Is Jesus' Resurrection A Borrowed Idea From Judaism?

About this sermon

Is Jesus' Resurrection a Borrowed Idea From Judaism? Christianity is often charged with being a copycat religion, especially when it comes to Jesus’ resurrection. One such charge is that Jesus’ resurrection is nothing but an idea borrowed from Judaism, since most first-century Jews believed that there would be a general resurrection at the end of time. In this video, Karlo explains why this attempt to sidestep the reality of Jesus’ resurrection fails. For more information about this topic, please visit our website at: catholic.com. Copyright Catholic Answers, Inc. 2016 STAY CONNECTED! Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/catholicanswers Twitter: https://twitter.com/catholiccom Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/catholicans HELP US make more videos like this one! https://donate.catholic.com/support-c... BOOK KARLO for your event! http://www.catholicanswersspeakers.co... About Karlo Broussard: Karlo Broussard, a native of Crowley, Louisiana, left a promising musical career to devote himself full-time to the work of Catholic apologetics. For more than a decade he has traveled the country teaching apologetics, biblical studies, theology, and philosophy. Karlo has published articles on a variety of subjects in Catholic Answers Magazine, is a regular guest on Catholic Answers Live, and is an active blogger at catholic.com. Karlo holds undergraduate and graduate degrees in theology from Catholic Distance University and the Augustine Institute, and is currently working on his masters in philosophy with Holy Apostles College and Seminary. He also worked for several years in an apprenticeship with nationally known author and theologian Fr. Robert J. Spitzer at the Magis Center of Reason and Faith. Karlo is one of the most dynamic and gifted Catholic speakers on the circuit today, communicating with precision of thought, a genuine love for God, and an enthusiasm that inspires. Script: Christianity is often charged with being a copycat religion, especially when it comes to Jesus’ resurrection. Sometimes the charge is that it’s a rip-off on pagan deities. But other times, the charge is that Jesus’ resurrection is nothing but an idea borrowed from Judaism, since most first-century Jews believed that there would be a general resurrection at the end of time. Is Jesus’ resurrection just a borrowed idea from Judaism? No. And the reason why is that the early Christians changed the dominant Jewish view of “resurrection” in too significant of a way for them to have ripped-off first-century eschatology. New Testament scholar N.T. Wright, in his book The Resurrection of the Son of God, identifies several major Christian mutations, but I’ll share three here. First, the Jews believed the resurrection would be a return to the same kind of bodily life as the one experienced before death. But this was not the case for Jesus. The early Christians professed that Jesus rose transformed—being incorruptible, glorious, and not confined by the boundaries of space and matter. Second, prior to Christianity, no one in the first century believed in a Jewish Messiah rising from the dead just three days after his death and before the general resurrection at the end of time. Such an idea was foreign to Jews, but not for Christians. Third, the first-century Christians professed Jesus’ resurrection as central to Christian faith and salvation. Paul says in 1 Cor. 15:17, “If Christ has not been raised, your faith is vain; you are still in your sins.” It was also an interconnecting theme for other beliefs, such as the divinity of Christ. The Jews didn’t view the doctrine of resurrection as having this central of a role to play. It was almost secondary relative to the law and prayer. Such Christian mutations of the Jewish doctrine of resurrection gives us reason to conclude that it’s unreasonable to say that Jesus’ resurrection was just a idea borrowed from Judaism. If you want to learn more about this topic and others like it, visit our website at catholic.com. Also, visit catholicanswersspakers.com to learn how you can bring me out to speak at your event. For Catholic Answers, I’m Karlo Broussard. Thanks for watching.

Topics

• Resurrection
• Jesus Christ