Jim Putman, Senior Pastor of Real Life Ministries, leads us through his process of investigation of different belief systems and religions that led him through his journey from atheism to belief in Jesus. He leads us through the evidence that he came to discover that countered the three most common attacks against the New Testament. He also walks us through his search into different religions and why he finally came to believe and accept Christianity.

The Case for the Resurrection

My journey

• No God – I don’t have enough faith to be an atheist
• The case for a creator
• Gods Crime Scene

I believe that there is evidence of a God –I would challenge you to investigate

Some presuppositions I start with

1. If there is a God there would be evidence.
2. If there is a God who created the world then the laws of nature are not all there is – open system versus closed system –miracles should be expected rather than dismissed.
3. If there is a God who created nature with laws –it doesn’t surprise me that there are spiritual laws and spiritual entities.
4. If there is a God there should be verifiable evidence to show us which one.
5. If there is an infinite God who knows all –and we are created with finite minds, it doesn’t surprise me that there are unanswered questions.

Which God?

Over the years I have met several people who have been challenged in differing ways

• J Warner Wallace (A cold case detective)–Cold Case Christianity
• Lee Strobel – the Case for Christ – (A journalist)
• Josh McDowell – (an Historian)
• Frank Turek –I don’t have enough faith to be an atheist

Answering the attacks on the New Testament

1^st Attack: The New Testament was not written by the actual eye witnesses

2^nd Attack: The story has changed over time

3^rd Attack: The witnesses are not credible

1^st Attack:  One attack against the New Testament is that the story developed over time, and that the first believers just believed that Jesus was a good teacher.

• The Early believers –who lived in the time of Jesus and knew the writers, tell us who wrote the books—and they were sure enough that they died for their view.
• Non-believers tell us what the first church believed – they actually killed believers because they believed it.
• Non-believing historians verify details of the scriptures.

2^nd Attack: The story has changed over time

• NO: We have portions of copies dating back 1800 years to test our current copies.
• Our earliest written accounts tell us the same story we have today.
• Early believers write to each other concerning the story we have today.

3^rd Attack: The witnesses are not credible

·       The disciples did not gain power, wealth, sex, or prosperity.

·       Truth: People will not die for something they know is a lie.

·       What would motivate people to lie when the cost was their own lives and the lives of their loved ones?

The witnesses all died for their testimony:

• Luke – hung on an olive tree by the priest of a pagan religion in Greece.
• James the Great – sons of thunder, brother of John – beheaded in 44 A.D.
• Philip – scourged, thrown into prison, then crucified in 54 A.D.
• Matthew – run through with a sword in 60 A.D.
• James the Less – brother of Jesus; he was beaten with a club, then stoned, then finished off by having his head beat in with a fuller’s club.
• Mathias – stoned and then beheaded.
• Andrew – brother of Peter; crucified.
• Mark – dragged to pieces by horse under the Alexandrian idol.
• Peter – crucified upside down-some history reports his wife was killed as well.
• Jude – crucified in Edessa in 72 A.D.
• Bartholomew – beaten, then crucified.
• Thomas – run through with a spear.
• Simon – crucified in 74 A.D.
• Barnabas – Hung in 73 A.D.
• John – banished to a prison Island

All they needed to do to live was to deny they had seen the risen Christ

To download the full version of these notes with quotes included go to the link below:

http://bit.ly/caseforresurrection