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Table of Contents of the
Apologetics Notebook Volume 2

Note: This table of contents is the T.O.C from the hard copy of the Apologetics Notebook The Hard Copy has most of what is on this website, has a table of contents, is internally cross referenced, and has a detailed index. 
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 Apologetics

1

   Introduction

1

     An Introduction to Apologetics

2

     Are you an apologist?

4

     Logic in Apologetics

5

     Prayer in Apologetics

7

     Are there Guidelines for doing Apologetics?

8

     Classical Apologetics

9

     Presuppositional Apologetics

11

     Evidential Apologetics

12

     The Cosmological Argument

13

     The Teleological Argument

14

     Apologetics Bibliography

15

 Apologetics Dialogues

17

   Introduction

17

     Jesus' Resurrected Body, the Atonement, and Islam

18

     Discussion with a Gnostic on Jesus' Resurrection

20

     Does God have a Body?

22

     A Christian having doubts because of school.

24

     Is Baptism Necessary for Salvation?

25

     The Resurrection of Jesus:   Literal or Symbolic?

29

     Pain can make us doubt God.

31

     An Agnostic Questions the Trinity

33

     Claims to be a god

34

     Is it right to tell people that what they believe in is false?

38

     Dialogue with someone who claims he is one of two witnesses of Revelation

41

     Discussion on the possibility of Jesus' resurrection.

46

     Condemning words and pompous attitude

49

     An evolutionist says evolution is a fact

54

     Discussion with a Jehovah's Witness about a relationship with Jesus

57

     Can the Muslim do enough good works to go to paradise?

59

     Discussion on how God can be one person as flesh and spirit.

62

     A Satanist judges God

65

   Dialogues with Atheists

66

     An Atheist Says There Is No Evidence For God

66

     An Atheist Says He Knows There Is No God

67

     Sickness as an argument against God's existence

69

     Discussion with an obnoxious atheist

72

     Discussion on logical absolutes as a proof for God's existence.

74

   Dialogues with Catholics

76

     Two Catholics say baptism is necessary for salvation.

76

     Discussion with a Catholic on interpreting the Bible

79

   Dialogues with Mormons

83

     Two Mormons state that 3 Gods is really 1 God.

83

     Discussion with a Mormon on God's Nature

88

     What is salvation and who is God?

92

     Did Joseph Smith see God the Father?

95

     Feelings, gods, and Joseph Smith

97

     Mormon and salvation and works

100

 40 Objections with Answers

103

   Introduction

103

     I am not a sinner.

104

     What is sin?

104

     I am too big a sinner.

104

     What is salvation?

104

     What do I do to get saved?

104

     Is baptism necessary for salvation?

104

     I am already good enough.

105

     I am doing the best I can and I'm sincere.

105

     I am skeptical.

105

     I tried Christianity once.

105

     I knew some Christians once and they wronged me.

105

     I'll take my chances.

106

     I am not that bad a person.

106

     I am too old or too young.

106

     I can't believe in a God who would send people to hell.

106

     I will worry about it in the next life.

106

     I don't want to give up what I like doing.

107

     Christianity is boring.

107

     I am an atheist. I don't believe in God.

107

     I am trying to be a Christian.

108

     I am already religious.

108

     I don't need God.

108

     I have things I need to do before I become a Christian.

108

     I prefer to remain open minded.

108

     I already believe in God.

108

     I'll choose God later.

109

     There are too many hypocrites in the church

109

     Why are we here? Or, Why did God make us?

109

     What about those who have never heard the Gospel?

109

     Jesus is only one of many great men of history

109

     Why is there evil and suffering in the world?

110

     What makes Jesus so special?

110

     Why did Jesus have to die in order for me to go to heaven?

111

     What makes you think the Bible is the word of God?

111

     The New Testament was written to look like Jesus fulfilled prophecy.

111

     The Bible is full of contradictions.

111

     How do I know which religion is right?

111

     Religion is whatever you feel is right.

112

     All religions are different paths to the same place.

112

     What about dinosaurs and evolution?

112

 Evidence and Answers

113

   Introduction

113

     Inerrancy and inspiration of the Bible

114

     The Miracles of Jesus

116

   Evidence supporting the Bible

117

     Manuscript evidence for superior New Testament reliability

117

     Illustration of Bible text manuscript tree

119

     Non biblical accounts of New Testament events and/or people

120

     Archaeological Evidence verifying biblical cities

123

     The writings of Josephus mention many biblical people and places

126

     When were the gospels written and by whom?

128

     Evidence of biblical inspiration

131

   Answers to Questions about the Bible

134

     Can we trust the New Testament as a historical document?

134

     Wasn't the New Testament written hundreds of years after Christ?

137

     Hasn't the Bible been rewritten so many times that we can't trust it anymore?

140

     Since the New Testament writers were biased, can we trust their testimony?

142

     What is the gospel of Q and does it prove the Gospels are false?

143

     Why isn't there other evidence of the massacre of the babies?

145

     Do the lost books of the Bible prove that the Bible has been altered?

148

     Is there non-biblical evidence of a day of darkness at Christ's death?

149

   Evidence supporting Jesus' existence

150

     Regarding the quotes from the historian Josephus about Jesus

150

     1 Cor. 15:3-4 demonstrates a creed too early for legend to corrupt.

152

   Answers to objections concerning Jesus' miracles and resurrection

154

     Extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence.

154

     Does the Bible provide extraordinary evidence for Jesus' Resurrection?

157

     It is improbable that Jesus rose from the dead

159

     The Christians were mistaken about Jesus' resurrection

160

     The New Testament writers conspired together to gain power and influence

161

     Jesus was a magician who made people hallucinate about His miracles

164

     Jesus only appeared to have died on the cross - Swoon Theory

165

     The Disciples stole Jesus' body and faked His resurrection.

167

     There are no non-biblical accounts to the resurrection

170

     Miracles cannot happen

172

   Answers to Questions about Jesus

173

     Was Jesus just a myth?

173

     Did Jesus really die on the cross?

176

     Did Jesus rise from the dead?

177

     Didn't Jesus simply rise in a non-physical, spirit form?

178

     If Jesus is God in flesh, why did He not inherit original sin?

179

     Can't all Jesus' miracles be explained naturally?

180

   Other Objections answered

184

     Are the New Testament themes found in the Old Testament?

184

     Apollonius of Tyana also did miracles and rose. What about him?

186

     Doesn't the religion of Mithra prove that Christianity is false?

187

     Why believe in Christianity over all other religions?

189

     If God is all powerful and loving, why is there suffering in the world?

192

     A loving God would never send anyone to hell

195

     It is intolerant to say that Christianity is the only true religion.

197

     Why did animals have to die for the sins of Adam and Eve and others?

198

     Why would God have to die to save people from Himself?

199

     If God is not the author of confusion, what about the Tower of Babel?

200

     If babies die when they go to heaven, why is abortion wrong?

200

 Bible Difficulties

201

   Introduction

201

     Introduction to Bible Difficulties and Bible Contradictions

202

     1 & 2; Don't Gen. 1 and 2 present contradictory creation accounts?

203

   Genesis

203

     1:26, How many Gods are there, one or many?

204

     3:9, Doesn't God saying ‘Adam where are you?’ show God didn't know  

205

     something?

205

     4:17, Where did Cain get his wife?

206

     5:1-31, Did people really live hundreds of years according to Genesis?

207

     6:19-20, How many kinds did Noah bring into the ark, two or seven?

207

     37:28, Who purchased Joseph, the Ishmaelites or the Midianites?

208

     38:9, God kills a man for spilling his seed on the ground

208

   Exodus

208

     6:2-3, Has anyone seen God or not?

209

     20:5, Should you make graven images or not?

210

     20:8, Should we keep the Sabbath or not?

211

   Deuteronomy

211

     5:9, Do the sons bear the sins of the fathers or not?

212

   1 Samuel

212

     16:19-23, Did or did not Saul know who David was?

213

     17:50, Who killed Goliath, David or Elhanan?

213

     31:4, Who killed Saul, Saul or the Amalekite?

214

   2 Samuel

214

     6:23, Did Michal have any children or not?

214

     10:18, How many charioteers were killed, 700 or 7000?

215

     24:1, Who incited David to count the fighting men of Israel?  God or Satan?

215

     24:9, How many fighting men were found in Judah and Israel?

216

     24:13, God sent a prophet to threaten David with how many years of famine?

216

   1 Kings

216

     4:26, How many stalls of horses did Solomon have, 4,000 or 40,000?

217

     5:16, How many supervisors were there?

218

     7:26, How many baths, 2000 or 3,000?

218

   2 Kings

218

     8:26, How old was Ahaziah when he began to rule over Jerusalem?

219

     24:8, How long did Jehoiachin rule over Jerusalem?

219

   2 Chronicles

219

     11:20, Who was King Abijah's mother?

219

     36:9, How old was Jehoiachin when he became king?

220

   Ezra – Nehemiah

220

     2, Why are the statistics in Ezra 2 and Nehemiah 7 different?

221

   Job

221

     1, If Job was blameless, why did God allow Satan to afflict him?

221

   Psalm

221

     5:5; 11:5, Does God hate people or love them?

222

   Isaiah

222

     7:14, in Hebrew ‘alma’ is not virgin.  Therefore, it's not a prophecy.

223

     45:7, Is the Lord good or bad to people?

224

   Jeremiah

224

     22:28-30, Did Coniah have children or not?

224

     32:27, Is the Lord omnipotent or not?

225

   Jonah

225

     3:4,10, Did God destroy Nineveh or not?

225

   Malachi

225

     3:6, Does the Lord change or not?

226

   Matthew

226

     1, Why are there different genealogies for Jesus in Matthew 1 and Luke 3?

228

     4:5,8, Where did the devil take Jesus first, the pinnacle or somewhere else?

230

     4:18, Where did Jesus first meet Simon Peter and Andrew?

231

     5:1; 6:9-13; 7:28, Who did Jesus tell the Lord's Prayer to?

232

     5:16; 6:1-4, Should or should we not let our good works be seen?

233

     5:22; 23:17, Can we call someone a fool or not?

233

     8:5-13, Who brought the Centurion's request to Jesus?

235

     9:9, Was the taxman named Matthew or Levi?

235

     9:18, Was Jairus' daughter alive or dead when he came to Jesus?

236

     11:2, When did John find out Jesus was the Messiah?

238

     11:13-14, Was John the Baptist really Elijah?

239

     12:40, How long was Jesus in the tomb?

241

     17:1, After how many days did Jesus take the three men up the mountain?

241

     20:20-21, Who made the request to sit beside Jesus in His kingdom?

242

     21:12, Did Jesus cleanse the Temple on the first or second day?

242

     26:34,74-75, Did the cock crow once or twice before Peter's third denial?

244

     27:3-8, How did Judas die, by hanging or falling down?

244

     27:34, Was the vinegar given to Jesus on the cross mingled with gall?

245

   Mark

245

     1:7-13, What did Jesus do after encountering John the Baptist?

247

     3:29, Can you be forgiven of all sins or not?

247

     6:8, Did Jesus tell His disciples to take a staff or not?

248

     10:46, How many blind men did Jesus encounter when leaving Jericho?

248

     11:2-7, Were one or two animals brought to Jesus?

249

     11:14, Did the tree that Jesus cursed wither  immediately or overnight?

251

     14:43, Who arrested Jesus?

252

     15:20-21, Did Jesus or Simon of Cyrene carry the cross?

253

     15:25, At what hour was Jesus crucified?

253

     15:26, What was written on the sign on the cross?

254

     15:34, What are the last words of Jesus?

254

     15:40, Were the women close or far from the cross?

255

     16:5, How many men or angels appeared at the tomb?

255

     16:6, What did the angels tell Mary?

257

     16:8, Did or did not the women tell what happened?

257

     16:9, Who saw Jesus first?

258

     16:9-20, Is the ending of Mark really scripture?

259

   Luke

259

     14:26, Are we supposed to hate or not?

259

   John

259

     3:13, Did anyone ascend into heaven

260

     8:14, Was Jesus' witness of Himself true or not?

261

     18:19, Who did Jesus see first upon his arrest, Annas or Caiaphas?

261

   Acts

261

     5:29, Shall we obey God's Law or human law?

261

     9:3-4, When Paul saw the light, did all fall to the ground or not?

262

     9:7, Did the men with Paul hear the voice or not?

263

   Romans

263

     3:23, Have all people sinned or not?

263

     5:1, Are we saved by faith or by baptism?

264

     9:17, God hardened Pharaoh's heart.  Is that right?

264

     15:33, Is the Lord a God of Peace or of war?

265

   1 Corinthians

265

     1:19, Will wisdom stand or not?

265

     15:29, Is baptism for the dead really Christian?

266

   Galatians

266

     4:22, How many children did Abraham have, one or two?

267

     6:2,5, Do we bear one another's burdens or not?

267

   Ephesians

267

     2:8-9, Are we saved by grace or works?

268

   Colossians

268

     1:15-17, Is Jesus or God the creator of all things?

268

   Hebrews

268

     11:21, Did Joseph worship at the head of the bed or leaning on a staff?

269

   2 Peter

269

     3:10, Does the earth abide forever or not?

269

   James

269

     1:13, Does God tempt people or not?

270

   Jude

270

  14, Jude 14 quotes the book of Enoch. Is it scripture?

271

 Table: Cleansing of the Temple  272
 Table: Crucifixion Chronology

273

 Table: Total statistics of population from Ezra 2 and Nehemiah 7

276

 Table: Resurrection Chronology

278

 Table: Chronology of Jesus' Baptism and Temptation

281

Bibliography

283

Index

284


 


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