Craig

4 Historical Facts that must be explained by an adequate historical hypothesis

1. Jesus’ burial
2. the discovery of the empty tomb
3. his post-mortem appearances
4. the origin of the disciple’s belief in his resurrection

The best explanation of these facts is that Jesus rose from the dead

Ehrman

Historians try to establish what probably happened in the past but we can’t know.

You look for sources. You want multiple, independent accounts the corroborate. You want unbiased, disinterested accounts.

The NT Gospels are sources, but how good are they as historical sources. Not as good as we would like. They are written 35 or 65 years after his death. Conversion and the chain of stories.

Stories got changed because we know there are numerous differences that can’t be reconciled. The difference in the date of the death of Jesus. (John vs. Mark). He runs through a number of the differences between the gospels. “Many of these stories were invented and most of the stories were changed so these accounts are not as useful as we would like them to be for historical purposes.” (Gospel accounts)

Historians can only talk about what probably happened in the past and history can’t go back and retest.

What are miracles. Miracles are not impossible. Miracles are so highly improbably that they are the least possible occurrence in any given instance. I’m not saying it didn’t happen but if it did happen it would be a miracle. So highly improbably we can’t account for it by natural means. Since historians talk about the probably and miracles are by nature improbably historians can’t talk about them by the “canons of historical research”. Even if the event did happen.

Historians have no access to God.

Craig

Craig hears Hume in Ehrman and goes on to tackle Hume. The problem with this is that Ehrman didn’t say it didn’t happen. Ehrman just said that as a historican he can’t say it happened within the contemporary discipline of history.

Craig then does engage Ehrman’s reason but engages it via Philosophical certainty. If you use what philosophy has learned since Hume Ehrman’s probability argument doesn’t really work.

Ehrman’s wishlist are so idealistic that they are a psychological ploy. No sources for ancient history measure up.

Craig (at 51) outlines a bottom line union that 4 gospels employ. Craig quotes NT Wright on the probability of the empty tomb.