Fact a Day: April 10th

Knowing the Truth About the Resurrection (Harvest House, 1996) p. 20

Why is the testimony of the people who witnessed Jesus’ resurrection compelling evidence? 
Part 2—The disciples followed Jewish law which commanded them to be truthful witnesses.

The fact the apostles constantly appealed to such eyewitness testimony is all the more believable in light of their own unique Jewish heritage. No religion has ever stressed the importance of truth or a truthful testimony more than the Jewish religion.

In the Hebrew Scriptures, God repeatedly warned His people to be truthful; a false witness was to be considered evil and worthy of punishment. Each of the apostles knew beyond doubt that if they were giving false testimony concerning the resurrection of Christ, not only were they guilty of a serious offense for which they might be stoned to death, they were also false witnesses against God Himself, for which they would give account in the next life.

Consider how the commandments of their own law, as given by God, would encourage sober reporting on the part of the apostles: “You shall not bear false witness . . .” (Exodus 20:16); “you shall not bear a false report; do not join your hand with a wicked man to be a malicious witness” (Exodus 23:1; cf. Deut. 17:6; 19:15; Prov. 19:5,9).

All this explains why the apostle Paul emphasized the importance of being certain that Christ was risen from the dead and the severe consequences of a false testimony: “And if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is vain, your faith also is vain. Moreover we are even found to be false witnesses of God, because we witnessed against God that he raised Christ, whom He did not raise . . .” (1 Corinthians 15:14,15).