Blog
Ten Basic Facts about the New Testament Canon Every Christian Should Memorize
Michael J. Kruger (President and Professor of New Testament at Reformed Theological Seminary in Charlotte, North Carolina) has began a series to help believers better understand their New Testament and hopefully correct a pattern he has witnessed in recent times:
Almost every couple of years it happens. Usually it occurs around Christmas or Easter. And it is typically associated with a massive media blitz. I am referring to sensational claims, made by either scholars or laymen, that something definitively “new” has been discovered about the historical Jesus.
Examples of such claims abound in just the last number of years. The so-called Gospel of Jesus’ Wife was “discovered” last year and purportedly taught Jesus had a wife. The Gospel of Judas was all the talk in 2006, as were told that the traditional Gospels may have not given the whole story. And, of course, we all remember the Da Vinci Code phenomenon in 2003 and after.
Our modern culture loves “new” things. They don’t want to hear the same old stories again and again—particularly when it comes to religion. They want something fresh and exciting. They want something different. This fascination with the “new” is why people feel they must reinvent church (or Christianity) for each generation. People like to believe they have discovered something that no one has ever discovered before.
While this regular pattern of sensational claims about Jesus is quite well-documented, there is another pattern that is also well-documented, namely Christians being unprepared to respond. As each new claim about Jesus is made, most believers in the pew find themselves inadequately equipped to provide an answer. For whatever set of reasons, the church has not adequately taught its members about the origins and reliability of the Scriptures.
Here are the first four parts of his series (I’ll update the rest when they’re available):
- “The New Testament Books are the Earliest Christian Writings We Possess”
- “Apocryphal Writings are All Written in the Second Century or Later”
- “The New Testament Books Are Unique Because They Are Apostolic Books”
- “Some NT Writers Quote Other NT Writers as Scripture”
His series is designed for a lay-level audience and is a great resource for conversations with skeptical friends. For more on the subject, check out his book: Canon Revisited: Establishing the Origins and Authority of the New Testament Books (Crossway, 2012). Here is a short video of him responding to Bart Ehrman’s claims about the NT canon:
The Complete Video Archive of the Reasonable Faith UK Tour
The full video archive of Dr William Lane Craig’s speaking engagements from the Reasonable Faith UK Tour has been posted on YouTube. Every debate, lecture, Q&A session, and conference discussion is online and presented in chronological order. That’s almost twenty hours of solid apologetic content.
View the playlist here.
Amy Hall – If God is good, why is there evil and suffering?
If God is good, why is there evil and suffering? How can we reconcile the existence of evil with a good, powerful and omniscient God? In this clear and enlightening presentation Amy discusses the various reasons why it is reasonable to believe that God has morally sufficient reasons for allowing the evil we see in the world.
Amy works for Stand to Reason (http://www.str.org) by contributing to their online content, blogging and responding to apologetics questions sent to Stand to Reason. She has an M.A. in Christian Apologetics from Biola University.
This presentation was recorded at Thinking Matters Tauranga (New Zealand) as part of a 10 day speaking tour of New Zealand with Brett Kunkle (Stand to Reason) and Jay Watts (Life Training Institute) in September 2012. This presentation comes from the full NZ Tour DVD set (includes 9 sessions by Brett, Amy and Jay) which will be available shortly from Thinking Matters for NZ$60 (freight free in NZ). Keep an eye on the blog for news of its availability.
TrueU 3 – Who is Jesus of Nazareth Trailer
Here is the trailer for some new material coming out from Focus on the Family from the TrueU team:
TrueU 3 – Who is Jesus of Nazareth? – Trailer
Due out October this year. Make sure you are subscribed to our mailing list here so we can let you know about any screenings as they are organised.
Brett Kunkle – Highlights & Insights from his New Zealand speaking tour
In this podcast recording brett recounts some of the highlights from his trip to New Zealand (in September last year) and shares some thoughts about the need for apologetics:
Highlights & Insights from New Zealand – Brett Kunkle (mp3)
You can subscribe to Brett’s Podcast – and others – from Stand to Reason podcast page here.
Auckland Event: Introduction to Apologetics Course with Stuart McEwing
This month, I’ll be running an introductory apologetics course at my church. The course will begin tonight and run for ten weeks. It’s open to anyone. Here are the details:
Introduction to Apologetics: defending the faith with reason and evidence
The apostle Paul, writing about the necessary qualifications for a minister of the gospel, says “He must hold firmly to the trustworthy message as it has been taught, so that he can encourage others by sound doctrine and refute those who oppose it.” (Titus 1:9). It’s not enough to merely explain what Christianity is, Paul argues that it must also be defended. Apologetics is exactly this – providing a rational defense for the Christian truth-claims.
This course is for everyone who wants to dig deeper into the evidence for Christianity, confront honest questions about God and the Bible, and develop tools to talk effectively and meaningfully about the Gospel. Over ten weeks, we’ll examine topics like the evidence for Jesus’ resurrection, why God allows suffering, and how to declare the Gospel in a world that doesn’t believe in objective truth anymore. If you have ever wanted to connect your head with your heart or sharpen your evangelistic witness, this course can help you.
Same-sex Marriage Debate with Colin Craig, Louisa Wall and Matthew Flannagan
On Tuesday, 2 October of 2012, The Auckland University Students Association (AUSA) held a debate on the controversial topic of same-sex marriage. The moot for the debate was “This House supports the legalization of same-sex marriage in New Zealand.” Those who filled the 600+ seat lecture theatre to capacity were treated to an electric atmosphere and night of stimulating arguments and counter-responses. Both teams had three participants each.
On the affirmative team
- Louisa Wall Labour Party MP and the drafter of the bill to legalize same-sex marriage
- Levi Joule Queer Rights Officer of AUSA and the Auckland Regional Chair for Young Labour
- Bonnie Hartfield Co-chair of Legaliselove
On the negative team
- Colin Craig leader of the NZ Conservative Party
- Auimatagi Joe Moeono-Kolio Auckland University Student Chaplain
- Matthew Flannagan Theologian, Philosopher, Pastor & Blogger at www.MandM.org.nz
You can view the debate in full here. [1] Intelligent comments and questions are welcome below, but keep it civil.
A summary of the debate from my perspective.
From my perspective the debate was a success, and credit to Max Lim who organized the event with his team from the AUSA is due. Though the crowd was clearly for the motion and came with a biased and unbending predisposition, the weight of the arguments fell on the negative side.
On the affirmative side of this debate, Labour MP Louisa Wall’s opening speech was bafflingly structured to emphasize the history of the struggle for same-sex marriage. Her sole arguments for the moot seemed to be that widening the scope of those who can marry to include same-sex couples is advancing human rights, equality and tolerance, and is timely reflecting today’s New Zealand society. She pre-empted a possible criticism by strongly stating that her bill would not legitimize polygamous and incestual relationships such as others have claimed, and that those who say so, she believed, were being disingenuous and propagating propaganda based on fear and hatred. Bonnie Hartfield and Levi Joule neither added to affirmative’s case nor responded to the negative team. Hartfield began with a pretext of responding to Colin Craig, but then began on an awkwardly scripted, though humorous nevertheless, pro forma discharge of hot air. Her one point, unaddressed by the negative team, was that the marriage of same-sex couples would not change the significance of other married couple’s commitment to eachother.[2]
The negative team was far more decisive. Conservative Party leader Colin Craig played to audience in a kiwi-bloke-ish style, perhaps obscuring the substance of his arguments but with a flair that was certainly entertaining. This substance was that one cannot simply change the nature of something we all know and recognize with legislation, and that the current law was adequate for maintaining equal treatment for same-sex couples while appropriately and intelligently maintaining the difference between them.
Auckland University Student Chaplain Auimatagi Joe Moeono-Kolio (“Joe”) – my personal highlight – in the style of philosopher William Lane Craig, clearly stated the contentions they were defending,
1. there are no compelling reasons to support the legalisation of same-sex marriage, and 2. there are good reasons to oppose it.Then he exposed the affirmative teams arguments both as fundamentally flawed (for marriage is not a universal right) and as emotive sloganeering (for “marriage equality” does not recognize what marriage actually is, which is more than just romance), then summarized his arguments with the following two syllogisms.
A) Universal human rights are universal rights B) Marriage is not a universal right (since there are exceptions to those who can marry) C) Therefore, traditional marriage does not deprive same-sex couples of a universal human right. A) A component of marriage’s definition is the ability, in principle, to pro-create. B) A same-sex couple cannot pro-create, whether incidentally or in-principle. C) Therefore, same-sex couples do not fit within what marriage actually is.
Overall Joe’s presentation was irenic and well-received, clear and focused, and scored some major hits to which the affirmative team would not recover. The sounding of the warning timer appeared to fluster him and diminished the overall impact of his argument. It appeared as if he edited down his speech on the fly to finish sooner. However, he recovered well and finished strong. The wording of the syllogisms could be tightened up a little and would have been a hundred times more impacting had the premises and conclusions been projected for all to see on the screens behind him.
Dr. Matthew Flannagan, an associate of Thinking Matters, first gave three reasons to not support same-sex marriage in New Zealand.
1. If equality is a valid basis for accepting same-sex marriage, then it is a valid basis for rejecting the proposed legislation, for the bill is still discriminatory against other couples.[3] Thus the appeal to equality is contradictory and a red-herrings.
2. But even if the appeal to equality were sound, it wouldn’t justify the conclusion to legalise same-sex marriage, for same-sex couples already have all the rights of married couples[4] and giving something a different name doesn’t change the substance of what it is.[5]
3. Doing so has the potential to restrict others civil liberties, for should the legislation be passed, people who provide services for wedding ceremonies would be compelled by NZ law to provide those services to same-sex couples as well despite their religious objections.[6] This is a paradigmatic example of restricting the freedom of religion.
Dr. Flannagan then dismantled the affirmative team by showing they had no basis for justifying the legislation. Three examples are as follows. That the law should reflect the people in society, stated by Louisa Wall, is not a good reason to pass the legislation, because there are a lot of single people in society and marriage should not apply to them. That the law should not tell us who we can and cannot have sex with, as raised by Bonnie Hartfield, is not a good reason to pass the legislation, for neither the debate nor the legislation is regarding the decriminalization of homosexuality. That a large number of people believe in this is not a good reason to pass the legislation, because it assumes that because a large number of people believe in something then it is must be just, but the assumption is false and, moreover, not even believed by the affirmative team.
Overall Dr. Flannagan’s presentation was brilliantly thought-out and responsive to the opposing team, cementing their victory over them. Though rushed, it lacked only the polish of presentation one could expect from a seasoned public speaker.
The closing statement of the negative team by Colin Craig, though off-the-cuff, summarized adequately the debate and the arguments, but in doing so lost the overall clarity of the negative team’s coordinated case. The closing statement of the affirmative team by Louisa Wall began more as a first rebuttal, first responding to Colin Craig’s citation of European Court of Human Rights from his first speech, then referencing Section 29 of the current Marriage Act (a flailing attempt to subvert Dr. Flannagan’s third point), and then gave a reason each to discriminate against polygamous and incestual relationships (ostensibly “central to negative’s case,” but in reality not central at all – not even central to Dr. Flannagan’s first argument to not support same-sex marriage in NZ). Her closing however soon collapsed into an impassioned but irrelevant speech about “growing up” as a society, having “grown-up conversations” like other countries, and being able to provide young people, like Levi – who apparently don’t have the freedom to be safe when exploring their sexual self-determination – with some value and respect.
The question and answer period which followed really made plain the mood of the crowd. There was a barely restrained mixture of anger and amusement, and an unreasoning obstinacy from those, both for and against the moot, who had come to the debate an immovable conviction. To me this showed the incompetence of university students ability to adequately evaluate debates of this sort. It showed the inroads that have already been made by the affirmative team’s powerful but empty rhetoric. The question and answer period further revealed Lousia Wall as a skilled politician as she dodged some very pointed questions and even failed to comprehend pertinent issues that were raised. (Had I not been on the camera, I would have liked to have asked for all the talk about inequality, what universal or human rights do NZ same-sex couples lack?).
The debate overall showed Dr. Matthew Flannagan to be a first-class apologist as he presented his own logical arguments and the logical fallacies and assumptions used by the opposing team, and answered questions from hostile people in the crowd. It also showed me Auimatagi Joe Moeono-Kolio has a very promising future as an apologist and public speaker. I look forward to seeing where Joe goes from here.
The response card and its results I see as irrelevant and a waste of time.
Footnotes
[1] Thinking Matters was there to record the event in order to make a resource, particularly for our New Zealand followers who will face the question of the
legalization of same-sex marriage in the coming year. As this subject is also of great interest internationally, and since we have noted a scarceness of good resources generally available with a lack of civil, constructive and intelligent dialogue on this issue, it is also intended to be a resource for our international followers. Much of
the content is specific to the New Zealand context, however most of the arguments offered here can be translated to other contexts without great effort. It is also our hope that providing this full and unedited account of the proceedings that any inclined to misrepresent the debate after-the-fact will be silenced, and those responsible for misinforming the public will be held accountable.
[2] Though since it would change the meaning and significance of the social and civil institution of marriage in NZ for all New Zealanders, the point was indirectly addressed.
[3] Dr. Flannagan mentions there are 15 other types of couples which Louisa’s bill discriminates against.
[4] Two exceptions were mentioned. The first was recognition of relationship status outside NZ (which NZ does not have control over). The second was the right to adopt children (a right which could be obtained by same-sex couples by changing the adoption act, which is already in the process of being done).
[5] Bonnie Hartfield and Levi Joule both put forward the argument that same-sex couples were not currently able to attain the social-status of other married couples had because of the institution’s history and tradition. The argument is unsound, for by attaining the name they would deny that history and tradition.
[6] This was reportedly based on 3 separate legal opinions. For more information visit here
Intelligent Design Scholar-Historian Dr. Thomas Woodward in Tauranga in December
Intelligent Design scholar Dr. Thomas Woodward (Wikipedia) will be visiting Tauranga for a few days in the second week of December 2012.
Qualifications
Dr. Woodward is Research Professor at Trinity College of Florida in Tampa Bay, where he has taught for 23 years. He has spoken on the topic of evolution, Intelligent Design and the existence of God at over 80 colleges and universities in 25 countries. His campus presentations include a lecture series at Princeton University and Dartmouth College, and an Intelligent Design seminar at Cambridge University (UK) hosted by Ranald Macauley, son-in-law of L’Abri founder Francis Schaeffer.
A graduate of Princeton University (in History), he received a Th.M. from Dallas Seminary, and a Ph.D. in Communication from the University of South Florida. His doctoral specialty was in the “Rhetoric of Science,” and his research focus has been the history of the scientific controversy over Intelligent Design and neo-Darwinism.
Dr. Woodward is the author of Darwinism Under the Microscope (co-edited with Dr. James Gills) and two other books which trace the debate between Darwinism and Intelligent Design. The first, Doubts about Darwin (Baker 2003), won a national book award from Christianity Today. His second book on the “design controversy” is Darwin Strikes Back: Defending the Science of Intelligent Design. His latest book, also coauthored with Dr. James Gills, is The Mysterious Epigenome: What Lies Beyond DNA (2012).
CS Lewis Society
Tom Woodward is also the founder and director of the C. S. Lewis Society, which hosts lectures, conferences and debates on university campuses and in heavily secular countries.
Radio debate
You can listen here to his friendly debate / discussion with Peter Hearty on the Unbelievableradio program from the UK.
Well known USA Intelligent Design advocate Tom Woodward takes on the National Secular Society’s science representative Pete Hearty. Does the new evidence in biological science point towards an ultimate creator? Other guests also join the fray…
New Zealand Events
Dr Woodward will be delivering the following four presentations in Tauranga while visiting New Zealand:
1. Does God Exist? Old Questions and New Ideas
This talk explores the theism/atheism debate from both philosophy and science. The explosion of the “New Atheism” is traced, and major responses are touched on. Special attention is given to the recent discoveries in the origin of the universe and the origin of life.
WHAT: A special Thinking Matters event – live presentation followed by Q&A
WHEN: Friday 7th December
TIME: 7:30pm – 9:30pm
WHERE: Bethlehem Community Church, 183 Moffat Rd, Bethlehem, Tauranga
2. Creation, Evolution, and Intelligent Design: What’s the Fuss All About?
This is an overview of the last 30 years of controversy over origins, especially as the ID movement roared to life in the late 1980s and began spreading after Behe’s book “Darwin’s Black Box” was published in 1996. Recent developments in the period 2000-2012 are covered.
WHAT: A special Thinking Matters event – live presentation followed by Q&A
WHEN: Saturday 8th December
TIME: 7:30pm – 9:30pm
WHERE: Bethlehem Community Church, 183 Moffat Rd, Bethlehem, Tauranga
3. Passionate Apologetics: Five Keys to Confident Sharing the Truth of Christ
Apologetics has a primary key: the “Foundation of Scripture” that is the main engine/fuel of presenting Christ. Building on top of this “concrete slab” of scripture are four strong pillars: Science (Evidence of Design), History (Evidence of Biblical Reality), Philosophy (Clear, Logical Thinking), and Transformation (Changed Lives of Christ’s Disciples). Through these five keys, we can have confidence when explaining and defending the truth of Christ.
WHAT: Lifezone Sunday morning service
WHEN: Sunday 9th December
TIME: 10:00am – 11:30am
WHERE: Lifezone Church, 19 Amber Crescent, Judea, Tauranga
4. C.S. Lewis: Pointer to God and Christ
Non-Christians, even atheists, have a high opinion of C. S. Lewis as a scholar and writer. Yet few know about his transformation into one of the greatest modern apostles of Christ. We quickly trace his conversion to Christ from atheism, and shows four ways that Lewis presented Christ – and the truth of God and salvation – to a skeptical world.
WHAT: Bethlehem Baptist Sunday night service
WHEN: Sunday 9th December
TIME: 6:30pm – 8:30pm
WHERE: Bethlehem Baptist Church, 90 Bethlehem Rd, Tauranga
ALL EVENTS ARE FREE OF CHARGE.
Online Videos
Dr. Woodward and Dr. James P. Gills M.D. on The Mysterious Epigenome. What lies beyond DNA.
Dr. Woodward interviews Princeton Chemistry Professor Dr. Andrew Bocarsly
Stand to Reason New Zealand Speaking Tour 2012
Brett, Jay and Amy are three dynamic and experienced communicators who engage both the heart and mind, leaving audiences challenged and inspired and we are proud to be hosting them for a 10 day tour in September.
Brett and Jay speak to thousands of adults and students at churches, conferences, and university campuses across the US each year, while Amy writes for the Stand to Reason blog (roughly 32,000 unique visit per month) and speaks at churches and women’s retreats.
Schedule of Public Events while in New Zealand:
AUCKLAND – Friday 14th September – 5:00pm
Are ‘Christian Values’ Intolerant?
Evangelical Union – Auckland University
Venue: Arts 1, room 220 (lecture room 4) – Auckland University
In today’s culture, the Bible is politically incorrect. Its views on issues such as sexuality are considered outdated and intolerant. In this talk Brett will demonstrate how the accusation of intolerance is flawed in three important ways. We’ll examine the true nature of tolerance and raise the most important issue in this discussion: What is true? Will be followed by a panel discussion where any question is welcome. Brett will be joined by Jay Watts and Matt Flannagan.
AUCKLAND – Saturday 15th September
Venue & Times: To be confirmed.
Brett, Jay & Amy: Advanced Prolife Training Workshop
HAMILTON – Saturday 15th September – 7pm
Gateway Hamilton – 950 Victoria Street, Hamilton
Brett: Why I am a Christian – followed by Q&A panel with all three speakers
In this presentation Brett will examine the most common reasons Christians give for why they embrace Christianity, then we’ll examine the primary reason why we ought to embrace Christianity: because Christianity is true. We’ll clarify this controversial claim and show how the truth of religious claims must be grounded in reality. Naturally, such a claim is followed by questions of how we can know Christianity is true, so we’ll set out a cumulative case approach that takes into account the wealth of evidence for the Christian worldview.
TAURANGA – Sunday 16th September – 9:30am
Bethlehem Community Church morning service – 183 Moffat Rd, Bethlehem, Tauranga
Brett Kunkle – Topic to be decided
TAURANGA – Sunday 16th September – 12:30-6:00pm
TAURANGA APOLOGETICS CONFERENCE 2012
Bethlehem Community Church, 183 Moffat Rd, Tauranga
Door charge $20
Jay Watts: Apologetics and Evangelism
Amy Hall: If God Is Good, Why Is There Evil?
Brett Kunkle: Is Faith a Blind Leap?
Jay Watts: Does Truth Matter?
Brett Kunkle: Tactics In Defending Your Faith
For more information see here.
PALMERSTON NORTH – Wednesday 19th September – 7:30pm
Gateway Christian Fellowship
Brett Kunkle – Topic to be decided
TAURANGA – Wednesday 19th September – 7:00pm
W.I.R.E.D. Youth – Bethlehem Baptist Church, 90 Bethlehem Rd
Jay Watts – Ideas have Consequences
Jay will be talking about how ideas have consequences, and bad ideas lead to destructive life choices. As Christians we not only need to understand our faith for our own sake but also to help others find the truth.
TAURANGA – Thursday 20th September – 6:45pm
Vital Student Ministries – Changepoint Church, 131 Poike Rd, Ohauiti
Brett Kunkle – Truth Never Gets Old
In his talk Brett discusses how there is deep confusion in our culture over the nature of truth. He will examine this confusion and test your knowledge of truth, looking at the objections to truth – and discovers why the truth really matters.
TAURANGA – Friday 21st September – 7:15pm
Highlife Youth – Lifezone Church, 19 Amber Crescent, Judea
Brett Kunkle – Why I Am a Christian
Brett will be examining the reasons why we can be confident that Christianity is true and why the truth of religious claims must be grounded in reality. Then he will set out a case that shows the clear evidence for the truthfulness of Christianity.
AUCKLAND – Saturday 22nd September – 10am-4:00pm
AUCKLAND YOUTH APOLOGETICS CONFERENCE 2012
St Paul’s Church, 28 Symonds Street, Auckland
Door charge $10 (includes lunch)
Jay Watts: Does Truth Matter?
Brett Kunkle: Is One Way the Only Way?
Jay Watts: How to discuss your faith with others.
Amy Hall: If God Is Good, Why Is There Evil?
Brett Kunkle: Is Christianity Intolerant?
Zach Ardern: Are Science and Faith compatible?
For more information see here.
AUCKLAND – Sunday 23rd September – 10:15am
Northcote Baptist Church morning service
67 Eban Avenue, Hillcrest, North Shore City
Brett Kunkle: If God is Good, Why is there Evil?
AUCKLAND – Sunday 23rd September – 2:00pm
The Upper Room Church
10a Clayton St, Newmarket
Jay Watts: Back to the Cross: Apologetics and Evangelism – followed by a Q&A panel featuring all our speakers
They are also speaking at a range of private events at schools, churches and bible colleges. If you want more information please email us.
Thinking Matters Auckland Youth Conference 2012
Exploring CHRISTIANITY and TRUTH in a “whatever” world
This conference is part of a series of events where Brett Kunkle and Amy Watts from Stand to Reason, and Jay Watts from Life Training Institute are speaking in New Zealand. See here for a list of all their speaking engagements.
Can we still know what is true? How does truth matter to my life, today? And is it worth believing in Christianity in a world filled with reasons for doubt? Come and wrestle with these questions and more from our collection of engaging and entertaining speakers from America and New Zealand.
WHEN: SATURDAY 22ND SEPTEMBER
TIME: 10:00am – 4:00pm
WHERE: St Paul’s Church, 28 Symonds Street, Auckland CDB
COST: $10 at door – includes lunch
Schedule
10:00am Registration and Welcome
10:30am Jay Watts – Life Training Institute
Does Truth Matter?
What is Truth? Are there things we can know for sure? Jay discusses common objections to truth and shows why it is important to faith and our search for God.
11:30am Brett Kunkle – Stand to Reason
Is One Way the Only Way?
Brett examines some common objections to Christianity’s claim to be the only true religion then builds a careful case showing how Jesus is the only way to God.
12:30pm Lunch (pizza provided)
1:00pm Breakout Session 1
(choose from one of the following)
Jay Watts: How to discuss your faith with others.
Amy Hall: If God Is Good, Why Is There Evil?
Brett Kunkle: Is Christianity Intolerant?
Zach Ardern: Are Science and Faith compatible?
2:00pm Breakout Session 2
(A repeat of all breakout sessions)
3:00pm Q&A Panel with all speakers
4:00pm Close of conference
Event sponsored by Evangelical Union, St Pauls, Stand to Reason and Life Training Institute.
Thinking Matters Tauranga Apologetics Conference 2012
An afternoon of training from three world class speakers from America
This conference is part of a series of events where Brett Kunkle and Amy Watts from Stand to Reason, and Jay Watts from Life Training Institute are speaking in New Zealand. See here for a list of all their public speaking engagements.
Brett, Jay and Amy are warm and engaging speakers who travel the world equipping the Christian church to defend the faith. They have a special ability to communicate complex issues in easy to understand ways and will be in Tauranga for this special Thinking Matters event you won’t want to miss!
WHEN: SUNDAY 16th SEPTEMBER
TIME: 12:30pm – 6:00pm
WHERE: Bethlehem Community Church, 183 Moffat Rd, Tauranga
COST: $20 at door
Schedule
12:30pm Welcome
12:40pm Jay Watts
Back To The Cross – Apologetics and Evangelism
How the Gospel of Jesus Christ encompasses our full worldview while defining how we relate to the information and experience in our lives.
1:30pm Breakout Session 1 (Choose from one of the following)
Amy Hall: If God Is Good, Why Is There Evil? How can we reconcile the existence of evil with a good, powerful, omniscient God?
Brett Kunkle: Is Faith a Blind Leap? Does true faith have anything to do with knowledge, reason and evidence?
Jay Watts: Does Truth Matter? How to reach people who deny that absolute truth exists or can be known.
2:15pm Afternoon Tea
2:45pm Breakout Session 2 (A repeat of all breakout sessions)
3:45pm Brett Kunkle
Tactics In Defending Your Faith
Learn specific skills to help engage others in friendly conversation and present Christ in an intelligent yet gracious way.
4:45pm Q&A Panel with all speakers
6:00pm Close of conference
Event sponsored by Bethlehem Community Church, Stand to Reason and Life Training Institute.
Auckland Event Series: Did Jesus Rise from the Dead?
Billions profess to believe in the historical existence, death, and supernatural resurrection of Jesus. Should such claims be believed on “blind faith” or are there good reasons for believing the resurrection is the most fantastic fact of history?
In July and August, The Upper Room is organizing a series of events on the evidence for the resurrection. Christianity stands or falls on the literal, physical resurrection of Jesus Christ. Without it, our faith is merely one religion among many. If you’re someone who would like to get better acquainted with not just the reasons for why Christianity is rational, but why Christianity offers ultimate hope for the human condition, we’d encourage to attend.
Series Program:
- Concise Outline of Evidence for the Resurrection
Tuesday 24 July, 7.30pm
- The Case for Christ with Lee Strobel
(DVD screening followed by discussion)
Tuesday 31 July, 7.30pm
- Deeper Investigation of the Evidence (Part 1)
Tuesday 7 August, 7.30pm
- Deeper Investigation of the Evidence (Part 2)
Tuesday 14 August, 7.30pm
- Deeper Investigation of the Evidence (Part 3)
Tuesday 21 August, 7.30pm
- Debate: Did Jesus Rise from the dead? Dr Gerd Ludemann vs Dr William Lane Craig
(DVD screening followed by discussion)
Tuesday 28 August, 7.30pm
All events are without cost. The Upper Room is located at 10a Clayton Street, Newmarket. Visit their website here.
Does God Exist? Lenny Esposito vs Richard Carrier
Come to Reason Ministries have posted the audio from the debate between apologist Lenny Esposito and atheist Richard Carrier:
(If you’re having trouble accessing the audio, you may need to like the Come to Reason Facebook page). The exchange took place on Wednesday, May 23, at the University of California.
Lenny Esposito is president and founder of Come to Reason Ministries. He is a contributor to the popular Apologetics Study Bible for Students and has written articles that have appeared in The Los Angeles Times and the Southern California Christian Times.
Richard Carrier is a historian and philosopher, specializing in the philosophy of naturalism and the intellectual history of Greece and Rome. He is the author of several books including Why I Am Not a Christian: Four Conclusive Reasons to Reject the Faith and Sense and Goodness Without God: A Defense of Metaphysical Naturalism.
Did God Change His Mind? Understanding OT Ethical Standards and the Role of the Mosaic Law
In the latest issue of the Enrichment Journal, Professor Paul Copan has an excellent response to the New Atheist claim that the God of the Old Testament is evil (also see his article on whether God is just a crutch for the weak). In the essay, Copan also deals with the Mosaic Law and the mistaken assumption that it presents a normative pattern for the consistent Bible believer. Since the topic of the Bible’s evolving ethical standards has recently come up on the blog, I thought it would be worth quoting Copan’s comments here:
First, we are not to equate Mosaic legislation with the moral. Laws are often a compromise between the ideal and the enforceable. The Mosaic Law is truly a moral improvement on the surrounding ANE cultures — justifiably called “spiritual” and “good” (Romans 7:14,16) and reflective of Yahweh’s wisdom (Deuteronomy 6:5–8). Yet it is self-confessedly less than ideal. Contrary to New Atheists’ assumptions, the Law is not the permanent, fixed theocratic standard for all nations.
Polygamy, for instance, is practiced — contrary to God’s ideals in Genesis 2:24 and contrary to the prohibition in Leviticus 18:18 — perhaps in part because its prohibition would have been difficult to enforce, even if the biblical writers hoped for something better (cp. Deuteronomy 17:17; 1 Kings 11:3). Like divorce and other inferior moral conditions (cp. Matthew 19:8), polygamy was tolerated rather than upheld as an ultimate moral standard.
Second, the Mosaic law reveals God’s forbearance because of human hard-heartedness. Matthew 19:8 indicates that divorce was permitted — not commanded — because of hard hearts; it was not so “from the beginning.” The same can be said of a strong patriarchalism, slavery, and warfare common in the ANE context; these are in violation of Genesis 1,2’s creational ideals. Rather than banishing all evil social structures, Sinaitic legislation frequently assumes the practical facts of fallen human culture while pointing Israel to God’s greater designs for humanity.
God shows shows remarkable forbearance in the OT: “He passed over the sins previously committed” (Romans 3:25, NASB); elsewhere Paul declares: “Therefore having overlooked the times of ignorance, God is now declaring to men that all people everywhere should repent, because He has fixed a day in which He will judge the world in righteousness through a Man whom He has appointed, having furnished proof to all men by raising Him from the dead” (Acts 17:30,31, NASB). In the OT, God puts up with sinful human structures as less-than-ideal.
Third, the Mosaic Law — an improved, more-humanized legislation — attempts to restrain and control an inferior moral mindset without completely abolishing these negative structures. While negative aspects of slavery are retained, slaves achieve astonishing rights in contrast to the rest of the ANE. Even so, Deuternomy 15 expresses the hopeful goal of eventually eradicating slavery while both (a) diminishing the staying power of slavery in light of the exodus and (b) controlling the institution of slavery in light of the practical fact misfortune in a subsistence culture could reduce anyone to poverty and indebtedness.19
The same kind of progression is evident in legislation regarding women, primogeniture, and the like.
Fourth, the Mosaic Law contains seeds for moral growth, offering glimmers of light pointing to a higher moral path. Yes, God prohibits worship of other gods, but His ultimate desire is that His people love Him wholeheartedly. Love is not reducible to the Law’s restraining influence, and enjoying God’s presence is not identical to idol-avoidance.
The model of Yahweh’s character and saving action is embedded within and surrounding Israel’s legislation — a “compassionate drift” in the Law, which includes protection for the weak, especially those who lacked the natural protection of family and land (namely, widows, orphans, Levites, immigrants and resident aliens); justice for the poor; impartiality in the courts; generosity at harvest time and in general economic life; respect for persons and property, even of an enemy; sensitivity to the dignity even of the debtor; special care for strangers and immigrants; considerate treatment of the disabled; prompt payment of wages earned by hired labor; sensitivity over articles taken in pledge; consideration for people in early marriage, or in bereavement; even care for animals, domestic and wild, and for fruit trees.20
In their zealous preoccupation with the negative in OT ethics, New Atheists neglect these warm undertones in the Law of Moses itself, exemplified in Yahweh’s gracious, compassionate character and His saving action.
Fifth, the Mosaic Law contains an inherent planned obsolescence, which is to be fulfilled in Christ. Despite the significant moral advances at Sinai, the Law is not the final word. God promised a new covenant that would progress beyond the old (e.g., Jeremiah 31; Ezekiel 36,37). According to Hebrews, Jesus brings “substance” to the OT’s “shadows,” fully embodying humanity’s and Israel’s story. Thus, stopping at OT texts without allowing Christ — the second Adam and the new, true Israel — to illuminate them, our reading and interpretation of the OT will be greatly impoverished. If the NT brings out more fully the heart of God, then we must not let the “tail” (the OT) wag the “dog” (the NT) as the New Atheists commonly do.
Read the rest of the essay here.
Things Which Ought to Be Better Known about the Resurrection of Jesus
Dr Peter Williams discusses the evidence for the resurrection at the Lanier Theological Library (Houston, Texas) on April 7th. Dr Williams is Warden of Tyndale House and a member of the Faculty of Divinity at the University of Cambridge.
HT: Justin Taylor
Is God Just a Psychological Crutch for the Weak?
2. The argument commits the genetic fallacy, which is the error of attributing truth or falsehood to a belief based on its origin or genesis.
3. We need to distinguish between the rationality of belief and the psychology of belief.
4. It is odd and arbitrary to claim that whatever brings comfort and solace is false.
5. The incurably religious nature of human beings could just as likely indicate a divinely placed void that only God can fill.
6. A comforting father figure, while unique to the biblical faith, is not at the heart of the other world religions.
7. The attempt to psychologize believers applies more readily to the hardened atheist.
Read the whole article and Copan’s explanation of each point here.