Filter results by source database — Scripture Commentary, Theology, Mike Winger, or Pulpit. Click a tab to narrow to one database.

...more
All (14) Mike Winger (14)
Mike Winger idea 2019-04-03

Focus narrowed to Peter, James the brother of Jesus, and Paul as the three central resurrection eyewitnesses whose sincerity needs to be established

Transition from general persecution to specific apostolic martyrdoms

James the brother of Jesus Paul the Apostle apostle sincerity conspiracy hypothesis
Mike Winger idea 2019-04-03

Gary Habermas's scholarly consensus claim: early data report the martyrdoms of Peter, James the brother of Jesus, and Paul; few scholars doubt this

Citing the scholarly consensus on apostolic martyrdoms

James the brother of Jesus scholarly consensus Paul the Apostle Gary Habermas
Mike Winger idea 2019-04-03

John 21:18-19 — Jesus's prediction of Peter's death (stretching out his hands) as biblical evidence for Peter's martyrdom, with dual-hypothesis argument

First biblical source for Peter's martyrdom

John 21:18-19 apostolic martyrdom Peter the Apostle John 21:18-19
Mike Winger idea 2019-04-03

John 21 context: the Good Shepherd motif and Peter's commissioning to shepherd reinforces that Peter would follow Jesus including in death

Broader literary context of John 21 supporting the martyrdom interpretation

John 21 John 10 apostolic martyrdom Peter the Apostle John 21
Mike Winger idea 2019-04-03

John 13:36-38 — Jesus tells Peter he cannot follow now but will follow later; Peter's boast and denial as literary and historical backdrop for his ultimate martyrdom

John 13 passage linking Peter's discipleship trajectory to eventual death

John 13:36-38 apostolic martyrdom Peter the Apostle John 13:36-38
Mike Winger idea 2019-04-03

2 Peter 1:12-14 — Peter's awareness of his impending death and intent to leave a written legacy; response to Bart Ehrman's pseudonymity argument

Third biblical source for Peter's martyrdom awareness, with engagement with the Ehrman pseudonymity objection

2 Peter 1:12-14 Bart Ehrman apostolic martyrdom Peter the Apostle
Mike Winger idea 2019-04-03

1 Clement 5 (c. 95-97 AD) — non-apologetic, community-memory reference to Peter and Paul both suffering and dying for their faith

First extra-biblical source for Peter's (and Paul's) martyrdom

Paul the Apostle apostolic martyrdom Peter the Apostle
Mike Winger idea 2019-04-03

Ignatius of Antioch — two letters (Smyrnaeans and Romans) as early second-century evidence for Peter's martyrdom and bodily resurrection conviction

Additional patristic source for Peter's martyrdom and the bodily nature of the resurrection

apostolic martyrdom Peter the Apostle Ignatius of Antioch
Mike Winger idea 2019-04-03

Catalog of additional sources for Peter's martyrdom: Apocalypse of Peter, Ascension of Isaiah, Acts of Peter, Apocryphon of James, Dionysius of Corinth, Tertullian, Muratorian Canon

Demonstrating that Peter's martyrdom is attested by multiple independent streams of tradition

Acts of Peter Acts 4 Tertullian apostolic martyrdom Peter the Apostle
Mike Winger idea 2019-04-03

1 Corinthians 15 early creed: dating, content, and the list of resurrection witnesses including Peter, James, Paul, and the 500

Establishing the early creed as the foundational evidence for resurrection appearances

1 Corinthians 15:3-8 James the brother of Jesus Paul the Apostle 1 Corinthians 15:3-8 Peter the Apostle
Mike Winger idea 2019-04-03

Absence of any recantation tradition for Peter, James, or Paul — an argument from silence that is evidentially significant given second-century apologetic engagement

The negative evidence: no source anywhere suggests any of these eyewitnesses recanted

James the brother of Jesus argument from silence Paul the Apostle Justin Martyr
Mike Winger idea 2019-04-03

Conclusion: Peter, Paul, and James were sincerely convinced they had seen Jesus alive — the conspiracy/lying hypothesis is eliminated by the evidence

Summary conclusion of the main argument

James the brother of Jesus resurrection Paul the Apostle apostle sincerity
Mike Winger idea 2019-04-03

Three embarrassing facts that authenticate the disciples' sincerity: Peter's denial, James's pre-resurrection unbelief, and Paul's role as persecutor of the church

The criterion of embarrassment applied to the three key witnesses

James the brother of Jesus James's pre-resurrection unbelief resurrection Paul the Apostle criterion of embarrassment
Mike Winger idea 2021-02-05

Psychological profile of apostles: they were not prone to hallucinations or delusion; even Anthony Flew called Paul a first-rate philosopher.

Fourth distinction: the mental/psychological credibility of the witnesses.

Acts 12 Paul the Apostle Hallucination theory Peter the Apostle