cheenc03a.pdf

RBSURRECTION- AND ASCENSION-NARRATIVES
RESURRECTION- AND ASL8WNBION-NABRATIVES
CONTENTS
GENERAL. 5 I.
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Gorp
Gorp
Copti
Ertrr
Conc
l CD,
Accol
The resunstion of Jesus is held to be the central
fact upon which the Christian church rests. Even at a
GenenL date 60 early ar that of r Cor. Paul
treats it ar ruch in an elaborate discurrion
( or. 1 5 6 ) In particular he rests upon it three
fundamental thoughts oftheChristian faith : (I) the belief
thu the death of Jesus war not-what in accordance
with Dt. 21 11 (Gal. 3 4 if must have seemed to bethe
death of a mdefuctor, but a divine appointment for
the forgiveness of sins and for the salvation of men
(I COT. 15.7 Kom. 425 64-7.etc.): (a) a vindication of the
supremacy of the exalted Christ over thechurch (I Cor.
15qf: Kom. I+ Cor. 134, etc.): and (3) a pledge of
the certainty of an ultimate resurrection of all believers
to a life of everlasting blessedness (r Cor. 1518.20 01,
Rnm fiR R 7 r ptr I
dearh rr a divine arrangebent for the rnlvntion of m&. ,
Such theoloeivnr also, however. do not on that
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account attach to it any the less imrmrtanee : rather do
necessity at last gain the &tory over all enemies in
spite of every apparent momentary triumph.
It seems accoidinelv in loeic inevitable that if at anv
to an and.
Thc shock to which the Christian relieion and the Christian
ch 81 .I u 8: I .r ex, 1. I !hy -ur5 ~!~c-ue,y u ..,,-,> , I.,,,
surprising in view of its supernatural character-is in
very many quarters and with growing distinctness
characterised ar unhistorical, and that not merely when
it is conceived of as having hen a revivification of the
dead body of Jesus, but also when it is defended in
some spiritualistic form.
The present examination of the subject will not stan
from the proposition that 'miracles are impossible.'
SUE^ a pmporition rarr upon . rheury ?,ithe universe (Welt.
=nschuunp), not upn cxhus,tive exam~nat~on of all the evenu
whish may bc spoken of as mirnc1.r. Even should re by any
chance find ourselves in a paition toray thar every allcged
miraculous acurrence from the bcginnrn of time do- to the
prwn, hour had be" duly emincd andk"nd non-mimculour,
we should not thereby bs secured against the rxb~lity of
som~thinq occurring, to-morrow whish wc should ~compellld
to rec ntse as a mrmle. Empirically, only so mvch u this
rtmds?u~~nd no more-that regards prusnf ~dny ?currencn
the permns rho rwkon with the prsibility of a miracle
(by mirrcle we here throughout understand zn occurrence that
vnquest~onably is agaimt n?tural law) are very feu and that
prerntday acumn- u,heh are reprucnfcd ar &iraculous
are on clmr craminztioo invuubly fwd to paarerr no such
charmcicfer.
The normal pr-dure of the hirtorisn accordingly
in dealing with the events of the part will be in the first
instance to try whether a "on-miraculoni explanation
will serve, and to come to the other conclusion only on
the ~trength of quite unexceptionable testimony.
Needless to say, in doing so, he must be free from all
preporression. He must accordingly, where biblical
authors are concerned, in the first instance, look at
their statements in the light of their own presuppositions,
even though in the end he may find himself shut up to
the conclusion thar not only the statements but also the
presuppositions are erroneow.
I. NARRATIVES EXAMINED
For our most authentic information on the suhjcct of
1 Lonun, who in 1881 alto ethe. denid fhc eriuolc. of
Jnur, nfflrmed h in 188) still mom distinctly in 1887.
Amongst thore who have mmt recenfly mainfhined the DEgatlre
may be named Edwin Johnson ths author of Antiqurr Maerr
(anonymous: ,887) and The R& of Chrirtmdon 18p and
John M. Robenson. Chrislicnify and Mythubgy iiganj and
A short Xirtay of chn'~Iiinily (1902).