Series - "Ancient Historical Evidence for Jesus of Nazareth" (pt.7)

This will conclude our look at the historical evidence for Jesus of Nazareth. We will be looking at Other Lost works.

Acts of Pontius Pilate
The contents of this purportedly lost document are reported by both Justin Martyr (ca. 150 A.D.) and Tertullian (ca. 200 A.D.). Both agree that it was an official document of Rome. Two types of archives were kept in ancient Rome. ?The Acta senatus were composed of minutes of the senatorial meetings. These contained no discussions of Christ or Christianity as far as is known. The Commentarii principis were composed of the correspondence sent to the emperors from various parts of the empire. Any report from Pilate to Tiberius would belong to this second group.

Justin Martyr reported around 150 A.D. in his First Apology that the details of Jesus’ crucifixion could be validated from Pilate’s report”

And the expression, “They pierced my hands and my feet,” was used in reference to the nails of the cross which were fixed in His hands and feet. And after he was crucified, they cast lots upon his vesture, and they that crucified Him parted it among them. And that these things did happen you can ascertain the “Acts” of Pontius Pilate.

Later in the same work Justin lists several healing miracles and asserts, “And that He did those things, you can learn from the Acts of Pontius Pilate.”

Justin Martyr relates several facts, believing them to be contained in Pilate’s report. The chief concern is apparently Jesus’ crucifixion, with details such as (1) his hands and feet being nailed to the cross and (2) the soldiers gambling for his garments. But it is also asserted (3) that several of Jesus’ miracles were also included in Pilate’s report.

Tertullian even reports that Tiberius acted on the report:

Tiberius accordingly, in whose days the Christian name made its entry into the world, having himself received intelligence from Palestine of events which had clearly shown the truth of Christ’s divinity, brought the matter before the senate, with his own decision in favour of Christ. The senate, because it had not given the approval itself, rejected his proposal. Caesar held to his opinion, threatening wrath against all accusers of the Christians.

Tertullian’s account claims (4) that Tiberius actually brought details of Christ’s life before the Roman Senate, apparently for a vote of approval. The Senate then reportedly spurned Tiberius’ own vote of approval, which engendered a warning from the emperor not to attempt actions against Christians. As noted by Bruce, this incident, which Tertullian apparently accepts as accurate, is quite an improbable occurrence. It is difficult to accept such an account when the work reporting it is about 170 years later than the event, with seemingly no good intervening sources for such acceptance.

It should be noted that the Acts of Pilate referred to here should not be confused with later fabrications by the same name, which may certainly have been written to take the place of these records which were believed to exist.

Phlegon
The last reference to be discussed in this chapter is that of Phlegon, whom Anderson describes as “a freedmen of the Emperor Hadrian who was born about A.D. 80.” Phlegon's work is no longer in existence and we depend on others for our information.

Origen records the following:
Now Phlegon, in the thirteenth or fourteenth book, I think, of his Chronicles, not only ascribed to Jesus a knowledge of future events (although falling into confusion about some things which refer to Peter, as if they referred to Jesus), but also testified that the result corresponded to His predictions.

Origen adds another comment about Phlegon:
And with regard to the eclipse in the time of Tiberius Caesar, in whose reign Jesus appears to have been crucified, and the great earthquakes which then took place, Phlegon too, I think, has written in the thirteenth or fourteenth book of his Chronicles.

Julius Africanus agrees on the last reference to Phlegon, adding a bit more information: "Phlegon records that, in the time of Tiberius Caesar, at full moon, there was a full eclipse of the sun from the sixth to the ninth hour."

From Phlegon we therefore learn the following items: (1) Jesus accurately predicted the future. (2) There was an eclipse at the crucifixion from the sixth to the ninth hours, (3) followed by earthquakes, (4) all during the reign of Tiberius Caesar. (4) After his resurrection, Jesus appeared and showed his wounds, especially the nail marks from his crucifixion.

This concludes our look at the Historical Evidence for Jesus of Nazareth. With so much evidence out there, it is almost impossible to not believe that there was a man named Jesus that he did miraculous works, died on the cross and was seen by his followers.

Have Intelligent Faith!!

- Nelis

NEW SERIES - "Fables and facts about Creation/Evolution

During this series we will be looking at some fables and facts about the Creation/Evolution debate. We will be going more in depth in later posts.
FABLE: The creation-evolution issue is an issue between religion and science.
FACT: Evolutionists want you to believe that their view is scientific and that creation isn't. Evolution has never been proven by experimentation and observation, so it is not a scientific view. Evolution is just as religious as Creation because both views require faith on the part of their adherents. No one saw God create the universe, and no one saw the "big bang" occur. Both views are religious as far as origins are concerned.

FABLE: Much scientific evidence has been brought forth in recent years in support of evolution.
FACT: Every piece of evidence produced by evolutionists amounts to conjecture, not provable facts. In reality, the true evidence supports creation, not evolution.

FABLE: Scientists have proven the universe to be billions of years old.
FACT: Scientists have proven nothing of the kind. They want the universe to be billions of years old because this allows plenty of time for working in Darwin's theory of evolution. There are many scientists who do not believe the earth to be over several thousand years old, and there is much evidence to support this theory.

FABLE: The geologic column shows a gradual evolution from simple life forms to complex life forms over millions of years.
FACT: The "geologic column" exists only in the minds of evolutionists and in the books they write. This column is nothing more than a fictional chart filled with impressive little pictures and big words. The chart is only a theory because it has never been proven scientifically.
The simplest life forms are placed at the bottom of the chart because they represent fossils which have been found in the deepest strata. This much is true, but then the fables begin. The deepest strata is presumed to be the oldest strata (never proven), and the various layers of strata represent hundreds of millions of years (never proven).
The fact is that the Genesis flood could have easily created every rock formation known to man, and the simplest life forms would naturally be found in the deepest strata because more intelligent life forms would have managed to survive the flood longer, thus being buried last. Most of the "geologic column" was created in about one year (Gen. 6-8), not billions of years.

FABLE: Radioactive dating methods have proven the earth to be billions of years old.
FACT: Radioactive dating has proven to be unreliable time and time again. Some rocks in Russia have been radioactively dated at 100 million to 10 billion years, yet it is well known that these rocks were formed by volcanos less than 200 years ago. Live mollusk shells have been dated up to 2,300 years old. Basalt from Mt. Etna, Sicily was misdated by nearly 250,000 years. Part of a baby frozen mammoth was dated at 40,000 years, while another part was found to be a much "younger" 26,000 years! The wood found around it was estimated to be even younger--10,000 years or less. Radioactive dating methods are anything but a proven science.

 Research all the evidence for yourself and have Intelligent Faith!!

- Nelis

Series - "Common objections to Christianity Pt 5"

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

An atheist is defined primarily in two senses:  Someone who says he believes there is no God, and someone who simply lacks belief in God.  An atheist cannot rationally say he knows there is no God, because he would have to know all things in order to know if there is or isn't a God.  If he says he believes there is no God, ask him why he believes that way, and begin there.  If he says he lacks belief in God, then ask what he does believe in, and start there. You can  always get around to the question of, "How did we get here?"  Since creation and evolution are the only options, here is something further to work with.

An agnostic says he doesn't know if there is or isn't a God. (Usually after saying this you can challenge them to explain the prophecies of the Old Testament fulfilled in the New. You can state how the Bible is unique that way, and that only God can make prophecies that are 100% accurate. Then ask him to explain how that could be done if there is no God.)
If there is no God as you say, then in the end I lose nothing. But if there is a God, in the end you lose everything.
Why don't you believe in God? Is there any reason for you to intelligently reject His existence? Or, do you simply desire not to believe in Him?
The Bible doesn't attempt to prove that God exists. It simply speaks as though He does. Maybe I can't prove to you there is a God, but I can introduce Him to you through His Son Jesus Christ, and you can judge for yourself if the Words of Christ in the Bible convince you of His existence.

Jesus is only one of many great men of history

Granted, Jesus was a great man of history. That is a fact. But, He is different from all the other great men of history. How many great men of history rose from the dead, calmed a sea, walked on water, raised others from the dead, healed sickness, and forgave sins? There aren't any others that I know of. Do you know of any? These things make Him more than great. They make Him special and unique.

You are right, Jesus was a great man. But let me ask you. If He were great, would He lie? Of course not. If He were great, would He be insane? No. You see, Jesus said He was God (John 1:1,14; 10:30-33; 20:28; Col. 2:9; Phil. 2:5-8; Heb. 1:8). If He were lying, we shouldn't listen to Him, and we couldn't call Him great. If He were insane, then we shouldn't listen to Him, and again, we couldn't call Him great. If He is great, then He must be telling the truth. And He was great, right?
John 1:1 says, "In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God." Verse 14 says, "and the Word became flesh..." The Word is Jesus.  This means that Jesus is God in flesh.  If this is so, then He cannot be merely "a great man of history."  He would be far more than that.

The Bible was written to look like Jesus fulfilled prophecy

Then what you are saying is that the New Testament writers lied about Jesus. He really didn't rise from the dead, and all those miracles about Him are really false, right?

I could see your point, but there is just one problem. How do you account for the writers of the New Testament teaching about truth, love, honesty, giving, etc. all based on lies? Why would they suffer hardships like beatings, starvation, shipwreck, imprisonments, and finally execution for nothing but lies? What you are saying doesn't make sense, and raises more questions than it answers.
The only logical explanation is that the fulfilled prophecies really did happen. Jesus actually rose from the dead. He performed miracles, and He forgave sins. He forgave sins then, and He can still do it now. My sins are forgiven, are yours?
Please note that many cult members will die for their faith as well.  But they die for something they believe in, not for something they have actually seen.  Muslims, Mormons, Jehovah's Witnesses all die for their faith.  But the New Testament believers died for what they saw and believed, not for what they believed only.  That is a big difference.  The N.T. writers died claiming that they had seen the risen Lord.  The cult members die for what they believe, and we know that believing doesn't make it true.

The Bible is full of contradictions

Really. Do you know of any? Could you quote me one or two?

(Just in case someone actually does quote what he thinks is a contradiction, it is up to you to give a competent answer (1 Peter. 3:15). If you can't, don't worry. Simply tell him that you will research it and get back with him, and make sure you do.)

There are areas of Scripture that are difficult to understand. This does not mean the Bible is untrustworthy. A very good book to have is the Encyclopedia of Bible Difficulties by Gleason Archer, Zondervan Publishing House, (Grand Rapids, Michigan).

If you have any questions, please contact me or Pastor J at intelligentfaith315@gmail.com or jason@claycup.com.

- Nelis

Series - OneMinuteApologist - "What is the Kalam Cosmological Argument?" With William Lane Craig

Hear special guest Dr. William Lane Craig walk us through the Kalam Cosmological Argument.

- Nelis

Series - "Closer to Truth" How can an Immaterial God Interact with the Physical Universe? (Alvin Plantinga)

PBS' Closer To Truth host Robert Lawrence Kuhn interviews Dr. Alvin Plantinga (often named as the most important living philosopher of religion today) about God interacting with the world.

- Nelis

IBM'S EFFORT TO BUILD A BRAIN

As follows is an article about how IBM is trying to "tackle an impossible task – creating a super  computer that can act like the human brain."


International Business Machines (aka IBM) has set out to tackle an impossible task – creating a super computer that can act like the human brain. The company has succeeded in producing a multitude of artificial  neurons and synapses, and the researchers claim to have conquered more processes than are found in a cat's brain. The 4.5 percent of the human brain they have simulated does do amazing things for a computer, but of course there is no way that it can truly compare to the astoundingly efficient, powerful and ever-changing folds of  gray matter inside each of our heads.
The human cerebral cortex consists of about 20 billion neurons in an über complex network connected by about 200 trillion synapses. IBM has succeeded in simulating a fraction of that processing  power in a supercomputer that has 147,456 parallel processors, each with about 1GB of working memory. It's 1.6 billion computer neurons and 8.87 trillion synapses work together to simulate the thalamocortical loops found between the thalamus and cerebral cortex in the human brain. The simulations exceed the scale of processes found in the cortex of the house cat brain, and about 4.5 percent of those in the human brain. IBM hopes to add the 732,544 more processes to make up the power of one entire human brain by 2019.
The computer has a great deal of processing power, but what exactly can these simulations
accomplish?                  
Specifically, the computational neuroscientists at IBM are working in reproducing the thalamocortical loops that are proportionally so much larger in humans than in other mammals and might be a key to why humans (generally speaking) have higher reasoning abilities than, say, dogs.
The thalamus acts like a sensory relay station sending signals about spatial sense and motor signals to the cerebral cortex. It also regulates consciousness, sleep, and alertness. The cerebral cortex is the "gray matter" of our brains. It is vital for our ability to perceive the world - sight, sound, taste, smell, touch - for memory, for consciousness and thought, and for language. Descartes was able to say, "I think, therefore I am," because he had a cerebral cortex.                  
The IBM researchers have therefore attempted to reproduce sight, memory, and computational ability through their supercomputer, given the rather cold name "C2."  C2 has no eyes, but it does have a "brain-cam", the data from which gets converted into an MPEG movie that can be replayed. It has artificial neurons that fire across synapses and C2's makers claim it has simulated the brains of a mouse, a rat, and a cat.
The IBM researchers report that the simulations "incorporate phenomenological spiking neurons, individual learning synapses, axonal delays, and dynamic synaptic channels, exceed the scale of the cat cortex, marking the dawn of a new era in the scale of cortical simulations."                  
Biological v. Computer Brains:
As far as computer science goes, this stuff is fantastic. The processing power and memory required to simulate even a mouse brain goes far beyond what can be accomplished with the common laptop. Consider the computational power in 147,456 CPUs and 144 terabytes (144,000 gigabytes) of memory. That's what these guys are working with.
Biologists flippantly say that the brain is the result of adaptive evolution over millions of years. It works because the creatures whose brains didn't work died. Yet, brilliant scientists modeling their supercomputer on existing biology have struggled to produce anything close to the full power of a living brain. The researchers are pleased to have surpassed the computational power of a cat. Yet, the computer still has no hope of pouncing on rodents in the grass, of computing the exact distance to leap and sending signals to a system of muscles within a fraction of a second. The computer cannot use the vast acres of data taken in by one sweep of a cat's head or prick of its ears or whiff of the air in the exceptionally efficient and effective way that a cat does to know that a vole is hiding in the grass two feet away. The computer doesn't enjoy eating that vole. It has no emotion. It cannot care, and it cannot add more neurons to itself to simulate caring. In fact, it is questionable whether the IBM researchers, with all their biological brain power can figure out how to simulate "caring" in a computer at all. Ever.
These great minds have worked day and night to attempt to recreate merely the processes of the cat and mouse and rat brains with little true reflection of those brains' abilities, and they have given themselves eight more years to get close to simulating a full human brain. Even then, we suspect it will fall dismally short of the reality.                  
It is easy to say that the brains of "higher" organisms evolved over millions of years. However, biologists are hard pressed to demonstrate that any such thing is even possible. Neuroscientists don't fully understand how the brain works, let alone how it came to be. Unfeeling, unthinking, computers may be able to solve complex mathematical problems or pull up items from their memories faster than we can, but they use far more power to do so, and they miss the nuances. As Mark Fischetti writes in Scientific American, "The incredibly efficient brain consumes less juice than a dim lightbulb and fits nicely inside our head. Biology does a lot with a little: the human genome, which grows our body and directs us through years of complex life, requires less data than a laptop operating system. Even a cat's brain smokes the newest iPad - 1,000 times more data storage and a million times quicker to act on it."

The scientists claim that they can "make up the power of one entire human brain by 2019", our brain still out performs the computer brain. The same time our  brain is sending a signal to our finger to alert us of the hot plate, it is monitoring our heart beat, breathing, oxygen levels, body temperature, input from our senses and the list goes on.
So for them to "creating a super computer that can act like the human brain" they need more then just computing power, they need to make the impossible possible, non-living to come alive.

- Nelis

According to evolutionists, humans have been on earth for around 100 000 - 400 000 years. Analyzing all the information above, it’s very hard to believe that. The human brain needs more time then what's available to evolutionists. The other option left is that God created humans with an extraordinary brain. Choose your option after reviewing all the facts.

have Intelligent Faith!!

Series - "Closer to Truth" Is the Person All Material? (Alvin Plantinga)

PBS' Closer To Truth host Robert Lawrence Kuhn interviews Dr. Alvin Plantinga (often named as the most important living philosopher of religion today) on the soul of man. Does man have a soul? Or is he just his body? Is he thinking just his physical brain?

- Nelis

URGENT ACTION REQUIRED: NASA discriminates against intelligent design

Stand Up Now for David Coppedge’s Right to Speak about Intelligent Design!

Urgent Action Required: Contact the leaders of NASA’s Jet Propulsion Lab and demand they make things right.

The FactsAccording to a discrimination lawsuit filed in California Superior Court, supervisors at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) illegally harassed, demoted and retaliated against computer systems administrator David Coppedge without warning after he occasionally loaned pro-intelligent design science videos to some of his colleagues. Coppedge’s actions were deemed inappropriate even though his colleagues were apparently allowed free rein to attack intelligent design in the workplace.
After Coppedge filed his discrimination lawsuit, his position was suspiciously terminated by JPL in January 2011. On Nov. 18, 2011, a judge ruled that Coppedge’s case presented legitimate issues of fact and law and ordered that the case move forward to a jury trial. Rather than settle the case, the Jet Propulsion Lab has continued to wage legal war on David Coppedge—wasting precious taxpayer dollars in the process.

Take Action NowYour phone calls and emails are urgently needed to get NASA’s Jet Propulsion Lab to stop its discrimination against employees who think there is scientific evidence of intelligent design. Contact these JPL leaders right now and ask them to settle the Coppedge lawsuit and stop discriminating against employees who believe the universe was intelligently designed:

Dr. Charles Elachi, Director of JPL Office phone: 818 354-5673
Email address:charles.elachi@jpl.nasa.gov
Dr. Jean-Lou Chameau, President of Cal Tech [Cal Tech operates JPL under a contract with NASA]
Office phone: 626-395-6301
Email address: chameau@caltech.edu

Be respectful in your message, but indicate that as a taxpayer who ultimately pays for the budget of JPL, you think it’s wrong to use taxpayer resources to promote discrimination against intelligent design.

- Nelis

Series - "Common objections to Christianity Pt 4"

During this post we will be looking at more objections to Christianity and questions about it.

Christianity is boring

Then you haven't experienced it. No one who is a Christian will ever say that it is boring.

How do you know? Have you tried it? There are millions of Christians who have a lot of fun being Christian. We just do it with a lot less sin, and therefore, a lot less problems. Maybe it's only your problems that keep you from getting bored.

What do you think we do all day, sit around fireplaces and read Bibles? We ski, swim, play sports, read, have friends and problems like anybody else. Christianity is not boring. It is an adventure.

I am trying to be a Christian

 You become a Christian by simply putting your trust in Jesus and His sacrifice for you on the cross. There is no "trying" involved. If you trust Jesus, if you ask Him to forgive you of your sins and be your Savior, then you are a Christian. It is living like a Christian after you've become one, that is difficult.

If you believe that in order to become a Christian you must be good, then you misunderstand, or don't have a good understanding of salvation. A Christian is a Christian by the gift of God (Rom. 6:23), not the work of man (Eph. 2:8-9). There is nothing you can do to earn salvation or keep salvation. It is simply something God freely gives you. If you want it, confess your sins, repent, turn to God, and trust Jesus as your only Savior. Then, and only then, will you become a Christian.

I will worry about God in the next life

That you may very well do, forever. Eternity is a long time to be wrong, especially about Jesus.

God has warned us in the Bible that it is appointed for men to die once, then judgment (Heb. 9:27). After death, you will be judged. Do you want to face eternity without the sacrifice of Jesus Christ accounted to you? God hates sin and you have sinned. God will punish sinners if they reject Jesus. However, He loves you. That is why He sent His Son to die for sins. If you want eternal life, then you need to worry about it now. Eternity is a long time to be wrong, especially about Jesus.

There is no next life. Reincarnation isn't true. The Bible says after death you face God (Heb. 9:27).

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

Like what? Why do you need to do these things before you come to God? Are they bad things or good? If they are bad, then you shouldn't do them. If they are good, why can't you become a Christian and then do them?

Nothing you can do could be more important than your relationship with God. To put Him off is unwise. What if you die before you become a Christian? Then you would be eternally without hope.

Your statement implies you believe following God will mean you won't be able to do the things you want to do. If that is true, then that means the things you intend to do would displease God. Are you saying you prefer to do something God wouldn't want you to do? If that is so, you are willfully sinning against God, and putting yourself in a dangerous situation. That is all the more reason you need His forgiveness.



I already believe in God

Are you living your life as if that were true? Does your belief in God affect the way you live, or do you still do entirely as you please?

If you say you believe in God, then how do you know what He wants for you? Are you in contact with Him? Do you just trust whatever you feel is right?

The Bible says the Devil believes in God (James 2:19), and he is lost. If all you do is simply believe that God exists, then you are no better off than he is. It is not intellectual acknowledgment of God's existence that God wants, but your accepting the sacrifice Jesus made on behalf of sinners that pleases God. Simply believing is not enough. You must choose to follow Him.

It is not that you believe; it is who you put your faith in. Who is this God you believe in? Is He the Christian one? Is he Allah? Is he from another planet? Is he whatever you feel is right? Is he loving? Believing in God is fine unless your god is false. The important thing is that you must believe in the true God, not a false one, and the true God is found in the Bible.



If you have any questions or concerns please email us with them. There is nothing wrong with asking questions and seeking the truth.

Have intelligent Faith!!

- Nelis


Series - "Closer to Truth" Is the Soul Immortal? (Alvin Plantinga)

PBS' Closer To Truth host Robert Lawrence Kuhn interviews Dr. Alvin Plantinga (often named as the most important living philosopher of religion today) on the soul of man. Does man have a soul? Or is he just his body? Is he thinking just his physical brain?

- Nelis

Series - "Closer to Truth" How Free Is God? (William Lane Craig)

Robert Lawrence Kuhn (host of PBS' "Closer To Truth") interviews William Lane Craig about God's omnipotence. Questions explored: What can God do? What can God not do? What is an omnipotent God? How is God "limited"? Can God do a self-contradiction? Is God free to not make a creation? Is God free to make multiple universes? What else can God NOT do? Who is St. Anselm? Can God sin? To be worthy of worship must God be morally perfect? What is meant by counter-factuals of freedom? What is the "limitation" of God's freedom?

- Nelis

Warm welcome to our international visitors

I just want to take a few moments to welcome our international visitors again. According to the statistics that get sent to me as the site administrator, we have viewers in Canada, France, Philippines, Czech Republic, Colombia, Russia, United Kingdom, Spain, China, Australia, Germany and my birth country South Africa among others. Today we got a lot of visitors from the Holy Land, Israel.
 I just wanted to send all of you international guests a warm welcome and let you know that it's a pleasure to be connected with you.

If there's any specific issues that you would like to see addressed on INTELLIGENT FAITH 315 or questions that you personally have regarding God, Jesus, or the evidence for the Christian Faith, please email me, Nelis or Pastor J and we will be more then happy to answer you. Our email addresses are: intelligentfaith315@gmail.com or jason@claycup.com. 

Know what you believe and why you believe it!!! God bless you all

- Nelis

Series - OneMinuteApologist - "Argument of Evil & Suffering Against the Existence of God? (William Lane Craig)"

One Minute Apologist's Bobby Conway asks special guest Dr. William Lane Craig the question "What is the argument of evil and suffering against the existence of God?"

Watch this exciting episode and grab a copy of Dr. Craig's new book "On Guard" to learn more about this and other arguments on how to defend your faith with reason and precision.

- Nelis

Series - "Ancient Historical Evidence for Jesus of Nazareth" (pt.6)

This will be the second to last post for the Historical Evidence for Jesus of Nazareth. We will be looking at Gnostic Sources. These sources are different from all the others in that these works often make the claim to be Christian. Scholars still debate the question of the origin of Gnosticism and it is generally said to have flourished mainly form the 2nd to the 4th centuries A.D. It is from the 2nd to the 4th century we get the materials of this section.
It must be admitted that this group of writers was still more influenced by the New Testament writings than the others. Although many of the ideas in these four books are Christian, Gnosticism in many of it forms and teachings was pronounced heretical and viewed as such by the church.


The Gospel of Truth
This book was possibly written by the gnostic teacher Valentinus, which would date its writing around 135 - 160 A.D. If not, it was probably at least from this school of thought and still dated in the second century A.D. Unlike some gnostic works, The Gospel of Truth addresses the subject of the historicity of Jesus in several short passages. It does not hesitate to affirm that the Son of God came in the flesh. The author asserts that “the Word came into the midst . . . it became a body.

 Later he states:

       "For when they had seen him and had heard him, he granted them to taste him and to smell him and to touch the beloved Son. When he had appeared instructing them about the Father . . . . For he came by means of fleshly appearance"

From these two quotations this book indicates (1) that Jesus was the Son of God, the Word and (2) that he became a man and took on an actual human body which could be perceived by all five senses. (3) We are also told that he instructed his listeners about his Father.

 According to The Gospel of Truth, Jesus also died and was raised from the dead:

Jesus was patient in accepting sufferings . . . since he knows that his death is life for many . . . he was nailed to a tree; he published the edict of the Father on the cross. . . . He draws himself down to death through life . . . eternal clothes him. Having stripped himself of the perishable rags, he put on imperishability, which no one can possibly take away from him.

Here and later  the author states (4) that Jesus was persecuted and suffered and (5) that he was “nailed to a tree,” obviously referring to his crucifixion. (6) We are also told of the belief that it was Jesus’ death that brought salvation “for many,” which is referred to as the imparting of Light to those who would receive it. It is also asserted (7) that Jesus was raised in an eternal body which no one can harm or take from him. The theological overtones in The Gospel of Truth (as well as in other gnostic writings) present an obvious contrast to the ancient secular works inspected above. Yet, even allowing for such theological motivation, these early gnostic sources still present us with some important insights into the historical life and teachings of Jesus.

The Apocryphon of John
Grant asserts that this work is closely related to the thought of the gnostic teacher Saturninus, who taught around 120 - 130 A.D. The Apocryphon of John was modified as it was passed on and was known in several versions. Irenaeus made use of one of these versions as a source for his treatment of gnosticism, Against Heresies, written ca. 185 A.D. Thus, by this time, at least the major teachings of The Apocryphon of John were in existence.

In a largely mythical treatise involving esoteric matters of gnostic theology, this book does purport to open with a historical incident. We are told: It happened [one day]when Jo[hn, the brother] of James,—who are the sons of Ze[bed]ee—went up and came to the temple, that a [Ph]arisee named Arimanius approached him and said to him, “[Where] is your master whom you followed?” And he [said] to him, “He has gone to the place from which he came.” The Pharisee said to him, “[This Nazarene] deceived you (pl.) with deception and filled [your ears with lies] and closed [your hearts and turned you] from the traditions [of your fathers].

This passage relates (1) that John the disciple, in response to a question from Arimanius the Pharisee, stated that Jesus had returned to heaven, a possible reference to the Ascension. (2) The Pharisee responded by telling John that Jesus had deceived his followers with his teachings, which is reminiscent of the Talmud’s statements about Jesus. Whether such an encounter between John and Arimanius actually occurred or not, such is apparently a typical view of Jesus’ teachings from the standpoint of the Jewish leaders.

The Gospel of Thomas
This book describes itself in the opening statement as “the secret sayings which the living Jesus spoke.” Grant notes that this collection of teachings thereby purports to be the words of the risen Jesus, thus accounting for the almost complete absence of statements concerning his birth, life and death. The text is usually dated from around 140 - 200 A.D.
In an incident similar to Jesus’ question at Caesarea Philippi, reported in the synoptic Gospels, The Gospel of Thomas also presents Jesus asking his disciples, “Compare me to someone and tell Me whom I am like.” They respond by describing him as an angel, a philosopher and as an indescribable personage.
In a later passage the disciples refer to Jesus as the consummation of the prophets. Jesus is said to have partially answered his own question on several occasions. He describes himself as the Son of Man, which is also the name most commonly reported in the Gospels.

 In another instance Jesus speaks in more specifically gnostic terminology: Jesus said, “It is I who am the light which is above them all. It is I who am the All. From Me did the All come forth, and unto Me did the All extend. Split a piece of wood, and I am there. Lift up the stone, and you will find Me there.

In these passages which concern the identity of Jesus, we are told (1) that Jesus asked his disciples for their view. (2) Their responses were varied, with the comparison of Jesus to a philosopher being especially reminiscent of the references by Lucian and Mara Bar Serapion. Jesus then identified himself as (3) the Son of Man, (4) the Son of His Father and (5) as the All of the Universe.
The Gospel of Thomas also records a parable concerning the death of Jesus and relates his subsequent exaltation. Again, Jesus is identified as “living” or as the “Living One,” a reference to his post resurrection life.

The foregoing references in The Gospel of Thomas require further comment. Initially, they often appear to be dependent on gospel testimony, especially in the question of Jesus’ identity and in the parable of the vineyard. Additionally, the overly obvious gnostic tendencies, such as those found in the identification of Jesus with the “Undivided” and with the “All,” including monistic tendencies, certainly cast doubt on the reliability of these reports.

The Treatise On Resurrection
This book is addressed to an individual named Rheginos by an unknown author. Some have postulated that Valentinus is the author, but most scholars object to this hypothesis.

For the author of The Treatise of the Resurrection, Jesus became a human being but was still divine:
The Lord . . . existed in flesh and . . . revealed himself as Son of God . . . Now the Son of God, Rheginos, was Son of Man. He embraced them both, possessing the humanity and the divinity, so that on the one hand he might vanquish death through his being Son of God, and that on the other through the Son of Man the restoration to the Pleroma might occur; because he was originally from above, a seed of the Truth, before this structure (of the cosmos) had come into being.

In this passage we find much gnostic terminology in addition to the teachings (1) that Jesus became flesh as the Son of Man in spite of (2) his true divinity as the Son of God who conquers death.

So Jesus came to this world in the flesh of a man, died and rose again: For we have known the Son of Man, and we have believed that he rose from among the dead. This is he of whom we say, “He became the destruction of death, as he is a great one in whom they believe.” Great are those who believe.

In less esoteric language we are told (3) that Jesus died, (4) rose again and (5) thereby destroyed death for those who believe in him.

We are told of Jesus’ resurrection in other passages as well:
The Savior swallowed up death. . . . He transformed [himself] into an imperishable Aeon and raised himself up, having swallowed the visible by the invisible, and he gave us the way of our immortality.
Do not think the resurrection is an illusion. It is no illusion, but it is truth. Indeed, it is more fitting to say that the world is an illusion, rather than the resurrection which has come into being through our Lord the Savior, Jesus Christ.

These two quotations even present an interesting contrast on the subject of Jesus’ death and resurrection. While the first statement is mixed with gnostic terminology, the second assures believers that the resurrection was not an illusion, which reminds us of some gnostic tendencies to deny the actual, physical death of Christ.

Once again, these previous four sources are theologically oriented, freely incorporating many gnostic tendencies, in addition to being generally later than most of our other sources. While these two qualifications do not necessitate unreliable reporting of historical facts about Jesus, we are to be cautious in our use of this data.

Research the Evidence, Find the Truth and have Intelligent Faith!!

- Nelis

Series - "Closer to Truth" Is the Soul Immortal? (Alvin Plantinga)

PBS' Closer To Truth host Robert Lawrence Kuhn interviews Dr. Alvin Plantinga about life after death? Is the soul immortal?

- Nelis

Series - "Common objections to Christianity Pt 3"

Can God create a rock too heavy for him to lift?

The answer is that God cannot do the logically impossible. There can't exist a rock that is too heavy for an omnipotent being to lift. Since it's a logical impossibility, God can't create it, just as he can't prove that A is the same as not A. This does not limit God's power, for he can do everything that is logically possible; nothing is too hard for him (Jer 32:17).

If God knows for sure that an event will occur at a certain time in the future, can he prevent it from occurring?

When we say that God is omnipotent regarding future events, what we really mean is that God can cause any particular event to occur at any given time. If God wants it to rain next Friday in San Juan, he is capable of causing it to rain. Furthermore, God's omniscience means that he's always known what he will want to happen on any given day, and can plan events accordingly. If God wants it to rain next Friday in San Juan, he would have known that he wanted that event to occur when the universe was created, and he would have set things up accordingly.
Thus if God knows it will rain next Friday in San Juan, it's because he wants it to rain then and there and will cause it to happen. If he wanted different weather in San Juan next Friday, he would have caused that weather to occur instead.
God doesn't change his mind (1 Sam 15:29), so he will never be in a situation where one day he wants an event to occur but the next day he doesn't. Yet even if he did change his mind, he would have always known that he would change his mind and what his final wishes would be, and he could act according to his final wishes.

How can we have free will if God has a plan for our lives and knows everything we'll do in advance?

Since God is omniscient, God has foreknowledge, meaning he knows what everyone will do in the future and what any individual would do in any given situation. This foreknowledge enables God to have a plan for everyone's life. For instance, if God wants a particular action to occur, he knows who would choose to do that action, and under what circumstances they would choose it; thus he is able to plan for it to happen. However, God's knowing what choices we will make is simply knowledge - it doesn't remove our free will, for we are still the ones making the choices.

This may be more understandable if we consider that we have a type of foreknowledge from our knowledge of history. For example, we know that the Americans won the Revolutionary War. If we went back in time before the Revolutionary War took place, our knowing the outcome wouldn't force anyone to do anything. Our knowing the Boston Tea Party would take place wouldn't mean that the colonists would be forced to throw the tea overboard, it would only mean that we'd know what the colonists would choose to do. It's the same with God: his knowing what we'll freely choose to do doesn't mean we're forced to make that choice.

Have Intelligent Faith!!

- Nelis

Series - "Closer to Truth" Can God Change? (William Lane Craig)

Here we continue our series Closer To Truth. Robert Lawrence Kuhn (host of PBS' "Closer To Truth") interviews William Lane Craig about God's omniscience. Questions explored: Can God change His mind? Is it possible for an omniscient being to change His mind? Isn't there instances in Scripture where God changes His mind?

- Nelis

Series - OneMinuteApologist - "What if an Atheist Denies One of Your Premises? (William Lane Craig)"

If you have a good deductive argument, and an atheist denies one of your premises, what do you do? The One Minute Apologist asked Dr. William Lane Craig this question in today's episode.

- Nelis

Series - "Closer to Truth" Can Many Religions All be True? (Alvin Plantinga)

PBS' Closer To Truth host Robert Lawrence Kuhn interviews Dr. Alvin Plantinga (often named as the most important living philosopher of religion today) about all religions being true.

- Nelis

Series - "Ancient Historical Evidence for Jesus of Nazareth" (pt.5)

We continue our look at Historical evidence for Jesus Christ. In this post we will be looking at the
Other Gentile Sources. First we will look at Lucian and then Mara Bar Serapion.

Lucian

A second century Greek satirist, spoke rather derisively of Jesus and early Christians. His point was to criticize Christians for being such gullible people that, with very little warrant, they would approve charlatans who pose as teachers, thereby supporting these persons even to the point of making them wealthy. In the process of his critique he relates some important facts concerning Jesus and Christians:

The Christians, you know, worship a man to this day- the distinguished personage who introduced their novel rites, and was crucified on that account.... You see, these misguided creatures start with the general convictions that they are immortal for all time, which explains contempt of death and voluntary self-devotion which are so common among them; and then it was impressed on them by their original lawgiver that they are all brothers, from the moment that they are converted, and deny the gods of Greece, and worship the crucified sage, and live after his laws. All this they quite on faith, with the result that they despise all worldly goods alike, regarding them merely as common property.

From this we see Jesus was worshipped by Christians, Jesus introduced a new teaching in Palestine (location given in another unquoted portion), then He was crucified because of these teachings, Jesus thought his followers certain doctrines, false gods are to be denied, living according to His law, Christians believed to be immortal and Christians accept Jesus' teachings by faith.

Mara Bar Serapion

The British museum owns the manuscript of a letter written sometime between the late 1st and 3rd century A.D. Its author was a Syrian named Mara Bar Serapion, who was writing from prison to motivate his son Serapion to emulate wise teachers of the past.

What advantage did the Athenians gain from putting Socrates to death? Famine and plague came upon them as a judgment for their crime. What advantage did the men of Samos gain from burning Pythagoras? in a moment their land was covered with sand. What advantage did the Jews gain from executing their wise King? It was just after that that their kingdom was abolished. God justly avenged these three wise men: the Athenians died if hunger; Samarians were overwhelmed by the sea; the Jews, ruined and driven from their land, live in complete dispersion. But Socrates did not die for good; he lived on the statue of Hera. Nor did the wise King die for good; he lived on in the teaching which he had given.

From this we learn that Jesus was considered to be a wise and virtuous man, he is addressed twice as the King of Jews, Jesus was killed unjustly by the Jews and Jesus lived in the teachings of early Christians.


In the next post we will be looking at the last source for historical evidence for Jesus, Gnostic Sources. So far with all the overwhelming evidence out there, the logical conclusion is that there was a man named Jesus that walked the earth and people (Christians) followed His teachings sometimes even to the death. It doesn't matter if you agree with His teachings or not (that will be another series in the future), but all the evidence show that He lived. Most of us believe that Alexander the Great, Aristotle, Socrates, Homer, Julius Caesar and Plato lived with much less evidence, so why not Jesus of Nazareth?

Have Intelligent Faith

- Nelis

NEW SERIES - "Closer to Truth". Did God Create Multiple Universes? (William Lane Craig)

Here we have Robert Lawrence Kuhn (host of PBS' "Closer to Truth") ask William Lane Craig about the multiverse. Questions explored: Does the multiverse contradict theism? Could God have created the multiverse? What is "branching" and "planck time" in quantum mechanics? Did God in fact create a multiverse? What would a multiverse look like?
The multiverse hypothesis was created to get around the evidence that the "big bang" was the beginning of time and space, and that a "bang" needs a "banger". Although there is no empirical evidence that a multiverse exists, a lot of "scientists" is accepting this hypothesis as being true.
Some cosmologists, such as Paul Davies and George Ellis, argue that many Multiverse theories lack empirical testability and are unfalsifiable; they are thus outside the methodology of scientific investigation to confirm or disprove.

Check out the website closertotruth.com

Research the Evidence, Find the Truth and have Intelligent Faith!!

- Nelis

SERIES - "Common objections to Christianity Pt 2"

Here we will be looking at some objections about Jesus. Before you make a judgment about Jesus, research all the evidence available and then and only then pass judgment.

1.      Did Jesus faint on the cross and revive later?

There is no reason to believe Jesus survived his crucifixion. An Examination of the Medical Evidence for the Physical Death of Christ by Brad Harrub and Bert Thompson explains the suffering Jesus endured prior to his crucifixion and what crucifixion would have done to him.

 Even if he had managed to survive until someone came to take him down, the centurions would have verified that he was truly dead before allowing his body to be removed (Mk 15:44-45, Jn 19:31-34).

Further arguments against this theory are the facts that Jesus' body was anointed with 75 pounds' worth of spices (Jn 19:39-40) and laid in a tomb with a heavy stone blocking the door (Mk 16:2-4).

Had Jesus still been alive at this point, his incredibly weakened state would have prevented him from throwing off the weighted fabric surrounding him and moving the huge stone.

2.      Did the disciples steal the body? One alternate theory often proposed is that the disciples stole Jesus' body and claimed he was resurrected. While the tomb was guarded and sealed with a heavy stone (the movement of which would presumably have alerted/awoken the guards had they been sleeping). This theory requires the disciples to have lied about the Resurrection and to have preached Christianity when they knew its very foundation was false. Yet what profit did they gain from this? The wealth was shared among all the members, not given to the apostles alone (Ac 2:44-45). Instead, they were persecuted and all except John were martyred^.  Not only this, but they traveled far from their native country in order to spread the Gospel and were separated as a consequence; they could easily have confessed the lie or stopped preaching and slipped into obscurity, thus saving themselves from persecution and avoiding a confrontation with their partners in crime.

The conspiracy theory also doesn't explain how the early church could get away with claiming that over 500 people saw the resurrected Christ (1 Cor 15:3-8) or how Paul, a well-known persecutor of the church, could have been accepted as a convert.

If the apostles knew Jesus hadn't really risen from the dead, they would know Paul couldn't have really seen Jesus on his way to Damascus. There would be no reason for them to accept their enemy into their inner circle; on the contrary, the most likely explanation to them would be that he was attempting to become an undercover spy.

- Nelis

NEW SERIES - "Common objections to Christianity"

I am not a sinner, I am already good enough, I am already religious, how can a good God send people to hell, religion is whatever you feel is right

Some, or most of us has probably had some doubt when it comes to God or more specifically Christianity. We will be starting a new series about the common objections to Christianity and the existence of God.

If you have any questions about this topic, please leave a comment or email us with the question.

Today we will be looking at some of these objections, 1. I am not a sinner, 2. There is no such thing as sin, 3. I am already good enough, 4. I tried Christianity once. Lets look at these questions in more detail.

1. I am not a sinner: So are you saying you are perfect? If you are, then you're the first perfect person I've ever met who has never sinned.
   Are you saying you've never broken the Law of God? Have you ever lied, cheated, or stolen? If you have, then you are a sinner whether you think so or not.  As a sinner, you are separated from God. However, God loves you enough not to want you to be separated from Him. He sent Jesus to pay for your sins on the cross. So, the only way to have your sins forgiven is to put your trust in Jesus and the sacrifice He made.
2. There is no such thing as sin
   Sin is doing what is wrong before God. To say there is no such thing as sin is to say there is no God. Are you willing to bet your life that there is no God?
    Saying there is no such thing as sin doesn't mean there isn't. Have you ever lied, or cheated, or stolen? If so, then biblically, you've sinned.
    How do you know that there is no such thing as sin? Seriously, how do you "know" there is no such thing as sin? After all, you'd have to "know" there was no God, too.
3. I am already good enough
   How good do you have to be to get to Heaven? God is holy, and requires holiness. Holiness is purity. Even though you may think you are good enough, even one sin disqualifies you from being in the presence of God. You could never be good enough. That is why you need Jesus.
   
   The Bible says that there is none good enough. "There is none who does good, there is not even one," Goodness is measured by God's standard - not yours.
   
   To say that you are good enough means that Christ did not have to die. But He did die to save sinners. The Bible says if righteousness can come by good deeds, then Christ didn't need to die, but He did, so being good isn't enough.
4. I tried Christianity once
   The Bible says that once you are saved, you are never the same again; you are a new creature. If you have gone back to your old ways, then most probably you were never saved. If, however, you were saved, then God won't let you stay in rebellion for long. He will deal with you in whatever way is necessary to bring you back into fellowship with Him.
   
   Did you become a Christian by going to church or by asking Jesus to forgive you of your sins? The latter makes you a Christian, the former doesn't.
   
   You don't try Christianity to see if it works, or if your life gets better. You receive Christ because you trust what he has done for you on the cross so you can escape the judgment of God upon you for your sin.

I really hope that seaking the truth about God and Christianity will bring you into a relationship with our creator.

Have Intelligent Faith

- Nelis

SERIES - OneMinuteApologist - "The New Atheism (William Lane Craig)"

Here we are continuing with our One Minute Apologist Series, featuring short videos from some of Christianity's leading thinkers and defenders of the faith.
Dr. William Lane Craig (who speaks with One Minute Apologist's Bob Conway), renowned scholar and philosopher, helps us understand the intrigue behind the new atheism and Richard Dawkins. Dr Craig is known for his work on the philosophy of time and the philosophy of religion, specifically the existence of God and the defense of Christian theism.

Check out his website at reasonablefaith.org or listen to his podcasts on iTunes (reasonable faith, defenders).

- Nelis

Series - "Ancient Historical Evidence for Jesus of Nazareth" (pt.4)

So far we have seen Jesus or Christianity being mentioned by seven historical persons. Now we will be looking at two more sources in this category, The Ohter Jewish Sources. First we will be looking at the Talmud and then at Toledoth Jesu.

The Talmud

The Jews handed down a large amount of oral tradition from generation to generation. This material was organized according to subject matter by Rabbi Akiba before his death in 135 A.D. His work was then revised by his student, Rabbi Meir. The project was completed about 200 A.D. by Rabbi Judah and i known as the Mishnah. Ancient commentary on the Mishnah was called the Gemaras. The combination of the Mishnah and the Gemaras form the Talmud.

It would be expected that the most reliable information about Jesus from the Talmud would come from the earliest period of compilation - 70 to 200 A.D., known as the Tannaitic period. A Very significant quotation is found in Sanhedrin 43a, dating from just this period:

On the eve of the Passover Yeshu (Jesus) was hanged. For forty days before the execution took place, a herald went forth and cried, "He is going forth to be stoned because he has practiced sorcery and enticed Israel to apostasy. Anyone who can say anything in his favor, let him come forward and plead on his behalf". But since nothing was brought forward in his favor he was hanged on the eve of the Passover!

Here we have a brief account of Jesus' death. It should be noted that these two references to Jesus being "hanged" is being spoken of also in the New Testament. There it speaks of crucifixion in the same way. Jesus is said to be "hanged" (Greek kremamenos Gal. 3:13), as were the two males killed at the same time (Greek kremasthenton in Luke 23:39). While the term "crucified" is a much more common reference to this event, "hanged" is a variant expression of the same fate.

Another early reference in the Talmud speaks of five of Jesus' disciples and recounts their standing before the judges who make individual decisions about each one, deciding that they should be executed.

Toledoth Jesu

This anti-Christian document not only refers to Jesus, but gives an interesting account of what happened to Jesus' body after his death. It related that his disciples planned to steal his body. However, a gardener named Juda discovered their plans and dug a new grave in his garden. then he removed Jesus' body from Joseph's tomb and placed it in his own newly dug grave. The disciples came to the original tomb, found Jesus' body gone and proclaimed hi risen. The Jewish leaders also proceeded to Joseph's tomb and found it empty. Juda then took them to his grave and dug up the body of Jesus. The Jewish leaders were greatly relieved and wanted to take the body. Juda replied that he would sell them the body of Jesus and did so for thirty pieces of silver. The Jewish priests then dragged Jesus’ body through the streets of Jerusalem.

it is true that the Toledoth Jesu was not compiled until the 5th century A.D., although it does reflect early Jewish tradition. Even though Jewish scholars scorn the reliability of this source, the teaching that the disciples were the ones who removed the dead body of Jesus persisted in the early centuries after Jesus' death. As reported in Matt. 28:11-15, this saying was still popular when the gospel was written, probably between 70-85 A.D. Additionally, Justin Martyr, writing about 150 A.D., states that the Jewish leaders had even sent specially trained men around the Mediterranean, even to Rome, to further this teaching, which is confirmed by Tertullian about 200 A.D. in other words, even if the Toledoth Jesu itself is too late or untrustworthy a source, in spite of its early material, the idea that the tomb was empty because the body was removed or stolen was common in early church history, as witnessed by other sources.

Next we will be looking at Other Gentile Sources. Until next time

-Nelis