Preparing the Body of Christ Series: Part 2 – Is the Resurrection Of Christ a Historical Event?

The journal article, JESUS RESSURECTION AND CONTEMPORARY CRITICISM: AN APOLOGETIC by Gary R. Habermas, deals with a pivotal point in Christian theology, and that is the claim of the resurrection of Jesus. In a quote used by Habermas he states, “Christianity stands or fails with the reality of the raising of Jesus from the dead by God.”1 G. Bornkamm is also used to stress the importance of this event. He states, “ there would be no gospel, not one account, no letter in the NT, no faith, no church, no worship, no prayer in Christendom to this day without the message of the resurrection of Christ. . . ."2 The content of the thesis is to look at contemporary approaches to the resurrection and ask ourselves, can they be apologetically answered as a historical event? Habermas writes, “…the major theme of this essay is to point out how the resurrection can be historically demonstrated even by such skeptical standards of investigation.3

Habermas builds his case by laying down a claim that every person in this discussion must admit, “Jesus died by crucifixion and that his body was afterwards buried.”4 One of the strengths of the article was the use of the word, “experiences”. In reading the article the word was so repetitive (used 13 times) that I had to stop and think about the claim that Habermas was making? He stated, “Here it was the message of Jesus’ resurrection which was the central proclamation for these eyewitnesses.” The central proclamation could only come if one experienced the actual event! No event. No experience, means no proclamation. Sure, one could experience the event of Christ resurrection and share it with someone. That someone would then be skeptical. Yet, when two or three share the experience, it might be possible. Let’s say ten people share the same experience, and now it becomes very probable. So what conclusion must one come too when one hundred or in this case, as Paul writes, five hundred experience the very same event. There must be truth to the claim! If the claim is true, then one must ask the very question, how did Jesus raise from the dead? It is at this point that Habermas then gives an apologetical argument for the naturalistic theories and key evidence of Christ resurrection. Habermasa concludes the article with the following, “In particular, when the eyewitness experiences of the disciples, James, and Paul are considered along with their corresponding transformations, the historical resurrection becomes the best explanation for the facts, especially since the naturalistic theories failed. Therefore, it may be concluded that the resurrection is a historical event.”5

This article made the attempt to challenge the reader to see the resurrection of Christ as a historical event through the experiences of those who proclaimed they saw the reason Jesus. Habermas does an excellent job of presenting his claim by dividing the contemporary approaches into five groups. Within these groups, Habermas breaks down the claim and rebuilds it with an apologetical argument that supports a historical view of truth. I knew the eyewitness played an important factor in this event, but I never gave it thought about the experiences and how that too can play a vital part in showing the resurrection of Jesus as a historical event. I enjoyed the article will give you a different view on the “experiences” of the eyewitness that one may never think about and how it can lay a strong foundation for the resurrection of Jesus.

To read the full article click the following link:

http://faculty.gordon.edu/hu/bi/Ted_Hildebrandt/NTeSources/NTArticles/CTR-NT/Habermas-Resurrection1-CTR.pdf

His call. His gift to you. Your purpose. Irrevocable.

1 J. Moltmann, Theology of Hope, trans. by J. W. Leitch (New York: Harper & Row, 1967)165.
2 G. Bornkamm, Jesus of Nazareth, trans. by I. and F. McLuskey with J. M. Robinson (New York: Harper & Row, 1960) 181.
3 G. Habermas, JESUS RESSURECTION AND CONTEMPORARY CRITICISM: AN APOLOGETIC, by The Criswell College (1989) 160.
4 G. Habermas, JESUS RESSURECTION AND CONTEMPORARY CRITICISM: AN APOLOGETIC, by The Criswell College (1989) 161.
5 G. Habermas, JESUS RESSURECTION AND CONTEMPORARY CRITICISM: AN APOLOGETIC, by The Criswell College (1989) 174.