1 Corinthians 15:12-14 - Resurrection

Scripture 1 Corinthians 15:12-14

[12] Now if Christ is preached as raised from the dead, how can some of you say that there is no resurrection of the dead?

[13] But if there is no resurrection of the dead, then Christ has not been raised;
[14] if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain and your faith is in vain.



Comment

Mainstream historians generally concede these 5 accepted facts of the Resurrection of Jesus as a historical event.



There was a man called Jesus
He lived on the earth, he preached, he made a lot of enemies, they got a hold of him and they crucified him



After they killed him they stuck him into a cave and they put a big stone in front of it and had Roman guards guarding it.


Later, some disciples, notably women, showed up and claimed that when they got to the tomb the tomb was empty


Numerous groups of disciples (a bunch of Jesus followers including some sceptics) on different occasions said
we saw the Risen Christ. We saw Jesus after his death, he spoke to us, we touched His wounds, we saw the guy, He is alive.



The disciples were so excited and animated by this they began a movement of conversion - the greatest conversion movement in history. Even in the face of horrible persecution and opposition such as people saying to them “Renounce Jesus or be killed”, many of them went to their deaths.


What explanation makes sense of those facts?



The Jews, for the first couple of centuries after the death of Jesus said the disciples stole the body.

They stole the body and claimed that Jesus was resurrected.

But think about it, disciples mainly women fought off the Roman guards and rolled back a big stone and then stole the body.

It is a little far fetched.

How would they have done that?

If they have stolen the body they would have known Jesus was actually dead and yet why would they go to their deaths and the face persecution for what they know to be a lie.

Who gives their life for a lie – for what they know to be a lie?



Modern theorists dismiss this.



If the resurrection happened, it makes sense of those five facts.



Source: Dinesh D’Souza v Dan Barker (and) John Loftus debates