P
Praedicare
Guest
Friends,
Imagine you’re an average citizen walking in your own capital city. A criminal whose name is known to you was recently executed for many reasons, including sedition. You have heard of strange events and miraculous healing associated with him, but never saw these yourself.
As you pass by a large home, a man comes out surrounded by about 100 people, and says that the criminal who died by lethal injection - or electrocution, or hanging - opened His own mortuary and walked out very much alive, and even transformed. You see no signs, miracles, or wondrous things. You do not even see the criminal himself. You only hear this claim about him.
There are no books about him, no public culture built up around him, and no developed idea of what has really occurred. All you know is that this group of about 100 people claim to have started to see him again, beginning more than two months ago. They waited all this time to say anything. How do you react, in all honesty?
I ask these questions because when I personally consider the resurrection-claims, it all comes down to the credibility of the Apostles.
Empty Tombs, Swoon Theories, and other arguments are just sophistry in the end. Can you put yourself in the sandals of a random person standing before Peter on Pentecost? Any claims of miracles are just claims, as much as the claims of resurrection. What on Earth would make me believe this Peter?
I conclude that - without any concept of Faith - it would have to be based entirely on seeing miracles and hearing men speaking in tongues. I myself never witness the blind seeing, or the lame walking. I never see this resurrected one, who ascended to heaven several days before. I see what looks like bread, wine, oil, water… but nothing more.
What is the deepest depth to which we can go in order to find a good apologetic for the Resurrection? It must be human, and real, and alive - not mere philosophy, no?
Imagine you’re an average citizen walking in your own capital city. A criminal whose name is known to you was recently executed for many reasons, including sedition. You have heard of strange events and miraculous healing associated with him, but never saw these yourself.
As you pass by a large home, a man comes out surrounded by about 100 people, and says that the criminal who died by lethal injection - or electrocution, or hanging - opened His own mortuary and walked out very much alive, and even transformed. You see no signs, miracles, or wondrous things. You do not even see the criminal himself. You only hear this claim about him.
There are no books about him, no public culture built up around him, and no developed idea of what has really occurred. All you know is that this group of about 100 people claim to have started to see him again, beginning more than two months ago. They waited all this time to say anything. How do you react, in all honesty?
I ask these questions because when I personally consider the resurrection-claims, it all comes down to the credibility of the Apostles.
Empty Tombs, Swoon Theories, and other arguments are just sophistry in the end. Can you put yourself in the sandals of a random person standing before Peter on Pentecost? Any claims of miracles are just claims, as much as the claims of resurrection. What on Earth would make me believe this Peter?
I conclude that - without any concept of Faith - it would have to be based entirely on seeing miracles and hearing men speaking in tongues. I myself never witness the blind seeing, or the lame walking. I never see this resurrected one, who ascended to heaven several days before. I see what looks like bread, wine, oil, water… but nothing more.
What is the deepest depth to which we can go in order to find a good apologetic for the Resurrection? It must be human, and real, and alive - not mere philosophy, no?
