Steven Carr

http://www.leaderu.com/offices/billc...ocs/guard.html

'Because the tomb is already empty when the angel opens it, it is possible that it was already empty when the guards sealed the stone. Matthew fails to say that the sepulcher was opened and checked before it was sealed, so that it is possible that the disciples had removed the body and replaced the stone Friday night after Joseph's departure. Of course we would regard such a ruse as historically absurd, but the point is that if the guard is a Christian invention aimed at refuting the Jewish allegation that the scheming disciples had stolen the body, then the writer has not done a very good job.'

So Craig admits that the Gospel stories leave open the possibility of theft?

I'm sure he will deny elsewhere that the possibility of theft really was left open by the Gospel stories.


But it suits him here to claim that there is such a hole in the stories.

Solo

But then again, it is quite possible that the empty tomb narration of Mark (who introduces the idea) is designed to beat up on the disciples for "losing the body" of the martyred leader. Heb 11:5 parallels the "disappearance" of Jesus with Enoch (though Enoch of course was not seen dead) which might have been the original legend of the missing gravesite. It heightens the probablity that in the scattering of the group on their leader's arrest, no one really knew where the body was laid. Like Paul who used the cross to shame the disciples' denial of Jesus' human vulnerability, Mark may have used the empty tomb scenario (among other things) to shame the followers for failing to care effectively even for the dead body of Jesus.

Jiri

Chili

If the body was stolen resurrection could not have followed and Jesus would have remained an imposter (Mat.28:64).

seven8s

Did he care if he lived to tell about it? Forbidden fruit, they have a name for it, new rich.......don’t know how to spell French.

Which of course begs a host of other questions.................

Chili

Well of course he did with "it is finished." There are lots of imposters in Galilee and only a 'good' Galilean would know that, naturally of course, but the foreshadow for this was already given with the arrival of the Magi who followed the star that came to be known as the Star of Beth-le-hem where bread from heaven originates (the star is real but not to star gazers).:wave: