Regarding his person, Jesus is called (35)the Son of God (Acts 13:33; Rom. 1:3– 4), (36)Lord (Luke 24:34; Acts 2:36; 10:36; Rom. 1:4; 10:9; Phil. 2:11), (37)Christ or Messiah (Acts 2:36, 38; 3:18, 20; 4:10; 10:36; Rom. 1:4; Phil. 2:11; 2 Tim. 2:8),
(38)Savior (Acts 5:31; 13:23), (39)Prince (Acts 5:31) and (40)the Holy and Righteous One (Acts 3:14; cf. 2:27; 13:35). (41)It is even said that, regarding his essential nature, he is God (Phil. 2:6).
1 Corinthians 15:3ff.
While the subject of early Christian creeds is a fascinating area of research, some may wonder on what grounds the facts of the creeds themselves may be established. One approach to this question is to validate the New Testament documents as reliable sources and then argue to the creeds as trustworthy testimony. Although we have provided much of the grounds for such a response in the above chapters, and while this writer believes that such an answer is an approach that has much to commend it, we are again reminded that the task we have set up for ourselves is to pursue independentevidence for such claims. Therefore, because of this particular goal, we will endeavor to provide special evidence for the death and resurrection of Jesus by referring to what is perhaps the most important single creed in the New Testament.
In 1 Corinthians 15:3–4, Paul states: For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received, that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the scriptures (RSV). As the passage continues, Paul records appearances of the resurrected Christ to Peter, to the “twelve” disciples, to over 500 persons at one time, to James, to all of the apostles and then to Paul himself (vv. 5–8).
That this confession is an early Christian, pre-Pauline creed is recognized by virtually all critical scholars across a very wide theological spectrum.^44 There are several indications that reveal this conclusion.
44 See Reginald Fuller, Resurrection Narratives, p. 10; Oscar Cullmann, The Early Church: Studies in Early Christian History and Theology, ed. by A.J.B. Higgins (Philadelphia: Westminster, 1966), p. 64; Pannenberg, Jesus, p. 90; Wilckens, Resurrection, p. 2; Hengel, The Atonement, pp. 36–38, 40; Bultmann, Theology, vol. 1, pp. 45, 80, 82, 293; Willi Marxsen, The Resurrection of Jesus of Nazareth, transl. by Margaret Kohl (Philadelphia: Fortress, 1970), pp. 80, 86; Hans Conzelmann, 1 Corinthians, transl. by James W. Leitch (Philadelphia: Fortress, 1969), p. 251; Hans-Ruedi Weber, The Cross, transl. by Elke Jessett (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1978), p. 58; Dodd, “Risen Christ,” pp. 124–125; A.M. Hunter, Bible and Gospel, p. 108; Raymond E. Brown, The Virginal Conception and Bodily Resurrection of Jesus(New York: Paulist Press, 1973), pp. 81, 92; Norman Perrin, The Resurrection According to Matthew, Mark and Luke(Philadelphia: Fortress, 1977), p. 79; George E. Ladd, I Believe in the Resurrection of Jesus(Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1975), p. 104; Neufeld, Confessions, p. 47.
First, Paul’s words “delivered” and “received” are technical terms for passing on tradition. As such, we have Paul’s statement that this material was not his own, but received from another source.^45
Second, a number of words in this creed are non-Pauline, again indicating another origin of this material.^46 Jeremias, a leading authority on this issue, notes such non-Pauline phrases as (1) “for our sins” (v. 3); (2) “according to the scriptures” (vv. 3–4); (3) “he has been raised” (v. 4); (4) the “third day” (v. 4); (5) “he was seen” (vv. 5–8); and (6) “the twelve” (v. 5).^47
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