CON: THE MORE I WAS EXPOSED TO THE BIBLE,
THE MORE I BELIEVED IT.
WITH CAREFUL SEQUENTIAL TEACHING, LIKE WORKING THROUGH
EXPOSITORY PREACHING, EXIGENICAL PREACHING,
WORKING THROUGH ONE CHAPTER AT A TIME,
I COULD SEE THE COHERENCE OF IT,
AND THE WAY THAT IT JUST MADE SENSE.
AND IT JUST WON ME OVER, EVERY TIME.
FOR ME, IT BECAME CLEAR THAT IT ALL CAME DOWN
TO WHETHER OR NOT JESUS ROSE FROM THE DEAD.
AS THE APOSTLE PAUL SAYS, IN ONE CORINTHIANS 15,
IF HE DID NOT RISE FROM THE DEAD,
THEN CHRISTIANITY IS A CRUEL JOKE.
IT CANNOT BE TRUE.
BUT IF HE DID RISE FROM THE DEAD,
THEN IT IS THE TRUTH, AND IT CHANGES THE WORLD.
SO IT CAME DOWN TO ONE QUESTION.
AND THAT'S ONE OF THE NEAT THINGS I'VE ALWAYS
APPRECIATED ABOUT THE CHRISTIAN MESSAGE,
IS THAT YOU CAN ACTUALLY TEST IT.
THERE'S A POINT WHERE YOU CAN TEST IT,
IT'S FALSIFIABLE, UNLIKE ANY OTHER RELIGION
OR PHILOSOPHICAL SYSTEM, THAT CAN'T BE TESTED.
THIS CAN BE TESTED.
IF THE RESURRECTION HAPPENED, IT'S TRUE.
IF IT DIDN'T HAPPEN, IT'S NOT TRUE.
AND IN THE END, IF I LOOKED AT ALL THE HISTORICAL
SOURCES, I THOUGHT ABOUT THE EYEWITNESSES,
I CONSIDERED ALL THE ARGUMENTS AGAINST THE
RESURRECTION AND CONCLUDED,
IT'S HARDER TO BELIEVE THAT HE DIDN'T RISE FROM THE DEAD,
THAN IT IS TO BELIEVE THAT HE DID.
AND I HONESTLY BELIEVE THAT.
I DIDN'T HAVE TO CONVINCE MYSELF INTO THAT.
I JUST INTELLECTUALLY CANNOT BELIEVE THAT HE DID
NOT RISE FROM THE DEAD.
WHEN YOU CONSIDER THE EVIDENCE.
IT'S WHAT THE EYEWITNESSES CLAIMED AND WHAT HAPPENED
TO THEM THAT'S THE KEY.
SO THE ORIGINAL DISCIPLES ARE A BIG FACTOR.
BUT PAUL IS A BIG FACTOR TOO, BECAUSE
PAUL HAD NOTHING TO GAIN BY BECOMING A CHRISTIAN
OR FABRICATING A STORY ABOUT THE RESURRECTION
OF JESUS.
HE HAD EVERYTHING TO LOSE.
HE WAS PASSIONATELY OPPOSED TO THE MESSAGE OF JESUS.
THAT'S THE THING.
AND SO FOR ME, PAUL'S TESTIMONY THAT THE RISEN
JESUS REALLY DID APPEAR TO HIM ON THE ROAD TO DAMASCUS,
AND THEN YOU SEE THE INCREDIBLE TRANSFORMATION
IN HIS LIFE.
A TRANSFORMATION THAT COULD ONLY OCCUR
IF HE GENUINELY AND HONESTLY BELIEVED THAT
THAT EVENT HAPPENED, LEADING TO INTENSE SUFFERING
AND PERSECUTION ALL THE REST OF HIS LIFE
AND FINALLY MARTYRDOM, BEING BEHEADED IN ROME.
I CANNOT BELIEVE THAT PAUL MADE UP THAT STORY.
IT MAKES NO SENSE, THAT HE WOULD MAKE UP THAT STORY
AND DEVOTE HIS LIFE TO SOMETHING THAT HE KNEW
WAS FALSE.
SEE NOW PEOPLE DIE.
EVEN TODAY PEOPLE DIE FOR WHAT THEY BELIEVE IN.
THAT'S NOT THE AMAZING THING.
THE AMAZING THING IS, IF IT'S A LIE,
HE DIED FOR SOMETHING HE KNEW WAS A LIE.
AND THAT'S TRUE FOR ALL THE EYEWITNESSES
WHO DIED FOR THEIR FAITH.
THEY DIED FOR SOMETHING THEY KNEW WAS FALSE.
AND I CANNOT ACCEPT THAT.
I CAN'T ACCEPT IT.
IT MAKES NO SENSE AT ALL.
IT'S EASIER TO BELIEVE THAT THERE IS A GOD
WHO CAN RAISE THE DEAD, THAN TO BELIEVE
THAT THESE PEOPLE FABRICATED A LIE,
AND THEN WILLINGLY SUFFERED AND DIED FOR IT,
WITHOUT ANY ONE OF THEM RECANTING AND SAYING,
BEFORE SOMEONE PULLS THE TRIGGER, YOU KNOW,
WAIT, WAIT, WAIT, DON'T KILL ME,
WE MADE IT UP.
AND THEY ALL WILLINGLY AND JOYFULLY WENT
TO THEIR DEATH FOR THIS.
SO I THINK THE ONLY OTHER OPTION, AND THIS IS THE ONE
THAT REALLY THE MOST INTELLIGENT SKEPTICS GO FOR
IS THAT NO THEY REALLY DO BELIEVE THAT THEY WERE DECEIVED.
IT WAS A HALLUCINATION OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
AND AGAIN, YOU CONSIDER THE STORIES AND THE EVIDENCE,
IT JUST DOESN'T STACK UP.
IT'S AGAIN, EASIER FOR ME TO BELIEVE THAT THERE
IS A GOD WHO RAISES THE DEAD, THAN TO BELIEVE
IN THIS GROUP HALLUCINATION FOR 500 PEOPLE
THAT OCCURRED OVER 40 DAYS AND THEY ALL SAW
THE EXACT SAME THING AT DIFFERENT TIMES AND SO ON.
IT JUST DOESN'T HOLD WATER FOR ME.
IT'S NOT BECAUSE OF INTELLECTUAL OBJECTIONS
OR EVIDENCE OR LACK OF EVIDENCE.
IN THE END, IT COMES DOWN TO, DO YOU WANT
TO BELIEVE IT OR NOT.
AND MANY OF US JUST DON'T WANT TO BELIEVE IT.
AND SO WE RATIONALIZE IT, YOU KNOW?
AUGUSTINE SAID, YOU KNOW, WHAT THE HEART DESIRES,
THE WILL ACCEPTS AND THE MIND JUSTIFIES.
SO AT THE END OF THE DAY, THE ANSWER IS HOW HARD
ARE WE WILLING TO BELIEVE IT OR NOT.
AND I THINK IF PEOPLE OPEN UP THEIR HEART
TO THE POSSIBILITY THAT THIS ACTUALLY HAPPENED,
THEN ALL THE INTELLECTUAL REASONS AND EVIDENCE
AND JUSTIFICATIONS FOR IT, IT'S ALL THERE.
IT'S ALL THERE, IT'S ENTIRELY CREDIBLE.
YOU JUST HAVE TO BE OPEN TO THE POSSIBILITY
THAT IT'S TRUE.