Slide 2 ANNOUNCEMENTS Dr. Tim McGrew Historicity of the Gospels
Nov 11 th Leadership Positions Available MSC Tabling Positions
Available Slide 3 Slide 4 CONNECT WITH US
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Us OnlineVisit Us Online Slide 5 THE MINIMAL FACTS ARGUMENT Ratio
Christi Texas A&M Slide 6 BACKGROUND Purpose Argument from
historical facts in favor of the resurrection of Jesus Consensus of
New Testament scholarsConsensus of New Testament scholars Abductive
reasoning or argument to the best explanation Importance Capstone
to a cumulative case for ChristianityCapstone to a cumulative case
for Christianity Formulated by Dr. Gary HabermasFormulated by Dr.
Gary Habermas Slide 7 FACT #1 Jesus died by Roman crucifixion Slide
8 CRUCIFIXION - SUPPORT 1.Least contested fact1.Least contested
fact 2.Intra-Biblical support2.Intra-Biblical support All Gospels +
Acts All Gospels + Acts Pauline Epistles Pauline Epistles
3.Extra-Biblical support3.Extra-Biblical support Josephus when
Pilate, at the suggestion of the principal men among us, had
condemned him to the cross Josephus when Pilate, at the suggestion
of the principal men among us, had condemned him to the cross
Tacitus Tacitus Talmud, Sanhedrin 43a Talmud, Sanhedrin 43a Slide 9
FACT #2 On the Sunday following Jesuss burial by Joseph of
Arimethia, his tomb was found empty by a group of his women
followers Slide 10 EMPTY TOMB - SUPPORT 1.Pauline formulation
strongly implies empty tomb1.Pauline formulation strongly implies
empty tomb 2.Empty tomb is included in pre-Markan source2.Empty
tomb is included in pre-Markan source 3.Markan narrative is simple
(not apologetic nor embellished)3.Markan narrative is simple (not
apologetic nor embellished) 4.Criterion of embarrassment supports
women discoverers4.Criterion of embarrassment supports women
discoverers 5.Jewish polemic presupposes empty tomb5.Jewish polemic
presupposes empty tomb Slide 11 FACT #3 Disciples of Jesus had
experiences that they interpreted to be the risen Christ Slide 12
DISCIPLES - SUPPORT 1.Mostly apparent from the writings of the New
Testament1.Mostly apparent from the writings of the New Testament
2.Jewish predisposition of the disciples did not allow for the
category of resurrections prior to the end of time
3.Martyrdom3.Martyrdom Slide 13 FACT #4 Specific enemies of Jesus
had experiences they interpreted to be the risen Christ Saul/Paul
James, the brother of Jesus Slide 14 ENEMIES - SUPPORT 1.New
Testament writings1.New Testament writings 1.he appeared to James,
then to all the apostles. Last of all, as to one untimely born, he
appeared also to me. 1 Corinthians 15 2.Martyrdom2.Martyrdom 1.Paul
tortured and beheaded by Nero in Rome in A.D. 671.Paul tortured and
beheaded by Nero in Rome in A.D. 67 2.James stoned2.James stoned
3.Predispositions did not allow for category of
resurrection3.Predispositions did not allow for category of
resurrection Slide 15 EVALUATING THEORIES Explanatory
PowerExplanatory Power How well does the theory explain the data?
Explanatory ScopeExplanatory Scope How many of the data does the
theory explain? Plausibility Given prior information, does the
theory make sense? Ad HocAd Hoc Is the theory arbitrarily contrived
to fit the data so as to become meaningless? Slide 16 HALLUCINATION
THEORY Fact 1: Crucifixion YESFact 1: Crucifixion YES Fact 2: Empty
Tomb NOFact 2: Empty Tomb NO Fact 3: Disciples STRAINFact 3:
Disciples STRAIN Fact 4: Enemies NOFact 4: Enemies NO This theory
is unsuccessfulThis theory is unsuccessful Narrow Scope - Facts
2&4 are left untouched Low Power - the body could easily have
been produced from the tomb Implausible - hallucinations on this
scale have never been reported, ever Slide 17 DISCIPLES STOLE THE
BODY THEORY Fact 1: Crucifixion YESFact 1: Crucifixion YES Fact 2:
Empty Tomb YESFact 2: Empty Tomb YES Fact 3: Disciples STRAINFact
3: Disciples STRAIN Fact 4: Enemies NOFact 4: Enemies NO This
theory is unsuccessfulThis theory is unsuccessful Limited Scope:
The conversion of enemies is left unexplained Implausible: The
martyrdom of the disciples makes no sense on this view Slide 18
SWOON THEORY Fact 1: Crucifixion STRAINFact 1: Crucifixion STRAIN
Fact 2: Empty Tomb YESFact 2: Empty Tomb YES Fact 3: Disciples
STRAINFact 3: Disciples STRAIN Fact 4: Enemies BIG STRAINFact 4:
Enemies BIG STRAIN This theory is unsuccessfulThis theory is
unsuccessful Low Power - Disciples had a view of Jesus as
conquering death Highly Implausible - Only 1 known crucifixion
survivor; distances are too far to travel Ad Hoc - nothing like
this ever happened and zero reason to think it ever would Slide 19
RABBI DUDE NAMED "JESUS" THEORY Fact 1: Crucifixion NOFact 1:
Crucifixion NO Fact 2: Empty Tomb NOFact 2: Empty Tomb NO Fact 3:
Disciples NOFact 3: Disciples NO Fact 4: Enemies NOFact 4: Enemies
NO This theory is unsuccessfulThis theory is unsuccessful No Scope
- All facts are discounted No Power - All facts are discounted
Implausible - The historical documentation makes no sense on this
view Contrived - No honest examination of history would come to
this view Slide 20 JESUS IS JUST A REHASH OF HORUS THEORY Fact 1:
Crucifixion NOFact 1: Crucifixion NO Fact 2: Empty Tomb NOFact 2:
Empty Tomb NO Fact 3: Disciples NOFact 3: Disciples NO Fact 4:
Enemies NOFact 4: Enemies NO This theory is unsuccessfulThis theory
is unsuccessful No Scope - All facts are discounted No Power - All
facts are discounted Implausible - This is anachronistic given the
religio- historical backdrop Contrived - No honest examination of
history would come to this view Slide 21 HONORABLE MENTIONS
Identical Twin TheoryIdentical Twin Theory Jesus Was a Space Alien
Theory Necromancer Stole the Body and Disciples Had Hallucinations
Theory Slide 22 THE RESURRECTION HYPOTHESIS Fact 1: Crucifixion
YESFact 1: Crucifixion YES Fact 2: Empty Tomb YESFact 2: Empty Tomb
YES Fact 3: Disciples YESFact 3: Disciples YES Fact 4: Enemies
YESFact 4: Enemies YES This theory successfully accounts for all of
the data The only objection would be the implausibility of
theism/miracles; however, this is a philosophical, not historical,
objection Slide 23 QUESTIONS?
