Theological term
Apostolic Witness
4 sermons · All terms
The Prophecy Concerning the Resurrection
Peter's Pentecost sermon in Acts 2:24–32 anchors the resurrection of Jesus Christ not in apostolic invention but in the prophetic word of Psalm 16, written by David nearly a millennium before the event. Working through Peter's appeal to and interpretation of that psalm, this exposition traces four aspects of the Messiah's disposition before His death — His focus, joy, confidence, and dependence upon the Father — and demonstrates that David, writing as a prophet under the Davidic covenant of 2 Samuel 7, could not have been describing his own resurrection since his tomb remained occupied. The resurrection is therefore the Father's public vindication that divine justice has been fully satisfied by Christ, the ground of the believer's justification, and the fulfillment of the Davidic covenant promise that one from David's line would build an eternal house for God. The sermon closes by calling sinners — however guilty — to call upon the risen Lord Jesus, the one on the middle cross who alone can grant everlasting life.
Free Grace Baptist Church - September 17, 2017 PM
How do we know the gospel is true? First John 1:1–4 opens with John's answer: the apostolic witness to Jesus Christ is grounded in direct sensory experience — hearing, seeing, and handling the Word of life. This sermon works through the introduction to First John under three headings: the messenger, his message, and the benefits of that message. The exposition confronts early docetism (the denial that Christ came in the flesh), insists that eternal life is found only in the incarnate, crucified, and risen Son of God, and calls hearers to hold fast to the apostolic gospel as the only ground of true fellowship with the Father and the Son and of lasting joy.
A Lofty Confession of Faith
Thomas's refusal to believe the apostolic witness to the resurrection exposes a posture common to all people: dictating the terms by which they will believe. Yet Christ condescends with sovereign grace to meet Thomas in his obstinance, drawing from him the highest Christological confession in the fourth Gospel — 'My Lord and my God.' John's purpose in recording these events is stated explicitly: that readers would believe Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and so receive life in his name. The sermon presses every hearer to ask whether they can claim Christ with Thomas's personal possessive — 'my Lord and my God' — and warns against every attempt to negotiate terms with God before believing.
The Implications of the Empty Tomb
Paul's argument in 1 Corinthians 15:12–19 exposes the logical consequences of denying the bodily resurrection of Christ: apostolic preaching collapses into myth, Christian faith becomes an empty sentiment fixed on no real object, the apostles are liars, sin remains unatoned, and believers are the most pitiable of all creatures. The sermon surveys ancient and modern attacks on the resurrection — the stolen-body theory, the swoon theory, Gnosticism, Sadducean theology, Hymenaeanism, and contemporary archaeological sensationalism — before working through Paul's five implications positively. The central application is that because Christ is truly risen, justification is secured, the apostolic witness is vindicated, and the Christian hope extends beyond this age into a bodily resurrection that far surpasses any 'best life now.'