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Why is there no documentation of the 500 witnesses of Jesus’ resurrection?

by | Mar 31, 2022 | CARM

Why is there no documentation of the 500 witnesses of Jesus‘ resurrection mentioned in 1 Cor. 15:6?  An unbeliever asked this question as an attack on the Christian faith. He said that there was an “ambiguous 500 witnesses” and that “anybody can say anything, and with no way to verify who they were, their names, where they were from, their ages, etc – how can we simply trust this?”500 witnesses Jesus's resurrection

“After that He appeared to more than five hundred brethren at one time, most of whom remain until now, but some have fallen asleep,” (1 Cor. 15:6).

I do not know why God did not ordain more documentation concerning the 500 witnesses of Jesus’ resurrection. Perhaps it was because there already is plenty of documentation in Scripture about Christ rising from the dead. The question is then, “How much documentation would be enough?”

Please consider the following.

  • “And behold, Jesus met them and greeted them. And they came up and took hold of His feet and worshiped Him. 10 Then Jesus said to them, ‘Do not be afraid; go and take word to My brethren to leave for Galilee, and there they will see Me,’” (Matt. 28:9–10).
  • “So when it was evening on that day, the first day of the week, and when the doors were shut where the disciples were, for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood in their midst and said to them, ‘Peace be with you,’” (John 20:19).
  • “After eight days His disciples were again inside, and Thomas with them. Jesus came, the doors having been shut, and stood in their midst and said, ‘Peace be with you.’ 27 The He said to Thomas, ‘Reach here with your finger, and see My hands; and reach here your hand and put it into My side; and do not be unbelieving, but believing,’” (John 20:26–27).
  • “As he [Paul] was traveling, it happened that he was approaching Damascus, and suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him; 4 and he fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to him, ‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?’ 5 And he said, ‘Who are You, Lord?’ And He said, ‘I am Jesus whom you are persecuting, 6 but get up and enter the city, and it will be told you what you must do,’” (Acts 9:3–6).
  • See also, Luke 24:13-35

But we do know that isn’t more documentation of the 500 witnesses who did see the risen Lord. But, there is plenty of documentation elsewhere in the Bible that shows Jesus rose from the dead.

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