The walking dead

[Letsgofishing]

I would love to hear an answer to this question, because honestly, I can't find one.

"51 At that moment the curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. The earth shook, the rocks split 52 and the tombs broke open. The bodies of many holy people who had died were raised to life. 53 They came out of the tombs after Jesus’ resurrection and[e] went into the holy city and appeared to many people."

Now we all agree on the presumption that the gospels are historically accurate. This is arguably the backbone of our faith, or at least a very solid foundation. Yet, how do we reconcile this verse. Because according to Matthew, when jesus died, previously dead saints literally walked out of the grave and held a get-together with the city of Jerusalem. That's a pretty big event. I know if a dead guy knocked on my door in the middle of the night, I would be writing that down. Yet, somehow, Matthew is the only document I know to even mention this. None of the other gospels even mention the "walking dead-athon". And I can not find one secular historical source which mentions anything about this incident or even the fact that an earthquake and an eclipse (Luke 23) occurred at the same time. I mean, take out the rotting flesh from the occasion, and you still have an eclipse-quake, which is still a pretty rare event, and a big deal. How can we be sure that these claims aren't legend, when not only are they not supported by any religious-neutral documents, but not even supported fully by the other gospels (as in all the accounts are different in the specifics)

On a completely different subject..Happy Easter everybody! :)

 

[martinlawrencescott]

I definitely don't know. Has anyone here ever been taught/studied this? Sounds pretty cool though. "Appeared to many people" sounds like it could have been like Jesus who "poofed" showed up wherever He wanted after He rose. It would be cool if they were witnesses about Jesus. Wouldn't that be the wish of every faithful OT dead person, to get a chance to witness about Christ in person after He came?

 

[justaname]

After a brief search on the web I found this. Hope it helps.

http://baptistbulletin.org/?p=3150

 

[Letsgofishing]

After a brief search on the web I found this. Hope it helps.

http://baptistbulletin.org/?p=3150

Thanks.

I understand and appreciate it's theological meaning as that article presents. I think it's awesome that you posted it too, some amazing stuff in there....

but it doesn't really answer my questions of how everyone, except Matthew, loosely speaking, missed it.

 

[justaname]

Also this.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crucifixion_darkness_and_eclipse

 

[Old Man]

From the Navarre Bible: (which basically agrees with the above citation)

The great Church writers have suggested three possible explanations. First: that it was not a matter of resurrections in the strict sense, but of apparitions of these dead people. Second: they would have been dead people who arose in the way Lazarus did, and then died again. Third: their resurrection would have been definitive, that is, glorious, in this way anticipating the final universal resurrection of the dead.

The first explanation does not seem to be very faithful to the text which does use the words "were raised" (surrexerunt). The third is difficult to reconcile with the clear assertion of Scripture that Christ was the first-born from the dead (cf. 1 Cor 15:20; Col 1:18). St. Augustine, St. Jerome and St. Thomas are inclined towards the second explanation because they feel it fits in best with the sacred text and does not present the theological difficulties which the third does (cf. Summa theologiae, 3, 53, 3). It is also in keeping with the solution proposed by the St Pius V Catechism, 1,6,9.

As to why is it in Matthew and not the others? Part of the explicit purpose of the writing of the Gospel According to Matthew was to emphasize Christ's divinity. Raising people from the dead was not unusual for Jesus and illustrates his dominion over the laws of nature.

Hope this helps. Thanks for asking the question. It piqued my own curiosity and forced me to do a little research.

Old Man

 

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The following recorded events occurred during the day of the crucifixion:

Thallus (52AD) - nationality uncertain, possibly Roman.
Julius Africanus (221AD) - Roman
Phlegon (137AD) - Greek author from Caria...wrote a chronology.
"In the fourth year of the 202nd Olympiad (33AD) there was the greatest eclipse of the sun and that it became night in the sixth hour of the day (noon) so that stars even appeared in the heavens. There was a great earthquake in Bithynia, and many things were overturned in Nicaea."

Ignatius (117AD) - bishop of Antioch in Syria emphasized the deity of Jesus as well as His humanity. Stressed the historical records of Jesus and His ministry and that He was executed under Pontius Pilate and rose again from the dead.

Jewish traditional literature - although it mentions Jesus quite sparingly supports the gospel claim that he was a healer and miracle-worker, though it describes these activities to sorcery. It also records that he had disciples.

We have here the following extra-Biblical sources, eight in number, which verify the life, miraculous ministry, death and resurrection of Christ Jesus.
Josephus, Tacitus, Pliny the younger, Thallus, Julius Africanus, Phlegon, Ignatius and Jewish traditional literature.
There are other sources that I've heard of, but I think that it ought to be sufficient to put your question at rest. Eight sources plus the Bible gives us and even dozen accounts of Christ.

The life and resurrection of Jesus was recorded by several secular persons. A few examples are listed below:

- Letter from Publius Lentulus (ruler of Judea), to Roman emperor Tiberius.(Letter is found in a private library in England, 1865 AD)
- Report from the Roman governor, Pontius Pilate, to the Roman Caesar Tiberius.(written in Jerusalem, 28.III 4147. year since creation)
- Recollections of the last occurrences from life of The Jesus Christ (Many believe that Pontius Pilate's wife wrote that letter)

Roman Historians:
- Cornelius Tacitus (55-120AD)
- Pliny the Younger (62-114AD)
- Gaius Suetonius Tranquillus (75-130AD)
- and others less known living in Rome

The problem is not with documentation either Biblical or secular, but with a suppression of the truth.