Now, brothers, I want to remind you of the gospel I preached to you, which you received and on which you have taken your stand. By this gospel you are saved, if you hold firmly to the word I preached to you. Otherwise, you have believed in vain. For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, and that he appeared to Peter, and then to the Twelve. After that, he appeared to more than five hundred of the brothers at the same time, most of whom are still living, though some have fallen asleep. Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles, and last of all he appeared to me also. (1 Corinthians 15:1–8, NIV 1984).
My Musings – Why should we take our stand on this Gospel (died, buried and rose from the dead)? First, it was “according to the Scriptures.” Not some carefully invented plot to deceive. But meticulously following a script that was hundreds and thousands of years old. A script that could not be orchestrated by man, only by divine directive. Second, “He appeared” to eyewitnesses. In one instance “more than five hundred of the brothers at the same time.” Third it was “preached to [us]” and recorded for us while “most of [the eyewitnesses were] still living.” People have taken stands on much less corroboration.
My Advice – We must take a stand. One way or another.
Cleverly invented stories – “We did not follow cleverly invented stories when we told you about the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eyewitnesses of his majesty.” (2 Peter 1:16, NIV 1984).
or,
According to the Scriptures – “God is not a man, that he should lie, nor a son of man, that he should change his mind. Does he speak and then not act? Does he promise and not fulfill?” (Numbers 23:19, NIV 1984).
Then of course there is that pesky eyewitness testimony. “A matter must be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses.” (Deuteronomy 19:15, NIV 1984). More than five hundred at the same time kind of meets the standard, don’t you think?
The Brew Is A Musing 