Argument Construction
Using Argumentation in a Conversation
It is important to note that the existence of Jesus is attested to by eyewitnesses, which makes it a reliable argument. The line of argumentation will be based on the evidence that Mary Magdalene, the two disciples on the road to Emmaus, and the apostles mention Jesus in their stories (Gould, Dickinson, and Loftin, 2018).
Addressing Possible Objections
However, the interlocutor may argue that these accounts are unreliable because they could have been describing a different person than Jesus. This argument can be refuted by the fact that Jesus performed miracles on these people that could not have been done by another ordinary person (Gould, Dickinson, and Loftin, 2018). Accordingly, the witnesses to Jesus’ existence accurately describe him because they also mention his resurrection, appearance, and claim to be God’s son.
The next objection is that the testimonies are fictitious because they were written down long ago, and there is no accurate proof of their authenticity. This argument can be refuted because these testimonies are written from different sources, and the people who described Jesus made similar statements about him (Gould, Dickinson, and Loftin, 2018). Thus, the eyewitness accounts are evidence that is difficult to deny because many people described similar traits and skills of Jesus.
Conversation
I immediately told my interlocutor that hundreds of people who lived in Jesus’ time did not need to think about whether Jesus really existed; they knew it. The Holy Scriptures state that the New Testament contains at least ten cases, and the Book of Mormon describes a few instances when the Resurrected Jesus showed himself to humans.
Mary Magdalene was the first witness; on the Sunday morning after the Crucifixion, she came to the tomb with other women to anoint the body of Jesus (Gould, Dickinson, and Loftin, 2018). When she saw the empty tomb, Mary wept, and then Jesus asked her why she was crying because he had returned. Thus, this incident shows that many people knew about the death of Christ and came to his grave, which confirms his existence.
In addition, I gave the example of Cleopas and the other disciples walking on the road to Emmaus when a stranger approached them. They did not recognize their new companion, but the stranger broke the bread during their meal together. Then their eyes were opened, and they realized they had been walking beside the Savior all along the way (Gould, Dickinson, and Loftin, 2018).
My interlocutor provided counter-arguments, but I also mentioned that the Apostle Thomas was not with the others when the Savior first appeared to the Apostles, which is why he did not believe that Christ had risen. A week later, Christ appeared to the Apostles again; this time, Thomas was also present, and when he saw Christ, he became convinced that Jesus had risen (Gould, Dickinson, and Loftin, 2018). Therefore, this shows different episodes that point to the existence of Jesus.
Reflection
The conversation was tense because I presented various eyewitness accounts pointing to Jesus Christ’s existence. On the other hand, my interlocutor interrupted me while presenting my arguments and did not let me finish. The person would deny that these testimonies really existed and described Jesus, and then I would proceed to refute his arguments. I explained that they were written from different sources and by different people describing Jesus. Nevertheless, after I presented these counter-arguments, the interlocutor thought I might be right and asked me to give him time to think.
However, I could make a more powerful argument about how some of the Apostles were fishing in the Sea of Tiberias, and then the Lord appeared and counseled them to drop their nets on the right side of the boat (Gould, Dickinson, and Loftin, 2018). They did this and caught so many fish that they could hardly retrieve the net. This helped to strengthen my argument, but my reasons were strong enough to challenge my interlocutor to think.
Reference
Gould, Paul, Travis Dickinson, and Keith Loftin. 2018. Stand Firm: Apologetics and the Brilliance of the Gospel. Nashville: Broadman & Holman Academic.