The New Testament Witness to Christ and His Kingdom, Student Workbook, SW13

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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

crucified body, was put to death as a fleshly body, but that he raised again in the spirit, not as a human being, but as a spirit (cf. 1 Cor. 15.45 - Thus it is written, “The first man Adam became a living being;” the last Adam became a life-giving spirit). Where is the body of Jesus today? It is preserved somewhere, as a statement to God’s unmerited favor and love. . . . How would you answer this bold claim as to the “resurrection” of Jesus?

What We Have Seen and Heard

The doctrine of “apostolicity” (the idea that the Church is built on the testimony, experience, and teaching of the Apostles) lies at the center of all discussions about the authority of the Christian faith. In a Christian leadership training course, the instructor suggested to the class that our faith is not rooted on our own firsthand experience of the events of Jesus’ death, resurrection, and ascension. Rather, our faith is anchored in what the Apostles saw, heard, and experienced. God gave to them the eye-witness experience and therefore their testimony carries the entirety of the Christian faith. All of what we believe is received from them. He even suggests that if we had been physically present at the foot of the cross we might not have understood at all what was taking place. Only through the help of the Apostles’ eyewitness testimony and divine commentary can we even begin to make sense of the meaning of Jesus of Nazareth for our lives. These comments caused great debate among the students regarding the ground and authority of our faith . What do you think about the instructor’s understanding of the doctrine of apostolicity applied to the resurrection of Jesus? Excited about his recent purchase of the classic apologetic books on the Christian faith by Josh McDowell, Evidence that Demands a Verdict , a young pastor is convinced he has found the way to present the Gospel to modern skeptics. He is convinced that we must teach the doctrines of the faith carefully and critically, showing to unbelievers that there is plenty of evidence to show logically and plausibly that Jesus rose from the dead. He assumes that if we present the evidence logically and persuasively, that people will accept it, this being such a scientific age and culture (1 Pet. 3.15). On the other hand, others in the young pastor’s church are not so convinced of the power of apologetics to make a difference in the mind of Apologetics Is the Way to Go

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