Many Infallible Proofs
3) To whom also he shewed himself alive after his passion by many infallible proofs, being seen of them forty days, and speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God:
-Acts 1:3 (KJV)
Introduction – Consider the Source
When it comes to accepting, believing or trusting something, we often use the expression “consider the source!”
Sources matter, and more importantly, not all sources are the same, some are more trustworthy than others and there are multiple reasons for this.
For instance, credentials matter, the person’s connection to you matters, their authority can matter, and their expertise matters. Consider the following illustration…
Let’s say you encountered me at random on a street somewhere, and I told you that Jesus was real, what would you say? You might hear it, but it might not resonate much because more likely than not you wouldn’t know who I was let alone much about me, as such, I probably wouldn’t be a credible source to you at face value.
“Jesus himself and those who know him are some of the best sources we have that testify to his veracity.”
A quick point of clarification: I do not mean of course to diminish the power of the Holy Spirit’s powerful witness in drawing people to Christ (Jn. 16:8, Jn. 6:44). Countless people have been saved through interactions with “strangers,” however in a general sense I mean to make a point that we tend to trust strangers very little when it comes to weighty matters, at least at first.
Now, what if a family member told you that Christianity was true and that Jesus was real? You might be a bit more inclined to listen because you have a connection to them. They are family and we tend to listen to family more than strangers.
Ultimately though, you’d probably be most inclined to affirm the truth and reality of Christianity if you witnessed Jesus yourself or talked to someone who did. You’d be close to the source or talking to the source Himself! In the case of an apostle of Jesus, you’d be engaging with eyewitness testimony, first-hand knowledge, and someone who has been directly taught by Jesus.
So, Jesus himself and those who know him are some of the best sources we have that testify to his veracity. And that’s just how the gospel has been preserved and transmitted to us over millennia, by God and those who knew him.
The entire Bible is God’s written revelation, spoken by him through the divine inspiration of the Holy Spirit to writers who wrote his words over thousands of years. God’s speaks to us through his word and tells us about who he is, our human condition and Jesus’ redemptive plan to save us.
Therefore, our primary and greatest breadth of knowledge of God comes directly from God himself. Through God’s word and prayer we have direct access to the source himself!
“The Bible and Jesus are incredibly trustworthy when we consider the sources.”
Additionally, the transmission of the gospel message by others throughout the world, began with the apostles who had first-hand knowledge of Jesus (Acts 1:8). In fact, most of the New Testament was written by people who knew Jesus while he was alive on earth.
Therefore, the Bible and Jesus are incredibly trustworthy when we consider the sources. But don’t take my word for it, listen to God’s word and to the apostles themselves.
Christianity Proclaims its Own Truths
Luke, the author of the Book of Acts, in Acts 1:3, tells us that Jesus showed himself alive after his death by many “infallible proofs.”
Jesus was born into this world, he died, rose again and ascended into heaven (1 Cor. 15:3-4, Acts 1:9). After he died, he appeared to many people, including not just individuals but larger groups as well for a period of 40 days.
Jesus was seen by such large amounts of people and remained on earth after his resurrection for such a long time that it was unmistakable to people that he was who he said he was and that he had risen from the grave. As such, all of the apostles saw him (1 Cor. 15:7) and they were “eyewitnesses” of the truth (2 Pet. 1:16).
“Jesus went to great lengths to demonstrate the reality of his resurrected state to others.”
Therefore, when Luke writes that he and others had witnessed many “infallible proofs” that Jesus rose from the dead, he is doing so in the context of being a first-hand observer, and is referencing the many different times Jesus appeared after his resurrection, not to mention the things he did during that time to help convince others that he was who he said he was.
Luke’s use of the word infallible is intentional. In the original Greek language infallible is the word tekmērion, which means a clear proof or convincing proof.
Luke, through God’s prompting by the Holy Spirit, in writing this, is telling us that the proofs of Christianity are very clear and certain.
“If you were alive and saw Jesus after he rose from the dead, you couldn’t miss him, he was that real, there was no denying it.”
Furthermore, if you were alive and saw Jesus after he rose from the dead, you couldn’t miss him, he was that real, there was no denying it. Jesus went to great lengths to demonstrate the reality of his resurrected state to others.
Specifically, he let Thomas and the women at the tomb touch him (Matt. 28:9-10, Jn. 20:27-28). As mentioned before, Jesus appeared to large crowds (1 Cor. 15:6). He ate food, he was recognizable as a real man, and he surpassed the laws of time and space (Lk. 24:41-43, Jn. 20:19). He even did miracles (Jn. 21:6-7) which only God can do.
Jesus was the same person he was to those he knew before he died, he was their friend for 3 years before he rose again, and those who previously knew him had no doubt that it was him.
“The evidence for Jesus is all around us through God’s intentional actions.”
So, before ascending into heaven, Jesus gave us many convincing proofs of his eternal resurrected existence. Additionally, there are many persuasive signs from God that His reality is the only reality.
Christianity is unique among world religions in that it proclaims its own truths as true (Jn. 14:6), exclusive (which is the only way truth can be) and forever right (Ps. 19:8, Ps. 119:160).
The gospel is reasonable in and of itself and there is a tremendous amount of effort given by God to make himself known to us.
Truly the entire Bible is a love letter from God to us, so that we can know (1 Jn. 5:20, Jn. 17:3) that He and his program of redemption are true and trustworthy.
The evidence for Jesus is all around us through God’s intentional actions.
From Hiding, to Proclaiming
The proofs of Jesus life, death, resurrection and ascension were so convincing to the witnesses and apostles that their very reactions to it ought to make us pause and realize that Jesus was and is in fact real.
“Jesus’ proofs were so convincing that his rag tag group of followers, who had been fearing for their lives after his death, became, after he rose again and ascended into heaven, committed, passionate proclaimers of Jesus to the world.”
In fact, the apostles never expected Jesus to come back to life. They had easily and quickly forgotten his words to them, and as Albert Barnes points out in his commentary on Acts 1:3, this is actually another proof that makes Jesus’ resurrection a trustworthy account; because, as Barnes says, no one who doesn’t expect something to happen will see a mirage or force something on others if they don’t believe it will even happen in the first place.
However, Jesus’ proofs were so convincing that his rag tag group of followers, who had been fearing for their lives after his death, became, after he rose again and ascended into heaven, committed, passionate proclaimers of Jesus to the world. That is an incredibly dramatic reversal of attitudes and action.
“Believers share something in common with the apostles – they have experienced the transformative work of Christ in their lives through faith in him.”
The apostles (and many early Christians for that matter) put their lives, livelihoods, and reputations on the line for Jesus. They knew what they saw and knew it was true. However, most were brutally persecuted for their beliefs, and many died in the name of Christ (another compelling evidence for the reality of Jesus).
Again, to go from being in hiding and afraid to shouting from the rooftops come what may to the point of dying for the cause of Christ, is clear evidence that Jesus had indeed risen.
In fact, as Paul illustrates to the Philippians, alive or dead in this life or alive in heaven…all to him was Christ, every sphere of his being was radically changed through his being born again (Phil. 1:21, Jn. 3:3-6).
One final note, the apostles bore witness to Christ 2,000 years ago. Nevertheless, believers share something in common with the apostles – they have experienced the transformative work of Christ in their lives through faith in him.
As such, when a spiritually born again believer today shares the gospel message with you, their lives are convincing proofs as well of the reality of Christianity and Jesus.
Conclusion – Three Major Sources
Ultimately, there are three major sources to consider when evaluating the trustworthiness of Jesus and biblical Christianity.
First, God himself through his direct and only revelation to us (the Bible). Second, through the first-hand accounts of the apostles and early church witnesses; those who saw the many infallible proofs with their very eyes. And lastly…encounters with believers today who have also been born again like all Christians throughout time.
“I encourage you, ask a friend who believes in Jesus, consult the accounts of the apostles and seek out what God says about himself and his plan in his word the Bible.”
Every born again believer you come in contact with today is a spiritual and living witness to Christ. Are they perfect? Nope, but they follow a perfect savior and have been redeemed by him.
Moreover, it’s not the gospel they live out that is the witness, for the gospel is not something lived out, its good news that we proclaim and that points directly to Jesus for his glory.
As the great theologian Cornelius Van Til used to say, there are no brute or value-less facts. Everyone places their faith in something. Why not place it in the eternal savior, Jesus Christ?
I encourage you, ask a friend who believes in Jesus, consult the accounts of the apostles and seek out what God says about himself and his plan in his word the Bible.
May we thank God that he has given us so many infallible proofs that demonstrate to us that he can be trusted as our savior and only God.
J.R. Waller, MBA is a Christian lay-teacher, author, and Founder of Every Reason to Believe. He holds an MBA from Rollins College, B.S. in Psychology from The University of Central Florida, Certificate in Christian Apologetics from Biola University, and Bible Knowledge Certificate from The Master’s Seminary Institute for Church Leadership. He is also a two-time Fellow (UCF, The James Madison Institute).
Image Credit: The Belated Party on Mansfield Mountain by Jerome B. Thompson (American, 1858). The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York. 69.182.
Thank you for reading this article about many infallible proofs