Apologeticae sive Theologiae Fundamentalis, Tomus I: Demonstratio Christiana

That the disciples saw Jesus risen from the third day onward is reported with unanimous consent by the Gospels, the Acts of the Apostles, and the Pauline epistles. Error in regard to this fact was simply impossible. For its witnesses were not only the apostles, but also 120 disciples in Judea¹ and "more than 500 brethren" in Galilee.² Most of these brethren were still alive while Paul was writing to the Corinthians around the year 57;³ and when the Synoptics were writing, at least half of those brethren of whom I have spoken were living;⁴ and when the last evangelist was writing, not a few of them still survived, as for example John the evangelist himself.

This being so, unbelievers agree that the disciples experienced apparitions of the risen Jesus. They dream, however, as we shall see, that the apparitions were not real, but imaginary. To win easier credence for this hypothesis, they contend that no visions took place at Jerusalem near the tomb of Jesus, but only in the most remote region of Galilee and at a time far removed from the death of the Lord. This opinion of the unbelievers, however, collapses when the persons, places, and times are examined at which the apparitions of the risen Jesus took place:

1. At dawn of the pasch⁵ Jesus appeared to Mary Magdalene near the tomb. "She, thinking that it was the gardener, says to him: 'Sir, if you have taken him away, tell me where you have put him, and I will take him away.' Jesus says to her: 'Mary.' She, turning around, says to him: 'Rabboni.' Jesus says to her: 'Do not touch me, for I have not yet ascended to my Father; but go to my brethren and say to them: I ascend to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.'"⁶

2. Shortly afterward, other women, departing from the tomb into the city, saw Jesus.⁷

3. As the paschal day advanced, the Lord appeared to Simon Peter.⁸

4. In the afternoon of the pasch, two disciples, one of whom was named Cleophas, went to the village of Emmaus. While they conversed on the way and questioned among themselves about the death of Jesus, Jesus, drawing near, went with them and interpreted to them the Scriptures that were about the death and resurrection of the Messiah. But their eyes were held, so that they did not recognize him, until he broke bread for them.⁹

5. In the evening the same disciples returned to Jerusalem, where they found the apostles gathered together. And while they told one another of the apparitions that had taken place, behold, "Jesus stood in the midst of them and says to them: 'Peace to you! It is I, do not be afraid.' But they, troubled and terrified, thought they were seeing a spirit. And he said to them: 'Why are you troubled, and why do thoughts arise in your hearts? See my hands and my feet, that it is I myself; handle and see, for a spirit does not have flesh and bones, as you see me having.' But while they still did not believe",¹⁰ he ate with them, explained to them the Scriptures, and gave them the power of remitting sins.

6. Thomas alone was absent that evening and refused to believe the account of the others. But after eight days the disciples were again within, and Thomas with them. Jesus came and, after greeting all, "says to Thomas: 'Bring your finger here and see my hands, and bring your hand and put it into my side, and do not be unbelieving, but believing.' Thomas answered him: 'My Lord and my God!'"¹¹

7. When the week of the pasch was over and the disciples had returned to Galilee, seven of them saw the Lord at the sea of Tiberias, namely Peter, Thomas, Nathanael, John, James the Greater, and two others whose names are not given. Jesus ate bread and fish with them and conferred on Peter the primacy over the Church.¹²

8. After this "third"¹³ apparition of Jesus before the apostles there followed a fourth in Galilee upon the mountain. Jesus gave the Eleven the power of baptizing, preaching, and working miracles.¹⁴

9. Afterwards Jesus appeared to a multitude of believers, as Paul testifies: "Then he was seen by more than five hundred brethren at once, of whom many remain unto this day, but some are fallen asleep."¹⁵

10. "Then he was seen by James"¹⁶ the Less.

11. On the fortieth day after the pasch he appeared to the apostles gathered in Jerusalem, led them to the Mount of Olives, and ascended into heaven before their eyes.¹⁷

12. After some time had elapsed, Jesus appeared on the way to Damascus to Saul the Pharisee, converting him and choosing him as apostle of the Gentiles. This apparition was the last of all, as Paul testifies: "And last of all, as to one born out of due time, he was seen also by me."¹⁸

For the sake of a readier survey we subjoin a table of the apparitions of the risen Jesus arranged according to place, time, persons, and the authors reporting them:

This survey shows to the eye that the rationalists unjustly set the hagiographic authors against one another, the "historical" tradition against the "legendary" tradition,¹⁹ of which the former reports only the apparitions that took place in Galilee, while the latter adds the earlier apparitions granted in Judea and Jerusalem. All the sacred writers agree that Jesus showed "himself alive after his passion by many proofs, appearing to them for forty days and speaking of the kingdom of God".²⁰ All the hagiographers also agree that the apparitions of the risen Jesus began at Jerusalem on the very day of the pasch of the Lord, continued in Judea and Galilee for forty days, and ceased on the day of the ascension, except for the vision granted to Saul later near Damascus.²¹

Hence it is impossible that those three facts be shaken by which the resurrection of Jesus is historically proven. The disciples were persuaded from the third day that Jesus had risen. The tomb of Jesus was found empty on the third day. Jesus appeared to his own in manifold ways from the third day on.

The question now arises whether the adversaries can explain these facts naturally without being obliged to concede the resurrection of the Lord.