I will consider this as agreement.
DAVEH: Yes.....I don't think we are very far apart on this, Perry.
Just some minor details, in a sense. You are right though, it is the
larger picture of the resurrection that is most important.
Charles Perry Locke wrote:
I meant to address the response below to "Dave".
David,
I will consider this as agreement. I believe it is the
resurrection that gave the gospel its power...you believe it was people
seeing the risen Jesus....whom they never would have seen had he NOT
been resurrected. I consider these ALL part of a larger picture called
"the resurrection". From the timeMary Magdalene, Mary the mother of
James, and Salome (Mark 16:1-8) saw the empty tomb until He ascended
into heaven. It all worked together to validate his Messiahship and
fulfill prophecy.
Perry
DAVEH: I really don't want to argue with
your comment in a way that you might think I'm denigrating it, Perry.
But, I will give you my short view in contrast.
The guards were put there by those who feared Jesus' friends would
steal his body (in the middle of the night, I would think) in order to
make Jesus' prophecies appear to be true. The fact that his body did
disappear does not in itself mean he arose from the dead. (Please
don't think I'm minimizing the resurrection....I'm merely trying to
consider how the Romans would have thought about it in a logical
sense.) So...an empty cross in itself did not indicate a
resurrection. Not even an empty tomb would indicate it either, as the
Romans would have just thought his body had been removed.....and, that
is the story they would have concocted in an attempt to convince others
that the disappearance of Jesus' body was a natural, though contrived,
event.
Their attempt to prevent the disappearance, failed though. Have
you ever thought about what excuse the guards might have given for the
missing body? Since Jesus appeared to his disciples shortly
thereafter, the Biblical account really doesn't pursue this line of
thinking. But, had Jesus not appeared to his followers, the guards
would have had to contrived some story saying that Jesus' friends had
stolen him away, even though they had valiantly tried to stop them.
There is no way they could have admitted the resurrection of Christ,
without revealing the error of their ways. (Which they could have done
if they had repented, but then they probably would have been subject to
death for their incompetence.)
I guess I'm rambling a bit here, Perry...sorry. What really gave
the resurrection power, so to speak, was the appearance of the
resurrected Christ to his believers. And...some of them weren't so
convinced of his resurrection, until they actually saw AND FELT the
prints of the nails. Once that happened, no excuses by the government,
or guards or anybody could overrule the fact that they had seen and
talked to the Risen Christ. I just don't think the empty
sepulcher....which we know meant he had risen.....had (or would have
had) nearly the same effect as his personal appearance.
Charles Perry Locke wrote:
From: Dave <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
BTW....Please don't understand my above comment to mean that I agree
with your statement.
Don't worry, Dave. From past experience, I did not expect you to agree
with my statement.
But, I'm not trying to argue with you
about it....I just want to understand why you made it, and what you
meant by it.
I think it is pretty clear...my statement merely sunmmarizes the
scriptures I cited.
So, after you have taken the time to read the references in context, if
you then do not agree, please let me know where we differ.
Perry
Charles Perry Locke wrote:
From: Dave
<[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
/*_*The gospel didn't even have POWER until he was rose from the dead.
*_*/
DAVEH: Wow! I'd never heard that before, Perry. Is that something
you just made up, or is that commonly believed by many Christians?
*Dave, I take it you do not believe that statement, thinking I made it
up, right? *
Jesus had prophesied on many occasions that he would be raised up on
the third day (Mat 16:21; 17:23; 20:19; 26:61; 27:63; Mark 8:31; 9:31;
10:34; Loke 9:22; 18:33; 24:6,7; 24:46). Had he not been resurrected on
the third day, that would have made him a false prophet, and all that
he said and did would have been for naught. (1 Cor 15:13).
Why did you think the guards were placed at the tomb? Why do you think
the seal was placed on the tomb? (Mat 27:62-66)
Everything Jesus did and said was ultimately hinged on the
resurrection. So, yes, the resurrection is what gives the gospel it's
power.
Paul taught the resurrection: Acts 17:18
Power by the resurrection: Romans 1:4
If not risen, preaching and faith in vain: 1 Cor 15:13
The power of His resurrection: Phil 3:10
Begotten unto a lively hope by His resurrection : 1 Pet 1:3
*
Dave, do you still think I was making it up? *
Perry
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