Lee Strobel

What I found fascinating in studying this as a skeptic is that when you study ancient history, and you're looking at some fact about the life of Alexander the Great, for instance, and you dig down, how do I know this fact is true? Most of the time, it's based on one source, maybe two sources of information.

But for the conviction of the disciples that they encountered the resurrected Jesus, we have no fewer than nine ancient sources inside and outside the New Testament confirming and corroborating the conviction of the disciples that they encountered the risen Jesus. I can tick them off real quick so you know what they are.

But for the conviction of the disciples that they encountered the resurrected Jesus, we have no fewer than nine ancient sources inside and outside the New Testament confirming and corroborating the conviction of the disciples that they encountered the risen Jesus. I can tick them off real quick so you know what they are.

But for the conviction of the disciples that they encountered the resurrected Jesus, we have no fewer than nine ancient sources inside and outside the New Testament confirming and corroborating the conviction of the disciples that they encountered the risen Jesus. I can tick them off real quick so you know what they are.

The first is that creed I mentioned earlier, a creed whose historical credentials are so strong that one of the few Jewish New Testament scholars, Pinchas Lapid said, it may be taken as a statement of eyewitnesses. Second, we have Paul's testimony, because Paul said, I encountered the risen Christ, and then he got to know the disciples.

The first is that creed I mentioned earlier, a creed whose historical credentials are so strong that one of the few Jewish New Testament scholars, Pinchas Lapid said, it may be taken as a statement of eyewitnesses. Second, we have Paul's testimony, because Paul said, I encountered the risen Christ, and then he got to know the disciples.

The first is that creed I mentioned earlier, a creed whose historical credentials are so strong that one of the few Jewish New Testament scholars, Pinchas Lapid said, it may be taken as a statement of eyewitnesses. Second, we have Paul's testimony, because Paul said, I encountered the risen Christ, and then he got to know the disciples.

Yeah, that's right.

Yeah, that's right.

Yeah, that's right.

It's huge, absolutely huge. No incentive to do that. But what's also interesting is after he became the Apostle Paul, he became friends with many of the disciples, the other eyewitnesses. So he knew Peter, James, and John. And he says in 1 Corinthians, in his letter he wrote, he said, whether it is I or they, this is what we preach.

It's huge, absolutely huge. No incentive to do that. But what's also interesting is after he became the Apostle Paul, he became friends with many of the disciples, the other eyewitnesses. So he knew Peter, James, and John. And he says in 1 Corinthians, in his letter he wrote, he said, whether it is I or they, this is what we preach.

It's huge, absolutely huge. No incentive to do that. But what's also interesting is after he became the Apostle Paul, he became friends with many of the disciples, the other eyewitnesses. So he knew Peter, James, and John. And he says in 1 Corinthians, in his letter he wrote, he said, whether it is I or they, this is what we preach.

So he's saying, look, I encountered the risen Christ, so have they. So he's confirming that the disciples were eyewitnesses. He's another point of confirmation. The third area of evidence, corroboration, is the Book of Acts. Even skeptical scholars will accept that the Book of Acts is the account of the spread of the early church. And what is the thing that drove it?

So he's saying, look, I encountered the risen Christ, so have they. So he's confirming that the disciples were eyewitnesses. He's another point of confirmation. The third area of evidence, corroboration, is the Book of Acts. Even skeptical scholars will accept that the Book of Acts is the account of the spread of the early church. And what is the thing that drove it?

So he's saying, look, I encountered the risen Christ, so have they. So he's confirming that the disciples were eyewitnesses. He's another point of confirmation. The third area of evidence, corroboration, is the Book of Acts. Even skeptical scholars will accept that the Book of Acts is the account of the spread of the early church. And what is the thing that drove it?

It was the proclamation of the resurrection. So here we have Peter in Acts chapter two, who gets up before a crowd and he says, men of Israel, listen to these words. This Jesus, a man attested to you by miracles and wonders and signs, which he did in your midst, you know that he did. He's appealing to their common knowledge.

It was the proclamation of the resurrection. So here we have Peter in Acts chapter two, who gets up before a crowd and he says, men of Israel, listen to these words. This Jesus, a man attested to you by miracles and wonders and signs, which he did in your midst, you know that he did. He's appealing to their common knowledge.

It was the proclamation of the resurrection. So here we have Peter in Acts chapter two, who gets up before a crowd and he says, men of Israel, listen to these words. This Jesus, a man attested to you by miracles and wonders and signs, which he did in your midst, you know that he did. He's appealing to their common knowledge.

And then he says, this Jesus God raised from the dead, to which we're all witnesses. And how did they react? History tells us that 3,000 people said, Peter, we know you're telling this truth. What do we do? They repented, and the church was born. So that's the first three sources.