This morning something I read not long ago was sitting on my mind and heart, it was written by someone who called into question whether Jesus was resurrected or not. The article or blog post that this person wrote talked about their belief that the apostles made up the resurrection. This person believed that it was an elaborate story made up so that it would validate that Yeshua was the promised Messiah. This person stated that they believe that Jesus's body was stolen by the apostles, and that they themselves spread the lie of the resurrection of Yeshua to spread their faith more. I can't blame this person for their doubts of the authenticity of the claims, we weren't there and we have never really seen that kind of miracle today, so doubting it is natural. Even so I had to question this persons logic. Think about this, would you die for something you made up? Would you honestly risk your life, risk getting tortured and beaten for something you knew was a lie? Does that even make sense? Wouldn't you have confessed at some point when you were being tortured by the Romans to make it stop if you were lying? And what about the people who claimed to have seen Jesus after He died? This person's theory mentioned nothing of those people.
Just thinking about the question rationally, they had to be convinced, they had to believe and know that what they said and taught was truth or else they would not have stayed the course. If it was simply a lie, what would possess them to perpetrate it under persecution? If it was a lie why not say so and stop the torture? Why not spare yourself and denounce Jesus and the resurrection if it were false? From my understanding those early Christians killed by Rome had the chance, they were asked to renounce Jesus as the Christ but did not. That kind of conviction, that kind of staunch belief in the face of death can only come from knowing that you are right. People just don't risk their lives for things they don't believe in or know are untrue. They had to really believe what they said or it simply doesn't make sense that they would endure what they did.
And what kind of things did they endure? Let me share with you now some of the ways the early disciples died, and I want you think about this question as you read this, would you endure this if it were a lie you made up? Simon, called Peter by our Lord, was crucified as well and at his request it was done upside because he didn't feel worthy to die in the same manner as the Lord. James the son of Zebedee was killed by Herod Agrippa about 11 years after Christ died and rose, and it is believed he was beheaded. Andrew was crucified in Patrae in Achaia or Greece and was crucified on a 'x' shaped cross. Matthew was supposedly killed in Ethiopia by spears, being impaled and later beheaded. Thomas is supposed to have been lanced in either Persia or India, dying from the wound. James Alpheus was said to have been thrown from the wall of the temple, stoned, and then had his brains bashed out. And Stephen was stoned death which we can read about in the Bible located in Acts 7:59-60(if you want to read the full story and not just the final lines about his death start reading in Acts 6). These are just a few of the early disciples, whose followers too were tortured and killed by Rome and the authorities in the countries they preached too. While I am talking of their deaths though you must remember that not only did they meet gruesome deaths, but they were imprisoned and tortured in many of the places they preached, sometimes for long periods of time.
Knowing all that I cannot believe that these men and women too, though I did not mention any of the early women of the church in this post, would have died, would have suffered what they did without absolute conviction. I can't believe that they would have knowingly died to perpetrate a lie. It simply doesn't make sense. It's irrational to think that when you look at what they went through knowing they could have stopped it just by denouncing Jesus, that they could have gone back to their ordinary lives and lived out their days in relative peace. When I think about the resurrection being an elaborate hoax by the disciples, it just doesn't add up. It doesn't account for the lengths they went to spread the gospel or what they endured while doing it, it doesn't account for those that saw Jesus after He rose again.
I shared this today hoping to get you thinking about the early Church, what they risked, what they suffered and the argument of resurrection being a hoax, does it add up to you? Or for you like myself, did the thoughts of their conviction of faith, thoughts of how sure they had to be of the truth of Jesus Christ strengthen your walk and the convictions of your faith? Be blessed today and always.
Acts 20:24
But I do not account my life of any value nor as precious to myself, if only I may finish my course and the ministry that I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of the grace of God.
1 Corinthians 15:3-8
3 For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, 4 that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, 5 and that he appeared to Cephas, and then to the Twelve. 6 After that, he appeared to more than five hundred of the brothers and sisters at the same time, most of whom are still living, though some have fallen asleep. 7Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles, 8 and last of all he appeared to me also, as to one abnormally born.
Hebrews 12:1-2
1 Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, 2 looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.
Links to pages about deaths of apostles and persecution of early church:
http://amazingbibletimeline.com/bible_questions/q6_apostles_die/
http://www.whatchristianswanttoknow.com/how-did-the-12-apostles-die-a-bible-study/
http://www.allaboutfollowingjesus.org/early-christian-persecution-faq.htm
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