TOM GILSON — Since I first became a Christian I’ve heard repeatedly that Jesus’ disciples died for their belief in him, and that this provides evidence that Christianity is true. Actually I first heard it several weeks before I decided to follow Christ, when I read Josh McDowell’s 1973 book Evidence That Demands a Verdict. It was a major point in Josh’s writing and in his speaking.

The claim has been challenged. Skeptics and atheists are quick to remind us that lots of people have died for beliefs that weren’t true. They’ve asked how we really know the apostles died for their faith. Recently a newer related question has come up: How do we know specifically that they were given a choice? Were they offered the option to live if they would let go of their belief in Christ?

Josh McDowell’s son Sean wondered how we knew they died for their faith, too, and he focused his Ph.D. research on that question. (It isn’t every son who feels the freedom to question his dad like that. They’re still writing and speaking together.)

Sean published his research for academic readers in a book titled The Fate of the Apostles. For the rest of us he’s been summarizing it on his blog. His findings don’t support everything that I read years ago in Josh McDowell’s writings. It turns out we don’t have solid information about every apostle’s death. We know they were all happily willing to face hardships, though, and we know how some of them died, notably Stephen, James, Peter and Paul.

There’s still plenty there to answer the skeptics’ challenges. Here are several short articles from Sean McDowell describing what we know and explaining why it counts as solid evidence for the resurrection of Jesus Christ.

Could the Apostles Have Been Executed Against Their Wills?

What Makes the Deaths of the Apostles Unique?

Was Joseph Smith a Martyr?

Were the Apostles Willing to Die for a Misguided Faith?

Do the Apostles of Jesus Qualify as Martyrs?

Did the Apostles Have a Resurrection Faith?

Do the Deaths of the Apostles Prove Anything?