In presenting the case for the resurrection of Jesus our first exhibit is often the Gospel accounts.
We have independent traditions, eyewitness accounts, unadorned by later theological sophistication, that give us primary evidence. Those Gospels provide remarkably little detail (Mark 14.51-52), often give a bad press to the first followers (doubting Thomas, Peter the denier), and can sometimes seem hard to reconcile (just how many times did the cock crow when Peter denied Christ?). Actually all this points to their authenticity. Of course, apparent contradictions can be resolved – they are only apparent – but their existence only serves to confirm that we have independent traditions. If four witnesses to a criminal act all gave an identical story then we might suspect collusion!
Before 70 AD
A credible case can be made that the Gospels were originally written sometime before 70 AD. Some scholars date John as late as 90 AD but the gospel itself seems to have been written at a time before the destruction of the Temple in Jerusalem in 70 AD. Unlike the later Gnostic Gospels, the Gospels in your New Testament all demonstrate concern with observational details, names of people and places, along with historical and geographical facts. They are products of the first generation of believers.
Much earlier
However, in our case for the resurrection we can go much earlier than the Gospels. Most scholars agree that Jesus was crucified sometime after 30 AD. To go back closer to that date we have documents written prior to the Gospels.
Because of the way the books of the Bible are arranged we might think the letters were written sometime after the Gospels. No scholar thinks so. Generally, 1 Thessalonians and Galatians are considered the earliest letters and date to around 50 AD. The internal evidence of 1 Corinthians is that it was written around 55 AD. This means that the first letters date to within 20 years of the death and resurrection of Jesus. Can we get back earlier than this? We certainly can.
Early creeds
The letters themselves quote other sayings, songs and creeds that were already in circulation. For example, Philippians 2.6-11 and Colossians 1.15-20 seem to be hymns. Paul is quoting words familiar to his readers. It is interesting to notice that these very early declarations of the identity of Christ provide a very clear statement of his divinity.
1 Corinthians 15.3-8 is another example of an early creed being cited by Paul. The words of this section provide a very unambiguous statement of the historicity of the life, death and physical resurrection of Jesus. The statement makes reference to the names of eyewitnesses still alive at the time of composition.
Peter’s Aramaic name
The letter itself dates to 55 AD so this resurrection account must date to sometime before that. Scholars believe that this is a creed, or statement of faith, that originated somewhere in the region of Palestine. Notice that Peter is referred to by his Aramaic name, ‘Cephas’. This helps to locate the origins of the creed in Palestine among the first believers. For this to have become a formula that Paul could refer to in a letter to a church in Corinth it must have already been in circulation. Many scholars suggest that it must have been composed at least 15 years prior to Paul’s citation in 1 Corinthians. This places it back in the 30s AD. Even the sceptical theologian Michael Goulder suggests it was composed within a couple of years of the crucifixion.
When asked what is the earliest record of the resurrection our first exhibit is 1 Corinthians 15.3-8, from within a few years of the event itself. The resurrection rests on eyewitness evidence from the time.
