TruthMatters_SJ
People sometimes question God’s wisdom and sovereignty when they witness suffering in the world, wondering why God would permit human suffering. Anyone who has witnessed human poverty, pediatric cancer or the deaths and injuries resulting from catastrophic weather events has likely had these questions in his or her mind. Why would God allow suffering? The …
As Christians on social media, we often encounter daily attacks on our faith waged by nonbelievers and cynics with strong desires to plant seeds of doubt. When we examine their attacks, however, we find them without merit. I have outlined a few recent arguments against Jesus’ resurrection from nonbelievers, along with responses. Early apostles and …
Continue reading "A Christian Rebuttal to Skeptics’ Common Claims about Jesus’ Resurrection"
In his last speech to the American public on April 3, 1969, before his untimely death by assassination, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. shared a very prescient and compelling message. He said: “Like anybody, I would like to live a long life. Longevity has its place. But I'm not concerned about that now. I just …
Continue reading "Did Jesus’ Apostles See the Kingdom of God in their Lifetimes?"
The Problem of Evil One of the strongest arguments atheists wage against God is the problem of evil. Some claim that the presence of evil in the world eliminates the possibility of an omniscient, all-benevolent Lord who wants the best for his children by granting them free will. Some claim that an all-benevolent Lord should …
Continue reading "Atheists’ Problem of Evil and God’s Elevation of Heroes like Dr. MLK, Jr."
What do we know about Jesus’ crucifixion and resurrection? We know that Jesus’ resurrection forms the foundation of Christianity. Without the resurrection, we do not have a foundation for our beliefs. Accordingly, I identified eight well-supported claims concerning Jesus’ resurrection. I recently created a meme and labelled these well-supported claims as “facts” and shared the …
Over the past few years, I have had numerous encounters with Bible skeptics who have used Matthew 5:17 to claim that Christians are still bound by the laws of the Old Testament. This morning, while preparing for an upcoming chat with an atheist named David Smalley on his “Dogma Debate” channel, I listened to him …
Continue reading "Did Jesus Contradict Himself in Matthew 5:17?"
In his letter to the Corinthians, Paul said, “So to keep me from becoming conceited because of the surpassing greatness of the revelations, a thorn was given me in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to harass me, to keep me from becoming conceited. Three times I pleaded with the Lord about this, that it should leave me. But he …
Continue reading "What Was the Thorn in the Apostle Paul’s Side?"
We have an abundance of ways to determine whether Jesus resurrected and the New Testament is reliable. These include examining the scholarly majority opinion concerning Jesus’ resurrection, conducting legal tests, identifying consistency with archaeological findings, identifying consistency with extra-biblical sources, and checking for bibliographic support. For an excellent discussion on the latter, please click here: …
Continue reading "How Do We Know Jesus Resurrected and the New Testament is Reliable?"
“'I tell you,' he replied, 'if they keep quiet, the stones will cry out.'" Luke 19-40 "They asked each other, 'Were not our hearts burning within us while he talked with us on the road and opened the Scriptures to us?'" Luke 24:32 In 1947, an Arab shepherd stumbled upon the Dead Sea Scrolls in a …
Continue reading "The Stones of the Old Testament Have Cried Out in Support of Our Messiah"
An ongoing debate among some Christians is on whether salvation is eternal or contingent upon our actions. I endorse the former, while others may endorse the latter. Below I have offered Biblical support for my endorsement. Biblical Support Romans 8:38-39 “For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the …
Continue reading "Is Christian Salvation Eternal or Contingent?"