[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]

Part 1:

Part 2:

• 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