The Fact of the Experiences of the Disicples
This post is a part of a series on defending the resurrection by using a minimal facts approach as delineated by Gary Habermas, author of The Risen Jesus & Future Hope. Habermas asserts, and I agree, that using six minimal facts which the vast majority of all critical scholars accept as true, one can present a convincing argument for the historicity of the resurrection. Yesterday, I briefly discussed the overwhelming support for the death of Christ by crucifixion as a true historical event.
Another fact which is granted by almost all scholars is that the disciples had experiences that they thought were actual appearances of the the risen Jesus. Paul’s testimony is central to the granting of this fact.
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, 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 Cor 15:3-8 ESV
First, this passage from 1 Corinthians 15 is critically agreed to be an extremely early account of Jesus’s appearances after his ressurection and is traceable to excellent sources. Habermas establishes that this passage is part of an early creedal confession which Paul probably received in the mid-30’s, just a few years after Christ’s death. Even if one does not grant this early date, we know at minimum that it predates the writing of 1 Corinthians at approximately 55 A.D. Paul states in 1 Corinthians, that he had preached this same message years early at Corinth and also that he had received it from someone else. The above passage is very early testimony (probably eyewitness) to the resurrection appearances of Christ.
Second, Paul claimed that he himself saw the risen Christ (more than once). This claim is corroborated by non-Pauline sources in Acts (9:1-9, 22:1-11, 26:9-19).
Am I not free? Am I not an apostle? Have I not seen Jesus our Lord? Are not you my workmanship in the Lord? - 1 Cor 9:1 ESV
Last of all, as to one untimely born, he appeared also to me. - 1 Cor 15:8
Pauls drastic turnaround from eager persecutor of the church to an apostle demands an adequate explanation. That explanation is that Paul was certain he saw the risen Christ. Atheistic philosopher Michael Martin grants this:
However, we have only one contemporary eyewitness account of a postresurrection appearance of Jesus, namely Paul’s.
Roy Hoover, a member of the Jesus seminar states:
The reason for starting here is simple and compelling: Paul’s testimony is the earliest and the most historically reliable evidence about the resurrection that we have…The most important evidence about the resurrection with which Paul provides us is…a direct claim that he has seen the risen Jesus.
Third, Paul’s report regarding the resurrection appearances is approved by and matches that which others preached. Paul made at least two trips to Jerusalem ( Gal 1-2) to counsel with the apostolic leaders in order to make sure that they were teaching the same thing about the Gospel which centered on Christ’s resurrection. The apostolic leadership ( including Peter, John, and James the brother of Jesus) specifically approved Paul’s message. Acts 15, which may or not be one of the two events mentioned in Galatians, also contains an affirmation of Paul’s message by the apostles. Habermas states, “Critical scholars agree that Paul’s Gospel message had been approved by the other key apostles.”
Not only was Paul’s message approved by the apostolic leadership, Paul knew and approved the resurrection message of the other apostles. Again, 1 Corinthians 15 contains early creeds from just a few years after Jesus’s death. After citing this early creed, Paul proclaimed that the other apostles were preaching the same message (1 Cor 15:11, 14-15). The Gospels also contain reports of Jesus’s appearances to His disciples and others (Matt 28, Luke 24, John 20-21, Mark 16:6-7).
There is more support for the experiences of the disciples that they thought were resurrection appearances of Christ. I’ll continue this discussion in the next post.