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Is God Dead?
Recapping last week, we began investigating the early oral tradition (kerygma) that Paul captured on papyrus in his first letter to the Corinthian church; chapter 15, verses 3-7. We know these particular verses (Credo) of Paul contain several tell-tale signs that oral tradition is being relayed.
“3 For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, 4 that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures, 5 and that he appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve. 6 Then he appeared to more than five hundred brothers at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have fallen asleep. 7 Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles.”
First, Paul uses a particular phraseology to indicate that an oral tradition (received from another) was being imparted (delivered to) to a listener or reader. Second, Paul uses uncommon or missing phrases in his other writings. For example, Paul writes “for our sins” rather than the customary singular “sin.”
Also, the phrase “according to the Scriptures” does not appear anywhere else in the entire New Testament. Third, the sentence structure of the text indicates a particular style that aids in oral recitation. That is, the text is constructed with parallelism where the first and third sentences are longer, ending in “the Scriptures,” followed by shorter sentences.
This structure is very similar to what is found in poetry and in the lyrics of songs, and it creates a rhythmic cadence that encourages memorization. For these reasons, it is argued that the evidence supporting the three bedrock facts of the resurrection is clear and powerful.
It is also for these reasons that historian Michael Licona summarizes; “virtually all critical scholars who have written on the subject, including rather skeptical ones, maintain that in 1 Corinthians 15:3-7 Paul has provided traditions about Jesus that he did not form but rather received from others, as he claims, there is likewise widespread agreement that it was composed very early and may very well be the oldest extant tradition about the resurrection of Jesus.”
In fact, skeptic and critic Bart Ehrman himself dates the origin of the Credo to within one to two years of the crucifixion of Jesus. This is significant because Ehrman’s rule of thumb in determining historical reliability is that the sources closest to the original event are most likely correct.
Likewise, the closeness of the Credo’s inception to the events adds authenticity to Paul’s claim. In other words, it is truly remarkable that Paul lists still-living people! In fact, Paul offers a challenge to doubters by stating of the five hundred, “most of whom are still living though some have fallen asleep.”
Scholar N. T. Wright observes, “The whole thrust of the paragraph is about evidence, about eyewitnesses being called, about something that actually happened for which eyewitnesses could and would vouch.” Although Paul did not write his letter to the Corinthian church until the mid-50s AD, what Paul was actually writing was an oral tradition that would have been quite familiar to his audience.
By the time Paul wrote his letter, the tradition had been recited as part of an oral tradition going back to shortly after the crucifixion of Jesus some 25 years earlier. In the Credo, Paul, an eyewitness, provides a very early and important source independent of the Gospel accounts. Therefore, the Credo must be viewed as nothing less than Paul presenting evidence and arguing for the historicity of the resurrection of Jesus.
Collectively, then, the oral creed recorded by Paul in his letter, coupled with the eyewitness testimonies found in the four Gospels, written by four different authors, establish a robust and compelling explanation for what happened to Jesus after his crucifixion.
The significance of the oral tradition captured in 1 Corinthian 15:3-7; 8 cannot be overstated; it was developed early after the events that it recounts; at least two eyewitnesses developed it to the events (Peter and James), and it challenges the readers at the time to verify the truthfulness of the claim by questioning “those who are still living” of the five hundred.
As far as historical investigations go, the early oral tradition found in the Credo is first-rate evidence that nicely attests to the three minimal bedrock facts: 1) Jesus died by crucifixion; 2) shortly after His death, His disciples had experiences that they interpreted to be appearances of the risen Jesus; and 3) a few years later Paul had an experience He interpreted to be an appearance of the risen Jesus to him.
But it is not just biblical sources that speak to the historicity of the crucifixion of Jesus. Join us next week as we look to non-biblical sources that speak to the historicity of Jesus the man and His crucifixion. Until then, and with a steady gaze at the evidence, ponder: is God dead?
Gloria in excelsis Deo. Ty B. Kerley, DMin., is an ordained minister who teaches Christian apologetics and relief preaches in Southern Oklahoma. Dr. Kerley and his wife, Vicki, are members of the Waurika church of Christ and live in Ardmore, OK. You can contact him at [email protected].
