The resurrection of Christ is the foundation event of the Christian faith. It is not only the existence of Christ that gave rise to a world religion, but his resurrection. If the resurrection was a myth, then the entire Christian faith would be based upon an event that did not happen and the whole New Testament could equally be fiction. If, however, his death on the cross and subsequent resurrection were historical facts, then the teachings of Christ should be learned and acted upon because of who he undoubtedly was.
Of five theories proposed for the resurrection, a large body of people believes that four indicate it to be a myth. However, biblical scholars have countered this with claims that these theories do indeed prove the event to be a historical one. Which of these claims is correct?
Theory 1: There were hundreds of eyewitnesses to the event - including Christ's disciples who recorded what they saw in their gospels. But disbelievers claim that these were hallucinations based on emotions and wishful thinking. If this were true, the Jewish authorities could have gone to the tomb and brought out the body of Jesus for all to see. But they knew they could not because the tomb was empty.
Theory 2: The apostles made up a myth when writing their accounts of the resurrection that they did not intend to be taken literally. Any literary scholar knows that the Gospels are written in completely different styles than myths. Myths tend to be verbose and exaggerated accounts whereas the Gospels have a lot of psychological depth and are concisely written. Myths take generations to develop and be taken as fact. The Gospel accounts of the resurrection were written within years after the event occurred.
Theory 3: The disciples were deceivers. They stole Christ's body, made up the resurrection story, and lied to people over and over again. This theory doesn't hold up very well when you consider that no one ever confessed that the resurrection was a deliberate deception. Christ's disciples were martyred because of their faith in Jesus and not one recanted in order to save his life. Many believers broke under torture and denied Christ to once again worship Caesar, but no one ever said that the resurrection was a conspiracy.
Theory 4: Christ did not die but was taken down unconscious and entombed while he was alive, later recovering consciousness and being found by his followers and disciples. This cannot be because of the body of historical evidence of both blood and water flowing from his wound. The water is physiologically correct due to the accumulation of fluid that would have occurred in his lungs during the crucifixion. He would have bled to death while in his tomb, and would have had no strength to move the stone blocking it.
Theory 5: Finally, the fifth theory is that the resurrection happened, and that the Gospel accounts are true. Jesus Christ died on the cross, he was buried and in three days rose again, as written, and the event became the basis of Christianity. That is why Easter is the most important time of the year for Christians.
There are a number of people who have set out to prove that the resurrection did not happen and after looking at all of the logical evidence that exists, became believers after all. They learned to think with their hearts as well as their minds.
Of five theories proposed for the resurrection, a large body of people believes that four indicate it to be a myth. However, biblical scholars have countered this with claims that these theories do indeed prove the event to be a historical one. Which of these claims is correct?
Theory 1: There were hundreds of eyewitnesses to the event - including Christ's disciples who recorded what they saw in their gospels. But disbelievers claim that these were hallucinations based on emotions and wishful thinking. If this were true, the Jewish authorities could have gone to the tomb and brought out the body of Jesus for all to see. But they knew they could not because the tomb was empty.
Theory 2: The apostles made up a myth when writing their accounts of the resurrection that they did not intend to be taken literally. Any literary scholar knows that the Gospels are written in completely different styles than myths. Myths tend to be verbose and exaggerated accounts whereas the Gospels have a lot of psychological depth and are concisely written. Myths take generations to develop and be taken as fact. The Gospel accounts of the resurrection were written within years after the event occurred.
Theory 3: The disciples were deceivers. They stole Christ's body, made up the resurrection story, and lied to people over and over again. This theory doesn't hold up very well when you consider that no one ever confessed that the resurrection was a deliberate deception. Christ's disciples were martyred because of their faith in Jesus and not one recanted in order to save his life. Many believers broke under torture and denied Christ to once again worship Caesar, but no one ever said that the resurrection was a conspiracy.
Theory 4: Christ did not die but was taken down unconscious and entombed while he was alive, later recovering consciousness and being found by his followers and disciples. This cannot be because of the body of historical evidence of both blood and water flowing from his wound. The water is physiologically correct due to the accumulation of fluid that would have occurred in his lungs during the crucifixion. He would have bled to death while in his tomb, and would have had no strength to move the stone blocking it.
Theory 5: Finally, the fifth theory is that the resurrection happened, and that the Gospel accounts are true. Jesus Christ died on the cross, he was buried and in three days rose again, as written, and the event became the basis of Christianity. That is why Easter is the most important time of the year for Christians.
There are a number of people who have set out to prove that the resurrection did not happen and after looking at all of the logical evidence that exists, became believers after all. They learned to think with their hearts as well as their minds.
About the Author:
Robert Mann is a freelance writer concentrating on subjects related to teaching, religion and Christianity. For more faith-based information, follow these links for Christian news and ministry jobs.
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