Skeptics that became
. . . early day Christians
Supporting Data and Analysis
The most important "key" for finding spiritual truth is based on answering a basic question using physical evidence. "Why did early skeptics of Jesus become Christians?"
The previous page validates the life of the Apostle Paul based on the research of Dr. Colin Hemer, a Classic Scholar. The life and times of the Apostle Paul are as certain as you're reading these words. However, there is more to the story of skeptics becoming Christians. According to biblical texts, other skeptics also became early Christians.
Other Skeptics that Became Early Christians
Besides Saul of Tarsus, other skeptics became devoted Christians. Consider four other skeptics written of in biblical literature.
Jesus had four brothers (James, Jude, Simon and Joses) that were skeptics. After Jesus’ death and resurrection, they accepted Jesus as Messiah.
How can we be certain that Jesus had four brothers?
Modern scholars use logical guidelines to arrive at realistic conclusions about ancient characters. I will use three of these guidelines as noted below.
Logical Guideline #1: Independent Attestation
The guideline of “Independent Attestation” requires us to have unique authors write about James, the brother of Jesus. We know of 8 independent authors that wrote about James. For example, the historian Flavius Josephus, a non-Christian, wrote about James. Also, 6 independent biblical authors wrote of James (does not include Matthew since his gospel plagiarizes Mark on this subject). And a most recent discovery now verified to be authentic comes from the James ossuary released in 2002. These authors and archaeological evidence make James' story credible.
Artifact known as the James ossuary: The James Ossuary inscribed on one side in Hebrew script reads, “James, Son of Joseph, Brother of Jesus.” Experts in paleography have stated that the inscription was created after James' martyrdom in AD 62 (between AD 63 to AD 70).
The ossuary was released to the public in 2002. However, it was immediately challenged as being a forgery. Since the owner was charged with forgery in court, he was permitted to obtain a scientific analysis of the ossuary by Dr. Krumbein, a world-renowned expert on geology, geochemistry and microbiology. The scientific analysis concludes that the ossuary is authentic and could not be a modern day forgery.3 Please take the time to review Dr. Krumbein's analysis.
Independent Non-Christian Author, Flavius Josephus: Separate from the archaeological evidence, Josephus wrote about James in 93 CE. According to Josephus, James was martyred about 62 CE, which aligns with paleographer's dating of the James ossuary.
According to Josephus, James was stoned to death by the Sanhedrin under the leadership of the High Priest, Ananus, who was a Sadducee around 62 CE [Antiquities 20:9:1 Search for "THE BROTHER OF JESUS" on the linked site"]. James' final witness to the world was his willingness to defend the Christian faith and die as a martyr.
In addition, probability calculations support that the James ossuary did contain the bones of James, the brother of Jesus. There are only 3 chances in a million that the bones belonged to someone other than James, the brother of Jesus.
Independent Biblical Authors: Six independent New Testament authors (Mark, Luke in the book of Acts, the Apostle John, Jude, Paul, and James) identify and discuss James. According to New Testament accounts, James did not believe that Jesus was the Messiah. Yet, James turned out to be a strong leader among the early Christians. It took an extraordinary event to change James, who died a martyr in 62 CE.
Logical Guideline #2: Dissimilarity
The Second Guideline is called “dissimilarity.” If a person testifies against their interest, that testimony is more likely to be true. For example, Jesus dying on the cross meets the criteria since it is a harmful expectation for Messiah. Just as certain, Jesus’ brothers and sisters being skeptics fits this criteria.
Logical Guideline #3: Contextual Credibility
The third guideline is called contextual credibility. Any tradition that does not fit into the early 1st century era would not be reliable. Among these are Luke, who has been shown by Dr. Hemer, a Classic Scholar, to be a credible 1st century author. Luke wrote about Jesus’ brothers and refers to James 3 times as the early Christian leader.4
New Testament authors reveal that five skeptics became Christians. If the Naturalist (Atheist) world view were true that Jesus did not die on the cross (or rise from the dead), then we would expect “NO” skeptics to accept Jesus as the Son of God. Skeptics would have continued as skeptics. For example, if Saul of Tarsus had not experienced the resurrected Jesus on the road to Damascus, Saul would not have become a Christian. As a result, the claim that Jesus did not die on the cross (or rise from the dead), appears to be wrong at the 97.5% confidence level.
Statistical Analysis of Skeptics Becoming Christians
Based on logical guidelines contained in the three criteria of independent attestation, dissimilarity, and contextual credibility, we can calculate the probability that a New Testament personality existed who was a skeptic of Jesus. I have listed each skeptic below along with a link should you wish to review the statistical analysis.
- James, the son of Joseph, brother of Jesus
- Jude, author of the book of Jude
- Simon, the brother of Jesus
- Joses, the brother of Jesus
- Paul, Apostle of Jesus
Additional Evidence
Eyewitnesses to Jesus' Death on the Cross
The evidence provided above confronts the Naturalist (Atheist) world view. Five skeptics who became early Christians permit us to conclude at the 97.5% confidence level that the Naturalist (Atheist) world view is wrong. It is also important to understand that the five skeptics lay a foundation for adding more data to the analysis. More evidence will permit a more realistic assessment of Jesus as given on the next page.
Go to Next Page
More Archaeological Evidence
References for Research:
3: Preliminary Report through the Biblical Archaeology Society, dated May 16, 2006, entitled, “External Expert Opinion on Three Stone Items” composed by Prof. Dr. Dr. hc. mult. Wolfgang E. Krumbein and Carl von Ossietzky, University of Oldenburg, Germany, dated September 2005. (Jerusalem Post Article on the trial and other issues related to the James ossuary)
Return to Reference 3
4: In the earliest gospel, Mark 6:3-5 (Matthew & John) also refers to these 4 brothers as skeptics.
Return to Reference 4
