David Bowden

True. But the standard comeback to that plain, commonsense reading is to use Acts ch 1, where it says Jesus continued to appear to the disciples for 40 days after the resurrection.

The thinking goes, that if Luke and Acts had the same author, anything in Acts that helps Luke's timeline sync up with the other accounts overrides Luke's actual language.

Of course, one could argue that, as happens elsewhere in Acts, the writer just couldn't keep his facts straight, and told two different versions of the post-resurrection Jesus story.

This latter interpretation seems the most reasonable to me. Especially when we keep in mind that "Theophilus," the addressee of both books, wouldn't have originally possessed the Acts version to correct the "resurrection and ascension in one and the same day" impression that Luke had already given him, and Luke himself might well have forgotten what he said in his first book.

Heck, he couldn't even keep straight what happened to the men accompanying Saul/Paul on his Damascus trip, in two accounts 17 chapters apart in the same book (Acts 9:7 and 26:14; did they remain standing or fall down - Luke tells it both ways).

-David

[ December 05, 2002: Message edited by: David Bowden ]</p>

JohnV

If you read the beginning of Barker's challenge, you get the impression that he only wants an account of Easter day. When you read his more detailed explanation, you see that that impression is wrong. However, no one claims that Barker is contradicting himself, because intepreting the less specific in light of the more specific is a method of intepretation so common that most of us do it unconsciously.

JohnV

Edited to add: I used the ESV (English Standard, a relatively new version) as I worked on this. Please use this version in your responses if possible (it just makes it easier if everyone's using one version, and so far this one is pretty well respected). There's one online at biblegateway.com.

OK, here it is: what happened on Easter day according to the gospels. References are to Matthew 28, Mark 16, Luke 24, and John 20. 1 Corinthians 15 also tells us that Jesus appeared to Peter before the other apostles:

4that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures, 5and that he appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve.

If we assume that most of the apostles (though not Thomas) were in the room that evening, then we can fit in Jesus' appearance to Peter anytime before that.

Note that only one verse - Luke 12 - is taken out of order. So, if we give Luke the benefit of the doubt that one verse was meant as a parenthetical, the Easter day accounts reconcile smoothly.

Due to time considerations I didn't include in my narrative details which IMO obviously fit. If you want to see how a particular detail fits in, let me know.

Anyway, here we go. Have fun!


On the first day of the week, shortly before sunrise, a group of women started off to Jesus' tomb. The group included Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, Salome, Joanna, and other women.

While they were on their way, an angel appeared at the tomb, rolled away the stone, and struck the guards unconscious.

The women arrived shortly after sunrise to find the stone rolled away, the tomb empty, and the guards fallen as if dead.

MT 1-4
MK 1-4
L 1-3 (& Joanna's name from L10)
J 1

Seeing this, the women were afraid and confused. Mary Magdalene, and perhaps others, ran and got Peter and John. Peter and John ran to the tomb. They saw that the body was gone, but the clothes were still there. Peter and John then went back to their homes, but the women remained.

L 12
J 2-10

The women entered the tomb. Two angels, in the form of young men dressed in white, appeared and then sat where Jesus' body had been.

MK 5
L 4
J 11-12

Mary was weeping. An angel said, "Woman, why are you weeping?" She said to them, "They have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid him." The angel asked, "Why do you seek the living among the dead?" He then continued, "Do not be afraid, for I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified. Remember how he told you, while he was still in Galilee, that the Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men and be crucified and on the third day rise. He is not here, but has risen. See the place where they laid him. Then go quickly and tell his disciples that he has risen from the dead, and behold, he is going before you to Galilee; there you will see him."

MT 5-7
MK 6-7
L 5-7
J 13

The women then went out from the tomb. Jesus, in the appearance of a gardener, spoke to Mary Magdalene, asking "Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you seeking?" Mary replied, "Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have laid him, and I will take him away." Jesus revealed himself to her, and then to the other women. He told them to go tell the disciples what they had seen, and to tell them that he was ascending to the Father, but he would see them in Galilee.

MT 8-10
MK 8-9 (auhenticity of Mark v. 9 and following disputed)
J 14-17


The women went and found some of the disciples (we aren't told which) and told them what they had seen, but the disciples didn't believe it.

MK 10-11
L 8-11
J 18


After appearing to the women, Jesus appeared in veiled form to two disciples as they were walking to Emmaus. He taught them and ate with them. He then revealed himself to them, and vanished. The two disciples returned to Jerusalem that night and told the disciples what had happened.

MK 12-13
L 13-35


As they were talking in a locked room, Jesus appeared to them and spoke briefly to them.

L 36
J 19-23

[ December 06, 2002: Message edited by: JohnV ]</p>

NOGO

If the rule is that you cannot omit anything then you cannot omit anything.

First problem.
Was the tomb open or sealed when the women arrived?

John 20
1 Now on the first day of the week Mary Magdalene came early to the tomb, while it was still dark, and saw the stone already taken away from the tomb.

Still dark and stone had already been removed.


Matthew 28
1 Now after the Sabbath, as it began to dawn toward the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary came to look at the grave.
2 And behold, a severe earthquake had occurred, for an angel of the Lord descended from heaven and came and rolled away the stone and sat upon it.

Began to dawn and tomb was still sealed.

Did the women see the angel remove the stone?

JohnV

It was open when the women arrived.
No.

Actually your points are already covered in my narrative. It was dark when the women left for the tomb, they arrived shortly after sunrise, and the stone was rolled away while they were on their way.

Butters

According to what scripture?

JohnV

OK, that's the first contestant for off-topic post of the thread award. Anyone else wanna try?

Kosh

I'm confused (and bored at work). You say here that they entered the tomb and saw two angels. However:

...this says there was only one angel in the tomb

and this:

.... clearly shows that a single angel sat on the stone outside the tomb (we know it was outside because in 28:6 he clearly invites them inside the tomb to see where he was lying

JohnV

Where does it say that?

MortalWombat

Nope, not according to Mark

Mark 16:2
Very early on the first day of the week, just after sunrise, they were on their way to the tomb