Lee Strobel

They touched the resurrected Jesus. They talked with him. They ate with him. Of all people who ever lived, they knew the truth. They didn't just believe it. They just have faith in it. They knew the truth, and knowing the truth, they were willing to die for it. That's the difference between a terrorist today who crashes an airplane into the Trade Center.

He believes if he dies that way, he's going to go to paradise. Does he know for sure? No, he couldn't know for sure. He just believes it so much that he's willing to die that way. That tells me nothing about the veracity of his claims. But the disciples were in a position to know for a fact, is this true? Is it false? Knowing it was true, they were willing to die for it.

He believes if he dies that way, he's going to go to paradise. Does he know for sure? No, he couldn't know for sure. He just believes it so much that he's willing to die that way. That tells me nothing about the veracity of his claims. But the disciples were in a position to know for a fact, is this true? Is it false? Knowing it was true, they were willing to die for it.

He believes if he dies that way, he's going to go to paradise. Does he know for sure? No, he couldn't know for sure. He just believes it so much that he's willing to die that way. That tells me nothing about the veracity of his claims. But the disciples were in a position to know for a fact, is this true? Is it false? Knowing it was true, they were willing to die for it.

So we have an execution, he was dead. We have early reports, too quick to be a legend. We've got the empty tomb. And then fourth E is eyewitnesses. Over a period of time, Jesus appears alive in a dozen different instances to more than 515 people, a lot more than that, but to doubters and to skeptics, to men, to women, to groups, to individuals, indoors, outdoors, daytime, nighttime.

So we have an execution, he was dead. We have early reports, too quick to be a legend. We've got the empty tomb. And then fourth E is eyewitnesses. Over a period of time, Jesus appears alive in a dozen different instances to more than 515 people, a lot more than that, but to doubters and to skeptics, to men, to women, to groups, to individuals, indoors, outdoors, daytime, nighttime.

So we have an execution, he was dead. We have early reports, too quick to be a legend. We've got the empty tomb. And then fourth E is eyewitnesses. Over a period of time, Jesus appears alive in a dozen different instances to more than 515 people, a lot more than that, but to doubters and to skeptics, to men, to women, to groups, to individuals, indoors, outdoors, daytime, nighttime.

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.

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.

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.