The Historical Reliability of the New Testament

[Randy Carson]

The Romans soldiers were professional killers, and there is NO WAY Jesus came down off the cross alive.

Which, happily seals off ANOTHER rabbit trail commonly pursued by skeptics - the Swoon Theory. 

Let's give DP a hand for his clear thinking on this important point!

Yes. And do you happen to know what the Romans did to insurgents, their followers and their families?

What gives you the impression the apostles would have breathed even one second longer than Jesus if the tale were true? What gives you the impression, other than woo, that Jesus's body, if the story were true, even made it into a grave instead of following the Roman custom of being let to rot on that cross to be disposed of in a ditch at a later time. Again, other than woo.

So let's give you one or some that managed to get away from Roman justice. Let's take Peter, since the bible conveniently mentions that he denied Jesus. A fisherman, again according to the bible. Do you know what that meant at that time in that region? But let's say, for arguments sake, he got away. But he's certainly not a person of the book, he's certainly not a person of the word either, if you take reality instead of woo.

And yes, people remember. The tell tales around the campfires and they tend to embellish their tales. Every person adds a little bit and then someone comes along and decides to record what he heard. What is his source? How many times has the tale been told before and how many persons have retold the story until it reached the ears of the one scribbling it down?

So we have a greek manuscript of campfire tales. And that's about all we have.

Ah, but in this case, a member of the Jewish Sanhedrin, the ruling body, asked for Jesus' body. Not wanting to create further conflict with the Jews, Pilate agreed to hand over the body.

Matthew 27
57 As evening approached, there came a rich man from Arimathea, named Joseph, who had himself become a disciple of Jesus. 58 Going to Pilate, he asked for Jesus’ body, and Pilate ordered that it be given to him. 59 Joseph took the body, wrapped it in a clean linen cloth, 60 and placed it in his own new tomb that he had cut out of the rock. He rolled a big stone in front of the entrance to the tomb and went away. 61 Mary Magdalene and the other Mary were sitting there opposite the tomb.