The Forgotten Meaning of Jesus' Resurrection

What was the significance of Jesus' resurrection to the first people who believed in it? Why did it matter? What did they think it proved? In this video we discuss the earliest meaning of the resurrection, why it's not the same meaning Christians find in it today, and why it's a problem for traditional Christian faith.

[briansimons]

Absolutely spot on. The first Christians believed they were in the midst of the "Apocalypse". Along with the acceptance of resurrection, Charismata also assured believers that the kingdom was arriving.

[corwin]

I like the term "evangelical industrial complex". Neat turn of phrase.

[TBrewer]

The Second Coming never actually has to happen. The important thing is that the STORY that it's going to happen must continue, in order to motivate believers.

[ben-theamateurexegete]

Well said! Another excellent video. Please keep at it!

[DeconvertedMan]

I do not know what they believed back then, nor do I personally care much - as its all just faith based, but why modern believers do not do the research is most likely because its hard and, if they did it - it would disprove some idea they hold to.

[trina]

Lovely explanation. Densely packed but clear and to the point.

[Skymannot]

I’m came across your channel from mythvision I’m glad I did, great content and well presented 👍

[AdrienMelody]

Your mention of Paul’s advice to the church against trying to change their living situations made me stop and think 😆 Looking back, I remember listening to my parents read Paul’s epistles. My mother explained to me that the early church mistakenly believed Jesus was returning right away. In retrospect, I wonder how that didn’t cause me to doubt the authority of the entire book! 😂 It really starts to seem like the Bible is outdated and not as special as we’ve always made it out to be.

[davidlopez-flores]

I’m a Christian, and tbh you’re my favorite non-Christian on this platform. Very well read and informed.

[kamilgregor]

I'd offer a small correction - I'd say Paul is advising his congregation to stay as they are not because doing things like getting married or seeking release from slavery are a waste of time. Rather, he instructs them not to do these things to avoid getting into situations when one falls into sin - for example, it's possible to live start a new relationship without slipping into sexual sin, but why risk it in the first place? It's better to "sit out" the remainder of the (short) time and not even seek a partner.

I think this is also key to understanding various Gospel passages which seem extreme at a first glace: "If your right eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away; it is better for you to lose one of your members than for your whole body to be thrown into hell." This is of course not meant to be taken literally, but not how this is usually interpreted today - it's not only about making an effort to deny oneself but also about being willing to suffer harm (or even inflict harm on oneself) to avoid the risk of sinning because the remainder of the time is short. "Do not resist an evildoer. But if anyone strikes you on the right cheek, turn the other also." Really, not even in self-defense? Well, no - it's better to suffer harm (even extreme harn to a point of death) than fight back and risk it will get out of hand and lead to sinful behaviour.

Also, providing an apologetic for the unfulfilled expectation of the imminent end of the age is the entire reason why 2 Peter was written - "Where is the promise of his coming? For ever since our ancestors died, all things continue as they were from the beginning of creation!" People wouldn't complain about the end of the age not coming already if they were not expecting it in the first place. In a typical manner of rhetorical subversion, the letter turns this right back at the scoffers by claiming that (1) the existence of the scoffers is itself one of the signs of the immidiate end of the age, (2) God is actually postponing the end precisely because in his mercy, he's giving these scoffers extra time to repent. * chef's kiss *

[davidminor]

I left my religion at the end of 200neverteen and I have seen way too much not to believe in God. But I got mad respect fo yo carful thinking

[fernandoperegringutierrez]

I believe that to understand the meaning of the need to create the legend of the resurrection of Jesus, it had a lot to do with two essential characteristics of the new Jewish movement: its Messianic character and its reliance on prophecies to prove its truth.
As a consequence, we see again and again how in the NT Jesus is identified with the Messiah.
Where it is absolutely clear is in Matthew 16:13-17, where Jesus confirms what Peter thought of him: "Simon Peter replied, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”
When Jesus confirms it, he does so in a way that leaves no doubt: "Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven." A divine Revelation cannot be questioned.
When does atonement enter Christianity to replace messianism? Through the Hellenized Paul. For example: "Because first of all I transmitted to you what I myself received: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he rose again the third day according to the Scriptures." Because first of all I transmitted to you what I myself received: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he rose again on the third day according to the Scriptures. We see in this paragraph from 1 Corinthians 15:3-4 the enormous importance that the prophecies of the Scriptures had for the early Christian.
Therefore, to continue maintaining the messianic-prophetic movement, the resurrection of Jesus on the third day was essential.
Note the important change that occurred among the early Christians between messianism and the vicarious death of Jesus.
In the Hebrew tradition the possibility of substitutionary atonement is hardly considered; instead, it was much more accepted and well known in Greco-Roman culture.
Hence the radical change of direction of the meaning of Jesus, was little by little accepted.
It is also possible that Paul's pragmatism soon led him to discard the Jewish metaphysics of the earthly messiah as unfeasible and he decided to create his own worldview from which to give meaning to the life of Jesus. I think we'll never know

[hypergraphic]

Great video, you make so many cogent points here.

[DavidLaFerney]

I had always assumed (because It has kinda been implied) that the gospels were the first New Testament texts that were written. The falsity of that is really significant to me.

[mikeq]

Former Catholic and Assembly of God member, I left religion in 1980.

We each go through suffering, death, resurrection and ascension. Death and birth are two sides of one coin.

I go through less suffering as I grow in wisdom.

Life constantly is changing, and change is how death of one and birth of the other is expressed.

I rise into a new dynamic, leaving behind the old, what has passed away.

I ascend as I go from the coarser paradigms to the more subtle paradigms, which is the essence of spiritual evolution, transcendence.

And to where? To heaven, the state of being or consciousness of perfect oneness, from which flows love, compassion, peace.

[awdat]

3:21 Completely wrong, they had already entered the kingdom of heaven. Check out *Colossians 1:13* _"He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son"_ and *Matthew 23:13* _"Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You shut the kingdom of heaven in men’s faces. You yourselves do not _*_enter_*_, nor will you let in those who wish to _*_enter._* and *John 3:5* _"no one can _*_enter_*_ the kingdom of God unless he is born of water and the Spirit"_ and *Ephesians 2:6* _God raised us up with Christ and seated us with Him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus_

[Greyz]

Doesnt Jesus set the people up for a delay between his death and return when he talks about wars and rumors of wars and false teachers coming in his name?

[briansimons]

It is interesting that in Islamic tradition Muhammad talks about the coming of "the hour" (cf John's Gospel) and speaks of this hour when the end would come and the Last Judgement take place. He was wrong too, which shows he was not a prophet.

[awdat]

8:47 No, it was the already experienced resurrection (transformation of their spirit) that guaranteed the next resurrection (transformation of their body) Check out *Romans 8:11* _"If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit who dwells in you."_

[Cat_Woods]

Good video. I agree with you about the shift you describe in the meaning of the resurrection. One thing I don't understand is why you assume a sayings tradition. If there were a sayings tradition between 30s and 70s when gospels were written, Paul should know about it. Yet he never quotes Jesus except from his own visions and knows nothing at all about Jesus' supposed biography (mother, father, Pilate, disciples, teaching ministry, Judas). The alternate explanation -- that the author of Mark used the letters of Paul when writing his gospel -- should be given at least as much credence.