Biblical Basis for the Resurrection

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According to the Bible, the whole truth about Christianity and Christ rests solely on the bodily resurrection of Christ. So much so that the Apostle Paul, while writing to the Church in Corinth, argues, “If Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is your faith” (1 Cor. 15:14). In other words, what Paul is implying is that if He did not rise, then Christianity is entirely false! But if He did, then the event is of great significance in all of history. Dr. Gary R. Habermas, one of the world’s leading experts on the evidence for the resurrection of Jesus, offers three lines of reasoning on the basis of Scripture, and they are as follows:

Scriptural evidence on the basis of 1 Corinthians 15: Two important characteristics about 1 Corinthians 15 need to be mentioned when it comes to the evidence that it offers concerning the ‘post-resurrection appearances of Jesus’ (1 Cor. 15:4-8). First, it is a fact that it is one of the “earliest reports” available on the resurrection, even much earlier than the gospels. Secondly, it provides “eyewitness” accounts. In fact, Paul recorded these accounts during AD 54-57, i.e., just 25 years after the crucifixion of Christ. This short time period between the occurrence of the event and its writing demonstrates the reliability of the “eyewitness reports,” since it rules out the possibility of any legends corrupting the report. Moreover, today we trust even eyewitness accounts of events that are of a much longer period.

The reliability of the testimony of the Apostle Paul: Two important facts about the Apostle speak of his authenticity or reliability. First, Paul’s conversion is believed to have taken place within a time span of just one to two years after the crucifixion of Christ. Furthermore, the relatively short time period that exists between the actual occurrence of the event (i.e., the resurrection of Christ) and his writing of the account is important when one considers ‘ancient history.’ Secondly, one needs to bear in mind that Paul is not merely talking about the different people who were eyewitnesses but that he himself is an eyewitness to the risen Christ (1 Cor. 15:8). This evidence becomes all the more important when one considers the fact that Paul, who was earlier known as Saul, was a ‘skeptic’ who not only doubted the truth of Christianity but also persecuted its followers vehemently.

The reliability of the eyewitness accounts of the disciples: The fact that the disciples were indeed transformed to the extent that they were willing to testify at the risk of losing their own lives is significant. Someone once wrote, “Men may be willing to die for what they believe to be true, but they would never die for what they know to be false.” These three reasons, when put together, form a strong biblical basis that can help us reach the conclusion that Jesus Christ did rise from the dead.