I am 32 years old, and i was taught to belive in the bible by reason since i was a kid. I truly belive in Jesus and the Doctrine pass on from him to the apostles. Michael, I am very pleased to read this, most people belive in Jesus now days, because generation ago they were force or killed to belive. to me, that is not beliving(is just like a kid drinking adulter milk). What he offer to humanity is eternal salvatio(life) and he show us the way we should live our life to achieve just that. The Apostles were not only killed for being witness of the resurection, but for preaching the truth about salvatio.

[...] The original Apostles of Jesus Christ provide convincing evidence that what they preached about Jesus was more than a mere tale or colluded effort to deceive people.  By many accounts, most of the original apostles suffered tremendous hardships in their life after Christ’s resurrection and even until their final moments suffered tremendous pain.  10 of the original 12 apostles met their fate, dying as martyrs, confessing Christ’s lordship to the end (John was banished to the island of Patmos and Judas Iscariot committed suicide after Christ’s death).  Paul (not an “original apostle” but arguably the most influential) also suffered tremendous hardships and was eventually put to death as well (Writings of their demise can be found here). [...]

[...] Michael Patton: . . . it is very feasible to believe that all but one of the Apostles suffered and died a martyr’s death, even if we can’t be sure of the exact details.Amidst some uncertainty, one thing is clear—the reason given for their death was the same in all accounts. They were killed because they proclaimed to have seen Christ die and then to have seen Him alive. They all died because of an unwavering, unrelenting claim that Christ rose from the grave. They died for Easter. [...]

[...] Michael Patton has spelt out this argument in further detail HERE. 1 people like this post. [...]

Hello and thank you for your info! My question is your reference to Jesus as God incarnate. Are you Buddhist? Jesus and the bible refer often to the One, the Creator, the Father and Jesus is sitting at His right hand as his risen Son. Just wondering. Thank you.

Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!
What a blessing that you wrote this, nothing could be a truer that their deaths are a testimony of the risen Lord.

[...] to to the idea that Jesus was (is) the Christ that they would go on to become martyrs for His cause.2  But others have died for ideas that were wrong, or that Christians consider wrong, such as other [...]

Might I add, the term Pentecost means “Fifty days” it occurred on Shavuot…the Jewish Feast Day that is First Fruits…wow, think about that one. Celebrating Jesus the First born with the First Fruits….interesting. That’s why all those Jews were in Jerusalem that day.

Friendly apologetic pointer for the “other side” #213:

The Case for Christ? Arrrgghh!

I read this book at the urging of my wife’s boss with whom I shared an email exchange of views. (I think I recommended Sagan’s Demon Haunted World.) I found it very disappointing. Lee Strobel gave up being a skeptical journalist long before he wrote The Case for Christ. He interviews only those supporting his presumption and the few times he comes up with a really good question he says something , “I decided to put that question aside for now” never to return to it, of course.

I read it a few years ago and wish I could come up with more specifics. Let me just say that although Christians seem to love this book, for apologetic purposes – that is in approaching skeptics, skip it. I don’t know if there is a better book out there but this book is NOT the deal closer that some seem to think it is.

What would make a devout Orthodox Jew suddenly believe in Jesus…losing all respect and standing within the Jewish community…and then willing to die for it? Never once though did they denounce being Jewish, but professed being Jewish believers in Christ. The word Christian being applied years later.

And why would they as Jews take up writing books and letters constantly professing and confessing faith in Jesus unless it was to them real. What would make any Jewish person stand before such a king as Agrippa or Nero and make this claim knowing full well what it meant to oppose those kings.