Steven Carr

Why didn't the apostles recant their belief in the resurrection, rather than face death?

This newly discovered transcript of Peter's court case casts some light on the matter.

Judge. 'Prisoner in the dock. You are charged with treason against the Roman Empire. It is alleged that you believe that a corpse got out of its grave, ate some fish, and then went to Heaven, and won't return for more than 2,000 years, long after the Roman Empire ceases to exist. This is a very serious charge. How do you plead?'

Peter 'Not guilty, your honour. I made it all up. I'm a cheat, swindler, hoaxer and liar. I'm a conman. I swindle people out of money for a living. I thought I could fool all of you, so made up this hoax. I'm a fraud.'

Judge 'In that case, you are free to go.'

The portion of the manuscript for the last sentence is a little faded, so it has had to be reconstructed by scholars. Some scholars claim that the judge ordered Peter to be killed, but that can't be correct, because Peter recanted.

Huon

Possibly the parents and friends of Ananias and Sapphira played a role in the death of Peter ?

mountainman

Damasus (pope 365-400) pushed the prominence of Peter.

Tigers!

Would you? If you wouldn't why do you you think they would?

Chili

Because truth 'is' and they are evidene of truth that cannot die but must be raised to be placed in hierachial order so it can lead others to Rome where the Ultimate in Ttruth is at. . . obviously or there would be no order in the wolrd as we know it.

Toto

If this doesn't develop some serious content SOON, it will sink to the lower depths.

PhilosopherJay

Hi Steven,

Don't we have to establish that the apostles lived before we establish that they died?

Warmly,

Philosopher Jay

wordy

A lot of Communists died believing that Stalin wanted their sacrifice for the Party.

comedyoferrors

We don't have any reliable evidence that the apostles ever lived at all, let alone that they died the way they were supposed to. You should know that the great majority of the apostle martyrdom stories were actually fabricated and perpetuated by the Catholic Church, long after the time of Jesus or the apostles. I would guess that these stories may have been invented to make the very same argument you are making now.

Even if the apostles actually were martyred, however, that still doesn't come even close to proving that Jesus really did rise from the dead.

One thing that people rarely realize is that early Christianity was as much social and political movement as it was a faith. Early Christianity drew people who were horribly disappointed with the current government and social system. Not only did Christianity promise a perfect future world that was free from tyranny, it also made that ideal world a reality to a large extent within their own communities.(This is early Christianity I'm referring to-- the situation changed pretty drastically when it became a massive official religion.) People took care of each other. They shared freely with each other. It was basically an ideal communist community. Christianity offered hope to the poor. It offered the largest and most loving extended family people could hope for. It offered a sense of security and belonging.

So even if the apostles knew perfectly well that Jesus was as dead as a rock, it is by no means a stretch of imagination to believe that they still might have died willingly for the idea of a perfect society that they were trying to spread. It is not difficult to think that they would have faced death willingly for the sake of perpetuating this utopian sort of community. The martyrdom of a leader in a community serves surprisingly well in drawing the group more tightly together, in making them more determined to continue in their beliefs. Many people have willingly died for far less than that.

GenesisNemesis

That which is false is not necessarily a lie.