The Guard’s Report.
Why didn’t the Roman government know what had happened?
Matthew 28
The Guards’ Report
11While the women were on their way, some of the guards went into the city and reported to the chief priests everything that had happened. 12When the chief priests had met with the elders and devised a plan, they gave the soldiers a large sum of money, 13telling them, "You are to say, ‘His disciples came during the night and stole him away while we were asleep.’ 14If this report gets to the governor, we will satisfy him and keep you out of trouble." 15So the soldiers took the money and did as they were instructed. And this story has been widely circulated among the Jews to this very day.
Ok, so how did Matthew become privy to such a conversation between high level officials? Why is it that no other Gospel mentions any soldiers at the tomb?
Or, did Jesus’ followers realize they were wrong (even though Jesus repeatedly said he was going to die and rise again on the third day)?
It would be awesome if we had something written by Jesus or a disciple BEFORE he died that had the whole 3 day prophecy. As in the example of the aliens, one thing was expected, and then a new explanation is found. Thinking back through the New Testament, how many times does it mention that Jesus said *some* abstract statement which none of the disciples knew what it meant until AFTER the “resurrection”? And THEN they realized that he has to die.
If i were a disciple, i would have stopped at stealing his body and settling on a made up story. Why waste my life if I know the truth? I could still be satisfied with looking like I was following the Christ (by showing that he rose and went to heaven) and then use the rest of my life for my own profit, not spreading lies I knew could get me killed.
It leads back to the liar, lunatic or savior argument made about jesus, just about the disciples. [Walabe84]
This leads directly back to my last entry. I can imagine that the disciples honestly believed in what they were saying. But where’s the incredible in that? Even the accounts that we have (which are not first hand accounts), some disciples see a guy, talk to him for a while BEFORE THEY REALIZE that this guy is actually Jesus. Once they *realize* it, they whole-heartedly believe it, but seriously, this kind of belief is not so miraculous.
Also, as I asked in my last entry: Are you telling me we have a record of a disciple that died because he did not renounce the belief in the physical resurrection of Jesus? Please cite it, I’m very curious. You’re allowed to use the Bible as a source.
I gave quite a few books in the last note, having not read this entry yet. But here is a quicky online source… http://en.bibleinfo.com/questions/question.html?id=747 The only downfall of this place is, it doesn’t do a good job of listing it’s souce for the info on persecution. Books are always better than the net.
Warning Comment
May I say, O thank GOD!(pun intended)A friend sent ur Original story on zealots’ belief after the Failure-I saved it 4 future ref. I’m working on my MA in Religion-Neurotheology and Myth emph. The comparisons and implications in the article are not bs! Ur doing a great job w/ the ?s….
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Often I find atheists 2B vicious, and then I find Xtians being the same! I’m Adding u to my favs. đŸ™‚ (PS, I was raised atheist, by an atheist and a Catholic. I married a…and became a… strong non-denom. Xtian for 15 years. Now,I’m “barely xtian”… and attending a “liberal” catholic college!
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Regarding your last question: If that’s the case, we can also ask questions of any text ever about a question that wasn’t pertinent to the original audience. To people who know people who have died, listing them isn’t as important as telling why. Again, you’re making the mistake of reading the document to justify 21st century arguments which didn’t exist at the time. Context, please!
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To make a ridiculous example out of this from the little philosophy I know: It’s like saying we should look for scientific proof of many worlds theory before the advent of the theory of relativity. Many worlds theory seemed impossible at the time, and many, Voltaire, etc, heavily criticized it. But now, with our 21st century lens, the possibility isn’t as far fetched as it once seemed.
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The lens we read history through is as important as the questions we ask. I can read anything into any document or discredit any document if it doesn’t prove something that the original audience would never have asked. That doesn’t make it faulty–that makes it antique. The plain fact is, all documents are written in a time and a place to an audience. Understanding that is part of the deal.
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“Regarding your last question:” Which? I don’t understand your response in relation to any of my questions…
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