\u201cThe compelling evidence for me is the unanimous testimony of all the apostles and even a former persecutor like St. Paul,\u201d\u009d said Brant Pitre, assistant professor of theology at Our Lady of Holy Cross College in New Orleans. \u201cThere was no debate in the first century over whether Jesus was resurrected or not.\u201d\u009d<\/p>\n
Scholars say that the witnesses to Christ\u2019s resurrection are compelling for a variety of reasons.
\u201cPeople will seldom die even for what they know to be true. Twelve men don\u2019t give up their lives for a lie,\u201d\u009d said Ray, who recently returned from France, where he was filming his \u201cFootprints of God\u201d\u009d series at the amphitheater in Lyon, the site of a persecution in A.D. 177. \u201cThe martyrs of Lyon underwent two days of torture and all they would say is, \u201d\u02dcI am a Christian.\u2019 They knew the resurrection was true and didn\u2019t question it.\u201d\u009d<\/p>\n
Barber also highlighted the diversity of sources and how they include different details as well as passages that do not paint the disciples in the best light.<\/p>\n
\u201cIn the Road to Emmaus story, they write that they didn\u2019t recognize him,\u201d\u009d said Barber. \u201cOur Biblical accounts are our best evidence.\u201d\u009d<\/p>\n
Several of the scholars pointed to 1 Corinthians, where Paul states that Christ appeared to 500 people.<\/p>\n
\u201cSome want to shy away from the Gospels because they say they were written later,\u201d\u009d explained Barber. \u201cIf you want to believe that they were written later, then why wouldn\u2019t the Gospels have made use of this piece of evidence from 1 Corinthians?\u201d\u009d asked Barber.<\/p>\n