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 five hundred of
the brothers at the same time, most of whom are still living, though some have
fallen asleep. Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles, and
last of all he appeared to me also, as to one abnormally born. (I Corinthians 15:3-8)
According to the majority of Biblical scholars, the underlined part of today's passage between was part of a creed used by the Church by about 35 AD. In other words, it was something that Christians were declaring to be true within 5 years of the Resurrection. The New Testament includes the testimony of 6 witnesses (Matthew Levi, Peter, John, James and Jude (Jesus' brothers who weren't even his disciples) and Paul, who was originally violently opposed to the Church.) It also includes a the report of a historian who interviewed as many witnesses as he could: Luke. We regularly accept as history things that are not as well documented.
The rules for historical evidence are straight-forward. The documentation needs to be provided by one or more witnesses (the more the better), as close to the time of the event as possible.
According to the majority of Biblical scholars, the underlined part of today's passage between was part of a creed used by the Church by about 35 AD. In other words, it was something that Christians were declaring to be true within 5 years of the Resurrection. The New Testament includes the testimony of 6 witnesses (Matthew Levi, Peter, John, James and Jude (Jesus' brothers who weren't even his disciples) and Paul, who was originally violently opposed to the Church.) It also includes a the report of a historian who interviewed as many witnesses as he could: Luke. We regularly accept as history things that are not as well documented.
The rules for historical evidence are straight-forward. The documentation needs to be provided by one or more witnesses (the more the better), as close to the time of the event as possible.
Warning: Contents snarky. The Resurrection is the most important event in history. That's the reason it's attacked and discounted by those opposed to Christianity. You've probably heard some of the theories:
It never happened, it was just reported much later be power-hungry men. Except there is evidence that it was reported very early on, taught during a time when it could have been contradicted easily. It was even mentioned by people who opposed Christianity.
The proof that it's not true has been destroyed. Argument for something based on the lack of evidence thereof?
He fainted and later came to in the Tomb and they let Him out. Argument from ignorance of the process of crucifixion. How did anyone know to let him out? Did he pound on the rock and shout? The people who would have heard were being paid to make sure He stayed dead. If the disciples were the "they" who let Him out, how did they know to go release Him? I'll come back to additional difficulties with this one in a moment.
It was a mass hallucination or delusion brought on by mass hysteria. Except delusions don't last 50 days, and aren't experienced consistently by as many as 500 people, including at least one who was not present during the supposed first round of hallucinations. There is no historical evidence for the hallucinatory theory and the claim doesn't solve the question of where what happened to the body (living or dead) that the authorities should have been able to produce to prove the claim false.
It was just a lie for which the people who participated in the deception were willing to suffer and die? And what was the purpose of their deception? Power? What power did the Church have before in the first three centuries?
My favorite is They stole the body. So, two or more of the disciples apparently tiptoed past the guards whose life depended the body staying put, while all four (or more) of the those guards were sound asleep. They rolled a stone that weighed as much as a car out of the way, while both they and the guards ignored the stench of the herbs and decomposition, unwrapped the burial clothes (which were later found in the tomb) and carried a naked and potentially smelly corpse back through the guards to some unknown location and reburied him. This sounds to me like the Three Stooges taking on the Keystone Cops. This is the same basic problem with the idea that He swooned and the disciples (the other "they") let Him out. The situation isn't improved by a suggestion that the guards guarded the wrong tomb. There's nothing in any of the accounts to suggest the guard was that inept. There's very little in the gospels that makes the disciples look like they're even remotely capable of pulling off a world-class theft.
Your celebration tomorrow is of a historical event for which there is better evidence than there is for most of your own life.
It never happened, it was just reported much later be power-hungry men. Except there is evidence that it was reported very early on, taught during a time when it could have been contradicted easily. It was even mentioned by people who opposed Christianity.
The proof that it's not true has been destroyed. Argument for something based on the lack of evidence thereof?
He fainted and later came to in the Tomb and they let Him out. Argument from ignorance of the process of crucifixion. How did anyone know to let him out? Did he pound on the rock and shout? The people who would have heard were being paid to make sure He stayed dead. If the disciples were the "they" who let Him out, how did they know to go release Him? I'll come back to additional difficulties with this one in a moment.
It was a mass hallucination or delusion brought on by mass hysteria. Except delusions don't last 50 days, and aren't experienced consistently by as many as 500 people, including at least one who was not present during the supposed first round of hallucinations. There is no historical evidence for the hallucinatory theory and the claim doesn't solve the question of where what happened to the body (living or dead) that the authorities should have been able to produce to prove the claim false.
It was just a lie for which the people who participated in the deception were willing to suffer and die? And what was the purpose of their deception? Power? What power did the Church have before in the first three centuries?
My favorite is They stole the body. So, two or more of the disciples apparently tiptoed past the guards whose life depended the body staying put, while all four (or more) of the those guards were sound asleep. They rolled a stone that weighed as much as a car out of the way, while both they and the guards ignored the stench of the herbs and decomposition, unwrapped the burial clothes (which were later found in the tomb) and carried a naked and potentially smelly corpse back through the guards to some unknown location and reburied him. This sounds to me like the Three Stooges taking on the Keystone Cops. This is the same basic problem with the idea that He swooned and the disciples (the other "they") let Him out. The situation isn't improved by a suggestion that the guards guarded the wrong tomb. There's nothing in any of the accounts to suggest the guard was that inept. There's very little in the gospels that makes the disciples look like they're even remotely capable of pulling off a world-class theft.
Your celebration tomorrow is of a historical event for which there is better evidence than there is for most of your own life.
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