The New Testament Witness to Christ and His Kingdom, Mentor's Guide, MG13

/ 1 4 5

T H E N E W T E S T A M E N T W I T N E S S T O C H R I S T A N D H I S K I N G D O M

unbelievers. They claim that it is not possible to argue anyone into faith; even the most cogent and biblical presentation of the Gospel will not help anyone without the illumination of the Holy Spirit (1 Cor. 2.9-16). Only the conviction of the Spirit can possibly crack the code on the hardened hearts of those who do not believe. What is the role of apologetics and argument in helping unbelievers understand and believe in the truth of God regarding the resurrection of Jesus? Whose position is closer to the New Testament’s view of apologetics? Are both correct, and if so, how?

The doctrine of the resurrection and the resurrection of Christ is the most significant doctrine in Christian belief. Our faith is based squarely on the historical validity of Jesus having arisen from the dead. The New Testament provides clear and compelling testimony about the appearances of Jesus after his resurrection, beginning with the fact of his resurrection at the tomb up until his appearance to the Apostles at the Sea of Galilee. The Great Commission is an expression of the authority of the risen Lord Jesus, a token of his continuing vindication of his identity as Messiah, relating both to the fulfillment of prophecy as well as to global mission. During the forty days after his crucifixion, Jesus validated his resurrection objectively to the Apostles, taught regarding the Kingdom of God, and commissioned the Apostles to evangelize the world. He promised to send them the Holy Spirit to empower them for this task. He ascended into heaven in the presence of his Apostles, which serves as that final historical sign which vindicates Jesus of Nazareth as the Messiah of God. If you are interested in pursuing some of the ideas of The Messiah Vindicated, you might want to give these books a try: Baxter, J. Sidlow. The Master Theme of the Bible . 2nd ed. Grand Rapids: Kregel Publications, 1997. Bonhoeffer, Dietrich. Christ, the Center . Trans. Edwin H. Robertson. San Francisco: Harper and Row Publishers, 1978. Hunter, Archibald M. The Work and Words of Jesus . Philadelphia: Westminster Press, 1973.

Restatement of the Lesson’s Thesis

4

Resources and Bibliographies

Stott, John. Life in Christ . 2nd ed. Grand Rapids: Baker Books, 1996.