The Prevailing Importance of Christ
The prevailing importance surrounding the historicity of Jesus, and the message of His Resurrection provides us a sustainable source of reliable and abundant hope. Alongside the miracles, the resurrection of Christ revealed to us that there truly exists a Supernatural realm beyond ours, headed by our Creator. Beyond this, the Bible stands as the oldest document known to man that continues to remain meticulously preserved. It shows us that the universe, and all that exists within it, was created by an uncaused eternal force, with care and intention.
Christian theologian William Lane Craig calls refers to God as[1], “a necessary, uncaused, timeless, spaceless, immaterial, personal Creator of the universe.” God is not contingent on anything. The famous philosopher Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz (1646-1716), also known as the inventor of calculus, wrote[2], “it is essential for God to exist. Whence God is a necessary being.” Without a verifiable historical accuracy of Jesus Christ, there is no basis to state that He even existed beyond theology, placing a great deal of our known history in question. However, it is apparent that the evidence shows that Jesus Christ in fact, was a real person, who died and was resurrected.
Without valid absolute definitive verifiable proof of Jesus, the New Testament becomes a vague interpretation of subjectivity, rendering it no greater than self-help spiritual literature, lest a work of fiction. His Holy Spirit reminds us of the importance of Christian faith as a means to salvation, through Paul, who declared[3], “For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes.” (Rom. 1:16). The basis of Christianity is based upon the validity of both the Jesus of history and the Christ of faith.
Minimal Facts Approach
Christians should first take a minimal facts approach to the concerns of validity in the doctrine and criticism of His resurrection. The three criteria to remember are that Jesus is God, Jesus died for us, and Jesus is alive. As Gary R Habermas describes the benefit to a minimal facts approach that[4], “considers only those data that are so strongly attested historically.” By using this highly effective strategy, we can implement facts that “nearly every scholar accepts.” Bombarding the secular with Biblical specificities and evangelism often creates immediate resistance and rejection. Dialing back the intense passions for theology, we can at least plant a seed for the Biblical critic to later consider.
Gary R Habermas cites author Steven Covey, phrasing an ambiguous statement with great specificity, stating[5] "The main thing is to keep the main thing the main thing." This principle can certainly be applied to apologetics, as we must ensure to argue for purely historical evidence, apart from invoking attributes to Biblical theology. As Christians, we cannot begin by reducing our argument to the proclamation that the Bible is objective morality. First, we must present historical evidence, unveiling that despite the Bible being the oldest known document, we have historical Greek manuscripts from King James when he had the King James Translation created in 1611. Additionally, we have “roughly twice as many Latin manuscripts of the New Testament as there are Greek,” according to Komoszewski[6].
Proving Resurrection
While it is impossible for us to 100% prove that Jesus was raised from the dead, we have more verifiable information that it happened, than it did not. The autographs and extant manuscripts were carefully adopted by the early Church fathers, who believed that the apostles truly saw the resurrection of Jesus, and its detail was authentically validated in the over one million quotations by the early fathers of the church[7] (Komoszewski). The historical documents were understood to have derived from eyewitness accounts, which were then verified by early church fathers, who ensured the testaments from this time, remained preserved through each translation and duplication. This historic documentation provides us with instructions to begin a relationship with an eternal living God.
The authenticity of the Biblical doctrine can be seen as evident to those who place their faith within its instructions, giving their lives to building a relationship with God, and begin to feel His Holy Spirit. Historically, the Gospels reveal the resurrection of Jesus Christ, yet fail to mention the Siege of Jerusalem, which happened in 70AD. Historically, this shows that the Gospels were written from first-hand eyewitness accounts. As the legendary Dr. Mark Foreman (1954-2022) influentially stated, “Just because we cannot confirm something, doesn’t mean that it didn’t happen.” To refute something as historically supported as Christianity, we would need solid evidence against that position. As Historian Gary R. Habermas concludes[8] “if Jesus was raised from the dead and appeared to his followers, either in a transformed body, or even as a glorified spiritual being he would still actually have been raised from the dead.” It is also important to note that it is not just the Gospel that describes Jesus’s Resurrection. As an example of further testimonial evidence, 1 Thessalonians 4:14, 1 Corinthians 15:3-8, 20, Romans 6:4, 10:9, and Acts 4:33 all point to the Resurrection of Jesus Christ.
While basing evidence on Scripture is certainly not a minimalist approach, it stands factual that there exists historical evidence that Jesus’s Resurrection truly happened. The origins of the New Testament can be traced back to early Greek and Latin manuscripts, with more accuracy than any other historical ancient document. These original works show that His disciples experienced a miracle following the crucifixion of Jesus Christ, one that can still be felt today, reminding us that He is alive. It is by faith and belief in His grace that we begin to feel His presence and hear the word of God speak through all mediums which we encounter.
Biblical Historian Craig L. Blomberg notes that[9] “[t]he United Bible Societies’ fourth edition of the Greek New Testament contains 1,438 of the most significant textual variants in its footnotes and presents the most important manuscript evidence for each existing reading of the disputed text.” Although there exist many different versions of text, the meaning of the Bible’s message has been strictly preserved, through its update into the culture of today. While it's true that today many choose to perceive the resurrection of Jesus Christ as a metaphor for spiritual beginnings, there exists evidence that God is much greater. As Historian Gary Habermas teaches readers of his work[10], “[t]he key evidence for Jesus’ resurrection is the disciples’ experiences.”
It is through these historical instructions and experiences of His Holy Spirit, that we can invoke the same level of belief and Divine connection described in the Bible. Through the specific yet ubiquitous details of the resurrection of Jesus Christ, we are reminded that God is not dead, nor the words of the Bible, which we can rely on in all instances to sustain the connection to the Lord. No matter the worldly view of resurrection, we must remember not to conform to its pattern, but to lose our lives to the purpose of God. As Jesus reminds us, (Luke 9:24,25), “For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life because of me will save it. For what does it benefit someone if he gains the whole world, and yet loses or forfeits himself?” By His words, we must remember not to submit to the patterns of the world, for the belief in God allows the renewing of our minds, (Rom. 12:2). Dr. Mark Foreman reminds us the importance of first-hand revelatory experience, explaining[11], “The Christian church has always taught that the Holy Spirit plays a primary role in illuminating us concerning the understanding and application of Scripture.”
Conclusion
It is by His distinct objectivity that we can continue to experience the undisputable power in His name through the personal and purposeful interaction with our Supernatural creator. Without God, there can be no resilience, for he saves us from our inherent evil nature within ourselves, a default feature that so often drives our lives into misery. He truly is a guiding force, and the observation of the general improvements in quality of life synonymous with daily worship and Divine covenant is enough to continue to believe in the truth of the Gospel.
Bibliography
1. Blomberg, Craig L. Can We Still Believe the Bible? (p. 17). Baker Publishing Group. Kindle Edition.
2. Craig, William Lane. On Guard: Defending Your Faith with Reason and Precision (p. 73). David C Cook. Kindle Edition.
3. Foreman, Mark W. Prelude to Philosophy (p. 36). InterVarsity Press. Kindle Edition.
4. Graham, Billy. What Happened at the Cross (p. 9). Thomas Nelson. Kindle Edition.
5. Graham, Billy. What Happened at the Cross (p. 10). Thomas Nelson. Kindle Edition.
6. Habermas, Gary R. The Case for the Resurrection of Jesus (p. 52). Kregel Publications. Kindle Edition.
7. Habermas, Gary R. The Case for the Resurrection of Jesus (p. 44). Kregel Publications. Kindle Edition.
8. Habermas, Gary R. The Case for the Resurrection of Jesus (p. 45). Kregel Publications. Kindle Edition.
9. Habermas, Gary R. The Secret of the Talpiot Tomb (p. 87). B&H Publishing Group. Kindle Edition.
10. Habermas, Gary. The Historical Jesus (p. 113). College Press Publishing Co., Inc. Kindle Edition.
11. J. Ed Komoszewski. Reinventing Jesus (Kindle Locations 699-700). Kindle Edition.
12. J. Ed Komoszewski. Reinventing Jesus (Kindle Location 712). Kindle Edition.
13. J. Ed Komoszewski. Reinventing Jesus (Kindle Location 979). Kindle Edition.
14. J. Ed Komoszewski. Reinventing Jesus (Kindle Location 465). Kindle Edition.
15. J. Ed Komoszewski. Reinventing Jesus (Kindle Locations 668-669). Kindle Edition.
16. J. Ed Komoszewski. Reinventing Jesus (Kindle Location 987). Kindle Edition.
17. Leibniz, Gottfried Wilhelm. Leibniz: Philosophical Essays (Hackett Classics) (p. 28). Hackett Publishing Company. Kindle Edition.
18. Zondervan, NIV Study Bible, Fully Revised Edition (p. 8637). Zondervan. Kindle Edition.
[1] Craig, William Lane. On Guard: Defending Your Faith with Reason and Precision (p. 73). David C Cook. Kindle Edition.
[2] Leibniz, Gottfried Wilhelm. Leibniz: Philosophical Essays (Hackett Classics) (p. 28). Hackett Publishing Company. Kindle Edition.
[3] Zondervan, NIV Study Bible, Fully Revised Edition (p. 8637). Zondervan. Kindle Edition.
[4] Habermas, Gary R. The Case for the Resurrection of Jesus (p. 44). Kregel Publications. Kindle Edition.
[5] Habermas, Gary R. The Case for the Resurrection of Jesus (p. 45). Kregel Publications. Kindle Edition.
[6] J. Ed Komoszewski. Reinventing Jesus (Kindle Locations 699-700). Kindle Edition.
[7] J. Ed Komoszewski. Reinventing Jesus (Kindle Location 712). Kindle Edition.
[8] Habermas, Gary R. The Secret of the Talpiot Tomb (p. 87). B&H Publishing Group. Kindle Edition.
[9] Blomberg, Craig L. Can We Still Believe the Bible? (p. 17). Baker Publishing Group. Kindle Edition.
[10] Habermas, Gary. The Historical Jesus (p. 113). College Press Publishing Co., Inc. Kindle Edition.
[11] Foreman, Mark W.. Prelude to Philosophy (p. 36). InterVarsity Press. Kindle Edition.