Not only are these facts reported early, but they are reported directly by the eyewitnessesthemselves. Paul states that he specifically checked out his message
53 For a sample of some of those who hold to these specific dates for this creed, see Hans Grass, Ostergeschen und Osterberichte, Second Edition (Göttingen: Vandenhoeck und Ruprecht, 1962), p. 96; Leonard Goppelt, “The Easter Kerygma in the New Testament,” The Easter Message Todaytransl. by Salvator Attanasio and Darrell Likens Guder (New York: Nelson, 1964), p. 36; Thomas Sheehan, First Coming: How the Kingdom of God Became Christianity(New York: Random House, 1986), pp. 110, 118; Cullmann, The Early Church, pp. 65–66; Pannenberg, Jesus, p. 90; Dodd, Apostolic Preaching, p. 16; Hunter, Jesus, p. 100; Brown, Bodily Resurrection, p. 81; Fuller, Foundations, pp. 142, 161; Resurrection Narratives, pp. 10, 14, 28, 48; Ladd, I Believe, p. 105. O’Collins points out that, as far as he is aware, no scholars date this creed later than the AD 40s. Even with such a date in the 40s, the general conclusions which we draw here, especially concerning the early and eyewitness testimony for the resurrection, still follow. See Gerald O’Collins, What Are They Saying About the Resurrection?(New York: Paulist Press, 1978), p. 112.
54 It is interesting that when Paul returned to Jerusalem 14 years later, again meeting with Peter and James, the gospel was specifically mentioned as the center of the discussion (Gal. 2:1–10).
55 See note 53 above, since each of these scholars also adopts this general framework. Grass favors the Damascus location (p. 96), while Sheehan does not give the locale in his immediate context.
with the apostles (Gal. 2:1–10) and he probably received this creed directly from these eyewitnesses themselves (Gal. 1:18–19), as already noted. As a direct result, not only had Paul personally seen the risen Christ (1 Cor. 15:8–9), but his testimony concerning the facts of the gospel agreed with that of the apostolic eyewitnesses (vv. 11, 14, 15).^56 Thus, Paul’s factual account was the same as that of the other apostles, in spite of the fact that Paul distinguished himself from the others.^57
As a result of this early and eyewitness testimony, the Christian teachings concerning the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus are open to historical testing. As German historian Hans von Campenhausen attests concerning 1 Corinthians 15:3ff., “This account meets all the demands of historical reliability that could possibly be made of such a text.”^58 A.M. Hunter states that “The passage therefore preserves uniquely early and verifiable testimony. It meets every reasonable demand of historical reliability.”^59
Now we begin to perceive the immense importance of this creed in terms of both facts and faith. Initially, it reveals some crucial facts concerning the gospel of the deity, death, burial and resurrection of Jesus. It also shows that Paul was very close to these facts.^60 As Dodd asserts concerning this creed: Thus Paul’s preaching presents a special stream of Christian tradition which was derived from the mainstream at a point very near to its source. . . . anyone who should maintain that the primitive Christian gospel was fundamentally different from that which we have found in Paul must bear the burden of proof.^61
This factual witness to the death and resurrection of Jesus also became an apologetic for Christian belief.^62 The belief that the same Jesus who was dead and buried was raised again (1 Cor. 15:3–4) also strongly implies the empty tomb, especially in the context of Jewish thought.^63 On the other hand, this creed is also referred to by some as the most important single formulation of faith in the early church.^64
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