Earl Doherty

“Do I Need to Worship” featuring the Mustard Seed Soul Band from the albums “Heart and Soul” and “His Story” recorded and produced by Ross Gill.

I sent  “The Case for Christ”  written from a Christian perspective by Lee Strobel to Alan, an  atheist friend who in return sent me “Challenging the Verdict “ written from an atheist perspective.  In last week’s blog I briefly reviewed The “Case for Christ” and this week I look at “Challenging the Verdict.”

The author,  Earl Doherty states that he has a BA degree in Ancient History and Classical Languages. He has also written “The Jesus Puzzle” and “Jesus Neither God nor Man “both of which deny, not only that Christ was resurrected, but also that He ever existed.  Doherty runs a website promoting atheist doctrine and postulates that the stories of Jesus are not historical but are based on myth and legend. He writes articulately refuting all the claims of Strobel by using a court room format in which he imaginarily cross -examines the theologians that Strobel questioned in his investigation into Christ’s Resurrection.  Strobel, to my knowledge has not responded with counter arguments but there are on- line articles which have, for example http://answers.org/atheism/appealdenied.html

Doherty makes many thought provoking claims, but for me none are persuasive; my main thought has been  why is this man spending all his time attempting to deny what has been written in the Bible- what are his motives?  I found the answers in his concluding chapter.

First Doherty believes that Christianity has been, and still is detrimental to humanity rather than beneficial.  He cites Christianity and rival faiths as causing divisions between people, families, societies and nations which lead to inquisitions, witch hunts and religious wars.   I would argue that there have been many bad things perpetrated in the name of religion, including of course wars, but would personally place that firmly at the feet of man’s inhumanity to man and not try to shift the blame to God.

Another belief of Doherty is that  faith  draws the focus of attention and energy away from the present world of day to day existence to a dimension which he regards is likely to be  fantasy ; one In which the real world gets neglected, disparaged and distorted- one populated with concepts which can only be detrimental to humanity’s enlightenment. Belief in angels and devils and personal saviour gods he says “Have never produced one iota of real human progress.”  He seems to believe that God did not create us but that we have created Him.

Doherty continues by stating that if the attainment of personal immortality is the goal then we may be grasping at that which is irrational as nothing in the observable universe suggests that such a goal is possible. Furthermore if something of significance is possible then the route to its discovery must lie in a fuller comprehension of our observable universe. To that I would quote Jesus who, when speaking to Thomas, said “Because you have seen me you have believed but blessed are those who have not seen and yet believe.” Interesting that I have also just read in “The Word for Today” that when we believe that reality is confined to what we can see we become trapped into thinking the only truth is what we see …. reality extends beyond what we  can see.”

Before leaving this subject of “Was Jesus really raised from the dead” I wish to consider how the lives of countless people have been changed by Jesus. Next week I will use one such life as an example – mine!

Lee Strobel

“His Story” featuring Lucy Stimpson- Maynard and the Mustard Seed Soul Band from the albums “Uplifted” and His Story” recorded and produced by Bob Ross.

Last week I explained that one reason why I have been continuing to explore the topic “Was Jesus really raised from the dead?”  is an ongoing conversation with Alan, who is  an ex -Crofton student and  an atheist.  He is, at present holidaying in Kos and hopefully reading the pro Resurrection book I sent him- Lee Strobel’s “The Case for Christ” which is one of many books that seek to provide evidence for the Resurrection.

I am about to read “Challenging the Verdict” which Alan sent me,  written by Earl Doherty  in response to “The Case for Christ.”  In preparation I have just re-read “The Case of Christ” and can thoroughly recommend it.  I had, in fact previously used some of its material when writing Risen! – The Musical, for example the fact that if the Gospels were made up why did they record Jesus first appearing to women when  women held no status in the culture of the time so any testimony they gave to the Resurrection  would have carried no weight?

Strobel has a Master’s Degree in Law from Yale University and was formerly Legal Editor of the Chicago Tribune;   an investigative journalist who traces his own spiritual journey from atheist to faith by cross examining recognised authorities in their own field.  The book is divided into three parts – Examining The Record.  Analysing Jesus and Researching the Resurrection. The chapters in Part One are titled -Can the biographies of Jesus be trusted? Do the biographies of Jesus stand up to scrutiny? Were Jesus’ biographies reliably preserved for us? Is there credible evidence for Jesus outside His biographies? Does Archeology confirm or contradict Jesus’ biographies? Is the Jesus of history the Jesus of faith?

In Part Two – Was Jesus really convinced He was the Son of God? Was Jesus crazy when He claimed to be the Son of God? Did Jesus fulfill the attributes of God?  Did Jesus and Jesus alone match the identity of the Messiah?

In Part Three – Was Jesus death a sham and His resurrection a hoax? Was Jesus’ body really absent from His tomb? Was Jesus seen alive after His death on the cross? Are there any supporting facts that point to the Resurrection? What does the evidence establish- and what does it mean today?

During my re- read I was particularly drawn to  the point Strobel makes that  it is not just the Gospels that speak  of the Resurrection- there is also 1 Corinthians 15 written by Paul “…. Christ appeared to Peter and then to the twelve. After that He appeared to more than 500 at the same time…………….” Also the Book of Acts in which Luke quotes the disciple Peter as saying “God has raised this Jesus to life and we are all witnesses of the fact.”  (Acts 2:32) Also in Acts 3:15 Peter says “You killed the author of life but God raised Him from the dead. We are witnesses of this.” In Acts 10:41 Peter says that he ate and drank with Him after He rose from the dead.” And Paul states in Acts 13:31 “For many days He was seen by those who had travelled with Him from Galilee to Jerusalem. They are now His witnesses to our people.” Strobel also gives evidence to the fact that I Corinthians was written before the Gospels – perhaps only two years after the crucifixion.

I was also drawn to two concluding paragraphs in the book -the first by J.P Moreland (PH.D in Philosophy, Masters in History and Theology and Degree in Chemistry) who said “If someone wants to consider the circumstantial evidence and reach the verdict that Jesus was not raised from the dead – fair enough, but they have got to offer an alternative plausible explanation.”  The second by Sir Leonard Luckhoo, an Attorney who was awarded a place in the Guinness Book of Records for gaining 245 consecutive murder acquittals.  After spending several years rigorously analysing the historical facts about the Resurrection Luckhoo declared “I say unequivocally that the evidence for the Resurrection of Jesus Christ is so overwhelming that it compels acceptance by proof which leaves absolutely no room for doubt.”

So what does Earl Doherty in “Challenging the Verdict” say in response to that? – I  will share that with you next week.

There’s Going to be a Party” featuring the Mustard Seed Soul Band from the albums “Uplifted” and “His Story” -recorded and produced by Bob Ross

One reason why I am continuing to consider “Was Jesus really raised from the dead?” is because recently I have been in contact with Alan, who was a student at Crofton School some thirty years ago.  Alan got in touch trying to track down his old tutor, Mr Bob Ellis. In our correspondence Alan explained that he was an atheist and since then we have been emailing one another arguing from our respective opinions and beliefs. It has been a great discussion; one which has led me to be more informative about atheism.  Alan had, previous to our conversations, read mainly atheist material whereas for me it was mainly Christian. However I sent Alan the pro Resurrection book “The Case for Christ” and he sent me the pro atheist “Challenging the Verdict”- both books were mentioned in last week’s blog.  Alan is, at present, holidaying in the Greek island of Kos but he promised to read “The Case for Christ” and I have promised to read “Challenging the Verdict.”

In addition to examining the written arguments for and against the Resurrection what other evidence might we consider when deciding what to believe?  I think it only reasonable to look at, not just what is being said, but also who is saying it.  So, for example we could compare the credentials of the authors of the aforementioned two books – Leo Stobel and Earl Doherty or those of a famous atheist such as Professor Richard Dawkins and a   famous Christian such as Archbishop Justin Welby. I am sure Alan would disagree but I feel that Justin Welby is more credible than Richard Dawkins. I base my view, not on who is the more articulate and knowledgeable, but rather on whom I feel I can trust the more because his life demands the greater respect and admiration.

Of course comparing Justin Welby and Richard Dawkins is unlikely to convert anyone one way or the other, but I think a valid a factor in one’s decision to believe or not believe is the opinions of others whom we trust and respect. Friends and family are, for example bound to greatly influence us-but also those with whom we share a common interest. I am a keen golfer and was intrigued to find the 2015 Open Winner Zach Johnson to be a Christian – also the legend that is Gary Player.  Of course there are also golfers that are atheists but what I am saying is that it is reassuring and encouraging to know that not all golfers are atheists – that rational people like Zach and Gary believe in the Resurrection – so why should not I ?

Of course no matter what others believe, in the end it is your own decision but more of that next week.

“There’s More Than One Way Of Saying I Love You” featuring Lucy Stimpson- Maynard and the Mustard Seed Soul Band from the album “Uplifted”

So last week  I posted the testimony of USA golfer and 2015 Open winner Zach Johnson so delaying  my promise to offer my humble opinion as to whether or not Jesus was raised from the dead- so this blog I am going to make a start.

The internet is full of articles, some claiming that Jesus was raised from the dead and some claiming that He was not.   There have also been many books written on the subject – amongst some famous pro -Resurrection are   “Who Moved the Stone”  by Frank Morison and “The Case for Christ” by Lee Stobel . Those looking to disprove the Resurrection include “Why God Did Not Raise Jesus from the Dead” by Bradley Bowen and “Challenging the Verdict” by Earl Doherty.  Of course I  cannot make up your mind for you – you have to research the matter for yourself but please do not stop after reading one person’s opinion – that would not be valid research and also please check on the authors’ credibility before deciding to believe him/her or not.  An excellently thorough, although long article I read recently giving both sides of the argument can be found on  http://infidels.org/library/modern/jeff_lowder/jesus_resurrection/chap4.html

It is interesting to note that the concluding paragraph states that a rational person may accept or reject the Resurrection. After reading a great deal on the subject, albeit mainly pro- Resurrection  I can say that I personally accept the Resurrection – I believe the arguments for are far stronger than those against.

However is listening to both sides of the argument the whole story?  In a court of law the jury weighs up the evidence for the prosecution and defence and then comes to a verdict. I think weighing up the written evidence was, in part, why I became a believer, however there is, I believe, another consideration. In a court of law you decide with your head not your heart but with the Resurrection it may be that you think the evidence and arguments have led you to say a 60- 40 decision against believing but you still want to believe  and you feel that taking a leap of faith” is the right thing to do. It may be, for example that you have evidence outside the arguments of the theologians – it may be that you have seen people who are atheists and you have seen others that are Christians and you decide that you would prefer, as my brother once put it “to have what Christians have” i.e. a peace – I am, of course, not saying that an atheist cannot have peace but I can categorically say that an atheist cannot have hope of eternal life with God!

So although reading the evidence for believing and for not believing in the Resurrection of Jesus  is important it is not the whole story – it is not all that one has to go on before making a decision whether  to believe or not and next week I will continue to offer my humble opinion on other factors that can influence that decision.

Photo Credit: BBC

“Jesus You Are My Lord and My King” – featuring Lucy Stimpson- Maynard from the album “Uplifted” recorded and produced by Bob Ross

So I left last week’s blog by asking “So what can be concluded – was Jesus really raised from the dead or not?” This week I promised to offer my humble opinion, however I am going to put that on hold for one week because on Monday of this week the American, Zach Johnson won The 144^th Open Golf Tournament at St Andrews. I have just read this article written by him and thought I would share it with you.

I’ll try to give you the condensed version… I grew up in Iowa in a great Christian household where church was very important. I went to a Catholic school, so I had religion classes from first through 12th grade. My mom even worked at the church and the school. She just recently retired from that to work for the governing body of the archdiocese. So, I certainly grew up in a Christian household—Jesus was very much the foundation.

For me, however, it felt like I was just following the footsteps of friends and more or less doing what I was told to do. So, after high school, I went my own direction. It was Zach’s agenda; whatever I wanted to do, I did it. My faith didn’t carry much significance.

I graduated from Drake University in 1998 and started playing golf on the mini tours and traveling around the United States. In the winters I would go to Florida to practice.

Then, in 2000, I met a girl named Kim. I really liked her. We hit it off and soon started dating. I was still traveling during the summer seasons, but we maintained our relationship. Over time, I realized that faith in Christ was extremely important to her and that marrying a Christian man was pretty much a dealbreaker for her.

 “Before I was one, I always thought being a Christian would be boring. In reality, it has been the complete opposite.”

At that point in my life, I knew there was a God. I knew there was an ultimate creator—someone watching over things—but I didn’t give it much thought. In order for Kim and me to find out if we were best for each other, we took a pre-engagement class together at a church. Through that, not only were a lot of my questions answered, but a lot more surfaced. But that’s where God took over. With the research I did in response to those questions and with help from Kim and other Christian friends, I discovered what it meant to “live for Christ,” and that it honestly was something I wanted to do. The facts were there, and I could sense the Holy Spirit at work. Early in the winter of 2002, I gave my life to the Lord.

Since then, my priorities have certainly changed. It’s not Zach’s agenda anymore.

I refer to the years after high school and before making my decision as my “blind years.” Now, I can see.

Before I was one, I always thought being a Christian would be boring. In reality, it has been the complete opposite. There is joy, fulfillment and even fun! There also are challenges and trials, but knowing that my foundation lies in Jesus and what He has done for me is what is important. It’s all that matters.

Well there is one guy who  certainly believes Jesus was raised from the dead and next week I will give you my humble opinion.

“My Beloved King”- featuring Lucy Stimpson-Maynard with Maggie Horton on flute- from the album “Uplifted” recorded and produced by Bob Ross

An argument from sceptics who do not believe that Jesus was raised to life is that evidence from outside the Bible is limited so we only have the Gospels, the Acts of the Apostles and the letters of St Paul as evidence that Christ’s Resurrection is true.

I argued in last week’s blog that although the Romans and the Jews both had much to gain from disproving Christ’s Resurrection there is no evidence outside the Bible to disprove what the Bible says is true.

However, there are still the questions of who wrote the four Gospels and can we believe them?

The traditional view is that it was Matthew, the disciple and ex- tax collector who wrote the Gospel that bears his name.  Mark is believed to largely consist of the preaching of the disciple Peter arranged and shaped by his close associate John Mark who features in the Book of Acts as a companion of Paul and Barnabas. His mother had a house in Jerusalem which served as a place of communion for the disciples (Acts 12:12) Many think he was the young man who fled naked when Jesus was arrested (Mark 14:51) Traditionally John’s Gospel has been attributed to the disciple John, brother of James and son of Zebedee who may have been a cousin of Jesus (see blog May 7th) Luke, the author of the third Gospel was a Doctor and Historian who had, in his own words, carefully investigated the life of Christ.

Of course many refute this traditional view and, for example I recently read a claim that the Gospel of Mark was written by an unknown Christian in Syria. However even if the Gospels writers were Disciples of Christ can we still believe what they wrote? Some claim that we cannot because the Gospels were written thirty to fifty years after the Resurrection.  Well I personally don’t buy that one because I regularly meet the friends with whom I was at Teachers Training College more than 30 years ago and we reminisce on those college days as if they were yesterday. And if anyone wishes to know what happened on, for example D Day one sure way would be to speak with a World War 11 veteran who was actually there as an eye- witness.  However were the Gospel writers’ eye- witnesses? Well John appears to be – when describing Jesus on the cross being pierced in His side by a soldier John writes “The man who saw it has given testimony and his testimony is true he knows that he tells the truth and he testifies so that you may believe.” (John 19:35)

Eye – witnesses or not there is still the issue of whether or not that which the Gospel writers recorded can be believed. Classic aarguments disputing the Resurrection include  1) the disciples hallucinated 2) that Jesus did not really die on the cross but recovered in the tomb 2)   that the disciples stole the body.  The classic responses to 1) are that one person can hallucinate and “see things” but a whole group of people cannot hallucinate and all see the same thing.  To 2) the sudden flow of blood and water which occurred when Jesus was pieced by the soldier’s spear (John 19:34) would have come from Jesus’ pericardium and heart and was, therefore a sure sign that He was dead.  To 3) quite simply what would the disciples have gained from stealing the body of Jesus?

So what can be concluded – was Jesus really raised from the dead or not?  In next week’s blog  I will offer  my humble opinion.

“You are the Maker” from album “Love is the Way” featuring Lucy Stimpson-Maynard – recorded and produced by Bob Ross.

As St Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 15:14 “And if Christ has not been raised then our preaching is futile and so is your faith.” I could also add and Risen!- The Musical would be a waste of time.

So was Jesus really raised from the dead? This is the issue I will be looking at in the next few weeks.

In the blog of April 23^rd which focused on Mary Magdalene I made the point that if the Gospels were made up then they would surely have written that Jesus was first seen alive after the crucifixion by a man and not a woman as, at that time in Israel, the testimony of women was considered to be virtually worthless and was not even admissible in court.  In the words of John in Risen!- The Musical  “No there’s only one reason why first appearing to a woman would make any sense and that is if it were true and it is I can assure you there is no pretence.”

Last week I asked that if  all the disciples bar John were martyred for their faith  why would they endure brutal deaths for a lie?  I have heard one argument compare their martyrdom with those that caused 9/11; they also being prepared to die for a cause they believed in. However those involved in 9/11 committed suicide with the intention of killing others as part of a strategy for furthering their cause. The disciples did not commit suicide but chose to be murdered by others rather than deny Christ -also their deaths did not knowingly lead to the deaths of others, so I think comparisons between the two cannot be justified.

So what are the arguments for not believing that which Matthew, Mark, Luke, John and Paul wrote?  One argument is that there is little evidence for the Resurrection outside the Bible, another queries the authenticity of Gospel authorship whilst another that the Gospel accounts themselves are unreliable and contradictory.

For those that argue that there is little evidence of the Resurrection outside the Bible I would say that in those days only learned scribes could write and as that in itself was a slow process people transferred information by word of mouth (known as the oral tradition). I can hear the sceptics now talk about “Chinese whispers” -how something said can have its meaning  dramatically changed as it is handed down from one person to another. That, however is not the case if is the information is considered “precious” for then people ensure that it is remembered correctly. Take, for example the words of Shakespeare or of Wordsworth- someone would soon shout out “Wrong- it’s suffer not inflict” if they heard “To be, or not to be, that is the question: whether ’tis nobler in the mind to inflict the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune.” Or “I wander lonely as the moon.” – “No, no it’s a cloud not the moon!”

To   those who contend  that there are no contemporary books outside the Bible claiming  Jesus was raised from the dead  I would ask “Why are there no contemporary  books written claiming  that Jesus was not raised from the dead? “ Obviously Both the Romans and Jews had people who could write so that’s not the issue. The  Romans would surely have  wanted  to disprove Jesus’ Resurrection because it interfered with their worship of the Emperor (the reason why so many Christians were martyred; thrown to lions etc)  The Jews, especially the Pharisees and Teachers of the Law, had been heavily criticised  by Jesus and it was they who initiated His crucifixion so it was in their best interest to disprove the Resurrection. An example is Saul, a zealous Pharisee who, before his conversion and change of name to Paul, was throwing Christians into prison.  So I would say that there were many who would have benefited from proving Jesus was not raised – so why didn’t they write down their proof? Surely that’s obvious – they had no proof – they had no corpse to produce – they could not persuade Jesus ‘ followers  to deny Him no matter how badly they were  treated.  Writing a book on the non -Resurrection of Jesus was not worth their time or their ink!

But what if the Gospels themselves are unreliable- what if they were not really written by eye- witnesses – let’s look at that next week

The Martyrdom of St. Bartholomew – Jusepe de Ribera

“He’s Never Lied” from the album “The Season of Singing  ” featuring Jim Rogers , Lucy Rutherford and Mike Backhouse with the Mustard Seed Soul Band recorded and produced by Ross Gill.

Last week I looked at how the disciples of Jesus who feature in Risen!- The Musical died -Judas, John, Peter, James and Thomas. This week I look at the traditions surrounding the deaths of  the other disciples.

Andrew, the brother of Peter, was martyred in AD 60 by first being scourged and then tied to a cross.  Because Andrew deemed himself unworthy to be crucified in the same way as Christ he chose an  X shaped cross. Andrew survived for two days, during which he preached to passers-by.

Matthew, the former tax collector was martyred in Ethiopia, where some sources say he was  stabbed in the back by an swordsman sent by King Hertacus, after he criticized the King’s morals. Another belief is that he was beheaded at Nad-Davar in 60-70 A.D

Philip became a missionary in Asia. Eventually, he travelled to the Egyptian city of Heliopolis, where he was scourged, thrown into prison, and crucified upside down in 54 AD.

Bartholomew (Nathaniel) preached in several countries, including India, where he translated the Gospel of Matthew for believers. In one account, “impatient idolaters” beat Bartholomew and then crucified him, while in another, he was skinned alive and then beheaded.

James son of Alpheus (James the Lesser) was thrown down from the temple by the scribes and Pharisees; he was then stoned, and his brains dashed out with a fuller’s club in AD 62

Thaddaeus, (Jude) was crucified at Edessa (the name of cities in both Turkey and Greece) in 72 AD.
Simon the Zealot- there is more than one tradition for  him, for example  Christian Ethiopians claim that he was crucified in Samaria, while Justus Lipsius writes that he was sawn in half at Suanir, Persia. Yet another tradition says he possibly visited Britain,  and was crucified in Caistor, modern-day Lincolnshire.

I believe that the martyrdom of the Apostles is  a huge proclamation that Jesus really was raised from the dead. People do not die for their own lies, half-truths, or fabrications. If the Apostles truly died proclaiming to have seen Christ dead and then resurrected why would they have lied – what on earth was there to gain?  I know the song for today has featured before in this blog but I thought the lyrics particularly appropriate:

You say you can’t trust every story that’s been written,

But this Gospel is different and I’ll tell you why.

Its writers faced death, persecution and torture,

So why would they tell it – why would they lie?

Crucifixion of St Peter, by Luca Giordano, 1659 – 1660

1″Oh Lord By Praise”featuring Lucy Stimpson- Maynard from album” I Look Up To The Heavens” produced and recorded by John Hodgkinson

Last blog I wrote of the non- Biblical traditions that relate to where in the world Jesus’ disciples took the “Great Commission” – preaching about Him and His resurrection. I want now to look at the manner in which they died.
Risen!- The Musical features five of the disciples – John, Peter, James, Thomas and Judas- let’s see how they met their deaths.
Matthew’s Gospel and the Book of Acts tell us that Judas Iscariot, who betrayed Jesus, committed suicide.
From Acts 12: 2 we learn that James, brother of John and son of Zebedee was put to the sword by order of King Herod Agrippa 1st (beheaded)
Most regard the last book of the Bible – The Book of Revelation as having been written by John. He was exiled to the island of Patmos because of his evangelism. The general tradition is that he lived to a very old age, but there is one account that before dying a natural death John survived being boiled in oil. The historian Tertullian writes that the Emperor of Rome, Domitan had John plunged into a vat of boiling oil, possibly in the Colosseum. John did not react as expected to the torturous heat- he was not in agony but continued preaching to the crowd, many of whom were converted when they saw John unharmed.
According to Christian tradition, Peter was crucified in Rome under Emperor Nero Augustus Caesar. It is traditionally held that he was crucified upside down at his own request, since he saw himself unworthy to be crucified in the same way as Jesus.
Thomas, again according to tradition, was martyred in India when a local King condemned him to death for angering the local priests and scholars who thought that Thomas was disrespecting India’s caste system. Thomas was brought to a nearby mountain and stabbed to death with a spear. He is believed to be buried around the suburb of Madras.
So four of the five disciples featured in Risen!- The Musical were martyred- John instead being exiled after having possibly survived being boiled in oil.
Next week I will look at what happened to the rest of the disciples and the significance their deaths have to the resurrection of Jesus.

“Father Help Me Acknowledge You” – featuring Lucy Stimpson- Maynard from the album ” I Look Up To The Heavens” recorded and produced by John Hodgkinson.

Jesus told His disciples to make disciples of all nations (Matthew 28: 19) This is termed the “Great Commission” and is a scene featured in Risen!- The Musical. So did the disciples do as Jesus told them?

Simon Peter certainly did – we know from the Book of Acts that he travelled around the country preaching to his fellow Hebrews. From the Book of Revelation we know that John was exiled on the Island of Patmos because of his evangelism.

We have to go to tradition to have an idea of where the other disciples preached – for example, as I said in last week’s blog, James brother of John preached in Spain.

Thomas is said to have travelled outside the Roman Empire to preach the Gospel, travelling as far as India founding the church of Mar Thoma which is still in existence today.

There is reason to believe that Matthew stayed in Jerusalem for fifteen years after which he became a missionary to the Persians, Parthians and Medes.

Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother is  associated  with a number of countries including Georgia, Malta, Cyprus, Romania and the Ukraine and is the Patron Saint of several other countries including Barbados, Romania, Russia and   Ukraine. However, how did Thomas become Patron Saint of Scotland as there is no record of him having been there.  Tradition has it that in 832 AD, Óengus II led an army of Picts and Scots into battle against the Angles. Heavily outnumbered Óengus prayed, vowing that if granted victory he would appoint Saint Andrew as the Patron Saint of Scotland. On the morning of battle white clouds forming an X shape in the sky and Óengus,  taking this as a divine intervention, took to the field and, despite being inferior in numbers, was victorious. Óengus honoured his pre-battle pledge and duly appointed Saint Andrew as the Patron Saint of Scotland. The white saltire set against a celestial blue background is said to have been adopted as the design of the flag of Scotland on the basis of this legend.

Tradition records Bartholomew as serving as a missionaryin Ethiopia, Mesopotamia, Parthia, Lycaonia and Greater Armenia. He is also said to have travelled with Thomas to spread the Gospel in India.

Some sources say that Philip preached in Phrygia, while others say to the North African city of Carthage.

We are told James son of Alphaeus preached the Gospel in Lower Egypt and Syria whereas Thaddeous (also known as Jude) preached in Judea, Samaria, Idumaea, Syria, Mesopotamia and Libya.

Less is known of Simon the Zealot but he is often associated with  Jude as an evangelizing team in Western Christianity; sharing their feast day on 28th October. The most widespread tradition is that after evangelizing in Egypt, Simon joined Jude in Persia and Armenia and Beirut, Lebanon.

So we can see that even if we have to rely on non- Biblical accounts, evidence points to the disciples all preaching that Jesus Christ had been raised from the dead. Surely this makes for a strong case for  His resurrection being  true and next week I will share how something else the disciples did makes this case for the Resurrection even stronger.