New Testament Resurrection Evidence - Book Report/Review Example

Religion and Theology al Affiliation) Religion and Theology New Testament Resurrection Evidence Paul spoke about theissue of resurrection in the book of 1 Corinthians 15:12-19, asking how can some people claim that the dead cannot resurrect when preachers say that Jesus Christ resurrected from the dead1. He further said in verse 14 that his preaching would not be useful if Jesus had not risen from death. His statement was in response to the people who doubted that Jesus had in fact risen from the dead, affirming the death of Jesus, his burial, resurrection as well as his appearances after death. In the present society, many people still regard the story of Jesus’ resurrection as a mere spiritual occurrence as opposed to a historical one2. However, there is sufficient evidence to support the story of resurrection as written in the Bible. Historical claims are backed by the criteria of competence, character, context and consensus. William Craig, a Christian apologist, argued for the case of resurrection by providing seven aspects that make up the synoptic account that were verified by John3. i. Some women visited the tomb shortly after the body of Jesus was taken to the tomb ii. The women found that the stone that closed the tomb had been taken away iii. The women witnessed an angel-like appearance iv. They then informed Jesus’ disciples v. When Peter visited the tomb, he found it empty vi. The women saw Christ raise physically vii. Jesus gave them instructions to give to his disciples The first five points make up the empty tomb’s account as stipulated in the gospel while the last two points provide the basis for the post-mortem appearance of Jesus. Along with Christian Theology’s origin, these last two points make up the main historical basis for an individual to believe that Jesus Christ rose from the dead4. It is common knowledge that man wrote the Bible. A sound argument is that if these men were capable of writing the bible, then they had the capability to record actual events as they happened. At this point, the Gospel meets the criteria set for validity by history5. Two years on after the death of Jesus, the disciples still taught the people in Jerusalem that Jesus died from the crucifixion and arose from death. Paul visited Jerusalem and Cephas to gather information concerning the faith from the people who had witnessed the spectacle. The source’s credibility cannot be logically disputed since it is an actual testimony of the belief held by Christians in the early years of Christianity6. The source of the story of the resurrection of Jesus is not restricted to the Bible. Cornelius Tacitus and Flavius Josephus wrote in ancient Greece about Jesus’ resurrection. John Crossan writes that in the event that the supporters of Jesus had not written about him, these two authors would still provide information about Jesus despite them not being among his supporters7. Roman history wrote about the crucifixion of Jesus and his apparent resurrection. This evidence confirms that Pontius Pilate ordered Jesus’ crucifixion and that even in death, the followers of Jesus continues to worship him8. These pieces of evidence would serve to inform an individual with interest in Christianity that Jesus’ resurrection occurred in history. The fact that people from different places recorded the events as they happened is proof of the occurrence of the events, because it is not realistic that people with no relation whatsoever would make up such similar stories. Therefore, it is a historical fact that Jesus resurrected9. However, there are a number of obstacles to the belief that Jesus’ death and resurrection are facts in history. One of the obstacles is the fact that biologically, the human body is incapable of rising from death. In a world with many sceptic people, it would be considerably difficult to base the argument for resurrection away from biological facts10. Secondly, a few people witnessed the event of Jesus’ resurrection. It is easier to believe a story that had many witnesses, say, in full view of the public. b. How Paul’s initial message to the Corinthians assisted in their establishment as a missional place. In 1 Corinthians, Apostle Paul writes about the Church. He had spent some time in Corinth four years before he wrote the letter. The time he spent in Corinth made him familiar with a considerable number of the Christians there and with the church. The letter that Paul wrote to the Corinthians was of notable significance, and the recipients understood such importance not just to themselves, but also to the church all over the world. The letter was drafted approximately in AD 5511. While in Ephesus, the Apostle received information on the wrangles that had arisen in the church in Corinth. Paul founded the church not long before the divisions started. He had to act swiftly to mitigate the effects of the division and foster unity in the church. It is believed that Paul drafted the letter before he left Ephesus for Macedonia for his mission12. The letter by Paul was an indication of the issues that affected Christians in those early days. In the letter, Paul frankly discusses the church in general aside from the issues that had an effect on people. The church in Corinth had become blemished by sin on more than one front. As opposed to ignoring the relational divisions, Paul opted to offer an essential model that the church had to use so that the church could fight against the sin that had infested it13. Paul included in the letter a teaching on Jesus’ resurrection, quarrels and divisions, lawsuits among believers, sexual immorality among other issues. In brief, Paul emphasized the conduct of Christians in the church at Corinth. Despite Corinth being a large city with people of different faiths, Paul founded a church there. The temptations of the immorality perpetrated by the members of the other churches prompted Paul to insist on the practice of good morals by Christians. Paul did not suggest the relocation of the church to another location away from the non-believers. Rather, he requested for the strengthening of the church amidst all the evil in the community. Paul’s letter helped in the cleansing of the church, making it a missional place14. c. The structure of the Old Testament and its assistance in explaining God’s will for his people The structure of the Old Testament serves the purpose of helping the people of God to discover and explain the will of God for their lives. Thirty-six books make up the Old Testament, with two of them split into two volumes15. The books of the Old Testament are divided into three major parts: the Pentateuch, Prophets and Writings. The Pentateuch consists of the five books at the beginning of the Old Testament from Genesis to Deuteronomy. Stories about creation and the redemption of Israelites from Egypt are in this part of the Bible16. From reading the books of the Pentateuch, the people of God are introduced to the control that God has over the life of human beings. From the story of creation, for instance, God made Adam and Eve and put them in the Garden of Eden. While they were there, God provided them with food. This is an indication that God had the will that Adam and all people that were to follow would benefit from his care. God also bore the will that all of his other creation were in the direct care of man17. In the story of the redemption of Israelites, God chose Moses, a shepherd with a stammer, to lead the Israelites out of Egypt. Not even Moses himself ever knew the plans that God had for him. This story serves to show Christians that God determines the future of every person who serves Him. It further brings out the fact that God made every person to serve a purpose that only He knows18. He used Moses to save the Israelites from slavery in the hands of the Egyptians. Later, further proof of the will of God in Christians’ lives manifests himself when He says that Moses would not enter Canaan, and that instead He would choose another leader to lead the people into Canaan. A final example is the journey made by Moses up Mount Sinai to collect the Ten Commandments. The second category is the Prophets. This category comprises of the books written by the prophets of God, and they are believed to have been written during the years when Israel was in exile. These books are nineteen in number. This category is further subdivided into the Former and the Latter prophets. The former prophets include Joshua, Samuel 1 and 2, Judges and Kings 1 and 2. They continue to tell the Israelites’ story after the death of Moses. The Prophets highlight the will of God through predictions19. Proof of it is when in the scriptures predicted the fall of Jerusalem. Further, they predict the fall of Israel, how it would be saved from exile and further theology. The final category is the writings. The books in this section contain the story of Israel during exile, highlighting the power of God in guiding them throughout that period into Canaan20. Other books in this section also tell of Israel’s history after God had saved them from exile. During this period, it is clear that God’s will that Israel be saved from exile occurred, further affirming the significance of the will of God in the life of a Christian21. The other books from Job to Songs of Solomon contain works of art like poetry as well as the message of Wisdom. This can be analysed as God’s way of communicating his desire for human beings to live in a certain way. An example is the story of Job, who God allowed to through hardship to test his faith and eventually proved to God that he was faithful to God. We regard this as God’s deed that Job suffers to teach his people about faithfulness22. From this discussion, Christians can discover and explain the will of God for them. From the structure of the Old Testament, God plans the events at every stage in the life of a person. References 1 Corinthians Summary. (n.d.). 1 Corinthians Summary. Retrieved October 2, 2014, from http://biblehub.com/summary/1_corinthians/1.htm Alles, G. D. (2008). Religion Past & Present: Encyclopedia of Theology and Religion, Volume 1 A-Bhu. Edited by Hans Dieter Betz Journal of the American Academy of Religion, 76(3), 680-684. Bible: The Old Testament. (n.d.). SparkNotes. Retrieved October 2, 2014, from http://www.sparknotes.com/lit/oldtestament/context.html Siniscalchi, G. B. (2011). ‘Resurrecting Jesus’ And Critical Historiography: William Lane Craig And Dale Allison In Dialogue. The Heythrop Journal, 52(3), 362-373. Snyder, G. F. (2009, August 1). The Resurrection of Jesus.(Book review). Currents in Theology and Mission, 226, 24. Stenschke, C. (2008). The Theology of Pauls Letter to the Romans. Religion and Theology, 15(1), 170-173. Stenschke, C. (2008). Encyclopedia of Christian Theology. Religion and Theology, 15(1), 190-192. Stenschke, C. (2008). Biblical Theology: Retrospect and Prospect. Religion and Theology, 15(1), 174-177. Read More