Risen Indeed

A Historical Investigation Into the Resurrection of Jesus

Gary R. Habermas

• Publisher: Lexham Press
• Year: 2021
• Print ISBN: 9781683595496
• eBook ISBN: 9781683595502
• Topic: Theology & Religion
• Subtopic: Christian Theology

"In Risen Indeed: A Historical Investigation Into the Resurrection of Jesus, readers will encounter Gary Habermas' foundational research into the historicity of the resurrection. With a new, extensive, introductory essay on contemporary scholarship regarding the resurrection, Habermas shows how the questions surrounding the historicity of the resurrection and arguments raised by critics are perennially important for Christian faith"--

PART 1

Approaching the Question of the Resurrection of Jesus

CHAPTER I

The Present State of the Question

The belief in the resurrection of Jesus has raised many questions and provoked much thought throughout the history of the Christian church. Is such an event possible and in what sense, if any? Can it still be believed in today or not? This “question of the resurrection” has received an increased amount of attention, especially in recent years. One quite surprising fact is that the discussion surrounding this topic is no longer relegated just to the field of religion alone, as various scholars from other disciplines have also shown some interest.

No one doubts that such inquiry falls primarily into the field of theology. Therefore we will turn here first in order to view generally the present state of the question of Jesus’ resurrection. Later we will also deal briefly with the interest in this topic shown in two other areas—history and philosophy. The purpose of this chapter is primarily to note some present trends related to this question, keying on its importance for the Christian faith.

For the purposes of this paper, the resurrection will initially and briefly be defined in the terms of the New Testament concept. This event thus refers to the Christian belief that Jesus was actually dead but later was literally raised to life by God. Jesus was believed to have appeared afterward to his followers in a spiritual body, which was neither an unchanged physical body or a spirit. Rather, there were both objective and subjective qualities in this spiritual body. The Christian concept of resurrection therefore differs from other ideas concerning immortality in that Jesus was not reincarnated, neither did he simply experience the continuance of his personality beyond the grave, nor was his soul absorbed into some type of universal soul. To the contrary, Jesus was believed to have literally been raised from the dead, as he appeared to his followers before his return to heaven. It is this Christian belief in Jesus’ resurrection which must be investigated here. This definition will continue to broaden as this work expands.

Just before we turn to our first section certain cautions are in order. Because we are endeavoring to look at both sides of the argument and consider views that are “pro” and “con,” we must take as little as possible for granted at the outset. For this reason we will refrain in almost all instances from capitalizing pronouns for Jesus, lest we begin to decide the question in advance. Concerning the use of such words as “this event” or “this occurrence” when referring to the resurrection, we do not mean to imply that we have already decided that it has happened. Rather, these words refer to what the New Testament claims has happened. Whether it actually did or not must yet be determined. Indeed, many theologians also refer to the resurrection as an event and still mean that it happened in other than a literal way. These words, then, must not always refer to something literal and often do not, as we shall see. In these ways the issue will hopefully not be prejudiced ahead of time.

A. THEOLOGY AND THE RESURRECTION

1. THE IMPORTANCE OF THE RESURRECTION

Many theologians today consider the resurrection of Jesus to be the central claim of Christianity, whether they interpret this event literally or not. Such was often true of past theologians as well. In other words, even those who do not affirm the post-mortem bodily appearances but sometimes stress instead the “spiritual presence” or “continuing influence” of Jesus often feel that the resurrection is still the basis of the Christian faith.

For instance, German redaction critic Willi Marxsen believes that Jesus’ resurrection plays the most decisive part of theological discussion today. This scholar feels that its importance was precisely stated by the Apostle Paul in the first century AD when he wrote “if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain and your faith is in vain” (1 Cor 15:14, RSV). For Marxsen this event is therefore linked with the very faith of the church. An uncertainty about questions such as those raised above might cause a corresponding uncertainty in our faith today.1

Another German theologian, Günther Bornkamm, agrees with the ultimate importance of the resurrection, even if it may be impossible to grasp exactly what took place. He remarks that

there would be no gospel, not one account, no letter in the New Testament, no faith, no Church, no worship, no prayer in Christendom to this day without the message of the resurrection of Christ.2

Thus we see that for these two critical scholars, theological discussion and even theology itself finds its central aspect in the resurrection. This of course does not solve the problem of whether this event occurred or not and in what sense, as this must be given future consideration. Indeed, both Marxsen and Bornkamm do not believe we can prove it, but only affirm it by faith.3 However, such statements do help serve to demonstrate how important a place in the Christian faith it is given by many, and that is the primary object of this chapter.

Other scholars also verify these convictions. For instance, Laurence Miller likewise believes that the resurrection of Jesus is the very heart of New Testament theology. Like Marxsen, he finds the definitive statement of this belief in Paul (1 Cor 15:12–22).4 Merrill Tenney prefers to use the resurrection as a framework for all of Christian theology, even dealing with some of the doctrines that can be integrated under this theme.5 Charles Anderson, in a section devoted entirely to the importance of the resurrection, also speaks of some of the Christian doctrines that are explained in the New Testament on the basis of this event. Again 1 Corinthians 15:14 is used as a key.6

Closely related views are held by other theologians as well. The former Anglican Archbishop of Canterbury, A. M. Ramsey, believes that the resurrection is not only the center of theology, but that it is also the starting place for studies revolving around the New Testament and its meaning.7 For Daniel Fuller the resurrection is the basis of redemptive history. Events such as the cross receive much of their redemptive meaning because they are closely associated with the belief in a risen Jesus.8 C. C. Dobson asserts that even those who oppose all accounts of the resurrection still admit its importance as the keystone of Christianity.9

Every once in a while a thesis such as the importance of the resurrection for the Christian faith will receive a new “twist,” further demonstrating its relevance. This was achieved in recent years by Markus Barth and Verne H. Fletcher, who postulated that Jesus’ resurrection was also the basis for Christian ethics. This event was perceived to have definite implications as a foundation for human virtue and justice. In spite of its being a little-recognized theme, the authors believe that it is as relevant for us today in these matters as it is in a strictly theological context.10

Even though many of the theologians above differ in other aspects of Christian belief, they all perceive that the resurrection is the center of theology even today. To be sure, they come from differing backgrounds, but they are all in agreement with Paul that if this event was to be completely abrogated, the Christian faith would be in jeopardy. As Marxsen states, if there is uncertainty or obscurity in the matter of belief in the resurrection, then Christianity becomes endangered. This demonstrates its importance as the center of theology today.11

Before leaving the subject of the importance of Jesus’ resurrection, it should be mentioned that it is not only an integral part of today’s theology. In New Testament times it was also the doctrine upon which the Christian faith was built. We have already discussed Paul’s statement to this effect above, where he states “if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain and your faith is in vain” (1 Cor 15:14, RSV; cf. verses 12–20). It was Paul’s opinion that the resurrection of Jesus and the Christian faith stood or fell together. A stronger statement establishing the priority and importance of this occurrence for first-century Christianity could hardly be established.

Recent theological studies have recognized this importance for the early church. Eminent New Testament scholar Rudolf Bultmann, while not personally accepting any sort of literal resurrection of Jesus, still states that for the earliest Christians this event served the purpose of proving that God had substantiated the claims of Jesus by raising him from the dead.12 The early Christians also believed that the resurrection proved Jesus’ Lordship,13 his Messiahship,14 and even that he was the Son of God.15 According to the New Testament the resurrection also establishes the Christian doctrines of repentance,16 salvation and justification by faith,17 and judgment.18 James McLeman has pointed out that early Christianity also witnesses to the belief that God began new dealings with mankind through the risen Jesus.19

Now we must be quick to point out once again that these beliefs by no means establish the fact of the resurrection. All we have demonstrated is that it is the center of Christian theology both in New Testament times and today. But this does not make it a proven fact. The importance of an event does not, of course, establish whether it has actually occurred or not.

2. THE CONTEMPORARY THEOLOGICAL APPROACH TO THE RESURRECTION

Perhaps the primary approach to the theological study of the resurrection today from a critical viewpoint is the application of the literary methods of form criticism and the related discipline, redaction criticism, to the New Testament texts.20 Two key works done on the resurrection from this standpoint are those by Willi Marxsen21 and Reginald H. Fuller.22

According to Norman Perrin, the theological application of form critical literary techniques was insinuated in the work of Julius Wellhausen (1844–1918) and an early form of redaction criticism was first applied to theology in the writings of Wilhelm Wrede (1859–1906). After the First World War these studies were rejuvenated. Instead of a few theologians simply suggesting the form critical literary approach to Scripture studies, it became the common interest and a major emphasis of such scholars as K. L. Schmidt (1891–1956), Martin Dibelius (1883–1947) and Rudolf Bultmann (born 1884).23 Bultmann is probably the one who is best known for popularizing form criticism, applying it especially to the synoptic gospels and publishing the results in such essays as “The Study of the Synoptic Gospels.”24

Briefly, according to this theory of interpretation, the synoptic gospels were the products of the faith of the earliest first-century Christian church. In other words, after years of orally spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ (and perhaps also by some written records which we no longer have, such as the Quelle document), the earliest church decided to write down what it could recall of the life of Jesus. But since the first Christians were not given a complete historical narrative of his life, their recollections could only be of independent occurrences. The gospels, then, can be broken down into these separate occurrences which in turn correspond to certain forms. When all of these occurrences are divided up into these forms, Bultmann notes that we have several classifications such as miracle stories, parables, and apocalyptic words.25

Since the church was interested in a complete biog...

Table of contents

• Cover
• Title Page
• Copyright
• Dedication
• Contents
• Acknowledgments
• Introduction
• Part 1: Approaching the Question of the Resurrection of Jesus
• Part 2: Possible Solutions to the Question of the Resurrection of Jesus
• B. Other Related Views
• Part 3: An Evaluation of the Solutions to the Question of the Resurrection of Jesus
• Bibliography
• Index of Subjects and Persons
• Index of Scripture
• Old Testament