The Case for Historical New Testament Christianity

* The Historic Jesus * Contemporary Documentation * Historical Context * Acid Test * Apostolic Fathers * Manuscript Attestation * Classical Histories comparison * Paleography * The Resurrection * The Pentecost Phenomenon * Change without time & education * The Apostles’ Testimony * Qualified, Credible, Purposed, Chosen * Jesus, the Man of Destiny

* FACTS TO CONSIDER * Jesus existed & was crucified * Saul of Tarsus was a persecutor of the church of Christ * This same Saul of Tarsus was converted to Christianity * He said he saw Jesus on the road to Damascus

* Saul, the man * He was PROMINENT, & advanced in the Jew’s religion * Societally- born & succeeded as a Pharisee- Phil. 3:5 * As a scholar- sat at the feet of Gamaliel- Acts 22:3 * In power- seen in persecution- Acts 9:1-2; 26:12 * Financially- able to support necessary police force needed for his persecution- Acts 9:1-2

* Saul, the Pharisee * He was PREJUDICED * Exceedingly ZEALOUS for the traditions of his Pharisaical fathers * Blinded by Pharisaical interpretations of the Law * Prejudice does not always preclude honesty, but is often the lack of knowledge- 1 st Tim. 1:13

* Saul, the persecutor * Persecuted the church BEYOND MEASURE * Acts 7:58-8:1- acknowledged as leader of persecution, men laid their garments at his feet * Acts 8:1-3- everyone suffered, including women & presumably children * Acts 9:1-2- asked & received power for extradition * Acts 22:4- persecuted to death * Acts 26:9- motivated by hatred * Sincere in his intent- Acts 26:9-12

* Paul’s Claims- Galatians 1:11-14 * What he was taught was not man-made * He didn’t receive it from a man * He was not taught it by a man * He received it by divine revelation from Jesus Christ * Why should we believe this? * Paul was a PREJUDICED, PROMINENT, FANATIC until he wasn’t! * Who could have done that?!?!?

* Ulterior Motives? * Wealth? * Had it & left it for Christian poverty- Acts 20:33-34; 1 st Cor. 4:11-12 * Reputation? * Had it (Acts 26:24) & left it to become a “fool for Christ” (1 st Cor. 4:10,13) * Passion/Immorality? * Integrity was beyond reproach among Jews AND Christians- 2 nd Cor. 1:12; 1 st Thess. 2:10 * Power? * Had it, left it for Christ- Acts 26:1-12

* Ulterior Motives? * Deceived? * Who could have? * Friends WOULDN’T have * Enemies COULDN’T have * Mad? * Festus thought so * Paul replies he was clear in thought & mind & conscience before and after- Acts 26:9

That Saul of Tarsus was converted speaks to the resurrection of Christ in that it really could only have been Christ who could have converted him! No one else could have or would have, & there is no other reason why a prejudiced, prominent, zealous, religious fanatic would suddenly join the group he was persecuting!

How the very thing modern day scholars try to discredit proves itself!

* Modern criticisms of Jesus * He was invented between AD * He wasn’t really deity * There’s no “real”, viable evidence * The church grew into the concept of Jesus as supernatural * Doctrine of Uniformity * Thought process that the very causes that have always caused events to happen are the same causes that have always caused all events to happen * AKA if you don’t see it today it never happened any other time either

* Five Reasons to believe the 1 st Century Church * Resurrection of Christ taught BEFORE His Church began * John 19:35, John 20: events happened to produce belief * Acts 2- Peter says they were all witnesses of Jesus’ resurrection * Appearances- Road to Emmaus, disciples, apostles, over 500 (1 st Cor. 15:6

* Five Reasons to believe the 1 st Century Church * Church BEGAN BECAUSE of the belief Jesus was resurrected * Acts 2 * Peter refers to miracles & Old Testament scripture for confirmation * The crowds eyewitness testimony * Church is the group who believe Christ was crucified, buried, & raised again, not the other way around

* Five Reasons to believe the 1 st Century Church * Church was persecuted * They taught in the name of Jesus * They believed already in the supernatural Christ * It didn’t take 30 years for them to be persecuted, they believed from the start * Why the persecution if everyone knew it was made up?

* Five Reasons to believe the 1 st Century Church * The Church Endured the persecution * Endured BECAUSE of belief * Died rather then deny or give up the NT documents * Why would there be persecution anyway if everyone knew Jesus was made up?

* Five Reasons to believe the 1 st Century Church * Paul’s Writings Show Belief, not Creation * Paul began to write AD * Clear the people he was writing to already had a great belief in Jesus & were being baptized into Him * Speaks of the supernatural Christ!

* James 1:2- Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Perseverance comes FROM faith, it doesn’t lead TO faith How hard would it be to invent an idea within 10 years so powerful that people would be willing to endure GREAT persecution & die for it?

* Saul was a prominent, prejudiced, zealous fanatic who was converted by someone…he says it was Jesus * The claim that the 1 st century church made Jesus up & endured still makes no sense due to the timeframe, events, creation, & early documents

Both of these points provide more evidence to the already ample evidence that Jesus is the Son of God & the Bible is the Word of God.

* Archaeology * The Dead Sea Scrolls * Copying Methods