Download or read book The Doubt of the Apostles and the Resurrection Faith of the Early Church written by J. D. Atkins and published by Mohr Siebeck. This book was released on 2019-08-02 with total page 587 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "Why do the Gospels depict the risen Jesus as touchable and able to eat? J. D. Atkins challenges the common view that Luke 24 and John 20 are apologetic responses to docetism by re-examining the redaction of the appearance stories in light of their reception among early docetists and church fathers."--Page 4 of cover.
Download or read book The Fate of the Apostles written by Sean McDowell and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2016-03-09 with total page 305 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Book of Martyrs by John Foxe written in the 16th century has long been the go-to source for studying the lives and martyrdom of the apostles. Whilst other scholars have written individual treatments on the more prominent apostles such as Peter, Paul, John, and James, there is little published information on the other apostles. In The Fate of the Apostles, Sean McDowell offers a comprehensive, reasoned, historical analysis of the fate of the twelve disciples of Jesus along with the apostles Paul, and James. McDowell assesses the evidence for each apostle’s martyrdom as well as determining its significance to the reliability of their testimony. The question of the fate of the apostles also gets to the heart of the reliability of the kerygma: did the apostles really believe Jesus appeared to them after his death, or did they fabricate the entire story? How reliable are the resurrection accounts? The willingness of the apostles to die for their faith is a popular argument in resurrection studies and McDowell offers insightful scholarly analysis of this argument to break new ground within the spheres of New Testament studies, Church History, and apologetics.
Download or read book Mama Bear Apologetics written by Hillary Morgan Ferrer and published by Harvest House Publishers. This book was released on 2019-06-04 with total page 290 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: *Foreword written by Nancy Pearcey* "Parents are the most important apologists our kids will ever know. Mama Bear Apologetics will help you navigate your kids’ questions and prepare them to become committed Christ followers.” —J. Warner Wallace "If every Christian mom would apply this book in her parenting, it would profoundly transform the next generation." —Natasha Crain #RoarLikeAMother The problem with lies is they don’t often sound like lies. They seem harmless, and even sound right. So what’s a Mama Bear to do when her kids seem to be absorbing the culture’s lies uncritically? Mama Bear Apologetics® is the book you’ve been looking for. This mom-to-mom guide will equip you to teach your kids how to form their own biblical beliefs about what is true and what is false. Through transparent life stories and clear, practical applications—including prayer strategies—this band of Mama Bears offers you tools to train yourself, so you can turn around and train your kids. Are you ready to answer the rallying cry, “Mess with our kids and we will demolish your arguments”? Join the Mama Bears and raise your voice to protect your kids—by teaching them how to think through and address the issues head-on, yet with gentleness and respect.
Download or read book Christ s Resurrection in Early Christianity written by Markus Vinzent and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2016-05-23 with total page 347 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Why is the Resurrection of Christ so remote, almost non-existent in many early Christian writings of the first 140 years of Christianity? This is the first Patristic book to focus on the development of the belief in the Resurrection of Christ through the first centuries A.D. By Paul, Christ's Resurrection is regarded as the basis of Christian hope. In the fourth century it becomes a central Christian tenet. But what about the discrepancy in the first three centuries? This thought provoking book explores this core topic in Christian culture and theology. Taking a broad approach - including iconography, archaeology, history, philosophy, Jewish Studies and theology - Markus Vinzent offers innovative reading of well known biblical and other texts complemented by rarely discussed evidence. Christ's Resurrection in Early Christianity takes the reader on a fascinating journey through the wilderness of unorthodox perspectives in the breadth of early Christian writings. It is an eye-opening experience with insights into the craftsmanship of early Christianity - and the earliest existential debates about life and death, death and life - all centred on the cross, on suffering, enduring and sacrifice.
Download or read book Can Christians Prove the Resurrection written by Sandoval Chris Sandoval and published by Trafford Publishing. This book was released on 2010 with total page 366 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Christian apologists like Josh McDowell, Norman Geisler, and William Lane Craig have claimed that the Resurrection of Jesus is the best-proved fact of history. As they tell the story, the original eyewitnesses of the risen Jesus sacrificed their lives for their faith, and people who knew Jesus during his lifetime would have challenged any errors in their testimony. Allegedly, these and many other lines of historical evidence prove the Resurrection beyond a reasonable doubt. In Can Christians Prove the Resurrection?, the traditional Christian arguments for the Resurrection are analyzed and critiqued. In reality, we do not know how most of the apostles met their fates, and religious sects like the Kimbanguists and Hasidic Jews have likewise proclaimed miracles and produced martyrs within the lifetimes of eyewitnesses who should have been able to set the record straight. These and many other lines of evidence raise copious reasonable doubts regarding the claims of the apologists, as this book demonstrates. Once all the relevant evidence is examined, it becomes clear that there is little likelihood that Jesus of Nazareth arose from the dead or that the Resurrection ever took place.
Download or read book Jesus Is Risen written by David Limbaugh and published by Regnery Publishing. This book was released on 2021-03-02 with total page 350 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Originally confined to a small circle of believers centered in Jerusalem, Christianity's stunning transformation into the world's most popular faith is one of history's greatest, most miraculous stories. In Jesus Is Risen, #1 bestselling author David Limbaugh provides a riveting account of the birth of Christianity. Using the Book of Acts and six New Testament epistles as his guide, Limbaugh takes readers on an exhilarating journey through the sorrow and suffering, as well as the joys and triumphs, of the apostles and other key figures as Christianity bursts through the borders of Judea following the death, resurrection, and ascension of Jesus Christ. Limbaugh particularly focuses on the crucial role that the Apostle Paul played in these historic events. Facing incredible adversities, from arrests to shipwrecks to violent mobs and murder plots, Paul overcomes countless obstacles as he travels far and wise to spread the Gospel. Limbaugh's passion for the Bible is unmistakable and infectious as he recounts these stories. Replete with deep insights into the actions, arguments, and challenges of the world's first Christian communities, Jesus Is Risen is a faith-affirming book for Christians at all stages of their faith walk.
Download or read book The Resurrection Of Christ written by Gerd Ludemann and published by Prometheus Books. This book was released on 2010-06-28 with total page 248 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Although the resurrection is the keystone dogma of Christian belief, and Sunday churchgoers rarely if ever think to question it, scholarly research shows with the utmost clarity that from a historical standpoint Jesus was not raised from the dead. In fact, it is almost universally recognized among scholars of New Testament textual criticism that the gospel narratives describing the resurrection appearances are not reliable eyewitness accounts, but expressions of faith written by the first Christian believers long after the death of Jesus.In this thorough exegesis of the primary texts dealing with the resurrection of Jesus, New Testament expert Gerd Lüdemann (University of Göttingen) presents compelling evidence that shows the resurrection was not a historical event and further argues that this development leaves little, if any, basis for Christian faith as presently defined.Beginning with Paul's testimony in 1 Cor. 15: 3-8, in which the apostle declares that Jesus has been raised on the third day in accordance with the scriptures, Lüdemann systematically evaluates every reference to Jesus' resurrection in the New Testament, as well as apocryphal literature. He examines the purpose of the text writers, the ways in which they reworked tradition, and the historical value of each account. Through this approach, he offers a reconstruction of the probable course of events as well as the circumstances surrounding Jesus' death on the cross, the burial of his body, his reported resurrection on the third day, and subsequent appearances to various disciples.Since the historical evidence leads to the firm conclusion that Jesus' body was not raised from the dead, Lüdemann argues that the origin of the Easter faith must be sought in the visionary experiences of Christianity's two leading apostles. From a modern perspective this leads to the inescapable conclusion that both primary witnesses to Jesus' resurrection, Peter and Paul, were victims of self-deception.In conclusion, he asks whether in light of the nonhistoricity of Jesus' resurrection, thinking people today can legitimately and in good conscience still call themselves Christians.Gerd Lüdemann is a professor of the history and literature of early Christianity at the University of Göttingen, Germany. Professor Lüdemann's published conclusions about Christianity aroused great controversy in his native Germany, where the Confederation of Protestant Churches in Lower Saxony demanded his immediate dismissal from the theological faculty of his university. Despite this threat to his academic freedom, he has retained his post at the university, although the chair he holds was renamed to disassociate him from the training program of German pastors. Lüdemann is also the author of Jesus After 2000 Years, Paul: The Founder of Christianity, and The Resurrection of Christ: A Historical Inquiry.
Download or read book Resurrection Faith or Fact written by Carl Stecher and published by Pitchstone Publishing (US&CA). This book was released on 2019-04-09 with total page 280 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Is there enough evidence to believe Jesus rose from the dead, or must such a judgment be based only on faith? Can the resurrection story be considered a fact of history, or should it be viewed as an ahistorical account? Two renowned professors, atheist Carl Stecher and Christian Craig Blomberg, engage in a groundbreaking new debate on these very questions. Other experts on the resurrection, atheist Richard Carrier and Christian Peter S. Williams, comment on the outcome. Presenting new approaches to these centuries-old questions and taking into account the latest scholarly research, Resurrection: Faith or Fact? is a must-have not only for all those following the resurrection question—but also for those skeptics and Christians alike who are interested in determining for themselves the truth behind this foundational doctrine of the Christian faith.
Download or read book The Apostles written by Donald Guthrie and published by Zondervan. This book was released on 1975 with total page 428 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: It is impossible to understand the vitality of the Christian Church in the days of the apostles apart from an awareness of the power of the Holy Spirit in the lives of the apostles. From a fearful beginning before Pentecost, the Church suddenly came alive as the Spirit was poured out on all the believers who had gathered to pray. Professor Guthrie traces the dramatic history of the Church as narrated in the book of Acts, showing how the Holy Spirit gave boldness to witness, wisdom to make decisions, and insight into the truly universal character of the Church as both Jews and Gentiles were given the grace of repentance. The Church was not free of difficulties and crises. But these, too, were necessary for the growth of Christians in that fellowship known as the Body of Christ. Many of the apostles woke in response to weakness and opposition and suffering, and these writings remain as inspired Scripture for the strengthening of the saints of God.Through the centuries the inspired letters to the churches have given both incentive for ethical living on earth and hope for a glorious future when all things will be made new. This book will help one to see the living Church of Jesus Christ as the apostles saw it and wrote about it. The record of their love and labor for the Lord makes this an excellent companion volume to the author's earlier work, "Jesus, the Messiah." Says Prof. Guthrie of his new work: "It is hoped that this book, like its companion volume, will inspire many to a more diligent study of the New Testament itself. For this reason it is arranged...in convenient sections to provide a basis, if desired, for daily studies over a period of six months. The relevant New Testament passages are noted in each section." Thoroughly indexed and cross-referenced, "The Apostles" provides insight into and application of the New Testament writing.
Download or read book The Resurrection of Jesus written by Dale C. Allison, Jr. and published by Bloomsbury Publishing. This book was released on 2021-03-11 with total page 663 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The earliest traditions around the narrative of Jesus' resurrection are considered in this landmark work by Dale C. Allison, Jr, drawing together the fruits of his decades of research into this issue at the very core of Christian identity. Allison returns to the ancient sources and earliest traditions, charting them alongside the development of faith in the resurrection in the early church and throughout Christian history. Beginning with historical-critical methodology that examines the empty tomb narratives and early confessions, Allison moves on to consider the resurrection in parallel with other traditions and stories, including Tibetan accounts of saintly figures being assumed into the light, in the chapter “Rainbow Body”. Finally, Allison considers what might be said by way of results or conclusions on the topic of resurrection, offering perspectives from both apologetic and sceptical viewpoints. In his final section of “modest results” he considers scholarly approaches to the resurrection in light of human experience, adding fresh nuance to a debate that has often been characterised in overly simplistic terms of “it happened” or “it didn't”.
Download or read book The Jesus Inquest written by Charles Foster and published by HarperChristian + ORM. This book was released on 2011-01-10 with total page 386 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Charles Foster thought he knew the familiar story of the resurrection of Jesus. He thought Christianity rested on sound historical foundations. But could he be wrong? Could Christianity be built on a terrible mistake or downright lie? As nagging doubts began to surface, Foster turned to countless Christian books to find comfort and proof. But all he found were more questions. What began as a personal quest for reassurance quickly turned into an in-depth examination of the most astounding historical claim of all time. He crawled through Jerusalem tombs, dusty libraries, and the recesses of his own mind in search of an answer. He turned the war in his head—the war between faith and doubt—into this heated, no-holds-barred debate, which presents the case both for and against the resurrection of Jesus. The Jesus Inquest takes you through medical evidence, Jewish burial practices, archaeological hypotheses, maps, ancient artifacts, the canonical and non-canonical gospels, biblical criticism, and much more, providing an unbiased examination of the facts of the case. A practicing trial attorney and University of Oxford academic, Charles Foster vigorously argues both sides of the issue, presenting information in compelling courtroom style and leaving no hard question unaddressed. The Jesus Inquest gives readers the tools necessary to debate the most remarkable and controversial event of world history—a debate so crucial and fascinating it cannot be ignored.
Download or read book True to the Faith written by David Gooding and published by Myrtlefield House. This book was released on with total page 580 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Acts of the Apostles is about more than the spread of the gospel to the ends of the earth. By the time the ascended Christ had sent the Holy Spirit to guide his disciples, they had no doubt what the basics of the gospel message were: that Christ died for our sins, was buried and rose again the third day and would one day come again. But, according to Luke’s account, difficult questions and challenges arose for the apostles as they began to spread this message. These questions, when once settled by the apostles, would further define the gospel with answers that are definitive for us today. By carefully tracing Luke’s presentation of the historical material, David Gooding shows us that Luke has arranged his historical material into six sections, each containing a set of issues and a dominant question that confronted the church: – Was the gospel to be under the authority of the Jewish Sanhedrin, even when they called into question the deity and messiahship of Jesus? – Would the temple and its entire system of worship become obsolete because of Christ’s sacrifice at Calvary, as Stephen claimed? – What would God do when the observance of his own food laws became a barrier to preaching the gospel to Gentiles such as Cornelius? – How would the apostles decide about the rite of circumcision and its relationship to salvation? – How would the gospel distinguish itself from the spiritism, idolatry, religions and philosophies of the pagan world and state positively its own answer to questions of the origin of the universe and life’s ultimate goal? – And how would Paul defend the gospel at the highest levels of society, against every kind of misrepresentation, when he found himself under the power of Roman law and order? The conclusions that the apostles and the early churches reached under the guidance of the Holy Spirit are profoundly relevant. Their defence against each new challenge confirmed the truth of the gospel for every generation of Christ’s disciples. David Gooding’s exposition echoes Acts’ powerful, unspoken exhortation to examine ourselves honestly to see whether the Christianity that we represent and the gospel that we preach and defend are uncompromisingly the same as those established by the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Download or read book Reasonable Faith written by William Lane Craig and published by Crossway. This book was released on 2008 with total page 418 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This updated edition by one of the world's leading apologists presents a systematic, positive case for Christianity that reflects the latest work in the contemporary hard sciences and humanities. Brilliant and accessible.
Download or read book The Faith of the Apostles Creed by J F Bethune Baker written by James Franklin Bethune-Baker and published by . This book was released on 1918 with total page 256 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book Jesus the Apostles and the Early Church written by Pope Benedict XVI and published by Ignatius Press. This book was released on 2007 with total page 143 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Based on Pope Benedict XVI's weekly teaching on the relationship between Christ and the Church, this book tells the drama of Jesus' first disciples - his Apostles and their associates - and how they spread Jesus' message throughout the ancient world. Far from distorting the truth about Jesus of Nazareth, insists Pope Benedict, the early disciples remained faithful to it, even at the cost of their lives. Beginning with the Twelve as the foundation of Jesus' re-establishment of the Holy People of God, Pope Benedict examines the story of the early followers of Christ. He draws on Scripture and early tradition to consider such important figures as Peter, Andrew, James and John, and even Judas Iscariot. Benedict moves beyond the original Twelve to discuss Paul of Tarsus, the persecutor of Christianity who became one of Jesus' greatest disciples. Also considered are Stephen, the first Christian martyr, Barnabas, Timothy, Titus, the wife and husband "team" of Priscilla and Aquila, and such key women figures as Mary, the Mother of Jesus, Mary Magdalene, and Phoebe. Jesus, the Apostles and the Early Church is a fascinating journey back to the origins of Christianity. It reveals how Jesus' earliest disciples faithfully conveyed the truth about the "Jesus of history" and how they laid the foundations for the Church, through whom people today can know the same Jesus.
Download or read book The Dubious Disciples written by J. David Woodington and published by Walter de Gruyter GmbH & Co KG. This book was released on 2020-08-10 with total page 420 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The accounts of Jesus's resurrection in the Gospels are among the most widely discussed passages in the New Testament, and a classic element of the resurrection story is the doubt felt by the disciples when they encountered the risen Lord. In spite of this, scholars have paid relatively little attention to the striking divergences in the portrayal of the disciples across the four Gospels. The Longer Ending of Mark has them stubbornly refuse to believe multiple reports of the resurrection before being upbraided by Christ, Matthew tersely notes their doubts in a single verse and never resolves the problem, Luke depicts a group who are simultaneously terrified and joyful, and John describes the eponymous Doubting Thomas and his request to touch the risen Lord for himself. The Dubious Disciples uses narrative criticism to examine the ways in which each Gospel characterizes the disciples post-resurrection and how these authorial choices influence readers' evaluations of both the disciples' doubts and the doubts they may feel in their own lives. The lessons learned about the nature of doubt vary considerably from one Gospel to the next, and this monograph is the first devoted to a comparison of doubt across all four Gospels.
Download or read book The Hope of Israel written by Brandon D. Crowe and published by Baker Academic. This book was released on 2020-02-18 with total page 250 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This volume highlights the sustained focus in Acts on the resurrection of Christ, bringing clarity to the theology of Acts and its purpose. Brandon Crowe explores the historical, theological, and canonical implications of Jesus's resurrection in early Christianity and helps readers more clearly understand the purpose of Acts in the context of the New Testament canon. He also shows how the resurrection is the fulfillment of the Old Testament Scriptures. This is the first major book-length study on the theological significance of Jesus's resurrection in Acts.
