33 Defenses for the Resurrection of Jesus

First shared at BellatorChristi.com.

By: Brian G. Chilton, M.Div., Ph.D. | March 29, 2024

I told someone recently that Easter (aka., “Resurrection Sunday”) is my favorite holiday. It holds a greater prominence for the child of God than even Christmas. Up until the commercialization of Christmas, Easter was the central holiday for the Christian. One of my good friends recently stated that her pastor called Easter the “Super Bowl for Christianity,” and for good reason. Easter celebrates the resurrection of Jesus Christ.

However, are there good reasons for believing that Jesus of Nazareth literally arose from the dead on that first Resurrection Sunday? The historicity of the resurrection and the Gospels were a major sticking point for me in my time of doubt. If the resurrection was only wishful thinking, then believers have no genuine hope for their eternity. Yet if the resurrection is true and did occur, then the believer has a hope that nothing else could afford. But do we know that it did happen?

In my book The Layman’s Manual on Christian Apologetics, I used an acronym to lay out the core fundamental evidence for the resurrection. However, my doctoral studies revealed even deeper reasons to accept the resurrection of Christ as a real event of history. Using the acronym RISEN as a launch pad, we will consider 33 defenses for the resurrection of Jesus. For those who are unfamiliar with Layman’s Manual on Christian Apologetics, the RISEN acronym stands for the following:

Records of Jesus’s resurrection,

Irritating details about the resurrection that show its truthfulness,

Sightings of the risen Jesus,

Early testimony about the risen Jesus,

and the disciples’ Newfound faith.[1]

Records of Jesus’s Crucifixion and Resurrection

Jesus’s resurrection maintains a high level of credibility when considering the early records that speak of this event. For this section, five groups of independent sources will serve as the first five defenses for the resurrection.

(1) Five Independent Testimonies in the Gospels.

Now, you likely read the above statement and asked yourself, “Five independent sources in the Gospels? How can there be five independent sources when there are only four Gospels? Within the four Gospels, scholars recognize five independent sources behind the texts.

1) Q, the initial for the German word quelle, meaning source, contains the independent sources shared by the Gospel of Matthew and the Gospel of Luke. Scholars maintain that Q may be among the earliest source material in the Gospels.

2) The pre-Markan material makes up the second independent source, and it could very well date to the 30s.

3) The source material marked “M” represents the material that is exclusive to Matthew’s Gospel.

4) The “L” material is source material that is only found in the Gospel of Luke.

And, finally, 5) there is the independent source material found in John’s Gospel. The Markan material briefly describes the resurrection of Jesus. Q may not explicitly reference the resurrection, but it does contain material where Jesus alludes to, if not boldly predict his resurrection. Additionally, M, L, and John’s material all speak of the resurrection of Jesus, even noting the risen appearances of Jesus. Altogether, these five sources alone offer a strong case for the resurrection of Jesus.

(2) Independent Testimonies in the Epistles

Like the Gospels, we must consider the individual epistles as singular documents of history. Paul discusses the resurrection of Jesus thoroughly in 1 Corinthians 15. James the brother of Jesus does not specifically discuss the resurrection. However, he does call Jesus by the title “Lord,” indicating that he identified him with divinity. Only the resurrection could have convinced James of this association. Peter wrote two epistles. In those documents, he refers to Christ as the cornerstone (1 Pet. 2:6) and alludes to the resurrection with his teachings of God raising up those who had suffered. Likewise, John wrote three letters and identified Jesus with the Logos (wisdom) of God—a tremendously high theology that flowed from an understanding of the risen Jesus.

(3) Extra-biblical Christian Testimonies about the Resurrection.

Outside of the biblical texts, numerous Christian authors of the first and second-century, along with subsequent generations mentioned the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus This present exercise will not permit us to list all of them at this time. However, among the more prominent writers include Clement of Rome, Ignatius, Irenaeus, Polycarp, and Justin Martyr.

(4) Extra-biblical Roman Testimonies about the Resurrection.

Early Roman historians make mention of Jesus of Nazareth and the early Christian’s belief that Jesus had appeared to them alive on the third day after Jesus’s crucifixion. These historians include Tacitus (AD 55–120), Josephus (c. AD 37–97), Suetonius (AD 69–122), Thallus (c. AD 52) mentioned the darkness that surrounded the region and tried to rationalize it, Pliny the Younger (late first-century through early second-century), and Pliny’s letters to both Emperor Trajan and Emperor Hadrian about how they were to deal with the Christian movement, especially seeing that they refused to worship the gods of the Roman pantheon.

(5) Extra-biblical Jewish Testimonies about the Resurrection.

Additionally, it may surprise some to find that early Jewish rabbis included comments about Jesus in the Jewish Talmud, although their comments were not that flattering. Many referred to Jesus as a sorcerer (speaking to Jesus’s miracles), a deceiver (speaking of the resurrection), and a bastard (speaking to the Virgin Birth). Certainly, their portrayal of Jesus was not that kind.

Irritating Details

We now move on to the second letter of our RISEN acronym, which is the “I” that indicates irritating details of the resurrection that would be embarrassing for the early Christians to proclaim. For our present venture, these irritating details also speak to details surrounding the resurrection that skeptics may have a difficult time explaining.

(6) The Testimony of Women as the First Eyewitnesses.

Nearly every record of the resurrection begins with the testimony of women. Living in an egalitarian society as we do in the United States, many may look over this truth as inconsequential. However, it is far from that. The testimony of women did not enjoy the same strength as a man’s. Therefore, if a woman testified to seeing something as phenomenal as the resurrection, her report may not be taken seriously. Yet it was the faithful women of Jesus’s troupe that first saw Jesus risen from the dead and encounter the empty tomb. Even the disciples scoffed at this notion at first. The early church would simply not invent this detail if it were not true.

(7) Joseph of Arimathea Offering the Burial for Jesus.

Another embarrassing detail for the church was that they could not offer Jesus a proper burial. In fact, a member of the very Sanhedrin that condemned Jesus, named Joseph of Arimathea, offered the family and friends of Jesus his newly cut tomb to inter the body of Jesus. According to the tradition of the day, families would leave a body wrapped in cloth for a year. After a year, the body decayed in the dry, arid climate of Israel. The family then took the cloth and poured the bones into a family burial box called an ossuary. The early church would not have shown and exposed Joseph of Arimathea as the caregiver of Jesus if it were not in fact true.

(8) The Testimony of the Resurrection Beginning in Jerusalem.

Skeptics like to infer that the resurrection is a later invention of the church. Yet another detail that is irritating for the skeptic is that the report of the resurrection flowed out of Jerusalem, Israel in AD 33. If a person did not believe the report of the empty tomb, all one had to do was to travel to the tomb and see for themselves. Jerusalem was ground zero for the resurrection event.

(9) The Fact That No One Expected a Resurrection Before the End of Time.

Another irritating detail for the skeptic is yet another detail that is often overlooked. Many skeptics posit that the early church presented Jesus as the risen Son of God to fulfill some expectations they had for the Messiah. However, data suggests that the early church would not have done such a thing because they never expected the Messiah to rise from the dead in the first place!!! The understanding of the resurrection according to the Pharisees and Essenes was that the dead would rise at the end of time, not three days after the Messiah’s death. The messianic anticipation was that the Messiah would lead a revolt like Judas Maccabeus did to redeem the people from Roman rule and usher in the end of days. That did not happen. Their idea of a resurrection did not match the resurrection of Jesus.

(10) The Understanding that a Man Hung on a Tree Was Accursed.

Deuteronomy 21:22-23 states that anyone who is hung upon a tree is cursed. As such, Jewish believers would have scoffed at the idea that their hero would have been nailed to a tree. Seeing that they did not have an understanding of a resurrection in the here and now, the idea of a crucified Messiah makes no sense unless it was accompanied by a resurrection. Early followers of Jesus would have abandoned him as an accursed man unless they had reasons to believe that he had overcome death itself. The resurrection was the answer.

(11) The Crucifixion Nail.

Archaeologists discovered a portion of a heel bone that dated to a first-century crucified man named Yehohannon. Most interestingly, the heel bone contained a nail that was bent around a piece of olive wood. The nail is one of the first physical examples of the crucifixion. It also shows the brutality of the practice, which highly dismisses any idea that a person could have merely passed out on the cross and reawakened in a normal state after spending three days in a tomb. Additionally, another example of a crucified ankle was found a few years ago in northern Italy.

(12) The Nazareth Decree.

Archaeologists also discovered another artifact of great interest. It is a decree offered by the emperor. Scholars typically agree that it was decreed by Claudius between AD 41–54.[2] The decree states the following:

“It is my decision [concerning] graves and tombs—whoever has made them for the religious observances of parents, or children, or household members—that these remain undisturbed forever. But if anyone legally charges that another person has destroyed, or has in any manner extracted those who have been buried, or has moved with wicked intent those who have been buried to other places, committing a crime against them, or has moved sepulcher-sealing stones, against such a person, I order that a judicial tribunal be created, just as [is done] concerning the gods in human religious observances, even more so will it be obligatory to treat with honor those who have been entombed. You are absolutely not to allow anyone to move [those who have been entombed]. But if [someone does], I wish that [violator] to suffer capital punishment under the title of tomb-breaker.”

The decree reveals that the news of Jesus’s resurrection likely reached the ears of the emperor at least by the 40s. The decree was posted in Nazareth, Jesus’s hometown. Coincidence? I think not.

(13) The Ossuary of James.

The thirteenth defense isn’t as strong as others on this list, but it is still worth mentioning. A few years ago, archaeologists discovered an ossuary (i.e., a burial box) that contained the remains of a man named Joseph who was identified as the brother of Jesus. The ossuary dates to the first-century, leading many to deduce that the ossuary contained the bones of James the brother of Jesus. While the ossuary of James does not necessarily prove the resurrection, it does show that the burial practices presented in the Gospels match those of the times. If the burial box is legitimate and is connected to the holy family, then it does show that James’s identity was tied to being a brother of Jesus just as James was identified in the biblical narratives.

(14) The Shroud of Turin.

Space will not allow us to give all the reasons to believe that the Shroud of Turin is legitimate. However, we can say that new data more strongly than ever suggests that the Shroud is the authentic burial cloth of Jesus. For those who are unaware of the cloth, the Shroud of Turin is a herringbone cloth that contains a faint, hair-length image of a crucified man that matches the same kind of crucifixion that Jesus experienced. Recent data suggests that a similar image can be made if a cloth is exposed to high doses of X-ray radiation. For the image on the cloth to be made, it would require that a high dose of light radiation luminated from the body and that the body dematerialized, leading to the cloth collapsing on itself. These details match what one would expect with a resurrection event.

Sightings of the Risen Jesus

The biblical texts record numerous records of those who saw Jesus alive. The resurrected appearances of Jesus were a very public affair. This makes it even more difficult to dismiss.

(15) 500 Eyewitnesses of the Risen Jesus.

In the NT Creed of 1 Corinthians 15:3–9, 500 people were listed as eyewitnesses who saw the risen Jesus at the same time. Often, women were not included in public lists. If this continued with the early church, then only men were counted in this number. This would mean that possibly over 1,000 people saw the risen Jesus at the same moment in time.

(16) Women at the Tomb.

As previously noted, the female disciples of Jesus were the first to see him alive after he had risen from the dead. They are universally listed as the first eyewitnesses of the risen Jesus in all the Gospel narratives.

(17) Twelve Disciples.

After the betrayal of Judas and his suicide, the church replaced Judas with Matthias. Nonetheless, these disciples are either called the Twelve, or the Eleven in the resurrection reports due to their diminished number (Matt. 28:16; Lk. 24:9, 33). The grouping of the disciples into a singular number was done earlier in church history rather than later. Usages of “the Eleven” or “the Twelve” denote an earlier timeframe.

(18) Sighting Reported by James

James the brother of Jesus is listed in the report of eyewitnesses in 1 Corinthians 15. He was not a believer in Jesus prior to the resurrection. Yet he is later identified as a follower and the first pastor of the Church of Jerusalem.

(19) Family of Jesus.

Mary and the family of Jesus are also listed among the list of those who witnessed the risen Jesus. The brothers and sisters of Jesus became believers after the resurrection, indicating that something big happened between the crucifixion and the advent of the church.

(20) Sighting Reported by Paul.

Paul was an enemy of the church and even persecuted early church members. However, Paul became a believer and an early apostle of the church after seeing the risen Jesus on the road of Damascus.

Early Testimony

Skeptics often claim that the resurrection of Jesus was a later invention of the church. However, data strongly suggests that the message of the resurrection was proclaimed early in the life of the church. The report emerged at the creation of the church. The church flowed out from the belief that Jesus had literally risen from the dead.

(21) NT Creeds.

NT creeds are early confessions, statements of belief, hymns, and other formulations that flowed out of the early church and were recorded throughout the NT epistles. NT creeds are found in 1 and 2 Corinthians, Romans, Colossians, Philippians, Ephesians, 1 and 2 Thessalonians, 1 Timothy, and various other documents. Some are even found in the Gospels and the book of Revelation. Among these formulations, one of the most important and most agreed upon creeds is found in 1 Corinthians 15:3–9. The 1 Corinthians 15 creed lays out the fundamentals of the resurrection while also speaking of those who had encountered the risen Jesus. The creeds are strewn about the NT and date to no more than 5 years after the resurrection, with the 1 Corinthians 15 creed dating to within months of the resurrection itself.

(22) Oral Traditions of the Gospels.

The early church was founded in what was a largely oral culture. While I do believe that Jewish men had a higher literacy rate than the common Greco-Roman world at that time, the cost to publish materials was quite expensive. Dr. Craig Keener suggests that the publication of the Gospel of Mark or the book of Romans could have equivocated to something around $2,000 to $3,000 in modern currency—twenty denarii in ancient currency.[3] A project like that would require group funding. Nonetheless, most material was passed along orally.

Now before you object, know that it has been shown that cultures can pass along volumes of information from one generation to another without changing any major detail. The Talmud is an example of that process. Even still, oral traditions, like the NT creeds, have certain traits that can be detected. Through my research, I discovered that the Gospel of Matthew contains many of these traits, especially with the teachings of Jesus. While I have not researched the resurrection traditions—but plan to do so—I did find that the statements referencing the resurrection itself found a strong root in early oral traditions. Thus, the statements referencing the resurrection arose prior to the writing of the book. The Matthean Great Commission statement offered by the risen Jesus holds all the traits of an NT creed, thus indicating its early nature.

(23) Sermon Summaries in Acts.

Oral traditions are not only found within the Gospels, they are also found in the sermon summaries of Paul and Peter in the book of Acts. Among these summaries include Paul and Peter’s proclamation that Jesus had indeed risen from the dead. The early nature of some of these proclamations places them in the 30s and 40s.

(24) Use of the Title “Lord” with Jesus.

NT scholar Richard Bauckham deduced that the “earliest Christology was the highest Christology.” By that, he meant that the early Christian movement held a high theological view of Jesus, equivocating him with the Father in some sense. This is evident with the thorough usage of the title “kurios,”—a Greek term meaning “Lord.” Gary Habermas has implied that this is one of the clearest examples that early Christians held Jesus to be in some part divine.

The title “Lord Jesus Christ” is often associated with the resurrection stories, including Thomas’s awe-struck response “My Lord and my God” when seeing the risen Jesus for himself. This title would not have been applied to one who was only crucified, seeing a person hung from a tree was believed to have been accursed. Something to the effect of a resurrection would have been necessary to show the divine nature of Jesus. In other words, a crucified man alone would never be elevated to the status of “Lord.”

(25) The Exclusive Use of “Son of Man” in the Gospels and Its Association with the Resurrection.

Jesus almost exclusively uses the title “Son of man” inflexively about himself. The title is only used four times outside of the Gospels—once by Stephen the first martyr as he was being killed (Acts 7:56), a quotation of Ezekiel in Hebrews 2:6, and two references in the book of Revelation (Rev. 1:13; 14:14), both connecting Jesus to the Son of Man character in Daniel 7:13–14. In the Gospels, however, Jesus uses the title for himself 14 times in Mark, 10 times in Q, 7 times exclusively in Matthew, 7 times exclusively in Luke, and 13 times in John. Altogether, Jesus uses the title 51 times.[4]

Contrary to popular belief, the title does not refer to the humanity of Jesus. Rather, it speaks of a divine being who takes on a humanlike form as he approaches the Ancient of Days in Daniel 7:13–14. Furthermore, the title is connected to the idea that Jesus would rise from the dead (Lk. 11:30) and ascend to the right hand of his Father (Mk. 14:62). The title is so strongly connected with the teachings of Jesus that NT scholar Joachim Jeremias commented, “…the apocalyptic Son of Man sayings which we have recognized as the earliest stratum must in essentials go back to Jesus himself.”[5]

(26) Early Stratum in the Resurrection Record.

While many aspects of the resurrection report in the four Gospels may seem a bit confusing, a good chronology of events can be placed together. Nonetheless, there is a common stratum within all reports of the resurrection events that glues them together. The similarities between the reports include the puzzling and mysterious nature of the events, the eyes of people are opened to the identity of Jesus, beams of heavenly light sometimes accompany the divine presence, along with the mysterious appearance and disappearance of Jesus at will. Jeremias calls this stratum a chiaroscuro—a contrast between light and dark.[6] Additionally, these reports include Aramaisms, such as Mary Magdalene calling Jesus “rabboni” (Jn. 20:16) and the potential inclusion of Jesus’s historical name (“Jesus of Nazareth”) (Mk. 16:6).

(27) Early Belief that the Tomb was Empty.

In his magnum opus, Gary Habermas notes that around 75% of scholars maintain the historicity of the empty tomb, still clearly accepted by a vast majority of critical scholars.[7] Even still, a good deal of evidence suggests that the church proclaimed an empty tomb very early in its history. The empty tomb appears in three of the four Gospels.[8] Additionally, the acknowledgment of the empty tomb appears in one of the sermon summaries in Acts, which could quite well be an NT creed.

Paul states, “When they had carried out all that had been written about him, they took him down from the tree and put him in a tomb. But God raised him from the dead, and he appeared for many days to those who came up with him from Galilee to Jerusalem, who are now his witnesses to the people” (Acts 13:29–30, CSB). The sermon summaries in Acts are extremely early. Even if the summaries date to the 40s, we have very early testimony of an empty tomb. NT scholar James D. G. Dunn attests, “The story of the empty tomb was probably being told in Jerusalem shortly after the event.”[9]

(28) Church of the Holy Sepulchre.

Speaking of the empty tomb, this brings us to defense #28. Protestants often claim that the Garden Tomb in Jerusalem was the likely place of Jesus’s burial. But this simply cannot be true. The tomb is too old to have belonged to Joseph of Arimathea. Furthermore, it holds no historical grounding, contains no features of a first-century tomb, and was likely created in the 7th century BC. Remember that the tomb belonging to Joseph of Arimathea was newly cut (Lk. 23:53). Though the Garden Tomb does not match, the same cannot be said of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre.

Due to repair work, the stone slab covering the tomb had to be removed temporarily. Underneath, researchers found remnants of an earlier tomb, labeled with a cross amid first-century limestone. The tomb was said to have been discovered by Helena, the mother of Constantine, once Christianity became a legal religion in Rome. Local Christians had been worshiping at the tomb for centuries as they acknowledged that the tomb belonged to Jesus. Earlier Roman authorities placed a statue of Venus to desecrate the site. However, this act did not deter the Christians from their worship activities. Later, the tomb was cut out and a cathedral was built around it. Archaeologist Ted Wright once said that he was 98% certain that the tomb was the authentic burial site of Jesus.[10]

Newfound Faith

The last letter of our acronym denotes the newfound faith of the early believers. Picture yourself as one of the early disciples. You invested yourself fully in the cause of Jesus. Despite your good intentions and wholehearted investment, your beloved leader dies on a Roman cross. Everything you worked for is now lost. Quite honestly, most of the disciples probably thought about going back to their chosen occupation before following Jesus. However, due to the resurrection, they embraced a newfound truth that they had not expected nor anticipated. Jesus defeated death and ushered in a new mode of existence. Light replaced dark, life overcame death, and the goodness of God triumphed over the powers of evil.

(29) The Transformation of Paul.

The transformation of Paul was quite baffling. Paul had been a persecutor of the church. Yet after seeing the risen Jesus, he not only accepted the tenets of Christianity, but he was one of the hardest-working Christian evangelists of all time.

(30) The Transformation of James.

None of the family members of Jesus, outside of Mary the mother of Jesus, believed him to be the Messiah prior to his resurrection (Jn. 7:5). However, oddly, Jesus’s siblings became believers after his resurrection. James became such a strong believer in Jesus that he became the first pastor of the Church of Jerusalem.

(31) The Willingness of the Disciples to Die for What They Knew to Be True.

Even though some people will die for something they mistakenly believe to be true, no one will die for something they know to be a lie, especially if that condemnation includes an excruciating death. Yet the disciples of Jesus were willing to die for what they knew to be true. They never wavered, and they never changed their minds. They knew Jesus to be the risen Son of God.

(32) Change of the Day of Worship from Saturday to Sunday.

Perhaps one of the most astounding defenses for the resurrection was the early disciples’ decision to change their day of worship from the Sabbath day (Friday evening—Saturday) to early Sunday morning. They called this day the “Lord’s Day” (Rev. 1:10). The change in worship times was done to commemorate the resurrection of Jesus. N. T. Wright maintains that 1 Corinthians 16:2 implies that the church began keeping Sunday as the Lord’s Day as early as the mid-50s if not earlier.[11] In the early church, leaders often waited until early Easter Sunday to baptize everyone who had come to faith the previous year. Easter Sunday became one of the most important days of the year for the early Christians because of the resurrection of Jesus.

(33) Jesus’s Fulfillment of Messianic Prophecies.

Last, but certainly not least, the early Christians professed that Jesus had fulfilled numerous messianic prophecies predicted about the Messiah. And they were absolutely on point! Space does not permit us to elucidate every prophecy at this time. But it can be said that Jesus fulfilled so many prophecies about the Messiah through his life, death, and resurrection that it is mathematically impossible to leave to chance. It is assuredly impossible for anyone by mere human means to fulfill the prophecies written about the Messiah, particularly concerning his resurrection.

Admittedly, this article turned out much longer than I anticipated. And in full disclosure, I took a shotgun approach to the defenses for the resurrection as I laid out multiple lines of defense. Some are assuredly stronger than others. Nevertheless, given these 33 data points, a person can build a cumulative case for the proposition that Jesus of Nazareth literally rose from the dead on the first Easter Sunday.

There is much more that could be offered, such as the inability of alternative theories to explain all the details, further studies into oral traditions and their trustworthiness, enemy attestation, the chronology of Easter events, and other factors concerning Jesus’s post-Easter appearances. Suffice it to say, we have every reason to believe that Jesus is the risen Son of God. So, what will you do with the data that has been given? It’s one thing to accept that Jesus arose from the dead, but it is quite another to accept him as the Lord of your life. What will you do with the risen Jesus?

About the Author

Brian G. Chilton, M.Div., Ph.D.

Brian G. Chilton is the founder of Bellator Christi Ministries and the co-host of the Bellator Christi Podcast. Dr. Chilton earned a Ph.D. in the Theology and Apologetics at Liberty University (with high distinction), a M.Div. in Theology from Liberty University (with high distinction); his B.S. in Religious Studies and Philosophy from Gardner-Webb University (with honors); earned a Certificate in Christian Apologetics from Biola University, and completed Unit 1 of Clinical Pastoral Education at Wake Forest University’s School of Medicine. Dr. Chilton is a member of the Evangelical Theological Society and the Evangelical Philosophical Society.  In his spare time, he enjoys reading, working out in his home gym, and watching football. He has served in pastoral ministry for over 20 years, works as a clinical hospice chaplain, and is an Adjunct Professor of Apologetics at Carolina College of Biblical Studies (https://www.CCBS.edu).

Notes

[1] Brian G. Chilton, Layman’s Manual on Christian Apologetics, 96–99.

[2] Gary Habermas, The Historical Jesus: Ancient Evidence for the Life of Christ, 176.

[3] Craig S. Keener, IVP Bible Background Commentary: New Testament, 418.

[4] Joachim Jeremias, New Testament Theology, 259–260.

[5] Joachim Jeremias, New Testament Theology, 266.

[6] Ibid., 303.

[7] Gary Habermas, On the Resurrection: Evidences, 141.

[8] Ibid., 47.

[9] James D. G. Dunn, Jesus Remembered, 836.

[10] Look for Bellator Christi’s interview with Ted Wright on earlier episodes.

[11] N. T. Wright, Resurrection of the Son of God, 297, 579, 594.

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Reflections on My PhD Journey (Part One): The Calling

By: Brian Chilton, PhD | October 16, 2022

Brian Chilton offers a series of three reflections on his PhD journey. The first entry looks at the divine calling needed when studying advance theological studies and when entering programs at this level.

On September 23, 2022, my PhD journey came to an end. For it was on Friday, September 23^rd that I successfully defended my dissertation and completed a program that took me five years to complete. My degree was officially conferred on Thursday, September 29^th. Now, I officially carry the title “doctor.” However, this journey was not easy. It is not for the faint of heart. One estimate asserts that only 1.2% of the population of the United States holds a PhD. There is a reason for this—the workload is intense. One of my colleagues conservatively estimated that we read somewhere around 40,000 pages and had written something around 1,000 pages in the program.

Despite the difficulties, I have truly been blessed to have been part of this program. I have gained many friends from the classes that I have taken, many of whom have joined the Bellator Christi team. As I reflect on this journey, I will write a three-part series on these reflections describing the joys, the miracles, and lessons learned through this phase of my life. The second reflection will look at the duration of the program and the dedication and persistence required. The third reflection will peer into an unexpected side of doctoral work that I never anticipated prior to the dissertation phase, and that is that one can expect tremendous spiritual warfare to ensue during the scope of the program.

My desire is that these reflections will prove beneficial for anyone who is contemplating whether a PhD program is right for them. But even if you do not feel led to pursue a PhD, these insights may be helpful for you as you engage and any major ministry that requires a great deal of work and perseverance. This first submission will investigate the calling that went into my PhD work.

Reflection on the Calling That Was Required

My first interaction with the program was with Dr. Leo Percer. Dr. Percer was the chair of the program when I started and served as my dissertation chair. Dr. Percer wisely told us that if we enter the program for any other reason outside of being divinely called, then we were doing it for the wrong reasons. I have often thought about Dr. Percer’s words because God made it clear to me that he had called me to this program. This calling must not be about a desire to be called a “doctor.” This desire must not be about a sense of prestige. Rather, this calling must emanate from God’s revelation to an individual that he wants him or her to pursue this level of academic research as part of a larger ministerial task.

Reflection on the Calling That Was Revealed

The beginning of my journey was auspicious. I had applied to various programs for teaching positions thinking that a Master of Divinity was all that was required. However, a school told me that they were only accepting resumes from candidates who had obtained a PhD (or a Doctor in Philosophy). I thought to myself, “I do not know if I have the intellect or patience to earn a PhD.” Oddly enough, I started the application process but stopped midway. I saved my progress and prayed about whether I should apply or not. I prayed that if God wanted me to earn a PhD, then he needed to show me.

The next day, a representative from Liberty University contacted me. He said, “Mr. Chilton, our records show that you began to apply to the PhD program but never finished. Can I help you in any way?” After speaking with him, I felt a bit more comfortable applying. Because I did not think that I would be accepted, then what was the harm? I prayed that if it was God’s will for me to enter this program, then I needed to be accepted on the first attempt. I then submitted the required 30-page paper and took the Miller’s Analogy Test at Appalachian State University, still thinking that I would not be accepted.

After a few weeks of not hearing any response pro or con, I decided to contact the university. To my surprise, the lady on the phone said, “I am checking your records Mr. Chilton, and I am proud to announce that you were accepted into the PhD program today!” Talk about a jaw-dropping moment. The Lord positively answered each time I asked if it was his will for me to begin PhD studies. Each time I offered an excuse as to why I could not, he offered a response as to why I could.

Reflection on the Calling That Was Rescued

Not only did God call me to the program, but God also wondrously interjected himself through life events to ensure that I would be able to finish. One such example occurred toward the end of the classroom portion of the program. I had two classes remaining before moving on to the comprehension exams. To worsen the situation, Bibliology was one of the classes I needed to take. This class brought a great deal of anxiety as Bibliology was known for being one of the toughest classes in the entire program.

Unlike many things in life, this class lived up to the hype. The workload was intense, and the grading was extremely rigid. The prestigious Dr. John Morrison taught the class. Dr. Morrison was known for being a tremendous man of God, but he also had the reputation for being extremely tough when it came to grading. In my estimation, Dr. Morrison is a certified genius. I learned more in his class than most I have ever taken. I grew a great appreciation for Dr. Morrison after taking his class. Though I made an A- in his class, I was prouder of my A- in Bibliology than any A+ I had received in other class. Dr. Morrison retired shortly after I took his course. I was honored to have been part of the last class he taught. I have the greatest respect for him.

Unfortunately, before taking the Bibliology and Natural Theology intensives, I faced a set of troublesome circumstances that nearly derailed my attempt to finish. The handwriting had been on the wall for a while that it was time for me to leave my appointed ministry. However, leaving posed a series of difficulties.

We faced a housing problem as we had moved into a parsonage and had sold our previous home. If we moved, where would we live? If we left, where would I work? Furthermore, how would I be able to finish the two remaining classes if I worked a public job? Would I find a place of employment that would work with me to finish? At this time, COVID had struck, and the weeklong in-person intensives had been temporarily moved online. How would I find a job where I could find the needed time off to finish these last two classes?

God managed a housing problem.

In both circumstances, God showed up at the right moment to provide a means for me to finish strong. God showed up in two mighty ways. First, God managed the housing situation a year ahead of time. God’s Spirit began to divinely impress on my heart the need to build a house very soon. I communicated this urgent need to my wife. At first, she was hesitant. But then, God began moving on her heart. She eventually agreed that God was leading us to build. So, we looked at various house plans, but nothing seemed to meet our needs.

Eventually, we learned of a building company located near where my wife grew up. We looked at their website. We tussled over several models, but we eventually agreed on a model called Diamond Creek. One thing led to another. Before we knew it, God stepped in to allow us to build our dream home and provided a safety net for when we left our place of ministry. We no longer faced the threat of homelessness, which is one of the reasons why I advise ministers against staying in parsonages.

Even in the building process, God intervened at various periods to allow the project to continue. But you can imagine the level of stress I faced at this time. Not only was I forced to face the problems of finishing the program and the ensuing troubles within my occupation at the time, but I also now faced the pressing need to keep my family housed and protected. A lot was riding on this building project. It wasn’t until the house was nearly finished that we learned that we needed to get an agreement signed by a neighbor so that we could get power. Thankfully, that worked out well.

Then, we also needed to dig a well to get water. A well can make or break a building project. God led us to a certain area—an area that was met with great suspicion by our project supervisor. The location provided an abundance of water, something like 100 gallons of water a minute! Plus, the well came in under budget! This was just one of the numerous ways that God blessed us during this project.

God managed an occupational problem.

Second, God interceded in another amazing fashion—he provided a way for me to finish the program even while changing positions. What I am about to say is not to disgrace anyone, and neither is it meant to disparage. At the place where I had been serving, some people tried to make life difficult for me. And that is not to say that I handled everything well either. The entire experience granted many life lessons. All being said, I was in a bad place in my personal life. To add to the complexities of the issue, I was not sure that I had either the mental or spiritual reserves to continue in the program. My plight became so dire that I had to take anxiety medication for the first time in my life.

As I reflect on the events of my past, God is helping me to heal from past wounds. I had been involved in an awfully tough situation, but this was far from the first time. As I previously noted, the handwriting was on the wall, and it was time for me to move on from my position. Even though I was hurt deeply, I don’t think that anyone involved in the scenario was a bad person. Sometimes, certain pastors don’t fit within the culture of certain churches, and that’s okay. That’s why God allows different churches to exist and calls different pastors to serve them. I have forgiven the parties involved as I move onward, as I hope they have forgiven me for any bad decisions on my part.

Even still, I had a few classes remaining. I realized I needed to leave and had no clue as to where I would work. That’s when God stepped interceded yet again. I learned from a dear friend of mine about a position in chaplaincy. I submitted an application and waited to hear back from them. The then-supervisor of family services contacted me about a week after applying. I told her about my need to finish the two last classes of my PhD program and about my need to take off those weeks so that I could attend the sessions. I thought for sure that my request would have eliminated me from consideration.

However, it didn’t. She hired me with the understanding that I would be off those two weeks. During that time, I was able to complete the classes and had a wonderful time doing so. How God intervened is nothing short of miraculous. He provided for the right people to be in the right places at the right times to bring me to the finish line. For that reason, I no longer believe in coincidences, but rather I believe in divine appointments.

Conclusion

As I reflect on my past, I also reflect on my future. I must confess that I am more confused than ever as to what God wants me to do moving forward. Nevertheless, God came through for me and my family at several junctures while in the PhD program. And if God delivered us as he did, then God must have something important for us ahead. God’s calling was exemplified as he made a way even when I thought it was nearly impossible. But is that not just like God?

Mary was like the rest of us as she thought a virgin could never conceive a child. But the angel Gabriel reminded her, “For nothing will be impossible with God” (Luke 1:37, CSB). The Israelites thought it was impossible for God to divide the Red Sea to allow them to pass. Yet they walked on dry land because of God’s display of power. No matter what God calls you to do, trust in his sovereign direction. Because, as the old saying goes, “If God brings you to it, he will bring you through it.” But such a calling also requires a great deal of perseverance. That will be the subject of the next reflection.

 About the Author

Brian G. Chilton earned a Ph.D. in the Theology and Apologetics program at Liberty University. He is the host of The Bellator Christi Podcast and the founder of Bellator Christi. Brian received his Master of Divinity in Theology from Liberty University (with high distinction); his Bachelor of Science in Religious Studies and Philosophy from Gardner-Webb University (with honors); earned a Certificate in Christian Apologetics from Biola University, and plans to purse philosophical studies in the near future. He is also enrolled in Clinical Pastoral Education to better learn how to empower those around him. Brian is a member of the Evangelical Theological Society and the Evangelical Philosophical Society.

Brian has served in pastoral ministry for nearly 20 years and currently serves as a clinical hospice chaplain and interim pastoral work. Additionally, he serves as an editor for the Eleutheria Journal. At the prompting of the Lord, Brian established Bellator Christi Ministries in 2012. The ministry is aimed to provide readily available resources in theology, apologetics, biblical studies, and philosophy to those who want to know what Christianity teaches and why it should be believed. In 2019, Brian published his first book entitled the Layman’s Manual on Christian Apologetics. After finishing his Ph.D., Brian intends to publish more books. His areas of expertise include early Christology, early NT creeds, near-death experiences, biblical reliability, the blend of divine sovereignty and human freedom, and the need for empathy.

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