The Absurdity of Not Believing the Disciples Account of Jesus Resurrection

WHY WOULD JESUS’ DISCIPLES GIVE THEIR LIVES FOR A LIE? After Jesus’ Resurrection, the disciples didn’t become rich or powerful for proclaiming the Resurrection of Jesus Christ. Instead they found persecution, reproach, torture, and violent deaths.  They didn’t change their story. Although the disciples had everything to gain and nothing to lose, none of them ever tried to save his own life by revealing the so-called fraud. The apostles fearlessly continued preaching the Gospel and the Resurrection. Why would they give their lives for something they supposedly knew to be false? What was their gain? How could such humble, simple men concoct and perfectly execute such a scheme?

Scottish theologian Dr. Hill in his Lectures in Divinity exposed the absurdity of not believing the disciples’ account of the Resurrection of Jesus: [Y]ou suppose their testimony to be false…You must suppose that twelve men of mean birth, of no education, living in that humble station which placed ambitious views out of their reach and far from their thoughts, without any aid from the state, formed the noblest scheme which ever entered into the mind of man, adopted the most daring means of executing that scheme, and conducted it with such address as to conceal the imposture under the semblance of simplicity and virtue. You must suppose that men guilty of blasphemy and falsehood, united in an attempt the best contrived, and which has in fact proved the most successful, for making the world virtuous; that they formed this singular enterprise without seeking any advantage to themselves, with an avowed contempt of loss and profit, and with the certain expectation of scorn and persecution; that although conscious of one another’s villainy, none of them ever thought of providing for his own security by disclosing the fraud, but that amidst sufferings the most grievous to flesh and blood they persevered in their conspiracy to cheat the world into piety, honesty and benevolence. Truly, they who can swallow such suppositions have no title to object to miracles.

Painting The Martyrdoms of the Apostles by Stefan Lochner: Left panel: The Martyrdoms of Sts. Peter, Paul, Andrew, John the Evangelist, James the Greater and Bartholomew Right panel: The Martyrdoms of Sts. Thomas, Phillip, James the Less, Matthew, Simon, Judas and Matthias

SOURCES – George Hill’s Lectures in Divinity, Vol. I, pp. 47, 48. Excerpted by William Taylor, The Miracles of Our Saviour, expounded and illustrated (1890), pages 21, 22. (Text) – Image via Städel Museum http://www.staedelmuseum.de/sm/index.php?StoryID=1027&ObjectID=1235

FACTS: – Resurrection of Jesus Proven by these Ancient Writers – Resurrection of Jesus Proven by Logic – Resurrection of Jesus: Facts and Evidence (Video) – Ancient Writers Prove Jesus Is Not a Myth – THE REAL THANKSGIVING STORY – As Written by the Pilgrims – CHURCH & STATE SEPARATION IS A MYTH RELATED – EASTER: Daily Bible Readings

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