And That He Was Buried and That He Rose Again

See Christ is Risen! Part 5a. Tradition

We continue with Dr. Jeannie's lesson 5 on the Resurrection, in which she discusses the apostle Paul and his first epistle to the Corinthians.

An early Creed.

Permit's see what Paul said; he received this and passed on to them. The mode he phrases information technology sounds very much like an early on Creed. And I remember we can say almost without qualification that this was an early Christian Creed. They did have Creeds, they did accept hymns, they did larn things by memorization. This is something that everyone was taught and everyone knew; and here's why information technology sounds like a Creed. He begins by saying, "Here is what I delivered to you, what I besides received, that Christ died for our sins, that He was buried, that He rose on the third day, that He appeared to this person and this group." The manner he marks information technology off, "this, this, this," shows that it is really a creedal formula. So, it's a very early Christian Creed.

What is this niggling Creed? It'due south a Creed, simply it's very narrow—it's only near the Resurrection appearances of Christ. And so what are they? What is it that he passed on to them? First, he says that Christ died for our sins "according to the Scriptures." Now Chrysostom notes how interesting it is that St. Paul begins by affirming that Christ actually died, that He was homo, that He had a body that was His own. This is very important, and nosotros're going to have to address this also afterwards in our discussion on the Resurrection. In his own particular context, Chrysostom was responding to certain heresies that denied the humanity of Christ, believe information technology or not. We tin't imagine a heresy today that denies the humanity of Christ, just in that location were such things that were very, very strong during the catamenia of the first few centuries of Christianity. But I think that being reminded that Christ died is very important for our purposes likewise, considering hither we're talking about a physical Resurrection, then we have to begin with the fact that Christ had a torso and that He actually died. This is poetry 3: "That Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day co-ordinate to the Scriptures." And then, of class, it talks nigh how He was cached. Why? Because the empty tomb is office of the Tradition. He rose on the third 24-hour interval—there is that "third 24-hour interval" language. Do y'all encounter how prevalent it was in the Early on Church building? It was prevalent because Christ foretold that He would rise on the 3rd twenty-four hour period. At that place is a great bargain of pregnant behind the fact that He rose on the third day; so, in verse iv, this is the second fourth dimension that St. Paul mentions "co-ordinate to the Scriptures"—that Christ died for our sins "co-ordinate to the Scriptures." He was buried, He rose on the tertiary day "co-ordinate to the Scriptures". What is this language, "according to the Scriptures"? Which Scriptures? What is He talking most? He'southward not talking nigh the New Testament. When nosotros recall of "the Scriptures" that talk virtually Christ rise on the 3rd day, we're thinking of the Gospels, right? (Now maybe you'll also think of 1 Corinthians 15, merely that's not what he's talking nigh, because the Gospels did not exist at the time Paul wrote this.)

So which "Scriptures" are they? They are the Jewish Scriptures. Yous meet, the only "Scriptures" in the Early Church were the Jewish Scriptures; there was no such thing equally the "New Testament." This is something that is pretty difficult to imagine for u.s.a. and shows how little we know about the Old Attestation, that their only Scriptures were the Old Testament Scriptures. This is very of import because for those of you who come from a tradition of "Sola Scriptura." Yous have to ask yourself: what did the Early Christians do without the New Attestation? How tin can we say, "Rely on the Scriptures lonely" (that'southward the significant of the words "Sola Scriptura" for the rest of you who aren't enlightened of it.) What did they exercise before at that place was a New Attestation? Because fifty-fifty afterwards the books of the New Testament were written, similar St. Paul's epistles or the Gospels, first of all, not anybody did had a copy of every book. The people in Corinth had the epistles that Paul wrote to Corinth. They didn't have the epistles to the Thessalonians, to the Ephesians and to the Colossians and everything else. They only had the epistles that Paul sent them. Is was the same for the Thessalonians. They had the two epistles that Paul sent them. They didn't have all of the messages of Paul, at to the lowest degree not in the outset. It is the aforementioned with the Gospels, when they were written. Luke was probably in Greece, and his Gospel was read in Greece. They didn't have Matthew's Gospel and Marker'due south and John'due south. They didn't accept them. And even when they had them, those books were not considered Scripture right away. This is something nosotros're going to be talking about in our Introduction to the Bible.

Oral Tradition was the merely reliable source

Rembrandt. The Campaigner Paul. 1630

So in the commencement, the Early Church building did not even accept apostolic writings, and then when they did, those writings were non considered "Scripture" immediately. It took a very long time earlier the Church recognized the inspiration of the writings and considered them Scripture. I'll show you after how we know this. The point is: What did the Early Church rely on for those of you who want to go back to the Early Church and model yourselves after the Early on Church? What did they rely on? Oral Tradition. Exactly the matter St. Paul is referring to hither, the oral Tradition, the Apostolic Witness about the Resurrection of Christ. That's all they had: apostolic didactics that was passed along only orally at this betoken. And so that's what he ways by "according to the Scriptures"—the Jewish Scriptures. It means, "in fulfilment of prophecy." So Christ died for our sins "in fulfilment of prophecy." He rose on the third day "according to the Scriptures," that is, "in fulfilment of prophecy." So to whom did He appear kickoff? I'm reminding you, brothers and sisters of Corinth, what I first taught you, "that Christ died, that He was buried, that He rose once again in fulfilment of prophecy, that He was seen by Cephas and then past the Twelve." This is poetry 5. Who was Cephas? Well that's Paul'southward way of referring to Peter. In Greek nosotros would say Kephas. The name Peter in Hebrew is Cephas. Peter is "Petros" in Greek.

And so the first person Paul mentions that Christ appeared to is Peter. At present, that's not in any of the Gospels, except that it is hinted at in the Gospel of Luke, if yous remember what I told you about the advent to the two disciples on the road to Emmaus. Remember when the Lord appeared to them on the road to Emmaus and they saw Him in the breaking of the bread? They immediately turned around, went to Jerusalem, found the Twelve, and said, "The Lord has risen! He's appeared to us!" The Twelve said, "We know He'due south risen! He has appeared to Simon." So Luke knows about this appearance to Peter, but he doesn't describe it. Then while they're continuing there, the Lord appears to them. So Luke knows about this appearance to Peter but he doesn't tell it, and no other Gospel tells it, but Paul knows near it, and there it is: he'southward the first ane who is mentioned. "He was seen by Cephas, and and then by the Twelve."

500 brethren saw Christ.

Annotation what I told yous, that the twelve disciples are not called, "the disciples." They're not called "the apostles." They're called "The Twelve." This is told to usa in Luke and it's also told to us in John, just Paul doesn't mention well-nigh whether Thomas was present or anything like that. But we know that the Lord appeared to them, and at this point in that location are xi of them because Judas is not with them, simply they're still chosen "The Twelve." That'south the name of the grouping. In poetry 6, Paul tells united states of america that later on that, He was seen "by over 500 brethren at once, of whom the greater office remain to the present, only some accept fallen asleep." This is the most tantalizing reference of all. The Lord appeared, in the torso, the Resurrected body, to 500 brethren, 500 believers, all at one time. Unfortunately nosotros don't know annihilation else nearly this appearance. Isn't that amazing? I think it'south astonishing, because Paul repeats it to them as if everyone knew about information technology! But this particular story is not recorded in the Gospels. Peradventure it was not recorded because everyone knew information technology, and it never occurred to them that the retentivity of this or the cognition of this story would be lost since no ane wrote it downwardly. Only that'south the state of affairs here. Isn't it astonishing? I wish we knew something about this story. I'grand just and then intrigued past it. Where was this? Where did this accept place that He appeared to 500 brethren at once? What did He say to them? How did He look? I mean, did they recognize Him right away? I wish we knew. Nosotros just don't know enough virtually this Resurrection appearance, but it was then famous in the early Church that it was part of this early Creed that everyone knew virtually. It's amazing that we have lost the knowledge about this. Information technology would be heady if in that location were to be a discovery of some early document that talks well-nigh this, but so far there'southward goose egg that we know of. Now what does he say about these 500? He tells united states of america that "the greater role," that is, most of them, "remain," that means they're alive, "to the present solar day,"—twenty years or so from the fourth dimension of Paul'southward writing. They're even so alive, most of them, but "a few of them have fallen comatose"—that's southward way of referring to death. Some have "fallen asleep." That doesn't hateful that they're sleeping or in a coma. It means that they have died. That'south the Christian manner of referring to expiry because that'due south the way the Lord referred to expiry. He said: "Our blood brother Lazarus is sleeping," and He meant of course that Lazarus had died. The Orthodox tradition is to say, when someone has died, that he or she has "fallen comatose in the Lord." That's the proper fashion to refer to it. Past the way, dearest brothers and sisters, nosotros accept to call back and keep these traditions. We shouldn't say "passed away" or "passed." We should say, "so and so has fallen asleep in the Lord." That'southward the way to refer to expiry.

And so, He was seen by all of these people, almost of whom are still alive. At present, why is Paul telling them that most of them are even so alive? To remind them that if you want to cheque information technology out for yourself and discover someone who's an eyewitness to this issue, in that location are plenty of them around, you tin notice out who really saw the Lord alive again in the body amongst these 500.

Verse 7 says, "After that, He was seen by James". This is probably—it doesn't say, but it was probably—James, "the brother of the Lord," the head of the Church of Jerusalem. He was not one of the Twelve, but he was an campaigner, considering of course he was an eyewitness to the Resurrection. He was considered an extremely holy man, very highly regarded in the early Church building, and equally I said, head of the Church building of Jerusalem. He was seen by James. This appearance is also non recorded in the Gospels. Then you see, none of the Gospels have everything. And so it says, "finally by all of the apostles." Now there you again see that an "campaigner" is not synonymous with "the Twelve," because the Twelve take already been mentioned. "All the apostles." How many were in that location? I don't know. Were there more the 500 or are at that place fewer than the 500? It's not clear, only there were lots of apostles. As I said, there were many, many people, as you can see, who were eyewitnesses to the Resurrection of Christ.

One born out of due time.

In the adjacent verse, "then, last of all He was seen by me also every bit past 1 born out of due time." So, at the very concluding, Paul mentions himself. When he says, "This is the gospel which I preached to you," I'm sure he was giving them his testimony almost meeting the risen Christ on the road to Damascus, simply I don't call up that Paul's feel was part of this early Creed, which was very well known in the early Church. Although everyone knew Paul and everyone knew his story, he tells his story in his own epistles, simply his story is too told three times in the book of Acts. It was a rather famous story; and nevertheless why does Paul include information technology hither, if I'm correct that information technology was non part of this Creed? When people in other places, people who were not taught by Paul, learned about the Resurrection of Christ, that He died on the Cantankerous and was cached and rose on the third mean solar day, that all of this was fulfilment of prophecy, and that He appeared to Cephas and the Twelve then the 500, then James and all of the apostles, I think information technology stopped in that location. I don't think, generally speaking, that they learned that He was seen by Paul. Why is that? Considering this appearance of the risen Lord was really not an appearance. He doesn't see the Lord. In that location was a bright light. He hears a voice. It was very real to Paul. In that location's no question that information technology was an appearance in that sense, and that it inverse Paul's life very dramatically, but it's non the same kind of advent as the others—because the other appearances were in the mankind and they were in the menstruum between the Resurrection and the Ascent. And in that location was a difference in the quality and the timing of those appearances.

Paul'southward appearance of the Risen Lord is, of course, afterward Pentecost; he meets Him on the road and he hears the voice, etc. But Paul includes his testimony hither. Why is that? Because he wants to exist regarded as an campaigner. The fact is that in the early Church most people did not consider Paul an apostle, and that's pretty shocking to united states of america, considering He's considered today generally to be the greatest of the apostles. As a thing of fact, I call back that Paul in the cease had the "last laugh" if you lot volition, considering in the Orthodox tradition, when the Fathers of the Church building are talking near the apostles and say just "the Apostle" before they desire to quote something, such as, "as the Apostle says", it's always St. Paul—unless they're quoting, for example, from the Gospel of John and they say "the campaigner." But if they're just giving a sermon and quoting a random verse of Scripture and they refer to "the Apostle," it'southward Paul. It's funny, because he's the ane who was not considered an campaigner by the early Church building. Only in the finish, today, and even long earlier today, he was "the Campaigner." Isn't that wonderful?

He was lastly seen by Paul "as one born out of due time." What does that mean? Considering St. Paul was not among The Twelve, he was not among The Seventy. He was non one of the Apostles. He was non accepted as an apostle by most of the Christians; except, of class, by those for whom he was a spiritual Father. Certainly the communities he founded respected him as an campaigner, but he had to fight to be regarded as an campaigner, because he was not role of the earthly ministry of Christ. He did non follow Jesus during His earthly ministry building, He was not an bystander to the Resurrection the way the others were, which is what made i an campaigner.

The Least of the Apostles

He insists that he'southward an campaigner, considering he says, "I met the risen Lord on the road to Damascus." He is an apostle because had this experience, and likewise considering the word "apostle" means "1 who is sent." Paul says, "I was sent. I was sent past Christ Himself to preach." He considers himself an apostle, and that's why he ordinarily includes that title after his proper name in his Epistles: "From Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus," etc. "to the Churches of Galatia," etc. He knows, however, that he is "the to the lowest degree of the apostles"; and I don't think he'due south saying this out of any kind of false modesty. He says in verse 9, "For I am the least of the apostles, who am not worthy to be called an apostle because I persecuted the Church of God." This never left him. I call up that Paul always felt very badly nearly this, and tried very hard to overcome the fact that he had persecuted the Church, by working much harder than the others. He actually says in poesy 10, "But past the grace of God I am what I am," "His grace toward me was not in vain." That is, it wasn't useless, wasn't pointless. He showed grace toward Paul, and look at what Paul has done with the grace that God has shown him; look at the communities he established, look at the souls that he brought to Christ etc. "Simply by the grace of God, I am what I am and His grace toward me was not in vain, but I labored more than abundantly than they all. Yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me." And then he's proverb here that he's an campaigner because he worked harder than anyone else. Well, wait a minute: he doesn't want to take all the credit for it. It was non him, just the grace of God, which was with him. So at that place you see, dear brothers and sisters, the same argument that he made later in two Corinthians when he is forced to defend his status as an apostle. This is what he says. He says, "I worked harder than anyone else," and this is 1 of the reasons why he feels he has the right to be considered an apostle. And the last poesy in this niggling pericope: "Therefore, whether it was I or they, so nosotros preach and so y'all believed." So he'southward proverb here, whether you accept their testimony as genuine apostles—no one questions that they are the apostles—or whether it was I from whom you received this testimony, nosotros preach the same matter, we're on the same page. My apostolic testimony is exactly the same as that of the other apostles. This "so we preach", not "preached", but "preach", pregnant, "nosotros continue to preach," is in the present tense: "We preach the Resurrection of Christ, and then you believed."

Well, this lesson has gone on too long and I need to stop at this point, but we will continue with chapter xv of one Corinthians. I encourage you to read ahead and see what information technology says, considering the Apostle is going to explicate the Resurrection. Now that he has reminded them of what he taught them, he doesn't stop there; he goes on to explicate to them the significant of the Resurrection, why it is important, then on. He spends all of chapter 15 talking about the Resurrection. It is extremely important theologically, so we will go along our discussion of St. Paul, 1 Corinthians 15 next fourth dimension. In the meantime, permit's say our prayer, and let us go on to say information technology and mean information technology from the depths of our hearts: Christ is risen from the dead, trampling downwardly death by expiry, and upon those in the tombs bestowing life. Alithos Anesti o Kyrios. Truly the Lord is Risen.

Presbytera and Dr. Jeannie Constantinou'due south podcasts can be found here.

Next Christ is Risen! Part 6a. Who was the get-go witness?

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