Thinking to Believe

We don't talk much about Jesus' ascension into heaven, but historically, this was always recognized as a significant event in Jesus' life. And it is! I discuss the practical and theological significance of the ascension. Web: ThinkingtoBelieve.com Email: ThinkingToBelieve@gmail.com Facebook: facebook.com/thinkingtobelieve Twitter & Gettr: @thinking2believ Truth: @ThinkingToBelie...

In this final episode on the resurrection, look at some of the NT promises regarding our own future resurrection from the dead, explore what our resurrection body will be like, and explain the theological and practical implications of the general resurrection. Web: ThinkingtoBelieve.com Email: ThinkingToBelieve@gmail.com Facebook: facebook.com/thinkingtobelieve Twitter & Gettr: @thinking2belie...

I share some post-Easter thoughts (including a “pet the peeve” segment) and begin a discussion on our own future resurrection from the dead.  Web: ThinkingtoBelieve.com Email: ThinkingToBelieve@gmail.com Facebook: facebook.com/thinkingtobelieve Twitter & Gettr: @thinking2believ Truth: @ThinkingToBelieve Parler: @thinkingtobelieve

In this final episode on the Shroud of Turin, I talk about art based on the shroud, reasons to doubt the Shroud is authentic, and where the Shroud shows up in the historical record.  Web: ThinkingtoBelieve.com Email: ThinkingToBelieve@gmail.com Facebook: facebook.com/thinkingtobelieve Twitter & Gettr: @thinking2believ Truth: @ThinkingToBelieve Parler: @thinkingtobelieve

I look at various attempts to recreate the Shroud image through naturalistic means before moving on to other ways we can know the Shroud is older than what the carbon dating suggests.  Web: ThinkingtoBelieve.com Email: ThinkingToBelieve@gmail.com Facebook: facebook.com/thinkingtobelieve Twitter & Gettr: @thinking2believ Truth: @ThinkingToBelieve Parler: @thinkingtobelieve

I discuss how the image on the shroud was made, as well as the age of the Shroud and the infamous C-14 dating from 1988. Web: ThinkingtoBelieve.com Email: ThinkingToBelieve@gmail.com Facebook: facebook.com/thinkingtobelieve Twitter & Gettr: @thinking2believ Truth: @ThinkingToBelieve Parler: @thinkingtobelieve

What is the evidence that the Shroud of Turin is the real burial cloth of Jesus and bears His crucified image? In this episode I begin to cover 17 points of evidence that point to authenticity.  Web: ThinkingtoBelieve.com Email: ThinkingToBelieve@gmail.com Facebook: facebook.com/thinkingtobelieve Twitter & Gettr: @thinking2believ Truth: @ThinkingToBelieve Parler: @thinkingtobelieve

The Shroud of Turin is the purported burial cloth of Jesus Christ, bearing the image of a crucified man. Is it authentic and evidence for the resurrection, or just a medieval forgery? This is the first episode in the final sub-series in the resurrection series. I start by examining the features of the cloth itself, as well as the image of a crucified man that is embedded within the fibers of the c...

In this miscellany episode I offer my short thoughts on worship music, being thoughtful about our language, the centrality of truth, words of advice to aspiring preachers, why religion is not a bad word, conversation etiquette, and end with a Pet the Peeve segment about where waitresses place the bill on the table. Web: ThinkingtoBelieve.com Email: ThinkingToBelieve@gmail.com Facebook: facebook.co...

I covered the final four differences in the gospel accounts: 1.  Did Peter just look into the tomb, or did he enter it? 2.  Why did the angels tell the women to tell the male disciples to meet Him in Galilee if Jesus was going to appear to the apostles that same day in Jerusalem? 3.  Why did Jesus tell the apostles to stay in Jerusalem if they had not yet gone to Galilee? 4.  Did Jesus ascend to h...

I address three Gospel differences: 1. Did all of the apostles disbelieve the report of the Emmaus Disciples, or only some of them? 2. Did Jesus ascend to heaven the same day as His resurrection, or weeks later 3. Was Jesus’ first appearance to the apostles to 10 or 11 apostles Web: ThinkingtoBelieve.com Email: ThinkingToBelieve@gmail.com Facebook: facebook.com/thinkingtobelieve Twitter & Gett...

We know the Synoptic gospels simplified their empty tomb narratives, so how did that affect their portrayal of the event? Why did Luke leave out the appearance of Jesus to the women? I also explore differences related to the Emmaus disciples narrative.  Web: ThinkingtoBelieve.com Email: ThinkingToBelieve@gmail.com Facebook: facebook.com/thinkingtobelieve Twitter & Gettr: @thinking2believ Truth...

I continue to examine differences in the empty tomb narratives. In this episode, I address differences in where the women were when the angels appeared to them. I show how the differences can be resolved when we recognize that there were two tomb visits. Mary Magdalene went to the tomb twice. She left before the angels/Jesus appeared to the remaining women, but saw the angels/Jesus when she return...

I do a walkthrough of the four gospel accounts’ concerning the empty tomb, resurrection, and post-mortem appearances of Jesus, comparing and contrasting them to identify similarities and differences. Then I begin to harmonize the empty tomb narratives, addressing the following differences: 1. Which women went to the tomb? 2. Did the women journey to the tomb when it was dark or at dawn? 3. Did the...

I explored the various compositional devices used in Greco-Roman biographies and provided Biblical examples of their use in the Gospels. These compositional devices explain many of the so-called errors and differences in the Gospels.   Web: ThinkingtoBelieve.com Email: ThinkingToBelieve@gmail.com Facebook: facebook.com/thinkingtobelieve Twitter & Gettr: @thinking2believ Truth: @ThinkingToBelie...

Part 2 of harmonizing the resurrection accounts. Still establishing the foundation  for harmonization by looking at how the ancients recorded history. Explained how differences in words and events can be explained. Started looking at Mike Licona's work on compositional devices.  Web: ThinkingtoBelieve.com Email: ThinkingToBelieve@gmail.com Facebook: facebook.com/thinkingtobelieve Twitter &amp...

Skeptics point to so-called contradictions in the Gospel accounts as reasons to doubt their claims that Jesus rose from the dead. I'll spend several episodes harmonizing the resurrection accounts in the Gospels, but in this episode I begin to lay the foundation for how we should think about so-called contradictions and what's really at stake.  Web: ThinkingtoBelieve.com Email: ThinkingTo...

Covered more objections to the resurrection of Jesus, including -- Why didn't Jesus' disciples always recognize Him after His resurrection? -- Why did the apostles wait so long to proclaim Jesus' resurrection? -- If the evidence for Jesus' resurrection is so good, why do only Christians believe it? -- Didn't Jesus tell Thomas he wasn't blessed precisely because he req...

I address more questions and objections: -- Was Jesus' "appearance" to Paul truly a resurrection appearance? -- Jews did not bury crucified victims. Jesus was left in an open tomb and most likely eaten by dogs/birds. -- Jesus’ Body Would have been Unrecognizable -- Why Didn’t Jesus Appear to Unbelievers? -- The Doctrine of Resurrection was a Later Doctrine -- How did Mark know what...

I address the following questions and objections: o   When Did Jesus Rise from the Dead? o   Where is Jesus’ body now? o   It’s difficult to know what’s true about history.  o   The ancients were just gullible and easily accepted miracle claims o   The Resurrection is Not a Historical Conclusion o   Extraordinary Claims Require Extraordinary Evidence, and you haven't provided extraordinary ev...

I continue my examination of non-miraculous explanations for the historical facts including the spiritual resurrection theory, deification theory, wish fulfillment theory, and more. Then, I argue that the resurrection hypothesis is the best explanation for the historical data.  Web: ThinkingtoBelieve.com Email: ThinkingToBelieve@gmail.com Facebook: facebook.com/thinkingtobelieve Twitter & Gett...

Now that we've established the historical facts, all that remains is to determine what best explains them. The explanation offered by Jesus' disciples was that Jesus was raised from the dead. Non-Christians, atheists, and anti-supernaturalists do not want to accept that explanation, so they have proposed a great number of alternative, non-miraculous explanations. I'll examine those...

I cover the four remaining historical facts that I'll argue are best explained by Jesus' resurrection from the dead: 5. The conversion of James 6. The conversion of Paul 7. The changed behavior of the disciples 8. The origin of the disciples' belief in the resurrection Web: ThinkingtoBelieve.com Email: ThinkingToBelieve@gmail.com Facebook: facebook.com/thinkingtobelieve Twitter &amp...

Not only did the disciples discover Jesus' tomb to be empty, but Jesus also appeared in the flesh to various individuals and groups at different times and in different locations. I explore the reasons historians are convinced that the disciples had some sort of experience of Jesus after His death. I also harmonize all of the various resurrection appearances recorded in the gospels and 1 Corin...

I present six lines of evidence in favor of the historicity of the empty tomb, and explain why this historical fact is significant in the case for the resurrection of Jesus.  Web: ThinkingtoBelieve.com Email: ThinkingToBelieve@gmail.com Facebook: facebook.com/thinkingtobelieve Twitter & Gettr: @thinking2believ Truth: @ThinkingToBelieve Parler: @thinkingtobelieve