Resurrection of Jesus ...

Tuesday, April 22, 2014. The past days I was on holiday and had more time to look into the biblical events around Jesus death and resurrection. I wanted to investigate the reality of these events a little bit more than I had done it in the past. So I digged deeply into the discussion between critical theologians, historians and believers.

The facts …

Today, it is widely accepted even among skeptics that the letters 1. Corinthians and Galatians are original writing of the apostle Paul. 1. Corinthians has been written about 54/55 AD, e.g. 24/25 years after the resurrection, and Galatians must have been written some time between 48AD and 57AD. Both letters are very important, since they report the basic statements about the resurrection, and they even refer to a list of events which has taken place between the resurrection and the moment when they were written. We recall 1. Corinthians 15:

1 Now I would remind you, brothers,1 of the gospel I preached to you, which you received, in which you stand, 2 and by which you are being saved, if you hold fast to the word I preached to you—unless you believed in vain. 3 For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, 4 that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures, 5 and that he appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve. 6 Then he appeared to more than five hundred brothers at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have fallen asleep. 7 Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles. 8 Last of all, as to one untimely born, he appeared also to me. 9 For I am the least of the apostles, unworthy 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 was not in vain. On the contrary, I worked harder than any of them, though it was not I, but the grace of God that is with me. 11 Whether then it was I or they, so we preach and so you believed. (1. Cor 15)

Here, Paul also refers to his teaching in Corinth, which we know it took place in 51/52AD, since we know the name of the governor and archeological research has verified this date by excavations. Also, in Galatians Paul writes about his conversion in 32/33AD, that he came to Jerusalem 3 years later, i.e. 35AD, to talk to Peter and James about the resurrection and his teaching about Christ. Then, 14 years later, i.e. about 47AD, he came again to make sure that the overall teaching of Christians remained homogeneous. The first concile of the apostles in about 50AD is well known.

Invitation to believe …

Recall that the events Paul writes about took place only a few years before. Today, I can remember well the important events which happened 20 years ago. The German wall fell 1989 - and we all know where we have been Sept 11, 2001. Even small details are burned into my own memory. How could Paul now remember clearly, what happened? We know today, that the testamony of the first witnesses is passed on immediately (days and month) after the resurrection: we have seen him. He is risen. We have a reliable account of these testamonies today!

The New Testament teaches us that faith is of most importance. It is trust in God, which it wants to teach us. It is love, truth, hope and truthfulness, which is the core of God's character and which is what heaven is made of. The facts, which are reported by the gospels and by the letters of the apostles, are a sound basis for such a faith. They are an invitation to believe in him and found your life on him. He is the Lord …

We are invited to believe. We are invited to live with him. We are invited to let his reality become the center of our life. The Holy Spirit is waiting to come into our heart, and fill it with purpose and joy … (Roland Potthast) ... more texts