In Part 1 of this series, we discussed the nature of sin and what it really means to be sinful. As established, sin is the act of loving something (or someone) more than loving God Himself. Thus, when we prioritize something other than God and continue to not live by the Will of God, we are living sinful lives.

As we commit sin, we draw ourselves further from God and thus separate ourselves from the Source of Love and Life. This creates an instance of internal turmoil and destruction which destroys us from within, just as a log is destroyed in a fire. Therefore, the fire of hell is not literal, but rather a symbol of the sin we cultivate in our own life.

To demonstrate the nature of hell, it’s best to tell a story of a sinner (let’s call him Max).

Max was raised Christian and believes that Jesus is real. He goes to church, gives large offerings, and reads his bible on occasion. However, the main priority of Max is not to love and submit to God, but rather to focus on his financial status and wealth. Max believes he is better than those around him due to his success and even considers himself to be a good Christian based on his good deeds. He refuses to acknowledge that he is prideful and does not take kindly when people try to correct him. As time goes on, Max becomes easier to anger and develops more aggression toward those around him. As Max grows old and dies he finds himself before the Throne of God.

God asks Max “why should I let you into heaven?” to which Max replies “because I’ve believed in Jesus and been a good person of course! I earned my way in!”.

However, when God brings up the sin in Max’s life, Max becomes more and more offended. You see, Max’s pride blinds him from his own sin as he refuses to let go of the idols he has made in his life. He refuses to submit to God and rejects any gift of sanctification. Max’s soul has been on fire, destroying him and making him into an insidious person. And because Max does not want to let his pride go, nor confront his sin, his soul remains destroyed. In His Love, God will still allow Max to have his free will (even if He is hurt by it) and therefore, God will separate Himself from Max. God will allow Max to try to create his own heaven and do things his way. But away from God, Max realizes that his riches are gone and thus becomes miserable. He now hates God and blames Him for all of this. He feels like God has robbed him of eternity and blames Him for not steering him on the right path. In hell, Max’s hate, anger, and idols torment and destroy him and he never once considers submitting to God. Max also resents God for separating him from his Christian family members in heaven. Ultimately, Max is eternally separate from the Source of Life and Love; thus, he experiences the wages of sin that is death.

This is what hell is—eternal separation from God. And the people in hell have chosen to be separate from God. They much rather not confront their sin but instead, try to pave their own path to happiness. They hate God and reject His Love, thus causing them to deal with their own misery and torment. And just as their idols pass away, so too will they. Max’s goal was never to have a relationship with God, he just desired the good things God can give to him. He feels as though God robbed him of happiness, ironically failing to realize that he has rejected the very Source of true Happiness.

It is only through Jesus that our souls are made whole again and reconciled to God. At Calvary, Jesus took hell upon Himself, becoming one with sin and separate from His eternal Father. Along with His flesh, His soul was destroyed and tormented as He paid the wages of sin for us. Not only was he physically dying, but His very soul was shunned from the source of Love Himself.

You will never understand how much Jesus Loves you until you realize how much He suffered on the cross. He so desires a relationship with you that he died so that you may eternally live.

Stop trying to do it your way, because your way will destroy and kill you. Realize that you cannot get to heaven alone and that you need a Savior. A Savior that not only saves you from hell and sin but one who saves you from yourself. As a log in the fire is destroyed, even dousing it with water cannot restore its original form. In the same way, just as sin destroys you, your good works cannot save you. Therefore, you will never be restored until you invite God Himself to restore you. You must submit to His way and base your identity on the only perfect and infinite source in existence. Failure to do so will only lead to your own destruction.

Hell is not some fiery furnace that God tosses people into for fun. It is the destination of those who reject God and His Love, thinking they do not need Him. Hell is where God gives people to the lifestyle and choices they have made, all of which never satisfy. In the end, they spend eternity in misery after choosing idols over God.

In the words of C.S Lewis, there are two groups of people. Those who say to God “Thy Will be Done!” or those to whom God says “thy will be done".

Follow Chasing Truth on Instagram and Twitter @thechasingtruth to keep up to date with everything. Also, feel free to reach out with any questions or comments. God Bless you all.

Sources/Inspiration:

• Michael Jones, InspiringPhilosophy Ministry

• C.S Lewis, “The Divorce”

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How can a Loving God send people to an eternity of suffering in hell? How can such a God even be worthy of worship?

For ages, such questions have been asked in criticism of God, panting Him as a tyrant and egotistical being who takes pleasure in punishing those who do not follow Him. As we will see, such a god could not be further from reality. But to directly answer this question without first discussing the nature of sin would be an utter disservice.

In Luke 16:19-31, Jesus gives the parable of a rich man and a poor man named Lazarus. On Earth, the rich man was said to be dressed in fine purple linen as he lived a life of luxury. On the other hand, Lazarus was a beggar covered in sores, spending his days eating scraps from the rich man while he lived amongst dogs. Yet after death, the rich man entered hell where he experienced eternal torment while Lazarus was taken up to heaven to be amongst the angels and Abraham. Asking how such a thing could happen to him, Abraham told the rich man:

Child, remember that you in your lifetime received your good things, and Lazarus in like manner bad things; but now he is comforted here, and you are in anguish. (Luke 16:25 ESV)

Let’s consider the identity of both the rich man and Lazarus. The rich man was one who prided himself on his riches while also being able to donate extensive offerings to the temple so as to gain favor with God. The rich man took pride in his ability to follow God’s Mosaic Law, thus rooting himself in his own self-righteousness and wealth. However, Lazarus had nothing. And because he had nothing, Lazarus gave himself to God, surrendering to Him and His will. This is why Lazarus was able to go to heaven while the rich man entered hell.

Understand that sin is what sends people to hell. So what is sin? Traditionally, we are inclined to think that sin is simply breaking God’s Law, yet theologian Søren Kierkegaard describes sin as rooting our identity in something else other than God. In taking this a step further, when one loves something more than God and builds their identity on it, they have committed sin. In thinking of sin this way, we can see why the rich man was guilty of sin while Lazarus was not.

You see, the rich man did not root himself in God, but instead, he rooted himself in his own ability to follow God’s Law. His moral performance and the praises from those around him were more important to him rather than the Love and approval of God.

No matter if you’re a rich man, a student, an employee, etc., we have all made idols out of something. And when we commit this sin, it internally separates us from the Love of God. In this separation, we effectively destroy our souls and create a sort of fire that consumes us. This is the sort of fire that will ultimately destroy us in hell. This fire is painful and tormenting, as we see the rich man in Jesus’ parable display.

C.S Lewis puts this best by saying:

Its not a question of God “sending” us to hell. In each of us there is something growing up which will of itself be hell unless it is nipped in the bud.

As a log in the fire falls apart, so too do we when we commit sin against God. Weather it be your internal anger or hatred, such behaviors internally destroy you and seperate you from God’s Love, leaving us empty and tormented by His absence. After all, if we base our identity on finite and imperfect things, as those idols perish so will we. It is only when we base our identity in the Perfect God of the universe that we find everlasting life.

So what then? What is the product of sin and why does sin send people to hell?

Stay tuned for Part 2 of this discussion coming out next week.

Follow Chasing Truth on Instagram and Twitter @thechasingtruth to keep up to date with everything.

Sources/Inspiration:

• Michael Jones, InspiringPhilosophy Ministry

• C.S Lewis “The Divorce”

• Søren Kierkegaard “Sickness unto death”

After taking the time to understand the Triune nature of God, we must then ask ourselves: Why is the Trinity so important? Why does it matter if God is Triune or not?

To begin answering this question, remember that there are three Persons within the Trinity who are eternally co-existing with one another. The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit (who are all God) are in eternal fellowship with one another and therefore, have always Loved one another. Now imagine how much each Person of the Trinity must Love one another. Imagine how much God the Father, who is infinite in all His ways, Loves The Son who is also infinite. There are no words that do justice in describing the magnitude of how much Love exists with the Trinity, but understand that their Love for one another extends far beyond creation itself and is so infinite and boundless.

Now if God was not Triune, but rather existed as one being and one person, of course he would be able to love, but his love would require that he have creation to express that love towards. After all, you cannot express love unless there was something to be loved in the first place. This would mean that god’s love is conditional, requiring that creation must exist in order for him to express his love. But with The God of the Bible, because each Person in the Trinity has eternally existed, they have also eternally Loved one another, thereby making Love an Unconditional and Eternal Truth. Because of the Trinity, Love has never ceased to exist, but has rather existed as long as God Himself. The very nature of Love is one with God and this is why John writes in 1 John 4:8,16 that “God IS Love”. Christians therefore do not proclaim a God that is simply Loving, but rather a God who is Love Himself.

But the story doesn’t end here. Remember how I asked you to think of how much each Person of the Trinity must Love one another? And now that we understand just how boundless Love itself is, once again imagine how such boundless and unconditional Love is expressed between the boundless and infinite Persons of The Trinity.

With this in mind, let us then revisit what the scriptures say about God’s Love for His children.

In John 15:9, Jesus tells us that in the same way The Father has Loved The Son, so too does The Son love us. Additionally, Romans 8:15-17 says that we have been adopted into the family of the Father, becoming co-heir with Christ through His sacrifice on the cross. So not only does Jesus love us in the same infinite way that the Father Loves Him, But The Father Himself has adopted us and called us His own, thereby expressing that same eternal and boundless Love directly to us. The Love of the Trinity has therefore been extended out from an eternal and perfect fellowship to all of God’s children. The Father is as in Love with us as He is in Love with The Son, and The Son is as crazy about us as He is about the Father while also having The Spirit indwell us Himself.

Because of The Trinity, we understand that Love is an eternal and infinite Truth that would not be possible without the Triune God. And because we can understand the magnitude of Love itself, we can then begin to realize just how much God Loves us all. But, in the same way that there are no words that do justice to the Glory of God, so too are there no words that allow us to fully realize just how much He Loves us.

The Father, Son and Holy Spirit are all worthy of the eternal and perfect Love they share. Yet while we were imperfect and sinful, God extended this Love to us through Jesus Christ whose sacrifice has made us whole. Jesus’ sacrifice is the ultimate display of God’s everlasting Love as Jesus says in John 15:13 “Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends”. There is therefore no greater Love than the Love God has for his children. The Love God has for you is boundless and unconditional and there is nothing that can separate us from this Truth.

And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, 18 may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, 19 and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God. (Ephesians 3:17-19)

This was the last part of the “Triune” series here at Chasing Truth where we spent some time unraveling the doctrine of the Trinity. There is so much more that can be said about this topic and it is something that truly surpasses our limited understanding. As you go about continuing to learn about the nature of God, never forget the truth of His Love and Mercy as He all guides us in our everyday lives.

God Bless you all.

Follow Chasing Truth on Instagram and Twitter @thechasingtruth to keep up to date with everything.

Sources/Inspiration:

• Nabeel Qureshi

• Michael Jones, InspiringPhilosophy Ministry

In Defining The Trinity, God is defined as one being composed of three persons- The Father, Son and Holy Spirit. But now that we have an idea of what it means for God to be Triune, the question “How do we KNOW that God is Triune?” arises.

To answer this question, we inevitably have to establish that all three persons of the Trinity, The Father, Jesus, and The Holy Spirit are God.

The Father is God

Scripture is extremely clear that the Father is God. Of the many verses that establish Him as God, 1 Corinthians 8:6 can be referenced.

yet for us there is one God, the Father, from whom are all things and for whom we exist, and one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom are all things and through whom we exist.

Jesus is God:

In scripture, the death of Jesus on the cross is known as the means by which salvation is attained, and through Him all sins are washed away.

for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus (Romans 3: 23-24).

However, the Bible is also clear that salvation ONLY comes from God.

Salvation belongs to the Lord;
    your blessing be on your people! (Psalm 3:8)

So if salvation belongs to the Lord only, then it can only be given by Him. And we see in scripture that Jesus has given humanity the gift of salvation and deliverance from sin. Therefore, Jesus MUST be God because He gives the gift of salvation. For one to deny the deity of Christ, and therefore deny the Trinity, they must also deny the salvation which is offered to all of humanity. Additionally, to deny that Jesus is God is to deny God's true Goodness and Genuine nature. If God has stated to be the only way to salvation, to send someone other than Himself to atone for sin would be going against His own word. This train of thought is clearly compromising to the Perfect nature of God.

The Holy Spirit is God:

Like Jesus and the Father, The Holy Spirit is also fully God. To prove this, first understand that scripture says that it is the Holy Spirit that sanctifies believers:

 to be a minister of Christ Jesus to the Gentiles in the priestly service of the gospel of God, so that the offering of the Gentiles may be acceptable, sanctified by the Holy Spirit. (Romans 15:16)

And for the Spirit to be able to sanctify believers, He must also be Perfect Himself. Also, remember that Jesus says “Only God is Good” in Mark 10:18. So once again, by deduction, it would make no sense that a being other than The perfect and Good God can sanctify believers. Therefore, the scriptures are clearly establishing that the Holy Spirit is God.

So now that we can clearly see the scriptural evidence of the deity of all three Persons in the Trinity, we can conclude that they are in fact all God.

But the Bible is clear that God is one:

Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one (Deuteronomy 6:4)

Firstly, it is very interesting that the Hebrew word used for “one” in the original texts does not refer to “one” as an absolute singularity but rather, refers to something that is UNITED as one while being made up of more than one components. So when the Bible speaks of God as one, it does not refer to Him as an absolute singularity but rather as one being that is composed of united Persons. This is the very thing that the Trinity is. Look at the word “Trinity” for yourself, the first part of the word “Tri” refers to 3 while the latter portion of the word points to unity. Funny enough, the scripture above further points us to the Trinity itself.

Through scripture, we can deduce that the Trinity is essential to salvation through Christ and sanctification through the Holy Spirit. By establishing each Person of the Trinity as God, while taking into account that the Biblical texts in their original language always refer to God as one Union, we see that the Triune God has always been present throughout the Bible. And because God has been consistent in essence through the ages, we can surely know and appreciate His essence and embrace Him as He pursues us every moment of our lives.

This was the second part of the “Triune” series here at Chasing Truth where we will be unraveling the doctrine of the Trinity. Keep your eyes out for the third and final part coming out next week! God Bless you all.

Follow Chasing Truth on Instagram and Twitter @thechasingtruth to keep up to date with everything.

Sources/Inspiration:

• Nabeel Qureshi

• Michael Jones, InspiringPhilosophy Ministry

• C.S Lewis, Mere Christianity

• The Forgotten Trinity by James R. White

The doctrine of the Trinity is essential to Christianity, yet it is a concept that is surrounded by much confusion and misunderstanding. When asked “What is the Trinity?” (ask yourself this even now), some people may resort to real-world analogies to give an example of how God can exist as 3 persons. While it isn’t a bad idea to give analogies of the Trinity, it’s crucial to first define what the Trinity is.

When Christians say God is a Trinity, it means - God is one in BEING and three in PERSON.

But now you may wonder, what is the difference between the words “being” and “person”? At face value, it may seem like the same thing is being repeated and used differently.

But this isn’t the case. When referring to the “being” of something, we are referring to “what” it is.

On the other hand, when we speak of “person”, we are referring to “who” someone is.

For instance, you are (I’m assuming and hoping) a human being. That is WHAT you are. That is your BEING. As a human, you, like everyone else, are composed of a physical and living body.

Now WHO you are refers to your own identity, that is the qualities and characteristics that define you and make you the PERSON that you are. This can encompass your name along with the many traits that others would use to describe you. Notice how your BEING is not unique and is shared by everyone else, yet your PERSONHOOD is exclusive to you. These are both very different yet important qualities of yourself.

With this in mind, the definition of the Trinity should be revisited. As humans, we are individually one BEING and one PERSON. That is a truth that will never change. However, God is different. He is composed of One BEING, God, and Three PERSONS, The Father, The Son, and The Holy Spirit. All three of these Persons are co-equal and eternally co-existent and therefore, they are all fully God.

And while there are no instances of something of this nature existing here on this finite Earth, that does not mean that the doctrine of the Trinity is compromised. God is complex and marvelous and is greater than us in every way. There is no issue with the idea that God is greater than us in His Knowledge and Power, so naturally, He should also be greater than us in Essence. It is important that we don’t try to create a God that we can understand, as this would bound and reduce His Greatness to our finite understanding. And if God were a god bound to a finite understanding, He would not be God at all. Instead, let us acknowledge that just because God may be unfathomable, that does not make Him illogical. Because even though He is unfathomable and so beyond our knowledge, He is still in daily pursuit of the hearts of every individual.

This was the first part of the “Triune” series here at Chasing Truth where we will be unraveling the doctrine of the Trinity. Check out part 2, Believing The Trinity! God Bless you all.

Follow Chasing Truth on Instagram and Twitter @thechasingtruth to keep up to date with everything.

Sources/Inspiration:

• Nabeel Qureshi

• Michael Jones, InspiringPhilosophy Ministry

• Evidence That Demands A Verdict, Josh and Sean McDowell

• C.S Lewis, Mere Christianity

The problem of evil is one of the most referenced critiques of the Christian worldview. After all, Christianity speaks of a Loving God who cares for every individual, yet that same God seems to stand by and watch atrocities happen to His children every day. With this train of thought, many people are then inclined to either believe that A) God is not as loving as He may seem or B) there is no God at all. By all means, it seems clear why someone who has never embraced the Gospels adopts this type of ideology. The truth of the matter is that the problem of evil does not compromise the Christian doctrine but rather, serves to illustrate the true brokenness of humanity while also displaying the even greater Love of God.

To begin understanding the problem of evil, it is essential to first get an idea of why and how evil exists in the first place. In the book of Genesis, God is noted to be the creator of all things and He calls His creation Good. Therefore, evil cannot and does not originate from God as He is the source of all things good.

Because God is the epitome of Goodness, the deviation from Him and His Will results in what we know as “evil”. Therefore, evil can be defined as the departure from the way God intends for things to be.

This departure from God is made possible because God has gifted humanity with free will, that is, the ability to make their own choices in any particular situation. Unfortunately, humanity has repeatedly chosen the choices that coincide with evil and wrongdoing, choices that lead to the death and suffering of other innocent human beings. When God gave us a creative and brilliant mind, we used it to create weapons of mass destruction and murder. When God gave us hands to use for His Glory, we insisted on using them for our own glory instead, no matter who we hurt in the process.

As a result of this departure from God, we now live in a world full of violence, hatred, suffering, and brokenness. Where is the loving and all-powerful God in all of this? Why doesn’t God simply stop people from doing bad things?

Firstly, consider the implications of this. If God removes the capacity to choose between right and wrong, He removes the capacity for free will. So what? At least no one can be hurt, right? At face value, sure, this may seem like a simple compromise. However, if God removes the free will of humanity, He would also be removing the ability for us to experience love itself. If we are forced to comply with a system in which there only exists one outcome, living as machines who have no choice but to carry out commands, we become beings incapable of love. In asking for a world with no free will, one would be asking for a world with no love. And because God is the source of Love, He desires to love us and have us love each other, and we therefore must have love in this world.

So if we must have free will, the question still remains. Is love really that important? Where is the Loving God in midst of suffering and evil?

It turns out, that love itself is the very answer to this question. God saw the brokenness and evil that humanity subjected itself to and instead of saying “Let them suffer for their consequences”, He decided to step into the evil world itself. Stepping off the majesty of His heavenly throne, He reduced Himself to a human and was treated horribly by so many around Him throughout His life. Not only that, but He also decided to enter the world at a time when the most gruesome and degrading method of execution known as crucifixion was utilized. He subjected Himself to crucifixion and bore the sins of mankind upon His back and in doing so, paid the price of healing the world and allowed for our wrongdoings to be forgiven.

If you have been betrayed by someone or physically assaulted, you can know that God has loved you enough to identify with your hurt and take that hurt upon Himself.

In the Christian worldview, the problem of evil is met by the solution of Jesus Christ who loves us so much that He decided to suffer alongside humanity so that He may know our brokenness, take it upon Himself and offer us refuge in such a violent world. Because of what God has done, evil does not have the final say.

In this story, even though the world is broken and evil, seemingly beyond repair, the love of God manifests and becomes apparent unlike anything else and proves to be greater than the suffering that afflicts us all. Through Christ who suffers with and for us, humanity can be sure that He is indeed the remedy to the problem of evil.

Follow Chasing Truth on Twitter and Instagram @thechasingtruth to keep updated on future newsletters and topics.

If you have any questions or still need clarity on something please do leave a comment.

The Christian faith hinges upon the very resurrection of Jesus Christ. The scriptures attest to the importance of the resurrection as Paul states in 1 Corinthians 15 12-19:

12 Now if Christ is proclaimed as raised from the dead, how can some of you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? 13 But if there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised. 14 And if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain and your faith is in vain. 15 We are even found to be misrepresenting God, because we testified about God that he raised Christ, whom he did not raise if it is true that the dead are not raised. 16 For if the dead are not raised, not even Christ has been raised. 17 And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins. 18 Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished. 19 If in Christ we have hope in this life only, we are of all people most to be pitied.

Therefore, what evidence is there outside of the New Testament to prove that Jesus did indeed rise from the dead? How can we know for sure what happened 2,000 years ago on that Sunday morning?

In the newsletter “Did Jesus Exist”, the Roman historian Tacitus was cited as one of the greatest historical attestations to the life of Christ. In his writings, Tacitus also records:

Christus, from whom the name [Christians] had its origin, suffered the extreme penalty during the reign of Tiberius at the hands of one of our procurators, Pontius Pilatus, and a most mischievous superstition, thus checked for the moment, again broke out not only in Judaea the first source of the evil, but even in Rome…

The latter portion of the text is of particular interest as Tacitus notes that the superstitious nature of Jesus stopped for a moment, yet proceeded to break out unlike ever before. A consultation of New Testament accounts for the resurrection show that after Jesus had died, indeed all of his followers retreated into hiding as it seemed that Jesus was truly dead. This is the moment in which the “superstition” ceased. However, after the resurrection, Christianity exploded as it was spread across the Mediterranean and beyond. Now, what could be the reason for this sudden outbreak of believers? Even more so, why is it that Christianity spread with such a fervor unlike before? Surely the people would not have believed in a dead person. This scenario leaves a gaping hole in the center of the story as we begin to think about what inspired so many to commit their faith to Jesus.

This hole is perfectly filled with the story of the resurrection. There is no adequate reason why so many people would put their trust in a dead man. Well, the truth is, they didn’t! The people had some reason to believe that death was not the final say in the story of Jesus and therefore, His resurrection is the only means by which they would devote their lives to Him. When thinking of the resurrection as you reread the above quote by Tacitus, it then makes perfect sense as to why Christianity broke out again after a periodic silence.

Additionally, the resurrection site itself is quintessential in proving that Jesus actually rose from the dead. An analysis of the tomb of Jesus shows strong evidence that Jesus did indeed conquer death:

1. The lack of tomb veneration

   • There is no documented evidence to suggest that followers of Jesus gathered at the tomb to worship or hold ceremonies. This is because they knew Jesus was no longer within the tomb.

2. The Jewish desire to explain an empty tomb

   • In Matthew 28:11-15, the Jewish council did not deny that the tomb was empty, but rather sought to offer an alternate explanation for the empty grave. The fact that the enemies of Christ agreed that the tomb was empty is significant as it proves that it is a common ground everyone can agree on.

3. Christianity could not spread had the tomb been empty

   • The disciples would not be able to convert so many to Christianity if Jesus were still laid in His tomb. This is because a simple stroll over to the tomb would prove that Jesus was still dead and therefore, never rose again, thus ending the ministry altogether. However, this was not the case as Jesus’ body was indeed no longer in the tomb.

So why was the tomb empty? Where did Jesus’ body go? Many skeptics would likely jump to the obvious naturalistic conclusion that the body of Jesus was stolen by his followers to make it seem as though he rose. However, there are many errors with this conclusion.

1. The disciples also thought someone stole Jesus’ body

   • Scriptures such as Matthew 28:11-15, Luke 24:1-11, and John 20:13-15 illustrate that the disciples automatically doubted the miraculous resurrection of Christ. Had they conspired to steal His body, why would they jump to the conclusion that His body was stolen? This theory does not withstand scrutiny.

2. The disciples’ willingness to suffer

   • If the disciples conspired to fake a resurrection, they would not have spent their lives preaching a story they knew to be false even when it caused them to be persecuted. The disciples had no monetary nor societal gain in preaching the gospel so then why would they uphold a lie? The only reason that the disciples so passionately proclaimed the good news is that they knew it to be true.

Ultimately, the evidence regarding the early spread of Christianity coupled with the observations regarding the early tomb leaves us with a resurrection-shaped hole at the center of these events. There is no better explanation as to why thousands of people would commit to following a man they thought to be dead, nor are there adequate alternatives to why the tomb was empty. Furthermore, what else could convince the previously timid and skeptical disciples to recommit to a life of spreading the good news of Jesus Christ even though it brought them so much despair? The evidence of the resurrection extends to so much greater lengths than what was discussed but the fact of the matter is that there exist no other explanations for what the world has witnessed. Christians and the world at large can therefore rest assured and rejoice in the fact that the savior Jesus Christ has risen, yes He has risen indeed!

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The crucifixion of Jesus is central to how He is viewed in Christian theology. The Bible is clear that Jesus came down from Heaven so that He may bear the punishment of sin on the cross in place of humanity. This act of self-sacrifice displays the ultimate love of God for His people as He is willing to suffer on the behalf of His children so that they may be one with Him. However, can the crucifixion of Jesus be regarded as an event that actually happened? After all, the Christian faith is in vain if the death of Christ never occurred to begin with. So, therefore, how does one prove that Jesus did indeed die at calvary?

Apart from the attestation of Jesus’ crucifixion by Tacitus as explored in the previous newsletter “Did Jesus Exist?”, the death of Jesus does expand into many other facets of history. Below is a series of information regarding accounts of what really happened the day Jesus was sentenced to death by crucifixion.

Firstly, it is essential to consider the method of crucifixion in regard to its intent. The Romans adopted the process of crucifixion from the previous Persian Empire. After its adoption, the Romans then tweaked crucifixion in order to ensure its efficacy in killing criminals. By the time of Jesus, the Romans had already been performing crucifixions for almost two centuries and effectively, became master executioners. In fact, the Romans were so good at crucifying people that there is no record of any individual surviving a full crucifixion. This obviously means that everyone subjected to death from crucifixion died. No exceptions. Furthermore, it is then safe to conclude that if Jesus was indeed sentenced to death by crucifixion, death is the only outcome of such an ordeal.

Because Jesus was such a prominent religious leader, His death certainly became wide known by many people all across the Mediterranian region. The death of such a famous and influential figure, therefore, lingered in the conversations of many. An example of such conversation is exhibited in the writings of Syrian philosopher, Mara bar Serapion. In 70 AD, Mara wrote a letter from prison to his son. In the letter, Mara states:

What good did it do the Athenians to kill Socrates, for which deed they were punished with famine and pestilance? What did it avail the Samians to burn Pythagoras since their country was entirely buried under sand in one moment? Or what did it avail the Jews to kill their wise king, since their kingdom was taken away from them from that time on. God justly avenged these three wise men. The Athenians died of famine, the Samians were flooded by the sea, the Jews were slaughtered and driven from their kingdom, everywhere living in the dispersion. Socrates is not dead thanks to Plato; nor Pythagoras, because of Hera’s statue. Nor is the the wise king because of the new law which he has given.

From this message, although Jesus’ name is not outwardly used, it is clear that Mara bar Serapion is indeed referring to Jesus. This conclusion can be made as no other person during that historical era was referred to as the “wise king” of the Jews while also being killed at the hands of the Jews. Additionally, there is a clear diaspora of the Jews following the killing of the “wise king”, and based on history, it is known that the Jews were scattered from Israel shortly after the death of Jesus, thus further proving that Jesus was the subject matter at hand. It is also interesting to note that Mara groups Jesus’ death with other historically sound events such as the death of Socrates and Pythagoras. This goes to show that the death of Jesus is affirmed the same way the death of Socrates and Pythagoras is affirmed and a denial of His death would be based upon no historical ground.

Now, after establishing the historicity of the crucifixion, an analysis of accounts surrounding the event should be done.

In 55 AD, there lived a man named Thallus who was an Eastern Meditteranean historian, most famous for his written pieces regarding the Trojan War. His written works may very well have been written before the Gospels themselves and thus, serves as an important piece regarding the events of the early first century. While many of Thallus’ writings were lost, in 220 AD, a man named Julius Africanus found remnants of his work. These discovered texts were then compiled in Africanus’ own document known as History of the World. A particular text of interest then goes on to describe some peculiar events that Thallus attests to have happened. The text reads:

On the whole world there pressed a most fearful darkness; and the rocks were rent by an earthquake, and many places in Judea and other districts were thrown down. This darkness Thallus, in the third book of his History, calls, as appears to me without reason, an eclipse of the sun.

This excerpt from Africanus illustrates that Thallus documents a period during the first half of the first century in which an earthquake and darkness simultaneously occurred in a region of the Mediterranean. This is very interesting because the only other time such an event is proposed to have happened is in the Gospel accounts of the crucifixion. The Gospels assert that at Jesus’ crucifixion, there was an earthquake and darkness that ran across the land (Matthew 27:45, Mark 15:33, Luke 23:44, 45). At face value, the Gospels would seem to be asserting a supernatural claim with no real basis, yet the writings of Thallus seem to indicate that this was a real and historical event that happened. There may be some pushback to this as Thallus never mentions Jesus, yet the chances of this being a coincidence are slim. Conclusively, the events within the crucifixion appear to be as historically sound as the crucifixion itself.

The evidence suggests that the Christian worldview can be deemed as one of which is based upon real and historical events regarding a real and historical Jesus.

Yet the question now arises: What happened to Jesus after He died? How can we know for certain the events that took place following the crucifixion? Such questions are of utmost importance to answer as the Christian faith continues to rest on the fate of Jesus after His crucifixion.

Follow Chasing Truth on Instagram and Twitter @thechasingtruth

Sources Used:

-“Evidence That Demands A Verdict” by Josh McDowell and Sean McDowell

-Habermas, Gary R., "Ancient Non-Christian Sources" (1996)

Jesus is unequivocally at the center of the Christian faith. The life and ministry of Christ set the world on fire as the kingdom of God was proclaimed to all of humanity, causing Christians throughout the ages to live their lives based upon the teachings He established. However, how can we know for sure that Jesus existed? Although the Bible affirms His existence, how can one prove the existence of Christ to someone who denies the historical validity of the scriptures (seriously think about how you would answer this)? Is the story of Jesus simply a myth concocted thousands of years ago or can He truly be regarded as a real and historical figure?

Disclaimer: While the Gospels serve as the most important texts regarding the life and ministry of Jesus, it is best to establish a framework of His existence using non-Biblical sources that both believers and non-believers can accept as historical fact. The Gospel accounts may then be used to fill in the gaps of this framework and create a harmonious and strong case for Jesus and Christianity as a whole. 

The investigation into the historical validity of Jesus’ life begins with consulting what early non-Christian historians wrote regarding Him. The historical evidence for Jesus is not limited to the accounts examined below as there are indeed many more writings of Christ scattered throughout history. However, the accounts below are some of the most convincing and are virtually unquestioned by a majority of scholars.

The first significant historical figure who attests to the existence of Jesus is none other than Roman historian Tacitus. Tacitus is infamously known for his written pieces known as the Annals and furthermore, is regarded by scholars as one of the greatest Roman historians to ever live. In 64 AD, a devastating fire took place in Rome under the reign of Emperor Nero. In an attempt to circumvent public outcry and criticism of the fire, Nero placed the blame for the events on Christians. Tacitus, in his recollection of this, notes:

“Nero created scapgoats and subjected to the most refined tortures those whom the common people called ‘Christians’, hated for their abinable crimes. Their name comes from Christ, who, during the reign of Tiberius, had been excecuted by the procurator Pontius Pilate.

The writings of Tacitus are evidently clear as he confirms the life of Jesus by noting that Christ was indeed crucified under the reign of Tiberius Ceaser at the hands of Pontius Pilate. It is therefore an obvious conclusion that if Jesus was crucified, He must have also existed. Additionally, this account of Tacitus is incredibly harmonious with the Gospel accounts of Jesus as the Gospels also note that Christ lived during the reign of Tiberius and was executed at the hands of Judean governor Pontius Pilate, thus hinting at the historical reliability of the Gospel accounts.

Secondly, Jewish historian, Flavius Josephus writes of a man named Jesus in the context of His brother James. Josephus is regarded by modern scholars as one of the greatest Jewish historians of the ancient world, therefore allowing him to be a sound non-Christian source. Additionally, Josephus’ works cannot be regarded as accounts based purely on hearsay as he lived in Israel and therefore, witnessed the spread of Christianity firsthand (he may have even witnessed the preaching of the apostles as well). Josephus, in his writings known as the Antiquities, states:

…Albinus was but upon the road; so he [a high priest known as Ananus] assembeled the Sanhedrin of judges, and brought before them the brother of Jesus, who was called Christ, whose name was James, and some others… he delivered them to be stoned.

This text describes the acts of the Jewish high priest, Ananus, who sought to kill James the brother of Jesus. Ultimately, it is clear from the excerpt above that Josephus verifies the death of a man named James who was called the brother of Christ. Therefore, of course, if James is regarded as a historical figure, so too is his brother Jesus.

The writings of both Tacitus and Josephus assert that there was indeed a man known as Jesus Christ who lived and had a group of followers known as Christians. The fact that a pagan and Jewish historian can both confirm the life of Christ in addition to the Christian sources indeed proves that Jesus did in fact exist and thus, can be regarded as a historical figure. However, the events of Jesus’ life are then subject to criticism as questions regarding the contrast between the Biblical and historical Jesus arise.

Follow Chasing Truth on Twitter and Instagram @thechasingtruth

*Thanks for reading the first newsletter of Chasing Truth. Huge shoutout to Eric for helping out with the website and social media logos. Stay tuned the rest of Easter weekend for more!

Sources Used:

-“Evidence That Demands A Verdict” by Josh McDowell and Sean McDowell

-Habermas, Gary R., "Ancient Non-Christian Sources" (1996)

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