Jesus in History
The resurrection is just a legend that grew over time.
Short answer
Legends take generations to develop, but belief in the resurrection appears almost immediately. The creed in 1 Corinthians 15 dates to within a few years of Jesus' death and names witnesses who were still alive. Even skeptical scholars agree the disciples sincerely believed they saw the risen Jesus.
In simple words: People started telling about Jesus rising from the dead right away, not hundreds of years later. And they named people you could go and ask.
Response
Legends usually need time and distance from the events, so eyewitnesses cannot correct them. The resurrection claim has neither.
In 1 Corinthians 15:3-7, Paul passes on a creed he "received": Christ died for our sins, was buried, was raised on the third day, and appeared to Peter, to the Twelve, to more than 500 at once, to James, and to all the apostles. Paul wrote this letter around AD 55, but he likely received the creed in the 30s, possibly when he visited Peter and James in Jerusalem (Galatians 1:18-19). Paul even notes that most of the 500 were still alive, as if to say, "Go and ask them."
The resurrection was preached in Jerusalem, the very city where Jesus was executed and buried, within weeks. That would have been easy to disprove by producing a body.
The accounts also contain details a legend-maker would avoid. Women, whose testimony was given little weight in that culture, are the first witnesses. The disciples appear frightened and doubtful. A legend designed to persuade would have made the heroes look better.
Key evidence
- The 1 Corinthians 15:3-7 creed is dated by many scholars to within 2-5 years of the crucifixion.
- The resurrection was proclaimed in Jerusalem, where the tomb's location was known.
- Women are named as the first witnesses, a detail with no apologetic advantage in the first century.
- Early opponents claimed the disciples stole the body (Matthew 28:11-15), which concedes the tomb was empty.
- Skeptical scholars such as E. P. Sanders and Gerd Lüdemann accept that the disciples had experiences they believed were appearances of Jesus.
Bible passages
- 1 Corinthians 15:3-8 The early creed and list of witnesses.
- Acts 2:22-32 Peter preaches the resurrection in Jerusalem weeks later.
- Luke 24:1-12 The women at the tomb, and the disciples' disbelief.
- 1 Corinthians 15:14-19 Paul: if Christ was not raised, our faith is useless.
Quotes
“That Jesus' followers (and later Paul) had resurrection experiences is, in my judgment, a fact. What the reality was that gave rise to the experiences I do not know.”
E. P. Sanders, The Historical Figure of Jesus
Discussion questions
- Why is it significant that the resurrection was first preached in Jerusalem?
- What does Paul's mention of the 500 witnesses suggest about his confidence?
- If you were making up a story, would you choose women as the first witnesses in that culture? Why does that matter?