The Reality of the Resurrection: An Argument in Paradigm and Context Bruce Godfrey Elder- Beth El Bible Church
The Reality of the Resurrection: An Argument in Paradigm and Context Introduction It is impossible to overstate the significance of the Resurrection of Jesus Christ to a Christian. Certainly it is a symbol of God s power, authority and grace, as it demonstrates His governance over all things in the universe, including life; also, it proves the deity of Christ and is a central principle of Christian doctrine, a cardinal and striking tenet of Christianity from the first; 1 however, its meaning to the individual Christian is more personal in nature. The Resurrection is a powerful beacon of hope and promise for all Christians, has been so for the past two thousand years, and continues to provide inspiration to new believers daily. It is the bedrock of Christian faith and perseverance. Such is the context of the Resurrection to a Christian. But what does the Resurrection mean to the unconvicted, those unbelievers who have not accepted Christ as their Savior? The resurrection is meaningless to these individuals because they have no context in which to accept and understand it. To the agnostic or the simple unbeliever, the concept is doubtful and troublesome since it lies well outside common modern paradigms. For these individuals, it is just as difficult to accept as Mary s virgin conception, Christ s initial miraculous incarnation. To the ardent atheist, the concept is abhorrent since it is a direct threat to a fervently held naturalistic worldview. These reservations and objections are difficult to overcome because they vary in structure and intensity from person to person. It is the duty of the Christian apologist to meet these people where they are amidst their doubts and preconceived ideas and provide sound, substantive facts and arguments that establish Christ s Resurrection. This is accomplished of necessity by understanding and considering the unbelievers paradigms, by placing the Resurrection in the context of God s revelation to 1 William G. T. Shedd, Dogmatic Theology, 3rd edition (Phillipsburg, NJ: P & R Publishing, 2003) p. 867 2
mankind, and by providing sound, substantive facts and arguments that establish Christ died and returned from the dead. Analysis: Establishing a Biblical Game Plan Understanding the unbeliever s paradigm is the premier consideration. When broaching a discussion of the Resurrection with an unbeliever the Christian apologist must first understand that the unbeliever neither sees nor understands any difference between Christian resurrection and the reanimation of Lazarus, zombies, or any other variation of the dead coming back to life it s all the same to him and it really isn t salient to the apologist s argument at this point. Its not until an individual becomes a Christian that this difference is recognized, understood, and begins to matter. Detailing the differences between a resurrection and a reanimation to an unbeliever is superfluous and therefore not germane to the discussion. The intent of the argument is to make it easy to accept that Jesus died and then came back from death. Mention should also be made considering the reliability of the New Testament as an historical document outside its theology. The New Testament has been the subjected to the most sever textual criticism of any document in the world, and it has proven to be the most reliably reproduced of all ancient documents. 2 The unbeliever s paradigm should bring this into account. The apologist must also remember that an unbeliever s acceptance of the Resurrection does not make him a believer accepting and believing a resurrection took place does not make anyone a Christian. Belief in the Resurrection by itself saves nobody. Discussion of the Resurrection can be an excellent segue into Christ s divine nature and saving faith, but it does not serve as the reagent of salvation. 2 New Testament Textual Criticism, http://www.theopedia.com/new_testament_textual_criticism 3
The final consideration must be the context in which the Resurrection took place. The Resurrection was the final visible act of Jesus on earth and was the culmination of millennia of revelation from God. The Resurrection, while important, does not and cannot stand by itself; it has no meaning independent of God s ancient and ongoing relation to mankind, and is but a portion of a continuous revelation from God. In the presentation of an apologetic argument regarding the Resurrection with an unbeliever, it is insufficient to only establish that Christ returned from the dead; we must also provide the context to explain why it happened. We must therefore present the Resurrection as a part of God s continuing revelation to man for it to have meaning. This was recognized and practiced by the apostles and the early leadership of the church and provides the added benefit of allowing the discussion to have a convicting aspect. Numerous examples are given in the New Testament of the Resurrection being presented in the context of the Gospel and God s plan for mankind: Stephen s defense before the Sanhedrin in Acts 7:1-53; Peter s meeting with Cornelius in Acts 10:34-43; and Paul s message to the Athenians on Mars Hill in Acts 17:16-34. In each of these examples the speaker prefaces the Resurrection with a preamble which provides a context within which it is to be understood (God s plan for mankind), and considers the paradigm of the listeners (Stephen to Jews, Peter to gentiles, and Paul to believers of other faiths and agnostics). This illustrates how the leadership of the early church viewed and presented Christ s Resurrection and should serve as a template today. We can prove the Resurrection took place, and the Resurrection is God s proof that Christ is the instrument of His salvation for mankind (Acts 17:31). The preamble can be modified to suit the paradigm of the unbeliever. For devout Jews, it would contain some of the elements of Stephen s defense as well as much of the message 4
proclaimed by Messianic Jews. 3 For devotees of other religions, it would be very similar to Paul s message to the Athenians. For the ardent atheist, a variation that treats naturalism as a religion would be suitable. For the agnostic, a presentation of biblical history would be appropriate. This paper will address the paradigm of the agnostic. The Reality of the Resurrection God created the universe and everything within it galaxies, stars, and planets. God made the world and everything in it. He gives life and breath and everything to everyone, and is the Lord of heaven and earth. From one man, Adam, He populated the entirety of humanity, and determines when everyone is born, where they will live, and when they will die. It is He who causes this to happen, not mere chance. God does this so that each person can search for Him and perhaps find Him, even though He is never far from us and not hard to find. Some doubt His existence and others refuse to search for Him, and although He has overlooked such times of ignorance in the past, He now commands all people everywhere to repent. God sent Jesus to mankind to give the message proclaiming the good news of peace through Jesus Christ, and this peace is available to any and all who accept Him regardless of race, sex, or past actions. He has set a day on which Jesus Christ is going to judge in righteousness all who inhabit the earth, past and present, and He has proof this shall happen through Christ s life, death, and resurrection. The Resurrection of Christ is God s promise to all of His love and devotion to mankind and life everlasting for those who believe in Him. The Bible is the book that provides the information of this theology. While it is a book of theology, it is also an historical document. The New Testament has withstood the most sever 3 Chosen People Ministries is an excellent source of material. 5
textual criticism of any document in the world, proving to be the most dependable and reliable of the ancient manuscripts. 4 It is a valid and reliable source of historical information. The fact that Jesus lived is corroborated by period and near period Roman, Jewish, and Christian historians. Roman historians such as Tacitus, Suetonius, and Pliny the Younger, Jewish historian Josephus, as well as the four Gospels and the Pauline Epistles of the Christian New Testament document and verify Jesus life in Galilee. 5 Add to this No serious historian of any religious or nonreligious stripe doubts that Jesus of Nazareth really lived in the first century and was executed under the authority of Pontius Pilate, the governor of Judea and Samaria. 6 The fact that Jesus died by crucifixion is equally verifiable, as it is described and discussed by the same historians. Josephus wrote, When Pilate, upon hearing him accused by men of the highest standing amongst us, had condemned him to be crucified. 7 Further, three additional facts are germane: First, Roman soldiers were particularly adept at killing people; it was a key aspect of their profession. When given a rebel leader to execute they would have had several reasons for wanting to make sure the job was done properly. 8 Next, there wasn t just one soldier participating in the execution, but several. Any possible mistake or oversight by one would have been noted and corrected by the others. Finally, Jesus execution was public, not private. A private death could give people cause to question an execution took place. Jesus crucifixion on a hill outside of Jerusalem was subject to public viewing. 9 The resurrection of Jesus can be likewise historically verified and ascertained with a reasonable amount of certainty. It enjoys an historical reliability that is based on strongly 4 New Testament Textual Criticism, http://www.theopedia.com/new_testament_textual_criticism 5 Early Historical Documents on Jesus Christ, http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/08375a.htm 6 C. A. Evans, as quoted on Tough Questions Answered, http://www.toughquestionsanswered.org/2012/12/31/dohistorical-scholars-think-jesus-existed/ 7 Gary R. Habermas and Michael R. Licona, The Case for the Resurrection of Jesus, (Grand Rapids, MI: Kregel Publications, 2004), p. 49 8 N. T. Wright, The Resurrection of the Son of God, (Minneapolis, MN: Fortress Press, 2003) p. 709 9 Ibid., p. 523 6
evidenced data and is granted by nearly every scholar who studies the subject, even skeptical ones. 10 Fact: It is indisputable that Jesus disciples believed that He rose from the dead. This is derived from the facts that (a), they all claimed that the risen Jesus had appeared to them, and (b), their post crucifixion radical transformation from fearful cowards into fearless evangelists. 11 Note that while some of this data is sourced from different books and authors of the New Testament, it is only as an historical document that has been subject to intense textual criticism, not as divinely inspired Scripture. 12 The books of the New Testament include the written record of oral traditions of the early church that started after Jesus death. Few people knew how to read and relied on oral tradition to teach each other. These included creeds, hymns, stories, and poetry. Significantly, oral traditions had to exist prior their record in the New Testament in order for the New Testament authors to include them. 13 One such early creed is recorded by Paul in 1 Corinthians 15:3-5, For I passed onto you as of first importance what I also received that Christ dies for our sins according to the scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He was raised on the third day according to the scriptures, and that He appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve. Writings by early church fathers who personally knew and interacted with the disciples, such as Clement, bishop of Rome (c. 30-100), wrote, Therefore, having received orders and complete certainty caused by the resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ and believing in the Word of God, they went with the Holy Spirit s certainty, preaching the good news that the kingdom of God is about to become. 14 The transformation of the disciples was even more remarkable. Each and every one of them was motivated to preach the Gospel whenever and wherever 10 Habermas, Resurrection of Jesus, p. 44 11 Ibid., p. 50 12 Ibid., p. 45 13 Ibid., p. 52 14 Ibid., p. 54 7
possible, regardless of hardship, opposition, injustice, or threat of death. Seven ancient sources document their willingness to suffer and die for their claim: Acts, Clement of Rome, Polycarp, Ignatius, Dionysius of Corinth, Tertullian, and Origen. 15 Save for one, all were executed for their preaching of the Gospel. The disciple s willingness to suffer and die for their beliefs indicates they certainly regarded those beliefs as true. The case is strong that they did not willfully lie about the appearances of the risen Jesus. Liars make poor martyrs (emphasis mine). 16 These were men such as Peter who had cowardly denied knowing Jesus three times prior to His crucifixion, yet became a first order leader of the new church. These were men such as Thomas who attested to at first not believing what he heard from the other disciples regarding the risen Jesus, and then eight days later was convinced that he met Jesus and placed his finger into the hole in His hand and his hand into His side. They were all incredibly transformed into men with a message who did not fear death, and they all attested this to be due to their witness of the resurrected Christ. Fact: Paul was suddenly changed from being a leading persecutor of Christians to the foremost apostle. This is derived from the facts that (a), Paul claimed that the risen Jesus had appeared to him, and (b), his willingness to undergo suffering and martyrdom. 17 Saul of Tarsus, better known by history as the apostle Paul, changed from being a skeptic who believed it was God s will to persecute the church to become on of its most influential messengers. In his letters to the churches in Corinth, Galatia, and Philippi, Paul himself writes of his conversion from being a persecutor of the church to one who strongly promoted the Christian message. Paul s notorious pre- Christian activities and conversion are multiply attested. We have Paul s own testimony, Luke s record in Acts, and a story that was circulating among Christians in Judea. 18 15 Ibid., p. 61 16 Ibid., p. 59 17 Ibid., p. 66 18 Ibid., pp. 64-65 8
What could cause such a conversion of an enemy of the church? As recounted in Acts 9:1-19, Paul was convinced he had experienced an encounter with the risen Jesus on the road to Damascus. This is particularly significant because Paul s testimony, as an enemy of the church, means that Jesus resurrection was testified to by both friends and foe alike. 19 Just as with the disciples, seven ancient sources document that Paul was willing to suffer continuously and even die in order to spread the good news: Paul, Luke, Clement of Rome, Polycarp, Tertullian, Dionysius of Corinth and Origen. 20 Paul was also executed for preaching the Gospel. Fact: Jesus brother James suddenly changed from skeptic to believer. This is derived from the facts that (a), it is recorded that the risen Jesus appeared to James, and (b), his willingness to undergo martyrdom. 21 Mark 3:21 and 31, 6:3-4, and John 7:5 all record that James was not a follower of Jesus during His ministry; the creedal material mentioned earlier in 1 Corinthians 15:3-7 includes James a one of those to whom Jesus appeared; and finally in Acts 15:12-21 and Galatians1:19 James is identified post Resurrection as a leader of the Jerusalem church. James was family to Jesus, a brother, and as such viewed him as the sibling he grew up with, not the Messiah. James was never a follower of Jesus ministry, and even considered Him a bit crazy (Mark3:21). Yet after the risen Jesus appeared to him, James became a leader in the Jerusalem church. Three ancient sources document James was martyred for the message of the Gospel: Josephus, Hegesippus, and Clement of Alexandria, therefore his martyrdom is reported by both Christian and non-christian sources. 22 Fact: the tomb in which Jesus was laid was empty. This is derived from the facts that (a), Jesus enemies attested to the missing body, (b), women were the witnesses to the missing body, 19 Ibid., p. 65 20 Ibid., p. 65 21 Ibid., p. 69 22 Ibid., p. 68 9
and (c), the production of Jesus exhumed body by anyone would have easily dispelled any talk of resurrection. 23 In Matthew 28:12-13, and as recorded Justin Martyr and Tertullian, early critics accused Jesus disciples of stealing the body rather than point to an occupied tomb. 24 This is evidence that the tomb was empty. Additionally, it was Mary Magdalene and another woman who went to the tomb and discovered it to be empty (Matthew 28:1). Women had little or no credibility in Jewish, Greek, or Roman culture of that era, and would have been the last choice for use by anyone wishing to perpetuate a hoax; thus, the empty tomb appears to be historically credible in light of the principle of embarrassment. 25 Finally, consider the early proclamation of the Resurrection after the tomb was found empty. The disciples began to publicly proclaim the risen Jesus about fifty days after His crucifixion (Pentecost came fifty days after Passover. It was not until after receiving the Holy Spirit that the disciples began their public preaching concerning the risen Jesus.). 26 The Jewish leadership and the Roman authorities would only have had to exhume the corpse and display it for the acclamation of the resurrection to be dispelled. If one also considers that Jesus post-mortem appearances and the empty tomb were co-located around Jerusalem, the inability for His enemies to quell the rising ground swell of His resurrection attest to the tomb being empty. If a body of any sort had been discovered in the tomb, the Christian message of the Resurrection would have been falsified. 27 Finally, the second century Christian critic Celsus would have mentioned a corpse during one of his criticisms of the resurrection if one had been produced. 28 23 Ibid., p. 75 24 Ibid., p. 71 25 Ibid., p. 73 26 Ibid., p. 70 27 Ibid., pp. 70-71 28 Ibid., p. 71 10
We now have five well documented historical facts to which the vast majority of historians proscribe and validate: Jesus death by crucifixion, His disciple s belief in his reappearance, Paul s conversion on the road to Damascus, James conversion, and the empty tomb. Each of these facts has been validated independent of the divine inspiration of Scripture. Two of those who once viewed Jesus as a false prophet (Paul and James) believed He appeared to them after His death, and both of them became Christians as a result. Together, these five facts offer a compelling argument for the Resurrection, which accounts for all five facts succinctly. 29 Any counter-argument against to the Resurrection must also account for this data. Alternative theories to the Resurrection do exist, but are too numerous to be treated in any detail in this apologetic presentation. They include theories on legends, fraud, wrong tomb, mass hallucination, biblical discrepancies, bias, and many more. 30 Three general points are to be made here: First, these are alternative theories, not actual counter-arguments. They are all speculative in nature, none of which provides data based, substantive discrepancies of the facts presented. 31 Next, sound counter arguments exist for each of these theories. 32 Some are marginally plausible, such as fraud, but most are gross over-reaches offered by those who are either ignorant of history, culture, and science (thereby bringing their own credibility into question), or by those who wish to deny the Resurrection at any cost (in order to protect a bruised, naturalistic philosophy). Finally, I would enjoin the agnostic proffering any of these alternative theories to apply the same level of skeptism against the alternative as was leveled against the Resurrection. The Resurrection is more plausible by far than any of the competing alternative theories, and more so when considered within the context of a divine grand plan. 29 Ibid., pp. 75-76 30 Ibid., pp. 81-150 31 Ibid., p. 81 32 Ibid., pp. 81-83 11
Additional historical data exists concerning the Resurrection that augments the five well documented facts. It is recorded in 1 Corinthians 15:6 that Jesus appeared to about five hundred other people in addition to the witness of the disciples, Paul, and James. It was not just the testimony of a few that initiated the spread of Christianity; it was the witness of hundreds. 33 Conclusion There is no one way to present an apologetic argument on the Resurrection to an unbeliever, but there is a template that provides context, a general guideline that can be adjusted for the unbeliever s paradigms, and data and facts to compose a compelling argument in support of the Resurrection. It is our task a Christian apologists to present the Resurrection in a fashion that both honors God and follows the command of the Great Commission. Christ s resurrection was the culmination of His first coming, and provides proof of His deity. It is a symbol of God s ultimate power over life and death and is also an intricate and part of God s plan for mankind that provides hope and promise to all Christians. May we be God s instrument that provides that same hope and promise to all. Amen I have read 100% of the assigned reading material for the CSAP 691 Fall 2013 semester. 33 Gary R. Habermas, Philosophy of History, Miracles, and the Resurrection of Jesus, 3 rd edition (Sagamore Beach, MA: Academx Publishing Services, 2012) p. 37 12
Works Cited Early Historical Documents on Jesus Christ, http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/08375a.htm (last accessed December 12, 2013) Evans, C. A., as quoted on Tough Questions Answered, http://www.toughquestionsanswered.org/2012/12/31/do-historical-scholars-think-jesus-existed/ (last accessed December 12, 2013) Habermas, Gary R., Philosophy of History, Miracles, and the Resurrection of Jesus, 3 rd edition Sagamore Beach: Academx Publishing Services, 2012 Habermas, Gary R. and Michael R. Licona, The Case for the Resurrection of Jesus, Grand Rapids: Kregel Publications, 2004 New Testament Textual Criticism, http://www.theopedia.com/new_testament_textual_criticism (last accessed December 12, 2013) Shedd, William G. T., Dogmatic Theology, 3 rd edition, Phillipsburg: P & R Publishing, 2003 Wright, N. T., The Resurrection of the Son of God, Minneapolis: Fortress Press, 2003 13