3/23/15

Lawsuit over Jesus by Eric Lyons, M.Min.

http://apologeticspress.org/APContent.aspx?category=10&article=1753

Lawsuit over Jesus

by Eric Lyons, M.Min.

As the creation-evolution debate rages in courtrooms throughout America, and while lawsuits are being filed continually in objection to various visible vestiges of America’s Christian heritage, one court case in Viterbo, Italy is drawing worldwide attention. Atheist Luigi Cascioli is suing Catholic priest Enrico Righi for teaching that Jesus lived on Earth 2,000 years ago. Cascioli contends that Righi and the Catholic church have deceived many people by teaching that Jesus was a real historical person who actually lived in Palestine during the first century. After Judge Mautone initially refused to hear the case, his decision was overruled in December 2005 by the Court of Appeal, “which agreed that Signor Cascioli had a reasonable case for his accusation that Father Righi was ‘abusing popular credulity’” by teaching the historicity of Jesus (Owen, 2006). Righi has now been ordered to appear in court “to prove that Jesus Christ existed” (Owen).
A mountain of evidence exists for the reality of Christ (none more important than the historical, inspired New Testament documents), and yet skeptics continue to allege that he is merely a figment of our imagination, and/or has been confused with one of several “known” historical persons from the first century. If skeptics and atheists are now going to take “Jesus” to court (which should not concern Christians in view of the evidence supporting His historicity), perhaps those same individuals will be consistent and put their beloved theory of evolution on trial. After all, evolutionary science professors worldwide teach students the “fact” that the Universe is the product of a Big Bang, yet no one has ever proven such to be the case. (In reality, a growing number of scientists are beginning to reject this explanation for the origin of the Universe—see Harrub, 2005). What’s more, students are repeatedly taught that life came from non-living chemicals billions of years ago, even though no one has ever witnessed spontaneous generation take place, and the law of biogenesis flatly contradicts this theory.
The fact that Cascioli’s case has reached this far is a sad commentary on today’s society. The fact that the unproven theory of evolution continues to get a free pass among “enlightened” skeptics who (allegedly) want only “the facts,” is also telling.

REFERENCES

Harrub, Brad (2005), “Big Bang Breakdown,” [On-line], URL:http://www.apologeticspress.org/articles/309.
Owen, Richard (2006), “Prove Christ Exists, Judge Orders Priest,” The Times Online, January 3, [On-line], URL: http://www.timesonline.co.uk/art icle/0,,13509-1967413,00.html.

From Mark Copeland... "CHRISTIAN APOLOGETICS" Archaeological Support For The New Testament


                         "CHRISTIAN APOLOGETICS"

               Archaeological Support For The New Testament

INTRODUCTION

1. In examining the question of the New Testament's reliability as a
   HISTORICAL DOCUMENT...
   a. We saw in the previous study that the New Testament passes the
      "ACID TEST"
   b. That is, it was written in the same generation in which 
      the events to place
      1) It was circulated among the very people about whom these
         documents spoke
      2) While they were still alive to confirm or deny it

2. So it was written early...WERE THE AUTHORS ACCURATE in their depiction of the events
   which took place?

3. This is where the science of ARCHAEOLOGY can be very helpful in deter-
   mining the historical reliability of the New Testament:
   a. If the archaeologists prove that the New Testament is filled with
      errors concerning people, places, and events...
   b. Then the New Testament could not be trusted as an accurate record
      of the life of Jesus and the early church!

4. Not too long ago, some discounted the Biblical record because it
   frequently referred to things not mentioned by any source outside the Bible

5. But discoveries by archaeologists in recent years have vindicated the
   New Testament and silenced the skeptics!

[In this study we shall consider just a few examples of how archaeology
has confirmed the New Testament as a reliable document...]

I. A CENSUS, AND QUIRINIUS GOVERNOR AT THE TIME OF JESUS' BIRTH?
   - Lk 2:1-3

   A. IT WAS ONCE ARGUED THAT LUKE WAS IN ERROR...
      1. In other words, that there was no such census
      2. Also, that Quirinius was not governor of Syria at that time
      3. And that people did not have to return to their ancestral home

   B. BUT ARCHAEOLOGICAL DISCOVERIES HAVE PROVEN OTHERWISE...
      1. We now know that the Romans:
         a. Had a regular enrollment of taxpayers
         b. Held censuses every 14 years (begun by Augustus Caesar)
      2. An inscription found in Antioch tells of Quirinius being
         governor of Syria around 7 B.C. (evidently he was governor twice!)
      3. A papyrus found in Egypt says concerning the conducting of a census:
         "Because of the approaching census it is necessary that all
         those residing for any cause away from their home should at
         once prepare to return to their own governments in order that
         they may complete the family registration of the enrollment..."

II. WHO IS THIS LYSANIAS? - Lk 3:1

   A. THE ONLY LYSANIAS KNOWN TO ANCIENT HISTORIANS...
      1. Was one who was killed in 36 B.C.
      2. This caused some to question Luke's reliability

   B. HOWEVER, AN INSCRIPTION WAS FOUND NEAR DAMASCUS...
      1. It speaks of "Freedman of Lysanias the tetrarch"
      2. And is dated between 14 and 29 A.D.!

III. WHOEVER HEARD OF "THE PAVEMENT" (GABBATHA)? - Jn 19:13

   A. FOR CENTURIES THERE WAS NO RECORD OF THE COURT CALLED "THE
      PAVEMENT" OR "GABBATHA"...
      1. This caused many to say "It's a myth"
      2. And, "See, it (the Bible) is not historical"

   B. BUT WILLIAM F. ALBRIGHT IN "THE ARCHAEOLOGY OF PALESTINE" SHOWS OTHERWISE...
      1. This court was the court of the Tower of Antonia
      2. The court was destroyed in 66-70 A.D. during the siege of Jerusalem
      3. It was left buried when the city was rebuilt in the time of Hadrian
      4. And was not discovered until recently!

IV. ICONIUM A CITY OF PHRYGIA? - Ac 14:6

   A. ARCHAEOLOGISTS AT FIRST BELIEVED LUKE'S IMPLICATION TO BE WRONG...
      1. That Lystra and Derbe were in Lycaonia and Iconium was not
      2. They based their belief on the writings of Romans such as
         Cicero, Strabo, and Pliny
      3. Who indicated that Iconium was in Lycaonia
      4. Thus, archaeologists said the book of Acts was unreliable!

   B. BUT IN 1910, SIR WILLIAM RAMSAY FOUND A MONUMENT...
      1. Which showed that Iconium was indeed a Phrygian city
         a. Two inscriptions in the Phrygian language found at Iconium
            in 1910 prove that the Phrygian language was in use there
            for 2 centuries after Paul's visits
         b. Cofirming the interesting topographical detail in Acts (see
            Jour. Hell. Stud., 1911, 189).
      2. Xenophon, who marched with Cyrus’ expedition through Phrygia
         into Lycaonia, calls Iconium the last city of Phrygia
      3. Other ancient authorities who knew the local conditions well
         speak of Iconium as Phrygian until far into the Roman imperial period

V. WHOEVER HEARD OF "POLITARCHS"? - Ac 17:6

   A. CONCERNING THE TERM "RULERS OF THE CITY" (GREEK "POLITARCHS")...
      1. Since the term is not found in the classical literature of the Greeks...
      2. ...it was assumed that Luke was wrong to refer to such an office

   B. HOWEVER...
      1. Some 19 inscriptions have now been found that make use of this title
      2. Five of these are in reference to Thessalonica!

CONCLUSION

1. This is just a sampling of the evidence, for entire books have been
   written providing further examples

2. Just how accurate is the New Testament in its historical description?

   "It may be stated categorically that no archaeological discovery
   has ever controverted a Biblical reference." -- NELSON GLUECK
   (noted Jewish archaeologist)

3. Of special interest is the testimony of SIR WILLIAM RAMSAY...
   a. Concerning his background:
      1) He was trained in the German historical school of the mid-
         nineteenth century
      2) He was taught that the book of Acts was a product of the mid-
         second century A.D.
      3) He was firmly convinced of this and started out his career in
         archaeology to prove it
   b. However, he was compelled to a complete reversal of his beliefs
      due to the overwhelming evidence uncovered in his research
   c. His conclusion:

      "Luke is a historian of the first rank; not merely are his
      statements of fact trustworthy, he is possessed of the true
      historic sense...in short, this author should be placed along
      with the greatest of historians."

4. What have we established thus far in this series of lessons?
   a. That Jesus was a historical figure
   b. That the New Testament was written during the generation in which
      the events occurred
   c. That its reliability as a historical document continues to be
      confirmed by the field of archaeology

5. But another question remains... "How can we be sure that the New
   Testament we have today is the same as that penned by the original authors?"

Our next study will address that question...

Executable Outlines, Copyright © Mark A. Copeland, 2011

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From Gary... An interview with God



My good friend Bruce Arnold forwarded this to me. It was posted at Vimeo.com. 

Please click on the link above to view.

For an expansion of this thought, please read the following...

Job, Chapters 38-41 (WEB)
Too large to post, but worth reading!!!

Job, Chapter 42 (WEB)

  1 Then Job answered Yahweh, 
  2 “I know that you can do all things,
and that no purpose of yours can be restrained.
  3 You asked, ‘Who is this who hides counsel without knowledge?’
therefore I have uttered that which I did not understand,
things too wonderful for me, which I didn’t know.
  4 You said, ‘Listen, now, and I will speak;
I will question you, and you will answer me.’
  5 I had heard of you by the hearing of the ear,
but now my eye sees you.
  6 Therefore I abhor myself,
and repent in dust and ashes.”


Perhaps the best commentary on all these things is found in...

Isaiah, Chapter 55
 7 let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts; and let him return to Yahweh, and he will have mercy on him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon. 

  8 “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” says Yahweh.
  9 “For as the heavens are higher than the earth,
so are my ways higher than your ways,
and my thoughts than your thoughts.