Apologetics, First Century Style

Acts 1:3

Throughout the book of Acts, the central message that seems to be taught by the Apostles and the disciples is the resurrection of Jesus Christ.  Every other religious founder on earth has died, but the founder of Christianity came out of the tomb and is alive today!  Luke says that after Jesus was crucified, He gave many convincing proofs that He was alive.  What is interesting is that the Greek word translated as “proofs” is used only in this passage.  Nowhere else is this Greek word used in all of the New Testament.  The word has the idea of a proof that directs a person to a conclusion; just like a normal apologetic.  What this means is that Jesus’s appearances were convincing, even to those who had not expected a resurrection.         

Luke lists at least three specific proofs, and these are probably categories of proofs that can be developed further.  First, Luke says that Christ appeared to the Apostles over a period of forty days.  He did not appear just once, twice, or three times.  Christ’s followers saw him multiple times so that is was clear that they were not dreaming or hallucinating.  Second, Luke says that Christ spoke and taught about the kingdom of God.  The disciples clearly remembered that He taught about the kingdom of God because just a few verses later they are talking about it; this was the same Jesus.  Third, Jesus ate with them, and what a meal that must have been!  They saw Jesus put food in his mouth, chew it up, swallow it, and eat some more.  What more proof does a person need that Jesus is alive?

The disciples saw Christ, they heard Christ, and they shared a meal with Him.  There can be no refuting something that is this certain!  Over the centuries, skeptics have tried to disprove the resurrection.  Ironically, many of those skeptics have followed the evidence and have become believers in Jesus Christ.  When you follow the evidence for the resurrection of Christ there is only be one infallible truth – Jesus is alive!  The early church proclaimed the resurrection from the mountaintops, in the middle of the city, on the hills of the deserts, to the religious leaders, in the synagogues, and to anyone who would listen.   So, what then is our problem for not proclaiming this infallible truth?