There are many persons who do, regardless of the overwhelming evidence to the contrary.

“Who do what?”

Question the truth of the resurrection of Jesus Christ.

“Oh. Yeah, I’ve met person after person who has such doubts.”

Well, why do you think they doubt the data presented?

“Don’t know—why?”

Largely, I suspect, because they have never examined those data.

“Think so?”

Yep. If you asked them “Where are the places in the Bible where witnesses declare that He was raised from the dead?”, they probably couldn’t turn to one of them. They don’t examine facts; they accept gossip.

“Easy to do that, I admit.”

Do you know where to turn?

“Uh . .. In one of Paul’s letters?”

Correct! Know which?

“I though you’d ask that. No!”

I wonder how many of those reading this blog could find biblical witnesses to the resurrection?

“Probably just as few as know where to find many other important passages to other matters. C’mon, tell me where.”

In I Corinthians 15, the greatest passage on His, and also our resurrections. There are witnesses in the Gospels in addition, but here Paul mentions six.

“What do you think they were like? Witnesses have to be reliable.”

Some He appeared to were apostles, others people of consequence, to the twelve, and to at least 500 witnesses who, as a body, all saw Him on one occasion.

He ate afterwards, proving Him not to be a mere spirit. He invited the apostles to feel the nail prints in his hands and elsewhere, and he spoke during a 40-day period with His disciples before ascending to become a coregent with God the Father.

The witnesses were reliable persons, who were willing to go to their deaths for the testimony they bore. Moreover, what they witnessed wasn’t like an automobile accident where people observe from different angles, in a very rapidly occurring event, and so may easily get things wrong. They were in constant study and taught with Him during the time prior to His crucifixion. Moreover, Paul said that the majority of the 500 witnesses were still alive and were available for questioning.

“Wow! That’s a lot of testimony. The Gospels talk about the women bearing witness too. None here in Paul’s list though. How come?”

The reason is that the Jews would not accept the testimony of women as legal.

So, if you want on the spot credible testimony, Paul’s gives it to you. And, of course, there’s Paul’s testimony of His own meetings with the risen Christ too. Stricken blind for three days (with elements of the problem giving him trouble for the remainder of life), he speaks of a conversation with Jesus on the Damascus road, a voice that those traveling with him heard, though they couldn’t make out the words, and mentions subsequent appearances and conversations from time to time in additions.

“Wow! That’s a lot of evidence. Far more than we have about other matters in ancient times that we accept without question.”

You betcha’ Read it over—it is an important chapter to know about, and be able to explain. There is interesting information about the kind of resurrection body He has, and we are to receive from God as a gift.

Equipping

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