Christians keep confusing historical accuracy with sufficient evidence for a supernatural Jesus.
Their â500 eyewitnessesâ are a number mentioned once, and decades after alleged events. No names, no testimonies.
They donât even know which one the tomb is.
And Jesus is dead.
The Bible isnt just the claim. Its a collection of ancient historical documents that deserve to be evaluated like any other sources from that era.
Dismissing all of them as fantasy fiction fan stories and secondhand hearsay is a sloganâŠ.not a real argument.
We have multiple independent accountsâŠ.the four Gospels, the book of Acts and Pauls letters many of which were written within the lifetime of the eyewitnesses.
These arent anonymous fan fictionâŠthey name specific people, places and events that could have been easily debunked by hostile witnesses in Jerusalem if they were false.
Even before the ink hit the paperâŠ.the early church was already passing on a public oral creed that many scholars date to within months of the crucifixion.
Jesus appeared to more than 500 people and in first century oral cultureâŠ.Pauls public naming of these living witnesses just 20 years after the resurrection (53-55AD) carried enormous weight.
The resurrection claim was easily verifiable. All Rome and the religious authorities had to do to stop the early church was produce Jesus body and parade it thru the streets. But they couldnt because there was no body.
So instead of being shut down the early church EXPLODED in the very city where Jesus was crucified.
The core claim of the resurrection is supported by the minimal facts that even many skeptical scholars accept.
- Jesus died by crucifixion
- His tomb was found empty
- Hundreds of witnesses including skeptics like paul and james reported seeing him alive
- The disciples were transformed and willingly suffered and died for what they claimed to have seen firsthand.
This isnt hearsay in the darkâŠ.its public early testimony. We also have non christian sources from the first and early second centuries confirming Jesus existence such as his crucifixion under Pilate and the rapid rise of the Christian movement.
Every major ancient historical figure from Alexander the Great, Julius Caesar and others is known thru documents written years or decades later.
So why the special magic skepticism reserved only for Jesus? Rejecting the NT on principle would require throwing out most of ancient history.
The real question isnt whether the Bible makes a claim. The real question is whether the evidence for the risen Jesus is strong enough to investigate honestly.
Millions throughout history including former atheists and skeptics have concluded it is.
You cant stop the truth and those willing to examine it without prejudice discover it for themselves.