1. Is Jesus God?

2. Is the Bible the Word of God?
Our Apologetic
Is the Bible the Word of God?
Is Jesus God?
Does God Exist?
Does Truth Exist?

3. What have you heard?

4. Did Jesus even exist? Bart Ehrman Attended Moody Bible School
Current Professor of Religion at University of North Carolina
Expert of Early Christian history and writings
Not a Christian- Agnostic
Award from Freedom from Religion Foundation

6. Why does it matter?
I Corinthians 15 Is the most important passage about the resurrection in apologetics.
It is an early creed dating to less than 10 years after the resurrection
It shows that the resurrection makes Christianity falsifiable.
It shows multiple eyewitness

8. These facts are accepted by an overwhelming majority of Scholars
Four Facts + One
These facts are accepted by an overwhelming majority of Scholars

9. Fact 1: Jesus died by crucifixion
Sources
Josephus (Jewish and Roman Historian)
Tacitus (Roman Senator and Historian)
Lucian (Satirist and Rhetorician)
Mara Bar-Sarepion (Roman Stoic Philosopher)
Jewish Talmud (Jewish Commentary on Old Testament)
All four Gospels

10. Fact 2: Jesus followers believed he rose from the dead
Paul
They Believed it
Oral Tradition
Willingness to suffer (not die necessarily)
Creeds
Sermon Summaries
Acts
Written Tradition
Clement of Rome (Pope/Bishop of Rome)
Gospels
Ignatius (Church father)
Apostolic Fathers
Dionysius of Corinth (Church Father/Bishop)
Clement
Polycarp (Bishop of Smyrna)
Tertullian (Church Father from Carthage)
Origen (Church father from Alexandria)

11. Fact 3: Paul changed his mind
Conversion
Suffering and Martyrdom
Paul
Acts
Luke
Early Christians (Galatians)
Clement of Rome
Polycarp
Tertullian
Dionysius of Corinth
Origen

12. Fact 4: James changed his mind
Conversion
Martyrdom
(Before) he didn’t believe
Josephus
Early creeds: report Jesus appeared to James.
Hegesippus/Jerome (Chronicler/Apologist)
(After) Paul and Acts
Clement of Alexandria (Church Father)

13. Bonus fact (Fact 5): the tomb was empty
Jerusalem Factor
Enemy Attested
Testimony of Women

14. Influence of Martyrs Is it important enough to die for?
I may believe that chocolate ice cream is the best ice cream but I am not willing to die for it
Jesus being God would be important enough to die for
Are you an eyewitness to the event?
I may believe that Jesus is God but I could just be wrong because I am not an eyewitness to the event
This separates the early disciples from current day martyrs
This separates the early disciples from early followers of Islam or Mormonism

15. What are other explanations?
Swoon Theory
Stolen Body
Disciples
Someone else
Hallucination theory
Replacement theory

16. Guess who?
Isaiah 53 describes Jesus perfectly despite being at least 130 years older Jesus
Who was Jesus?

17. Three options

18. Liar Lunatic Legend Lord
Who is Jesus?
Liar Lunatic Legend Lord