This Faith Is Reason

It is not uncommon for atheists to claim that reason is on their side. Interestingly, however, the Scriptures equate reason with faith. By the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, Paul the apostle wrote to the church at Thessalonica, saying, "Finally, brethren, pray for us, that the word of the Lord may run swiftly and be glorified, just as it is with you, and that we may be delivered from unreasonable and wicked men; for not all have faith" (2 Thessalonians 3:1-2).

Atheists really are not reasonable or rational thinkers at all. They imagine that this orderly universe, operating according to orderly and intricate sets of laws, came not from an orderly Creator and sovereign Lawgiver; but from random, mindless, unguided processes. And that is a very irrational point of view. 

Cells live and operate according to complex codes of intelligible information. They read and interpret the information that is encoded in them, in order to multiply and give specific characteristics to the living organism of which they are a part. 

The human brain has to function in an orderly and intelligible manner in order to be able to make valid observations of the surrounding world. Otherwise, the five senses would not be reliable as means of observation. Thus, reason and science would be completely impossible.

The atheists, maintaining that there is no orderly Creator or sovereign Lawgiver, are unable to give any rational explanation for the existence of the laws, the intricate information, by which the universe operates. Thus, the atheistic worldview actually undercuts any rational grounds for science and reason. This does not mean that atheists are unable to conduct scientific studies. It just means that they can not provide any rational grounds, from their own worldview, for doing so.

Furthermore, atheism provides no rational grounds for any moral or spiritual laws. An atheist may hold to some code that they regard as good, though they are not in harmony with God who is the Absolute Standard of what is good. But they can not give any rational explanation as to why anything is or is not good. In fact, atheists do not believe in absolutes; except that they are absolutely sure that there are no absolutes.

These so-called "rationalists", who are not really rational at all, hold that everything is reducible to a mere collection of facts; of data, with no real, objective moral/spiritual value or meaning; other than what human beings imaginatively place on it. Of course, as already noted, if there were no orderly Creator and sovereign Lawgiver, there would be no reliable means of observing and systematically collecting any orderly data at all. 

But aside from that, these "rationalists" leave themselves bereft of any understanding of the real, objective matters of the heart and soul of the human experience - the inward, non-physical part of a person. Follow the t.v. show "Bones" (which I do actually enjoy - believe it or not) and I think you'll see what I mean.  The mean character frequently says "I don't know what that means." when an emotional/spiritual expression is made. This destitution of the soul and spirit is not rational or reasonable. To be truly rational means having the wisdom to evaluate all known facts and understand their spiritual significance. 

As the preacher at my church noted in his sermon this past Sunday, wisdom is the ability to view earthly things from a heavenly perspective. King Solomon the Wise taught us that reverence toward the LORD is the beginning of both wisdom and knowledge (Proverbs 9:10, & 1:7).

Christians have a rational basis for expecting the universe to operate in an orderly manner that can be systematically observed and studied. And we have a rational basis for holding to moral/spiritual laws as well. The universe was created by an orderly Creator and sovereign Lawgiver, who sustains it in a consistent, orderly manner. Not only is this so, but God is love (1 John 4:8). And He created us in His own image (Genesis 1:26-27) for the purpose of love (Matthew 22:37-40). Our Creator is the only Reason that science and goodness have on which to stand. 

The heavenly Father Himself has said, through the prophet Isaiah:

 "'Come now, let us reason together,"

Says the LORD,

"Though your sins be as scarlet,

They shall be white as snow;

Though they are red like crimson,

They shall be as wool'"

(Isaiah 1:18; emphasis added).

And He has sent His Son, Jesus Christ, to fulfill this promise (John 1:29). This, by the way, sets Christ apart from all other religions. We have confidence that God Himself took on human form and lived a humble, human life in Israel. He Himself endured the brokenness, the sorrows and hardships of the human experience, and was crucified for our sin (Isaiah 53). Everyone who places their trust in Jesus Christ is reconciled with the heavenly Father. "For there is one God and one Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus" (1 Timothy 2:5).

Why Science Is Great

The reason science is great, the reason it is even possible at all, is that the universe operates according to orderly sets of laws. If it did not, then our own brains would not operate in an orderly manner, allowing us to think and to make valid observations of the universe, of which we and our brains are a part. Now atheists would have us to think that this natural universe, which operates according to orderly sets of laws, came not from an intelligent Creator and sovereign Lawgiver, but from random, mindless, unguided processes. And these atheists make the ridiculous claim that theirs is the more rational worldview. But they are not rational. They are irrational, and spiritually blind. Their hearts are insensitive to the truth of God.

The word of God describes them rightly; that "... they became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened. Professing to be wise, they became fools"(Romans 1:20-22). They have the absurd view that since scientific laws govern the universe, that somehow refutes the word of God who made the laws that govern the universe. But science, the orderly, systematic study of the natural universe, is great because it truly points to our orderly Creator and sovereign Lawgiver who orders and commands His creation as He sees fit. 

Of course, the Scriptures tell that God has the power to command nature to behave differently than normal at specific points - any points - in time and space. When He does, we call the result a miracle. This should not surprise us since He made the universe. It is His. He owns it. From the astronomical, to the microscopic; all matter, all space, all time belongs to Him. Philip Yancy wrote, "Some see miracles as an implausible suspension of the laws of the physical universe. As signs, though, they serve just the opposite function. Death, decay, entropy, and destruction are the true suspensions of God's laws; miracles are the early glimpses of restoration".  

In the physical universe we can plainly see the order and splendor of our God who made all things. And we can also plainly see the brokenness of our world which groans under the weight of sin's curse. So we can see the need for a Savior. And if we read the Gospels, we can learn about that Savior. His name is Jesus. He is the Son of God. 

He took on human form and came into our broken world. He lived within the time and space of human history. He took on Himself all of the brokenness of our existence, and our world, though He had no sin. He died on the cross to pay the penalty for our sin (Romans 6:23). And on the third day, He rose again, conquering death. All who trust in Him receive forgiveness of sin, and eternal life in Paradise with Him.

Science is great because we can see His work through the world that He created. And we can see the brokenness of our world because of sin. We can see our need for reconciliation with God. But the gospel of Christ is greater than science, because it tells us we can be reconciled with God now, by grace, through faith in Jesus Christ (Romans 5:1-2).

Madhouse

Last week I posted about the exorcism at the Gadarenes. And I wrote that post with an awareness a common misconception that modern people tend to have about our ancient fathers. Evolutionary dogma would suggest that in ancient times, our forefathers were simply not intelligent enough to understand natural phenomena such as lightening, rain, or even mental illness. 

And so the idea is that ancient people attributed all mental disorders to evil spirits possessing the mad. And then, with the advent of modern science, it is thought, people moved away from the notion of demonic possession to embrace the more sophisticated knowledge of mental disease. 

But this is not the actual scenario. It didn't happen like that. Even in Old Testament times, our forefathers knew that there was a such thing as insanity, without always attributing it to demonic possession. 

Before David son of Jesse became king over Israel, he was on the run for King Saul, who knew that David was chosen by God to replace him as king. To escape the inordinate wrath of Saul, David fled to a neighboring city-state called Gath. But the servants of Achish king of Gath knew who David was, and thought to have him in trouble with Achish. 

So we are informed that our Old Testament protagonist, David "was very much afraid of Achish king of Gath. So he changed his behavior before them, pretended madness in their hands, scratched on the doors of the gate, and let his saliva fall down on his beard. Then Achish said to his servants, 'Look, you see this man is insane. Why have you brought him to me? Have I need of madmen that you have brought this fellow to play the madman in my presence? Shall this fellow come into my house?'". So they let David go (1 Samuel 21:12-15).

Another Old Testament hero, the prophet Jeremiah, indicted pagan worshipers of being "insane with their idols" (Jeremiah 50:38). In other words, they were made crazy by their worship of false gods. They worshiped idols which they had made in the image of created things (Romans 1:18-32), as opposed to the true, living God who is love, (1 John 4:8) and who created all the universe and everything in it, (Genesis 1:1, John 1:1-1-3, Hebrews 1:1-2). He created humanity in His own image, (Genesis 1:26-27) before the Fall, for the purpose of love (Matthew 22:27-40).

The prophet Hosea also brought charge against the unfaithful people of Israel, saying that the unfaithful prophets and spiritual people had become insane as a result of their sin and their halfhearted approach to God. They thought they could worship God and idols both. And so their minds were darkened with the madness of their sin (Hosea 9:7).

We were made by, and in the image of God who is love. And His first and greatest commandment is to love the Lord our God with all our heart, all our soul, and with all our mind (Matthew 22:37, emphasis added). Refusal to do so will prove to be a detriment to the mind that despises God. 

But as the prophet Isaiah spoke by the Holy Spirit, "You will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on You, because he trusts in You" (Isaiah 26:3). And I know from experience that my peace of mind is at its fullest when I am faithful to honor God with my mind.

Today we live among a generation that thinks with its mind that it doesn't need God. This generation thinks that the orderly universe, operating in accordance with orderly laws, did not come from an orderly Creator and Lawgiver, but from random, unguided processes. That's insane! That is not a rational worldview.

And with its mind, this same generation thinks it should be legal to murder unborn children. Just as the ancient pagans sacrificed their children to idols, so this generation is willing to sacrifice its children to the gods of convenience and self-gratification. They also have in mind to redefine marriage, which is not a man-made institution, but comes from God. And as Jesus Himself said when He was asked about marriage, "But from the beginning of creation 'God made them male and female'" (Mark 10:6).

This generation continues in the trend of the previous ones, the rejection of God and His Christ, and the continual devaluing of the things which God values. The sanctity of human life, marriage, and freedom to worship and honor our heavenly Father and His Son Jesus Christ are devalued and despised more and more as time goes on.

~~~~

"Then His fame went throughout all Syria; and they brought to Him all sick people who were afflicted with various diseases and torments, and those who were demon-possessed, epileptics, and paralytics; and He healed them" (Matthew 4:24).

We do indeed live in a broken, fallen world. And as it is noted in Matthew 4:24, there are many different kinds of conditions and illnesses; including, but not limited to demonic possession. And though full restoration of all things will not come until the end of this current, broken world, Jesus has the power to heal all ailments.

I have quoted this statement from Philip Yancey before, but I like it. He said: "Some see miracles as improbable suspensions of the laws of the physical universe. As signs, though, they serve just the opposite function. Death, decay, entropy, and destruction are the true suspensions of God's laws; miracles are the early glimpses of restoration".

And not only does Jesus have the power to cast out demons and heal physical, and mental conditions; He also has the power to heal the spiritual condition of sin in a repentant human being. As the Scriptures tell: 

"...When Jesus saw their faith, He said to the paralytic, 'Son, be of good cheer; your sins are forgiven you...But that you may know that the Son of Man has power on earth to forgive sins...Arise, take up your bed, and go to your house'. And he arose and departed to his house...Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God...giving thanks to the Father who has qualified us to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in the light. He has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love, in whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins" (Matthew 9:1-7, Romans 5:1-2, Colossians 1:12-14).

Of Pharisees and Physicists Part Two

At the beginning of last month I wrote about the Pharisees (teachers of the Law of Moses) who rejected Jesus; the Messiah that was predicted, foreshadowed, and prefigured in the writings of Moses, under the direction of the Holy Spirit. And I wrote about the teachers of the laws of nature who, in these modern times, reject Jesus through whom all things were created. He is the Author of the laws of nature. 

So I showed the similarity between the two sets of law-teachers. Both groups have missed the point of the laws which they have studies. And therefore both groups have rejected God who made the laws which they have taught. Now I want to continue with that observation. 

Jesus once indicted the Pharisees of those days by comparing them to "children sitting in the market place and calling to one another, saying:

'We played the flute for you,

And you did not dance;

We mourned to you,

And you did not weep.'

For John the Baptist came neither eating bread nor drinking wine, and you say, 'He has a demon'. The Son of Man has come eating and drinking, and you say, 'Look, a glutton and a winebibber, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!'" (Luke 7:32-34).

This same illustration is applicable and relevant to the discussion of today's "teachers of the law". I say this because when we tell of the amazing miracles that where performed by Jesus Christ, and all the other miracles described in the Bible, as well as God's ability to perform miracles at any time and place He chooses; the naturalistic teachers of the law will scoff and ridicule these claims. They will say that the universe operates according to orderly sets of laws. 

When we tell the truth that God Himself instituted the laws of nature which He created and owns, and that He carries out most of His work through the laws which He has instituted over nature; they will scoff and ridicule this. They will call it "an argument from silence" for a "God of the gaps". But as Dr. Georgia Purdom of Answers in Genesis has recently pointed out in her blog, "we do not use God to fill in the gaps because there are no gaps". And there is no silence (Psalm 19:1-4). There is only God and His creation, which He made and owns.

It is simple. God instituted the laws of nature, they are His laws. And He also reserves the right to command the natural universe, which He created and owns, to behave differently at specific points in time and space. When He does, we call the result a miracle. 

But now, whether God works by way of miracles, or if He works by way of the ordinary laws of nature which He instituted; the wicked, corrupt self-deceivers will reject Him either way. If they ever did see a miracle happen before their very eyes, they would say "There must be some scientific explanation for this".

They ignore the truth that if all the universe is entirely the result of random, unguided processes, then our their brains are also the product of random, unguided process. In that case all their thoughts are the accidental products of random, unguided processes. 

And in that case they have no reason to believe that any of their thoughts are valid observations of the universe in which they accidentally exist. And that undermines their supposed observation that the universe is a result of random, unguided processes. In short, their naturalistic worldview undermines itself.

Science - the orderly, systematic study of the natural universe is possible because the orderly, sovereign Creator of the universe made nature to operate according to orderly sets of laws. And He also created our minds to be able to function in an orderly way that allows us to think and make valid observations.

Jesus said to the Pharisees who denied Him, "You search the Scriptures, for in them you think that you have eternal life; and these are they which testify of Me" (John 5:39). His modern enemies claim to believe in the laws of nature. But the laws of nature point to the orderly, sovereign God who created nature to operate according to orderly laws. 

So the problem is not a lack of evidence. It is only the hardness of a fallen, corrupt, sinful heart that blinds anyone to the truth. These teachers of the law, in their heart of hearts, do not love God who is love (1 John 4:8), and who created humanity in His own image (Genesis 1:26-27) for the purpose of love (Matthew 22:37-40). They demonstrate their fallen nature in that they do not love God who is love.

Of Pharisees and Physicists

In today's scientific community, there are many who hold to the view that everything can be explained solely through natural processes. Accordingly, these individuals reject belief in miracles, which they see as contrary to the laws of the physical universe (or possibly multiverse) which is, in their view, all there is. This worldview is called naturalism. 

Naturalism denies that there is a God who is transcendent (that is, above or apart from the physical universe). Thus it denies that the Genesis account of a six-day Creation by a supernatural Creator only about six thousand years ago; and the Flood which covered all the earth and formed many of the geological features we observe today, can be true.

So modern science does not disprove the biblical account of world history. Rather, individuals and groups within the scientific community start with the assumption that there is no God and/or that the Bible is not His word. And they interpret all their findings in accordance with that presupposition. Often times they make up explanations for data that doesn't fit their interpretation. 

What I find striking is the similarity between these members of the scientific community and the Pharisee (a leading religious sect) of Jesus' time on earth. Those Pharisees rejected Jesus because they viewed His teachings and His claims about Himself to be in conflict with the laws of Moses, and the laws of their own making. They viewed Jesus as a rival who undermined their authority; just as the naturalistic/evolutionary members of the scientific community may see creationists.

But the law of Moses was meant to show us our sin, and thus our need for grace and mercy in Christ. As Jesus said to His antagonists, "For if you believed Moses you would believe Me, for he wrote about me" (John 5:46). In truth, then, there is no conflict between Moses and Jesus.

In the same way, modern science, which is the study of the physical universe, was born out of the conviction that an orderly Creator made and upholds the universe in an orderly manner. This means that the laws of the physical universe were declared by God who is above and apart from the physical universe, just as the law of Moses was given to Moses by God the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who came to fulfill the law and provide salvation from, and forgiveness of sin.

And so, God also has the power to command the physical universe to behave differently at specific points in time and space. When He does, we call the result a miracle. Proponents of naturalism don't like that any more than the legalistic Pharisees liked Jesus going around forgiving sins that they wanted to see punished in accordance with the law. 

And so, by their strict adherence to a naturalistic interpretation of the laws of nature (which are meant to point to God) the naturalists seek to nullify God; just as the Pharisees, by their strict adherence to the letter of the laws of Moses (which were meant to point to Christ) missed the spirit of the law and sought to nullify Christ. Both groups have missed the point of the laws that they have studied. 

But there are many who know that the Law of Moses highlights the fallen, sinful nature of humanity, and our need for salvation by grace through faith in Jesus Christ. And He has told us that the first and greatest commandment is to love God with all our being. And that the second most important commandment is to love each other as we love ourselves (Matthew 22:37-40). And whoever obeys the first commandment will also obey the second (1 John 5:1-5).

And not all Pharisees were against Jesus. Nicodemus was a Pharisee, and he met privately with Jesus to learn from Him early on in His ministry (John 3). Later, Nicodemus found the courage to defend Jesus in front of the whole Sanhedrin (John 7:50). And even later than that, it is believed that Nicodemus died a martyr for following Jesus.

Joseph of Arimathea, too, was a prominent member of the Sanhedrin (Mark 15:43). He let Jesus borrow his tomb for a few days. And Nicodemus helped him take Jesus down from the cross and prepare His body for interment (John 19:38-40).

A few years later, another Pharisee, named Saul of Tarsus, would become a follower of Jesus. Taking on his gentile name, Paul, he went on to write most of the New Testament; not to mention his extensive missionary journeys throughout the Mediterranean world. He also spent time in prison for preaching the gospel. He continued, however, in the ministry, preaching about Jesus until his head was removed by a Roman sword, circa 65 AD.    

Now just as there are those who truly understand the law of Moses, there are also those who know that the laws of nature in the physical universe point to its orderly and sovereign Creator. He is love (1 John 4:8). And He created humanity in His own image. We were made in the image of God who is love. 

This is the reason we even have a concept of love. We are fallen, and corrupted because of sin. But the law of God who is love is still inscribed in our inner being by God who created us in His own image (Romans 2:14-15).  

And just as not all Pharisees were against Jesus, so not all scientists are against the Creator who is one and the same with Jesus (John 1:1-5; John 10:30). As I already pointed out, modern science was born from the conviction that we live in an orderly universe, created and sustained by an orderly Creator according to His orderly reign. This conviction is what made the systematic, orderly study of the physical universe possible. 

Francis Bacon, Copernicus, Johann Kepler, and Isaac Newton all believed in the Genesis account of Creation, the Fall, and the Flood. Charles Darwin stole the idea of natural selection from zoologist Edward Blythe, who believed the Genesis account, and  considered natural selection to be a display of Divine providence in action. And natural selection does not add new information to the genome of any creature. It only works with already existing information. Therefore it is incapable of being the catalyst for molecules-to-man evolution.

The inventor of the MRI scanner, Raymond Damadian, is a creation scientist. And there are many other formally trained scientists who hold to the Genesis account of a six-day Creation, approximately six thousand years ago. Dr. Georgia Purdom has a Ph.D in biology and works for Answers in Genesis. Dr. Jason Lisle has a Ph.D in astrophysics and leads the research team at the Institute for Creation Research. And these are just a few examples.

As I believe in grace, so I believe in miracles. This flies in the face of the rigid teachers of the law. No law can nullify the love of God. And no law can nullify God who is love. By His great power, which we call miraculous; He created the universe in six days, six thousand years ago. And He made humanity in His own image.

I will close with this quote from Philip Yancy:

"Some see miracles as an implausible suspension of the laws of the physical universe. As signs, though, they serve just the opposite function. Death, decay, entropy, and destruction are the true suspensions of God's laws; miracles are the early glimpses of restoration."

The Ephesian Goddess, Evolution, and the Resurrection of Jesus the Messiah

The Riot

In the course of his missionary journeys, the apostle Paul and his companions came to the city of Ephesus. Located in what is presently the country of Turkey, Ephesus had been under Greek and Roman rule successively. It was also the home of the temple of the goddess Diana, aka Artemis.

Paul was there, preaching the gospel of salvation through Jesus the Messiah. And there was a certain silversmith named Demetrius who became incensed by the Christian's denial of all gods other than Yahweh, the living God who created the heavens and the earth. Obviously, since Demetrius was a silversmith, he made his living by sculpting images of Diana and her temple.

Demetrius called together a crowd of people who did similar work to his own. He gave a speech against Paul and the gospel, and a riot began to boil. For two hours the crowd was shouting and chanting "Great is Diana of the Ephesians!"

Then the city clerk quieted the crowd and said "Men of Ephesus, what man is there who does not know that the city of the Ephesians is temple guardian of the great goddess Diana, and of the image which fell down from Zeus? Therefore, since these things can not be denied, you ought to be quiet and do nothing rashly" (Acts 19:35-36).

The "Empirical" Claim

I love how the city clerk considered what was probably a meteorite to be proof of the existence of Zeus and Diana. It reminds me of people who think evolution is confirmed by empirical science.

The city clerk had his interpretation of the fact. An "image" came down from Zeus. And it was probably kept in the temple of Diana, like a fossil in a museum. But his worldview did not come from the fact. Rather he used his pagan worldview, which he already had, to interpret the meaning of the object that fell from the sky.

In the same way, evolutionists have their interpretation of the facts. There are fossils. There are objects that range from simple to complex. There are sedimentary rock layers all over the earth. There are different kinds of creatures with similar biological or anatomical features. The evolutionist interprets these things according to his or her naturalistic worldview.

As a creationist, I see the fossil record as a record of extinction, not evolution. I see the simple-to-complex nature of things not as proof of evolution, but of the plain fact that there have always been simple-to-complex things in the universe. I see the sedimentary layers of the geological column as evidence of deep water (during the Genesis Flood), not deep time. I see biological/anatomical similitude in different kinds of creatures as evidence of a common Creator, not of a common evolutionary ancestor.

Worldviews do not come from evidence. Worldviews are used to interpret the evidence. 

Evidence for Jesus the Messiah

But perhaps the most well attested event in all of antiquities is the miraculous, bodily resurrection of Jesus the Messiah from the dead.

It is a historical fact that Jesus of Nazareth really lived in first century Israel. He was crucified and died. Furthermore, His disciples believed that He was raised from the dead and that He appeared to them as the risen Lord. 

It is a historical fact that Jesus' half-brother, James, became a believer after initially doubting Jesus. And it is a fact that Saul of Tarsus, a Pharisee, ceased persecuting Christians and began preaching that Jesus is the risen Savior, and had appeared to him on the road to Damascus. And he began to go by his gentile name, "Paul" since his ministry was primarily aimed at converting gentiles to the Messiah, Jesus.

These disciples of Jesus were willing to spread His gospel under severe persecution. All of them, except John, died martyr's deaths because they were convinced that Jesus rose from the dead and had appeared bodily to them. 

John, the youngest of the twelve apostles, suffered persecution for preaching about Jesus. In his old age he was exiled to the Island of Patmos. There he wrote the book of Revelation. John was also the author of the fourth Gospel account, and three letters (1st, 2nd, and 3rd John) that are now a part of the New Testament.

In fact, one of the oldest extant fragments from the New Testament is the Rylands Library Papyrus P52, also known as St. John's Papyrus. Being a portion of John chapter 18, the fragment of ancient papyrus was uncovered in Egypt and is considered to date back to approximately 100 A.D. to 150 A.D.

John died around 100 A.D. That's about seventy years after he witnessed the miracles of Christ, including His post-resurrection appearances, with his own eyes (1st John 1:1-4).

There is also much reason to believe confidently that Luke's gospel and the book of Acts were written by Luke before 65 A.D. If the book of Acts had been written later, it would not end where it does.

Acts is a sequel to Luke's gospel. It is a record of the works (deeds, or actions) of the apostles after Jesus rose from the dead.

The narrative of Acts ends with the apostle Paul still alive in Rome. Paul was beheaded by the Romans circa 67 A.D. for preaching about Jesus.

The book of Acts ends with no mention of the Jewish War, or the fall of Jerusalem which happened in 70 A.D. These major events of the first century were significant to early Church history.Yet the narrative ends where it does because Luke wrote it before these events took place.

In addition to all this, the Church leaders of the second century quoted so much from the New Testament books that even if there were no copies of the New Testament texts from earlier, virtually the entire N.T. could be reproduced just from the writings of the early Church leaders.

What it comes down to is this. Those who deny the resurrection of Jesus, do so not because of the historical evidence, but because they hold to a worldview that miracles don't happen. 

As C.S. Lewis wrote in the first chapter of his book, Miracles:

"In all my life I have met only one person who claims to have seen a ghost. And the interesting thing about the story is that the person disbelieved in the immortal soul before she saw the ghost and still disbelieves after seeing it. She says that what she saw must have been an illusion or a trick of the nerves...If anything extraordinary seems to have happened, we can always say that we have been the victims of an illusion. If we hold to a philosophy which excludes the supernatural, that is what we always shall say" (emphasis added).

So again we see that worldviews do not come from the evidence, but are utilized to interpret the evidence.