I have mentioned previously how I believed that the strongest evidence for God was the historical event of Jesus' death on the cross and subsequent resurrection from the dead. He was a man who went around teaching about God, claiming that he was God, claiming that he would be killed and rise again, and then subsequently be crucified and raised.
If these events are true, then the evidence for the God of Christianity is very strong.
One of the common explanations for Jesus' resurrection is the view that he didn't actually die on the cross. Instead he became unconscious while on the cross and was buried. In the coolness of the tomb he revived, managed to escape, and then convinced his disciples that he had been raised.
However, a small amount of reflection on this argument reveals how flimsy it really is.
Firstly, the apparent death theory fails to account for the extent of Jesus' injuries. He was arrested on a Thursday night and tried overnight by the Jewish court. During and subsequent to the trial he was beaten by guards. In the morning (without any sleep), he was taken before Pilate, condemned before a crowd screaming for his blood, then whipped by the Roman guards, and a crown of thorns thrust upon his head. He was beaten with a stick, then forced to carry his cross to the place of crucifixion.
He was unable to bear the load of it and collapsed from exhaustion.
Once he arrived, he was laid on the cross, and a nail driven through his wrists, and a spike through his feet (achieved by twisting the body sideways and driving the spike through both ankles). He was then raised up on the cross and left to die.
Death by crucifixion is a horribly slow and painful way to die. While on the cross, the lungs are collapsed, meaning that breathing is impossible. In order to breathe, the victim must pull themselves up using their nail-pierced hands, and then drop back down. Eventually the victim becomes too weak to drag themselves up and so suffocates to death.
Sometimes the Romans would break the legs of the victims in order to sped up the process dramatically. With broken legs, the victim could not raise themselves up to breathe, and so would die very quickly.
It was difficult to determine exactly when the victim died, and so the Romans would either leave the body up long enough to decay, or would ensure the victim was dead by stabbing them with a lance.
The gospels report that the Romans broke the legs of the two thieves crucified with Jesus, yet found that Jesus was already dead. So instead they pierced his side with a spear, giving a sudden rush of "blood and water". This is strong evidence that Jesus died, as after death the blood cells can separate from the solution they are normally immersed in, giving the appearance of a blood and water flow.
After this, Jesus' body was placed in a tomb, the tomb sealed with a great stone, and the tomb guarded.
Secondly, if Jesus did not die on the cross, but simply convinced his disciples of that fact, then it makes him into a deceiver. But Jesus is known as one of history's greatest moral teachers and a great religious figure - even if many do not think that he rose from the dead or was God. This theory would make him a charlatan, totally contrary to everything we know about him.
Thirdly, even if Jesus did not really die, somehow managed to move the great stone in front of the tomb, evaded the guard, and found his way back to his disciples, how would he have convinced them that he had conquered death? He would still have been very weak and ill, requiring medical attention, rest, and still with severe wounds from the whipping and beatings. It seems a bid crazy to suggest that he convinced the disciples that he was the Lord of Life.
So in summary this argument is not at all convincing. The evidence is fairly clear that Jesus died. He was crucified by Roman soldiers who were experienced executioners, whose own lives would be taken if they let a prisoner escape. He was stabbed with a spear by a Centurian who needed to ensure that he was dead. He was left in a guarded tomb who no way that he could move the stone blocking it.
Jesus did die on the cross. The evidence clearly points to this.
The apparent death theory has rightfully been dead for one hundred years, and I see no reason to resuscitate it.A4DVDShrinker crack
If these events are true, then the evidence for the God of Christianity is very strong.
One of the common explanations for Jesus' resurrection is the view that he didn't actually die on the cross. Instead he became unconscious while on the cross and was buried. In the coolness of the tomb he revived, managed to escape, and then convinced his disciples that he had been raised.
However, a small amount of reflection on this argument reveals how flimsy it really is.
Firstly, the apparent death theory fails to account for the extent of Jesus' injuries. He was arrested on a Thursday night and tried overnight by the Jewish court. During and subsequent to the trial he was beaten by guards. In the morning (without any sleep), he was taken before Pilate, condemned before a crowd screaming for his blood, then whipped by the Roman guards, and a crown of thorns thrust upon his head. He was beaten with a stick, then forced to carry his cross to the place of crucifixion.
He was unable to bear the load of it and collapsed from exhaustion.
Once he arrived, he was laid on the cross, and a nail driven through his wrists, and a spike through his feet (achieved by twisting the body sideways and driving the spike through both ankles). He was then raised up on the cross and left to die.
Death by crucifixion is a horribly slow and painful way to die. While on the cross, the lungs are collapsed, meaning that breathing is impossible. In order to breathe, the victim must pull themselves up using their nail-pierced hands, and then drop back down. Eventually the victim becomes too weak to drag themselves up and so suffocates to death.
Sometimes the Romans would break the legs of the victims in order to sped up the process dramatically. With broken legs, the victim could not raise themselves up to breathe, and so would die very quickly.
It was difficult to determine exactly when the victim died, and so the Romans would either leave the body up long enough to decay, or would ensure the victim was dead by stabbing them with a lance.
The gospels report that the Romans broke the legs of the two thieves crucified with Jesus, yet found that Jesus was already dead. So instead they pierced his side with a spear, giving a sudden rush of "blood and water". This is strong evidence that Jesus died, as after death the blood cells can separate from the solution they are normally immersed in, giving the appearance of a blood and water flow.
After this, Jesus' body was placed in a tomb, the tomb sealed with a great stone, and the tomb guarded.
Secondly, if Jesus did not die on the cross, but simply convinced his disciples of that fact, then it makes him into a deceiver. But Jesus is known as one of history's greatest moral teachers and a great religious figure - even if many do not think that he rose from the dead or was God. This theory would make him a charlatan, totally contrary to everything we know about him.
Thirdly, even if Jesus did not really die, somehow managed to move the great stone in front of the tomb, evaded the guard, and found his way back to his disciples, how would he have convinced them that he had conquered death? He would still have been very weak and ill, requiring medical attention, rest, and still with severe wounds from the whipping and beatings. It seems a bid crazy to suggest that he convinced the disciples that he was the Lord of Life.
So in summary this argument is not at all convincing. The evidence is fairly clear that Jesus died. He was crucified by Roman soldiers who were experienced executioners, whose own lives would be taken if they let a prisoner escape. He was stabbed with a spear by a Centurian who needed to ensure that he was dead. He was left in a guarded tomb who no way that he could move the stone blocking it.
Jesus did die on the cross. The evidence clearly points to this.
The apparent death theory has rightfully been dead for one hundred years, and I see no reason to resuscitate it.A4DVDShrinker crack
Comments
very interested in your first comments on the crucifixion i myself am a bit of a sceptic found your words very interesting. enjoyed reading your web site.A4DVDShrinker crack
very interested in your first comments on the crucifixion i myself am a bit of a sceptic found your words very interesting. enjoyed reading your web site.A4DVDShrinker crack
very interested in your first comments on the crucifixion i myself am a bit of a sceptic found your words very interesting. enjoyed reading your web site.A4DVDShrinker crack
very interested in your first comments on the crucifixion i myself am a bit of a sceptic found your words very interesting. enjoyed reading your web site.A4DVDShrinker crack
Deliver A Messiah "Mistaken Identity" By Agron Belica
About the Book:
Deliver A Messiah, "Mistaken Identity" by Agron Belica brings forth an elaborative examination of who was put on the cross. Many theories suggest that the son of Mary (aka Jesus Christ) was not the person placed on the cross, but someone other than Jesus Christ himself. The author takes you through an examination paving ways of new insight of who might have been put on the cross.
To contribute to the present work, the author investigated and researched to seek the truth about the assumptive facts leading up to what people of Christendom believe to be the crucifixion of Jesus Christ. The Bible and the Koran are the main resources used as references formally presented in use of persuasive arguments and theories of why the author strongly does not believe that the son of Mary was killed nor crucified.
The author has made every effort to be as unbiased and objective in presenting the facts and interpreting the events in this present work. The author is not trying to stir up controversy, but only wishes to lead people towards what might be considered the truth about the events believed about the crucifixion. The author strongly believes that the prevailing powers during that era have camouflaged the truth. The cover-up of the crucifixion with a false pretext was to lead the masses of people in the past and at present to believe, that the son of Mary was really crucified, by the leading elite that was influenced by the Jewish religious hierarchy at that time.
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