The are two events in the New Testament in which Jesus is Crucified and resurrected three days later (, , ). The New Testament also mentions several Resurrection Appearances Of Jesus on different occasions to his Twelve Apostles and disciples, including "more than five hundred brethren at once," () before Jesus' Ascension . These two events are essential doctrines of the Christian Faith , and are commemorated by Christians during the liturgical times of Passiontide and Eastertide , particularly during Holy Week .
Other groups, such as Jews , Muslims and other non-Christians, as well as some Liberal Christians , dispute whether Jesus actually rose from the dead; hence, arguments over death and resurrection claims occur at many religious Debate s and Interfaith Dialogues .Lorenzen, Thorwald. ''Resurrection, Discipleship, Justice: Affirming the Resurrection Jesus Christ Today.'' Macon, Georgia: Smyth & Helwys, 2003, p. 13.
As : "of Christ, and nearly always of his Messianic Advent in glory to judge the world at the end of this age."
The following passage describes the significance of the Resurrection of Christ to Christians or seekers:
::If it is preached that Christ has been raised from the dead, how can some of you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? If there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised. And ''if Christ has not been raised'', our preaching is useless and so is your faith. More than that, we are then found to be false witnesses about God, for we have testified about God that he raised Christ from the dead. But he did not raise him if in fact the dead are not raised. For if the dead are not raised, then Christ has not been raised either. And Then '''those also who have fallen asleep in Christ are lost.''' '''If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are to be pitied more than all men.''' ''But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead'', the first fruits of those who have fallen asleep ().
Most Christians accept the New Testament story as a ).
Almost all non-Christians do not accept the bodily resurrection of Jesus. They therefore deny the resurrection, considering it a form of myth. People can, however, still find a meaning in the text. For instance, Carl Jung suggests that the crucifixion-resurrection story was the forceful spiritual symbol of, literally, God-as- Yahweh becoming God-as- Job . Jung, Carl , ''The Answer to Job'' online excerpt
See Also: Atonement
Jesus' death and resurrection underpin a variety of Theological Interpretations as to how Salvation is granted to humanity. A common feature of all these interpretations is that they place greater emphasis on the death and resurrection than on his words.For example, see ). See also Sermon On The Mount
The Roman Catholic view is that Jesus willingly sacrificed himself as an act of perfect obedience as a Substitutionary Atonement , a sacrifice of love which pleased God. "Doctrine of the Atonement." ''Catholic Encyclopedia." http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/02055a.htm
The Christus Victor view, which is more common among Lutherans and Eastern Orthodox Christians, holds that Jesus was sent by God to defeat death and Satan . Because of his perfection, voluntary death, and Resurrection, Jesus defeated Satan and death, and arose victorious. Therefore, humanity was no longer bound in sin, but was free to rejoin God through faith in Jesus. Johnson Alan F., and Robert E. Webber. ''What Christians Believe: A Biblical and Historical Summary.'' Zondervan, 1993, pp. 261–263.
The Catholic view off-shoot titled the ''judicial view'' was held by Martin Luther , and a major cause of the Reformation . It is the perspective held by most Protestants . It emphasizes God as both lawmaker and judge. All humans have broken the rules that God has set ( Sin ), and all deserve to be punished. The only exception to this was Jesus, who received the ultimate punishment despite not having sinned. This is seen as an act of Jesus accepting the punishment that was meant for humans, meaning humans can be restored to a right relationship with God. The difference between the Catholic and Protestant views was a major cause of the Reformation .Schwarz, Hans. ''Theology in a Global Context: The Last Two Hundred Years.'' Eerdmans Books for Young Readers, 2005, pp. 255ff.
The First Man view, held by a small minority, especially Pelagians and Semi-Pelagians , states that Jesus was a person just like the rest of humanity, but due to his remarkable faith, purity, sinlessness, and perfection, he ''earned'' eternal life, and was resurrected because Death could not hold him.
The earliest records of the death and resurrection of Jesus are early Christian creeds and creedal hymns, which were included in several of the New Testament texts. Scholars suppose that some of these creeds date to within a few years of Jesus' death, and were developed within the Christian community in Jerusalem.A basic text is that of Oscar Cullmann, available in English in a translation by J. K. S. Reid titled, ''The Earliest Christian Confessions'' (London: Lutterworth, 1949) Though embedded within the texts of the New Testament, these creeds are a distinct source for early Christianity.
- reads: "For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures." This contains a Christian creed of pre-Pauline origin.Neufeld, ''The Earliest Christian Confessions'' (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1964) p. 47; Reginald Fuller, ''The Formation of the Resurrection Narratives'' (New York: Macmillan, 1971) p. 10; Wolfhart Pannenberg, ''Jesus—God and Man'' translated Lewis Wilkins and Duane Pribe (Philadelphia: Westminster, 1968) p. 90; Oscar Cullmann, ''The Earlychurch: Studies in Early Christian History and Theology'', ed. A. J. B. Higgins (Philadelphia: Westminster, 1966) p. 64; Hans Conzelmann, ''1 Corinthians'', translated James W. Leitch (Philadelphia: Fortress 1969) p. 251; Bultmann, ''Theology of the New Testament'' vol. 1 pp. 45, 80–82, 293; R. E. Brown, ''The Virginal Conception and Bodily Resurrection of Jesus'' (New York: Paulist Press, 1973) pp. 81, 92 The antiquity of the creed has been located by many biblical scholars to less than a decade after Jesus' death, originating from the Jerusalem apostolic community.see Wolfhart Pannenberg, ''Jesus—God and Man'' translated Lewis Wilkins and Duane Pribe (Philadelphia: Westminster, 1968) p. 90; Oscar Cullmann, ''The Early church: Studies in Early Christian History and Theology'', ed. A. J. B. Higgins (Philadelphia: Westminster, 1966) p. 66–66; R. E. Brown, ''The Virginal Conception and Bodily Resurrection of Jesus'' (New York: Paulist Press, 1973) pp. 81; Thomas Sheehan, ''First Coming: How the Kingdom of God Became Christianity'' (New York: Random House, 1986 pp. 110, 118; Ulrich Wilckens, ''Resurrection'' translated A. M. Stewart (Edinburgh: Saint Andrew, 1977) p. 2; Hans Grass, ''Ostergeschen und Osterberichte'', Second Edition (Gottingen: Vandenhoeck und Ruprecht, 1962) p. 96; Grass favors the origin in Damascus. Concerning this creed, Campenhausen wrote, "This account meets all the demands of historical reliability that could possibly be made of such a text,"Hans von Campenhausen, "The Events of Easter and the Empty Tomb," in ''Tradition and Life in the Church'' (Philadelphia: Fortress, 1968) p. 44 whilst A. M. Hunter said, "The passage therefore preserves uniquely early and verifiable testimony. It meets every reasonable demand of historical reliability."Archibald Hunter, ''Works and Words of Jesus'' (1973) p. 100
- : "...concerning his Son, who was descended from David according to the flesh and designated the Son of God in power according to the Spirit of holiness by his resurrection from the dead, Jesus Christ our Lord;"Wolfhart Pannenberg, ''Jesus—God and Man'' translated Lewis Wilkins and Duane Pribe (Philadelphia: Westminster, 1968) pp. 118, 283, 367; Neufeld, ''The Earliest Christian Confessions'' (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1964) pp. 7, 50; C. H. Dodd, ''The Apostolic Preaching and its Developments'' (Grand Rapids: Baker, 1980), p. 14
- : "Remember Jesus Christ, raised from the dead, this is my Gospel."Bultmann, ''Theology of the New Testament'' vol 1, pp. 49, 81; Joachim Jeremias, ''The Eucharistic Words of Jesus'' translated Norman Perrin (London: SCM Press, 1966) p. 102
The earliest detailed historical narrative accounts of the death and resurrection of Jesus are contained in the four canonical , Mark , Luke , John . There are other, more laconic references in the New Testament epistles.
According to all four Gospels, Jesus died before late afternoon at Calvary , which was also called Golgotha, after being sentenced to be crucified by Pontius Pilate for claiming to be king of the Jews. The wealthy Judean Joseph Of Arimathea , a member of the Sanhedrin according to Mark and Luke, received Pilate's permission to take possession of Jesus' body, placing it in a tomb.; . According to John, Joseph was aided by Nicodemus , who joined him to help bury Jesus, and who appears in other parts of John's gospel (). The three Synoptic Gospels tell of the darkening of the sky from twelve until three that afternoon; Matthew also mentions an Earthquake (), see also Crucifixion Eclipse .
According to the Gospels, Jesus Rose From The Dead on the third day after his Crucifixion .; ; ; ; ; The Gospel of Matthew states that an angel appeared near the tomb of Jesus and announced his resurrection to Mary Magdelene and "another Mary" who had arrived to Anoint the body (). According to Luke there were two angels (), and according to Mark there was a youth dressed in white (). In the last section of Mark(), which is considered a later addition by most Biblical Scholars (see Mark 16 ), it states that on the morning of his resurrection, Jesus first appeared to Mary Magdalene (). John states that when Mary looked into the tomb, two angels asked her why she was crying; and as she turned round she initially failed to recognize Jesus until he spoke her name ().
The Acts Of The Apostles state that Jesus appeared to various people in various places over the next forty days. Hours after his resurrection, he appeared to two travelers on the road to Emmaus (). To his assembled disciples he showed himself on the evening after his resurrection (). Although his own ministry had been specifically to Jews, Jesus is said to have sent his apostles to the Gentiles with the Great Commission and Ascended to heaven while a cloud concealed him from their sight. According to Acts, Paul Of Tarsus also saw Jesus during his Road To Damascus experience. Jesus promised to Come Again to fulfill the remainder of Messianic Prophecy .''Ministering to Israel'': ; ''ascension'': ; , ; ''Paul's conversion on the road to Damascus'': , ; ; ''Second coming'':
The Apostolic Fathers , likewise, discussed the death and resurrection of Jesus, including Ignatius (50−115),Ignatius makes many passing references, but two extended discussions are found in the Letter To The Trallians and the Letter To The Smyrnaeans . Polycarp (69−155), and Justin Martyr (100−165).
.)
Historians use the Historical Method to study Ancient History . In this process, the accounts of the witnesses are analyzed for their reliability, plausibility, and motive. Defending the historicity of the Biblical narrative, including that of the resurrection, is within the field of study known as Christian Apologetics , and applying the historical method to the Bible (which may or may not conflict with defending historicity) is a field of study known as Biblical Criticism .www.newadvent.org/cathen/04497a.htm
Hundreds of years before the birth of Jesus, Jewish prophets promised that a messiah would come. Apologists claim that Jesus fulfilled these Prophecies , which they claim are nearly impossible to fulfill by chance.Peter W. Stoner, ''Science Speaks'', Moody Pr, 1958, ISBN 0–8024–7630–9 Judaism claims that Jesus did not fulfill these prophecies (see Jewish Messiah ). Other skeptics usually claim that the prophecies are either vague or unfulfilled. 1 Most Christians anticipate the Second Coming of Jesus, when he will fulfill the rest of Messianic Prophecy , such as the Last Judgement , the General Resurrection , establishment of the Kingdom Of God , and the Messianic Age . See the article on Preterism for contrasting views.
'', Diego Velázquez , 17th c.]]
The Gospel of John says that a soldier pierced Jesus' side, causing the flow of ''blood and water''. Apologists claim that medical knowledge at the time would have only expected blood. Some scholars have hypothesized the 'water' as Pericardial Effusion and Pleural Effusion , and maintain that this medical anomaly would have been a fact that the author of the Gospel of John would have been tempted to leave out, had he not been interested in accurate reporting. This flow of water suggests fatal heart trauma required to release pericardial fluid. Without pericardial fluid, the heart may become bruised over time (due to friction between the heart and the pericardium). (The pericardial fluid is not required for the heart to function; it merely acts as a lubricant.) Roman soldiers were trained with such diligence that it is not logical to assume that someone could have survived a piercing in this region of the body. Patients undergoing invasive heart surgery have their pericardium cut open to access the heart.Edwards, William D.; Gabel, Wesley J.; Hosmer, Floyd E; On the Physical Death of Jesus , 1986, JAMA March 21, Vol 255, No. 11, pp 1455–1463
In the biblical narrative, following the death the sky is "darkened for 3 hours," from the sixth to the ninth hour (noon to mid-afternoon), but if this claim concerns anything more than a local phenomenon, it is backed up by no Roman historian. This could not have been a Solar Eclipse , as Jesus died during the time of the Full Moon , Nisan 14 or 15.Carpenter, Glen. ''Connections.'' Xulon Press, 2004, pp. 13ff.
The synoptic gospels state that the Veil of The Temple split at this point, and Matthew says that there were earthquakes, splitting rocks, and dead Saint s were Resurrected .
The synoptics report that the Centurion in charge, seeing how Jesus had breathed his last (Mark) or seeing the events that followed (Matthew, Luke) said: "Truly this man was the Son of God" (; or "Truly this was the Son of God" (); or "Surely this was a righteous man" ().
For the sayings, traditionally called "The Seven Last Words," the Gospels say were given by the dying Jesus, see Sayings Of Jesus On The Cross .
All four Gospels state that, on the evening of the crucifixion, ) who was also himself looking for the Kingdom of God"; in Luke he was identified as "a member of the council, good and righteous, who did not consent to their purpose or deed, and who was looking for the Kingdom of God"; and in John he was identified as "a disciple of Jesus." Mark stated that, when Joseph asked for Jesus' body, Pilate was surprised that Jesus was already dead, and he summoned a centurion to confirm this before dispatching the body to Joseph. John recorded that Joseph was assisted in the burial process by Nicodemus , who brought a mixture of myrrh and aloes and included these spices in the burial cloth as per Jewish customs.
The synoptics (Matthew, Mark, and Luke) described the burial as occurring on the "Day of Preparation," with Mark providing the explanation of this as the day before the Sabbath. The synoptics described the tomb as "hewn out of the rock," i.e., a Sepulture , with Matthew, Luke, and John stating that it was new (i.e., no one else had been buried there before), and with Matthew stating that the tomb belonged to Joseph. John stated that the tomb was located in a garden near the site of the crucifixion.
The synoptics stated that women saw where Jesus was buried; Matthew named " Mary Magdalene and the other Mary," Mark named "Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of Joses," and Luke simply gave "the women who had come with him from Galilee." Matthew gave an account of the chief priests and Pharisees requesting that Pilate secure the tomb, lest Jesus' disciples should steal the body and proclaim Jesus to be risen from the dead, whereupon Pilate said, "you have a guard of soldiers, go, make it as secure as you can"—after which they secured the sepulture by sealing the stone and setting a guard.
W. L. Craig argued that the guard placed at the tomb was a Jewish guard, and that Pilate's words to the chief priests and Pharisees recorded in Matthew, "You have a guard; go, make it as secure as you can," were are rebuff. In support, he observed that Roman guards would have been subject to execution if they slept during watch, and that the Jewish authorities probably could not have provided protection for Roman guards from Pilate, like they could have if the guard was Jewish; thus, he wrote, "if one were to give the story the benefit of the doubt, one would assume the guards were Jewish."W. L. Craig "The Guard at the Tomb. ''New Testament Studies '' 30 (1984), 273–81.
The resurrection of Jesus is foundational to New Testament faith. The act of Jesus rising to life from a state of death is not narrated at all in scripture. Rather the first sign of the resurrection of Jesus is simply the tomb being found empty by the women—which may be the most significant affirmation of women in the New Testament.[ Stagg, Evalyn and Frank. ''Woman in the World of Jesus." Philadelphia: Westminster Press, 1978, p. 144–150.]
Some skeptics claim that the corpse of Jesus was either reburied or Stolen . A number of instances of Argument From Silence arise here. No ancient sources argue against the tomb being empty. No ancient sources claim that the Jewish and Roman authorities disproved the belief by publicly presenting the corpse of Jesus. There is no record of soldiers being punished for any reason relating to the resurrection.
The Gospel accounts of the resurrection have been the subject of contemporary scholarship using tools of historical and literary analysis. Issues of those accounts include:
- comparisons with other New Testament accounts of restored life
- differences in the resurrection narratives
- the antiquity and continuity of memories on which the accounts rely
- the reality of the resurrection. Raymond E. Brown , 1990. "The Resurrection of Jesus," in Raymond E. Brown et al., ''The New Jerome Biblical Commentary'', Prentice Hall, pp. 1373–77, with references.
When compared, the accounts of the discovery of the empty tomb are difficult to reconcile into a single sequence of events, though this article attempts to do so. This narrative issue should neither be under- nor over-emphasized however, since it is a well-researched finding in both Psychology and Law that even honest eyewitnesses asked retrospectively to describe an event can give (often greatly) differing accounts, including both accurate and incorrect descriptions.''Eyewitness Evidence Improving Its Probative Value.'' http://www.psychology.iastate.edu/faculty/gwells/Wells_articles_pdf/pspi_7_2_article {Link without Title} .pdf
Although no single Gospel gives an inclusive or definitive account of the resurrection of Jesus or his appearances, there are two points at which all four Gospels converge:, , , and (1) the linking of the empty tomb tradition and the visit of the women on "the first day of the week," and (2) that the risen Jesus chose first to appear to women (or a woman) and to commission them (her) to proclaim this most important fact to the disciples, including Peter and the other apostles. Setzer, Claudia. "Excellent Women: Female Witness to the Resurrection." ''Journal of Biblical Literature,'' Vol. 116, No. 2 (Summer, 1997), pp. 259–272
All four Gospels make it prominent that women were the ones to find the tomb of Jesus empty. According to Mark and Luke, the announcement of Jesus' resurrection was first made to women. According to Matthew and John, Jesus actually appeared first to women (in John to Mary Magdalene alone). All four Gospels report that women were commissioned to inform Peter and the other apostles as to what has been called "the most fundamental tenet of the Christian faith"—that Jesus is not dead but risen. The fact that Jesus chose women to announce his resurrection is seen by Baptist New Testament scholar Dr. Frank Stagg as "the strongest possible affirmation of woman." He believes it is "strange" that woman's right to teach or preach has been challenged by a church which, according to the Gospels, was first informed by women that Jesus is not among the dead but among the living. (p. 145)
In the Gospels, especially the synoptics, women play a central role as eyewitness at Jesus' death, entombment, and in the discovery of the empty tomb. All three synoptics repeatedly make women the subject of verbs of seeing,Richard Bauckham, ''Jesus and the Eyewitnesses'' (Eerdmans Publishing Company: Cambridge, 2006), p. 48. clearly presenting them as eyewitnesses.B. Gerhardsson, 'Mark and the Female Witnesses', in H. Behrens, D. Loding, and M. T. Roth, eds., ''Dumu-E2-Dub-Ba-A'' (A. W. Sjöberg FS; Occasional Papers of the Samuel Noah Kramer Fund 11; Philadelphia: The University Museum, 1989), pp. 219–220, 222–223; S. Byrskog, ''Story as History—History as Story'' (Wissenschaftliche Untersuchungen zum Neuen Testament Jerusalem Talmud 123; Tübingen: Mohr, 2000; remprinted Leiden: Brill, 2002), pp. 75–78; Richard Bauckham, ''Jesus and the Eyewitnesses'' (Eerdmans Publishing Company: Cambridge, 2006), p. 48.
The presence of women as the key witnesses who discover the empty tomb has been seen as increasing the credibility of the testimony, since, in the contemporary culture (Jewish and Greco-Roman), one would expect a fabrication to place men, and especially numerous and important men, at this critical place, rather than just "some grieving women."Ben Witherington III, ''What have they done with Jesus'' (San Francisco: Harper Collins, 2006), p. 50. Pliny the Younger, Epistles, X.96. have used women as witnesses to their claims.
All three synoptics name two or three women on each occasion in the passion-resurrection narratives where they are cited as eyewitnesses: the argued that the Evangelists showed "scrupulous care" and "were careful to name precisely the women who were known to them as witnesses to these crucial events" since there would be no other reason, besides interest in historical accuracy, not to simply use the same set of characters from one scene to another.Richard Bauckham, ''Jesus and the Eyewitnesses'' (Eerdmans Publishing Company: Cambridge, 2006), pp. 50–51.
Despite the unanimity of the Gospels that Jesus appeared first to women after his resurrection, Paul does not mention the women being the first witnesses to the resurrection ( 1 Corinthians ). It can only be surmised that the most likely reason was that Paul, along with the rest of the church, stressed only the appearances to men as the "official" witness of the early church. The witness of a woman was not recognized in Jewish courts of the time. "Whereas others found woman not qualified or authorized to teach, the four Gospels have it that the risen Christ commissioned women to ''teach'' men, including Peter and the other apostles, the resurrection, foundation of Christianity.
Mark's account (which in the earliest extant manuscripts) ends abruptly and claims that the women told no one. The Gospels of Matthew and Mark do not present any further involvement at the tomb. Luke describes Peter as running to the tomb to check for himself, and John adds that the Beloved Disciple did so too, the beloved disciple outrunning Peter. To answer the question of running speed: It is never explained why the disciple(s) move(s) from merely traveling to running, and it has often been speculated that running only occurred on the last stretch once the tomb had come within sight. John Calvin instead speculated that the rush was due to religious zeal. In particular, John describes the Beloved Disciple as outracing Peter, though waiting for Peter to arrive before entering the tomb, with some scholars seeing the out-racing as a metaphoric elevation of the Beloved Disciple above Peter. However, many Christian scholars object to this interpretation, instead arguing that since the ''Beloved Disciple'' is usually interpreted as a reference to the author of John, it would be necessary for him to be considerably younger than Peter, and hence his speed could be due simply to youthful vigour.
Another question is why John the Beloved Disciple pauses outside the tomb. While many view it as being due to his not wanting to violate Death Ritual by entering a Tomb , in contrast to Peter who has no such qualm and instead enters immediately, most scholars believe John is simply Deferring to Peter, particularly since the Beloved Disciple enters the tomb once Peter is inside. {Link without Title}
There is some scriptural variation as to whom the women told and in what order. What happens once Mary (and Mary) has seen the occupier(s)/empty tomb is again one of the more variant parts of this narrative. According to Mark, even though the man in the tomb instructs Mary and Mary to inform the disciples Peter, they flee in fear and do '''not''' tell ''anything to any man''. Like Mark, Matthew presents Mary and Mary as being instructed by the tomb's occupant to inform the disciples, but unlike Mark's account they happily do so, and Peter has no special status amongst the others. Luke, again, merely presents Mary and Mary as telling ''the eleven'' and ''the rest'', but presents them as doing so apparently without being instructed. John's account is quite different: John only describes Mary as informing two people—Peter and the Beloved Disciple , an individual that is usually considered to be a self-reference by the author of the gospel John. Curiously, Mary also addresses Jesus as “Lord.” John had not previously described any of the followers as using this title, and Mary also states that '''''we''' don't know where they put him,'' even though at this point only Mary is described as having been to the tomb.
To those who believe in Inerrancy , ''lord'' is used here because Jesus only gained the title on dying, and that ''we'' is evidence that John actually agrees with the synoptics and merely didn't regard the other women as worth mentioning. However, most textual scholars see this as a typical contradiction by John of the synoptic gospels, arguing that ''we'' is a later modification to hide the discrepancy, as evidenced by some ancient manuscripts of John which have ''I'' instead of ''we'' at this point. Brown, on the other hand, has proposed that as the remainder of the passage wasn't subjected to such harmonising, the speech by Mary must have been written by a different author from the rest of the gospel.
Luke merely states that after seeing the vacancy of the tomb, Peter was ''wondering what had happened'', John gives a detailed account. ()
John describes the beloved disciple only as making a cursory glance at the linen, Peter is described as carefully examining the scene. After making their examination, the Beloved Disciple apparently draws a conclusion. (John 20:8–9)
Once Peter has entered, John describes the Beloved Disciple as entering the tomb whereupon ''he believed'' as ''they knew not'' about ''the scripture''. What exactly the Beloved Disciple ''believed'', and who exactly ''they'' are, and what ''scripture'' exactly is being referenced, is not explained. The word used to mean '' Scripture '' is Singular and most of the time this form is used to refer to single quotations. Several passages from the Old Testament have been proposed as likely candidates for this source such as Psalm , Hosea , and Jonah . Since most of the New Testament was written before the Gospel of John, candidates have also been suggested from these texts. John only indicates that Peter and the Beloved Disciple were present, but it is possible that one or both of the people named ''Mary'' may also have been there, and thus Hartmann believes ''they'' refers to Peter and Mary being in ignorance about a resurrection.
Since the only mention in John of the tomb having any content describes it only as having grave clothes, this paucity of evidence for anything more than the body being stolen would make the Beloved Disciple rather gullible if it were a resurrection he suddenly believed in. A question also arises as to why, according to John, the Beloved Disciple doesn't tell Peter and ''them'' about this. A long line of major scholars including Augustine Of Hippo and John Calvin have thus argued that the Beloved Disciple simply came to believe Mary Magdalene's story that the body was gone. Unlike Hartmann, and those sharing his view, most scholars regard ''they'' as referring to Peter and the Beloved Disciple, pointing to them both being ignorant about any resurrection, and pointing to the conclusion that the Beloved Disciple had come to believe some other issue.
Scholars of disagrees, arguing that since it presents itself as an explanation of a prior passage, it makes the link to the currently preceding text clear.
Luke and John both have the disciple(s) return ''home'', which probably refers to Jerusalem , but possibly also Galilee . Raymond E. Brown claims that the majority of scholars interpret ''home'' as the location that the disciple(s) had been staying in Jerusalem , and hence a substantially briefer journey.
depicted the moment the disciples recognise their risen lord]]
See Also: Resurrection appearances of Jesus
After the discovery of the empty tomb, the Gospels indicate that Jesus made a series of appearances to the disciples, with the most notable being to the disciples in the Upper Room , where Thomas did not believe until he was invited to put his finger into the holes in Jesus' hands and side (); along the road to Emmaus , where people talked about their failed hopes that Jesus would be the messiah before recognising Jesus (); and beside the Sea Of Galilee to encourage Peter to serve his followers (). His final appearance is reported as being forty days after the resurrection When He Ascended into Heaven , where he remains.
Next, there are a few Resurrection Appearances Of Jesus . One notable appearance is to the apostle Thomas, who did not believe until he stuck his fingers in the nail holes in Jesus' hands and spear-hole in his side. Thomas' experience would mutually exclude the Vision Hypothesis , that Jesus appeared as a vision to various followers as either a divine vision or a hallucination. (See the article on Gary Habermas ' work.)
Six months later, on the Road To Damascus , a one time Rabbi and persecutor of the early church named Paul Of Tarsus converted to Christianity. A few years later, Paul became Christianity's foremost Missionary , converting hundreds of people, planting dozens of churches throughout Southeastern Europe, and writing letters that would become part of Christian scripture. On one missionary journey, Paul travels to Athens and speaks at the Areopagus , where he claims that over 500 people were witnesses of the resurrected Jesus, many still alive at the time.
One point on which some consensus is reached by Apologist and Skeptical factions of biblical scholars and historians is that the disciples would have ''thought'' they had met the resurrected Jesus.
The poor educational level that would be expected of the early disciples of Jesus, according to their descriptions in the New Testament, and the comparatively early timeframe in which they recorded the events, is argued by apologists to reduce their likelihood of being able to devise an elaborate account. ChristianAnswers.net, ''Resurrection: a Myth''
In Mark's account, the earliest manuscripts of gives both the "long ending," i.e., 16:8–20, and another variant "short ending" after Mark 16:8.
Those who think Paul was a '', 1992, ISBN 0–8006–0403–2
now occupies the traditionally ascribed location of Jesus' death and burial.]]
The '', however, dates from mediaeval times, and is not an early source. It was a conflation of the Talmud accounts of multiple people named Yeshu . None of the Talmudic Yeshu accounts are in any way flattering, or refer to any supernatural abilities, and many refer to people named Yeshu who lived in time periods significantly before or after the lifetime of Jesus.
The ical Gospel Of Barnabas which identifies Judas as the one crucified. The fate of Judas Iscariot recorded in the Bible can be considered contradictory on some details, although both writers state he died an untimely death.(, ). The Gospel of Barnabus generally conforms to the Islamic Interpretation Of Christian Origins and is considered by the majority of academics to be late, Pseudepigraphical and a Pious Fraud .
The , Retrieved April 14 , 2007 . This view has also been taken up by some western authors, Nicolai Notovitch in ''Unknown life of Saint Issa'' 1894, Günter Grönbold, ''Jesus In Indien'', München: Kösel 1985, ISBN 3466202701. Norbert Klatt, ''Lebte Jesus in Indien?'', Göttingen: Wallstein 1988.
''Articles:''
- Bruce, FF , '' The New Testament Documents: Are They Reliable? '', 1985, Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press
- Catholic Encyclopedia , The resurrection of Jesus Christ
- David Marshall (Ph.D.). "The Risen Jesus" an essay in '' Essential Jesus,'' edited by Bryan Ball and William Johnsson, and published by Pacific Press in 2002.
- Craig, William Lane , Contemporary Scholarship and the Historical Evidence for the Resurrection of Jesus Christ , 1985, Truth 1 89–95
- Yamauchi, Edwin , Easter: Myth, Hallucination, or History? , 1974, Christianity Today
''Books:''
- Habermas, Gary , ''The Historical Jesus: Ancient Evidence for the Life of Christ'' (College Press: Joplin, MI 1996).
- Habermas, Gary and Licona, Michael , ''The Case for the Resurrection of Jesus'', Kregel Publications, 2004.
- McDowell, Josh , ''New Evidence that Demands a Verdict'', Thomas Nelson, Inc, Publishers, 1999
- Strobel, Lee , ''The Case for Easter'', Zondervan Publishing Company, 2004.
- Wenham, John . ''Easter Enigma: Do the Resurrection Stories Contradict One Another? '' Cambridge University Press, 1993.
- Wright, N.T. , ''The Resurrection of the Son of God.'' Fortress Press. 2003 Online excerpt
''Articles:''
- Carrier, Richard , '' Why I Don't Buy the Resurrection Story , 2006 (6th ed.)
- Lowder, Jeffery Jay, '' The Historicity of Jesus' Resurrection , 1995
- Lowder, Jeffery Jay, '' Historical Evidence and the Empty Tomb Story: A Reply to William Lane Craig , 2001
- Tobin, Paul, '' The Pagan Origins of the Resurrection Myth '', 2000
- Price, Robert M. , '' By This Time He Stinketh: The Attempts of William Lane Craig to Exhume Jesus ''. 1997.
- Rethinking the resurrection.(of Jesus Christ)(Cover Story) Newsweek, April 8th 1996, Woodward, Kenneth L.
''Books:''
- Craig, William Lane, ''Jesus' Resurrection: Fact or Figment?: A Debate Between William Lane Craig and Gerd Ludemann''
- Stewart, Robert B. ''The Resurrection of Jesus: John Dominic Crossan And N.T. Wright in Dialogue'', 2006
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