Can 500+ Eyewitnesses Be Wrong? (Jesus, Earth, disciples, Corinthians)

[Feathers in Hair]

If dying for their beliefs makes someone right, then I'll add pagans, Buddhists, atheists... well, a whole lot of paths to the list of things that are right.

[michel]

Originally Posted by Jensa

Just because someone would die for their beliefs it doesn't make them right. I hear this argued often; 'they'd die for it, they must be right!' People that aren't Christians die for their beliefs. Therefor, they must be right as well, yes? China has spent who knows how much trying to suppress or wipe out religions in their occupied areas, killing priests and sometimes burning them alive for trying to protect the temples.

That is true. But what I'm saying is that taken as a whole, the evidence is surmounting.

1. Paul says 500+ were eyewitnesses
2. The Roman Empire took action to suppress this
3. Some of the higher-ranking Jews themselves did, too
4. Many, if not most, of these eyewitnesses were put to death

With so much hostile witnesses against this claim, how did it grow?

In other words, even those hostile to Christianity were admitting the resurrection.

[michel]

Originally Posted by drekmed

in fact i have not found paul mentioned by any of the disciples at all as having ever met jesus. if i am wrong, please correct me, and show me where they did.

Galatians 1:12 - 2:19 explains this. Paul, after conveying his story to the disciples, was given the "right hand of fellowship" by them.

[drekmed]

Originally Posted by AV1611

With so much hostile witnesses against this claim, how did it grow?

when something is violently surpressed, by a corrupt government, that usually indicates to many that the view being surpressed is something the government doesn't want to get around, and therefore it has a chance of being the right thing to believe or do. it is the natural rebellious nature of humans.

[michel]

Originally Posted by JerryL

Do you have historical accounts of 500+ people dyin ghaving claimed to have been at that event? Please present them.

Acts 7 for Stephen; Acts 12 for James, the brother of John; Hebrews 11:35-40; Fox's Book of Martyrs for many others.

[Jaymes]

So you're arguing that because they tried to suppress a new cult (that's what it was at the time; I mean no offense to any Christians on the forum) and put to death those going against what they ordered, but it managed to survive through some believers until Constantine took it up, that it's right? I'm not going to touch that argument with a 10 foot pole.

[drekmed]

yes, but galatians was writen by Paul, it still does not answer my question.

did any of the disciples write about paul?

[michel]

Originally Posted by drekmed

when something is violently surpressed, by a corrupt government, that usually indicates to many that the view being surpressed is something the government doesn't want to get around, and therefore it has a chance of being the right thing to believe or do. it is the natural rebellious nature of humans.

You got that right! And what they were trying to suppress was the story of Jesus' resurrection. Even Herod (at the beginning of the story) committed and act of infanticide to keep this story from even happening in the first place.

[robtex]

Originally Posted by AV1611

In view of the fact that 1 Corinthians 15 mentions over 500 eyewitnesses to Jesus' resurrection, is that enough to convict Him of same?

I find great interest in that verse too. Could you please list names of some of the 500 (with sources of names attached) and explain why not a single one of them came forward to colloborate Paul's claim.

Furthermore, you do realize that Paul said he did not see the resurrection himself and converted on the road to Damacus (acts 9 9) at an unspecified later time when he claimed to have been visted by Jesus. Why do you think Paul did not convert at the time the 500 witness told him of this amazing endeavor but than turned around and assigned merit to it?