As stated other places on this site, both Gary Habermas/Mike Licona and William Lane Craig have adopted their own versions of the Minimal Facts method when arguing for the facticity and historicity of the Resurrection. Bishop of Durham, Dr. N.T. Wright,  also has his particular method when presenting on the topic as well.

1. The empty tomb
2. The appearances to various people
3. 7 changes in Jewish doctrine and practice
   1. Christian theology of the afterlife mutates from multiple views (Judaism) to a single view: resurrection (Christianity). When you die, your soul goes off to wait in Sheol. On judgment day, the righteous dead get new resurrection bodies, identical to Jesus’ resurrection body.
   2. The relative importance of the doctrine of resurrection changes from being peripheral (Judaism) to central (Christianity).
   3. The idea of what the resurrection would be like goes from multiple views (Judaism) to a single view: an incorruptible, spiritually-oriented body composed of the material of the previous corruptible body (Christianity).
   4. The timing of the resurrection changes from judgment day (Judaism) to a split between the resurrection of the Messiah right now and the resurrection of the rest of the righteous on judgment day (Christianity).
   5. There is a new view of eschatology as collaboration with God to transform the world.
   6. There is a new metaphorical concept of resurrection, referred to as being “born-again.”
   7. There is a new association of the concept of resurrection to the Messiah. (The Messiah was not even supposed to die, and he certainly wasn’t supposed to rise again from the dead in a resurrected body!)

You can find the Habermas/Licona version here.
You can find the Craig version here.

(This post was updated from the original. I added the 7 mutations to the Jewish teaching and practice which I found here: NT Wright’s Case for the Resurrection.)

Tom Wright is presented in this short video clip regarding his findings on the Resurrection.

Resurrection (10:20)

If you participate in or lead a small group, then do I have a great resource for you. In the year 2000, Gary Habermas teamed up with College Press Publishing and put out a 2 volume study guide focusing on the Resurrection. Volume 1 treats the Resurrection and its connection to other Christian doctrines, while Volume 2 looks at the practical aspects of the Resurrection in the day-to-day life of the believer. Each book contains seven lessons and have great insights and group discussion questions. I initially had trouble finding a way to get these books and discovered I needed to purchase them directly from the publisher. Below is the name of each book, the ISBN, and each books’ chapter titles, followed by a link to the College Press.

The Resurrection Volume 1: Heart of New Testament Doctrine (ISBN: 0-89900-845-3)

1. Focusing on the Resurrection
2. A Sign for Unbelievers
3. The Truthfulness of Jesus’ Teaching
4. Salvation
5. Raised Like Jesus
6. A Foretaste of Heaven
7. The Center of New Testament Theology

The Resurrection Volume 2: Heart of the Christian Life (ISBN: 0-89900-843-7)

1. Transformed Lives and the Birth of the Church
2. Evangelism
3. Christian Doubt
4. Grief, Suffering, and Pain
5. Daily Power and Praise
6. The Christian Ethic of Total Commitment
7. Fear of Death
8. Conclusion: The Center of New Testament Practice

You can find these two books here at College Press Publishing. Oh, and did I mention you should get them while you can. They are currently on clearance and they are selling for $3.00 per book.

Taking a slight detour today, I came across this article about a week ago and found it quite interesting. The worlds oldest temple is beginning to be unearthed in the Fertile Crescent region of the world. According to reports, only 5% of the site has been excavated so far, meaning there is a lot more to come in terms or learning. Traditionally, due to our evolutionary conditioning, we have been taught that religious worship sprung up out of civilizations, but this new find is claimed to turn that view on its head and attempting to show that civilizations sprung up out of places to worship.

You can read one of the write-ups here: Earliest Temple in the World

Another write-up from Newsweek is here: History in the Remaking

Resurrection Essential to the Gospel

1 Now brothers, I want to clarify for you the gospel I proclaimed to you; you received it and have taken your stand on it. 2 You are also saved by it, if you hold to the message I proclaimed to you—unless you believed to no purpose.

3 For I passed on to you as most important what I also received:
that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures,

4 that He was buried,
that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures,

5 and that He appeared to Cephas, then to the Twelve.

6 Then He appeared to over 500 brothers at one time,
most of whom remain to the present, but some have fallen asleep.

7 Then He appeared to James, then to all the apostles.

8 Last of all, as to one abnormally born, He also appeared to me.

9 For I am the least of the apostles, unworthy to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. 10 But by God’s grace I am what I am, and His grace toward me was not ineffective. However, I worked more than any of them, yet not I, but God’s grace that was with me. 11 Therefore, whether it is I or they, so we preach and so you have believed.

Resurrection Essential to the Faith

12 Now if Christ is preached as raised from the dead, how can some of you say, “There is no resurrection of the dead”? 13 But if there is no resurrection of the dead, then Christ has not been raised; 14 and if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is without foundation, and so is your faith. 15 In addition, we are found to be false witnesses about God, because we have testified about God that He raised up Christ—whom He did not raise up if in fact the dead are not raised. 16 For if the dead are not raised, Christ has not been raised. 17 And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is worthless; you are still in your sins.18 Therefore those who have fallen asleep in Christ have also perished. 19 If we have placed our hope in Christ for this life only, we should be pitied more than anyone.

Christ’s Resurrection Guarantees Ours

20 But now Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. 21 For since death came through a man, the resurrection of the dead also comes through a man. 22 For just as in Adam all die, so also in Christ all will be made alive. 23 But each in his own order: Christ, the firstfruits; afterward, at His coming, the people of Christ. 24 Then comes the end, when He hands over the kingdom to God the Father, when He abolishes all rule and all authority and power. 25 For He must reign until He puts all His enemies under His feet.26 The last enemy to be abolished is death. 27 For He has put everything under His feet. But when it says “everything” is put under Him, it is obvious that He who puts everything under Him is the exception. 28 And when everything is subject to Him, then the Son Himself will also be subject to Him who subjected everything to Him, so that God may be all in all.

Resurrection Supported by Christian Experience

29 Otherwise what will they do who are being baptized for the dead? If the dead are not raised at all, then why are people baptized for them? 30 Why are we in danger every hour? 31 I affirm by the pride in you that I have in Christ Jesus our Lord: I die every day! 32 If I fought wild animals in Ephesus with only human hope, what good does that do me? If the dead are not raised, Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die. 33 Do not be deceived: “Bad company corrupts good morals.” 34 Become right-minded and stop sinning, because some people are ignorant about God. I say this to your shame.

The Nature of the Resurrection Body

35 But someone will say, “How are the dead raised? What kind of body will they have when they come?” 36 Foolish one! What you sow does not come to life unless it dies. 37 And as for what you sow—you are not sowing the future body, but only a seed, perhaps of wheat or another grain. 38 But God gives it a body as He wants, and to each of the seeds its own body. 39 Not all flesh is the same flesh; there is one flesh for humans, another for animals, another for birds, and another for fish. 40 There are heavenly bodies and earthly bodies, but the splendor of the heavenly bodies is different from that of the earthly ones.41 There is a splendor of the sun, another of the moon, and another of the stars; for star differs from star in splendor.

42 So it is with the resurrection of the dead:
Sown in corruption, raised in incorruption;

43 sown in dishonor, raised in glory;
sown in weakness, raised in power;

44 sown a natural body, raised a spiritual body.
If there is a natural body, there is also a spiritual body. 45 So it is written: The first man Adam became a living being ; the last Adam became a life-giving Spirit. 46 However, the spiritual is not first, but the natural; then the spiritual.

47 The first man was from the earth and made of dust;
the second man is from heaven.

48 Like the man made of dust, so are those who are made of dust;
like the heavenly man, so are those who are heavenly.

49 And just as we have borne the image of the man made of dust,
we will also bear the image of the heavenly man.

Victorious Resurrection

50 Brothers, I tell you this: flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, and corruption cannot inherit incorruption.

51 Listen! I am telling you a mystery:
We will not all fall asleep, but we will all be changed,

52 in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet.
For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible,
and we will be changed.

53 Because this corruptible must be clothed with incorruptibility,
and this mortal must be clothed with immortality.

54 Now when this corruptible is clothed with incorruptibility,
and this mortal is clothed with immortality,
then the saying that is written will take place:
Death has been swallowed up in victory.

55 O Death, where is your victory?
O Death, where is your sting?

56 Now the sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law.

57 But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory
through our Lord Jesus Christ!

58 Therefore, my dear brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always excelling in the Lord’s work, knowing that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.