Part 5: The four resurrections
The most important message from the Bible, I am reliably informed is that, through Jesus Christ, I can be saved. By his death and resurrection mankind can achieve eternal life. How does the Bible describe this event?
Remember, this is the book that, in incredible detail, describes down to the dimensions, how to make a box to keep a couple of slabs in (Ex 25:10-22). So, how much more important is the saving of people. Well, there are four different accounts and they contradict each other. I have heard the argument that its like seeing an accident from different perspectives, but if I described an accident by saying two cars collided, someone else at the scene said there was only one car, and it hit a tree and someone else who was there said a pedestrian fell over, then this isn't just perspective, there is contradiction. Here is a little table to illustrate the contradictions:
|
|
Mathew |
Mark |
Luke |
John |
|
How many bandits insult him? |
2 |
2 |
1 (The other is blessed) |
0 |
|
Last words |
Eli Eli Lema Sabachthani |
Eli Eli Lema Sabachthani |
Father into your hands I commend my spirit |
It is Finished |
|
Does he cry out? |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
No |
|
Do the Dead rise up? |
Yes |
No |
No |
No |
|
Who goes to the tomb? |
2 Marys |
2 Marys |
2 Marys |
1 Mary |
|
Where is the rock? |
Being moved |
Already moved |
Already Moved |
Already moved |
|
How many Angels? |
1 |
1 |
2 |
None |
I have heard that these stories should be believed because of the circumstantial evidence. No-one can be given the death penalty purely on circumstantial evidence, and yet the promise of eternal life depends solely on it. For such an important judgement, surely a little clearer evidence should be there. I can make a box accurate to the last detail, but I cannot know for sure the last words of Christ on the cross.
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