INTRODUCTION
Unbelieving Explanations (skeptical theories of the resurrection)
Believing Expositions (the Pauline apologetic for the resurrection)
Evangelically Defended (15:1-2),
Scripturally Defended (15:3-4),
Evidentially Defended (15:5-7),
Experientially Defended (15:9-11),
Logically Defended (15:12-19),
Theologically Defended (15:20-22),
Eschatologically Defended (15:23-27, 51-54),
Somatologically Defended (15:35-49),
And Practically Defended (15:58)
Practical Ramifications
1) Unbelieving Explanations (skeptical theories of the resurrection)
The Theft Theory
Instead of being raised form the dead, Jesus’ body was stolen form the tomb. This explains why the tomb was empty. After the body was stolen, then the apostles began to preach the lie that He had been raised form the dead.
The Swoon Theory
Another theory asserts that instead of being killed by crucifixion, Jesus fainted on the cross. After being taken from the cross and placed in the tomb, He revived and escaped from the tomb. Then, He appeared to the apostles and they spread the lie that He had been raised from the dead.
The Hallucination Theory
This theory says that the apostles, rather than actually seeing the risen Lord, simply imagined that they saw Him. They wanted so much to believe the He was raised from the dead, they allowed their imaginations to control their reason until they believed the deceptive vision of the resurrected Jesus.
The Wrong Tomb Theory
The throe says that Jesus" body was placed in the wrong tomb. Instead of being put in Joseph’s tomb, they put the body in another tomb. Therefore, when they came to Joseph’s tomb, they found it empty because Jesus’ body had never been placed there to begin with. Then, they went about teaching that He had been raised from the dead.
My favorite is - The Dave Theory - The Impersonation Theory
How did this skepticism all start:
In his essay "Of Miracles" in An Enquiry Concerning Human Understanding, Hume argues against the identification of miracles. He actually develops his argument in two phases. In the first section he argues in principle and the second section he argues from experience or practice. There is not enough space to elaborate on all the details of his arguments, but the kernel of his argument is as follows38: 1) A miracle is a violation of the laws of nature; 2) Firm and unalterable (i.e. uniform) experience has established these laws; 3) A wise man proportions his belief to the evidence and 4) Therefore the proof against miracles is as entire as any argument from experience can possibly be imagined. Hume’s argument can be interpreted so as to preclude miracles a priori.
The Jefferson Bible: I have a copy in a box on Martha - the last words are: Luke 23: 55 And the women also, which came with him from Galilee, followed after, and beheld the sepulchre, and how his body was laid. 56 And they returned, and prepared spices and ointments; and rested the sabbath day according to the commandment.
Rudolf Bultmann began with the claim that "the New Testament is essentially mythical in character." "(W)hat a primitive mythology it is, that a divine being should become incarnate and atone for the sins of men through his own blood!" "Gnostic influence" that introduced the idea that "this Christ, who died and rose again, was not a mere human being but a God-man" (KaM, 7-8).
In his commentary on the book of Romans (1919), the early Barth declared, "The resurrection touches history as a tangent touches a circle-that is, without really touching it."
The Jesus Seminar
The contemporary religious controversy, epitomized in the Scopes trial and the continuing clamor of creationism as a viable alternative to the theory of evolution, turns on whether the worldview reflected in the Bible can be carried forward into this scientific age and retained as an article of faith. Jesus figures prominently in this debate. The Christ of creed and dogma, who had been firmly in place in the Middle Ages, can no longer command the assent of those who have seen the heavens through Galileo’s telescope. The old demons are swept form the skies by that remarkable glass. Copernicus, Kepler, and Galileo have dismantled the mythological abodes of the gods and Satan, and bequeathed us secular heavens. (The Five Gospels: The Search for the Authentic Words of Jesus; New York: MacMillan Publishing, 1993, p. 4).
2) Believing Expositions (Paul’s apologetic in 1 Co 15)
Why is there dispute about this in Corinth?
The Greek Worldview
Acts 17: 32 And when they heard of the resurrection of the dead, some mocked, while others said, "We will hear you again on this matter."
Euminides said, "When the dust hath drained the blood of a man, once he is slain, there is no resurrection" (Loeb, p. 35)
An inscription in Phrygia said "Wretched are all those who look for resurrection".
Remember Socrates, about to drink the cup of hemlock, desiring that his soul be set free from the prison house of the body.
Paul, the model apologist, argues evangelically (15:1-2), scripturally (15:3-4), evidentially (15:5-7), experientially (15:8-11) logically (15:12-19), theologically (15:20-22), eschatologically (15:23-27, 51-54), somatologically (15:35-49), and practically (15:58)--that there is a future bodily resurrection of believers!
Evangelically: 1 Corinthians 15:1 Now I make known to you, brethren, the gospel which I preached to you, which also you received, in which also you stand, 2 by which also you are saved, if you hold fast the word which I preached to you, unless you believed in vain.
Scripturally: 3 For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received, that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, 4 and that He was buried, and that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures,
We are all very familiar with passages prophecying the death of Christ - Such as Isa 53 and Psalm 22. What about RESURRECTION IS ACCORDING TO THE SCRIPTURES:
PSA 16:10 For Thou wilt not abandon my soul to Sheol; Neither wilt Thou allow Thy Holy One to undergo decay.
PSA 16:11 Thou wilt make known to me the path of life; In Thy presence is fulness of joy; In Thy right hand there are pleasures forever.
ISA 53:9 His grave was assigned with wicked men, Yet He was with a rich man in His death, Because He had done no violence, Nor was there any deceit in His mouth.
ISA 53:10 But the \Lord\ was pleased To crush Him, putting {Him} to grief; If He would render Himself {as} a guilt offering, He will see {His} offspring, He will prolong {His} days, And the good pleasure of the \Lord\ will prosper in His hand.
ISA 53:11 As a result of the anguish of His soul, He will see {it} and be satisfied; By His knowledge the Righteous One, My Servant, will justify the many, As He will bear their iniquities.
ISA 26:18 We were pregnant, we writhed {in labor}, We gave birth, as it were, {only} to wind. We could not accomplish deliverance for the earth Nor were inhabitants of the world born.
ISA 26:19 Your dead will live; Their corpses will rise. You who lie in the dust, awake and shout for joy, For your dew is as the dew of the dawn, And the earth will give birth to the departed spirits.
DAN 12:2 "And many of those who sleep in the dust of the ground will awake, these to everlasting life, but the others to disgrace {and} everlasting contempt.
DAN 12:3 "And those who have insight will shine brightly like the brightness of the expanse of heaven, and those who lead the many to righteousness, like the stars forever and ever.
JOB 19:25 "And as for me, I know that my Redeemer lives, And at the last He will take His stand on the earth.
JOB 19:26 "Even after my skin is destroyed, Yet from my flesh I shall see God;
Evidentially: 5 and that He appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve. 6 After that He appeared to more than five hundred brethren at one time, most of whom remain until now, but some have fallen asleep; 7 then He appeared to James, then to all the apostles;
The Evidential Case for the Resurrection is often summarized by evangelical apologists, as follows:
1. Jesus died after the rigors of crucifixion
2. He was buried
3. His death caused despair and grief to His disciples
4. Jesus tomb was empty a few days later
5. His disciples had eyewitness experiences seeing a risen Jesus
6. The disciples were transformed from doubters to proclaimers even being willing to die for their belief
7. The message (death/resurrection) was central to the early church preaching
8. It was especially proclaimed in Jerusalem where Jesus had shortly before died and those having the power to disprove this message were there (Romans, Jews)
9. As a result of these events and their proclamation, the church was born and grew from Jewish converts
10. With Sunday (resurrection day) as their day of worship
11. James, the skeptical brother of Jesus, was converted and also saw the Resurrected Jesus
12. A few years later Paul the persecutor of Christians was also converted by an experience that he believed to be the risen Jesus.
TWO MAJOR EVIDENCES:
1) The empty tomb
2) The resurrection appearances
John Calvin said,
"In view of the fact that our Lord intended that His resurrection should have many eye-witnesses, who would tell of it again and again, we should therefore bear in mind that our faith in it should be all the more assured. And since the apostle proves the resurrection of Christ from the fact that He appeared to may people, he is pointing out in that way that this was no ’symbolic’ resurrection, but a genuine and physical one, for our eyes cannot be witnesses of a ’spiritual’ resurrection." (315)
Experientially: 8 and last of all, as it were to one untimely born, He appeared to me also. 9 For I am the least of the apostles, who am not fit to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. 10 But by the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace toward me did not prove vain; but I labored even more than all of them, yet not I, but the grace of God with me. 11 Whether then it was I or they, so we preach and so you believed.
John Newton, comments on these words are moving to me: "I am not what I was; I am not what I should be; I am not what I am going to be; BUT I AM WHAT I AM BY THE GRACE OF GOD."
Logically: 12 Now if Christ is preached, that He has been raised from the dead, how do some among you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? 13 But if there is no resurrection of the dead, not even Christ has been raised; 14 and if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is vain, your faith also is vain. 15 Moreover we are even found to be false witnesses of God, because we witnessed against God that He raised Christ, whom He did not raise, if in fact the dead are not raised. 16 For if the dead are not raised, not even Christ has been raised; 17 and if Christ has not been raised, your faith is worthless; you are still in your sins. 18 Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished. 19 If we have hoped in Christ in this life only, we are of all men most to be pitied.
If No Resurrection, THEN WHAT (vv. 12-19)
1. Preaching is Useless (v 14)
2. Faith is Useless
3. Apostles are False Witnesses
4. Faith is Futile
5. Still in Sin
6. Dead Christians are Lost Forever
7. We are Most to be Pitied
Theologically: 20 But now Christ has been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who are asleep. 21 For since by a man came death, by a man also came the resurrection of the dead. 22 For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ all shall be made alive.
This is a defense of worldview proportions - one thing I know, one thing I am certain of -
Eschatologically: 23 But each in his own order: Christ the first fruits, after that those who are Christ’s at His coming, 24 then comes the end, when He delivers up the kingdom to the God and Father, when He has abolished all rule and all authority and power. 25 For He must reign until He has put all His enemies under His feet. 26 The last enemy that will be abolished is death. 27 For HE HAS PUT ALL THINGS IN SUBJECTION UNDER HIS FEET. But when He says, "All things are put in subjection," it is evident that He is excepted who put all things in subjection to Him.
51 Behold, I tell you a mystery; we shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, 52 in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet; for the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed. 53 For this perishable must put on the imperishable, and this mortal must put on immortality. 54 But when this perishable will have put on the imperishable, and this mortal will have put on immortality, then will come about the saying that is written, "DEATH IS SWALLOWED UP in victory. 55 "O DEATH, WHERE IS YOUR VICTORY? O DEATH, WHERE IS YOUR STING?"
Somatologically: 15:35-49 . . .
Practically: 58 Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your toil is not in vain in the Lord.
Practical Ramifications: How Do You Deny Resurrection Faith?
Several ways we deny the Resurrection Faith:
1. When we live without a consistent motivation of hope.
2. When we are ashamed of the gospel as though it were simply a religious experience, not truth.
3. When we grieve over death as those who do not believe.
4. When we do not anticipate the resurrection consistently in daily living.
5. When we shrink back from making a defense for our faith to those who do not believe and those who are nominal.
6. When we do not live in such a way as to make our life ridiculous if we hope in Christ in this life only.
On the hand,WE HAVE THE RESURRECTION FAITH IF WE
1. Ardently proclaim that Jesus did rise from the dead and it is precisely because of this the gospel is not a delusion! The gospel is the power of God for salvation to all who believe and that salvation will save us from the Grave.
2. We may be found to be true witnesses of God only if we proclaim a gospel with the resurrection in it! We speak a half-truth if we leave Jesus in the grave!
3. Our gospelizing/evangelism is not in vain (15:58); Don’t lose heart in the heralding of the gospel that saves.
4. Our faith is not in vain, it is not useless. It is USEFUL rather than useless, it is valuable rather than worthless. It is meaningful rather than futile. Our faith in the resurrection gospel gives of true hope.
5. Those that love Christ that we love have not perished! We will be united again. (I Thess. 4:13-)
6. Our life ought to need resurrection to justify it! If we receive our reward here, we have no need for the resurrection of eternal life. Upon full analysis, our lives ought to appear ridiculous to those who do not believe in resurrection of reward or judgment. Resurrection unto eternal life ought to be needed for recompense for the way we live now. We ought to need Resurrection Justification. (Jn. 5:28)
What kind of faith is it that produces a Stephen (who was martyred and the pavement stones became his grave)?
What kind of faith produces a Peter (who was crucified upside down)?
What kind of faith is it that produces a Paul (died by the sword)?
In fact, all the apostles (except John, perhaps) died bitter sweet martyr’s deaths. What kind of faith is it that produces a Polycarp martyred for the faith/ Or a John Wickliff and John Huss, William Tyndale, Hugh Latimer, Bishop Ridley, Thomas Cranmer, and on and on to date. It is a RESURRECTION FAITH THAT MAKES MARTYRS!
How should we then live? Paul sums it up in 15:58 - Be steadfast, immovable, abounding in the work of the Lord.
