googlef87758e9b6df9bec.html A Sure Word: Answering the 10 Questions Every Christian Must Answer: Part 6

Monday, October 18, 2010

Answering the 10 Questions Every Christian Must Answer: Part 6

The next two questions aren't directly related to each other as some of the previous questions but both require relatively short answers so I am including them both in a single post.

#7) Why didn't any of Jesus' miracles in the Bible leave behind any evidence?

I'm not sure of what to think of this question. The video doesn't explain what type of evidence it would expect nor did it even explain the point of asking this question. It merely asks the ambiguous question and follows it with a few loaded words: “It's very strange isn't it? You've created an excuse to rationalize it.” I've never attempted to “rationalize” it because I've never given it a second thought.

A few of the more notable miracles in the Bible are Jesus turning water into wine, the multiplication of the loaves and fish, His walking on water, calming the storm, various acts of healing, raising Lazarus and a few others from the dead, and finally His own resurrection. Of these many miracles what kind of evidence would anyone expect to find? The fish, the loaves, the wine, even the people are all gone now.

Is this truly a serious question? I could ask why George Washington's crossing of the Delaware left no evidence. What evidence would there be of such an event? All the participants are now gone. All we have left is the written record that it happened. Similarly, we have the written record of Jesus' miracles contained in the gospels. John and Matthew were first hand witnesses to many of the events they recorded. Why don't these critics consider the Bible to be evidence of the miracles? Why do they hold the record of events in Jesus' life up to a different standard than the events of Washington's life? I think we all know why.

Indirectly, we do have the testimony of an empty tomb. After His resurrection, the popularity of Christianity exploded. In a few short decades, Christians even caught the notice of the emperor, Nero. The Roman or Jewish authorities could have quickly quashed any false rumors of His resurrection by merely producing His body. Why didn't they? It's because the physical evidence was consistent with the Resurrection: the tomb was empty.

This question is a total fail. For many historical events, the only evidence we have is what has been written down. The miracles of Jesus are just as historical and we have the written evidence that they occurred.

#8) How do you explain the fact that Jesus hasn't appeared to you personally?

While promoting his movie, Religious, irreverent comedian Bill Mahr asked a similar question: “Why doesn't God just show Himself and tell us which is the true religion?” Questions like this have a sort of doubting-Thomas feel to them. Thomas, you will recall, refused to believe in the resurrection of Jesus until he saw the risen Savior for himself. He was fortunate because Jesus did appear to Thomas prompting him to exclaim, “My Lord and my God.” It seems natural to think that if God appeared to anyone then that person would believe. Thomas saw and believed but Jesus said that those who believe without seeing would be even more blessed. I certainly look forward to seeing Jesus but so much evidence exists for His life and resurrection that I don't need to wait until I see Him to believe.

First off, I'm puzzled by the premise of this question. What obligation is there for God (in the Person of the Son) to appear to us? God has already given us His revelation in the form of the Bible. There is nothing else we need in order to know how to be saved. If someone wishes to ignore the written word of God and insist that God appear to him personally, then that is his loss (and a very great loss it is).

However, even though God has no obligation to appear to us, He already has! John 1:14 says, “And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.” While on earth, Jesus gave us many signs and miracles as evidence of who He was, He told us He was the only way to the Father, He promised eternal life to everyone who believed in Him, and we have the written record of His words and miracles. What more exactly do these people want? Do they expect Jesus to appear every couple of years just to remind everyone that He is real and meant what He said?

Even if Jesus appeared on earth right now, I don't believe that would be enough to convince the skeptic anyway. At His first appearance, many of the people who heard His words and saw His miracles still not believe (John 12:37). I suspect the same would be true today. Additionally, we know that His one death on the cross was sufficient to atone for every sin (Romans 6:10, Romans 7:27). Therefore, there will be no more incarnations of the same kind as the last one. Someday, though, there will be a glorious appearance of Jesus. At that time, every knee will bow to Him and every tongue shall confess to God (Romans 14:11). Unfortunately, it will be too late then for the non-believers. How sad.

So how do I explain the fact that Jesus hasn't appeared to me personally? I wasn't alive during His ministry on earth. It's just that simple. You might as well ask why neither Augusta Caesar nor George Washington has appeared to me. What would be the point? Are Caesar and Washington imaginary? I only know these people existed because of the written evidence we have of them. Again, how can this video justify holding Jesus to a different standard than any other person of antiquity? Am I to believe that these critics do not believe in any person they have not seen personally? Yet incredibly, they claim it makes more sense to believe that Jesus doesn't appear to us because He is imaginary! No wonder they are having trouble with the other questions.

Part 1

Part 2

Part 3

Part 4

Part 5

Part 7

Part 8

6 comments:

Vinny said...

The Roman or Jewish authorities could have quickly quashed any false rumors of His resurrection by merely producing His body. Why didn't they?

Perhaps because it was not the Roman or Jewish practice to deal with trouble makers by adducing evidence to demonstrate the logical flaws in their beliefs. Rather, the Romans dealt with trouble makers by rounding them up and nailing them to crosses. The Jewish authorities dealt with trouble makers by stoning them.

RKBentley said...

Vinny,

Thank you for your comments. I've read much about the cruelty inflicted on the first century Christians but I think you're mistaken about how you believe the Roman and Jewish authorities would have handled Jesus. The Romans, like the Greeks, were very interested in logic and debate. They weren't barbarians. Many attempted to discredit Christianity at its inception.

The Bible records the early attempts of the Jewish authorities to conceal the Resurrection. They had a Roman guard at the tomb to prevent His body from being stolen and then began false rumors after His resurrection.

I think if either group had been able to produce the body, they would have.

Thanks for visiting.

God bless!
RKBentley

God.Is.Hidden said...

Whoa, be careful here. Dangers of Prideful assumptions are woven throughout. Particularly here,

"At that time, every knee will bow to Him and every tongue shall confess to God (Romans 14:11). Unfortunately, it will be too late then for the non-believers. How sad."

Actually, those who Judge and bow down Obediently will find out then what is too late.

I'm not a believer, however. I don't believe the existence of those I have met so much as KNOW the existence of those I have met. I've had a wild three months. Things, so many things, are more real than I ever had imagined. I thought I was open to all possibilities...whoa...I sort of was, but "all possibilities" just got HUUUGE.

Actually, they didn't. My EYES have opened up. The possibilities were there long before I could see them. Of course of course, most likely of course.

And, it's all totally awesome.

^^^^raising my Name up^^^

Said, of course, as an Agnostic who can not assume that I know much of anything beyond the States of Being - love/hate, joy/sorrow & hope/fear and the big one - PAIN.

I have to stop there. I had a lot written out to you. But I'm not sure it's a good idea to release information just yet until I'm strong enough to deal with the troubles that may come. It's not you or any other human being I'm concerned about. Things are changing in this world, my friend. Energies are shifting. I've got to get stronger before I send out any more beacons to those who con men.

So vague,...I know. It sucks sometimes not being able to be as open as I want to be.

Thank you for the usage of one of your post titled, "A Sure Word: 1 Samuel 8:11-18: You Asked for Him". Sure did!

17 23 17 17 17 17

^Important month days for me.^
Age 7 - 31

I never used a blogger account. Do you know what links hit your blog? I hope that capability exists for blogger by now.

Maybe we'll talk. I've got a Divine story that brings tears of JOY to people. God is awesome.

You're almost there...most people are...they're so close...

You've got insights and open eyes in places that I do not. I, perhaps, have the same.

GOAL: Love, Joy, Hope, Peace, GRACE, Eternal Creation of Time & Space, using the Eternal Powers

What are the Eternal Powers?
....you should know....
Answer: figure out what people, especially man's institutions of government, use and then figure out the opposite. Apply whatever variations of what you'd give to a little kid, such as kind and forgiving, that you want.

There's only a few Eternal Powers.

I've got to stop again. I want to just put everything out there. Each rewrite is getting vaguer and vaguer. WEIRD RULES.

^^^living up to my Namesake shared by many^^^^

The link attached to the name below is not anything I've written. It's just an article that I can relate to...

RKBentley said...

God.is.hidden,

Thanks for visiting my blog and for your comments. You've said a lot and I'm not sure I know what your point is in more than a few places. Based on your screen name, I think you're going for a sort of cryptic comment. We'll I can certain say you've achieved that.

I don't believe God intends to be cryptic. We're clearly told that whoever walks in Jesus walks in the light and can see where he's going. The ones who walk in the darkness cannot see where they are going.

God's word is a lamp - not a secret code.

You did sneak in a reference to a stat counter. I do use a free stat counter offered at Statcounter.com. I don't usually make recommendations but this counter is pretty good. Last month, I had over 1,000 visitors who viewed over 1,300 pages. Using the counter helps me see how people find my blog which I keep in mind while writing new posts.

Thanks again for visiting.

God bless!!
RKBentley

Michael Lydon said...

RKBentley: Vague seems appropriate when one is getting attacked by the forces of darkenesse. Does one reveal the story, Divine gnosis of a magical nature delivered as a test and other things or not? I wasn't going for anything cryptic, but rather had the idea of putting something out there. Please keep in mind that while God may be a Lamp who isn't cryptic in any way, I am a man who doesn't exactly have anybody who is telling me what one should do after Receiving multiple Divine Revelations over a span of decades that I didn't start understanding until recently.

A little more plainly (split up because of a 4,096 character limit; hope you don't mind too much):

Souls are Earth bound. While we're here on this world, we fill our Soul's Cup up with chosen energies. Choose Love and that's the Eternal Energy. It's forever. A Spirit is made of Love, Joy and Hope. Choose Grace and that's the Eternal Strength.

On the other end of the scale we have Hate, Sorrow and Fear. Choose these energies and it's an invitation of darkenese. You can't control dark energies nor can you survive in Eternity with them. They are controlling energies of death. You can't fight them either. They can only be Overcome. Nobody can touch them.

We're Eternal and we're here to learn the Eternal Powers of Creation. This life of ours here on this globe started with birth. We were Created in Eternity and then born into Knowledge. There's a really good reason for why. It's the only way to gain Powers of Infinite Creation.

We were born into Babylon -naked, screaming, knowing nothing and babbling- and this is our classroom. We're here to learn those things that are referred to as Divine Law. It's not a law book of iudgments and punishments, which is the kind of Babel that is usually sold by any number of man's religions, but rather offers something quite the opposite. It is Whole, Complete and Good. Patience over frustration. Your choice. Gratefulness over regrets and loss. Your choice. Compassion over aggression. Your choice. Admiration over jealousy and envy. Your choice. Forgiveness that leads to Grace over grudges and revenge. Your choice. Eternal life over neverending death. Your choice. AHHH. There it is. Who offers that iudgment, diuision, and punishment? You. Nobody else. "Only God can judge me" is a popular refrain heard in Babylon. But it's not exactly true. You get Eternal Life. You WILL have it. Right now, we're living in neverending death. Choice.

Fill up with "Sin" - hatreds, regrets, sorrows, shame, fears - and a Baptism by Fire will come. It's not for punishment or "paying dues". That's man's silly iudgmental view. It's purification for Eternity. While it Is True that God Is Love, Grace and Mercy, Eternity brokers no such forgiveness. It's not about "fair", but rather an immutable (unchangeable) law of Reality. It's like gravity. If you jump out of an airplane without a parachute and smack into the ground, you can talk about how it isn't fair all you want, but in the end it's just a losing and ridiculous complaint. That's what "Hell" is about. It's an Energy.

What comes out - our Eternal Spirits that have all of the Tools of Eternal Creation.

Michael Lydon said...

Eternity is an exclusive club with a door policy. There is but one in all of history who won't be coming: Nobody. Eternal Life is for EVERYBODY.

There will be some, however, that See the Light, Receive it many times over, and still want to test the limits. They're still coming to Eternal Life. Perfect Desires It. They'll be purified. Hatreds will burn, as they do in that familiar feeling that we've all felt in our chest where our Soul's reside, into Gold. Love. This is a picture description for children. These are energies. It's not really going to be gold.

What comes next is the destruction of all "evil". What is Evil? Hate is the first to go. It is the line across in the cross. The next is the first X line of Sorrow. Right though the heart. It will be ended. This is the destruction of ALL that is evil that is spoken of in the Bible. Following that, the second X line of Fear. Last one to go -and the descriptions include stomping the embers underneath the feet- is Death.

WE ARE ETERNAL. The End is Our Beginning whereupon we will be "as gods" who Span the Infinite to both Create and Discover the Gems and Jewels of Reality.

Take care and God Bless you RKBentley.

(note: link in name is to a 1611 KJ Bible that I'm not personally affiliated with in any way)

Liberty (Eternal Truth)
Love (Eternal Life)
Joy (Eternal Wholeness)
Hope (Eternal Sight)
Grace (Eternal Strength)
Humility (Eternal Receiving)
Gratefulness (Eternal Admiration)
Longsuffering (Eternal Patience)
Compassion (Eternal Mercy)
Charity (Eternal Creation)
Faith (Eternal Drive)
Kind Guidance (Eternal Power)
Patient Influence (Eternal Power)
Peace (Eternal Being)

It's that simple. Start here >>>LOVE. Forgive. Be Patient. Be Thankful. JUDGE NOT. Obey no Master. Dance your own beat. Create Happiness. Seek Joy. >>>>>>>DIVINE LIGHT RECEIVED