Jack's Paper

Jack's Challenge class wrote apologetics papers as an end of the year project.  They spent the year studying and writing persuasive essays.  I also want to keep Jack's paper in a place where I won't lose it!  So here it is:

Do you believe that Jesus rose from the dead? If he did not then Christianity is built around false truths and weak ideas.  Three facts support the idea that Jesus did in fact rise from the dead.  Women, whose testimony was not valued in that day, were recorded as the primary witnesses in the resurrection. Second, Roman soldiers guarded the tomb, and these soldiers were renowned for resilience in their duties. Lastly, angels were recorded being on the tomb at the time of the resurrection.

            Women were the first witnesses to say that they had seen Jesus alive.  Today women are taken seriously in their opinions and views. However, in Jesus’ time women were not respected.  Also, they held a very low place in society. Therefore, the disciples would not have written that women were the foremost witnesses to the Resurrection unless it was completely true.    

            Secondly, Roman soldiers, who were guarding the tomb where Jesus was buried, took their jobs very seriously.  If they failed in their duty, they themselves would be killed.  Consequently, the soldiers would most definitely not have left their posts unless they were extremely scared or even killed. Surely, the committed soldiers would not have abandoned their duties unless a truly terrifying incident forced them to leave.

            Finally, the disciples recorded angels on the tomb.  Angels would have seemed very mysterious and dangerous to anyone who heard the story. Even today not much is known about angels and what they are like. If you saw an angel what would you do? People in Jesus’ time would have been scared and shocked to see an angel. Thus, the disciples would have seemed crazy to declare that there were angels at the tomb.

Women were the leading witnesses in the resurrection. In addition, Roman soldiers were very severe about their jobs and would be punished if they failed. In conclusion the disciples recorded angels in their records of the resurrection. Considered very mythical creatures, angels were seen on top of the tomb. If Jesus did not rise from the dead then Christianity is built around falsehoods.