• Another alternative proposed by skeptics of the resurrection of Jesus Christ is the “Stolen Body Theory”. This option states that Jesus did not physically rise from the grave, but rather, his disciples stole his body from the tomb, disposed of it elsewhere, and then declared that Jesus had been resurrected.

There are numerous problems with this option, however:

• First, Jesus’ tomb was protected by armed guards- either a Roman guard unit or a Jewish temple guard unit (Mt. 27:65-66). In either case though, you have to explain how Jesus’ disciples, average men with no military experience, got past trained warriors who had been instructed to make the tomb as secure as possible.
• Second, you still have the problem we discussed last week, what would be the disciples’ motive for taking such a risk and then making up the story of the resurrection? They had nothing to gain and everything to lose.
• Third, a stolen body doesn’t account for the eyewitness testimonies to the resurrection of Jesus. Scripture reports that over 500 people saw Jesus physically alive following his crucifixion and resurrection (1 Corinthians 15). Skeptics may argue that these people were all lying, but to get that many people to agree to the same falsehood, stick to their stories, and many even go to their deaths for it; that is hard to believe. And if Paul was lying about these eyewitnesses (1 Cor. 15), why did he state that most of them are still living (v. 6), as if to say, “If you don’t believe me, go ask them!”
• Fourth, and related to the last point, as was mentioned last week, how do you account for the rapid growth of the early church in a hostile, 1st century context where neither the Jews nor Romans wanted Christianity to succeed? The only thing that can explain this growth is that there were just too many firsthand, eyewitnesses to the resurrection for people to simply dismiss this as a made up story.
• Lastly, the stolen body theory cannot account for the radical change we see in the life of Saul (Paul). Saul was a zealous persecutor of the early Christian church and a Jew with impeccable credentials (Acts 8:1-3; Philippians 3:4-6); and yet, he ultimately became the most influential evangelist in the history of Christianity. What accounts for this dramatic life change if not the reason Paul himself gives, that he had seen the risen Jesus (1 Cor. 15:8)?

For more information on the resurrection of Jesus Christ, please check out Jason Carlson’s CD album, Answering the 3 Great Questions of Life, available in our online store.

• One of the common arguments raised against the literal, physical resurrection of Jesus Christ is the “Conspiracy Theory” option. This argument posits the idea that Jesus’ disciples made the whole story up. There was no resurrection, Jesus died, was buried, and the disciples simply began promoting the claim that he had risen.
• In response to this charge, one must ask, what would be the disciples’ motivation for inventing such a story? In a hostile, 1st century Jewish religious culture, paired with the political oppression of the Roman Empire, the disciples had nothing to gain by advancing the resurrection story and everything to lose. In fact, all but one of the disciples would be martyred for their profession that Jesus was the risen Lord.
• The conspiracy theory option must also explain the radical transformation evidenced in the disciples’ lives shortly after Jesus’ trials and crucifixion. The Gospels report that when Jesus was arrested the disciples fled, went into hiding, and denied knowing him, fearing they might be next (Mark 14:50, 66-72). And yet, shortly after Jesus’ execution, the disciples are boldly and publicly proclaiming him to be the risen Lord (Acts 2:14; 4:8). What could inspire this dramatic change if Jesus had not truly risen?
• Along with the above problems for the conspiracy theory option, the skeptic who holds this position must also explain why Jesus’ tomb was empty, the eyewitness testimonies of the risen Jesus, the rapid spread of the early church in a hostile 1st century context, and the conversion of hardcore skeptics and persecutors of the Christian faith like Saul (Paul). We’ll explore each of these problems for the various skeptics’ accounts of the resurrection in our upcoming Fast Facts.

For more information on the resurrection of Jesus Christ, please check out Jason Carlson’s chapter, Jesus: Risen for a New Generation in the book Apologetics For A New Generation, available in our online store.

• Over the past 10 weeks our Fast Facts series has explored the various worldviews that have influenced Western culture over the past two centuries.
• The primary lesson to be learned in humanity’s spiritual journey these past two hundred years is that apart from an embrace of God’s revealed truth in Scripture, societies are destined for disaster. This is the lesson we learn from history, but it’s also what God’s word has revealed to us for over 2,000 years (Romans 1:18-32).
• Culture is simply worldview externalized. What an individual, a nation, or society thinks and believes about God will directly impact all areas of life. Thus, for true societal transformation to take place, it must begin with heart transformation.
• For us as believers who are concerned with the direction our culture is heading today, what this means is that our primary motivation must be for declaring the Gospel and calling people to repentance and making Christ the Lord of their lives. Apart from genuine heart transformation, all of our other social ministry endeavors will simply be temporary band-aids masking humanity’s true need.
• The most important message we can share with the world today is that single most important truth expressed by Jesus Christ, himself, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me” (John 14:6).

For more information on sharing the Gospel with those caught up in false worldviews, please check out the book Apologetics For A New Generation, available in our online store.

• In the past two weeks we’ve been exploring some of the manifestations of Postmodern thought; and specifically, we’ve looked at Postmodern Existentialism and Postmodern Spiritualism.
• A third manifestation of Postmodern philosophy in our world today is what is called Postmodern Secularism. As it’s name implies, it rejects the spiritual realm that is embraced by Postmodern Spiritualism. However, it also rejects the overt pessimism of Postmodern Existentialism. In the end, however, the logical end of Postmodern Secularism is no better for humanity than either of the two previously explored options.
• Postmodern Secularism is essentially a renewed Humanism harkening back to Nietzsche’s philosophy of the 19th c.
• The basic belief of Postmodern Secularism is that humanity is basically good. People are not guilty of violating any actual moral law (as absolutes do not exist), but rather, we’re simply guilty of our guilt.
• Postmodern Secularism declares that institutions, and particularly organized religion, create evil and guilt by limiting personal freedom through the invention of false systems of morality. For the Postmodern Secularist, the freedom to follow your heart, discover personal fulfillment, and achieve self-actualization are the highest goal.
• The most obvious expression of the above goal in our contemporary culture is in the area of sexual liberty, where our culture has increasingly turned it’s back on God’s standards. With this, we’ve seen the institution of marriage come under attack – both in regards to our culture’s devaluation of marriage (cohabitation, divorce, etc.) and in it’s redefinition of marriage (gay marriage currently legal in 9 states throughout America).
• The Christian worldview teaches that there are absolutes in the areas of truth and morality; and therefore, following God’s norms, not our sinful hearts, is what ultimately leads to true fulfillment in our lives and society. This message convicts the inherent ‘idolatry of the self’ found in Postmodern Secularism, which is why Christianity is being increasingly marginalized in our culture today.
• The hedonistic goals of Postmodern Secularism may appear to be based on freedom and personal liberty, but ultimately, pursuing freedom apart from God produces not liberty, but bondage. The further a society moves away from God’s standards of truth, the greater the sin and moral anarchy that will result (Rom. 1:18-32).

For more information on the implications of Postmodern thought for our culture today, please check out the book Answers For A Confused Church, available in our online store.

• Last week we began looking at the three ways in which Postmodern philosophy manifests itself by examining Postmodern Existentialism. We saw how Postmodern Existentialism ends in a spiritual vacuum where man has divorced himself from his Creator and ultimately faces an existence that is meaningless and absurd.
• Others in our Postmodern world have not denied the supernatural, but rather, have taken a second option we call Postmodern Spiritualism.
• Postmodern Spiritualism ignores the Judeo-Christian tradition and instead elevates non-Western, non-traditional religions such as Hinduism, Buddhism, and various forms of Paganism.
• Postmodern Spiritualism believes in a “God”, but generally defines “God” as an impersonal, universal force. This view is essentially the monistic and pantheistic view of Eastern philosophy (monism = all is one / pantheism = all is god).
• Many who embrace Postmodern Spiritualism are also very active in the ecology movement, even to the point of religious zeal. The Postmodern Spiritualist’s passion for the environment stems from their monistic/pantheistic belief that everything is spiritually interconnected, along with the Darwinian view that we’ve all evolved out of the same slimy algae. Therefore, in protecting “Mother Earth” we are actually caring for ourselves.
• Another key element of Postmodern Spiritualism is the belief in universalism, the idea that there is no eternal judgment and ultimately everyone will be saved (becoming one with the impersonal force they call “God”).
• While Postmodern Spiritualism is an attractive option for many people who desire spirituality in their lives, but aren’t interested in submitting to a personal, Creator, there are some significant consequences to this worldview: 1) It devalues human beings (ex. If the dirt is god and you are god, what do you become equal with?); and 2) It’s universalistic view of salvation comes at the expense of your own individuality and personality, as ultimately you cease to exist as you become one with the impersonal all.

For more information on Postmodern Spiritualism and the consequences of this worldview, please check out Dr. Carlson’s lecture titled, New Age Spirituality, available in CD or MP3 in our online store.

• Last week we highlighted the rise and characteristics of Postmodern thought during the second half of the 20th century. We also mentioned how Postmodernism expresses itself in three primary manifestations: Postmodern Existentialism, Postmodern Spiritualism, and Postmodern Secularism.
• Postmodern Existentialism flows directly out of the Naturalistic-Humanistic worldview that there is no God and men and women are alone in the universe.
• Existentialism is simply a fancy philosophical term which means, “meaning of existence”. So, a Postmodern Existentialist is one who recognizes that without a God to instill meaning and purpose to our lives, humanity must create our own meaning and purpose.
• Sadly though, the logical outcome of Existentialist philosophy is that life is ultimately meaningless and absurd. As the famous Existentialist philosopher Jean-Paul Sartre once said, “No finite point (man) has meaning without an infinite reference point (God)” (parentheses mine).
• Postmodern Existentialism creates a spiritual vacuum where man has consciously divorced himself from the reality of his Creator (Romans 1:18-32). And the sad reality of Existentialism is that those who embrace this philosophy realize what they have done. Again, quoting Sartre, “That God does not exist, I cannot deny, that my whole being cries out for God I cannot forget.”

For more information on Postmodernism and other Worldviews, please check out the Apologetics Study Bible for Students, available in our online store.

• In the 20th century Secular Humanism’s idealistic myth, that humanity is basically good and could create a Utopia on earth, was shattered by the undeniable reality of human evil and atrocity evidenced in two World Wars, the Holocaust, Stalin’s gulags, Mao’s cultural revolution, and the killing fields of Cambodia, amongst other examples.
• However, instead of returning to the truth of a Creator-God and His moral guidance for society, secular philosophers continued to attempt to explain existence and the meaning of life without Him.
• The mid to late 20th century saw the popular rise of a philosophy known as Postmodernism which would gradually infiltrate all areas of society.
• Postmodernism denies the existence of God and the reality of absolute truth and instead elevates relativism and a politically correct notion of tolerance that calls for uncritical acceptance of all beliefs, practices, and lifestyles.
• Postmodernism expresses itself in three primary manifestations: postmodern existentialism, postmodern spiritualism, and postmodern secularism.
• In our upcoming Fast Facts we will explain these three manifestations of Postmodern thought and highlight the implications of embracing them.

For more information on the philosophy of Postmodernism, please check out Jason Carlson’s 5-disc CD series titled Answering the Postmodern Challenge, available in our online store.

• During the last part of the 19th century, following on the heels of Naturalism and Darwinism, Humanism, or Optimistic Humanism, became the dominant Secular philosophy of life.
• Taking inspiration from philosophers like Nietzsche, Humanism believed that it was religion, and specifically Christianity, that was holding humanity back from our ongoing evolutionary progress towards the emergence of the “Superman”.
• So, Humanistic philosophers declared, “God is dead”, and supposedly freed humanity from the restrictions of religion, believing that in our innate human goodness we could achieve Utopia on earth apart from God.
• However, coming into the 20th century the idealistic hope of Secular Humanism was shattered by the realities of two World Wars, the Holocaust, the Great Depression, a nuclear arms race, and many other examples which demonstrated that men and women are not “basically good”, but instead are bent towards evil.
• The philosophy of Secular Humanism has proven itself to be morally bankrupt and unable to provide a basis upon which to build a just society. However, instead of turning back to God in this situation, humanity has continued to search for meaning and purpose on our own terms.
• In our upcoming Fast Facts we will see the inevitable consequences and the ongoing spiritual confusion that’s resulted from Humanity’s fundamentally flawed search for meaning and purpose divorced from our Creator’s guidance.

For more information on the implications of a person’s worldview, please check out the book, Answers For A Confused Church, available in our online store.

• When Naturalistic and Humanistic philosophers declare that there is no God, there are some profound questions that arise as a result. The first of which is, “If there is no God, what then is the origin of life?”
• When considering this question it is important to realize there are only two possible answers: 1) Life is either the result of a supernatural creative act of God; or 2) Life is the product of spontaneous generation (life from non-living matter) and millions of years of random, chance events through the process of Darwinian evolution. There is no third possibility.
• Since Humanistic philosophers today have ruled out the possibility of a Creator, God, they are forced to declare that evolution is the best explanation for the origin of life; and this is what we have been teaching students in our schools for the past 150 years.
• The theory of evolution states that men and women are ultimately an accident, nothing more than highly evolved slimy algae whose closest ancestors swing from the trees and live in the zoos.
• The practical implications of this belief system are profound. For example, if there is no God and men and women are simply animals: What does this do to the value of human life? What basis do you have for morality, ethics, truth or justice? What is the meaning and purpose of life? What is humanity’s ultimate destiny?
• In our next Fast Facts we will begin to examine the Humanist response to these questions; and we’ll come to see that ultimately the Naturalistic-Atheistic worldview leads to tragedy and confusion.

For more information on the significance of a person’s worldview, please check out Dr. Carlson’s lecture, Red vs. Blue: The Real Cultural Divide, available in our online store.

• Secular Humanism, based on the philosophy of Naturalism, begins with the presupposition that there is no God.
• It’s important to understand, however, that Naturalistic and Humanistic philosophers and scientists never disproved God. What they did was create a definition of reality that is so small, that God simply did not fit!
• Naturalism and Humanism declared that reality is limited to what can be seen, observed, and experimented with in the three dimensional world of natural science. And in the Humanist worldview, since God cannot be put into a scientific “test tube” for observation and experimentation, God simply does not exist.
• The philosophies of Naturalism and Humanism never disproved God; they simply defined God out of existence a priori by limiting themselves to this finite definition of reality.
• In our next Fast Facts we will explore some of the philosophical implications that stem from the Humanistic declaration that there is no God.

For more information on the worldviews of Naturalism and Humanism, please check out Dr. Carlson’s book, Fast Facts On False Teachings, available in our online store.