How does 1 Corinthians 15:6 affirm the truth of Christ's resurrection? Setting the Scene: Why Paul Brings Up the Eyewitnesses • Corinthian believers wrestled with doubts about bodily resurrection. • Paul starts with the gospel facts (1 Corinthians 15:3-4) and then moves straight to evidence. • Verse 6 is part of a rapid-fire list of post-Resurrection appearances that reads like a courtroom roster. The Heart of the Verse “Then He appeared to more than five hundred brothers at once, most of whom are still living, though some have fallen asleep.” (1 Corinthians 15:6) Eyewitness Testimony: Strength in Numbers • Over five hundred saw Jesus risen—an enormous crowd in first-century terms. • A single hallucination cannot grip five hundred people simultaneously; collective sight establishes objective reality. • Luke echoes the repeated appearances: “He presented Himself alive to them with many convincing proofs” (Acts 1:3). • A gathering this large silences any claim that the Resurrection reports sprang from a small, gullible circle. Verifiable Claims: “Most Are Still Living” • Paul essentially says, Check it out for yourself. • By writing while the majority of these witnesses were alive, he invites investigation, not blind faith. • Falsehood collapses under scrutiny; truth endures. Harmony with Other Resurrection Accounts • Matthew 28:9, 17 records Jesus greeting and being worshiped by a group beyond the immediate disciples. • Luke 24:36-43 shows Jesus eating fish, demonstrating He was physically alive, not a spirit. • John 20:24-29 recounts Thomas touching the wounds, confirming the same physical body that was crucified. • Acts 2:32—Peter openly proclaims, “God has raised this Jesus to life, to which we are all witnesses.” Scriptural Principle: Multiple Witnesses Confirm Truth • Deuteronomy 19:15 sets the legal standard: “A matter must be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses.” • God surpasses His own requirement, providing hundreds. • 2 Peter 1:16 underscores apostolic reliability: “We did not follow cleverly devised myths…”—they speak from firsthand sight. Living Hope Built on Fact • The Resurrection is not a private spiritual vision but a public event grounded in credible testimony. • Because Christ truly rose, believers have a sure promise of their own resurrection (1 Corinthians 15:20-22). • Confidence in future glory flows from the solid, historical reality Paul records in verse 6. |
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