IMHO, the 10 short articles are not really good apologetics for the case of Christ's resurrection. Maybe you can use them to strengthen the faith of a weak believer, but they won't convince a critical reader.
1. A Public Execution Assured His DeathI think this one is mainly used to debunk those who assert that Jesus did not die from the crucification.
4. Many People Claimed To Have Seen Him Alive
About AD 55, the apostle Paul wrote that the resurrected Christ had been seen by Peter, the 12 apostles, more than 500 people (many of whom were still alive at the time of his writing), James, and himself (1 Corinthians 15:5-
. By making such a public statement, he gave critics a chance to check out his claims for themselves.The title for reason 4 is misleading. For one thing, Paul DID NOT see the resurrected Christ himself. What he saw was a vision of Christ on the road to Damascus. Is this considered seeing him alive?
A chance for critics check out his claims? How? Whatever the critics wrote, the church declared as heresy or non-canonical.
7. Jewish Believers Changed Their Day Of Worship
The Sabbath day of rest and worship was basic to the Jewish way of life. Any Jew who did not honor the Sabbath was guilty of breaking the law of Moses. Yet Jewish followers of Christ began worshiping with Gentile believers on a new day. The first day of the week, the day on which they believed Christ had risen from the dead, replaced the Sabbath. For a Jew, it reflected a major change of life. The new day, along with the Christian conversion rite of baptism, declared that those who believed Christ had risen from the dead were ready for more than a renewal of Judaism. They believed that the death and resurrection of Christ had cleared the way for a new relationship with God. The new way was based not on the law, but on the sin-bearing, life-giving help of a resurrected Savior. Ironically, this reasoning might serve to point out how the believers perverted the teaching of Jesus. For one thing, Jesus still act like a Jew and follow the Sabbath. Honoring the Sabbath is one of the 10 commandments, and did not Jesus say if we love him, follow his commandments? There's absolutely no clear indication that Jesus intended that the Sabbath be superseded by a new rest day.
The OT has many verses saying the [10] commandments are eternal and we must obey them. Read Timothy 3:16. All scripture (referring to the only existing scripture then, the OT) is profitable for doctrine, reproof etc.
Come to think of it, the apostle Paul might be the main culprit. Paul, representing the gentile christian, was not on the best terms with the Jewish gang, led by James and Peter. You all read about the debate over circumcision and dietary laws? Who you all support? The Jewish gang who listened to all of Jesus' parables, seen him die and alive again ... or the tentmaker Paul who saw the risen Christ only in a vision?
About the visions, I think it's pretty clear that man can be transformed overnight without seeing the physical resurrected Christ. A vision and a voice can turn a christian murderer into the religion's most determined and prolific preacher.
yup. an open heart is necessary to personally experience God's presence. otherwise, a hundred reasons ain't enough.
