If Jesus rose from the dead, then you have to accept all that he said; if he didn’t rise from the dead, then why worry about any of what he said? The issue on which everything hangs is not whether or not you like his teaching but whether or not he rose from the dead. (Timothy Keller)
Thinking about the musings from Day 54: Is he a Liar…A Lunatic…Or Lord? The Claims.…
I would submit to you that if someone were to have questions regarding Jesus of Nazareth, it would not be related to his birth, life, or radical teaching. If someone was to question the historical events surrounding Jesus of Nazareth, it would be related to his resurrection 3 days after his death.
So, the ultimate question that must be asked is this:
Is the resurrection of Jesus of Nazareth possible?
According to some during the 1st century AD, not only was the resurrection of Jesus of Nazareth possible, they witnessed, spoke and/or interacted with him after his crucifixion, death and burial….
For 40 days after his resurrection.
There are 7 references that I found throughout the New Testament regarding individuals claiming to have witnessed, spoke and/or interacted with Jesus of Nazareth after his crucifixion, death and burial. Consider the following bible verses:
Matthew 28:17 (KJV):
17 And when they saw him, they worshipped him: but some doubted.
Mark 16:9 (KJV):
9 Now when Jesus was risen early the first day of the week, he appeared first to Mary Magdalene, out of whom he had cast seven devils.
John 20:26 (KJV):
26 And after eight days again his disciples were within, and Thomas with them: then came Jesus, the doors being shut, and stood in the midst, and said, Peace be unto you.
John 21:1 (KJV):
After these things Jesus shewed himself again to the disciples at the sea of Tiberias; and on this wise shewed he himself.
1 Corinthians 15:5 (KJV):
5 And that he was seen of Cephas, then of the twelve:
1 Corinthians 15:6 (KJV):
6 After that, he was seen of above five hundred brethren at once; of whom the greater part remain unto this present, but some are fallen asleep.
1 Corinthians 15:7 (KJV):
7 After that, he was seen of James; then of all the apostles.
1 Corinthians 15:8 (KJV):
8 And last of all he was seen of me also, as of one born out of due time.
1 Corinthians 15:20 (KJV):
20 But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the firstfruits of them that slept.
Acts 9:5 (KJV):
5 And he said, Who art thou, Lord? And the Lord said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest: it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks.
So, according to the New Testament, the following all witnessed, spoke and/or interacted with Jesus of Nazareth after his crucifixion, death and burial:
Mary Magdalene…then Thomas…then the disciples…then Cephas…then 12 more…then at least 500 more…then James…then the apostles..and then finally Paul.
Can they all possibly be right?
Humans, who have questioned the validity of the resurrection of Jesus of Nazareth, have had over 2,000 years to develop theories justifying why it is was not possible. Although these theories are perhaps limitless, for the sake of time and space, I will focus on the top 5 out there that try to disprove the resurrection of Jesus of Nazareth. They are as follows:
1) Swoon;
2) Hallucination or vision;
3) Stolen body;
4) Soldiers fell asleep and/or were bribed and;
5) Conspiracy;
1) Swoon Theory. This theory was created in 1828 CE, by H.E.G. Paulus, a German theologian. The theory is simple, Paulus claimed that Jesus fainted on the cross and did not die there. The cause of the fainting was due to a combination of pain, loss of blood, and shock. Mistaken for dead, Jesus was then buried…
Alive in the tomb.
Thanks to favorable climate conditions within the tomb, Jesus was able to revive himself after 3 days contained in there, at which point he then exited the tomb.
Is the Swoon Theory possible?
Does it make logistical sense?
Let’s look at the evidence.
Remember that this theory was first proposed in 1828, almost 2,000 years after the incident itself. By default then, Paulus cannot be considered a primary source. Paulus then is to be considered at best a secondary source, one who came to his conclusions without experiencing the resurrection first-hand.
Secondly, this almost 2000 year time difference, would also help to explain why Paulus could not possibly have been an active participant in witnessing the resurrection itself.
Thirdly, it is unclear whether or not H.E.G. Paulus visited the Middle East during his lifetime, let alone the burial site specifically.
Finally, there is also evidence out there showing that H.E.G. Paulus was himself a critic of the Holy Bible. It can be concluded then that Paulus was not reading the events surrounding the resurrection of Jesus of Nazareth as a neutral and/or independent and/or non-biased, source.
Consider this, if Paulus is already looking at the Bible with a negative bias, will that not skew his overall conclusions with what he reads from it regarding the resurrection of Jesus of Nazareth?
Let’s say for sake of argument, that the following assumptions are in fact true:
1) Assume that science has proved that Jesus of Nazareth did not die from crucifixion;
2) Assume that there is evidence out there that proves that Jesus of Nazareth died at a later date and time;
3) Assume that Paulus is correct and that Jesus of Nazareth ‘Swooned’ on the cross due to a combination of pain, loss of blood, and shock and finally;
4) Assume that Jesus then awakens 3 days later, since he ‘Swooned’, and then leaves the tomb.
Armed with the above mentioned assumptions, ask yourself the following questions regarding the Swoon Theory:
1) How was Jesus able to figure out where he was in total and complete darkness inside the tomb?
2) How was Jesus able to survive 3 days of pain?
3) How was Jesus able to survive 3 days of loss of blood?
4) How was Jesus able to survive 3 days of shock?
5) How was Jesus able to survive without at least 3 days of no access to food?
6) How was Jesus able to survive without at least 3 days of no access to water?
7) How was Jesus able to survive without at least 3 days of no access to any medical care?
8) How was Jesus, in his weakened state after 3 days of pain, loss of blood, shock, no food water or medical care, have any energy to move the stone covering his tomb?
These 8 questions must be seriously considered if one is to seriously consider the Swoon Theory put forth by H.E.G. Paulus.
What if however, there were even more questions that still need to be asked regarding the validity of the Swoon Theory before making a decision?
Those questions will be asked after some rest.
Do not feel discouraged if you are still having a difficult time believing in the resurrection of Jesus. Do not feel discouraged if you are still confused and have more questions that need to be answered regarding the Swoon Theory. Instead, embrace the idea that we have the freedom to research and read and come to our own conclusions.
5 And the angel answered and said unto the women, Fear not ye: for I know that ye seek Jesus, which was crucified.6 He is not here: for he is risen, as he said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay. (Matthew 28:5-6 KJV)
Was today’s blog a little confusing at times? Was the content perhaps a little overwhelming? Did you feel lost not understanding some or most of the subject matter?
Those feelings are totally understandable and it is ok to have one or more of those feelings. Remember that you are reading Day 55: Resurrection Theories – Part 1.
If you haven’t been in class since the first day of school…or when the project began…or when the contract was first signed, etc., these feelings make perfect and logistical sense.
Please feel free to go back to where all of this began: