Posts Tagged ‘evidence’
The Existence of God
by Samuel A. Matthews “If someone does not believe in God, He cannot please God, because the person who comes to God must believe that He lives (exists). That person must also believe that God will give rewards to the people who are searching for him” (Hebrews 11:6 Simple English Bible). Loved ones, whether God…
Read MoreA Center of Certitude
from A Place to Stand by Elton Trueblood via Sentry Magazine, Vol. 21 No. 4, December 1995 The most pragmatic reason for seeing that Christ is the most dependable reality is the evidence of changed human lives. When we consider Saul of Tarsus on the road to Damascus, we are in the realm of the empirical…
Read MoreMany Convincing Proofs
by David Gibson Is it just wishful thinking—the belief that Jesus did indeed rise bodily from the dead? Or is there good, solid evidence for it? Luke says of the apostles, “To these He presented Himself alive after His suffering, by many convincing proofs, appearing to them over a period of forty days …” (Acts…
Read MoreHow Would You Answer?
by David Gibson A friend asked how I would respond if someone said he did not believe the Bible is inspired. This is what I told him. If the person is open to the truth, I would first prove that Jesus rose from the dead. “Nothing is more crucial in the field of Christian evidences…
Read MoreExplanations for the Empty Tomb
by Kenny Chumbley via Sentry Magazine, Vol. 21 No. 3, September 1995 Paul’s belief in the resurrection, shared by early Christianity, was absolute and categorical; nevertheless, the apostle’s exuberant faith has not been universally shared, and a literal resurrection of Jesus’ body has been denied not only by non-Christians but also by liberal theology. The opposition…
Read MoreIs it wrong to quote extrabiblical writings in lessons?
Question: Dear Jeffrey, I have a question and would like to seek your views on it. I have, on several occasions, observed preachers and Bible class teachers quoting denominational leaders (whom I classify as false teachers). Quotations made from Augustine of Hippo, Martin Luther King Junior, Tertullian, etc. The quotations made are not doctrinal in…
Read MoreHow Has God Revealed Himself?
by Terry Wane Benton Skeptics argue that God should reveal Himself more personally than He did in Jesus, claiming that the claim of incarnation is not sufficient to their way of thinking. They demand a personal encounter to force away their doubts. Yet, God has revealed Himself in prophets, in words, in miracles, in creation,…
Read MoreThe Foundations of Radioactive Dating Methods
by John Walton via Sentry Magazine, Vol. 20 No. 4, December 1994 A recent Bible study class focused on the topic of the “age of the Earth.” Considerable discrepancy exists between the age of the Earth as determined by some scientific methods and that indicated by the Bible. The accepted age of the Earth based on…
Read MoreA Case for God from His Goodness
by Ken Marrs via Sentry Magazine, Vol. 20 No. 4, December 1994 The existence of God can be proven in a number of ways. For instance: Teleologically (the design of the universe demands a designer) Cosmologically (nothing can come from nothing, everything must have an antecedent clause) Mathematically (if being mathematically impossible to have all elements…
Read MoreDivine Hiddenness—an Answer to the Skeptics
by Brad Harrub, Ph.D. It’s an issue most parents have wrestled with—even if they’ve never heard the formal term for it: Divine Hiddenness. At its core, the argument asks a simple but emotionally powerful question: If God truly exists, why doesn’t He make Himself unmistakably obvious? Those who raise this objection contend that if God…
Read MoreIs Not Having the Original Manuscripts a Serious Problem?
by Terry Wane Benton It is not a problem at all. Unless all the copies and quotes are so contradictory and diverse that we need the original documents to settle the matter, the numerous quotes and copies provide enough certainty that we do not need the original autographs. In comparing what you do have, you…
Read MoreScience Still Can’t Rule God Out
by Buddy Payne via InLight Media Has science really proved that God does not exist? Many people assume modern science has made belief in God obsolete—but is that actually true? In this video, Buddy Payne examines the limits of the scientific method and asks an important question: Can science prove that God does—or does not—exist?…
Read MoreIs Jesus a Fictional Character? Then So Is History Itself
by Terry Wane Benton People say, “Jesus was a made-up story for control.” Yet the same people believe Napoleon fought wars, Socrates taught philosophy, and Alexander conquered nations – all without demanding proof. So, let’s compare the evidence: Historical Double Standard Socrates never wrote a single word. Everything we know comes from Plato, written decades…
Read MoreThis Is Marvelous in Our Eyes
by Terry Wane Benton “This was the Lord’s doing, and it is marvelous in our eyes” (Mark 12:11 ESV). Watch closely what Jesus is saying and why. He is talking to the Jews who were rejecting Him and reminding them that they were fulfilling the scripture statement of Psalms 118:22 that said, “The stone which…
Read MoreFaith and Evidence
by Shane Scott Several years ago, I decided I needed a hobby. I had many interests – basketball, fantasy baseball, and music – but I engaged in all of these pastimes with members of the church where I preached, or with fellow Christians in the area. I needed a hobby that would put me in…
Read MoreExternal Evidence of Jesus’ Miracles
by Terry Wane Benton Do secular and Jewish writings mention or explain the miracles and powers of Jesus? Secular and Jewish sources from antiquity do not mention or explain Jesus’ miracles in a manner that supports them. Still, they do provide external acknowledgment that he had a reputation as a miracle worker. These writings, however,…
Read MoreSee for Yourself!
by David Gibson Check it out! Truth can bear rigorous investigation. Error cannot. The Bible encourages seekers to examine the evidence for the Christian faith (Luke 1:1-4; 24:36-43; John 1:45-51; 4:28-30, 39-42; 20:19-21; Acts 17:9-11; I Peter 3:15). Here are some areas worth investigating: How the Bible came into being, Fulfilled Old Testament prophecies, The…
Read MoreJohn’s Proposition and Proof
by Terry Wane Benton The gospel of John is very unique in that it sets forth a proposition as in a debate, and then seeks to present evidence to prove the proposition is true. The proposition is stated in the first 18 verses that Jesus was actually God with God from the beginning of creation,…
Read MoreThe Resurrection of Jesus (Benton)
by Terry Wane Benton It was evidence-based faith that drove the apostles to testify of Jesus’ resurrection openly. If Jesus were only a man, then the body should have remained in the tomb guarded by Roman soldiers. If it were still there after three days, the religion of Christ would have been over, squashed by…
Read MoreJust a Body Please
by Terry Wane Benton The prophecies of the Jewish book had spoken of someone who would not see corruption (Psalm 16), someone who would be executed for others’ transgressions, yet whose days would then be prolonged (Isaiah 53). Then, later, Jesus was executed, but the Jewish leaders were determined to prevent a story of resurrection…
Read MoreGod’s Proof of His Existence
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/Gods-Proof-of-His-Existence.mp3 by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Download Audio Text: Exodus 3:1-6 I. Perhaps you have heard statements to the effect that the Bible doesn’t try to prove that God exists. It simply assumes the existence of God. A. At the beginning of the Bible we read “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.” (Genesis…
Read MoreA “Show Me” World
by Zeke Flores We live in a “show me” world. Most of the time, we demand evidence to verify a claim—most of the time. And the more fantastic the claim, the more we want proof. “Show me!” we demand. That’s why I think “doubting” Thomas gets a bad rap. Yes, he had his doubts, but…
Read MoreFacts Are Stubborn Things
by David Gibson A Miracle No One Could Question It was a double miracle: a man lame from birth was healed instantly and could immediately walk without having to learn to walk. No lengthy rehabilitation. It was as if he’d never been lame a day in his life. Naturally, the crowds “were filled with amazement”…
Read MoreHas the Lord Given Enough Evidence?
by Terry Wane Benton The heavens declaring His glory (Psalms 8; 19; Romans 1:20), leaving us “without excuse,” along with our eyes, brains, hearing, being “wonderfully made” (Psalms 139:13-14), the seasons, rain, and food give testimony (Acts 14:17), and the prophetic word is made more sure in amazing predictions and fulfillment (II Peter 1:16-22), and…
Read MoreMany Infallible Proofs
by Terry Wane Benton “To whom He also presented Himself alive after His suffering by many infallible proofs, being seen by them during forty days and speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God” (Acts 1:3 NKJV). Luke was convinced that the evidence for Jesus’s being the Messiah and Son of God was…
Read MoreGod HAS Spoken
by Terry Wane Benton “God, who at various times and in various ways spoke in time past to the fathers by the prophets, has in these last days spoken to us by His Son, whom He has appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the worlds; who being the brightness of His…
Read MoreA Siege Ramp Against Our Faith
by Lee Wildman via Biblical Insights, Vol 14, No. 9, September 2014 Masada was a fortress on a plateau overlooking the Dead Sea where Herod the Great built a palace over 30 years before Jesus was born. After the Romans destroyed Jerusalem in 70 AD, they were determined to take this fortress from the Jews who had…
Read MoreThe Flood
by Terry Wane Benton “By which the world that then existed perished, being flooded with water” (II Peter 3:6). The “world” Peter is discussing is not the world of Judaism. He is not speaking metaphorically of Judaism. That is sometimes read into the passage. It is not the matter under discussion here. What world are…
Read MoreJesus’ and Daniel’s Amazing Prophecy
by Terry Wane Benton Consider one of the most amazing prophecies in all of Scripture. Jesus is leaving the temple when his disciples call his attention to its buildings. As they gaze upon the temple’s massive stone and magnificent buildings, Jesus utters the unthinkable: “I tell you the truth, not one stone here will be…
Read MoreIf the Bible Was Human in Origin
by Terry Wane Benton If God was just made up, and the records of the Israelites that gave us the Old Testament were totally made up by them, then they were not very smart. They predicted their own demise and their rejection of their Messiah, making themselves look ridiculous. Who makes up a story about…
Read MoreIs there no proof of Christianity’s truth?
Question: My sister told me to grow up. She said, “I feel like I’m talking to a younger me,” and told me that I’d understand what she spoke of when I was older. What did she speak of? She denied Christ and said, “I am sure Christ made mistakes.” When I told her the reason…
Read MoreReasons to Believe in Jesus
Text: Matthew 1-2 https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Reasons-to-Believe-in-Jesus.mp3 by Don Bunting One (or Two) Chapter Lessons
Read MoreThe Bible Presents Testimonial Evidence
by Terry Wane Benton The Bible is actually a divinely legal set of 66 pieces of testimony, making the case for Jesus of Nazareth in a most remarkable and amazing way. The first 39 pieces of written testimony lay out the plan for the first arrival of Jesus and what He would accomplish when He…
Read MoreGenealogy as Evidence
by Terry Wane Benton One thing about all the lists of names in the Bible (forget about the difficulty of pronunciation) is that they were kept meticulously to keep the record accurate and verifiable. When Genesis gave a genealogy, it was to show that the writer was being historical and factual. Families could keep their…
Read MoreIf Jesus Was Not Raised from the Dead
by Terry Wane Benton Text: I Corinthians 15 Paul argues that there are logical consequences that follow if Jesus was not really raised from the dead: We are still in our sins. Animal sacrifices should have continued until we got the One who was coming to take away our sins. We are not dealing with…
Read MoreThe Earliest Manuscripts
by Ferrell Jenkins “In the original Greek, it says…” How many times have you heard that in a Bible class or sermon? The fact is, we have no originals (autograph copies) of any New Testament or Old Testament book. Textual critics, those scholars who work with the available materials to produce Hebrew and Greek texts,…
Read MoreGod’s Existence Doesn’t Depend on Me
by Perry Hall In Megan Rappinoe’s last game, she injured herself by tearing her Achilles tendon. She is the women’s soccer team captain and outspoken advocate for LGBTQT+. She immediately said afterward, “I’m not a religious person or anything and if there was a god, like, this is proof that there isn’t”. Let’s examine her…
Read MoreExamining Christianity
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/Examining-Christianity.mp3 by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: II Corinthians 13:1-8 I. Most religions in the world surround themselves in mysteries A. Followers are asked to accept things without full knowledge B. Only a select few are granted special insight C. But God’s teachings are not like these religions 1. God challenges us to reason about the evidence available – Isaiah…
Read MoreWhy Doesn’t God Prove Himself?
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/Why-Doesnt-God-Prove-Himself.mp3 by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: Isaiah 43:8-13 I. “If God is real, why doesn’t He just give concrete evidence?” A. It is a question that preachers frequently run into. B. If I don’t personally see the evidence, then I don’t think adequate proof exists – John 20:25 II. God has given evidence A. The Creation speaks of God’s…
Read MoreEvidence of the Resurrection
by Wayne Wells The Greatest Hoax or the Greatest Event? The resurrection of Jesus was either the greatest hoax of history or the greatest event ever. How can we, living nearly two thousand years later, ever really know whether such an event took place? The importance of finding the answer can be found in 1…
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