Bt David Roach, Baptist Press NASHVILLE (BP) -- Did Jesus really rise from the dead? It's a question asked and answered each Easter in news reports, television documentaries and personal conversations. This year, two Southern Baptists who train others to defend the faith have offered their thoughts on the best way to answer. Rob Phillips, who leads apologetics for the Missouri Baptist Convention, pointed to the "minimal facts argument," which defends the resurrection using only evidence "considered virtually undeniable," even by skeptics. Stephen Wellum, a theology professor at Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, said evidence for the resurrection always must be coupled with an explanation of the resurrection's significance within the Christian worldview. Phillips told Baptist Press the minimal facts argument is "a compelling case for the resurrection" in the 21st century because "there appears to be such a high level of skepticism today about the Bible in general and about its recorded miracles in particular." Citing Liberty University apologist Gary Habermas, Phillips noted two requirements for a "minimal fact": "First, each fact must be confirmed by several strong and independent arguments, typically 10 or … [Read more...]