Did the Apostle Paul lie about hundreds of witnesses to Jesus' resurrection?

[Saxonson]

However there was no "fact check" in 50 ad. Paul could make these claims easily because the average Corinthian or Roman could not travel hundreds or thousands of miles to check Pauls references. Adding to this "some where still living" meaning it would be like finding a needle in a haystack because not only do you have to travel 1600 nautical miles to find a survivor but you have to search with a fine tooth comb throughout the Levant to find one, Paul could be confident that this would not happen.

[RuBez]

I don’t see what Paul had to gain should he have fabricated a lie like this?

[kylewalsh]

How did these 500 even recognize Jesus? Did they all know him and get a good look? Did they take a census afterwards confirming with every single one of them that they recognized him?

[JohnKerr-bqvo]

who counted who?.. how can this be reliable when no names are mentioned and for sure no one was interviewed and interrogated about and Paul writing 20 years after the event ? reliable is not a word that comes to mind....

[kylewalsh]

So "I can't imagine why this guy would lie, therefore the magical claim must be true". Low standards of evidence and lack of skepticism is what drives false beliefs.

[kalofl]

Just imagine if after being born and gaining an understanding of how to read and speak you come across a letter from a dude who knew a dude, who knew another dude who claimed to know another dude that said he knew your father. You have never met your father but this guy who knew a bunch of guys who knew a guy ( your father) said follow our instructions and have faith your father loves you or he will make sure to place you in the oven for the rest of eternity, ps he loves you…. Would you even want to look into that?

[Fernando-ekjp]

Do they not know that misinformation exists? Paul doesn't have to lie for it to he false, he just needs to he misinformed.

[Seapatico]

"If it were fiction, Paul might say Jesus appeared to 500 people. But he'd be really clever to also say that some of them are still alive, while not naming any of them. That would just be too clever."

I've never heard a clearer example of someone tailoring their incredulity to support the outcome they want.

[mikemorris]

Paul said that Jesus appeared to 500. He also said that Jesus appeared to him but we are told in Acts that Paul saw a light and heard a voice - he saw no one. We don't know anything about this mass appearance. We don't know where it happened, when it happened, what exactly it was that the 500 saw or didnt see. Paul doesn't even tell us how he knows this event occurred. Did one of the 500 tell him? Did someone else tell him? Did he hear it at second or third hand? If he heard it from others did he attempt to investigate it or did he just take someone else's word for it. As evidence for the resurrection this amounts to no more than hearsay from our perspective.
The choice is not between Paul lying or telling the truth. It is about what Paul actually knew and what he had been told.

[ernestschultz]

The 500 are as fictional as Jesus himself

[vfmxfhj]

Whether it was 500 or 490 or 400, the number itself had to have been substantial. If Jesus appeared to just a few people, how would that explain the substantial and quick spread and growth of Christianity within a relatively large and hostile geographical area? Logistically, it would be daunting without the boots...er..sandals on the ground.

[kylewalsh]

It's a false dichotomy to say Paul was either lying or conveying absolute truth. I think he was just unskeptical like these guys.

[ceceroxy]

If I am going to die to awfully for something, it better be something that is true. Not sure why Paul would want to die like that for something he knows is untrue.

[marquisinspades]

The fact that Paul goes on to say that if Christ was not risen, our preaching and our faith is in vein, shows how desperate he was to convince people that he has risen. He needs people to believe that Christ has been risen, he readily admits this. Surely if this is so important to the faith, we would have much more information about it.

[luluwachedjari]

Bruh even the number is too accurate and wtf would perfection live like a mere human being?!!! We’re creatures, subordinates! Slaves! Deal with it! You want to be free happy and stop torturing your soul? Submit fully, actually Islam is the very definition of faith. Give in, show your trust and you’ll be given all.

[Markielee]

To the question of whether Paul was being truthful about his 500 claim, as a sceptic I say.. I don't know. There isn't nearly enough evidence to form a positive answer either way. The believer, who is invested in the truth of scripture the answer of course is.. yes. Whereupon we end up with discussions like this, with two people claiming to know what Paul was thinking at the time when he spoke these words.

[vanishingpoint]

500 people watched superman save that bus full of people from crashing over a bridge . It’s true, it’s in a comic book . Some guy 20 years after the event later said 500 people saw a zombie walk about for a afternoon. It’s in the bible its all true ..
🤣🤣. Some sacrifice by the way, Dead for weekend, , And it still didn’t work

[irontaylor]

Paul also said he saw the risen jesus but in acts Meanwhile, Saul was still breathing out murderous threats against the Lord’s disciples. He went to the high priest 2 and asked him for letters to the synagogues in Damascus, so that if he found any there who belonged to the Way, whether men or women, he might take them as prisoners to Jerusalem. 3 As he neared Damascus on his journey, suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him. 4 He fell to the ground and heard a voice say to him, “Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?”
dosent say he saw jesus it says he saw a light and heard a voice and he never entioned nay of them women

[onionbelly_]

Jesus not coming back for more than two millennia is probably a good indication that people have the ability to concoct and embellish stories. People like Bass are underestimating that ability by asking all the wrong questions.

[frankthompson]

Jesus got the 12 disciple's.
Then the 70 disciple's gave them authority.
Matthew chapter 10 v 1 Jesus gave the 12 disciple's authority.
Luke chapter 10 v 1 Jesus gave the 70 disciple's authority.
There fore the disciple's were on the increase.
Then Jesus saw for himself the good work that the 12 increase to 70.
The 70 increased to 500 then the 500 increased to the 3000 acts chapter 2 v 41 says on the same day Pentecost another 3000 disciple's were added to the group.
It's always about the increase of disciple's as time doesn't standstill.
Obviously when Jesus was crucified died and was buried on the third day resurrected back to life.
Saw the increase of the 500 went into the mountain and was taken back to heaven covered by the clouds.
This is were Jesus left his human body and returned to the spirit world.
The bible says flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God.
Nowadays there is not only the 12, 70, 120, 500 or the 3000 no Jesus said at Matthew chapter 28 v 18 and all authority in heaven and earth has been given unto me.
Go therefore into the entire world preaching the gospel and proclaim the kingdom of god is near.
Acts chapter 2 v 1 to 13 and the holy spirit arrives at Jerusalem and enters the house public bar ( Inn)
And rests on the heads of the 120 disciple's male and female disciple's.
Joel old testament says
Joel chapter 2 v 28 to 32
In the last days I shall pour out my spirit on both male and female sons and daughters.
Obviously the last days of the old testament was Malachi.
Then we have the new testament starting with
Matthew
Mark
Luke
John etc up to the book of revelation.