Jesus Family Tomb
The book that became available this week and the documentary that will be on Discovery Channel tonight are problematic in that they may undermine faith or discourage seekers. It appears that these items suggest that Jesus' resurrection and ascension did not take place and that he and Mary Magdalene were married and had a child. If these things are true, it seems that the early church and the writers of the New Testament are not to be trusted.
In I Corinthians 15:12-28, Paul addressed the importance of the resurrection. Without it, our faith is vain and we are still under the penalty of sin.
None of us has firsthand knowledge of first century life in Jerusalem. We trust authorities who have devoted their lives to studying the era. One authority who is a respected scholar who seems to treat the issues involved in this case with more balance and breadth is Ben Witherington. The following information regarding the evidence discussed in the documentary was gleaned from his blog.
Evidence presented regarding all of the following is heavily debated by authorities:
names on the ossuaries
relevance and application of dna tests
use of statistics
use of Acts of Philip as an historic source
legitimacy of the James ossuary
As much of Christian faith is based on the Bible, we reflect that the authority of the Bible is sensed in the following ways:
A beautiful and cohesive theological message can be discerned in its pages written over the course of hundreds of years.
Most of its writers were passionate about ethics.
Its detail and genius in responding to other philosophies is profound.
Example - the first chapter of John understood in its original context
These and other factors that affirm the Bible's credibility seem to sink in the most through repeated exposure to scripture, Bible study, and commitment to the Bible's teachings. A parallel in sports would be if you attend lots of games you have a better chance of seeing some great plays. If you spend much time with the Bible, you'll have more chances to find its messgae affirmed in your experience.
In I Corinthians 15:12-28, Paul addressed the importance of the resurrection. Without it, our faith is vain and we are still under the penalty of sin.
None of us has firsthand knowledge of first century life in Jerusalem. We trust authorities who have devoted their lives to studying the era. One authority who is a respected scholar who seems to treat the issues involved in this case with more balance and breadth is Ben Witherington. The following information regarding the evidence discussed in the documentary was gleaned from his blog.
Evidence presented regarding all of the following is heavily debated by authorities:
names on the ossuaries
relevance and application of dna tests
use of statistics
use of Acts of Philip as an historic source
legitimacy of the James ossuary
As much of Christian faith is based on the Bible, we reflect that the authority of the Bible is sensed in the following ways:
A beautiful and cohesive theological message can be discerned in its pages written over the course of hundreds of years.
Most of its writers were passionate about ethics.
Its detail and genius in responding to other philosophies is profound.
Example - the first chapter of John understood in its original context
These and other factors that affirm the Bible's credibility seem to sink in the most through repeated exposure to scripture, Bible study, and commitment to the Bible's teachings. A parallel in sports would be if you attend lots of games you have a better chance of seeing some great plays. If you spend much time with the Bible, you'll have more chances to find its messgae affirmed in your experience.
Labels: Jesus Family Tomb, Mary Magdalene, ossuary
posted by Charles Hulin at 10:42 AM
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