Debate sparks discussion about accounts of the Resurrection
posted on Apr 07, 2010 by D.J. CastillejaTwo internationally renowned scholars in the area of biblical reliability came together Thursday evening in a debate at Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary which kicked-off the annual Scrolls and Scriptures Conference.
Craig A. Evans and Bart D. Ehrman, two of the leading scholars on each side of the modern reliability of scriptures debate, matched wits on the topic of “The Risen Christ: The Biblical Accounts of the Resurrection – Are They True?” The debate was moderated by Midwestern President, Dr. R. Philip Roberts, and was attended by an overflowing crowd which occupied the chapel auditorium and several classrooms, where the event was streamed live. “We are very pleased to have scholars of the highest order debating the most important of all theological questions,” Roberts said.
According to many, the reliability of Scriptures is a controversial subject for believers and students of the Bible. The modern day debate occurs over the notion that if one could prove that the biblical accounts recorded in the Scriptures are flawed, then the whole authority of Scripture is compromised. The Bible is the sole source of authority to the believer. If Scripture is unreliable, then a challenge can be presented to dispute the accuracy of the historical account of the resurrection of Jesus Christ. The debate attempted to answer the question of the skeptics, “How can I really trust that the Bible is the actual word of God?”
“People want, and need, to know the truth about the Bible’s origin and reliability,” said Dr. Jerry A. Johnson, Vice President for Academic Development and Academic Dean at Midwestern. “This debate addresses that need on both the popular and the scholarly level. From Dan Brown’s Da Vinci Code, to James Cameron’s so-called ‘Coffin of Jesus,’ the average person is aware of new claims that supposedly undermine the biblical record.”
Opponents to the reliability of the Bible tend to focus on issues surrounding the text which include: date of authorship, authenticity, archeological evidence and variants in the existing manuscripts.
Ehrman, who opposes the reliability of the Scriptures, listed reasons why he thinks the biblical texts cannot be trusted. “The people who wrote the stories in the Bible are not the ones who witnessed the stories,” he said during the debate. “None of the gospels are an eyewitness account. All the gospels were written 30 to 60 years later by people who were not there to see these things happen.”
He further asserted that because of “discrepancies” in the synoptic gospel accounts of the resurrection, individuals should not base the truth of the resurrection of Christ on these books of the Bible. His stance against the accuracy of Scripture has catapulted him to be a popular critic and spokesperson against the reliability of the Bible. A professor at the University of North Carolina and self-proclaimed agnostic, Ehrman is best known for his works in textual criticism and his most recent books Misquoting Jesus and Jesus, Interrupted.
Evans, professor of New Testament at Acadia Divinity College in Canada, entered the debate with his own list of credentials which include authoring and editing over 60 books with his latest being, Jesus, the Final Days: What Really Happened. Like Ehrman, Evans has also been featured on major television outlets including Dateline NBC, The History Channel and The Discovery Channel among others.
Evans offered his views that favored the authenticity of the biblical accounts of the resurrection saying that differences in the Gospel accounts are more complicated than just acknowledging they exist. “I hope students will learn that simplistic answers don’t explain much and will let you down,” Evans said.
One of the most compelling parts of the debate, according to many, came during the question and answer session moderated by Roberts. Ehrman shared with the audience that the reason for his departure from faith in Christ came not because of his work in academics or the variations in the texts, but the problem of suffering in the world. “The reality is that this world is a cesspool of misery for so many people, and I simply came to a point where I could no longer believe in God,” he said.
Evans quickly responded, “But I have to ask, too, if you are going to ask why all the misery, why all suffering and so on? Why is there beauty? Why is there grace? Why is there love? Why is there mercy? Why is there greatness? All of these things are not necessary for survival. There is this redundancy, this unnecessary surplus of the good and the beautiful that is within the human heart that is capable of transforming darkness into light. Where does that come from?”
“The debate assured us that there is overwhelming textual support for the resurrection of Jesus Christ,” Roberts said afterward. “I hope students took away a burning passion to share the truth of the resurrection and all its wonderful promises. The event was a success, but the debate goes on as we live in a world where individuals have chosen not to accept the evidence, and they need to hear the voice affirming the resurrection.”
Mark Wayne, a M.Div. student at Midwestern, attended the debate as part of the Evangelical Ministries to New Religions (EMNR) course offered by the seminary. “I think this is a great thing for the seminary,” Wayne said. “By seeing these two views contrasted, it challenges the students to dig deeper in their studies and their faith.”
The Scrolls and Scriptures debate and conference was supported by the G. Richard and Judy Hastings Institute which was founded in April 2008. The Institute was created by the MBTS Board of Trustees and marked the second year of the Hastings’ support of the event. “Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary is indebted to Mr. and Mrs. Hastings for this extraordinary contribution to Midwestern and its academic endeavors,” Roberts said.