Explores ancient beliefs about life after death, highlighting the fact that the early Christians' belief about the afterlife belonged firmly on the Jewish spectrum, while introducing several new mutations and sharper definitions, forcing readers to view the Easter narratives not simply as rationalizations, but as accounts of two actual events: the empty tomb of Jesus and his "appearances." Simultaneous. Hardcover no longer available.
Whether or not Jesus rose bodily from the dead remains perhaps the most critical and contentious issue in Christianity. Until now, argument has centred upon the veracity of explicit New Testament accounts of the events following Jesus's crucifixion, often ending in deadlock. In Richard Swinburne's new approach, though, ascertaining the probable truth of the Resurrection requires a much broader approach to the nature of God and to the life and teaching of Jesus. The Resurrection can only have occurred if God intervened in history to raise to life a man dead for thirty six hours. It is therefore crucial not only to weigh the evidence of natural theology for the existence of a God who has some reason so to intervene, but also to discover whether the life and teaching of Jesus show him to be uniquely the kind of person whom God would have raised. Swinburne argues that God has reason to interfere in history by becoming incarnate, and that it is highly improbable that we would find the evidence we do for the life and teaching of Jesus, as well as the evidence from witnesses to his empty tomb and later appearances, if Jesus was not God incarnate and did not rise from the dead. The Resurrection of God Incarnate offers a clear and penetrating new perspective on Christianity's central mystery. It will be of great interest to philosophers, theologians, and all those trying to discover the truth about the Christian religion.
"In our secular age, there is perhaps no claim more stupendous than that Jesus Christ rose from the grave, for this claim introduces an unacceptable supernaturalism into the culture's materialist worldview. Yet, the resurrection of Jesus Christ is at the center of the Christian religion. From the earliest days of the faith, Christians proclaimed that Christ was risen, and not only that, but His resurrection means something. In Alive: How the Resurrection of Christ Changes Everything, Dr. Gabriel N.E. Fluhrer demonstrates that there is good reason to believe in the resurrection of Jesus Christ. He explores the evidence for the resurrection, rebuts popular arguments against it, and provides application for Christians in a hostile culture. Dr. Fluhrer begins by surveying the current landscape of ideas when it comes to the resurrection, focusing especially on the arguments of Bart Ehrman of the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill. He goes to sketch out some plausibility structures for the historical reality of Christ's resurrection, including the marked change seen in the Apostles. Next, he provides an overview of the Bible's testimony concerning the resurrection, beginning in the Old Testament and continuing with an examination of the Gospels, Acts, and the rest of the New Testament. Finally, Dr. Fluhrer concludes with some applications regarding how understanding the reality of the resurrection bears on the Christian life"--
When Jesus died on the cross, it seemed that all had been lost. Death had won. But after three days in a rich man's tomb, Jesus appeared...alive! The news was so shocking that his followers refused to believe it until they saw him with their own eyes and touched his wounds with their own hands. Then Jesus made an amazing claim: In the future, they too would have resurrected bodies like his, bodies that would never deteriorate, age, or perish. They would have new life without death or pain in the presence of a loving God forever. But can we really believe His promise? For that matter, can we really believe that the promise was made by a man who rose from the dead? In this fascinating look at the claims of the Gospel writers and 2,000 years of believing Christians, bestselling author Josh McDowell and his son Sean examine the compelling evidence and conclude that Jesus Christ conquered death and the grave. In clear, concise, and accessible chapters, Josh and Sean present the facts about the resurrection and what it means for readers today.
Jesus truly is alive today. But compared to his atoning death, Jesus' resurrection sparks relatively little discussion in the church. Inadvertently,we can become so focused on the good news that Christ died for our sins, that we almost forget he was "raised for our justification" (Romans 4:25). In Raised with Christ, author Adrian Warnock exhorts Christians not to neglect the resurrection in their teaching and experience. Warnock takes his cue from Acts, where every recorded sermon focuses on Jesus' resurrection. He stresses that Christians who faithfully proclaim both the death and the bodily resurrection of Jesus, and live out the implications of that message in vibrant,grace-filled churches, will be enabled to reach a world that lives in death's dark shadow. The power of the risen Christ is active in every true Christian, transforming our lives. Raised with Christ will help you discover afresh the massive implications of the empty tomb. Jesus' resurrection really has changed everything.
Acts is the sequel to Luke's gospel and tells the story of Jesus's followers during the 30 years after his death. It describes how the 12 apostles, formerly Jesus's disciples, spread the message of Christianity throughout the Mediterranean against a background of persecution. With an introduction by P.D. James
"A phenomenal resource that is both user-friendly and up-to-date, [and will] equip believers to defend this crucial issue." - Josh McDowell. Includes an interactive CD in a game-show format to test your memory of the key issues and concepts.
'But God Raised Him from the Dead' is the first comprehensive study of Jesus' resurrection in Luke-Acts. Through wide-sweeping research and detailed exegesis, Dr. Anderson supports the claim that the resurrection of Jesus is the focus of the message of salvation in Luke-Acts. The study situates Luke's resurrection theology within Jewish and Hellenistic conceptions of the afterlife, and addresses critical questions in Lukan studies, such as the relationship between resurrection, ascension, and exaltation and the vital linkage between Jesus' resurrection, the hope of Israel, and the final resurrection of the dead. 'But God Raised Him from the Dead' demonstrates how the resurrection of Messiah-Jesus is indispensable to the major theological dimensions of Luke's narrative of God's saving action. Jesus' resurrection is a key component in the divine plan to raise up the Savior for Israel, to extend God's saving benefits to the ends of the earth, and to guarantee the complete fulfillment of the hope of Israel and salvation of the people of God at the final resurrection of the dead.
Many famous antique texts are misunderstood and many others have been completely dismissed, all because the literary style in which they were written is unfamiliar today. So argues Mary Douglas in this controversial study of ring composition, a technique which places the meaning of a text in the middle, framed by a beginning and ending in parallel. To read a ring composition in the modern linear fashion is to misinterpret it, Douglas contends, and today's scholars must reevaluate important antique texts from around the world. Found in the Bible and in writings from as far a field as Egypt, China, Indonesia, Greece, and Russia, ring composition is too widespread to have come from a single source. Does it perhaps derive from the way the brain works? What is its function in social contexts? The author examines ring composition, its principles and functions, in a cross-cultural way. She focuses on ring composition in Homer's Iliad, the Bible's book of Numbers, and, for a challenging modern example, Laurence Sterne's Tristram Shandy, developing a persuasive argument for reconstruing famous books and rereading neglected ones.
A Biblical Theology of Resurrection Hope from Genesis to Revelation Death is a powerful and sobering reality. While everyone must face death, it is not the end for those united with Christ. Followers of Jesus Christ have resurrection hope—the proclamation that Christ has defeated death and the promise that believers shall share in his victory. The resurrection is essential to the Christian faith and is rooted in the faithfulness of God. With scholarly insight, Mitchell L. Chase traces the theme of resurrection hope throughout Scripture, walking through each section of Scripture from the Law to Revelation. Having a proper understanding of death and resurrection will not only stir up our soberness for the reality of sin and death, but it will also motivate our praise to God. Founded on Scripture: Highlights the interconnectedness of the Bible For Learners: Ideal for students or anyone looking to grow in their knowledge of God and the Scriptures Part of the Short Studies in Biblical Theology Series: Other volumes include The New Creation and the Storyline of Scripture, The Lord's Supper as the Sign and Meal of the New Covenant, and The Kingdom of God and the Glory of the Cross
