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During the course of this paper, sound and solid evidence are given to support why I am a
Christian. Also discussed is evidence to prove the deity of Jesus Christ, historic and authentic
proof for the bible or word of God, and the role that science plays to prove God’s existence more
than it does to disprove the existence of God.
The first of three areas addressed is the deity of Jesus Christ. The question asked is “Did
the resurrection actually happen?” According to Jewish burial customs, Jesus was wrapped in
linen cloth and about 100 pounds of aromatic spices were mixed together to form a gummy
substance and applied to the wrappings of cloth about the body (McDowell). The body was
placed in a solid rock tomb, and a large stone (weighing approximately 2 tons) was rolled against
the entrance of the tomb (McDowell). Also, Roman guards were stationed to guard the tomb and
the Roman seal affixed to the tomb. The guards knew Roman law and feared the surety of death
should anything happen. The seal on the tomb stood as a symbol of Roman power and anyone
found breaking the seal would have been severely punished.
Next, the issue of the empty tomb is examined. The 2 ton stone used to block the
entrance of the tomb looked as if it had been picked up and carried away, the Roman seal was
broken, and the guard unit had fled. The guard unit would endure severe consequences if even
found sleeping or leaving their positions unguarded. Therefore, it seems unlikely that this was
the case.
The theory of the wrong tomb was propounded by Kirsopp Luke and states that the
women who reported the body missing had mistakenly gone to the wrong tomb. If this theory
were true we could be sure that the Jewish authorities would have no problem producing the
body from the right tomb. Also, the explanation given for the appearances of Jesus after the
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resurrection were that they were hallucinating or seeing illusions. This does not coincide with
history or the mental state of the apostles (McDowell)
There is also the swoon theory that states that Jesus did not really die, but only fainted
from exhaustion and loss of blood. Everyone thought him dead, but later he was resuscitated and
the disciples though it to be a resurrection (McDowell). The skeptic David Friedrich Strauss
(himself no believer in the resurrection) gave the death-blow to any thought that Jesus revived
from a swoon: “It is impossible that a being who had stolen half-dead out of the sepulcher, who
crept about weak and ill, wanting medical treatment, who required bandaging, strengthening and
indulgence, and who still at last yielded to his sufferings, could have given to the disciples the
impression that he as a Conqueror over death and the grave, the Prince of Life, and impression
which lay at the bottom of their future ministry. Such a resurrection could only have weakened
the impression which He had made upon them in life and death, at the most could only have
given it an elegiac voice, but could by no possibility have changes their sorrow into enthusiasm,
have elevated this reverence into worship.” (McDowell 94)
Another theory state that while the Roman guards slept, the body was stolen by the
disciples. This could be called the stolen body theory. The depression and cowardice of the
disciples provide a hard-hitting argument against their suddenly becoming as brave and daring as
to face a detachment of soldiers at the tomb and steal the body (McDowell 95). J.N.D. Anderson
has been Dean of the Faculty of Law at the University of London, chairman of the department of
Oriental law at the School of Oriental and African Studies and director of the Institute of
Advanced Legal Studies at the University of London. Commenting on the proposition that the
disciples stole Christ’s body, he says: “This would run totally contrary to all we know of them:
their ethical teaching, the quality of their lives, their steadfastness in suffering and persecution.
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Nor would it begin to explain their dramatic transformation from dejected and dispirited
escapists into witnesses whom no apposition could muzzle.”(McDowell 95)
The theory that the Jewish or Roman authorities moved Christ’s body is no more
reasonable. If the authorities knew where the body was why did they not explain that they had
taken it, put it on a cart and wheeled it through Jerusalem? This would certainly have destroyed
Christianity (McDowell 96). There is overwhelming evidence for the death and resurrection of
Jesus Christ. I know that I have just hit on a few things but there is plenty more.
Next, addressed is science as the evidence of the existence of God. In Dr. Hugh Ross’
book, The Creator and the Cosmos, he states: “No other generation has witnessed so many
discoveries about the universe. No other generation has seen the measuring of the cosmos. For
previous generations the universe remained a profound mystery. But we are alive to see several
of its mysteries solved. Not only can we measure certain aspects of the universe, but in these
measurements we are discovering some of the characteristics of the One who fashioned it all.
Astronomy has provided us with new tools to probe the Creator’s personality.” (Ross 145)
William Paley’s watchmaker argument states: In crossing a heath, suppose I pitched my
foot against a stone, and I were asked how the stone came to be there; I might possibly answer,
that, for anything I knew to the contrary, it lain there forever; nor would it perhaps be very easy
to show the absurdity of this answer. But suppose I had found a watch upon the ground, and it
should be inquired how the watch happened to be in that place; I should hardly think of the
answer which I had given before, that for anything I knew, the watch might have always been
there…. The watch must have a maker; that there must have existed, at some time, and at some
place or other, an artificer or artificers, who formed it for the purpose which we find it actually to
answer; Who comprehended its construction and designed it use… Every indication of
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contrivance, every manifestation of design which existed in the watch, exists in the work of
nature; with the difference, on the side of nature, of being greater or more, and that in a degree
which exceeds all computation.” (Ross 137-138)
Our world is made so meticulous that everything fits just right. Four major building
blocks must be designed “just right” for life and they are the following: (1) Getting the right
molecules. (2) Getting the right atoms. (3) Getting the right reactions. (4) Getting the right
electrons. (Ross 146-150)
These things did not happen by chance, but were the passion, thought, and creativity of a
loving God who is very much involved with His creation. Science does a lot more to prove the
existence of God than it does to disprove God’s existence.
Finally, the authenticity of the Christian scriptures is addressed. As a Christian it is
assumed that he authority of the scriptures without establishing why. The Christian scriptures
have the support of over 20,000 manuscripts while Homer’s Iliad, who has a more extensive
copy history than nearly any other ancient work, has 643 supporting manuscripts. Most writings
are not nearly as well supported. There are about 10 copies of Caesar’s War Commentaries, 7
for Plato’s Tetralogies, 20 of Livey’s History of Rome, and so on (Owen 3)
There is also the percentage of errors found in these manuscripts of the New Testament
are 0.2%. Other ancient writings suffer a far higher percentage of error. The New Testament
manuscripts were written a lot closer in time than most manuscripts. This means fewer errors
and the more accurate the manuscripts were.
The writings of the early church fathers the first 3 centuries A.D. contain more than
36,000 quotations from New Testament books. If no treatment manuscripts existed, it would be
possible to reconstruct the entire New Testament from these other writings, except for 11 verses.
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There are no other ancient writings or which such a feat is possible. Even discounting the
massive manuscript evidence, the New Testament has more corroborating quotations in other
independent ancient writings than any other ancient work (Owen 5).
In conclusion, there is overwhelming evidence that supports my belief in Jesus Christ.
The issues addressed in this paper, Jesus Christ’s resurrection, the scientific belief that there has
to be a maker (God), and the authenticity of the scriptures serve as proof that Christianity is real.
My personal experience and relationship with God along with these statistics and facts is why I
have chosen to be Christian.
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Selected Bibliography
Geisler, Norman L. Christian Apologetics. Grand Rapids: Baker Books, 1976.
Lewis, C.S. Mere Christianity. New York: Harper Collins Publisher, 1980.
McDowell, Josh. More Than a Carpenter. Wheaton: Living Books, Tyndale House Publishers,
Inc., 1977.
Ross, Hugh. The Creator and the Cosmos. Colorado Springs: Navpress, 2001.
Schaeffer, Frances A. The God Who is There: 30th Anniversary Edition. Downers Grove:
InterVarsity Press, 1998.
Schaeffer, Frances A. True Spirituality. Wheaton: Tyndale House Publishers, 1971.
Strobel, Lee. The Case for Faith. Grand Rapid: Zondervan, 1984.