For Iron Man, who breaks steel with his bare hands

The resurrection occurred a long time ago. There are no videos, photographs, or audio recordings, and the New Testament was not compiled until the late fourth century. When discussing miracles, critics often cite David Hume, who argued that extraordinary events require extraordinary evidence—and claim that such evidence does not exist.

You may hear this type of objection delivered quickly, confidently, and with an air of authority. Sometimes it comes from someone in an academic setting who holds power over you. This can make you feel unsure of how to respond. These concerns are the reason I am writing this page.

One common claim is that the Bible was not written until the third or fourth century. I will give a brief response here and more details later. While the New Testament canon was formally compiled in the late 300s, most of the individual books were written much earlier—within roughly 15 to 65 years of the resurrection. Later on this page, I will examine passages in 1 Corinthians that Paul learned within 2 to 5 years after the resurrection.  

When studying history, what matters most is not how long ago an event occurred, but how soon it was recorded. Shortly after the resurrection, the Apostle Paul traveled to Jerusalem to meet with Peter and James. This visit is described in Galatians 1:18, and scholars generally agree that it took place within 2 to 5 years after the resurrection. What Paul learned during that visit is reflected in the early creed he records in 1 Corinthians 15:3-8.  

3 For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance[a]: 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,[b] 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. 7 Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles, 8 and last of all he appeared to me also, as to one abnormally born.

It is important to note that these verses were shared with Paul during his visit, and they are not Paul's writing style. There is a rhythm to the verses since most of the population could not read, but they could 

memorize, and this is easier to memorize. Therefore, these verses were most likely spread just after the resurrection. These verses were most likely spread just after the resurrection.

A favorite patron saint of atheism is David Hume who is mentioned frequently when talking about miracles. Enquiry Concerning Human Understanding

He defines the word 

I also want to address David Hume’s argument against miracles briefly. Earlier on this website, I discussed logical fallacies, one of which is “begging the question,” or circular reasoning. Many philosophers argue that Hume’s critique falls into this category because he assumes in his conclusion what he presupposes in his premises—namely, that miracles cannot occur. Others note that when Hume formulated his argument, our understanding of natural laws was far less developed than it is today

Premise 1 o

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Instead of following the rules of logic on this topic, we treat the Bible as a historical document and look for the best explanation for the most significant historical event in human history. Some professors may say you really can’t find the truth about anything in history, but if that is true, why study history at all? There are standard ways of determining what really happened, and we will review the resurrection using them.

First, I review eye witnesses and attestations to determine how strong the evidence is; then, I will mention 

different explanations given.

In studying history, the time from the event to its recording is more significant than the time elapsed from the event to the present day. Within five years after the resurrection, the Apostle Paul traveled to Jerusalem to visit Peter and James. This visit is recorded in Galatians 1:18, and it is generally agreed that it occurred within 2 to 5 years after the resurrection. What Paul learned during the visit he recorded in 1 Corinthians 15:3-8.

“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. 7 Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles, and last of all he appeared to me."

Note the rhythmic nature of the verses; it is not Paul’s writing style. Since only about 5% of the population could read, they memorized. This information was easily memorized by those who could not read and shared with others who could not read. It would have been spread orally before being shared with the Apostle Paul. Dating a 2,000-year-old event to within 2 to 5 years is incredible, but most biblical scholars agree with the timing.