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Don’t Be Overcome by Statistics, Overcome Statistics with the Gospel

Don’t Be Overcome by Statistics, Overcome Statistics with the Gospel

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By Brian Chilton

Let’s be honest. We in the Christian world are inundated with bad news. We are bombarded with news about how the Millennial Generation is far more unbelieving than Generation X. In full disclosure, I was born at the end of what would make me a Gen-Xer. Nevertheless, pastors especially are concerned with lower numbers of people in their pews, statistics that show that giving is much lower than in times past, and denominational numbers that are dismal. I am identified as a Southern Baptist. I have heard reports that the SBC baptismal rates are the lowest they have been for quite some time.

Hearing these numbers cause great concern. As one who loves peace and security, I find myself asking some questions that are noble, like—”Will the next generation know about Christ? Will there be an evangelical presence in a future generation?”, And some questions that are admittedly more selfish, like—“Do I have job security as a pastor? Will I have enough time in ministry to retire? What will I do if I lose my position?”. Be honest. If you are in ministry, you have probably asked similar questions.

However, I have had a statement that the apostle Paul gave the Romans on my mind a lot here lately. Paul wrote, perhaps his magnum opus, to the church in Rome. Roman Christians were facing uncertain days as they were often met with persecution. In AD 49, Emperor Claudius had ordered all Jews to leave Rome. The Christian Jews were met with strife over their trust in Christ by fellow Jews. For the Christians left in Rome, they were Gentiles who were bombarded by various other competing worldviews. In the midst of this turmoil, Paul encourages them by saying, “Do not be conquered by evil, but conquer evil with good” (Rom. 12:21).[1] How can these words apply to our situation? First, let’s look at the reactions that people often have when met with opposition.

  1. Reactions to Negative Statistics.

            As an observer of people, I have noticed three negative reactions and one positive to the problems facing the church. We’ll call the three negative reactions the denying mule, the withdrawn ostrich, and the whipped pup, while the positive reaction is noted as the conquering lion.

            The Denying Mule. A mule can be a stubborn animal. If it is content to not do something, it is difficult, if not downright impossible, to get the animal to that thing. In like manner, some Christians will hear the negative statistics that are given and will deny that things are as bad as the statistics portray. Why? It is because the person is content to keep things as they are and is unwilling to change ministerial practices regardless of what may come. This is an unhealthy practice.

            The Withdrawn Ostrich. Ostriches are classically portrayed as sticking their heads in the sand when concerned. I have been told that ostriches do not actually do such a thing. However, for our analogy, we will use the famous scene. For some Christians, they are overly concerned with the bleak news, but they are unwilling are perhaps too afraid to meet the challenges that lie ahead. Therefore, instead of facing the challenges, they withdraw themselves to people like themselves and ignore the outside world. Again, this is an unhealthy practice for the evangelical Christian.

            The Whipped Pup. The third practice is that of a whipped pup. This is likened to an unfortunate puppy who has been met with horrid treatment by even worse people. We have taken in pets before that attach themselves to us, because we treat them well, but are afraid of anyone or anything else. Some Christians are like this whipped pup. They feel defeated and think that there is no hope. They feel anxious and concerned, but do not know how to improve the situation at hand. This too is an unhealthy practice.

            The Conquering Lion. The healthy response is likened to a conquering lion. This animal has confidence and faces any circumstance with the attitude and trust that he can make a difference and can see positive things take place. The conquering lion is the attitude the modern Christian needs to have. It may surprise you to know that even the United States has met times where Christianity wasn’t as strong as it was at other times. God would raise up individuals to bring change. Examples include John Wesley, George Whitefield, D. L. Moody, and more recently Billy Graham.

           2.  Ways to Overcome Negative Statistics.

            So, how do we overcome the statistics? Rather than placing an unhealthy focus on the statistics, I suggest that we take four attitudes moving forward.

            Power of Prayer. First, we need to remember that there is great power in prayer. Do you think that the power of prayer has ceased? Has God changed? Remember, God does not change, he is the same God that he has always been (Heb. 13:8; Rom. 11:29; and Num. 23:19). God hears our prayers (1 Jn. 5:14). So, if God has not changed and he still hears our prayers, why are we not praying more, asking that God does something great in our lives and in the church to change the direction that we’re going?

            Gospel Focus. We cannot ignore the statistics. However, I do not think we should make statistics our primary focus. Our primary focus should be on Christ and on fulfilling his Great Commission. We cannot control what other people do. However, we can control where we place our focus. What if every Christian and every church took the gospel seriously and tried to share their faith by both their actions and words? Why we might see another Great Awakening sooner than we thought.

            Divine Trust. Also, we must not be consumed by the negativity all around us. We must trust God in all things and understand that he does have a great plan for us and for all of history. It’s also in Romans that Paul notes that “all things work together for the good of those who love God, who are called according to his purpose” (Rom. 8:28). Trust in God and in his direction.

            Genuine Love. Finally, we must not lose the focus we should all have on love. Do we really love the lost? That is a serious question we must ask ourselves. Jesus said, “By this everyone will know that you are my disciples if you love one another” (Jn. 13:35). Can people see Christ in us by the love we have? If not, we need to first have a revival within ourselves.

 Conclusion

Statistics are important. They serve as a gauge to illustrate the spiritual condition of our time. However, we cannot be consumed by the negative statistics we read and hear. For us to have a revival, no amount of human tactics will do any good. Rather, to have a true revival, God must move. He must move within us as we are the hands and feet of Jesus. So, to borrow Paul’s statement in Romans 12:21: Don’t be overcome by statistics, but overcome statistics with the gospel of Jesus Christ!

Notes 

[1] Unless otherwise noted, all quoted Scripture comes from the Christian Standard Bible (Nashville: Holman, 2017).

 

Brian G. Chilton is the founder of BellatorChristi.com and is the host of The Bellator Christi Podcast. He received his Master of Divinity in Theology from Liberty University (with high distinction); his Bachelor of Science in Religious Studies and Philosophy from Gardner-Webb University (with honors); and received certification in Christian Apologetics from Biola University. Brian is currently in the Ph.D. program in Theology and Apologetics at Liberty University. Brian has been in the ministry for over 15 years and serves as the pastor of Huntsville Baptist Church in Yadkinville, North Carolina.

Original Blog Source: http://bit.ly/2tirl5l

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Ocho razones por las cuales el Sudario de Turín podría ser el paño del entierro de Jesús

Ocho razones por las cuales el Sudario de Turín podría ser el paño del entierro de Jesús

Por Brian Chilton

El Sudario de Turín es probablemente uno de los artefactos más controversiales de todos los tiempos. Es ya sea una de las reliquias santas más increíbles relacionadas a Jesús de Nazaret o es uno de los fraudes más ingeniosos que se haya inventado. El Sudario de Turín es un paño de lino de 436 cm x 113 cm que porta la imagen de un hombre crucificado que corresponde con la descripción de la manera en la que Jesús de Nazaret fue crucificado. Se muestra el frente y detrás del hombre crucificado, el frente de un lado del paño y sus espaldas en el otro lado con la cabeza hacia el medio. Las manos del hombre están cruzadas mientras las rodillas están ligeramente inclinadas. Sangre cubre el Sudario especialmente en las marcas de los clavos de las manos y los pies.

El Sudario es bastante controversial, especialmente desde 1988. Un equipo de investigadores tomó tres muestras del Sudario y las fechó usando radiocarbón en tres laboratorios independientes. La prueba mostró que el Sudario se fechaba alrededor de 1260 – 1390 D.C. por lo tanto, al parecer, demostrando que el Sudario fue un fraude medieval. Sin embargo, no se ha puesto a descansar al Sudario. Pruebas posteriores parecen elevar la probabilidad de la autenticidad del Sudario. Mientras uno investiga el Sudario, se debe entender que la resurrección de Jesús no descansa en la autenticidad del Sudario. Sin embargo, si el Sudario es auténtico, añade mayor peso a las declaraciones Cristianas. No hay manera de demostrar o refutar de manera conclusiva el Sudario. Sin embargo, los datos nos llevarán a aceptar o a rechazar la autenticidad del Sudario. De mi investigación, he encontrado 8 razones por las cuales el Sudario es probablemente el paño de entierro auténtico de Jesús.

  1. La prueba de datación de carbono de 1988 fue defectuosa. Muchos investigadores cuestionarán la declaración, sin embargo, un consenso creciente de investigadores están aceptando la noción de que la prueba de datación de Carbono en 1988 fue defectuosa (Stephen Adams, Telegraph, 2009). Está bien documentado que el Sudario fue dañado por un incendio alrededor de 1200 y fue extinguido y reparado por un grupo de monjas en la catedral donde el Sudario fue resguardado. Una persona aún puede ver las marcas del Sudario donde fue dañado. Actualmente es ampliamente aceptado que las fibras que fueron probadas en 1988 fueron las del trabajo de reparación de las monjas. Recientes estudios confirman que este fue el caso ya que colorantes fueron encontrados en las fibras que fueron examinadas, indicando que las fibras no venían del paño original (Adams, Telegraph, 2009). En 2013, un nuevo conjunto de exámenes fueron hechos en el Sudario que sitúan el paño en un tiempo alrededor del 300 a.C. al 400 d.C., cercano al tiempo de Jesús de Nazaret (Stanglin, USA Today, 2013). Por lo tanto, la prueba de 1988 no es el golpe definitivo que una vez se sostuvo que era.

    Imagen positiva a la izquierda, negativa a la derecha.

  2. La sangre del Sudario es auténtica. Los escépticos han pensado por mucho tiempo que la imagen y la sangre en el Sudario fueron pintadas en el paño. Sin embargo, se ha confirmado que la sangre y la imagen tienen orígenes separados. Cuando examinan el paño, los investigadores han notado que la sangre apareció antes que la imagen. Los investigadores del Sudario de Turín han adoptado el slogan “sangre primero, luego la imagen” para describir el Sudario. La sangre ha sido confirmada como auténtica hemoglobina y ha sido identificada como tipo AB.

    shroud-blood-660

    La sangre en el Sudario. La sangre está separada de la imagen del Santo Sudario.

  3. La imagen del Sudario no es una pintura. Como el arqueólogo Ted Wright señaló en el podcast The Bellator Christi, cuando investigamos el Sudario, podemos descartar varias cosas que el Sudario no es. Una de las cosas que han sido negadas es la idea de que el Sudario es una pintura. La imagen en el Sudario apenas tiene de profundidad algunas cuantas fibras. También, la imagen es un negativo fotográfico y es tri-dimensional. Lo que sea que la imagen es, ciertamente no vino de un pincel de un pintor.
  4. El polen en el Sudario se encuentra exclusivamente en el área de Jerusalén. Se ha encontrado polen a través del Sudario de Turín. El Dr. Max Frei notó que alrededor de la cabeza y el abdomen, hay impresiones de flores a pesar de que son difíciles de observar. El polen y las impresiones corresponden con flores encontradas alrededor de Jerusalén, incluidas las pistacia lentiscus, chrysanthemum coronarium y la gundelia tournefortii (Whanger y Whanger, Duke.edu, 2015). El Concilio del Estudio del Sudario de Turin de la Universidad de Duke señala lo siguiente:

“Mientras que hay cientos de imágenes de flores en el Sudario, muchas son vagas o incompletas. Sentimos que hemos identificado, tentativamente, pero con certeza razonable, veintiocho plantas cuyas imágenes son lo suficientemente claras y completas para hacer una buena comparación con los dibujos de la literatura botánica. De estas veintiocho plantas, veintitrés son flores, tres son pequeños arbustos, y dos son espinos. Todas crecen en Israel. Veinte crecen en el mismo Jerusalén, y las otras ocho potencialmente crecen en la vecindad de Jerusalén, ya sea en el desierto de Judea o en el área del Mar Muerto o en ambas. Todas las veintiocho habrían estado disponibles en los mercados de Jerusalén en un estado fresco” (Whanger y Whanger, Duke.edu, 2015).

Gundelia-tourneforii-thorn-from-Shroud

Gundelia tourneforii espina de la Sábana Santa (c). Consejo para el Estudio de la Sábana Santa de Turín. Duke.edu.

Estos descubrimientos sugieren que el Sudario de Turín debió de haberse originado en, o al menos estado alrededor de Jerusalén. El hecho de que el polen data del primer siglo también provee indicación de que el Sudario fue encontrado por primera vez en el Israel del primer siglo.

  1. Las heridas del hombre en el Sudario corresponden con los detalles de la crucifixión de Jesús. Cualquier examinación del arte religioso que representa la crucifixión de Jesús muestra las huellas de los clavos en las palmas de la mano. Sin embargo, el Sudario de Turín muestra las marcas de los clavos en la parte baja de la mano hacia la muñeca. Experimentos hechos en cadáveres notan que el Sudario de Turín muestran correctamente como ocurrían las crucifixiones. Además, las marcas de azotes en la espalda del hombre corresponden con las puntas de los látigos usados por los romanos del primer siglo para escarmiento.

    Jesus Hands

    Heridas de los clavos en las muñecas del hombre de la Sábana Santa.

  2. Los puntos del rostro corresponden con aquellos de los retratos más tempranos de Jesús. El Concilio para el Estudio del Sudario de Turín también hizo otra evaluación importante del Sudario. Ellos notan que las representaciones de Jesús corresponden con ciertos detalles de la imagen facial encontrada en el Sudario. El Cristo Pantocrátor en el Monasterio de Santa Catalina del Monte Sinaí es uno de los iconos religiosos bizantinos más antiguos que data hasta el siglo seis (es decir, entre el 500 y 599 d.C.). Para más información sobre la pintura del Cristo Pantocrator, ver https://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pantocr%C3%A1tor_del_Sina%C3%AD
  3. La posición idéntica y el tipo de sangre en el rostro del Sudario comparado con el del Sudario de Oviedo. Otro artefacto de gran interés es un paño llamado el Sudario de Oviedo. El Sudario de Oviedo es una sábana que se dice haberse situado sobre el rostro de Jesús cuando fue bajado de la cruz. El paño puede haber permanecido ahí para su entierro. El Evangelio de Juan señala la posibilidad de ambas sábanas. Juan señala, “pero el lienzo que había cubierto la cabeza de Jesús estaba doblado y colocado aparte de las otras tiras.” (Juan 20:7; NTV). Mientras que el Sudario de Oviedo no contiene una imagen facial, sí tiene una gran cantidad de sangre sobre la nariz y la frente. El Sudario de Oviedo es mencionado cerca del 570 d.C. por Antonino de Plasencia. Las marcas de sangre del sudario de Oviedo corresponden con las marcas de sangre del Sudario de Turín y también contienen la misma hemoglobina tipo AB que se encuentra en este.

    Pantocrator-Shroud-overlay

    Superposición de la ilustración Pantocrátor y la imagen del Sudario de Turín.

  4. La probabilidad de la radiación ultravioleta amplificada usada para construir la imagen en el Sudario. Una de las características más bizarras del Sudario es la radiografía de los dientes y dedos del hombre. Después de una examinación más profunda, uno notará cuadrados alrededor de la boca. Se ha descubierto que estos cuadrados son una radiografía de los dientes del hombre. Los dedos aparentan estar alargados porque una persona está viendo las falanges. Nada existía en los tiempos antiguos o medievales que pudieran producir una radiografía como esta. Se ha teorizado que cuando Jesús resucitó de la muerte, una gran cantidad de radiación emitida podría haber creado la imagen en el paño. Estudios han indicado que “la potencia de la radiación ultravioleta en vacío requerida para dibujar instantáneamente la superficie de lino que corresponde con un ser humano de altura y área del cuerpo promedios es igual a 2000 MW/cm2 * 17000 cm2 = 34 000 000 000 000 watts, lo que lo hace impráctico actualmente reproducir la imagen entera del Sudario usando un único láser excimer, dado que este poder no puede ser producido por una luz fuente VUV contruída hoy en día (la más poderosa disponible en el mercado llega a varios miles de millones de wats)” (uCatholic.com, 2016). Para hacer las cosas más interesantes, el equipo de investigación en la Iglesia del Santo Sepulcro señaló que “los dispositivos de medición ya sea mal funcionaron o cesaron de funcionar en lo absoluto… análisis previos desarrollados con los instrumentos parecen haber sido distorsionados por una perturbación electromagnética.” (uCatholic.com, 2016). Esto no prueba que el Sudario se originó en la Iglesia del Santo Sepulcro y no prueba que una radiación de alto poder creó la imagen en el Sudario, pero la conexión entre ambas es bastante convincente.

    Sudario de Oviedo

    Sudario de Oviedo

Conclusión

Superposición del Sudario de Oviedo y la Sábana Santa de Turín.

Superposición del Sudario de Oviedo y el Sudario de Turín.

Como el arqueólogo y apologista cristiano, Ted Wright dijo una vez, “no podemos ser completamente dogmáticos sobre el Sudario de Turín. Pero ciertamente hay una alta probabilidad de que sea genuino”. Yo creo que Wright está en lo correcto. Se debe decir que el cristiano no necesita el Sudario de Turín para proveer evidencia de la resurrección de Jesús. Sin embargo, si el Sudario de Turín es auténtico, entonces el creyente puede tener una pequeña ventana al galileo que trajo la salvación al mundo. Si no, el cristiano no pierde nada. En realidad, se trata de una situación de ganar o ganar. La evidencia documental de fuentes tanto cristianas como no cristianas son suficientes para verificar la confiabilidad de los relatos de la crucifixión y la resurrección. Pero no sería sorprendente que el mismo Jesús quien se apareció al Tomás escéptico es el mismo Jesús que dejó una reliquia que demostraría a billones y billones que Él realmente ha resucitado. ¿Podremos estar seguros que el Sudario de Turín tiene una imagen de Jesús de Nazaret? Probablemente no. Sin embargo, la evidencia parece indicar que es altamente probable que el Sudario de Turín es el paño genuino que cubrió a Jesús de Nazaret antes de su asombrosa resurrección de entre los muertos. Si es así, entonces la imagen de Jesús pudo haber sido dejada atrás, pero el Jesús real no está más ahí. ¡Él está vivo! Jesús “está a la diestra de Dios, el que también intercede por nosotros” (Romanos 8:34).

Reconstrucción de la cara en la Sábana

Reconstrucción de la cara en el Sudario.

Fuentes

Adams, Myra. “The Shroud of Turin, Authenticated Again” NationalReview.com (April 16, 2016). Tomado el 17 de Abril, 2017. http://www.nationalreview.com/article/434153/shroud-turin-jesus-christ-blood-relic-sudarium-oviedo

Adams, Myra. “Easter and the Shroud of Turin, ‘Nothing is Impossible with God” NationalReview.com (April 15, 2017). Retrieved April 17, 2017. http://www.nationalreview.com/article/446763/easter-shroud-turin-jesus-christ-carbon-14-dating-medieval-forgery-debunked-crucifixion-resurrection

Adams, Stephen. “Turin Shroud Could be Genuine as Carbon-Dating was Flawed” Telegraph (April 10, 2009). Tomado el 17 de Abril, 2017. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/religion/5137163/Turin-Shroud-could-be-genuine-as-carbon-dating-was-flawed.html

Whangler, Alan, and Mary Whanger. “Council for Study of the Turin Shroud” Duke.edu (2015). Tomado el 17 de Abril, 2017. http://people.duke.edu/~adw2/shroud/flowers-and-pollens.html.

“Scientists Who Opened Christ’s Tomb Detect Mysterious Readings that Support Shroud Theory” UCatholic.com (Diciembre 5, 2016). Tomado el 18 de Abril, 2017. http://www.nationalreview.com/article/434153/shroud-turin-jesus-christ-blood-relic-sudarium-oviedo

Stanglin, Doug. “New Test Dates Shroud of Turin to Era of Christ” USA Today (Marzo 30, 2013). Tomado el 17 de Abril, 2017. 2017.https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2013/03/30/shroud-turin-display/2038295/.

Wright, Ted. “The Resurrection of Jesus: Exploring the Archaeology—Part 1” EpicArchaeology.org (Abril 2017). Tomado el 17 de Abril, 2017. http://epicarchaeology.org/archaeology-and-the-new-testament/the-resurrection-of-jesus-exploring-the-archaeology-part-1/

 

Brian G. Chilton es el fundador de BellatorChristi.com y es el presentador de The Bellator Christi Podcast. Recibió su Maestría en Divinidad en Liberty University (con alta distinción); su Licenciatura en Ciencias en Estudios Religiosos y Filosofía de la Universidad Gardner-Webb (con honores); y recibió la certificación en Christian Apologetics (Apologética cristiana) de la Universidad de Biola. Brian actualmente está inscrito en el programa Ph.D. en Teología y apologética en Liberty University. Brian ha estado en el ministerio por más de 15 años y sirve como pastor en el noroeste de Carolina del Norte.

Blog Original: http://bit.ly/2MDSuby

Traducido por Raúl Jaramillo de Lira

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Resurrection Jesus History

10 razones para aceptar la resurrección de Jesús como un hecho histórico

Por Brian Chilton

Cuando dejé el ministerio debido a mi escepticismo, uno de los factores involucrados en mi salida se debió a la confiabilidad de los documentos del Nuevo Testamento y la resurrección de Jesús. La gente del Jesus Seminar (Seminario de Jesús) me tenian adivinando si es que podia confiar en lo que decía el Nuevo Testamento y si yo en verdad podría aceptar la literal resurrección corporal de Jesús de Nazaret. En Julio de 2005, mi vida cambió. Entré a la librería cristiana Lifeway en Winston-Salem, Carolina Del Norte y leí tres libros que han cambiado mi vida más que cualquier otro libro sin contar la Biblia. Descubrí The case for Christ (El caso de Cristo) de Lee Strobel, The New Evidence that Demands a Verdict (La Nueva Evidencia que exige un Veredicto) y A Ready Defense (Una defensa lista) ambos de Josh McDowell. Descubrí qué hay varias razones para aceptar la resurrección de Jesús de Nazaret como un hecho histórico.

Resurrection Jesus History

A través de los años, la evidencia ha aumentado cada vez más para la historicidad de la resurrección de Jesús. Este artículo proveerá 10 de los más fascinantes argumentos para la resurrección de Jesús de Nazaret. Esta lista no es exhaustiva y mis tratos con cada argumento son extremadamente breves. Sin embargo, espero que esta lista te provea de un punto de partida para considerar la autenticidad de la resurrección de Jesús.

  1. Los primeros testigos oculares fueron mujeres. Los primeros testigos oculares de la resurrección fueron mujeres. Todos los Evangelios cuentan que los primeros individuos en descubrir la tumba vacía fueron mujeres. Mateo cuenta que ¨Después del Sabbath, al amanecer del primer día de la semana, María Magdalena y la otra María fueron a ver la tumba… El ángel les dijo, ´No tengan miedo, porque yo sé que están buscando a Jesús quien fue crucificado. Él no está aquí. Pues ha resucitado, como dijo. Vengan a ver el lugar donde fue puesto el Señor¨ (Mateo 28:1, 5-6).[1] Las mujeres no eran tenidas en alta estima. En la cultura Greco-Romana, el testimonio de una mujer no era admisible en la corte. En los círculos Judíos, costaba el testimonio de dos mujeres para igualar al de un hombre. Si uno fuera a inventar una historia, las ultimas personas que uno colocaría como testigos principales serían mujeres, a menos que fuera cierto.
  2. Hechos mínimos sobre la resurrección. Gary Habermas ha popularizado el tan conocido argumento de hechos mínimos para la resurrección. Los datos mínimos son esas cosas que son aceptadas por casi todos los eruditos del Nuevo Testamento. Los hechos mínimos son ¨1. Jesús murió por crucifixión. 2. Los discípulos de Jesús creyeron que Él resucitó y se les apareció a ellos. 3. Pablo, el perseguidor de la iglesia, fue repentinamente cambiado. El escéptico Santiago, hermano de Jesús, fue repentinamente cambiado. 5. La tumba estaba vacía.¨[2] Estos hechos son casi aceptados universalmente por los eruditos del Nuevo Testamento, incluyendo a los liberales.
  3. Transformación de los primeros Discípulos. Como se señala en los hechos mínimos, Santiago, el hermano de Jesús, cambió de ser escéptico a creyente por la resurrección. Santiago junto a sus hermano no creían en Jesús durante los inicios de su ministerio (mire Juan 7:5). Sin embargo, Jesús se le apareció a Santiago (1 corintios 15:3-9) y Santiago se convirtió en el líder de la iglesia primitiva de Jerusalén. Su muerte es registrada por Josefo.[3] Pablo es otro ejemplo de alguien que ha sido completamente transformado por la resurrección de Jesús. Pablo había sido un perseguidor de la iglesia. Después de atestiguar al resucitado Jesús, Pablo se convirtió en un proclamador de la iglesia.
  4. Detalles vergonzosos de la resurrección. Históricamente hablando, los detalles vergonzosos añaden veracidad a una afirmación histórica. El hecho de que mujeres fueran las primeras testigos, que un miembro del Sanedrín (el mismo sanedrín que ejecuto a Jesús) tenían que darle a Jesús un entierro apropiado, y que los discípulos estaban temerosos y huyeron, todos sirven como factores vergonzosos para el propósito de la resurrección
  5. Se conoció por la disposición a morir por ello. Muchas personas morirían por lo que ellos creen que es verdad. Pero nadie moriría por algo que ellos inventaron erróneamente. Los discípulos sabían que ellos decían la verdad. Aun así, uno se da cuenta que los discípulos estaban dispuestos a morir por algo que ellos sabían que era verdad. Esteban murió apedreado (Hechos 7:54-60), Jacobo hijo de Zebedeo por una espada en las manos de Herodes (Hechos 12:2), Santiago el hermano de Jesús murió,[4] y Pedro y Pablo en las manos de Nero.[5]
  6. Evidencia documentaria. La evidencia documentaria de la resurrección de Jesús es muy buena. El historiador busca encontrar cuantas fuentes primarias y secundarias[6] se puedan juntar por un evento para determinar la historicidad de dicho evento. Con respecto a las fuentes primarias, la  resurrección tiene el reporte de Mateo, Juan y Pablo en 1 Corintios 15, incluyendo las referencias adicionales de Santiago  (si es que uno acepta que Santiago escribió la carta atribuida a él) y Judas. Las siguientes son fuentes secundarias de la resurrección: Lucas, Marcos, Clemente de Roma y de un grado menor Ireneo e Ignacio.
  7. Evidencia circunstancial. Douglas Groothius señala que la evidencia circunstancial para la historicidad de la resurrección es ¨a saber, la práctica de la iglesia primitiva al observar el bautismo, La Cena Del Señor y los domingos de adoración¨[7]. El bautismo se basa en la analogía de la muerte, entierro y resurrección de Jesús. La Cena Del Señor es un símbolo de la muerte sacrificial de Cristo. En adición, es bastante extraño que fieles Judíos cambiaron su adoración de viernes por la tarde hasta el sábado a domingo por la mañana a menos que algo de mayor importancia hubiese ocurrido el domingo por la mañana. El más importante evento de un domingo por la mañana fue la resurrección de Jesús.
  8. El motivo faltante. Warner Wallace ha señalado en sus conferencias y libros que cuando una conspiración se forma, hay tres factores motivantes detrás de tal movimiento—poder, codicia, y/o lujuria.[8] Los discípulos no tendrían ningún poder por afirmar la resurrección como historia. Ellos andaban por ahí mientras estaban siendo amenazados por los Judíos y autoridades Romanas. En cuanto a la codicia, ellos enseñaron que uno no debería desear posesiones terrenales sino espirituales. La lujuria no era un factor tampoco. Ellos enseñaban el celibato antes del matrimonio y fidelidad marital después del matrimonio. De hecho, N. T. Wright señala su libro clásico, The Resurrection of the Son of God (La resurrección del Hijo de Dios), que los discípulos no tenían una motivación teológica tras afirmar que Jesús ha resucitado de entre los muertos como si ellos estuviesen anticipando un héroe militar y una resurrección final al acabar el tiempo. ¿Qué factores motivacionales existían para estos discípulos inventar tal historia? ¡Ninguna! La única razón por la que los discípulos enseñaron la resurrección es por que la resurrección de Jesús había ocurrido.
  9. Atestación enemiga de la resurrección. Históricamente hablando, si uno sostiene la atestación enemiga a un evento, entonces el evento se fortalece. Cuando uno considera las reclamaciones de las autoridades de que los discípulos habían robado el cuerpo de Jesús  (Mateo  28:11-15), el testimonio de la resurrección se fortalece. La creencia primitiva de que los discípulos habían robado el cuerpo de Jesús se fortalece debido al descubrimiento de la inscripción de Nazaret que ordena a pena capital para cualquiera que robe un cuerpo de su tumba[9]. Asimismo, varias referencias de Jesús y su resurrección incluyen citas de Josefo[10], Tacito,[11] y Suetonio[12] entre otros (incluyendo el Talmud Babilonico).
  10. Múltiples testigos oculares post-resurrección. Finalmente, hay multiples testimonios de testigos oculares pertenecientes a la resurrección de Jesús. Varias personas han visto a Jesús vivo por un periodo de 40 días. Los testigos oculares incluyen a María Magdalena (Juan. 20:10-18), la mujer en la tumba acompañando a María (Mateo. 28:1-10), los guardianes romanos (Mateo 28:4), los once discípulos (Juan 21), los dos hombres en el camino a Emaús ( Lucas 24:13-35), un indeterminado número de discípulos (Mateo 28:16-20), más de 500 discípulos (1 Corintios 15:6), a Santiago (1 Corintios 15:7) y a Pablo (1 Corintios 15:8-9). Estoy seguro que hubieron muchos otros testigos que no son identificados.

Conclusión:

Muchas otras evidencias podrían ser dadas para la resurrección de Jesús. Pensando acerca de los métodos de historia, uno debe entender que hay una razon por la que los americanos aceptan como el primer presidente de Estados Unidos a George Washington y no a Bob Esponja. La historia respalda la afirmación que Washington fue el primer presidente. De la misma manera, la historia respalda la realidad de la resurrección de Jesús. Ahora la pregunta es esta: ¿qué harás con dicha información? Algunos trataran de ignorar el evento. Algunos trataran de desacreditarlo. Otros trataran de reconocer la naturaleza objetiva del evento y adorar a Jesús como el Señor resucitado. Es mi oración que hagas lo último.

Notas

[1] Salvo que se indique lo contrario, toda la escritura mencionada proviene de Christian Standard Bible (Nashville: Holman, 2017)

[2] Gary R. Habermas y Michael R. Licona, The Case for the Resurrection of Jesus (Grand Rapids: Kregel, 2004), 48-50, 64-69.

[3] Josefo, Antioquia XX.200

[4] Ibid.

[5] Eusebio, historia de a¡la iglesia XV.5.

[6] Fuentes primarias son documentos escritos por testigos oculares.

Fuentes secundarias son documentos escritos por individuos que conocen a los testigos oculares. Por ejemplo, mi abuelo fue un testigo ocular de la más grande  batalla naval en la historia de la Segunda Guerra Mundial. De la información que mi papá junto de el, el seria una fuente secundaria, mientras mi abuelo seria una fuente primaria.

[7] Douglas Groothius, Christian Apologetics: A Comprehensive Case for Biblical Faith  (Downers Grove;  Nottingham, UK:  IVP Academic; Apollos, 2011), 553-554

[8] Mire J. Warner Wallace,“Rapid Response: I Think the Disciples Lied About the Resurrection”, Cold-case  Christianity.com  (Octubre 17, 2016), recuperado 11 de Abril, 2017, http://coldcasechristianity.com/2016/rapid-response-i-think-the-disciples-lied-about-the-resurrection/.

[9] Mire http://www.biblearchaeology.org/post/2009/07/22/The-Nazareth-Inscription-Proof-of-the-Resurrection-of-Christ.aspx#Article.

[10] Josefo, Antioquia XX.9.1.

[11] Tacito, Anales XV.

[12] Suetonio, Lives of the Caesars-Claudius 25 y Suetonio, Lives of the Caesar-Nero 16.

 

Brian G. Chilton es el fundador de BellatorChristi.com y es el presentador de The Bellator Christi Podcast. Recibió su Maestría en Divinidad en Liberty University (con alta distinción); su Licenciatura en Ciencias en Estudios Religiosos y Filosofía de la Universidad Gardner-Webb (con honores); y recibió la certificación en Christian Apologetics (Apologética cristiana) de la Universidad de Biola. Brian actualmente está inscrito en el programa Ph.D. en Teología y apologética en Liberty University. Brian ha estado en el ministerio por más de 15 años y sirve como pastor en el noroeste de Carolina del Norte.

Blog Original:  http://bit.ly/2ppUPKK

Traducido por Italo Espinoza Gómez.

Editado por María Andreina Cerrada.

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True Love Must Be Reciprocated

True Love Must Be Reciprocated

By Brian Chilton

Recently, I was talking to a friend of mine who was infatuated with a person who did not necessarily share the same sentiments. In fact, it was not certain what the other person really desired in their relationship. I will not mention anything more about this situation out of respect for those involved. This situation has caused me to do a lot of thinking about love, what it is, and what it entails. It seems to me that for true love to be genuine it must be reciprocated. That is, it must be accepted by both individuals in the relationship. We can learn a lot about love from God’s triune relationship.

I. Love is reciprocated in the Triune relationship.

When attempting to explain the triune nature of God, Norman Geisler uses the example of the genuine spirit of love to explain this difficult theological concept. Geisler’s illustration is not original to him; rather he took it from Augustine of Hippo. The following is Geisler’s depiction of love in the triune relationship of God:

“Augustine suggested an illustration of how God is both three and one at the same time. The Bible informs us that “God is love” (1 John 4:16). Love involves a lover, a beloved, and a spirit of love between lover and loved. The Father might be likened to the Lover; the Son to the One loved, and the Holy Spirit is the Spirit of love. Yet love does not exist unless these three are united as one. This illustration has the advantage of being personal since it involves love, a characteristic that flows only from persons.”[1]

Seeing that God is love (1 Jn. 4:16), the relationship between the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit is a demonstration of perfect love in its purest form. Love is not forced. Love is accepted and flows from person to person. There is a lover—one initiating the love, a beloved—the one receiving the love from the lover, and the spirit of love—a mutual received love between both parties. In the case of the triune relationship, this love is mutually given and received by all three members of the Godhead. We can learn a lot about love from God.

II. Love is reciprocated in human relationships.

God is the perfect demonstration of love as we noted in the previous section. The loving example of the Trinity is carried over into healthy loving human relationships. How so? Healthy relationships involve two people who mutually love one another. Let’s consider a hypothetical example of person A (we’ll call Adam) and person B (we’ll call Barbara). Say Adam loves Barbara and expresses his love towards her. Yet, Barbara does not love Adam in return. Adam tries and tries to make Barbara love him, but she does not return his emotions. Is this true love? Absolutely not! Adam’s love is not reciprocated.

Let’s consider another case. Say Barbara loves Adam, but Adam doesn’t return the favor. Barbara manipulates Adam into a relationship. They get married, but Adam never has the feelings for Barbara that she has for him. This relationship is not one based on love, but rather control and manipulation. True love must be reciprocated.

For Adam and Barbara’s love to be genuine, Adam must express his love to Barbara. Barbara must receive his love. Therefore, Barbara will express her love to Adam and her love will also be openly received. This hypothetical relationship notes how that true love requires a lover (one sending the love), a beloved (one receiving love), and a mutual spirit of love between the two.

III. Love is reciprocated in divine/human relationships.

Since genuine love is seen in God’s eternal triune relationship and that true love is reciprocated between two consenting individuals, then it only makes sense that God instill his love upon us not by force, but by reciprocation. That is to say, God freely offers his love to individuals. He doesn’t force his love on an individual. Remember, forced love is not genuine love! God says through his prophet Ezekiel, “Do I take any pleasure in the death of the wicked?… Instead, don’t I take pleasure when he turns from his ways and lives?” (Eze. 18:23).[2] Jesus says that “Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the wilderness, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, so that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life” (Jn. 3:15). In this case, God is the lover, and human beings are the beloved. But, the love must be reciprocated.

Can individuals seek God on their own? Absolutely not! God’s grace must be extended to them first. This truth is seen in Jesus’s description of the Holy Spirit’s ministry. Jesus notes that the Holy Spirit will “convict the world about sin, righteousness, and judgment: About sin, because they do not believe in me; about righteousness, because I am going to the Father and you will no longer see me; about judgment, because the ruler of this world has been judged” (Jn. 16:8-9). In this case, we see that God is the lover, human beings are the beloved, and the Spirit working to produce this love is the Holy Spirit. Forced love is not love, though. God does not force a person to salvation. He freely gives his love and his love must freely be received, otherwise, it is not true love.

Conclusion

When I counsel couples looking to get married, I always tell them that if they want to love one another, they must first know God because God is love. Because God is love and demonstrates perfect love, we should not be surprised to find that love is exuded in human relationships when it mimics God’s love. Theological systems need to also accept this understanding of love. Genuine love must have a lover, a beloved, and the spirit of love. Otherwise, a relationship may exist, but it is not a truly loving relationship.

Notes 

[1] Norman L. Geisler, “Trinity,” Baker Encyclopedia of Christian Apologetics, Baker Reference Library (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books, 1999), 733.

[2] Unless otherwise noted, all quoted Scripture comes from the Christian Standard Bible (Nashville: Holman, 2017).

 

Brian G. Chilton is the founder of BellatorChristi.com and is the host of The Bellator Christi Podcast. He received his Master of Divinity in Theology from Liberty University (with high distinction); his Bachelor of Science in Religious Studies and Philosophy from Gardner-Webb University (with honors); and received certification in Christian Apologetics from Biola University. Brian is currently in the Ph.D. program in Theology and Apologetics at Liberty University. Brian has been in the ministry for over 15 years and serves as the pastor of Huntsville Baptist Church in Yadkinville, North Carolina.

Original Blog Source: http://bit.ly/2ri6wqu

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The 40 Days of Easter

The 40 Days of Easter

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By Brian G. Chilton

Easter is my favorite holiday. It is nice because of the warming weather, the blooming of flowers, the greening of the grass, and the growth of leaves on the trees. Everything looks dead during the winter, but everything seems to come to life around Easter.

The best reason for my love of Easter is that it is the holiest day of the year for Christians. Easter represents the day that Jesus physically and literally rose from the dead. While I am Southern Baptist, I personally practice liturgical, spiritual disciplines. I credit Dr. T. Perry Hildreth, a professor at Gardner-Webb, for turning me to these practices. That is to say; I have a cross in my prayer garden that bears cloths representing the colors of the church year. The green cloth represents an ordinary time when no special occasion is celebrated. Red is used for Pentecost, Holy Week, and special church days. Purple is used during the time of Lent. I personally use blue for Advent (the time before Christmas) although purple is the standard color. White is used for Christmas and the Easter season.

Interestingly, the white cloth does not remain on the cross only for Easter. It remains on the cross for 40 days. Why? Jesus just did not appear to his disciples on one day. He appeared to them numerous times over the course of 40 days!!! The following marks a chronological listing of Jesus’s resurrected appearances over this time. While skeptics claim that these appearances are irreconcilable in their descriptions, I do not see how that is the case. While Jesus most certainly appeared to many more people than Scripture indicates, a strong case for Jesus’s resurrection can be made by the numerous individuals who saw Jesus alive after his death over the course of 40 days.

  1. Mary Magdalene: Early Easter morning (Jn. 20:11-18). First, Jesus appeared to Mary Magdalene. Mary was not the ideal choice if one was wanting to invent a story for two reasons: Mary was a woman, and Mary had at one time been demonically possessed (Lk. 8:2). The testimony of women wasn’t trusted in antiquity. Add the fact that Mary had something in her past, that makes a bizarre and in fact embarrassing claim for the church, something that holds great historical and apologetic weight. In his infinite wisdom, Jesus appeared to a woman who had faithfully served him despite whatever it was in her past.
  2. Women at the Tomb: Early Easter morning (Matt. 28:8-10). It appears that the women first accompanied Mary Magdalene. The women went to tell Peter and John. Peter and John came with Mary back to the tomb (Jn. 20:3-10). Perhaps the women stayed back as Peter, John, and Mary Magdalene stepped into the tomb. After Peter and John left, Jesus appeared to Mary, and then to the other women at the tomb. Again, this would have been an embarrassing fact for the early church. Jesus first appeared to women instead of the men.
  3. Peter: Early to mid-day Easter (Lk. 24:34; 1 Cor. 15:5). Luke 24:34 and 1 Corinthians 15:5 both indicate that Jesus met with Peter in a private meeting sometime between Jesus’s appearance to the women at the tomb and his later appearances to the disciples at Emmaus and his primary disciples. Notice especially the language of Luke 24:34. When the disciples heard from the Emmaus disciples, they said, “The Lord has truly been raised and has appeared to Simon!” Then they began to describe what had happened on the road . . .” (Lk. 24:34). 1 Corinthians 15:5 also notes that Jesus met privately with Peter, named by his Aramaic name Cephas(1 Cor. 15:5), before meeting with the disciples.
  4. The Emmaus Disciples: Late Easter afternoon (Lk. 24:13-32). Later in the day on Easter, Jesus appeared to two disciples walking from Jerusalem to Emmaus. Some believe that these two disciples may have been a married couple with only the husband, Cleopas (Lk. 24:18) being named. They did not realize that it was Jesus until they welcomed him into their home. They then ran back to Jerusalem to tell the disciples.
  5. The Eleven w/out Thomas: Easter evening (Lk. 24:36-49; Jn. 20:19-23). Luke 24 and John 20 indicate that Jesus met with the disciples later in the evening. Can you imagine what was going through the disciples’ minds as they heard reports of Jesus appearing to people, yet they had not seen him themselves? They had to wait awhile before they could see Jesus for themselves. Thomas was not present. This is a major question I have concerning Thomas: Where was he? Was he pursuing other work since Jesus had died? He was gone for nearly a week. Where was he? Where did he go?
  6. The Eleven w/Thomas: Next Sunday after Easter (Jn. 20:24-29). Thomas had heard the reports that Jesus had risen. He did not believe them. He would not believe unless he saw Jesus for himself. He would the next Sunday as Jesus appeared to the disciples with Thomas in their presence. Thomas no longer denied Jesus’s resurrection. He believed.
  7. 500 or More at One Time (1 Cor. 15:6). It could be that this meeting is the same as number 11 on our list. However, we do not have enough evidence to know when this gathering took place. Suffice to say, Jesus appeared to a large gathering of disciples. He was seen of over 500 disciples at one time. Personally, since only men were numbered in antiquity, I think you see the same effect with this number that you would with the feeding of the 5,000. I think it is possible that there were 1,500 or even perhaps 2,000 that witnessed the risen Jesus at this encounter.
  8. James and Perhaps Other Family Members (1 Cor. 15:7). James had a private meeting with his risen brother. I think it is strongly probable that Jesus also met with his other family members at this time.
  9. Reinstatement of Peter: The Meeting with the Seven (Jn. 21:1-23). The disciples went back to Galilee for a period before they were to go back to Jerusalem for the ascension and Pentecost. During an intimate meeting near the shore of the Sea of Galilee, Jesus reinstated Peter before six other individuals.
  10. 72 Apostles Implied (1 Cor. 15:7). In 1 Corinthians 15:7, a distinction is made between Jesus’s appearance to the Twelve (1 Cor. 15:5) and his appearance to “all the apostles” (1 Cor. 15:7). Jesus had twelve disciples, but he also had a larger body of disciples outside of the twelve. Luke notes that Jesus appointed “seventy-two others, and he sent them ahead of him in pairs to every town and place where he himself was about to go” (Lk. 10:10). I think this means that Jesus appeared to all the seventy-two disciples that he had previously commissioned while in Galilee.
  11. Great Commission Gathering (Matt. 28:16-20). Some people confuse the Great Commission gathering with the ascension. This is simply not the case. The ascension transpired on the Mount of Olives in Jerusalem. Jesus’s meeting with the disciples, and most likely many others, when he gave the Great Commission happened while they were in Galilee (Matt. 28:16), thereby making this occurrence different than the ascension event.
  12. Ascension (Ac. 1:1-11). Jesus’s final public post-resurrection event happened at his ascension. Being that the ascension happened in the bustling town of Jerusalem on a prominent mount in the area, it would be difficult to ascertain just how many people witnessed the ascension of Jesus.
  13. Appearance to Paul (Ac. 9:1-9). Lastly, Jesus appeared after his ascension to Paul. Saul Paul was a man who was an antagonist to the Christian faith. However, the post-resurrection appearance of Jesus to Paul transformed him from a skeptic to a passionate communicator of Christian truth.

So, what apologetic truths can be found from these appearances? A lot! But, to simplify, we see that Jesus’s post-resurrection appearances:

  1. Had embarrassing factors (seen first by women).
  2. Transformed skeptics into believers (Thomas, James, and Paul).
  3. Was not a one-time event but witnessed by many over the course of 40 days.
  4. Was publicly seen by multiple people which dispels any rumors of hallucinations.
  5. Allowed those who were weak to become strong in their faith that Jesus had risen (e.g., Peter).

I believe that Jesus appeared to many others during this period. Jesus’s resurrection was not a hallucination. His appearance was not a one-time showing. The fact that Jesus appeared after his resurrection as he did verifies that Jesus had indeed defeated death. This is something that we should not only celebrate for the forty days of Easter but 365 days a year!

 

Brian G. Chilton is the founder of BellatorChristi.com and is the host of The Bellator Christi Podcast. He received his Master of Divinity in Theology from Liberty University (with high distinction); his Bachelor of Science in Religious Studies and Philosophy from Gardner-Webb University (with honors); and received certification in Christian Apologetics from Biola University. Brian is currently in the Ph.D. program in Theology and Apologetics at Liberty University. Brian has been in the ministry for over 15 years and serves as the pastor of Huntsville Baptist Church in Yadkinville, North Carolina.

Original Blog Source: http://bit.ly/2HtXvBg

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5 Reasons Why I Believe in God

5 Reasons Why I Believe in God

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By Brian G. Chilton

Last week, notable physicist Stephen Hawking died. Hawking was known for his brilliant work as a physicist, especially working with black holes, the big bang, and for his exploration of the so-called Theory of Everything (a theory that is purported to hold the glue to the four major laws of the universe). In addition, Hawking was known for one additional thing: his atheism. This has led many people to inquire, “Why does it seem that so many notable scientists are atheists?” While I do not believe that all notable scientists are atheistic in their worldview, this does lead one to ask if there are any good reasons for believing in God’s existence.

While I do not claim to hold the brilliance of Hawking, I was one who was led into the mire of agnosticism earlier in life. Tampering with a theistic-leaning-agnosticism, I was open to the idea that God could exist, I only didn’t know if there were good reasons for accepting God’s existence. Furthermore, if God existed, I wasn’t sure that one could know that God was personable and that he could be known in any certain religion. While the latter questions are things I will cover in later articles, suffice it for now, one needs to ask, “Are there good reasons for believing in God?” Among other issues, five major arguments or evidence, if you will, led me to a strong belief in God’s existence. Counting down from the fifth to the first, the following are the issues that led me to become a strong theist.

#5: Moral Argument

If you really think deeply about it, isn’t is strange that the strongest proponents of social change and ethical behavior are those who do not hold to God’s existence? I am certainly not saying that Christians have not led to social change. Charles Spurgeon and John Wesley both vocally opposed slavery. Nevertheless, it is strange that atheists fight for social change because their worldview does not support objective morality. I am not saying that atheists cannot be good people. I have known many fantastic people who adhere to atheism. I am saying that atheism cannot sustain objective morality because if God does not exist, then all of humanity is nothing but random molecules in motion.

If morality is objective—that is, there are things that can be considered right and wrong, then there must be an objective lawgiver. In essence, I have described the moral argument. Think about a speed limit sign. You are driving down the road, and you see a sign with the big numbers 35 on the white rectangular sign. You may not agree that the speed limit should be 35 miles-per-hour. Nevertheless, some lawgiver did. The sign did not magically appear. Rather, someone decided that the particular stretch of the road upon which you are traveling should only maintain that speed. If there are morals, then someone must have set them in place. In addition, morality points to the importance of life. All of this is only true if God exists.

#4: Consciousness Argument (NDEs).

Consciousness argues for God’s existence, especially if the mind is shown to be separate from the body. That is, if there is an immaterial self (otherwise known as the soul), then spiritual entities exist. The mounting evidence in favor of near-death experiences (i.e., NDEs) demonstrates the reality of the spiritual self. While space does not allow for me to fully engage with this issue here, plenty of material is available which describes the reality of these experiences and how it demolishes the concept of materialism (i.e., the idea that only the physical world exists and nothing else). While NDEs do not necessarily prove the existence of God, it does show that the idea of the Holy Spirit, angels, demons, and the like are not as far-fetched as the skeptic might think.

#3: Design (or Teleological) Argument.

My dad used to have a saying that went, “If it looks like a duck, quacks like a duck, swims like a duck, and flies like a duck; then chances are likely that you are looking at a duck.” The more I learn about the universe, the more I understand how much intricate design the universe possesses. The universe is full of design. Everything from the way gravity and the universal forces operate[1] to the vastness of the universe itself[2] illustrates not only the design found in the universe but that the universe was designed to support sentient beings like us. If something appears to be designed, then it is logical to infer that its design and structure came from a designer.

#2: Cosmological Argument.

The idea of a causal relationship is at the center of science. That is, every effect must have an underlying cause. This is the heartbeat of science. Yet, this heartbeat seemingly flatlines with the atheist notion that the universe somehow spontaneously created itself. Cosmological arguments for God indicate that if the universe had a beginning, then it is rational to imply that a Creator brought forth creation into existence. For creation to bring itself into existence, creation must be considered to be a conscious self-existent thing. How so? Any time a process of decisional action is placed upon a certain thing, that thing is anthropomorphized. That is to say; we make that thing alive. Evolutionists often do this with the process of evolution itself with claims like “Evolution decided this or that.” But, how can a mindless process decide anything?

William Lane Craig has popularized a brilliant argument called the kalam cosmological argument which goes as follows:

“1) Whatever begins to exist has a cause.

2) The universe began to exist.

3) Therefore, the universe has a cause.”[3]

“But, wait,” one may infer, “if there is a multiverse, doesn’t this get around the problem?” Unfortunately, for the materialist, the Borg-Vilenkin-Guth theorem “closed the door on that possibility.”[4] All physical universes, including a multiverse, must have a finite past, meaning that even a multiverse must have a beginning. Thus, one is left with one of two possibilities: either eternal non-existent nothingness (which means the absence of anything including vacuums) brought about something from nothing, or an eternal Someone brought something from nothing. For me, the latter is MUCH more intellectually satisfying.

#1: Information Argument

The last argument is not an official argument. Rather, it is something I call the information argument. It came to me that any process or program must contain information. Information requires a programmer. The universe contains programs and processes that require information. Therefore, the universe must have a Programmer—that is, God. I am not an evolutionist. Nevertheless, even if evolution were true, it seems to me that this process could not have created itself. How does mindless nothingness come up with anything anyhow? It is nothing, and it is impersonal. So, how does mindless nothingness do anything? It can’t. Consider the information found in DNA and the information found in the processes and programs of the universe. To claim that it came from nothing and no one and simply arranged itself would be like Luigi telling Mario that their virtual world needed no programmers. It is utterly absurd!

A cumulative case considering these five pieces of information and much more show—at least to my mind—the absolute necessity of God. I have to agree with Anselm of Canterbury in his 1078 work Proslogion that God is that which nothing greater can be conceived. How true!

Notes

[1] Norman L. Geisler and Frank Turek, I Don’t Have Enough Faith to Be an Atheist (Wheaton: Crossway, 2004), 98-110.

[2] Hugh Ross argues that even the vastness of the universe is important for two reasons: the production of life-essential elements and the rate of expansion. See Hugh Ross, Why the Universe is the Way It Is (Grand Rapids: Baker, 2008), 33-34.

[3] William Lane Craig, Reasonable Faith: Christian Truth and Apologetics, 3rd ed (Wheaton: Crossway, 2008), 111.

[4] Ibid., 150.

Brian G. Chilton is the founder of BellatorChristi.com and is the host of The Bellator Christi Podcast. He received his Master of Divinity in Theology from Liberty University (with high distinction); his Bachelor of Science in Religious Studies and Philosophy from Gardner-Webb University (with honors); and received certification in Christian Apologetics from Biola University. Brian is currently in the Ph.D. program in Theology and Apologetics at Liberty University. Brian is a full member of the International Society of Christian Apologetics and the Christian Apologetics Alliance. Brian has been in the ministry for over 15 years and serves as the pastor of Huntsville Baptist Church in Yadkinville, North Carolina.

Original Blog Source: http://bit.ly/2Ghlshg

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144,000 in heaven

Will There Only Be 144,000 People in Heaven?

By Brian G. Chilton

At our church, we recently began a new series of messages on heaven. After the service, I received a wonderful question from one of our members, Allison Mathews. Allison said that she had heard that only 144,000 people would be in heaven, and wondered if that was true. Some groups, especially among the Jehovah Witnesses, have espoused that only a select group of individuals (that is, 144,000) throughout all of history will be in heaven. Ironically, more than 144,000 Jehovah Witnesses attend Watchtower Bible studies worldwide, so someone is in trouble. While that is said tongue-in-cheek, the number of 144,000 has brought great interest to individuals wondering whom John is referencing, and how many people will be in heaven. This article will identify the 144,000 and discuss the number of people that one can expect to find in heaven as given in the book of Revelation.

Who are the 144,000?

The concept of the 144,000 comes from Revelation 7. John mentions the 144,000 after describing the Lamb of God (i.e., Jesus) opening up a scroll of which no one else is found worthy (Rev. 5:8-14). When the Lamb opens the seven seals of the scroll, a series of judgments come from the unsealing of the scroll, including the infamous Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse (Rev. 6:1-8), a group of martyred souls awaiting their vengeance (Rev. 6:9-11), and a massive earthquake (Rev. 12:9-17).

After all these events have completed, four angels standing at the four corners of the earth (symbolically speaking), and the angels hold back the judgments until 144,000 are sealed on the earth. The 144,000 are identified in verse four as those “sealed from every tribe of the Israelites.”[1] There are two primary options for identifying this group.

Metaphorical: The number 12 is symbolic of God’s government (e.g., 12 tribes of Israel and 12 disciples). 12,000 x 12= 144,000. In this case, some hold that 144,000 symbolically represents the entire church, but would not hold a precise numerical value as to the number of individuals in heaven.

Literal: In this view, the 144,000 are redeemed Israelites who are saved during the time of global tribulation after the church has been resurrected. This view is the most plausible and relates best to the text at hand. Therefore, the 144,000 are Jewish individuals who are saved during the time of tribulation and not the number of all heavenly citizens.

How Many People Will Be in Heaven?

If the 144,000 is not a representation of the number of heavenly citizens, then how many people will be in heaven? Interestingly, the number of heavenly citizens is given in the verses following the description of the 144,000. John looks and sees a “vast multitude from every nation, tribe, people, and language, which no one could number, standing before the throne and before the Lamb. They were clothed in white robes with palm branches in their hands. And they cried out in a loud voice: Salvation belongs to our God, who is seated on the throne, and to the Lamb!” (Rev. 7:9-10).

So, how many people will be in heaven? Only God knows. It is a number greater than any person could count. The citizenship of heaven will include men and women who are white and black, Jews and Arabs, Americans and Russians, Iraqis and Iranians, North and South Americans, Africans and Asians, Europeans and Oceanians. Heavenly citizens will transcend from points across time itself! As Cordie Bridgewater poetically wrote in her classic hymn, “How beautiful heaven must be, sweet home of the happy and free; fair heaven of rest for the weary, how beautiful heaven must be.”[2]

Notes 

[1] Unless otherwise noted, all quoted Scripture comes from the Christian Standard Bible (Nashville: Holman, 2017).

[2] Cordie Bridgewater, How Beautiful Heaven Must Be, https://hymnary.org/text/we_read_of_a_place_thats_called_heaven, retrieved January 22, 2018.

Brian G. Chilton is the founder of BellatorChristi.com and is the host of The Bellator Christi Podcast. He received his Master of Divinity in Theology from Liberty University (with high distinction); his Bachelor of Science in Religious Studies and Philosophy from Gardner-Webb University (with honors); and received certification in Christian Apologetics from Biola University. Brian is currently a student of the Ph.D. program in Theology and Apologetics at Liberty University. Brian is a full member of the International Society of Christian Apologetics and the Christian Apologetics Alliance. Brian has been in the ministry for over 14 years and serves as the pastor of Huntsville Baptist Church in Yadkinville, North Carolina.

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Symbolism of colors

Reference Guide to the Biblical Symbolism of Colors

By Brian G. Chilton

Understanding portions of Scripture, particularly prophecy and apocalyptic literature, requires the reader to understand the symbolic meaning of the devices used by the prophet or apostle. Last week, I posted a reference guide describing the symbolic meaning of various numbers. In Revelation, John describes Jesus’s appearance as having hair as “white as wool—white as snow—and his eyes like a fiery flame. His feet were like fine bronze as it is fired in a furnace, and his voice like the sound of cascading waters” (Rev. 1:14-15).[1] Did John mean that Jesus literally had ultra-white hair, had fireballs for eyes, and metallic legs? If so, then John presented Jesus in such a way that would remind us of James Cameron’s Terminator. While Jesus did tell the disciples, “I’ll be back” (using my best Arnold Schwarzenegger voice), John used symbolism to describe the presence of Jesus. How do we understand the biblical use of colors? Let’s take a look. Afterwards, we’ll come back to John’s description of Jesus to show how this information is helpful in interpreting prophecy and apocalyptic literature (e.g., Daniel, Revelation).

Primary Colors

Red: Red is the color of blood. In the New Testament, Jesus’s sacrifice, often employing the imagery of blood (e.g., John 6:55). In the Old Testament, oudem is translated “red clay.” Oudem is the root word indicating mankind. Thus, red represents humanity. But, on a larger scale, red represents the love of God represented in and through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ. *Red is an official church color representing the Church itself. Red cloths are used during special festivals celebrating saints, Holy Week, and Pentecost.

Yellow/Gold:  Yellow is represented by two Hebrew words: charuts, referring to gold alloyed with silver or of sick skin (Ps. 68:13); and tsahob, referring to the color of hair or a patch of skin indicating leprosy (Lev. 13:30). Gold was a precious metal valued for its beauty and workability.[2] The temple was arrayed in gold, so it is no surprise that the New Jerusalem is described as being made of gold (Rev. 21:18, 21). Yellow and gold are also the color of fire. Fire represents the presence of God (Dt. 4:24; Heb. 12:29) and God’s refining process. Therefore, yellow represents the joy, the presence of God, and God’s anointing, whereas gold represents God’s holiness, divine nature, and his majesty. *Gold/yellow cloth is sometimes used in the place of white to celebrate the holiest days of the year (i.e., Easter and Christmas).

Blue: Blue is obviously the color of the sky, so the color holds some connection with the heavens. The Hebrew term for “blue” is tekelet which is sometimes translated as “purple” (Eze. 23:6) or “violet” (Jer. 10:9). Blue dyes were inferior to royal purple, but still a very popular dye and quite expensive. Blue was used on the clothing of the priests and aligned the hem of the priests’ garments (Ex. 28:5-6, 8, 15).[3] Blue was used in the tabernacle (Ex. 25:4; 26:1, 4) and in the temple (2 Chr. 2:7, 14). Blue indicates heaven, the Holy Spirit, and truth. Lighter shades of blue are sometimes used to represent the Virgin Mary. *Blue cloths are often used to represent the season of Advent, although purple is the official color.

White: White is used often to depict purity, holiness, and the redemption of sin. For the forgiven, sin is said to be washed as white as snow (Ps. 51:7; Isa. 1:18). White also represents the absolute purity of God (Dan. 7:9), of Christ (Rev. 2:17), of God’s judgment (Rev. 20:11), as well as God complete victory over the powers of evil (Zech. 6:3, 6; Rev. 6:2; 19:11). *White is an official color of the church. White clothes are used for holy days on and surrounding the Easter season, Christmas season, and other special occasions.

Black: Black symbolizes evil, gloom, judgment, and death (Lam. 4:8; Mic. 3:6; Zech. 6:2, 6; Rev. 6:5, 12). Hell is described as a place of “the blackest of darkness” (Jude 13; 2 Pet. 2:17).

Green: The color green is usually associated with vegetation. As such, green represents life. Cedars were popular especially in Lebanon and were valued as building material.[4] Cedars played some role in the purification rites of Israel (Lev. 14:4; Num. 19:6). Cedars represented power and wealth (1 Kgs. 10:27), growth and strength (Ps. 92:12; Eze. 17). Green is associated with the evergreen that does not lose its foliage. Thus, green represents life, eternal life, restoration, and a new beginning. *Green is an official color of the church, used during times where there is no official time of celebration. The church calls this period ordinary time.

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Cedar of Lebanon

Purple: Purple dyes were the most expensive and most highly treasured in ancient times. The Phoenicians developed purple dye which came from several predatory snails living in the Mediterranean Sea (i.e., murex brandaris, murex trunculus, and purpura haemostoma).[5] Purple became an official color of the tabernacle and of Aaron’s priestly garments (Ex. 26:1; 28:15-33). As such, purple represents royalty, priesthood, and wealth. *Purple is an official color of the church and used to symbolize the Advent (sometimes replaced with blue) and Lent seasons.

Bronze: Bronze is a hard metallic alloy composed of copper and arsenic, antimony, lead, and silver alloys. Bronze is extremely hard and durable. Bronze was often used for objects in the temple and tabernacle (1 Chr. 15:19). Jesus is described as having feet as bronze (Rev. 1:14-15). Bronze represents strength and durability.

Other Colors

Silver: Used to describe the word of God, divinity, purity, salvation, and truth (e.g., Jer. 6:30).

Amber: Like yellow, amber is a color of fire which represents God’s glory, judgment, and endurance.

Orange: Like amber and yellow, orange is a color of fire which represents the power and presence of God.

Pink/Fuchsia: Indicates a person’s right relationship with God. Pink is sometimes used by the church for the third Sunday of Advent and the third Sunday of Lent.

Scarlet: Sometimes indicates sin. But, scarlet can indicate royalty.

Sapphire: Indicates the law, commandments, grace, revelation, and the Holy Spirit.

Turquoise: Indicates the river of God, sanctification, the New Jerusalem, and God’s healing.

So, using the tools we have in this reference guide, we can denote that in Revelation 1, Jesus’s white hair represents his purity and holiness. His eyes of flaming fires symbolize his divine judgment. Finally, Jesus’s feet of bronze represent his great strength. An understanding of the symbolic meaning of colors can greatly help one interpret the imagery used in prophecy.

Notes 

[1] Unless otherwise noted, all quoted Scripture comes from the Christian Standard Bible (Nashville: Holman, 2017).

[2] Daniel C. Browning Jr., “Minerals and Metals,” ed. Chad Brand et al., Holman Illustrated Bible Dictionary (Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers, 2003), 1131.

[3] The hem of Jesus’s garment could have been blue. Thus, when the woman touched the hem of Jesus’s garment, it could have been blue if Jesus was able to afford a strip of blue cloth.

[4] Chad Brand et al., eds., “Cedar,” Holman Illustrated Bible Dictionary (Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers, 2003), 274.

[5] Mary Petrina Boyd, “Purple,” ed. David Noel Freedman, Allen C. Myers, and Astrid B. Beck,Eerdmans Dictionary of the Bible (Grand Rapids, MI: W.B. Eerdmans, 2000), 1100.

 

Brian G. Chilton is the founder of BellatorChristi.com and is the host of The Bellator Christi Podcast. He received his Master of Divinity in Theology from Liberty University (with high distinction); his Bachelor of Science in Religious Studies and Philosophy from Gardner-Webb University (with honors); and received certification in Christian Apologetics from Biola University. Brian is currently a student of the Ph.D. program in Theology and Apologetics at Liberty University. Brian is full member of the International Society of Christian Apologetics and the Christian Apologetics Alliance. Brian has been in the ministry for over 14 years and serves as the pastor of Huntsville Baptist Church in Yadkinville, North Carolina.

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Major Reasons People Atheism

4 Major Reasons Why People Become Atheists

By Brian Chilton

The psalmist David wrote, “The fool says in his heart, ‘There’s no God.’ They are corrupt; they do vile deeds. There is no one who does good” (Psalm 14:1, CSB). The psalmist claims that it is irrational for one to deny God’s existence whether it be by atheism or by alternative worldviews. Atheism has become popular in recent years. But, the pressing question is, why? Normally, people become atheists for four major reasons. I was influenced by some of these reasons to become a theist-leaning-agnostic for a period of time. While the atheist will claim to be a “free-thinker,” he or she is often imprisoned by emotionalism rather than reason.

  1. The person desires moral independence. Often the person who becomes an atheist or agnostic wishes to make one’s decisions without anyone telling them otherwise, including God. The person metaphorically wants one’s cake and to eat it, too. The person desires moral independence. One wants to have as much sex, take as many drugs, drink as much alcohol, make as much money (even if it hurts another), without any need for guilt. If there is no God, then the person is free to choose their own morals. By claiming that morality is up to the person, the person claims absolute independence.

Unfortunately for the skeptic, humans are built with a moral code within them. The moral law is transcendent. People realize it is wrong to hurt others unnecessarily. Ironically, the skeptic’s worldview collapses the moment he or she begins to speak about social justice. Social justice means nothing if there is no transcendent morality. Transcendent morality cannot exist if there is no transcendent reality known as God.

  1. The person holds emotive reasoning. That is to say, the skeptic bases one’s decisions on emotions rather than reason and logic. When God does not rescue them from a bad choice, the skeptic becomes angry with God and leaves the faith (if he or she was in an organized religion) or refuses to come to faith (if one was not part of an organized religion). Emotive thinking is especially found in the claim that a good, loving God cannot coexist with a created world full of evil (e.g., the claims of Neil deGrasse Tyson). The skeptic may have been hurt by Christians in church and desired to get back at them by becoming an atheist. The choice is based on emotion rather than reasoning.

The trouble with this mindset is that it does not always consider all the facts. As I have entered doctoral studies, I have read authors who eschew a person “flaming” others. Flaming is the act of blowing up emotionally and irrationally bombarding another without considering all the facts in the discussion, an act that has only increased in recent years. Alvin Plantinga, William Lane Craig, and many others have answered that a good, powerful, and loving God can coexist with a creation that is evil so long as such a God has good reasons for allowing it.

  1. The person desires global unity. That is, the person becomes an atheist, or at least agnostic because one does not want to tell a person of another faith that he or she is wrong. Some skeptics think that they can solve the world’s problems by holding that no religion is true, except their religion of atheism. The skeptic holds that their skepticism will unite people together globally rather than causing a divide. I am not a combative person. As such, this reason led me into agnosticism, at least to the idea that all religions could be true. People who hold this notion desire the love of people rather than the love of God.

Unfortunately, global unity is impossible as it pertains to religious views because all world religions and worldviews hold major differences. In addition, many have the notion that differences in religion cannot be discussed peacefully. However, if Christianity is true, then discussing these issues rise dramatically in importance. Unity should be sought by all believers, but it should not come by sacrificing truth. In reality, all worldviews hold major differences. Each worldview should be tested. It was my investigation and devotion to truth that God used to bring me back to faith. I then understood that Christianity holds good reasons for its authenticity.

  1. The person desires intellectual neutrality. As mentioned earlier, some do not test their beliefs. When the person’s beliefs are challenged, they are left without answers and hold that their previous worldview must not be true. This is the reason why many have left the church. Again, I had the same problem in the early 2000s. My faith was challenged by the Jesus Seminar. I had no way to answer their claims, thereby leaving me defenseless. None of my mentors could provide an answer to their claims. Thus, I naturally assumed that Christianity was false or at least deeply flawed.

A simple investigation using The Case for Christ by Lee Strobel and The New Evidence that Demands a Verdict by Josh McDowell launched me into the realm of Christian apologetics. I realized that Christianity does hold merit.

These are the four major reasons that individuals become atheists. Nearly all the reasons that people become skeptics are found in these four. Thankfully, answers are found in Jesus of Nazareth.

Video: William Lane Craig gives more reasons as to why people become atheists.

Check out Wintery Knight’s take on this issue and on the impact of these reasons upon former Christian, now an atheist, Dan Barker at http://bit.ly/2vqAnii

 

Brian Chilton is the founder of BellatorChristi.com and is the host of The Bellator Christi Podcast. He received his Master of Divinity in Theology from Liberty University (with high distinction); his Bachelor of Science in Religious Studies and Philosophy from Gardner-Webb University (with honors); and received certification in Christian Apologetics from Biola University. Brian is in the Ph.D. program in Theology and Apologetics at Liberty University. Brian is a full member of the International Society of Christian Apologetics and the Christian Apologetics Alliance. Brian has been in the ministry for over 14 years and serves as the pastor of Huntsville Baptist Church in Yadkinville, North Carolina.

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Pre-Existence Christ

The Case for the Pre-Existence of Christ: The Birthday that was Not the Beginning

By Brian Chilton

Recently, we celebrated my wife’s birthday. As we reach a certain age, we remember the date, but the year begins to become foggy (intentionally, of course). When one celebrates a person’s birthday, the person’s life is being celebrated. The birthday celebration acknowledges the importance of a person’s existence. A person’s birth represents the person’s beginning of existence (also included are the nine months prior in the womb as this writer believes that life begins at conception). So, when we celebrate my wife’s birth, we celebrate her existence and the blessings we have in knowing her.

As Christmas approaches, many ask questions concerning the origin and the date of the celebration. Christmas is supposed to represent the birth of Jesus Christ. Did the celebration of Christmas have pagan origins? Do we even celebrate the correct day when celebrating the birthday of Jesus? These questions are intriguing. There does seem to be some pagan influences in the Christmas celebration. It may be that Jesus was born in the spring. However, there are ancient traditions that place the wise men’s visit of the Messiah around December 25th to January 6th (see article “Is Christmas Celebrated on the Correct Day?”). This does not necessarily designate the period of time as the birthdate of Jesus as this occurred two years after the fact.

In the end, it really doesn’t matter. It doesn’t matter because the birthday of Jesus does not mark the beginning of Jesus. The Bible presents some interesting information about the Messiah. The Messiah existed before He was born. This is called pre-existence. Jesus’ pre-existence is discovered in four different ways.

The Messiah’s Pre-Existence was Suggested in the Prophets

Isaiah wrote,

“For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.  Of the greatness of his government and peace there will be no end. He will reign on David’s throne and over his kingdom, establishing and upholding it with justice and righteousness from that time on and forever. The zeal of the Lord Almighty will accomplish this. The Lord has sent a message against Jacob; it will fall on Israel” (Isaiah 9:6-8).

The text of Isaiah is a popular passage of Scripture that is read in many Christmas plays. Most scholars would accept that the passage of Scripture is referring to the future Messiah. The titles represent various characteristics about the coming Messiah. Wonderful Counselor refers to the compassion and authority of the coming Messiah. Mighty God refers to the fact that the Messiah would in fact be God in the flesh. The Everlasting Father is especially intriguing. John Martin explains, “the title “Everlasting Father” is an idiom used to describe the Messiah’s relationship to time, not His relationship to the other Members of the Trinity (Martin 1985, 1053). This reference shows that the Messiah would be eternal. So does the prophecy given in Daniel’s writing.

“In my vision at night I looked, and there before me was one like a son of man, coming with the clouds of heaven. He approached the Ancient of Days and was led into his presence. He was given authority, glory and sovereign power; all nations and peoples of every language worshiped him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion that will not pass away, and his kingdom is one that will never be destroyed” (Daniel 7:13-14).

Although not as explicit as Isaiah, Daniel shows that the Son of Man (which was Jesus’ favorite designation for Himself) would have the ability to approach the Ancient of Days (God the Father). It appears that the Son of Man would have many of the characteristics of the Ancient of Days such as having authority, glory, and sovereign power…everlasting dominion.Therefore, it appears that the Messiah was in fact eternal and existed before He would be born.

The Messiah’s Pre-Existence was Proclaimed by the Apostles

One of the greatest evidences of the Messiah’s pre-existence is found in the opening paragraph of John’s gospel. John writes, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it”(John 1:1-5). The Word (or logos) represents the Messiah. The Word is designated as being different from God (the Father) but essentially the same. This has connotations of the doctrine of the Trinity of God. If the Word was in the beginning with God, then the Word must have existed before the physical birth on earth. Therefore, the Messiah existed before He was born.

The Messiah’s Pre-Existence was Referenced in History

In the history of the nation of Israel, especially in the book of Genesis, there are occasions where a theophany occurred. A theophany is a visible manifestation of God. Some of these theophanies occurred as christophanies. A christophany is a pre-existent visible manifestation of Christ. Many of these occurrences took place by the mystical appearance of the angel of the Lord. This is contrasted against an appearance of an angel. The angel has certain characteristics that are linked with God Himself. Some of these appearances include an appearance to Hagar. “The angel of the Lord found Hagar near a spring in the desert; it was the spring that is beside the road to Shur. And he said, “Hagar, slave of Sarai, where have you come from, and where are you going?” (Genesis 16:7-8). In verse 13, Hagar said, “She gave this name to the Lord who spoke to her: “You are the God who sees me,” for she said, “I have now seen the One who sees me”(Genesis 16:13).

There also is the occurrence with Abraham when the Lord appeared with two angels before destroying Sodom and Gomorrah. “When the men got up to leave, they looked down toward Sodom, and Abraham walked along with them to see them on their way. Then the Lord said, “Shall I hide from Abraham what I am about to do?” (Genesis 18:16-17). Notice that one of the men was referenced as the LORD. This was a physical manifestation of God. It would appear that since the Messiah is the physical manifestation of God that this would have been a pre-incarnate Jesus.

Also, there is the occasion where Jacob wrestled with the angel all night. After the bout was over, the following was written, “So Jacob called the place Peniel, saying, “It is because I saw God face to face, and yet my life was spared” (Genesis 32:30). Note that Jacob realized that He had wrestled with God Himself and was freed. This angel must have been an incarnation of God for this to hold true. Therefore, it would seem that it was the pre-incarnate Christ with whom Jacob wrestled. These instances would seem to indicate that the Messiah existed before He was born.

The Messiah’s Pre-Existence was Preached by the Messiah

 The Savior Himself would indicate His pre-existence. When addressing His identity, Jesus said the following:

“Your father Abraham rejoiced at the thought of seeing my day; he saw it and was glad.” “You are not yet fifty years old,” they said to him, “and you have seen Abraham!” “Very truly I tell you,” Jesus answered, “before Abraham was born, I am!” At this, they picked up stones to stone him, but Jesus hid himself, slipping away from the temple grounds”(John 8:56-59).

There are many dimensions in the previous passage. For one, Jesus noted that He had seen Abraham to which the religious leaders thought to have been a vision. They did not believe that one could have a vision unless they were around 50 years of age or older. Jesus indicated that He existed before Abraham. In addition, Jesus used the phrase I am. The statement was rooted in the personal name of God. The name YHWH is defined as “I AM WHAT I AM.” So Jesus also identified Himself with God. This is why the leaders wanted to stone Jesus.

Conclusion

Why does the pre-existence of Christ matter? It matters for two reasons. One, it matters because a proper understanding of the person of Jesus is essential in knowing Him and the mission for which He was sent. Also, it matters to obtain a proper perspective on Christmas. It matters not whether Jesus was actually born on December 25th, April 17th, or any other date on the calendar. The early Christians focused more on the end events than the beginning events of Jesus. It is because of this that scholars have narrowed down the dates of Jesus’ crucifixion to Friday, April 7th, 30AD or Friday, April 3rd, 33AD with the resurrection occurring on either Sunday, April 9th, 30AD or Sunday April 5th, 33AD. The early Christians did not focus on the birthdate because they realized that Jesus’ birth was not the origin of the Messiah. Jesus had existed far before He was born. However, it is still important for all Christians to set aside a time to celebrate the incarnation of Christ…the time when God became flesh. This is why Christmas is celebrated. Do not lose the true meaning of Christmas this Christmas season.

Remembering that Jesus is the reason for the season,

Pastor Brian

 

Resources for Greater Impact

Cold Case Christianity Book angled pages

Cold-Case Christianity (Paperback)

Bibliography

All Scripture, unless otherwise noted, comes from The New International Version. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2011.

Martin, John A. “Isaiah.” In The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures. Edited by J. F. Walvoord and R. B. Zuck, vol. 1. Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1985.

 

 

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