A.) APOSTOLIC TESTIMONIES OF THE EXISTENCE AND GODHOOD OF JESUS
1. JESUS DISCIPLES HAD HEARD THE VOICE OF THE FATHER DECLARING THAT JESUS IS HIS SON
[2 Peter 1:16-19] For we did not follow cleverly devised fables when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eyewitnesses of His majesty. He received honor and glory from God the Father when the voice came to him from the Majestic Glory, saying, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.” We ourselves heard this voice that came from heaven when we were with him on the sacred mountain.
2. MORE THAN 500 BELIEVERS HAD WITNESSED THE DEATH AND RESURRECTION OF JESUS
[Acts 1:2-3] until the day He was taken up to heaven, after giving instructions through the Holy Spirit to the apostles He had chosen. After His suffering, He presented Himself to them with many convincing proofs that He was alive. He appeared to them over a span of forty days and spoke about the kingdom of God..
[1 Corinthians 15:3-9] I passed on to you the most important points of doctrine that I had received: Christ died to take away our sins as the Scriptures predicted. He was placed in a tomb. He was brought back to life on the third day as the Scriptures predicted. He appeared to Cephas. Next he appeared to the twelve apostles. Then he appeared to more than 500 believers at one time. (Most of these people are still living, but some have died.) Next he appeared to James. Then he appeared to all the apostles. Last of all, he also appeared to me. I’m like an aborted fetus [who was given life]. I’m the least of the apostles. I’m not even fit to be called an apostle because I persecuted God’s church.
3. THE DISCIPLES HAD WITNESSED THE ASCENSION OF JESUS TO HEAVEN
[Luke 24:50-52] When He had led them out to the vicinity of Bethany, he lifted up His hands and blessed them, while He was blessing them, He left them and was taken up into Heaven, then they worshiped Him and returned to Jerusalem with great joy.
[Acts 1:9-11] After He had said this, they watched as He was taken up, and a cloud hid Him from their sight. They were looking intently into the sky as He was going, when suddenly two men dressed in white stood beside them. “Men of Galilee,” they said, “why do you stand here looking into the sky? This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen Him go into heaven.”.
4. SAUL (THE FORMER CHRISTIANS PERSECUTOR) HAD SEEN JESUS IN THE FORM OF LIGHT
[Acts 22:3-10] “I am a Jew, born in Tarsus of Cilicia, but raised in this city. I was educated at the feet of Gamaliel in strict conformity to the law of our fathers. I am just as zealous for God as any of you here today. I persecuted this Way even to the death, detaining both men and women and throwing them into prison, as the high priest and the whole Council can testify about me. I even obtained letters from them to their brothers in Damascus, and I was on my way to apprehend these people and bring them to Jerusalem to be punished. About noon as I was approaching Damascus, suddenly a bright light from heaven flashed around me. I fell to the ground and heard a voice say to me, ‘Saul, Saul, why do you persecute Me?’ ‘Who are You, Lord?’ I asked. ‘I am Jesus of Nazareth, whom you are persecuting,’ He replied. My companions saw the light, but they could not understand the voice of the One speaking to me. Then I asked, ‘What should I do, Lord?’‘Get up and go into Damascus,’ He told me. ‘There you will be told all that you have been appointed to do.’
B.) HISTORICAL TESTIMONIES OF THE EXISTENCE AND SUPERNATURALITY OF JESUS
1. EXCERPT FROM THE WRITING OF TACITUS
[A.D. 54-119] Nero fastened the guilt … on a class hated for their abominations, called Christians by the populace. Christus, from whom the name had its origin, suffered the extreme penalty during the reign of Tiberius at the hands of … Pontius Pilatus, and a most mischievous superstition, thus checked for the moment, again broke out not only in Judaea, the first source of the evil, but even in Rome…
COMMENT: Though this knowledge of Tacitus about Christ is affected, nevertheless it confirms the existence of Jesus and his execution by Pontius Pilate, as well as the spread of Christian religion from Judea to Rome.
2. EXCERPT FROM THE WRITING OF PLINY THE YOUNGER
[A.D. 61-115] They were in the habit of meeting on a certain fixed day before it was light, when they sang in alternate verses a hymn to Christ, as to a god, and bound themselves by a solemn oath, not to any wicked deeds, but never to commit any fraud, theft or adultery, never to falsify their word, nor deny a trust when they should be called upon to deliver it up; after which it was their custom to separate, and then reassemble to partake of food – but food of an ordinary and innocent kind.
COMMENT: This writing of Pliny describes accurately that the early Christians performed the Holy Eucharist or Mass regularly. This writing also confirms that Christianity is not evil as mentioned by Tacitus above, on the contrary, Christians bowed not to do any type of wicked deeds. And also early Christians were not afraid to stand up for their religion.
3. EXCERPT FROM ‘ANTIQUITIES’ BY FLAVIUS JOSEPHUS
[A.D. 37-94] Now there was about this time Jesus, a wise man, if it be lawful to call him a man; for he was a doer of wonderful works, a teacher of such men as receive the truth with pleasure. He drew over to him both many of the Jews and many of the Gentiles. He was [the] Christ. And when Pilate, at the suggestion of the principal men amongst us, had condemned him to the cross, those that loved him at the first did not forsake him; for he appeared to them alive again the third day; as the divine prophets had foretold these and ten thousand other wonderful things concerning him. And the tribe of Christians, so named from him, are not extinct at this day.
COMMENT: This testimony of Flavius hints that Jesus Christ was a supernatural man. This also agrees with the Gospel that Jesus was crucified under the order of Pontius Pilate and restored to life on the third day. This writing also confirms that Jesus’ believers loved Him so much and their religion continued to exist.
4. EXCERPT FROM BABYLONIAN TALMUD
[A.D. 70-200] On the eve of the Passover Yeshu was hanged. For forty days before the execution took place, a herald … cried, “He is going forth to be stoned because he has practiced sorcery and enticed Israel to apostasy.
COMMENT: “Yeshu” is an acronym for Hebrew word “Yeshua” which means “salvation”. This was the name given to Yeshua by the people who did not believe Him. “Yeshua” was translated as “Iesous” in Greek, and “Iesous” became “Jesus” in Latin. The testimony above although affected, also agrees with the Gospel that Jesus was hanged on the cross on the eve of Passover. And also He led the Jews from Judaism (the Old Covenant) to Christianity (the New Covenant), in which the Jews regarded this act as an apostasy. In addition, this writing also bears the trace of the existence of Jesus.
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