Reasons the Swoon Theory Fails

  1. The guards, who were trained in recognizing death, knew Jesus was dead
  2. The blood and water that spilled out when Jesus was speared indicate that physical death had taken place
  3. The wrapping of the body in spices indicates that He was dead
  4. No one in His condition could have rolled the stone away
  5. Even if he could have been revived and rolled the stone away, the guards would have known about it

  1. Hallucination Theory
This theory suggests that the people, especially the women, were so emotionally distraught that they hallucinated the resurrection.  Read 1 Corinthians 15:1-9 again.  How could this many people have the same hallucination?

Reasons the Hallucination Theory Fails
A.  The women were not expecting to see Jesus alive
  1. 500 people could not have the same hallucination over an extended period of time
  2. People do not suffer and die for a hallucination
  3. The people involved were rational

  1. Wrong Tomb Theory
This theory suggests that the disciples made a mistake about which tomb Jesus was laid.  Read Luke 24.  How many different groups/individuals came to visit the tomb?

Reasons the Wrong Tomb Theory Fails
  1. Joseph, who gave the tomb, would have known where his tomb was located
  2. If they had the wrong tomb, then the Jews could have gone to the correct tomb and produced the body of Jesus.
  3. Different groups and individuals came to the same location indicating that they all knew which tomb was the correct one
  4. The guards would not have guarded the wrong tomb

  1. Spiritual Body Theory
This view suggests that the resurrection was of a spiritual nature.  While not actually denying a resurrection, it does deny the physical, bodily resurrection which is the cornerstone of orthodoxy.  Read Luke 24:36-43 and 1 John 1:1-3.  What evidences do these verses give about the bodily resurrection?

Reasons the Spiritual Body Theory Fails
  1. Disciples thought at first that He was a spirit, then he ate a fish to dispel this notion
  2. John suggests that they "handled" Jesus
  3. Thomas touched the body of Jesus
  4. His enemies understood Him to be speaking of a body

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