Theologian Responds to Bryan Johnson’s “Challenge” to Jesus Christ

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1. 00:00

   Michael Horton

   Is that really what you want? Living forever the kind of life that you're living now? Just extending the life you have now? Or a new heavens and a new earth? Resurrection. Life that isn't just picking up where you left off, but is something that no eye has seen nor ear heard. Being as much like God as it is possible for a creature to be. Being glorified.

2. 00:35

   Michael Horton

   Hi, my name is Mike Horton, and I teach theology and apologetics. And I want to take a look at some statements by Bryan Johnson. You may have heard of him. He was a Mormon who went on a mission and everything, and then left Mormonism and became independently wealthy.And so let's take a listen and examine some of his arguments.

3. 00:55

   Bryan Johnson

   The biggest psychological barrier in our current culture, which is we perceive inevitable death, and so therefore, anything that happens, like, whatever, we don't care. And so we have to overcome. And this is why I've been playfully challenging the status and authority of Jesus Christ. I made a joke that Jesus fed wine and bread, accelerating aging and inebriating, and I will feed nutrients that will nourish and create life. Why is Jesus the continued representation of a philosophical group of a billion-plus people.Why can't someone challenge that status and authority and say, no, it's not the resurrection, it's not the afterlife, it's this life, it's don't die?

4. 01:41

   Michael Horton

   Well, actually, it's about as old as the New Testament itself. This was the argument that the Epicureans gave when the Apostle Paul spoke to the Greeks in the philosophical society gathered in Athens. Luke tells us that they were Stoics and Epicureans. And Epicureans said, there's a great, you could put this on a coffee mug. They said, don't fear the gods, don't fear death. What's good is easy to get and what's bad is easy to endure. So basically, don't worry, be happy because there are no gods. Imagine there is no heaven above us, no hell below. Imagine. Sounds like a song. Many of us are familiar with. This outlook is ancient, but the question really is not: Would you like to try to preserve yourself, your identity, either by cryogenics or by uploading your brain to the cloud? Is living forever the kind of life that you're living now? Is that really what you want? Just extending the life you have now or a new heavens and a new earth, resurrection, life that isn't just picking up where you left off, but is something that no eye has seen nor ear heard, being as much like God as it is possible for a creature to be, being glorified. Isn't that something far greater than being maybe locked up in a steel case until they are able to unfreeze you or to be able to download your thoughts, your memories. But the main thing is not what would you like, what do you desire? The main question is what's actually true? And there is no resurrection in this idea of becoming gods ourselves. It's not even really becoming very good humans because we're just picking up where we left off, dead in trespasses and sins, instead of being justified, sanctified, and glorified in Jesus Christ.

5. 04:15

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