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What Happened to the Twelve Apostles? How Their Deaths Evidence Easter
by C Michael PattonApril 10th, 2009
31 Comments
This is an Easter updated repost—Happy Easter!
Download PDF (with family discussion questions)
I have an interest in the death of the Apostles. We all should. Every Christian should spend some time looking into the historical records. There are many legends concerning their deaths which makes the historical evidence hard to interpret. Many times the accounts conflict with one another. Most early Christians wanted their home to be crowned with the stature of having been the final resting place of one of the twelve. It is probably for this reason that there were embellishments forged.
Sifting through the wheat and the chaff is not easy task. The martyrdom of some of the Apostles is more certain than others. Historians will have different degrees of certainty concerning the circumstances of their deaths. For instance, unbiased historians will not take issue with the historical credibility of the martyrdom of Peter, Paul, and James the Apostle. Many of the other accounts have decent historic validity as well. Some accounts, however, raise the eyebrow and cause us to remain agnostic.
However, when boiled down to their least common denominator, it is very feasible to believe that all but one of the Apostles suffered and died a martyr’s death, even if we can’t be sure of the exact details.
Amidst some uncertainty, one thing is clear—the reason given for their death was the same in all accounts. They were killed because they proclaimed to have seen Christ die and then to have seen Him alive. They all died because of an unwavering, unrelenting claim that Christ rose from the grave. They died for Easter.
Personally, in my mind, the gruesome death of the Apostles as recorded below was one of the greatest gifts that God ever gave to the Church. It contributes much to Christian apologetics by answering the “how do you know?” question concerning the resurrection of Christ.
The following is my attempt to take the best of all the sources and share the most likely scenario for each Apostle’s death. At the risk of spoiling some of the “legends,” I have given each account a grade of probability from A (highest probability) to D (lowest probability).
Read through the accounts of their deaths. Use it this Easter. Tell your children. This may sound odd, but in a very real sense, I thank God for bringing about the Apostles’ deaths, for in their deaths they sealed their testimony in blood making our faith in the risen Christ built upon a solid foundation.
(1) The Apostle James
James, the Apostle of the Lord, was the second recorded martyr after Christ’s death (Stephen was the first). His death is recorded in Acts 12:2 where it is told that Herod Agrippa killed him with a sword. Clemens Alexandrinus and Eusebius (Ecclesiastical History II.2) both tell how the executioner witnessed the courage and un-recanting spirit of James and was then convinced of Christ resurrection and was executed along with James.
Date of Martyrdom: 44-45 A.D.
Probability rating: A for the death of James, C- for the death of the executioner
(2) The Apostle Peter
Although, just before the crucifixion, Peter denied three times that he even knew Christ, after the resurrection he did not do so again. Peter, just as Jesus told him in John 21:18-19, was crucified by Roman executioners because he could not deny his master again. According to Eusebius, he thought himself unworthy to be crucified as his Master, and, therefore, he asked to be crucified “head downward.”
Date of Martyrdom: ca. 64 A.D.
Probability rating: A
(3) The Apostle Andrew
Andrew, who introduced his brother Peter to Christ, went to join Peter with Christ in eternity six years after Peter’s death. After preaching Christ’s resurrection to the Scythians and Thracians, he too was crucified for his faith. As Hippolytus tells us, Andrew was hanged on an olive tree at Patrae, a town in Achaia.
Date of Martyrdom: 70 A.D.
Probability rating: B
(4) The Apostle Thomas
Thomas is known as “doubting Thomas” because of his reluctance to believe the other Apostles’ witness of the resurrection. After they told him that Christ was alive, he stated “Except I shall see in his hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and thrust my hand into his side, I will not believe” (John 20:25). After this, Christ did appear to him and Thomas believed unto death. Thomas sealed his testimony as he was thrust through with pine spears, tormented with red-hot plates, and burned alive.
Date of Martyrdom: 70 A.D.
Probability rating: B concerning his martyrdom, D concerning the exact method of execution.
(5) The Apostle Philip
Philip was corrected by Christ when he asked Christ to “show us the Father, then this will be enough for us” (John 14:8). Christ responded, “Have I been so long with you, and yet you have not come to know Me, Philip? He who has seen Me has seen the Father; how can you say, ‘Show us the Father ‘?” (John 14:9). Philip later saw the glory of Christ after the resurrection and undoubtedly reflected with amazement on Christ’s response to his request. Philip evangelized in Phrygia where hostile Jews had him tortured and then crucified.
Date of Martyrdom: 54 A.D.
Probability rating: C
(6) The Apostle Matthew
Matthew, the tax collector, so desperately wanted the Jews to accept Christ. He wrote The Gospel According to Matthew about ten years before his death. Because of this, one can see, contained within his Gospel, the faith for which he spilled his blood. Matthew surely remembered his resurrected Savior’s words, “Lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world” (Matt. 28:20), when he professed the resurrected Christ unto his death by beheading at Nad-Davar.
Date of Martyrdom: 60-70 A.D.
Probability rating: B
(7) The Apostle Nathanael (Bartholomew)
Nathanael, whose name means “gift of God” was truly given as a gift to the Church through his martyrdom. Nathanael was the first to profess, early in Christ’s ministry, that Christ was the Son of God (John 1:49). He later paid for this profession through a hideous death. Unwilling to recant of his proclamation of a risen Christ, he was flayed and then crucified.
Date of Martyrdom: 70 A.D.
Probability rating: C
(8) The Apostle James the Lesser
James was appointed to be the head of the Jerusalem church for many years after Christ’s death. In this, he undoubtedly came in contact with many hostile Jews (the same ones who killed Christ and stated “His [Christ's] blood be on us and our children” (Matt. 27:25). In order to make James deny Christ’s resurrection, these men positioned him at the top of the Temple for all to see and hear. James, unwilling to deny what he knew to be true, was cast down from the Temple and finally beaten to death with a fuller’s club to the head.
Date of Martyrdom: 63 A.D.
Probability rating: B that he was cast down from the temple, D that he was being beaten to death with fuller’s club after the fall
(9) The Apostle Simon the Zealot
Simon was a Jewish zealot who strived to set his people free from Roman oppression. After he saw with his own eyes that Christ had been resurrected, he became a zealot of the Gospel. Historians tell of the many different places that Simon proclaimed the good news of Christ’s resurrection: Egypt, Cyrene, Africa, Mauritania, Britain, Lybia, and Persia. His rest finally came when he verified his testimony and went to be with Christ, being crucified by a governor in Syria.
Date of Martyrdom: 74 A.D.
Probability rating: B
(10) The Apostle Judas Thaddeus
Judas questioned the Lord: “Judas said to him (not Iscariot), Lord, how is it that you will show yourself to us, and not unto the world?” (John 14:22). After he witnessed Christ’s resurrection, Judas then knew the answer to his question. Preaching the risen Christ to those in Mesopotamia in the midst of pagan priests, Judas was beaten to death with sticks, showing to the world that Christ was indeed Lord and God.
Date of Martyrdom: 72 A.D.
Probability rating: C
(11) The Apostle Matthias
Matthias replaced Judas Iscariot (the betrayer of Christ who hanged himself) as the twelfth Apostle of Christ (Acts 1:26). It is believed by most that Matthias was one of the seventy that Christ sent out during his earthly ministry (Luke 10:1). This qualifies him to be an apostle. Matthias, of which the least is known, is said by Eusebius to have preached in Ethiopia. He was later stoned while hanging upon a cross.
Date of Martyrdom: 70 A.D.
Probability rating: D
(12) The Apostle John
John is the only one of the twelve Apostles to have died a natural death. Although he did not die a martyr’s death, he did live a martyr’s life. He was exiled to the Island of Patmos under the Emperor Domitian for his proclamation of the risen Christ. It was there that he wrote the last book in the Bible, Revelation. Some traditions tell us that he was thrown into boiling oil before the Latin Gate, where he was not killed but undoubtedly scarred for the rest of his life.
Date of Martyrdom: 95 A.D.
Probability rating: A that he was not martyred, C that he was thrown into boiling oil
(13) The Apostle Paul
Paul, himself a persecutor of the Christian faith (Galatians 1:13), was brought to repentance on his way to Damascus by an appearance of the risen Christ. Ironically, Paul was heading for Damascus to arrest those who held to Christ’s resurrection. Paul was the greatest skeptic there was until he saw the truth of the resurrection. He then devoted his life to the proclamation of the living Christ. Writing to the Corinthians, defending his ministry, Paul tells of his sufferings for the name of Christ: “In labors more abundant, in beatings above measure, in prisons more frequent, in deaths often. Of the Jews five times received I forty stripes minus one. Three times I was beaten with rods, once was I stoned, three times I suffered shipwreck, a night and a day I have been in the deep; In journeys often, in storms on the water, in danger of robbers, in danger by mine own countrymen, in danger by the heathen, in danger in the city, in danger in the wilderness, in the sea, among false brethren; In weariness and painfulness, in watchings often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness “(2 Cor. 11:23-27). Finally, Paul met his death at the hands of the Roman Emperor Nero when he was beheaded in Rome.
Date of Martyrdom: ca. 67 A.D.
Probability rating: A
An Afterthought:
I believe that the deaths of the Apostles increase the certainty level of the historicity of the resurrection to a level that is beyond excuse for disbelief. People do not die for their own lies, half-truths, or fabrications. If the Apostles truly died proclaiming to have seen Christ dead then alive and ascend into heaven, Christ is who He said He was, God incarnate who came to take away the sins of the world.
An Objection:
However, some might object to my reasoning. You may object to my reasoning. The question that gives rise to the objection is this: Don’t many people die for something they believe? Does this mean that if you die for something, it is true? To be sure, many people have died for something that they believed and this does not make it true. The 9-11 bombers believed something and died for that belief, but their deaths do no give credence to the validity of their beliefs in any way. There is a big difference in dying for something that you believe having received the basis for that belief from someone else and dying for something that you believe because you witnessed the events that establish the belief.
From a historical stand point, the difference is as great as day and night. The suicide bombers and others who die for their faith are dying for something that they believe because the have heard it from someone else. This adds no valid verification to what they believe from an standpoint of evidence or reason. It would be like me dying for my faith in Christ’s resurrection. All that this would prove is that I truly did believe that Christ rose from the grave, but it would not verify in any way that He actually did rise from the grave. Why? Because I did not see it. I was not a first hand witness.
Now if I died a martyr’s death saying that I saw Christ die and rise from the grave with my own eyes that would be a different story. Why? Because it would not verify a belief handed down from someone else, but a belief in something that I witnessed firsthand. At this point, you have only three options for explaining the Apostles’ belief: 1) Say that they died for a lie knowing that it was a lie, 2) that they were delusional or crazy, or 3) that was the truth, Christ did rise from the grave.
To say that they died knowing it was a lie places a great burden of proof upon the proponent of this view and completely lacks in any historical credibility (no matter how many attempts have been made to substantiate such). It would take a much greater leap of faith to believe this than to believe that they were telling the truth and Christ actually rose. Remember, the possibility of an alternative does not amount to probability.
To opt for number two and say that they were crazy suffers from the same fate as the first. There is no way to substantiate this. There is absolutely no historical evidence in favor of this supposed insanity for even a single Apostle, much less all of them. From a historical standpoint, this would most certainly be a greater leap of faith than to believe that they were telling the truth.
The only option is the last—that Christ did raise from the grave and He is who he said he was. All others are blind leaps into the dark.
The motives for these blind leaps are many I am sure, but let me mention a couple of the most likely.
People who deny this evidence are sometimes motivated by an anti-supernatural bias. This bias starts with the assumption that Christ did not rise from the grave because it is impossible for people to rise from the grave. But this argument is completely unsustainable since it begs the question. It may be true that people don’t normally rise from the grave, but simply because you do not have personal empirical evidence of its possibility does not make it impossible objectively. I do however understand this bias. I think that it is foolish to uncritically and characteristically accept stories of happenings that fall outside of our God-given means of empirically acquiring information. But belief in the resurrection of Christ, as I have been arguing, is not in any way an uncritical belief (at least it does not have to be). The evidence compels us to adjust our bias at this point.
Another motive that people have for rejecting the evidence is less intellectual and more emotional. Many people have an emotional bias against the very idea of God. This emotional bias, practically speaking, comes to us from a variety of avenues. For some, it is their upbringing. They have a commitment to that which they were taught. We all want mom and dad to be right and we will do everything in our power to cheer for their beliefs. Why? Because they become our beliefs and we have a lot invested in them. For many, if Christ rose from the grave, then they, their family, their religion, and all their friends are wrong. This is sometimes too much to handle emotionally.
For others, the emotional objection comes from a jilted experience. They have called upon God to save them from sickness. They have looked for His mercy in their family. They have prayed for their basic needs and He, in their estimation, has not answered. Therefore, they are apathetic to the evidence of the resurrection, being guided by their emotional experiences and longings. Both of these emotional objections to the resurrection are understandable.
I know that emotion unbridled is a much more powerful source for belief than the cold facts of the intellectual realm. But, at the same time, while the objections are understandable, they should not be not admissible or sustainable. We cannot let emotions rule our belief system. We must be ready to look past our experience and our traditions so that we can see the truth. Once we do, then the truth can take the hand of our emotions and train them properly.
In sum concerning the initial objection, the 9-11 suicide bombers may have sincerely believed their religion, but their conviction carries no inherent verification. All we know is that they were sincere in their belief. The disciples, on the other hand, died for something that they claimed to have witnessed firsthand. This carries no “hearsay” but firsthand testimony. It is a completely different story.
Therefore, the objection, while understandable at first glance, really must be dismissed as an irrelevant and false comparison. Here are your three options concerning the Apostles:
- They died for a lie and knew it (unsustainable do to lack of any reasonable motive).
- They were all delusional and crazy (but this would take more faith than any option since you would have to explain how they all had the same delusion and craziness—many being at different places and different times).
- What they said was true. Christ did rise from the grave and is who He said He was.
To conclude, I want you to listen to the words of Ignatius, a second century church Father who’s beliefs were sustained by the reasoning of my current argument concerning the Apostles’ deaths.
“Mindful of him, do ye by all means know that Jesus the Lord was truly born of Mary, being made of a woman; and was as truly crucified. For, says he, “God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of the Lord Jesus.”11 And He really suffered, and died, and rose again. For says [Paul], “If Christ should become passible, and should be the first to rise again from the dead.12 And again, In that He died, He died unto sin once: but in that He liveth, He liveth unto God.13 Otherwise, what advantage would there be in [becoming subject to] bonds, if Christ has not died? what advantage in patience? what advantage in [enduring] stripes? And why such facts as the following: Peter was crucified; Paul and James were slain with the sword; John was banished to Patmos; Stephen was stoned to death by the Jews who killed the Lord? But, [in truth,] none of these sufferings were in vain; for the Lord was really crucified by the ungodly.” (Ignasius: The Epistle of Ignatius to the Tarsians, III)
Happy Easter—celebrate the resurrection and proclaim the kingdom!
The evidence is there. Do you believe? . . .
Discussion Questions:
1. It was said in the article that we can thank God for the death of the Apostles. Why would we be compelled to do such a thing?
. If the Apostles had recanted their faith in order to save their lives, how would things possibly be different?
. It was said that one cannot compare the deaths of the 9-11 hijackers and their religious convictions to that of the Apostles. Summarize the difference.
. If one were to die for something that they said they saw, this adds credibility to their testimony, no matter how extraordinary. Give a
modern-day example of some extraordinary claim that would parallel the death of the Apostles. It does not have to be real; be creative.
. All of the Apostles were God honoring men. While they were sinners in need of God mercy, they followed Christ as much as anyone. Why do you think God allowed such suffering in their lives?
. Do you think that the Apostles had any idea that Christians would be referring back to the gruesome circumstances of their deaths 2000 years later? Explain.
7. Read Roman 8:28. Considering the suffering of the Apostles, what does this tell you about God’s purpose for suffering and how does it give you hope in your own suffering?
Similar Posts:
- What Happened to the Twelve Apostles? How Their Deaths Evidence Easter
- What happened to the twelve apostles?
- Some Alternative Explanations for the Resurrection of Christ
- The Sufficiency of Probability in the Christian Belief
- Why My Back Healing Does Not Prove Christianity True
31 Comments
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3
I appreciate and understand the argument, but I wonder if you are overstating things. Though I gladly agree that there is no good solid counter-explanation for what happened in early Christianity other than the resurrection, I disagree that it is somehow irrational to disbelieve the resurrection. The skeptic simply need say “I don’t know what happened, but I’m pretty sure its something other than a dead man rising to life”.
When I honestly examine my own motivations for belief, I do take the resurrection on faith within the teaching and testimony of the Church, and not on the historical evidence. I’m interested in the historical evidence, and I think it goes just as far as it needs to go – enough to show us that there isn’t any particularly good alternative explanation.
I trust the witness of the apostles. But I can understand someone who might suppose that a person can convince themselves of a lie told to themselves enough times, or that a person might die rather than face the shame of being caught in a lie or thought a coward.
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I would not necessarily say that it is irrational (if I said that it might have been too much), but it is the least rational of the options. Therefore, it is a greater leap of faith to disbelieve.
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James the Less, pastor of the Jerusalem Church? Not James the Lord’s Brother?
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I have some questions, Michael. And I ask these honestly, I’m not trying to be antagonistic. I’ve been looking into the historical evidence for the resurrection, which much be the cornerstone of the Christian faith.
If we assume the Apostles did give their life for their faith, how do we know that they were martyred for their belief in the resurrection? In Stephen’s sermon before he was martyred, he doesn’t even mention the Resurrection. When James is martyred in Acts, it doesn’t say what reason Herod gave for killing him. If the Apostles were not killed for their belief in the resurrection, then their deaths do nothing to confirm the truth of the resurrection.
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Aaron,
While I can understand your doubt, think of this:
Why would either Stephen or James been willing to have been martyred if they didn’t believe the resurrection accounts are true? Like everyone else they could have taken the the convenient route as Michael pointed out. It sure would have been easier on them at the time to agree with the Roman authorities, and the Jewish pharisees, and have themselves been saved for another day.
I sure wouldn’t have been noble enough to have died for anything else less than the truth of God, had I been required to do the same thing. Would you? This, I believe, is the real question we Christians need to ask ourselves.
Would we, if it came to that?
We can go round and round on speculation until the cows come home, but in the end we have to trust that these saints had the actual physical witness of Christ’s resurrection to know their religion was far different than others, even if their reason wasn’t recorded as such.
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Aaron, So great that you are investigating the resurrection! Have you heard of Lee Strobel’s book: The Case for Christ?
Strobel was a reporter for the Chicago Tribune— and an atheist. He too decided to investigate for himself–the resurrection of Jesus. He put his investigative journalist skills to work and eventually concluded that the resurrection did in fact occur. It is a historical fact, subject to investigation. Take a look at his book. It’s a pleasure to read, and I think it will help you.
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There is a monument to Thomas in Tamil, India. Many Indian Christians venerate him to this day.
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In Stephen’s sermon before he was martyred, he doesn’t even mention the Resurrection.
How so? The context is one of Stephen preaching Jesus before being hauled before the council and high priest. He then gives a background to show how Jesus fits into the history of the Jews. And shortly before his death he says,
“Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God.” But they cried out with a loud voice and stopped their ears and rushed together at him. Then they cast him out of the city and stoned him. And the witnesses laid down their garments at the feet of a young man named Saul. And as they were stoning Stephen, he called out, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.” And falling to his knees he cried out with a loud voice, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them.” And when he had said this, he fell asleep.
This is a claim the Jesus is alive, that he is resurrected!
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Bethyada,
That’s an important point, because it shows that Stephen associated Jesus with the Son of Man in Daniel 7…something that Jesus claimed about himself during the trial. Here’s the quote from Daniel 7:13-14,
“I saw in the night visions,
and behold, with the clouds of heaven
there came one like a son of man,
and he came to the Ancient of Days
and was presented before him.
And to him was given dominion
and glory and a kingdom,
that all peoples, nations, and languages
should serve him;
his dominion is an everlasting dominion,
which shall not pass away,
and his kingdom one
that shall not be destroyed.”
Jews simply wouldn’t have made this claim about another dead “Messiah.” History shows that there were plenty of people who started movements in Second Temple Judaism, claiming to be the Messiah, only to die and have their followers move on in life. For a Jew to continue worshipping Jesus, and claiming that he is the Messianic “Son of Man,” it requires that something radical happened, which the early church claimed, and we still claim, was his resurrection.
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I forgot about Stephen seeing Christ in heaven. But does that necessarily point to a belief in a physical resurrection? Couldn’t you argue that it could be talking about some sort of spiritual resurrection? Anyway, Stephen was probably a bad example on my part. As far as I know, he was a convert and not an original follower and eyewitness of Jesus.
I guess my point is that to argue that a person’s martyrdom is support for a physical resurrection you need two things. 1) They must be an actual eyewitness, and not just base their belief on second-hand information. 2) They must have been martyred for their belief in the physical resurrection. It doesn’t support the resurrection claim if a person is killed for, say, teaching that Jesus is the Messiah or Jesus is superior to the pagan gods. Do any of these martyrdom accounts meet these conditions?
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Aaron,
I will try to answer your valid question.
I have to wonder why these men, who were certainly associated with Jesus, were killed if the answer is not for proclaiming the resurrection of Jesus. One answer might be that these men were proclaiming Jesus as God, but not as resurrected. However, that option does not seem probable due to the fact that they witnessed or knew that Jesus had died on a cross. These men, who knew through their own experience that Jesus had died on a Roman cross, were now proclaiming him as the eternal, infinite God (a God who cannot die). This does not seem logical. There has to be a reason for them to equate a dead man with the undying God. So though blasphemy would be a consideration, the idea that they were proclaiming the man, Jesus, as God, without the resurrection could not be the reason for their deaths. This theory lacks logical coherency.
Another reason might be that the apostles hallucinated that they saw Jesus. However, there are numerous problems with this theory. A couple of quick problems with the theory: 1) Paul’s recitation of the post-mortem appearances of Jesus in 1 Corinthians 15:“Then he [Jesus] appeared to more than five hundred brothers at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have fallen asleep” (1 Cor. 15:6); 2) Paul’s conversion after a post-mortem experience with Jesus while considering Paul’s staunch Jewish upbringing and training, especially with regards to his Jewish belief in an end times resurrection of all people; and 3) James’ conversion to belief in Jesus as the risen God, considering that he was Jesus’ half-brother. Also, the reason offered for the hallucination theory is that the disciples had grief-induced hallucinations. There is no record of a grief-induced mass hallucination (such as the disciples’ gathering or the 500 brothers in one place) or any evidence to suggest these can actually happen. To keep things short, I will not go into more detail unless you so desire.
The only reason ultimately implied for their deaths is what the Scriptures tell us they were proclaiming that angered the Jewish officials. In Acts 2:23-24, 3:15, Peter is proclaiming the resurrection of Jesus. In Acts 4:1-3, we know the priests, Sadducees, and the captain of the temple guard—being greatly annoyed at their message—seized Peter and John for preaching the resurrection and threw them in jail. Later in Acts 4, these same leaders were confused about what to do with the apostles, but knew they did not want Peter and John preaching this message (especially since it was accompanied by a healing miracle). They threaten Peter and John and told them to no longer preach in the name of Jesus. What were they saying in the name of Jesus? It was the resurrection message in Acts 2 & 3. Also, we know the Sadducees would have directly opposed the specific teaching of the resurrection, because the Sadducees denied the resurrection. The teaching of Peter and John would usurp their authority on the issue (again especially when accompanied by a miracle). If the Sadducees lose their theological authority, they could lose their authority over the people.[1] Now we have a motive for getting rid of the apostles related to the resurrection preaching of the apostles. We find out even further on in Acts 5:26 that the main reason the officials did not take the apostles by force because they feared the people; implying they would do so otherwise.
I hope this was helpful, although I only touched on a very few basic ideas and Scriptures. I know there is much more to be discussed.
Thanks for your thoughtful question,
Mary Jo
[1] Walvoord, John F.; Zuck, Roy B.; Dallas Theological Seminary: The Bible Knowledge Commentary : An Exposition of the Scriptures. Wheaton, IL : Victor Books, 1983-c1985, S. 2:362
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Aaron,
There were over 500 witnesses to his bodily ascension into heaven. A physical man. A man who ate fish with his disciples and a man who walked down the Emmaus Road. Those were events after his death.
But martyrdom is something else. One does not have to become a martyr for something he saw, it for his belief in something. What we would call martyrs those who made them that way might call them something else. It is interesting that neither the Old Testament, the Gospels, the New Testament, Josephus, the early church, the Koran…none of those call Jesus a martyr. Because he was the subject of the believers’ faith.
It is quite interesting also that in all these books of the Bible, real kings were also named. In Rome, the emperor was seen as a living god. By mentioning the names of the emperors would have been scandalous at the time if it were to be applied to a false document. The Gospels mention Ceasar Augustus, Herod the Great, Herod Antipas, Agrippa, Phillip the Tetrarch, and others. And it also mentions great ancient ones as well. Darius the Mede, Nebuchadnezzar, and so forth.
It would be a great story wouldn’t it if we did the same today. Could we write a story saying we have a face to face interview with Barack Obama then tell people it was true when it was not? So you can see this was not something taken lightly or done in jest. And certainly to die for it, journalists aren’t that willing. Think though, those kings were very much more inaccessible than our current leaders are. But would we be able to make up a story including the king’s name? Not likely.
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*I realized after reading my comment that the hallucination theory would explain why the apostles were proclaiming resurrection and not necessarily if they died for proclaiming the resurrection. However, it is good to eliminate possible alternative theories for why they would have been proclaiming resurrection (other than that Jesus was really resurrected from the dead).
I think the best explanation is the apostles threatened the established authority of the Sanhedrin through the preaching of the resurrection, which gave the apostles a new, real authority directly from God. The Book of Acts is a great place to read on this matter.
Thanks,
Mary Jo
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I guess my point is that to argue that a person’s martyrdom is support for a physical resurrection you need two things. 1) They must be an actual eyewitness, and not just base their belief on second-hand information. 2) They must have been martyred for their belief in the physical resurrection. It doesn’t support the resurrection claim if a person is killed for, say, teaching that Jesus is the Messiah or Jesus is superior to the pagan gods.
Unless the source of these claims come from their belief in the resurrection.
The followers of Jesus likely died as a result of their refusal to deny him. This does not necessarily mean they were asked to deny the resurrection. But is clear from Acts and the epistles that their belief in the supremacy of Christ was founded on the resurrection. That is, the resurrection is what convinced them of Christ who they subsequently died for.
Showing they died for their faith, and that faith was predicated on a literal resurrection to which they were eyewitnesses offers the same evidence.
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If they only died because of they believed in the resurrection, what does this say about all the others that have died for their faith? Does this prove nothing? That it is somehow hollow?
If they were only willing to die because they had personal evidence of the resurrection, then their faith is less — not greater — than those who died without that personal evidence.
I might go as far as to argue they had no faith at all, if they were only willing to die because of personal experience.
Because the flipside of your argument is that they would not have been willing to die for Christ if they hadn’t seen it with their own eyes. That they were doubting cowards who needed personal experiences to be convinced.
If only those who had personal experience with slavery fought for the North in the Civil War, we’d still have slavery.
If only those who have personal encounters with God are willing to die for God, then Onward Christian Soldiers turns into Onward Pentecostal Soldiers.
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[...] What Happened to the Twelve Apostles? How Their Deaths Evidence Easter [...]
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What would make a devout Orthodox Jew suddenly believe in Jesus…losing all respect and standing within the Jewish community…and then willing to die for it? Never once though did they denounce being Jewish, but professed being Jewish believers in Christ. The word Christian being applied years later.
And why would they as Jews take up writing books and letters constantly professing and confessing faith in Jesus unless it was to them real. What would make any Jewish person stand before such a king as Agrippa or Nero and make this claim knowing full well what it meant to oppose those kings.
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Friendly apologetic pointer for the “other side” #213:
The Case for Christ? Arrrgghh!
I read this book at the urging of my wife’s boss with whom I shared an email exchange of views. (I think I recommended Sagan’s Demon Haunted World.) I found it very disappointing. Lee Strobel gave up being a skeptical journalist long before he wrote The Case for Christ. He interviews only those supporting his presumption and the few times he comes up with a really good question he says something , “I decided to put that question aside for now” never to return to it, of course.
I read it a few years ago and wish I could come up with more specifics. Let me just say that although Christians seem to love this book, for apologetic purposes – that is in approaching skeptics, skip it. I don’t know if there is a better book out there but this book is NOT the deal closer that some seem to think it is.
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Might I add, the term Pentecost means “Fifty days” it occurred on Shavuot…the Jewish Feast Day that is First Fruits…wow, think about that one. Celebrating Jesus the First born with the First Fruits….interesting. That’s why all those Jews were in Jerusalem that day.
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[...] to to the idea that Jesus was (is) the Christ that they would go on to become martyrs for His cause.2 But others have died for ideas that were wrong, or that Christians consider wrong, such as other [...]
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Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!
What a blessing that you wrote this, nothing could be a truer that their deaths are a testimony of the risen Lord.
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Hello and thank you for your info! My question is your reference to Jesus as God incarnate. Are you Buddhist? Jesus and the bible refer often to the One, the Creator, the Father and Jesus is sitting at His right hand as his risen Son. Just wondering. Thank you.
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[...] Michael Patton has spelt out this argument in further detail HERE. 1 people like this post. [...]
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[...] Michael Patton: . . . it is very feasible to believe that all but one of the Apostles suffered and died a martyr’s death, even if we can’t be sure of the exact details.Amidst some uncertainty, one thing is clear—the reason given for their death was the same in all accounts. They were killed because they proclaimed to have seen Christ die and then to have seen Him alive. They all died because of an unwavering, unrelenting claim that Christ rose from the grave. They died for Easter. [...]
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[...] The original Apostles of Jesus Christ provide convincing evidence that what they preached about Jesus was more than a mere tale or colluded effort to deceive people. By many accounts, most of the original apostles suffered tremendous hardships in their life after Christ’s resurrection and even until their final moments suffered tremendous pain. 10 of the original 12 apostles met their fate, dying as martyrs, confessing Christ’s lordship to the end (John was banished to the island of Patmos and Judas Iscariot committed suicide after Christ’s death). Paul (not an “original apostle” but arguably the most influential) also suffered tremendous hardships and was eventually put to death as well (Writings of their demise can be found here). [...]
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I am 32 years old, and i was taught to belive in the bible by reason since i was a kid. I truly belive in Jesus and the Doctrine pass on from him to the apostles. Michael, I am very pleased to read this, most people belive in Jesus now days, because generation ago they were force or killed to belive. to me, that is not beliving(is just like a kid drinking adulter milk). What he offer to humanity is eternal salvatio(life) and he show us the way we should live our life to achieve just that. The Apostles were not only killed for being witness of the resurection, but for preaching the truth about salvatio.
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Matyrdom rocks !You have helped me finish my crs homework.
Somebody praise God!
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[...] In all seriousness, check out this article here: What Happened to the Twelve Apostles? How Their Deaths Evidence Easter | Parchment and Pen MarieP Reformed Baptist Church Louisville, KY "I am not worthy of the least of all the [...]
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Thank you for sharing this information
May God bless you
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“Blessed are those that have not seen, yet have believed”
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God bless those who suffer 4 his sake
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