1 Corinthians 15:14-19 New Living Translation (NLT)
“14 And if Christ has not been raised, then all our preaching is useless, and your faith is useless. 15 And we apostles would all be lying about God—for we have said that God raised Christ from the grave. But that can’t be true if there is no resurrection of the dead. 16 And if there is no resurrection of the dead, then Christ has not been raised. 17 And if Christ has not been raised, then your faith is useless and you are still guilty of your sins. 18 In that case, all who have died believing in Christ are lost! 19 And if our hope in Christ is only for this life, we are more to be pitied than anyone in the world.”
So there it is… Paul said it best. If the resurrection is a fable, a nice store, a metaphor… etc. then it is really meaningless and we are wasting our time. Just to live a good life because Jesus was like other great thinkers or gurus is very empty. BUT, if it is all true, and I believe IT IS, then it is of paramount importance to all people. And vital that they hear the story, receive it, and believe it. This is why the “church,” all true believers in Jesus, even exist. God is calling out to all humanity to draw them to Himself. And we are part of that great commission.
I won’t try to unpack all the theology here. You can research the web for days and find tons of information if you’re curious. I will recommend one particular site for brilliant and detailed christian apologetics. – www.reasonablefaith.org — Dr. William Craig has been one of my favorite christian thinkers, philosophers, and apologists for years. He can debate anyone on the issues of faith with kindness, calmness, and great accuracy. He can also be very detailed and overwhelming with information… but maybe that’s just me. Anyway… in this season of celebrating the resurrection of Jesus Christ here’s one article/ discussion that will encourage your faith and maybe answer some very deep questions. Go slow and ponder: – https://www.reasonablefaith.org/writings/question-answer/independent-sources-of-the-empty-tomb/
I often challenge skeptics to look deeper into the actual research rather than get caught up in the banter of the uninformed or the angry atheist. Stay humble, open minded, and consider this “food for thought.” – “It is intellectually dishonest not to consider the truths of Jesus Christ: who He is and what He taught.” — Peace & Blessings, Carl