Gnostic sources
Nature is extremely fragile in that if it even varied slightly results would be catastrophic. This points to an intelligence and purpose behind nature.
Jesus' life, death, and resurrection are
with professional methods of historical investigation.
Trained historical scholars use abductive reasoning or the "inference to the best explanation", to determine the likelihood of any event in history . Historical criteria that scholars utlize in their investigations include early sources, eyewitnesses, multiple attestation, enemy attestation, dissimilarity, embarrassment, cultural origins, and coherence.
Regardless of your background or belief, the supernatural resurrection of Jesus succeeds in fulfilling all of these methods of investigation, and in most cases multiple times over. It should be stated here that biblical sources are not the only witness to Jesus' life, death, and resurrection.. With over 20 to 24 independent historical sources for Jesus within 150 years, he might be the most historically attested individual in ancient history.
"Many facts from antiquity rest on just one ancient source, while two or three sources in agreement generally render the fact unimpeachable."2 - Paul Maier
"In terms of the historical reference to noted persons in antiquity, this would represent a brevity without parallel"3 - Paul Barnett
Historicity of Jesus
Evolutionary probabilities
That he was crucified is as sure as anything hstorical can ever be"3
John Cossan, atheist historical scholar
Historians, of course have no difficulty whatsoever speaking about the belief in Jesus' resurrection since this is a matter of public record...we can say with complete certainty that some of his disciples ...insisted that he soon appeared to them, convincing them that he has been raised from the dead.
Bart Ehrman, atheist historical scholar
I am convinced as a fact that they had apparitions. How you explain that is a separate issue, but it happened; they are not making it up, it's not hallucinations"3
John Cossan, atheist historical scholar
When compared alongside relevant ancient non-Christian sources, the crucifiction and the disciples postmortem experiences must be considered as two of the very strongest twin historical source accounts from antiquity" - Gary Habermas
Sources
Historical Criteria Used by Scholars
Jesus Died
This is the most historically recognized fact accepted by virtually all trained historical scholars. It is highly historical and multiply attested by Biblical narratives (which are actually classified by scholars as Greco-Roman biographies) as well as 12 extra biblical sources (Roman histories, Emperors and others accounts.
This is the most historically recognized fact accepted by virtually all trained historical scholars. It is highly historical and multiply attested by Biblical narratives (which are actually classified by scholars as Greco-Roman biographies) as well as 12 extra biblical sources (Roman histories, Jewish histories and others accounts.
This is the most historically recognized fact accepted by virtually all trained historical scholars. It is highly historical and multiply attested by Biblical narratives (which are actually classified by scholars as Greco-Roman biographies) as well as 12 extra biblical sources (Roman histories, Jewish histories and others accounts.
'It's a matter of public record" - Bart Erman
The disciples had real
Early sources and multiple attestation have convinced the majority of both Christian and critical scholars alike that the disciples were convinced that they saw the risen Jesus. Multiple and enemy attestation, eyewitnesses, an impressive 20 some separate sources, (both nonbiblical and biblical) all support that the resurrection actually happened. 13 group appearances and the eyewitness resurrection testimony of Saul, an opponent of Christ, are strong indicators that the resurrection was not a fabrication. Early traditions of the resurrection that displace coherence and agreement also present a strong case.
'We can say with complete certainity that some of his disciples at some later time insisted that... he soon appeared to them, convincing them that he had been raised from the dead"
The disciples
This is the most historically recognized fact accepted by virtually all trained historical scholars. It is highly historical and multiply attested by Biblical narratives (which are actually classified by scholars as Greco-Roman biographies) as well as 12 extra biblical sources (Roman histories, Jewish histories and others accounts.
'It's a matter of public record" - Bart Erman
Their message
This is the most historically recognized fact accepted by virtually all trained historical scholars. It is highly historical and multiply attested by Biblical narratives (which are actually classified by scholars as Greco-Roman biographies) as well as 12 extra biblical sources (Roman histories, Jewish histories and others accounts.
'It's a matter of public record" - Bart Erman
Jesus' brother James
This is the most historically recognized fact accepted by virtually all trained historical scholars. It is highly historical and multiply attested by Biblical narratives (which are actually classified by scholars as Greco-Roman biographies) as well as 12 extra biblical sources (Roman histories, Jewish histories and others accounts.
'It's a matter of public record" - Bart Erman
Paul, an enemy of Christ,
This is the most historically recognized fact accepted by virtually all trained historical scholars. It is highly historical and multiply attested by Biblical narratives (which are actually classified by scholars as Greco-Roman biographies) as well as 12 extra biblical sources (Roman histories, Jewish histories and others accounts.
'It's a matter of public record" - Bart Erman
More
1 Gary R. Habermas, On the Resurrection: Evidences, pg 94
2 Paul Barnett, The Birth of Christianity, pg, 210
3 Crossan and Wright Resurrections of Jesus, pg 33
4 Bart Ehrman. Apocalyptic Prophet, pg 231