Can We Prove The Resurrection:

Central to the beliefs of Christianity is the resurrection of Christ. If Christ did not resurrect, the Christian religion is an absolute farce. However, if Christ did resurrect, then the Christian religion, at its core, is absolutely true:

And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins. Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ are lost. If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are to be pitied more than all men.

1 Corinthians 15:17-19

More than any other event, the most contested, defended, and debated is by far the resurrection of Christ. Many have made it their life ambition to disprove this event. Others devote their lives to proclaiming this event.

If Christianity is true, and the validity of Christianity hinges upon the event of the resurrection, one would expect God would allow one to discover this event really occurred. However, if Christianity is false, then Christ did not have the ability to rise from the dead. Under these circumstances, certainly a claim as ridiculous as the resurrection would be easy to disprove.

These are our only two options:

1. The resurrection is true – If this is the case, then disproving the resurrection should be difficult.
2. The resurrection is false – If this is the case, then disproving the resurrection should be easy.

To answer this question, we will begin by finding common ground between the two theories. Below is a list of undisputed facts regarding the events surrounding the resurrection claim:

Accepted facts by both Critics and Christians:

• Jesus existed;
• Jesus was sentenced to execution by crucifixion by the Romans;
• The execution was carried out by the Romans;
• Days later people insisted they saw the resurrected Christ;
• Thousands of people claimed to have seen, eaten with, spoken with, and walked with the resurrected Christ for a period of 40 days;
• The disciples returned insisting they were witnesses to the resurrected Christ;
• Two of Jesus’ brothers (who rejected Jesus’ claim of divinity during his ministry) preached Jesus (their biological brother) was God;
• Most of these people were willing to be tortured and killed before they denied the resurrection.

Reviewing the facts:

Jesus Existed:

No historian worth his salt denies the existence of Jesus. Some historians disagree upon who he really was or what he really did. However, none debate his existence. Without the existence of Jesus, one would have a difficult time explaining the early rise of the Christian Church. Including Churches within the area Christ was said to have lived.

If Jesus did not exist, one would expect to find first and second century arguments stating Jesus did not exist. However, no first century or second century anti-resurrection arguments make the claim Jesus never existed.

Further, Christians existed within Jerusalem (where Jesus is said to have preached) immediately following the resurrection claim. If Jesus did not exist, Jerusalem (or any place nearby) would be the last place one would expect to find a Christian.

But they declared that the sum of their guilt or error had amounted only to this, that on an appointed day they had been accustomed to meet before daybreak, and to recite a hymn antiphonally to Christ, as to a god,

- Pliny the Younger, Roman Lawyer and Author (61-112 A.D.) Plin.Epp.X (ad Traj.), xcvi (Written circa 112)

Jesus was sentenced to execution by crucifixion by the Romans:

This is not an area of debate within the academic community. Church tradition, early Roman historical records, and Jewish records all agree Christ was sentenced to execution by crucifixion by the Romans. If this claim, found within the Gospels, were erroneous, one would expect to find early anti-resurrection claims identifying this obvious mistake. However, the absence of any denial suggest this event could not be denied.

On the eve of the Passover, Yeshu [Jesus] was hanged. Forty days before the execution took place, a herald went forth and cried: “He is going forth to be stoned because he has practiced sorcery and enticed Israel to apostasy. Any one who can say anything in his favour, let him come forward and plead on his behalf.” But since nothing was brought forward in his favour he was hanged on the eve of the Passover.

- The Babylonian Talmudtransl. by I. Epstein (London: Soncino, 1935), vol. III, Sanhedrin 43a; pg 281

The execution was carried out by the Romans:

Like the sentencing of Jesus, the execution of Jesus is not debated. Three of the four Gospels were completed within 33 years of Jesus’ death. If Jesus were not executed, or not executed in the manner described within the Gospels, one would expect early Roman and Jewish authorities to exploit this error. However, all records appear to agree Christ was executed by the Romans.

“Nero fastened the guilt [of starting the blaze] and inflicted the most exquisite tortures on a class hated for their abominations, called Christians by the populace. Christ, from whom the name had its origin, suffered the extreme penalty during the reign of Tiberius [14-37] at the hands of one of our procurators, Pontius Pilate, and the most mischievous superstition, thus checked for the moment, again broke out not only in Judea, the first source of the evil, but even in Rome, where all things hideous and shameful from every part of the world find their centre and become popular”.

- Tacitus, Roman Historian (56-117 A.D.), Annals5.44) , written 116 A.D.

Days later people insisted they saw the resurrected Christ:

Prior to the death of Jesus, his followers were small in numbers. After 33 A.D. (the year Jesus was executed) the number of followers rapidly increases. Many new members insisted they personally witnessed the resurrected Christ.

“One of the most amazing facts about the early Christian belief in Jesus’ resurrection was that it originated in the very city where Jesus was crucified. The Christian faith did not come to exist in some distant city, far from eyewitnesses who knew of Jesus’ death and burial. No, it came into being in the very city where Jesus had been publicly crucified, under the very eyes of its enemies.”.

- Dr. William Lane Craig, Research Professor of Philosophy – Reasonable Faith: Christian Truth and Apologeticsheaton, IL: Crossway Books, 1994)

Thousands of people claimed to have seen, eaten with, spoken with, and walked with the resurrected Christ for a period of 40 days:

500 of these people are mentioned in Paul’s letter to the Church in Corinth (written in 54 A.D. – 21 years after the resurrection) with a challenge to verify his claim. Many of these alleged witnesses chose death before denying they saw Christ resurrected.

“What gives a special authority to the list (of witnesses) as historical evidence is the reference to most of the five hundred brethren being still alive. St. Paul says in effect, ‘If you do not believe me, you can ask them.’ Such a statement in an admittedly genuine letter written within thirty years of the event is almost as strong evidence as one could hope to get for something that happened nearly two thousand years ago.”.

- William Lillie, author of: An Introduction to Ethics – “The Empty Tomb and the Resurrection,” in D. E. Nineham, et al., Historicity and Chronology in the New Testamentondon: SPCK, 1965); pg 125.

The disciples returned insisting they were witnesses to the resurrected Christ:

When Jesus was captured by the Jewish authorities, the disciples admit they ran away. Peter, Jesus’ most devoted follower, quickly denies any relation to Jesus for fear he may also be beaten or executed. However, after the death of Jesus, the disciples, including Peter, return to Jerusalem insisting they witnessed the resurrected Christ. Fear of punishment no longer appears to inhibit their proclamation.

“We do not read in the first testimonies [of the Resurrection] of an apocalyptic spectacle, exorbitant sensations, or of the transforming impact of a cosmic event. . . . According to all New Testament reports, no human eye saw the resurrection itself, no human being was present, and none of the disciples asserted to have apprehended, let alone understood, its manner and nature. How easy it would have been for them or their immediate successors to supplement this scandalous hole in the concatenation of events by fanciful embellishments! But precisely because none of the evangelists dared to ‘improve upon’ or embellish this unseen resurrection, the total picture of the gospels also gains in trustworthiness.”.

- Dr. Pinchas Lapide, Israeli Historian and Jewish Theologian – The Resurrection of Jesus: A Jewish Perspectiveortress Press, 1988)

Two of Jesus’ brothers (who rejected Jesus’ claim of divinity during his ministry) preached Jesus (their biological brother) was God:

James and Jude were Jesus’ brothers. During Jesus’ ministry, James and Jude were said to be embarrassed by their brother’s claim of divinity. Certainly, these men were not followers of Jesus. However, following the death of Jesus, both James and Jude return insisting their biological brother, Jesus, was God incarnate. Both men were executed because they refused to deny their brother’s resurrection.

“James was stoned to death illegally by the Sanhedrin sometime after A.D. 60 for his faith in Christ.”.

- Josephus, Jewish/Roman Historian (37-100 A.D.) – Antiquity of the Jews0.200), written: 94 A.D.

“even the skeptical New Testament critic Hans Grass admits that the conversion of James is one of the surest proofs of the resurrection of Jesus Christ.”.

- William Lane Craig, Research Professor of Philosophy – Reasonable Faith: Christian Truth and Apologeticsrd ed.; Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books, 2008); pg 380, Citing: Hans Grass, Ostergeschehen und Osterberichte (4th ed.; Göttingen: Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht, 1974); pg 80

Most of these people were willing to be tortured and killed before they denied the resurrection:

Those who claimed to have been witnesses to the resurrection typically chose torture and ultimately death before denying the resurrection. No person gained anything by claiming they saw the resurrected Christ. Certainly, the disciples had no incentive to make such a claim, unless they believed it to be true. Ultimately, with the exception of John, every disciple was tortured and killed before denying the resurrection of Christ.

This is atypical of people who choose death for their religious beliefs. Typically, people who choose death for their religion do so because they sincerely believe their religion is true. However, the disciples had the benefit of knowing whether or not their religion is true.

“People will die for their religious beliefs if they sincerely believe they’re true, but people won’t die for their religious beliefs if they know their beliefs are false.
“While most people can only have faith that their beliefs are true, the disciples were in a position to know without a doubt whether or not Jesus had risen from the dead. They claimed that they saw him, talked with him, and ate with him. If they weren’t absolutely certain, they wouldn’t have allowed themselves to be tortured to death for proclaiming that the resurrection had happened.”.

- Lee Strobel, Former Journalist for Chicago Tribune – The Case For Christrand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 1998), pg. 247-248

Possible explanations considering the facts:

Considering the information above, critics to the resurrection claim have suggested four alternate explanations:

1. The Swoon Theory
2. The Myth Theory
3. The Hallucination Theory
4. The Conspiracy Theory

The Swoon Theory

The “Swoon theory” suggests Christ did not die on the cross; instead he only appeared dead after the crucifixion and was in fact alive when he was placed in the tomb. When the cool air revived him it gave the appearance of a resurrection.

Looking at the crucifixion it is hard to imagine anyone could survive. Christ’s back was skinned, his arms were dislocated, and his heart was pierced with a spear. In fact, the Romans were so convinced Christ was dead; they didn’t bother breaking his legs to expedite the death (instead they stabbed him in the heart with a spear). John testifies blood and water poured out of the wound in Christ’s chest. This is caused when the pericardium fills with fluid, the result of asphyxiation.

If Christ was alive when he was placed in the tomb, how did he get out? A large stone was placed at the entrance of the tomb, it would be difficult for one man to move this stone, let alone a half dead man. Even if he did manage to move the stone what about the Roman guards placed at the entrance of the tomb? Again, it is hard to imagine a half dead man conquering at least two Roman guards.

After moving the stone and overpowering the Roman Guards, Christ would then have appeared to his disciples. The disciples would have found a crippled, swollen, bleeding, half dead man. This man could never convince anyone he conquered death. Even if he did manage all of this, the stress of walking, talking, and eating for 40 days would certainly have killed him. He wouldn’t have lasted an hour. The implausibility of this theory is exactly why it is falling out of favor among the skeptics.

“It is impossible that a being who had stolen half-dead out of the sepulchre, who crept about weak and ill, wanting medical treatment, who required bandaging, strengthening and indulgence, and who still at last yielded to his sufferings, could have given the disciples the impression that he was a Conqueror over death and the grave, the Prince of Life, an impression which lay at the bottom of their future ministry. Such a resuscitation could only have weakened the impression which He had made upon them in life and in death, at the most could only have given it an elegiac voice, but could by no possibility have changed their sorrow into enthusiasm, have elevated their reverence into worship.”.

- David Friedrich Strauss, German theologian and skeptical of the resurrection – The Life of Jesus for the People,l. 1, 2nd edition (London: Williams and Norgate, 1879), p. 412

The Myth Theory:

The most common argument made by skeptics is called the “Myth theory.” According to this theory the story of the resurrection of Christ was an exaggeration based on a more plausible event. Almost all myths develop generations after an event and are loosely based on this event.

There are several objections to be made regarding the Myth theory: The first is the amount of time that passed between the death of Christ (around 33 A.D.) and the completion of the Gospels. The date of the completion of the Gospels is of much debate. However, historians agree upon a few facts: the letters in the Bible written by Paul were in fact written by the historical figure Paul of Tarsus, the book of Acts was completed after the Gospel of Luke, and the book of Acts was completed before the death of Paul (around 65 A.D.). Based on this we know the Gospel of Luke was completed at a time when eyewitnesses to the historical Jesus were still around. We also know the Gospel of Mark was the first Gospel completed (around 45-60 A.D.) and the Gospel of Matthew was completed around the same time as the Gospel of Luke.

This leaves us no more than 32 years for the life and death of Jesus to be exaggerated to the resurrection story we know today. This is unprecedented and much faster than the typical few hundred years it takes for a myth to develop. If a myth could develop this quickly it would be immediately discredited by the witness to the actual events.

Another objection to be made is the lack of any other historical figure we could identify as the source of this myth. The Jesus we know in the Gospels is the only Jesus we know. Unlike other myths we have no historical figure we can identify as the foundation for this exaggerated story.

Lastly, the Gospels and letters within the Bible identify the resurrection as a fact. If this event did not take place as indicated by the Bible then it must be a lie, not a myth.

“Most decidedly must a considerable interval of time be required for such a complete transformation of a whole history by popular tradition, when the series of legends are formed in the same territory where the heroes actually lived and wrought. Here one cannot imagine how such a series of legends could arise in an historical age, obtain universal respect, and supplant the historical recollection of the true character and connexion of their heroes’ lives in the minds of the community, if eyewitnesses were still at hand, who could be questioned respecting the truth of the recorded marvels. Hence, legendary fiction, as it likes not the clear present time, but prefers the mysterious gloom of grey antiquity, is wont to seek a remoteness of age, along with that of space, and to remove it boldest and most rare and wonderful creation into a very remote and unknown land.”.

- Julius Müller, Professor of Theology – The Theory of Myths, in Its Application to the Gospel History Examined and Confutedondon: John Chapman, 1844); pg 26

The Hallucination Theory:

The disciples were convinced to the point of allowing themselves to be killed before admitting they were lying. What could convince more than a dozen people to believe they saw something? They either saw it, or they thought they saw it. The “Hallucination theory” suggests the disciples did not actually see the resurrected Christ, they only thought they saw him.

The first and most obvious objection to this theory is the very nature of a hallucination. Hallucinations are seen by only one person and are a figment of their imagination. The disciples do not claim Christ appeared to them one at a time, they claim Christ appeared too many people at the same time. According to Paul, Christ appeared to more than 500 people at once (1 Corinthians 15:3-8). Not only did he appear to them; he walked with them, talked with them, and ate with them, for 40 days. This hallucination would be more extraordinary than an actual resurrection.

Further, if the resurrection was only a hallucination, then the body of Christ would still be in the tomb. Jewish and Roman authorities would quickly be able to produce a body and extinguish the movement. However, even Jewish and Roman authorities admit the tomb was empty and accused the disciples stole the body.

“It passes the bounds of credibility that the early Christians could have manufactured such a tale and then preached it among those who might easily have refuted it simply by producing the body of Jesus.”.

- Dr. John Warwick Montgomery, Professor of Law and Philosophy – History and Christianityowners Grove, Ill., InterVarsity Press, 1972); pg 78.

The Conspiracy Theory:

According to the “Conspiracy theory,” the disciples and authors of the Bible lied and deceived the public into believing Christ rose from the dead; even going so far as to steal the body of Christ, giving the allusion of a resurrection.

No one can disagree that the disciples were human and susceptible to the motivations for lying. However, every lie has a motivation. Whatever the disciples’ motivation was to lie it must have been persuasive enough to convince more than a dozen men to stand-up to the Roman and Jewish authorities even though the conspirators would have understood that the possibility of death or imprisonment was almost a certainty. In fact the disciples were all subjected to punishment including: torture, imprisonment, crucifixion, and death. None of the disciples ever recanted their proclamation even though doing so would have saved their life.

Recanting the story and admitting it was a lie would have allowed the Roman or Jewish authorities to use this as evidence against the resurrection claim. Not only did the disciples die, they never received any tangible benefit from lying.

While it is possible for one, two, or maybe three people to die for something they know to be false, it is nearly impossible to believe more than a dozen people would die for something they know to be a lie. Clearly the disciples believed they saw the resurrected Christ.

“This would run totally contrary to all we know of them: their ethical teaching, the quality of their lives, their steadfastness in suffering and persecution. Nor would it begin to explain their dramatic transformation from dejected and dispirited escapists into witnesses whom no opposition could muzzle.”.

- Sir James Norman Dalrymple (J.N.D) Anderson, dean of the faculty of law and director of the Institute of Advanced Legal Studies at the University of London – Christianity: The Witness of Historyyndale Press, 1970); pg 92.

Conclusion: Can we prove the resurrection

After thousands of years, with the effort of hundreds-of-thousands of critics, the above proposed alternatives to the resurrection claim are considered the most credible. Unfortunately, each is more difficult to believe than the last, and all leave more questions than answers.

Clearly, while proving an event which is claimed to have taken place thousands of years ago is difficult, all the evidence seems to suggest the Resurrection is the most plausible explanation.

“According to the laws of legal evidence used in courts of law, there is more evidence for the historical fact of the resurrection of Jesus Christ than for just about any other event in history.”

- Dr. Simon Greenleaf, Harvard University professor of Law – The Testimony of the Evangelists Examined by The Rules of Evidence Administered in Courts of Justice,print of the 1874 edition, (Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1984).