Kairos Podcast Series 8: Biblical Anthropology, Death and Resurrection (BADR Part 6)
Questions: Are the testimony of the eyewitnesses and the historical records in the NT credible? What criteria are used to evaluate the credibility of the NT accounts of the resurrection?
Aristotle’s dictum – Benefit of doubt must be given to the document itself, not arrogated by the critic to himself – listen to the text first & not simply assume fraud or error unless proven factual inaccuracies.
1. Variety of sources: multiple attestations
A variety of sources in the New Testament testify to the empty tomb: Matthew 28:11–15 (the M material special to Matthew); Mark 16:1–8; Luke 24:1–12; John 20:11–18.
There is a complex unified story shared between the gospels even though the authors wrote their respective accounts based on data gathered from different witnesses.
2. No legendary accretions. No developed theological reflection points to accounts situated in the early phase of Christianity. Evidence of honesty and integrity of witnesses– No glossing over disciples’ weaknesses, women as central witnesses to the Resurrection.
3. Pointers to authenticity – austere records, natural cohesion – the witnesses unintentionally confirm, corroborate one another. The gospels display incidental undesigned coincidences.
You can view the video at – Authenticity and Coherence of Gospel Witnesses – The Resurrection Evidence is Well-Founded.
Question: The prophecies about the Suffering Servant in Isa. 53 are very confusing as the Servant appears different in the various (four) Servant songs. Is Isaiah 53 really about Christ, let alone his atoning death? And furthermore, the standard Hebrew term for “atonement” is not found in the text, how can it be about an atoning death?
Question: Matthew cites Isa. 7:14 and says it is fulfilled by the birth of Jesus. However critical scholars argue that in the context of Isaiah 7, this verse is about a child born during the time of Ahaz. How would evangelical scholars like you respond to this critical scholarship?
Orthodoxy and Heresy in Earliest Christianity
Question: How did the apostles and early Christians come to believe in the deity of Christ?
While Peter de Rosa’s verses on the humanity of Christ may be heart-felt and evocative, John Owen’s reflection on Christ assuming humanity is suffused with contemplation and prayer. For Owen theology ends with doxology. Given below is a much abbreviated and stylistically modernized version of Owen’s reflection of the Incarnation as Christ’s act of self-humiliation – Christ veiled his divine glory in the flesh.*