Embarrassing Details in the Gospels

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The title of this article is THERE IS NO TIME MACHINE with a picture of a man and woman holding clock arrows back for time control.

Only one thing can explain the birth and growth of the Christian faith, and that is the resurrection of Jesus Christ. The entire New Testament focuses on the resurrection. As the Apostle Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 15:14, 20, “And if Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is your faith … But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who have fallen asleep.”

Factors that verify the truth of the resurrection story include the testimony of eyewitnesses recorded soon after the events, which include embarrassing details. The primary sources were the eyewitnesses, especially Matthew, Mark, and John. Their accounts were recorded shortly after the events, while other eyewitnesses would have been alive to challenge the reports, but they did not. Paul was also an eyewitness, and he wrote within 20 years of the resurrection, recording an early Christian creed that believers may have been reciting just a few months after the event (see 1 Corinthians 15:3-7).

How about those embarrassing details? They include facts that Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John incorporated into their gospels that a writer fabricating the story would likely omit, since they reflect poorly on the apostles. These include:

When Jesus was arrested, the disciples fled in fear: Matthew 26:31, 56; Mark 14:50-52.

Peter denied knowing Jesus three times: Matthew 26:69-75; Mark 14:66-72; Luke 22:54-62.

The disciples doubted the resurrection reports: Mark 16:9-14; John 20:24-29.

The disciples hid from the Jewish leaders: John 20:19.

Women were the first to testify about the resurrection, even though women's testimonies were considered less credible at the time: Matthew 28:1-10; Mark 16:1-11; Luke 24:1-12; John 20:1-10.

Many other pieces of evidence support the truth of the resurrection, but these embarrassing details are especially worth noting. As Paul stated, “Christ has indeed been raised from the dead.”

Scripture links/references are from BibleGateway.com. Unhighlighted scriptures can be looked up at their website.