Atheist Alex O'Connor presses Jordan Peterson on Exodus, Christ's resurrection
Atheist Alex O'Connor recently visited with Jordan Peterson. O'Connor told the famous psychologist, “You've spent more time in Exodus than probably anyone I've ever met in person ... When people suddenly say to you, ‘But do you think it really happened?’” Peterson immediately intervened, “Well what the Hell does that mean?”
O'Connor gently pressed Peterson on the historicity of the Exodus. He said, “When somebody says, ‘Did the Exodus story happen? Did the Jews enslaved in Egypt break free of their slavery and move to the Promised Land across the desert for 40 years? Did that happen?’ You have also said of the Exodus specifically, ‘It's still happening.’” Peterson replied, “Yes.”
O'Connor said this type of response is “inappropriate,” and then asked, “Do you believe that these people in that time period actually did this in such a way that for instance might show up in an archaeological report?’” Peterson responded, “I think the simplest answer is, ‘Probably, but we don't know.’” The psychologist incorrectly stated that “we don't know” if the Exodus was an actual historical event. There are plenty of Jews, Christians and others who know for a fact that the Exodus truly took place.
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O'Connor essentially wanted to see whether Jordan Peterson believed what the Apostle Paul believed about the Exodus. During a sermon Paul firmly stated, “Men of Israel and you Gentiles who worship God, listen to me! The God of the people of Israel chose our fathers and made the people prosper during their stay in Egypt. With mighty power He led them out of that country and endured their conduct forty years in the desert” (Acts 13:16-18). Paul was certain the Exodus took place.
And Jesus knew better than anyone that Moses led the Israelites out of Egypt. Jesus told some Jews in His day, “If you believed Moses, you would believe me, for he wrote about me” (John 5:46). The historical figure of Moses and the historical event of the Exodus are as certain as the Ten Commandments (see Exodus 20:1-21). The Apostle John wrote, “For the Law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ” (John 1:17).
O'Connor also asked Peterson about Christ's resurrection. “If I went back in time with a Panasonic video camera in front of the tomb of Joseph of Arimathea, would the little LCD screen show a man walk out of that tomb?” Peterson said, “I would suspect yes.” O'Connor then said, “When somebody says, ‘Do you believe that Jesus rose from the dead?’ It doesn't seem clear to me why you're not just able to say, ‘It would seem to me yes.’” Peterson responded, “Because I have no idea what that means. And neither did the people who saw it.”
Really? The followers of Christ who spent time with their risen Lord didn't know what His resurrection meant? The fact of the matter is that they absolutely understood what it meant. The Messiah rose from the dead just as He had prophesied, (see John 2:19) and it confirmed everything Jesus had said about Himself and His eternal Kingdom.
When explaining Scripture in his catechisms, Martin Luther employed the following question: “What does this mean?” Imagine Jordan Peterson writing his own religious catechism and asking the question, “What does Christ's resurrection mean?” It seems Peterson's answer would be, “We have no idea what it means.”
Jordan Peterson's spiritual journey would obviously benefit greatly from having personal confidence in the historicity and biblical significance of Christ's atoning death on the cross and His resurrection from the dead. Christian faith looks outside ourselves (extra nos) for salvation and trusts in the work Christ finished on the cross 2,000 years ago.
Paul wrote, “For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that He was buried, that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, and that He appeared to Peter, and then to the Twelve. After that, He appeared to more than 500 of the brothers at the same time, most of whom are still living, though some have fallen asleep” (1 Corinthians 15:3-6).
Christian faith has always been rooted in the one-time, all-sufficient sacrifice for our sins on the cross, (see Hebrews 10:10-14) and Christ's resurrection from the dead on the third day. Jordan Peterson will never know what Christ's resurrection means unless he accepts its historical validity and spiritual significance.
It would sure be ironic if God uses an atheist like Alex O'Connor to help Jordan Peterson get off the fence and place full confidence in the historical events of the Exodus and the resurrection of Christ. Kudos to Alex for pressing the key historical questions so explicitly. It is not the first time Peterson has been asked some excellent questions regarding his interpretation of Exodus, as I pointed out in my CP op-ed, “Will John Lennox Lead Jordan Peterson Out of Egypt?”
Imagine Moses saying, “The Exodus probably happened, but we don't know for sure.” And imagine the Apostle Paul saying, “The eyewitnesses to Christ's resurrection are not sure what it means.” Spiritual confusion and historical doubt are enemies of Christian faith. And this is why I believe the risen Messiah would kindly instruct Jordan Peterson with the same guidance He gave to Thomas: “Stop doubting and believe” (John 20:27).
Dan Delzell is the pastor of Redeemer Lutheran Church in Papillion, Nebraska.
