitly claims all three of his titles simultaneously.
(Which main OT references did Jesus refer to in these claims?)
Where is "Mark 14:61-65, when Jesus is before the Sanhedrin."
This alternative hypothesis to the resurrection claims that on multiple occasions, different groups of Jesus' disciples repeatedly experienced illusions of Jesus being physically present.
What is the "Hallucination Hypothesis"?
The younger brother of Jesus who was an unbeliever until well after Jesus resurrected. He also became a leader at the Jerusalem church.
Who is "James, half-brother of Jesus"?
What are:
* Jesus' miracles
* Jesus' role as exorcist/power over demons
* Jesus' status as judge over the world
* Jesus' authority to reinterpret the law
* Jesus' claim to forgive sin
This is why skeptics are wrong to claim that the bible can't be trusted due to it being like a giant game of telephone through history.
Student/Teacher Explanation
The careful scientific analysis of ancient tests to find their sources and determine their authenticity?
What is "Textual Criticism"?
This alternative hypothesis to the resurrection claims that Jesus' body was moved to a new tomb the day after his burial but no one told the disciples. Therefore the disciples thought it was empty and assumed he was resurrected.
What is "The Displaced Body Hypothesis?"
The court before which both Paul and Jesus were tried, composed primarily of Sadducees and of Pharisees. Joseph of Arimathea belonged to this group.
What is "the Sanhedrin"?
The three common qualities of the books/letters of the New Testament.
(Define and Explain Each)
What is "Apostolicity, Orthodoxy, and Catholicity?"
Open up your bibles to any of the Gospel accounts of Jesus burial and resurrection. Identify any three (3) criteria of historical authenticity in the passage.
(Don't hit the buzzer till you have all three)
* Semitism
* Independent, early sources
* Historical Fit
* Embarrassment
* Dissimilarity
* Coherence
These are 3 of the 5 reasons that skeptic are wrong to assume the Gospels are "guilty until proven innocent"
What are:
* Insufficient time for legendary influences
* Significant restraints on embellishment of traditions
* Gospel writers have proven track record
* Jewish oral/written transmission was highly reliable
* The Gospels don't present themselves as myth, legend, or fairy tales
*
This alternative hypothesis to the resurrection claims that Jesus didn't actually die when he was crucified but was able to recover and appear before the disciples.
What is "The Apparent Death Hypothesis"?
DOUBLE JEOPARDY: WHICH CRITERIA FOR EVALUATING EVIDENCE DOES THIS HYPOTHESIS MEET AND WHICH IS IT INSUFFICIENT AT?
The three explicit titles that Jesus claimed in the gospels.
(Explain and Define Each)
What is the "Son of God, the Son of Man, and the Messiah"?
This is how the resurrection account stands under the the standard criteria for identifying the best explanation of established evidence.
Student/Teacher Explanation
A few examples of apocryphal (hidden) gospels that are known to be forgeries. They are sometimes called the “Lost Gospels,” but this is misleading. They were not apostolic. They are from 100-200 years after Jesus’ life and contain unverifiable legends.
What are:
Gospel of Judas (2nd or 3rd c. CE)
Gospel of Thomas (3rd c. CE)
Infancy Gospel of Thomas
Gospel of the Hebrews
Gospel of Philip
Gospel of Peter
According to 1 Corinthians 15:3-8, Jesus appeared post-mortem to to these witnesses
Who are
* Cephas
* The Twelve
* 500 brothers at one time
* James
* All the Apostles
* "As to one untimely born, he appeared also to me (Paul)"
Rival explanations of the resurrection do not fare well when assessed by the standard criteria for the best explanation, such as:
What are:
explanatory scope
Explanatory Power
Plausibility
Being contrived
Disconfrimation by accepted beliefs
Outstripping rival explanations in meeting the rest of the criteria