Evidence and Answers

Introduction

• Introduction to Evidence and Answers
• What does it mean that the Bible is inspired and inerrant?
• The Miracles of Jesus

Evidence supporting the Bible

• Manuscript Evidence for Superior New Testament Reliability
• Illustration of Bible text manuscript tree and variant readings
• Non-biblical accounts of New Testament events and/or people
• Archaeological Evidence verifying biblical cities
• The writings of Josephus mention many biblical people and places
• When were the gospels written and by whom?
• Evidence of biblical inspiration

Answers to Questions about the Bible

• Can we trust the New Testament as a historical document?
• Wasn't the New Testament written hundreds of years after Christ?
• Hasn't the Bible been rewritten so many times it can't be trusted?
• Has the New Testament been corrupted?
• Since the NT writers were biased, can we trust what they wrote?
• What is the gospel of Q and does it prove the Gospels are false?
• Why isn't there other evidence of the massacre of the babies?
• Why isn't there any record of millions of Jews wandering in the desert?
• Do the lost books of the Bible prove that the Bible has been altered?
• Is there non-biblical evidence of a day of darkness at the crucifixion?

Evidence supporting biblical manuscripts

• Papyri, p1 through p76; 200 AD to 700 AD copies
• Letter Uncials; 4th to 10th century copies
• Numbered Uncials, 046 through 0250; 2nd to 14th century copies
• Numbered Minuscules, 1 through 1985; 9th to 16th century copies
• Minuscules, 2 through 399; 9th to 16th century copies
• Minuscules, 404 through 999; 8th to 16th century copies
• Minuscules, 1012 through 2768; 9th to 16th century copies

Evidence supporting Jesus' existence

• Regarding the quotes from the historian Josephus about Jesus
• The writings of Josephus mention many biblical people and places
• 1 Cor. 15:3-4 demonstrates a creed too early for legend to corrupt
• An analysis of the pre-Pauline creed in 1 Corinthians 15:1-11

Answers to objections concerning Jesus' miracles and resurrection

• Extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence.
• Does the Bible provide extraordinary evidence for Jesus' resurrection?
• It is improbable that Jesus rose from the dead.
• The Christians were mistaken about Jesus' resurrection.
• The New Testament writers conspired together to gain power.
• Jesus was a magician who made people hallucinate about His miracles
• Jesus only appeared to have died on the cross - Swoon Theory.
• The disciples stole Jesus' body and faked His resurrection.
• There are no non-biblical accounts to the resurrection
• Miracles cannot happen
• Has the tomb of Jesus been found?

Answers to Questions about Jesus

• Was Jesus just a myth?
• Did Jesus ever exist?
• Did Jesus really die on the cross?
• Is the empty tomb of Jesus historical?
• Did Jesus rise from the dead? An outline
• Did Jesus rise from the dead?
• Was the resurrection story of Jesus borrowed from pagan mythology?
• Didn't Jesus simply rise in a non-physical, spirit form?
• If Jesus is God in flesh, why did He not inherit original sin?
• Can't all of Jesus' miracles be explained naturally?

Other Objections answered

• Are the New Testament themes found in the Old Testament?
• Apollonius of Tyana also did miracles and rose. What about him?
• Doesn't Mithra prove that Christians borrowed from this myth?
• Why believe in Christianity over all other religions?

Answers to Questions about other things

• If God is all powerful and loving, why is there suffering in the world?
• A loving God would never send anyone to hell.
• It is intolerant to say that Christianity is the only true religion.
• Why did animals have to die for the sins of Adam and Eve and others?
• Why would God have to die to save people from Himself?
• If God is not the author of confusion, what about the Tower of Babel?
• If babies go to heaven when they die, why is abortion wrong?
• How do we know Christianity is true and we are not deceived?