THE RESURRECTION OF JESUSHow do we know it really happened in history?

THE IMPORTANCE OF THE RESURRECTION Now if Christ is proclaimed as raised from the dead,

how can some of you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? But if there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised. And if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain and your faith is in vain. We are even found to be misrepresenting God, because we testified about God that he raised Christ, whom he did not raise if it is true that the dead are not raised. For if the dead are not raised, not even Christ has been raised. And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins. Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished. If in Christ we have hope in this life only, we are of all people most to be pitied.-1 Corinthians 15:12-19 (ESV)

EVANGELISM/APOLOGETICS Now when they had passed through Amphipolis and

Apollonia, they came to Thessalonica, where there was a synagogue of the Jews. And Paul went in, as was his custom, and on three Sabbath days he reasoned with them from the Scriptures, explaining and proving that it was necessary for the Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead, and saying, “This Jesus, whom I proclaim to you, is the Christ.” And some of them were persuaded and joined Paul and Silas, as did a great many of the devout Greeks and not a few of the leading women.-Acts 17:1-4 (ESV)

Being then God's offspring, we ought not to think that the divine being is like gold or silver or stone, an image formed by the art and imagination of man. The times of ignorance God overlooked, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent, because he has fixed a day on which he will judge the world in righteousness by a man whom he has appointed; and of this he has given assurance to all by raising him from the dead.-Acts 17:29-31 (ESV)

NT Scholars Bruce Malina and John Pilch in Handbook of Biblical Social Values define faith as a commitment of personal trust and loyalty to someone that had shown himself to be reliable based on the usage of the Greek word pistis translated as “faith” or “faithfulness” in other 1st century Jewish and Greco-Roman documents.

EVANGELISM/APOLOGETICS

What: The Content of the Gospel For I delivered to you as of first importance what I

also received: 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,

-1 Corinthians 15:3-4 (ESV)

Why: Why Believe the Gospel over other Religions and that he appeared to Cephas, then to the

twelve. Then he appeared to more than five hundred brothers at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have fallen asleep. Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles. Last of all, as to one untimely born, he appeared also to me.

-1 Corinthians 15:5-8 (ESV)

THE WHAT AND THE WHY

DESTROYING STRONGHOLDS “For though we walk in the flesh, we are not

waging war according to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds. We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ”

-2 Corinthians 10:3-5 (ESV)

HISTORIANS OVERCOMING THEIR HORIZONS Account for the relevant

historical bedrock – Facts so strongly evidenced that they are virtually indisputable. Any legitimate hypothesis should be built on the historical bedrock.

“The historical bedrock can be defined as the historical facts for which the evidence is so strong that the majority of historians are convinced of their truth.”

[4]The Resurrection of Jesus: A New Historiographical Approach by Mike Licona, pg. 52-62

HISTORIANS OVERCOMING THEIR HORIZONS Detachment from Bias –

Historians say it is possible, albeit difficult depending on the question and person. Historian “C. Behan McCullagh says that even though we cannot overcome bias completely, giving careful considerationto competing hypotheses goes a long way toward reducing it.”

“Historians should search ‘for evidence inconsistent with the preferred hypothesis before being willing to assert its truth.’”

“While full detachment may be unattainable, temporary detachment is attainable to some degree and provides value.”

[4]The Resurrection of Jesus: A New Historiographical Approach by Mike Licona, pg. 52-62

MIRACLES IN HISTORY? Hume also asserted

that our experience and not reason should be the baseline for assessing historical claims. He means that the prior probability that something like a resurrection could occur is very low since we ourselves don’t experience resurrections.

“Extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence.”-Carl Sagan

MIRACLES IN HISTORY? “Contemporary critics of Hume sensed the immediate weakness

in his arguments and retorted with an example of a prince from a tropical climate who had never seen ice. By Hume's reasoning, the prince is just as validated in not believing in ice as the modern Skeptic might be ‘validated’ in rejecting miracle testimony. This retort has such strength that Earman calls it an ‘embarrassment’ and he notes Hume's efforts at sophistry in trying to evade the force of the argument.”

[5] David Hume: A Critique by J.P. Holding

MIRACLES IN HISTORY? We could say that in

general miracles are God doing what we could do if we had more knowledge, power, and control of the physical universe.

“There is not even a law of nature that ‘explicitly contradicts’ resurrections… In contrast, Tucker notes, science fiction stories often contain the same sort of ‘violations’ of laws of nature (such as faster than light travel) but no one thinks that sci-fi authors are writers of ‘miracle tales.’” [5]

This completely upends modern skeptics’ insistence on having a different standard of evidence for so-called “supernatural” events.

[5] David Hume: A Critique by J.P. Holding

STARTING POINTS We won’t be assuming the inspiration, infallibility, or

inerrancy of Scripture to argue that the Resurrection is the best explanation.

Like NT scholars and historians, we will treat the NT books as separate ancient writings that aren’t even canonical and potentially historically reliable or unreliable.

Will allow the Gospels to be anonymous and grant that they don’t have eyewitness testimony. Historians say they can recover the past even when a document mentions events centuries in the past (Arrian’s Anabasis is held as most accurate source on Alexander the Great, written 500-600 years later). [6]

These scholars accept that the Christian “bias” of the NT documents doesn’t completely discount them as useful sources for historical reconstruction.

[6] The Resurrection of Jesus: A New Historiographical Approach by Mike Licona, pg. 587-591

HISTORICAL METHOD We have to determine what

historical hypothesis is the best explanation of well-established facts. This is called Inference tothe Best Explanation (IBE) because we infer the BE from the accepted facts.

Involves weighing multiple hypotheses and seeing which, if any, come out on top according to criteria historians use.

Remember, in a normal conversation, you can distill these technical terms down to just talking about what is the Best Explanation of the facts.

We will make an IBE for the Resurrection based on 4 facts about Jesus’ life which are well established by NT scholars, historians, and the findings of cultural anthropologists, Christian or not.

Exceeds Rival Hypotheses? – The explanation must so exceed its rivals in fulfilling these 5 conditions that there is little chance of another explanation, after further investigation, exceeding it in meeting these 5 criteria of historical method.

Importance of Each Criteria 1. Plausibility – Weightiest Factor 2. Explanatory Scope and Power – Weightier Factors 3. Less Ad Hoc – Less Weighty Factor 4. Illumination – Least Weighty Factor

HISTORICAL METHOD

[7] Reasonable Faith: Christian Truth and Apologetics by William Lane Craig, pg. 233[8] The Resurrection of Jesus: A New Historiographical Approach by Mike Licona, pg. 109-114

IBE FACT #1: JESUS DIED BY CRUCIFIXION Multiple Attestation by Ancient Sources:

Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, Acts, NT Epistles, Josephus’ Antiquities of the Jews 18:3, Tacitus’ Annals 15:44, & Lucian’s Peregr 11.

Early Attestation within 20 years of the crucifixion: 1 Corinthians 15 & Galatians.

Jesus’ fear of death in the Garden of Gethsemane is embarrassing unlike heroicJewish martyr’s of intertestamental literature. Fulfills Criterion of Embarrassment.

Extremely unlikely that Jesus survived the crucifixion described.

[10] The Resurrection of Jesus: A New Historiographical Approach by Mike Licona, pgs. 304-315

IBE FACT #2: JESUS BURIED BY JOSEPH OF ARIMATHEA Multiple Attestation by Ancient Sources: Matthew 27:57-61, Mark

15:37-16:7, Luke 23:50-56, John 19:38-42, Acts 13:28-31, & 1 Corinthians 15:3-5.

Early Attestation within 20 years of the entombment: 1 Corinthians 15:3-5 & sources for Mark 15:37-16:7 are held to be earlier than writing of the Gospel of Mark.

Christians highly unlikely to invent that a member of the Sanhedrin did this for Jesus. Jesus’ enemies would have left written evidence behind if it were untrue.

[11] Reasonable Faith: Christian Truth and Apologetics by William Lane Craig, pgs. 362-364

IBE FACT #3: THE 12 APOSTLES AND PAUL CLAIMED TO HAVE EXPERIENCED SEEING THE RISEN JESUS.

Multiple Attestation by Ancient Sources: 1 Corinthians 15:3-8, Matthew 28:9-10, Matthew 28:16-17, Mark 16:7, Luke 24:34, Luke 24:36-42, John 20:11-17, John 20:19-20, John 21, Acts 9:1-9, 1 Corinthians 9:1 [12], & Josephus’ Antiquities of the Jews 18.63 [13]

Independent tradition of appearance to Peter in Luke 24.

The appearance to the Twelve has independent sources in Luke 24 and John 20.

Paul’s list of Jesus’ appearances in 1 Corinthians 15:5b-7 is held to be early oral tradition from the Jerusalem leadership, circulating within 3-8 years of Jesus’ death.[12] Reasonable Faith: Christian Truth and Apologetics by William Lane Craig, pgs. 377-

387[13]The Resurrection of Jesus: A New Historiographical Approach by Mike Licona, pgs. 235-242

IBE FACT #4: THE ORIGIN OF CHRISTIANITYMAIN EVIDENCE: SPECIFIC ASPECTS UNIQUE & STRONGLY AGAINST 1ST CENTURY CULTURES

Any historical explanation offered for these 4 facts must explain how Christianity even got a foothold despite this cultural evidence.

How it established a foothold vs. how it grew once it had a foothold are 2 different historical questions.

Westerners are individualists and guilt-oriented. Easterners and ancient Romans are collectivists and honor-shame oriented.

Easterners make up the majority, approximately 70% of people alive today and 99.9% of those who have ever lived until the 1500’s. [14][14] The Social Sciences and New Testament Interpretation by Richard L. Rohrbaugh, pgs.

44-45

Important for our historical reconstructions. Westerners could very easily read their common assumptions into the motives and actions of Jesus’ disciples and enemies.

Even today, cross-cultural psychology is not easy.

Certain insights from the findings of cultural anthropology based on 1st century writings and archeological evidence will further strengthen the 4 facts and the strength of the Resurrection hypothesis.

What does honor and shame mean to non-Western cultures?

IBE FACT #4: THE ORIGIN OF CHRISTIANITYMAIN EVIDENCE: SPECIFIC ASPECTS UNIQUE & STRONGLY AGAINST 1ST CENTURY CULTURES

HONOR AND SHAME “Both honor and shame involve

persons other than ourselves making assessments of us as persons.” [15]

Westerners have an introspective conscience, that twinges with guilty feelings. Individualist in orientation.

Easterners have an extrospective conscience, where they feel shame once they have already been found out and “shamed” or “dishonored” in the public “court” of opinion. Collectivist in orientation.

For each person, but primarily for their group, honor is more important than life or death.[15] Defending the Resurrection by James Patrick Holding, pg.

185

HONOR AND SHAME “Western shame is private and personal;

Eastern shame is public and corporate.”

“Western shame is centered upon the individual (as is Western culture as a whole); we evaluate ourselves as worthless or unlovable. As I evaluate my own life and identity, I doubt my own being and worth. Eastern shame is the result of others‘ negative evaluation. Western shame is about self-worth; Eastern shame is about public reputation. For this reason, American shame is researched by psychologists, whereas Eastern shame has been the domain of social anthropologists. The opposite of Eastern shame is honor – others thinking highly of me. The opposite of Western shame is self-esteem – I feel good about myself.”

[16] The Geography of Shame: East vs. West by Jayson Georges

HONOR AND SHAME “Western shame is not very

contagious; others’ reputationis not strongly attached to mine, as in Eastern shame. The seedbed of Eastern shame is a strong communal culture, where the prying eyes of gossipy neighbors publicize my value. But American shame stems from having minimal community (i.e. family or ethnic group) around us. We have an existential identity from not knowing who we are.”

“Western shame says, ‘I’m not known.’ Eastern shame says, ‘I’m too known.’”

[16] The Geography of Shame: East vs. West by Jayson Georges

PRIVACY “Early in my career, I would ask, ‘Who are

you?’ The person would stop, go out back and bathe, change clothes and then sit in my living room to explain. After tea, he or she would explain what problem had brought them to the city. Their problem was now my problem-after all, I did ask who they were. (I learned not to ask.) ‘My personal business’ was a nonsensical expression. Everybody knew what everybody was doing. I could stop a student on our campus and ask what my wife was cooking for lunch, and they would know. They would likely add that she had paid too much for the chicken.”

[20] Misreading Scripture with Western Eyes: Removing Cultural Blinders to Better Understand the Bible by E. Randolph Richards, Brandon J. O'Brien, pgs. 76-77

DISEMBODIED AFTERLIFE It would have been easier,

especially for Jews, to accept that his body had been translated to Paradise, “heaven”, like Elijah. [28]

Most 1st century Jews thought the departed spirits of the righteous dwelled in Paradise, and the spirits of the unrighteous in Sheol, “the grave,” until the resurrection of all peoplewith immortal bodies at the end of time.

There is no evidence that a rejected Messiah was expected to have the same kind of resurrection by himself long before that.

In short, widespread acceptance of a religious ideology that highly prized resurrection makes no sense in the 1st century Greco-Roman world unless there were solid reasons to back it up.[28] Defending the Resurrection by James Patrick Holding, pgs. 203-

205

JESUS’ BODY WAS STOLEN The disciples stole Jesus’ body for personal gain or

to be able to more easily restore the reputation of their Master and Teacher.

The fact that Matthew 28:11-15 was written shows us the Stolen Body hypothesis was the first alternative story to the Resurrection proposed to explain our four facts.

Paul and James are either brought into the conspiracy or hallucinate the risen Jesus later.

[29] Defending the Resurrection by James Patrick Holding, pgs. 390-398

JESUS’ BODY DECOMPOSED BEYOND RECOGNITION N.T. Scholar Bart Ehrman says after

the death of Jesus, the small group of his disciples turned to the Hebrew Scriptures to try and make sense of it.

Since they thought the Messiah was to be a great warrior, king, and judge, they looked to passages that refer to the Righteous One suffering death.

In these passages, such as Isaiah 53 and Psalm 22 and Psalm 61, the one who is punished and killed is also vindicated by God.

Christians came to believe that Jesus was this Righteous One and that God must have vindicated him.[30]

Is There Historical Evidence for the Resurrection of Jesus? William Lane Craig vs. Bart D. Ehrman Transcript by Reasonable Faith Website

THE APOSTLES HAD HALLUCINATIONS N.T. scholar Gerd Ludemann offers this explanation.

“Peter was the first apostle to experience a hallucination of the risen Jesus because he was trying to cope with the anguish brought on by his extreme sorrow and guilt.”

Peter shared his experience with other disciples and they started having hallucinatory experiences too due to their guilt over deserting Jesus. These are said to be analogous to modern group Marian apparitions, grief hallucinations, and ecstatic experiences.

“Appearance to the 500 was mass ecstasy that started with one or two others.”

[33] The Resurrection of Jesus: A New Historiographical Approach by Mike Licona, pg. 504

JESUS ROSE FROM THE DEAD Illumination – “The resurrection, if true, actually provides

historians with a solution to a question that has frustrated them. It explains why strongly monotheistic Jews felt obligated to worship Jesus. After he rose from the dead, any doubt or confusion about Jesus' claims to be God in the flesh was resolved.”

Exceeds Rival Hypotheses?

It is the only one that passes all 5 factors. Has much greater plausibility and explanatory power than the other 3 “natural causes” explanations typically offered. It is less ad hoc too.

Therefore, we can say with great certainty that Jesus rose from the dead.[36] Reasonable Faith: Christian Truth and Apologetics by William Lane Craig, pgs. 397-

399 [37] The Resurrection of Jesus: A New Historiographical Approach by Mike Licona, pgs. 600-610