Liberal Christian scholars have compromised with modern skepticism by disregarding the historical facts confirming Christ’s resurrection. They frame the resurrection story as a myth conveying a spiritual message of hope. They claim there are two Christ’s, the Jesus of history and the Jesus of legend. However, neither the historical record nor the New Testament documents support their theory. In this, our last post on the subject, we will consider more fatal flaws with the myth theory.
While no one denies that Scripture reports extraordinary events, the writing style of the documents are inconsistent with myth. Myths are tales of magical swords and flying horses with fanciful heroes that outwit fantastic creatures. There are snakes large enough to eat elephants and ships that sail into the sky. That’s the literary style of myth.
There is a mythical tale of the resurrection but, it bears no resemblance to the biblical accounts. The so-called Gospel of Peter, which is clearly a forgery, is dated about 60 -70 years after the synoptic Gospels. In that account, a great multitude of people gather around the tomb to watch the resurrection. Even Jewish leaders come to see the show. While they were watching, a loud voice is heard from heaven and two men descend from the clouds. The stone magically rolls back on its own. The two men enter the tomb and emerge holding Jesus up. The heads of the men reach up into the sky while Christ’s head reaches beyond the clouds. Then a cross appears from the tomb and a heavenly voice asks, “Have you preached to them that sleep?” The cross answers, “Yes.”
In the biblical account you have no one expecting the resurrection, not even His own disciples. There is no magical stone, no talking cross and no giant men holding up a colossal Jesus. This myth is not the Gospel story believed by God’s people throughout the ages. While this forgery was quite late, it was still within a couple of generations of eyewitnesses and was universally discarded as a fanciful forgery.
The New Testament goes out of its way to distinguish itself from fable.
Contrary to the myth theory, the New Testament documents could not be the perpetuation of a myth confused with fact. The New Testament goes out of its way to distinguish itself from fable. Paul challenges the Corinthians to interview the eyewitnesses that were still alive in his day (1 Cor 15: 6) and Peter assures his readers that they were not following some whimsical myth (2 Pet 1:16-18). In 1 John 1:1-4 we find the Apostle saying something quite similar: “We heard – we saw – we touched the Word made flesh!”
While liberal scholars reject the resurrection as fact, they seem uncomfortable asserting that the disciples were either deceived or cunning liars. But their compromise is completely untenable. If Christ’s miraculous deeds and resurrection are myth concocted by His followers to teach spiritual truths, reporting the events in a factual manner makes the disciples lying scoundrels. You have no choice but see them as cunning deceivers. At this point, you come full circle to the discredited conspiracy theory. Do you think cunning conspirators would die for their fable?
There is a massive amount of internal and external evidence demonstrating the authenticity of the Gospel accounts, leaving the myth theory with nothing to commend it. It is based on pseudo-science. If we used these same criteria to test other documents from the ancient literary world, none would be verified as historical.
If it were proven that the founders of the world’s major religions never existed, it would have little impact.
The literal, physical resurrection of Christ is essential. The Christian faith is not a religion of moral and philosophical ideas. If it were proven that the founders of the world’s major religions never existed, it would have little impact. Those religions would survive because they are moral and philosophical systems. But not Christianity. Scripture presents God as a Being who acts in time and space to provide redemption for a people deserving of eternal judgment. Christianity is based upon the Lord who stepped out of eternity and invaded the created realm of time and space. As Paul asserts, God was, in Christ, reconciling the world to Himself (2 Cor 5:19). God determined to redeem a people for Himself with a once for all sacrifice of incalculable worth. This sacrifice of the ages took place on the cross, some two millennia ago. The one who was sacrificed was born of a virgin, lived a perfect life of righteousness, died on the cross, and rose from the grave. Therefore, as Jesus declared, “Because I live, you too shall live” ( John 14:19). Jesus died to cleanse us from all unrighteousness and rose again to bring us new life. Without the resurrection, Christianity is nothing more than an immoral hoax. But, thanks be to God, He is risen from the dead and He lives forever more!
