Authenticating the Resurrection of Jesus: The Appearance to Paul

An empty tomb alone does not a resurrection make, and that’s why the appearances of the risen Jesus are so important. With Christ’s resurrection, as with the truth of Catholicism in general, what we have is a series of converging and convincing arguments that are the most plausible explanation of the facts that we have. So, let’s take a deeper look at the evidence that Jesus appeared alive in bodily form to many after his death and burial.

My former professor and resurrection expert, Dr. Gary Habermas, lists ten considerations in favor of Jesus’ resurrection appearances. These ten points have two things in common: they are attested by scholars, both Christian and skeptic alike; and natural phenomenon alone fail to explain all of the data. Today, let’s look at those facts that have to do with the appearance to St. Paul. It’s good to start with him, because Paul’s conversion was a key event in the spread of the early Church. The question is, what caused Paul to convert, and what caused his preaching to be so successful? The best explanation is the bodily resurrection of Jesus. Here’s why:

1. No scholar seriously doubts the historical fact of St. Paul’s conversion. The facts are: that he was a Pharisee who violently opposed the nascent Church, and that he subsequently became not only a believer in Jesus, but the greatest missionary of all time – and these facts are not in doubt. Paul himself stated that the reason he became a Christian was because the risen and glorified Christ appeared to him (1 Cor. 9:1, 15:8; Gal. 1:16). The man’s own opinion of the matter counts! Just about every New Testament scholar maintains that Paul wrote most, if not all of the NT letters attributed to him, so the biographical details he provided are firsthand testimony that Paul believed he encountered the risen Lord. At any rate, something has to explain Paul’s radical change from persecutor to propagator of the new faith -and the best explanation is the resurrection.

2. In 1 Corinthians 15:3 and following, Paul quotes what is universally acknowledged as an early Church “creed” – a formula that predates Paul’s letter, likely by two decades. The composition of this creed that focuses on Christ’s death, burial and resurrection appearances thus dates to within mere months of the event of the Jesus’ resurrection. This makes it extremely unlikely that it is a legendary account, embellished over time. The presence of living witnesses to the events themselves also mitigates against that thesis. Paul himself notes (1 Cor. 15:6) that on one occasion, Jesus appeared to more than 500 people at once, most of whom were still alive and ostensibly willing to be interviewed about the facts. Habermas notes that most scholars believe that Paul received this creed abut AD 35, from the apostles Peter and James (see Gal. 1:18-19). Habermas also confirms that Paul’s choice of words in this passage, such as the Greek word historeo, indicates that he systematically interviewed, if you will, the apostles about the events behind this creed.

3. Paul was so concerned that he was preaching an historically accurate message that he returned to Jerusalem 14 years later –  to once again submit his message to the other apostles for examination (Gal. 2:1-10)! He was extremely concerned about the accuracy of his statements. This time, Paul specifically mentions John’s presence – thus confirming that all three apostles who were part of Jesus’ “inner circle”, the men who knew our Lord best while he was on earth, ratified Paul’s message once again.

4. Not only did the other apostles confirm Paul’s take on the gospel, Paul in turn confirms theirs: he verifies that he knew what the other apostles were preaching (1 Cor. 15:11), and that all of them were preaching the same message of Jesus’ resurrection with one voice. In light of all this, the oft-repeated idea that some revisionist scholars have that Paul, not Jesus, was the “inventor” of Christianity is obviously untenable.

Paul’s testimony to the appearances of the risen Christ are crucial to the overall argument. But there’s far more to be explored. In the next installment of this series, we’ll consider six more facts that Habermas puts forth to buttress the case for the resurrection appearances of Jesus Christ.

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“Go to Joseph”

Saint Joseph

The patriarch Joseph, the son of Jacob, is in many ways a type of Joseph, the foster father of Jesus and the patron of the universal Church. The Mass readings from Genesis over the last couple of days call to mind parallels between the two Josephs. In his magnificent daily devotional series, In Conversation with God, Fr. Francis Fernandez notes some of the most striking similarities, summarized below:

1. Both Josephs were forced to go to Egypt – the patriarch was sold into slavery by his brothers (prefiguring the handing over of Jesus by his kinsmen), while the husband of Mary was forced there to avoid the wrath of Herod, who sought the infant Jesus’ life (cf. Matt. 2:13-15).

2. God enabled the OT Joseph to interpret the dreams of Pharaoh; God spoke to the NT Joseph through dreams. In a sense, a particular dream of the first Joseph would be fulfilled in a greater way by the second: “…and behold, the sun, the moon, and eleven stars were bowing down to me” (see Genesis 37:5-10). Joseph meant by this his parents and brothers. Later, the Sun of Righteousness, Jesus Christ, and his Mother Mary, (the Christian who best reflected God’s glory, as the moon best reflects the sun), would, in a sense, “bow” to Joseph by submitting to his leadership in the holy house of Nazareth.

3. Joseph the patriarch won the favour of the most powerful king on earth, so much so that when hungry nations came to Egypt looking for food, Pharaoh could say confidently, “Go to Joseph, and what he says to you, do” (Gen. 41:55). Today, the world is hungry for spiritual food – true Christian teaching, because “man does not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God” (Matt. 4:4). We, too, must “go to Joseph”, for he, like Mary, will lead us to the Lord they know better than anyone ever did. And Joseph protects the members of Christ ‘s mystical body just as surely as he cared for Jesus himself.

Truly we can see here that, as Scott Hahn puts it, “God writes the world the way humans write with words”. Just as a human author used devices like foreshadowing to make a point, God uses historical events and people of the Old Covenant – like the patriarch Joseph – to preview far the far greater personages and events of the New.

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Q and A on the Ascension

The Ascension of Jesus Christ was celebrated today in many dioceses around the world, although some still celebrate the feast on Ascension Thursday. Here’s a brief Q and A that explains a few key points about the doctrine.

Why is the Ascension important?

The Ascension of the resurrected body of Jesus into heaven is important for many reasons. First, it answers the question, “Where is Jesus’ body now?” Second, many objectors to the Gospel would have wondered why Jesus had to return to the Father. In other words, what difference has this alleged triumph of the Messiah made for the world?

Peter preached that heaven must keep Jesus “until the time for establishing all that God spoke by the mouths of his holy prophets from of old” (Acts 3:21). Paul similarly teaches that Christ must reign “until he has put all his enemies under his feet” (1 Cor. 15:25; cf. Ps. 110:1). Both of these things will be accomplished in the present age, the age of the Church.

Presently, Christ is exercising his reign on earth through the outpouring of the Holy Spirit on the Church. The early Catholics pointed to charismatic phenomena (such as healings, the gift of prophecy, etc.) as proof of this reality. Peter’s quotation of Joel 3:1-5 in his Pentecost sermon (Acts 2:16-21) alludes to this effect. Essentially, the fledgling Church was accomplishing everything that Jesus did when he was on earth in his human body. But the effect, in a sense, was greater: Jesus’ physical body could only be in one place at a time; Jesus in his mystical body (the Church) could now cover the earth with his presence.

What is the difference between the Ascension of Jesus and the Assumption of Mary?

The essential difference is that Jesus, as God, could ascend to heaven by his own power. Mary, as a creature, albeit the greatest creature in the universe, had to be drawn (assumed) into heaven, by God. Both Jesus and Mary are presently experiencing the life of heaven in their physical, glorified bodies – an experience we hope to share, if we remain faithful, which we affirm each Sunday in the Creed: “I believe in the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting.”

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Authenticating the Resurrection of Jesus: The Testimony of Women

Jesus Appears to Mary Magdalene by FontanaIf the Apostles had fabricated the Easter account of Jesus’ resurrection from the dead, they wouldn’t have done this: the Gospels say that women were the first to discover the empty tomb of Christ, and to encounter him in his now glorified body. In fact, each of the four Gospels presents Mary Magdalene as the first person to inform the disciples that Jesus was alive (the reason she is often called the “Apostle to the Apostles”). Why are we sure things actually happened this way? Women, unfortunately, were not considered reliable witnesses in first-century Judaism at the time of Jesus. Consider these quotes:

Sooner let the words of the Law be burnt than delivered to women (Talmud, Sotah 19a).

But let not the testimony of women be admitted, on account of the levity and boldness of their sex…since it is probable that they may not speak truth, either out of hope of gain, or fear of punishment (Josephus, Antiquities 4.8.15).

Any evidence which a woman (gives) is not valid (to offer)…This is equivalent to saying that one who is Rabbinically accounted a robber is qualified to give the same evidence as a woman (Talmud, Rosh Hashannah 1.8).

(All references quoted in Habermas and Licona, The Case for the Resurrection of Jesus, p. 72)

This sheds light on the Gospel passages that inform us that the Apostles initially thought the message of Jesus’ resurrection was a “tall tale”:

Now when he rose early on the first day of the week, he appeared first to Mary Magdalene, from whom he had cast out seven demons. She went and told those who had been with him, as they mourned and wept. But when they heard that he was alive and had been seen by her, they would not believe it (Mark 16:9-11).

Thankfully, the Catholic Church has done much to promote the dignity of women since then! It’s safe to say that, if he Apostles wanted to convince their fellow Jews that Jesus is the Messiah, they likely would have said that Peter, or even Joseph of Arimathea, had discovered the empty tomb. The fact that all of the Gospels list the potentially embarrassing detail that women were the primary witnesses of Jesus’ resurrection greatly adds to the credibility of their accounts.

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Authenticating the Resurrection of Jesus: The Empty Tomb

Empty TombIn the last post, we noted powerful evidence for the empty tomb: enemy attestation. The religious authorities of Jerusalem and the early Church both agree: On Easter Sunday, the body of Jesus is not in the tomb. The question is: Why? Christians, of course, affirm the reason is the bodily Resurrection of the Lord. The authorities concocted a different tale: they said the disciples stole the body. Did they? Not a chance.

First, the tomb was guarded, most likely by Roman soldiers. Matthew’s Gospel mentions that the religious authorities bribed the guards to say that while they slept, the disciples pilfered Jesus from the tomb. That Roman soldiers would fall asleep on the job, and somehow not be woken by the commotion of men rolling away the massive stone at the mouth of the tomb, is laughable enough. But even if that were possible, who knows what’s happening while one is asleep, anyway? But there’s an even more convincing reason this argument doesn’t work.

Almost anyone would grant that people are often willing to die for what they believe to be true. Suicide bombers come immediately to mind. But no one dies for something they know to be a lie. And the disciples would certainly know if Jesus had actually risen from the dead and appeared to them, or if they had, in fact, hidden his corpse in a trunk somewhere. But if they had really stolen the body, why would they go and get themselves killed by preaching that Jesus had been resurrected? I mean, it’s not as if they had anything to gain, humanly speaking, by their message. It’s not as if sprawling mansions along the Mediterranean coastline awaited. They could only look forward to beatings. imprisonments, and an almost certain death. The truth is that they proclaimed the Resurrection because they were convinced by the encounters they had with the risen Christ. They proclaimed it because it was true.

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Authenticating the Resurrection of Jesus: the Jerusalem factor

The ResurrectionThe Bible is refreshingly clear about what is at stake if the Resurrection of Jesus didn’t happen: “If Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless, and so is your faith…but Christ has indeed been raised from the dead” (1 Corinthians 15:14, 20). Today, Easter Sunday, is the first day of the Octave of Easter (in the Church, it is as if Easter lasts as one continuous day until next Sunday), with the rest of the liturgical season of Easter to follow. So, over the next while, I’ll offer some solid reasons why we can be certain that Jesus indeed rose from the dead. Keep in mind that these facts are accepted by the vast majority of critical scholars, be they believers or not.

Reason 1: The Jerusalem factor. When the Apostles began publicly preaching that Jesus had been physically resurrected from the dead, it is not as if they began by travelling to some faraway land, to tell people who had no means of investigating the veracity of the event. It wasn’t like “Star Wars” – “Let me tell you about something that happenned ‘a long, long time ago in a galaxy far, far away.'” No, the Apostles began proclaiming the Resurrection in Jerusalem – the very city where Christ had been publicly killed. There is simply no way they could have done so if it were not true.

It’s instructive to note the response of the religious authorities of Jerusalem to this message: they didn’t say, “Jesus isn’t risen! He’s still in his tomb – and let us show you hs remains and put an end to this foolishness once and for all”. Their response was actually to say, “The disciples stole the body”. In other words, the enemies of the Gospel message admit the reality of the empty tomb. This response is noted in the Gospel of Matthew, chapter 28 (vv. 11-15), where it is said that “this story (of the stolen body) is told among the Jews to this day” (v. 15). Saint Justin Martyr, in his “Dialogue with Trypho”, notes that this response was still commonly heard among Jews in the mid-2nd century when he was writing.

In the next post, we’ll examine more evidence that Jesus rose from the dead in his physical body, leaving an empty tomb behind.

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Authenticating the Death and Burial of Jesus

St Joseph of Arimathea buries JesusEven as we prepare to celebrate the Resurrection of Jesus Christ on Easter Sunday, this Holy Saturday is a good time to examine the reality of Jesus’ death and burial. It has become necessary to do this because both events have been denied by skeptics over the years. It is also important because, in order for Christianity to be true, Jesus must have died, for without his death there could not have been a Resurrection. He also must have been buried, because  scripture and the Church have constantly asserted this fact as part of the kerygma.

1. The death of Jesus. Scholar Gary Habermas states that “the death of Jesus is the most recorded event in ancient, non-Christian history” (The Historical Jesus, p. 281). In an earlier post, we looked at Habermas’ use of the Roman historian Tacitus to this effect. Here is another quote from another, non-Christian source, referring to the death of Jesus (there are numerous Christian references to this as well, but I find secular sources are often more convincing to secular people). This one is from the Jewish Talmud, which was compiled between AD 70-200:

“On the eve of the Passover, Yeshu was hanged. For 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!”

– Quoted in Habermas, The Historical Jesus, p. 203

2. The burial of Jesus. Affirming this fact is necessary due to theories like that of former Catholic priest John Dominic Crossan, who famously claimed that Jesus’ dead body was likely thrown into a shallow common grave, where it was eaten by dogs. While not denying that at times in late antiquity, the Romans would leave bodies on crosses to be mauled by animals and birds of carrion (as a public deterrent to revolt), there is no chance this happened to Jesus, because it was peacetime. For Pilate to have left Jesus’ body hanging on the cross overnight during Passover would have been a fatal mistake, all but guaranteeing a riot by the myriad Jews gathered in Jerusalem for the feast. The Romans never would have risked offending Jewish sensibilities here, which they respected during times of calm. Leaving Jesus’ body on the cross would have defiled the land (see Deut. 21:22-23), making it impossible for Jews to celebrate the feast in an acceptable manner. No, Jesus did receive a proper burial with the help of Joseph of Arimathea, an undoubtedly historical reference (no early Christian would have invented a story of Jesus receiving a proper burial, not from his followers, but from a member of the very council that condemned him).

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Good Friday and the “Good Thief”

Dismas, the "Good Thief"Luke’s Gospel tells us about the two criminals who were crucified on either side of Jesus:

“Two other men, both criminals, were also led out with him to be executed. When they came to the place called the Skull, they crucified him there, along with the criminals—one on his right, the other on his left. Jesus said, ‘Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.’ And they divided up his clothes by casting lots. The people stood watching, and the rulers even sneered at him. They said, ‘He saved others; let him save himself if he is God’s Messiah, the Chosen One.’ The soldiers also came up and mocked him. They offered him wine vinegar and said, ‘If you are the king of the Jews, save yourself.’ There was a written notice above him, which read: THIS IS THE KING OF THE JEWS. One of the criminals who hung there hurled insults at him: ‘Aren’t you the Messiah? Save yourself and us!’ But the other criminal rebuked him. ‘Don’t you fear God,” he said, “since you are under the same sentence? We are punished justly, for we are getting what our deeds deserve. But this man has done nothing wrong.’ Then he said, ‘Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.’ Jesus answered him, ‘Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise'” (Luke 23:32-43).

John’s Gospel mentions that the titulus, or title that was hung on Jesus’ cross to explain his “crime”  – “THIS IS THE KING OF THE JEWS” – was written in Hebrew, Latin, and Greek (John 19:20). This was a sort of summary of the official charges that would be sent to Rome, but it also affirmed, unintentionally, the universal reign of Christ the King. Being written in all three languages would have enabled all those pilgrims from around the world, who were in Jerusalem for the Passover, to read it. And the opposing reactions of the two criminals on either side of Christ, when you boil it down to essentials, represent the only two reactions people have had toward Christ over the centuries: acceptance or rejection.

What is particularly amazing about the reaction of the “Good Thief”, as he has come to be known, is that he was converted not by witnessing Jesus’ miracles, or listening to his sublime, otherworldly teaching. The only sermon he heard was one that spoke far louder than words alone – the Passion of the Christ, the suffering endured by our Lord. He was converted by witnessing the example of Jesus – forgiving his enemies, the way he carried his cross with determination, not despair – everything Jesus said and did as he ascended to his throne, the Holy Cross. This man was given the grace to see what so many others that day could not – the true identity of Christ. And what Jesus had predicted had come true in the life of this man: “Just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in him may have eternal life” (John 3:14, 15).

On this Good Friday, let us pray that many others will be converted by contemplating the suffering and death of Jesus Christ.

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Archbishop Terrence Prendergast on The New Mass

Archbishop-Terrence-PrendergastWhen we set about creating The New Mass iPhone app, the very first person I called was Archbishop Terrence Prendergast of Ottawa. He and I had met when we were presenters at a couple of conferences. He was also the only Canadian on the translating committee for the new English version of the Mass. Recently, he was interviewed by the National Post’s Charles Lewis on the importance of the new Roman Missal:

Q. Is it more sacred language?

A. There are different types of speech: for the pub, at work, on a television talk shows; and another more suitable for worship.  The early translation was more pedestrian, let us say; this one has a higher literary register, though still familiar, as is fitting for sons and daughters of God.

Q. Proponents of the new missal say if nothing else the new language will force people in the pews to think more about what they’re saying and think about what it means. Do you agree?

A. Yes, especially at first when the translation will be strikingly novel. I believe the people in the pews will adapt to the translation fairly quickly; however, the priests will need a bit more time and the laity will need to be patient with them.

When it comes to certain terms — for example, speaking of the death of Jesus “for many” rather than [the current] “for all” — it will be an apt opportunity for teaching and clarifying Church doctrine. Similarly with the statement in the Creed that says Jesus is “consubstantial” with the Father rather than “one in being.” People will wonder and puzzle over texts and this will give priests and deacons an opportunity to teach the nuances of the faith.

For the full interview, go here.

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Re: Vatican’s new Mass ‘elitist,’ priests say

Today’s National Post ran a front-page story about the upcoming new English translation of the Mass: “Vatican’s new Mass ‘elitist’, priests say”. These priests are based in Ireland, and my own Irish eyes weren’t exactly smiling when I read their views. They are, in a word, wrong – on so many levels.

Judging from the reaction we’ve received to The New Mass iPhone app, and to the talks I’ve given on the new translation in thefaithexplained.com seminar series, these guys are seriously mistaken. In my experience, once people have actually seen the new text, and have had the reasons for the changes explained to them, they are generally thrilled. Not only is the new translation more faithful to the official Latin text, but it does a superb job of highlighting the biblical allusions in the Mass.

The complaints of these priests are also unseemly for other reasons. They are, quite simply, poisoning the well for their own parishioners. In all likelihood, most of these people haven’t viewed the new Mass translation for themselves, but when they read an article in the media – quoting their own priests – bashing it to pieces, they can’t help but be negatively prejudiced against it. In my view, these priests are merely seeking to grab some ill-gotten attention for themselves, when they should be supporting the decisions of the hierarchy whom they (allegedly) serve. If they have legitimate concerns, fine. But let those be aired privately in meetings with the bishops, not in the secular media or the court of public opinion.

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