Spreading the Good News - Part 4
By Lydia N.
Cross at sunset by marydan15 from Getty Images Created in Canva
Now that we know what being Christian means (part 1), what Scripture teaches (part 2), and what our audience believes (part 3), in part four of this series, we’re going to move on to step 3 - communicate God’s Words to others with the help of the Holy Spirit. While we’re called to spread the Good News, we can’t change someone’s heart - only God can do that! But, we can gather some tools to put in our “Good News Toolkit!” The following are a few arguments for God that prove how rational it is to believe in Him!
*Please note that the websites and YouTubers I am recommending sometimes discuss difficult adult topics (albeit in a Christian light) and are obviously human and can make mistakes. Please check with your parents before deciding to continue exploring the content of these YouTubers!*
Argument 1: The Cosmological Argument
The Cosmological Argument states the universe must have been created. The argument says: Everything that has a beginning has a cause. The universe has a beginning, therefore, the universe must have a cause. Here are two videos and a link explaining The Cosmological Argument in detail:
The Kalam Cosmological Argument - Part 1: Scientific
The Kalam Cosmological Argument - Part 2: Philosophical
https://www.reasonablefaith.org/kalam
Argument 2: The Teleological Argument
The Teleological Argument (also called the fine-tuning argument) is an argument that relies on how perfectly the universe was created. There are certain universal “constants” which MUST remain how they are. If they were different by even a tiny fraction, life couldn’t exist! Here are videos explaining The Teleological Argument and refuting objections to the argument:
The Fine-Tuning of the Universe
What are Richard Dawkins Objections to the Teleological Argument?
Argument 3: The Historicity of Jesus
There is a huge amount of historical evidence that Jesus rose from the dead! The video I will link below is pretty long, I highly recommend watching it. I have also transferred Pastor Mike Winger’s main points here. There is a general consensus among respected scholars (even non-Christians) about these main points:
Jesus died by crucifixion. (If you are squeamish, tread with caution, as some torture methods are described in this part!) The Bible describes tortures exactly how a crucifixion would have happened in that day. We know that the Roman soldiers were TRAINED to kill people, and they wouldn’t have taken Jesus down unless they KNEW he was dead. All of this leads us to believe that Jesus really did DIE on a cross. (I.e. He wasn’t almost dead, and then found to be “alive.” He REALLY died.)
Ladies found the tomb empty. A woman’s testimony wouldn’t have meant much back then. Had the resurrection of Jesus been a myth, they would have written that men found the tomb of Jesus! Not even Jesus’ disciples believed these women at first!
There were independent appearances of Jesus after he died! While secular scholars don’t believe Jesus rose, they usually believe that people THOUGHT they saw Jesus. The story of Jesus’ resurrection started in Jerusalem. Had this been a myth, it would be much easier to create a story that happened far away, so that no one could fact-check to see if it was true.
The apostles endured violent persecution and death. These people went on to be tortured and DIE for the belief that Jesus rose from the dead! Why would they have done this for a make-believe lie?
Enemies of Christ were converted. Saul became Paul. Jesus’ brothers, James and Jude, didn’t believe Him while He was doing miracles on earth. Yet, after Jesus’ death, they became radical Christians! If Jesus didn’t rise, it should have only solidified their belief that He wasn’t the true Messiah.
Student Spotlight
Let’s hear some final thoughts from our good friends Sarah and Samara!
Samara: We have been told to speak this message of hope, to bring the words, "you can be free!" [Go, and preach the gospel to all nations! Not someone else, but you! You are commanded to speak up!! Whatever age, language, situation, Go, and today bring hope to the weary!!
Sarah: You can't just yeet yourself into a spiritual conversation. I got lucky in that he [my friend] started asking questions about my homework. I never did get through the whole Gospel- it didn't seem like he was soaking it in, so I called it a day. [...] But there'll be more chances! I just need to learn as much as I can about apologetics, as much as I can about sharing Christianity in the meantime, so I can be as effective as possible.
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Lydia N. is starting her fourth year on The NorthStar Navigator and her third as editor-in-chief. She is also the vice president of student council this year and enjoys traveling, singing, acting, performing on stage, writing, reading, watching shows, drinking coffee and tea, hanging out with friends, and cuddling with her dog, Pippin. She plans to go to college online and start her own business after high school with all the skills that StuCo and the Navigator have taught her.