Dan Barker's Easter Challenge (for PinSeeker)

[Kapyong]

Gday all,

Here is Dan Barker's famous Easter Challenge for Christians :
https://ffrf.org/legacy/books/lfif/stone.php

'' I HAVE AN EASTER challenge for Christians. My challenge is simply this: tell me what happened on Easter. I am not asking for proof. My straightforward request is merely that Christians tell me exactly what happened on the day that their most important doctrine was born.

Believers should eagerly take up this challenge, since without the resurrection, there is no Christianity. Paul wrote, "And if Christ be not risen, then is our preaching vain, and your faith is also vain. Yea, and we are found false witnesses of God; because we have testified of God that he raised up Christ: whom he raised not up, if so be that the dead rise not." (I Corinthians 15:14-15)

The conditions of the challenge are simple and reasonable. In each of the four Gospels, begin at Easter morning and read to the end of the book: Matthew 28, Mark 16, Luke 24, and John 20-21. Also read Acts 1:3-12 and Paul's tiny version of the story in I Corinthians 15:3-8. These 165 verses can be read in a few moments. Then, without omitting a single detail from these separate accounts, write a simple, chronological narrative of the events between the resurrection and the ascension: what happened first, second, and so on; who said what, when; and where these things happened. ''

Are you up for the challenge, PinSeeker ?
Or any other Christian here ?

Let's be clear -
your account cannot OMIT anything from those source accounts.

Kapyong

[JehovahsWitness]

Where were these messengers situated?

• Matthew: Angel sitting on the stone (28:2)
  Mark: Young man sitting inside, on the right (16:5)
  Luke: Two men standing inside (24:4)
  John: Two angels sitting on each end of the bed (20:12)

Answer
http://debatingchristianity.com/forum/v ... 684#890684

[JehovahsWitness]

Did the women tell what happened?

• Matthew: Yes (28:8)
  Mark: No. "Neither said they any thing to any man." (16:8)
  Luke: Yes. "And they returned from the tomb and told all these things to the eleven, and to all the rest." (24:9, 22-24)
  John: Yes (20:18)

Answer
http://debatingchristianity.com/forum/v ... 395#908395

[JehovahsWitness]

What did the messenger(s) say?

• Matthew: "Fear not ye: for I know that ye seek Jesus, which was crucified. He is not here for he is risen, as he said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay. And go quickly, and tell his disciples that he is risen from the dead: and, behold, he goeth before you into Galilee; there shall ye see him: lo, I have told you." (28:5-7)
  Mark: "Be not afrighted: Ye seek Jesus of Nazareth, which was crucified: he is risen; he is not here: behold the place where they laid him. But go your way, tell his disciples and Peter that he goeth before you into Galilee: there shall ye see him, as he said unto you." (16:6-7)
  Luke: "Why seek ye the living among the dead? He is not here, but is risen: remember how he spake unto you when he was yet in Galilee, Saying, The Son of man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, and be crucified, and the third day rise again." (24:5-7)
  John: "Woman, why weepest thou?" (20:13)

#ANSWER: During the course of events ALL OF THE ABOVE

[JehovahsWitness]

Could Jesus be touched after the resurrection?

• Matthew: Yes (28:9)
  John: No (20:17), Yes (20:27)

Answer
http://debatingchristianity.com/forum/v ... 706#908706

[JehovahsWitness]

Where did the ascension take place?

• Matthew: No ascension. Book ends on mountain in Galilee
  Mark: In or near Jerusalem, after supper (16:19)
  Luke: In Bethany, very close to Jerusalem, after supper (24:50-51)
  John: No ascension
  Paul: No ascension
  Acts: Ascended from Mount of Olives (1:9-12)

# Where, when, and how did [did the ascencention take place]?
Mark 16:14-19 - While he and his disciples are seated at a table in or near Jerusalem
Luke 24:50-51 - Outside, after dinner, and at Bethany and on the same day as the resurrection
Acts 1:9-12 - At least 40 days after his resurrection, at Mt. Olivet

#ANSWER: Jesus ascended to heaven was 40 days after his resurrection from Bethany (near Jerusalem) at the Mount of Olives. Luke gives no timeframe for his statement that Jesus

"But he led them out as far a Bethany" [end quote] so we don't know if he (Luke) is referring to Jesus final encounter with this disciples (in Chap 24:50-53) or another such occassion.

Luke does not say that the Bethany event was "after dinner"; his reference to "the eleven" may well have been used in as a title rather than a reference to how many people where in the room (since evidently on the occassion when Cleopas and his companion report their encounter, Thomas was not present). Mark also gives no distinct timeframe for his words (16:14-19). [It should be noted that there is considerable doubt as to whether the conclusion of Mark (16:9 - 19) were part of the original text.]





RELATED POSTS

Did the Apostles travel to Galilee on the first Sunday?
http://debatingchristianity.com/forum/v ... 77#p927277

Did Jesus stay on earth for a while?
http://debatingchristianity.com/forum/v ... 79#p926579

Why is there no mention in the gospels of 500 eyewitnesses of the risen Jesus?
http://debatingchristianity.com/forum/v ... 16#p970816

Was "Great Commission" given uniquely to the eleven Apostles?
viewtopic.php?p=937795#p937795

Where did the ascension take place?
http://debatingchristianity.com/forum/v ... 61#p926561

[JehovahsWitness]

What was their purpose?

• Matthew: to see the tomb (28:1)
  Mark: had already seen the tomb (15:47), brought spices (16:1)
  Luke: had already seen the tomb (23:55), brought spices (24:1)
  John: the body had already been spiced before they arrived (19:39,40)

Why did the women re-visit the tomb?

ANSWER
To retreat the body. Evidently the already been spiced but the women evidently were decided to redo it, probably because of the rushed manner it had orginally been done.

[JehovahsWitness]

When Mary returned from the tomb, did she know Jesus had been resurrected?

• Matthew: Yes (28:7-8)
  Mark: Yes (16:10,11)
  Luke: Yes (24:6-9,23)
  John: No (20:2)

When Mary returned from the tomb, did she know Jesus had been resurrected?

ANSWER: That would depend on if it was before or after she met Jesus: Initially, no. Mary left the group as soon as they found an empty tomb and only returned later with Peter and John. Staying behind after those two had inspected the empty tomb she encounters Jesus alone.

* Matthew: NO (Mat 28:7-8) Note: Mary is not mentioned specifically as still being in the group of women WHEN they are addressed by the angels.
* Mark: NO (16:10,11) NOTE: It is generally accepted that neither conclusions were in Marks original text. Even taking the words into account, however Mk 16:10 says nothing of WHAT Mary initally reported. or WHEN the Apostles heard from her that Jesus had been ressurected (see above)
* Luke: No : (24:6-9,23) NOTE that Luke 24:8,9 is clearly summarizing the outcome of all the events since in verse nine he says the women reported {quote} "to the eleven and to all the rest {unquote}. At no point the intitial comings and goings were all the woment with ALL the Apostles AND all the rest of the disciples. Luke is summarizing the net outcome of all the reports from all the women named in verse 10 since by the end of the morning Mary could add her encouter to those of the other women.
* John: No : John 20:2 shows that intially Mary only reported to Peter and John, and was not aware of the resurrection until her second visit to the tomb with those two (see above).

[JehovahsWitness]

When did Mary first see Jesus?

• Matthew: Before she returned to the disciples (28:9)
  Mark: Before she returned to the disciples (16:9,10)
  John: After she returned to the disciples (20:2,14)

ANSWER
Mary first sees Jesus (alone) after her second visit (with Peter and John) to the tomb

EXPLANATION:
Matthew 28:9 makes no specific mention of Mary; if Mary had left the group before the event it would explain her ignorance during her intitial report to Peter and John.
Marks Gospel actually has no chapter 16:9, 10 the alternative endings it is generally agreed are not part of the original script.

To learn more please go to posts related to...

BIBLICAL SEQUENCING, INERRANCY and ...THE RESSURECTION EVENTS

[JehovahsWitness]

Did the disciples believe the two men?

• Mark: No (16:13)
  Luke: Yes (24:34--it is the group speaking here, not the two)

Did the disciples believe the two men (Cleopus & his companion)?

* Mark: No (Mk 16:13) Mark says the two (we can only presume it was cleopus but this is not certain) reported to "the rest". He does not make clear who "the rest" constitute.
* Luke: Yes (24:34--it is the group speaking here, not the two)

#ANSWER: As Luke reports they believe not on the word of Cleopus but because by the time they reported their encounter word of Peter's has already reached "the eleven". Since Peter has more authority it seems its his report that finally convinces the central body (the eleven).

Did the women report seeing Jesus or angels to Cleopas?
viewtopic.php?p=1039084#p1039084

Did the APOSTLES believe the two men (Cleopus & his companion)?
http://debatingchristianity.com/forum/v ... 71#p926571

To learn more please fo to other posts related to...

BIBLICAL SEQUENCING, RESSURECTION CHRONOLOGY and ...BIBLICAL INERRANCY

[JehovahsWitness]

After the women, to whom did Jesus first appear?

• Matthew: Eleven disciples (28:16)
  Mark: Two disciples in the country, later to eleven (16:12,14)
  Luke: Two disciples in Emmaus, later to eleven (24:13,36)
  John: Ten disciples (Judas and Thomas were absent) (20:19, 24)
  Paul: First to Cephas (Peter), then to the twelve. (Twelve? Judas was dead). (I Corinthians 15:5)

After the women, to whom did Jesus "first" appear?

It seems he probably he first appeared to Peter.

EXPLANATION

Matthew: Eleven disciples (28:16) - there is no mention of sequence in this verse The events in Mat 28:16 take place, not in Jerusalem but in the North of the country in Galilee. Jesus was on earth for over a month and this seems to be his last (certainly not his first) appearance.
Mark: Two disciples in the country, later to eleven (Mark 16:12,14) The only mention of sequence in these verses is that the two disciples (cleopas and his companion) report to the eleven after their particular encounter.
Luke: Two disciples in Emmaus, later to eleven (24:13,36) These are the same people Mark refers to.
John: Ten disciples (Judas and Thomas were absent) (20:19, 24) There is no reference to sequence in this report.
Paul: First to Cephas (Peter), then to the twelve. (Twelve*? Judas was dead). (I Corinthians 15:5) Peter does indeed seem to be the first of the Apostles that Jesus appeared to privately.

*used as a group name