[Due to technical difficulties, part of the audio in the middle of this lesson was lost and the video stream was cut in two. I have attempted to piece the audio back together. My apologies! -MRW]

• Matthew 28:1-10

• Can we believe what Matthew wrote about the resurrection?

• Are the New Testament writings reliable?

  • Luke 1:1-4

  • The New Testament is repeatedly confirmed by outside sources.

    • Luke 1:5; 2:1-4

    • If it was a work of fiction, it would be written with as few details as possible. Not so with the New Testament.

    • Luke 3:1-2

    • 59 marks of authenticity

      • John 5:2; 11:49

    • 84 marks of authenticity in the book of Acts

  • They included embarrassing and unlikely details.

    • Mark 8:33; 9:32; Matthew 14:31; 26:56; Mark 16:11

    • John 9:28-29; Acts 10:34-35

  • Alleged contradictions are actually marks of authenticity

    • John 20:12

    • ApologeticsPress – Alleged Discrepancies

    • J. Warner Wallace – Cold Case Christianity

• Could the disciples have stolen the body?

  • Matthew 28:11-15

  • What’s their motivation – persecution and death?

    • Acts 4:1, 20; 8:1-3

  • How likely is it that not a single one would recant?

    • I Corinthians 15:5

    • Acts 12:1-3

    • Most of the apostles suffered cruel, torturous deaths because of their preaching.

  • How did they get past the guards?

    • Matthew 27:62-66

  • How do we explain the appearances of Jesus?

• Could the disciples have been deceived?

  • Substitute on the cross theory.

    • Surah 4:157-158 – Jesus was not the one on the cross.

  • Swoon theory

    • Jesus was close to death, but did not really die.

  • Wrong tomb theory

    • Nobody checked? Also, how do you explain the appearances of the risen Jesus?

  • Hallucination theory

    • People don’t hallucinate in groups, and they certainly don’t hallucinate the same thing!

    • How do you explain the empty tomb?

• John 5:25-29

• Personal notes:

  • Today is Jesse Jenkins’ last Sunday as a local preacher at Benchley. He’s been working with the church in Benchley for 24 years.

• Introduction

  • Each individual is ultimately the architect of His own life.

  • I Corinthians 15:19 – Without Jesus, life is not worth living.

  • John 10:10

• Have THE faith by which to live.

  • One may have a decent life by having a faith to live by. Such a faith will bring comfort in this life but will do no good after death.

  • Romans 1:16; John 14:6

• Have your faith by which to live.

  • We must have our own faith in the faith.

  • II Corinthians 5:7

  • Acts 15:29

  • II Peter 1:3-11

  • Romans 10:17

  • Your faith can’t be any stronger than the time you spend with the word of God.

  • An inherited faith will not stand. Only a personal faith will help you attain salvation.

  • II Corinthians 4:13; 5:7

  • Ephesians 4:14

• Have a work for which to live.

  • If you want something done, don’t call a lazy man. Call a busy, industrious man.

  • John 9:4

  • I Corinthians 10:31

  • II Timothy 2:2

  • James 5:19-20

  • John 9:4

  • II Corinthians 6:2 – Today is the day of salvation!

  • Hebrews 4:9, 11

  • A lazy man can’t find rest. A spiritually lazy man can’t find contentment.

• Have a fit self with which to live.

  • The only way I can make my self fit to live with is to live for God.

  • True happiness comes from within.

  • Romans 14:22

  • John 15:11

  • I John 1:4

• We all have a story about how we became Christians. We should be thankful for those who taught us the gospel.
• William P. DeFee (1836) – First gospel preacher in Texas.
• Philippians 1:5; 4:10, 17
• Preaching in Czechoslovakia since 1990, right after the Berlin wall fell.
• Acts 14:27
• News and updates from preaching in the Czech Republic. The stay was much longer than anticipated because of the COVID-19 lockdown, but allowed time for more teaching and excellent results.

• Philippians 3:17

• I Corinthians 11:1

• Humility

  • Philippians 2:1-4

  • Acts 18:26 – Apollos learned with humility from Priscilla and Aquilla.

• Service

  • Acts 9:36-42 – Tabitha was a great example of service.

  • Galatians 6:1, 9-10

  • Acts 28:30-31

  • “Any time!” – Jesse Jenkins

• Love

  • II Corinthians 11:28 – Paul was concerned for the brethren.

  • Philippians 1:8

  • I Corinthians 13:5

  • “You just have to throw the mantle of love over it and go on.” – Jesse Jenkins

  • Ephesians 5:28

• Introduction

  • Romans 5:1

  • Acts 16:31

  • John 3:16

  • We studied about baptism being required for salvation, but these verses all talk about belief only!

• Something’s going on

  • What about repentance? (Acts 3:19; II Peter 3:9; Galatians 5:19-21)

  • … and the demons? (James 2:19)

  • … and these Jews? (John 12:42-43; Matthew 10:32-33)

  • … and Saul? (Acts 9; 22:16)

    • Saul believed, but still had sins until he was baptized!

  • … and these other Jews? (Acts 2:36-38)

• Figurative language?

  • John 2:19-21; 6:51-52; Matthew 16:6, 12

  • Synecdoche – a figure of speech in which a part is made to represent the whole, or vice versa.

    • Example: “give me a hand”

  • A synecdoche would explain how ALL the passages about salvation are true and not contradictory.

  • If taking a statement literally forces it to contradict a known truth, then the statement is either wrong or figurative.

    • John 3:3; 10:9; Luke 13:32

  • “whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life”

    • But … repentance (Acts 3:19), confession (Romans 10:9), baptism (I Peter 3:21)

• Synecdoches are commonly used in the Bible.

  • Genesis 3:19; Romans 10:15; Acts 11:21

  • Acts 16:31-34