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| JESUS APPEARED TO THE ELEVEN WHILE AT TABLE. Image from csvfblog.org |
"But later, as the Eleven were at table,
he appeared to them and rebuked them for
their unbelief and hardness of heart because
they had not believed those who saw him
after he had been raised."
Pope Francis I, during his Wednesday General Audience, made the following observation about women as first witnesses to the resurrection,
"In the professions of faith of the New Testament, only men are remembered as witnesses of the Resurrection, the Apostles but not the women. This is because, according to Jewish Law of the time, women and children were not considered reliable, credible witnesses.
"In the Gospels, however, women have a primary, fundamental role. Here we can see an argument in favor of the historicity of the Resurrection: if it were invented, in the context of that time it would not have been linked to the testimony of women. Instead, the evangelists simply narrate what happened: the women were the first witnesses."
The Apostles were very Jewish indeed. They did not believe the women who told them about the appearance of the Risen Lord to them. Instead they remained horrified about what happened to their Master. They have a very human understanding of His mission that even when they already saw Him truly risen their concern was about when He was going to restore the Kingdom to Israel [see Acts 1:6].
However, the unbelief of the male Apostles and the witness of the women disciples, had a very significant effect to the proclamation of the Resurrection story. Since women were not that reliable and credible as witnesses, they would not have been considered to be witnesses of such a very important event in the life of Christ which is one of the very important and fundamental articles of the Christian Faith. As Pope Francis said as we quoted above, if the Resurrection have been invented, it would not have been linked to the testimony of women. We may even mention here what is recorded in another Gospel account, that of John, that doubting Thomas even have to tell his fellow Apostles that he would only believe if he himself sees the Risen Lord! Now that's going further than being Jewish!
What people need when material proof cannot confirm the veracity of something is faith, something which the unbeliever would also frown upon or merely shrug his or her shoulder to. Faith is the greatest weapon we can rely when we talk about religious truths for these things cannot be subjected under the strict scrutiny of science such as the existence of God. Though there are relics which may help prove the fact of the resurrection such as the famous Shroud of Turin, faith is still needed in order to hold on to the truths that make up our entire creed, for the Resurrection maybe central to our Faith, and yet for many it would not suffice as an evidence of other articles that we believe in such as the existence of the Holy Spirit, the perpetual virginity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the existence of purgatory, etc.
Since we live in a time which is about 2,000 years away from that very day the Lord rose from the dead it is understandable that many people would question the fact of that event especially with the many advances in science and technology which try to consider only the things that can be experimented as factual and discards everything else that cannot be subjected to the scientific method of experimentation as mere myth or legend. Because no one else has returned from the dead especially under the conditions which can be considered scientifically verifiable, it would seem very hard to prove the fact of the Resurrection to those who only rely on scientific evidence and in whose hearts faith has no place!
According to John, he wrote the Gospel so that we may believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God and in believing we may have everlasting life [see John 20:31; see also John 17:3]. Considering that women were the first ones to bear witness to the Resurrection and they were considered as unreliable and non-credible ones, their story though have been confirmed through the many appearances of the Lord to male disciples. Since men have already confirmed the veracity of what the women have said about the Risen Lord, the logical conclusion is that the Resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ is true and factual. The Apostles and the male disciples did not have to rely on mere faith since they saw Him alive again, with the belief of the doubting Thomas providing much more emphasis about the Lord's coming back from the dead.
Another proof being considered to authenticate the fact of the Resurrection was the courage that the Apostles and the first disciples had in facing death. As commentators agree, if the Resurrection was a mere fabrication, there would probably at least some or even just one who would recant and tell the whole truth and nothing but the truth. But they all died hoping that they themselves will be raised from the dead when the Lord comes back from His place at the right hand of the Father. Here again we will notice in the list of martyrs the number of women who died as martyrs - once again witnessing to the truth of the resurrection by giving up their lives for the glory of God and the Lord Jesus Christ!
The Apostles and the male disciples initially did not believe. But thanks to the witness of the women, we had a special reason to believe that the Resurrection was truly factual. Once again we say that if the Resurrection was a mere invention, the evangelists would not have made women as first witnesses to such a significant event and if the Resurrection was not real, the martyrs, women among the very first among them, would not have given up their lives hoping for their own resurrections when the last trumpet is finally sounded [see 1 Corinthians 15: 52-55]!
"In the professions of faith of the New Testament, only men are remembered as witnesses of the Resurrection, the Apostles but not the women. This is because, according to Jewish Law of the time, women and children were not considered reliable, credible witnesses.
"In the Gospels, however, women have a primary, fundamental role. Here we can see an argument in favor of the historicity of the Resurrection: if it were invented, in the context of that time it would not have been linked to the testimony of women. Instead, the evangelists simply narrate what happened: the women were the first witnesses."
The Apostles were very Jewish indeed. They did not believe the women who told them about the appearance of the Risen Lord to them. Instead they remained horrified about what happened to their Master. They have a very human understanding of His mission that even when they already saw Him truly risen their concern was about when He was going to restore the Kingdom to Israel [see Acts 1:6].
However, the unbelief of the male Apostles and the witness of the women disciples, had a very significant effect to the proclamation of the Resurrection story. Since women were not that reliable and credible as witnesses, they would not have been considered to be witnesses of such a very important event in the life of Christ which is one of the very important and fundamental articles of the Christian Faith. As Pope Francis said as we quoted above, if the Resurrection have been invented, it would not have been linked to the testimony of women. We may even mention here what is recorded in another Gospel account, that of John, that doubting Thomas even have to tell his fellow Apostles that he would only believe if he himself sees the Risen Lord! Now that's going further than being Jewish!
What people need when material proof cannot confirm the veracity of something is faith, something which the unbeliever would also frown upon or merely shrug his or her shoulder to. Faith is the greatest weapon we can rely when we talk about religious truths for these things cannot be subjected under the strict scrutiny of science such as the existence of God. Though there are relics which may help prove the fact of the resurrection such as the famous Shroud of Turin, faith is still needed in order to hold on to the truths that make up our entire creed, for the Resurrection maybe central to our Faith, and yet for many it would not suffice as an evidence of other articles that we believe in such as the existence of the Holy Spirit, the perpetual virginity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the existence of purgatory, etc.
Since we live in a time which is about 2,000 years away from that very day the Lord rose from the dead it is understandable that many people would question the fact of that event especially with the many advances in science and technology which try to consider only the things that can be experimented as factual and discards everything else that cannot be subjected to the scientific method of experimentation as mere myth or legend. Because no one else has returned from the dead especially under the conditions which can be considered scientifically verifiable, it would seem very hard to prove the fact of the Resurrection to those who only rely on scientific evidence and in whose hearts faith has no place!
According to John, he wrote the Gospel so that we may believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God and in believing we may have everlasting life [see John 20:31; see also John 17:3]. Considering that women were the first ones to bear witness to the Resurrection and they were considered as unreliable and non-credible ones, their story though have been confirmed through the many appearances of the Lord to male disciples. Since men have already confirmed the veracity of what the women have said about the Risen Lord, the logical conclusion is that the Resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ is true and factual. The Apostles and the male disciples did not have to rely on mere faith since they saw Him alive again, with the belief of the doubting Thomas providing much more emphasis about the Lord's coming back from the dead.
Another proof being considered to authenticate the fact of the Resurrection was the courage that the Apostles and the first disciples had in facing death. As commentators agree, if the Resurrection was a mere fabrication, there would probably at least some or even just one who would recant and tell the whole truth and nothing but the truth. But they all died hoping that they themselves will be raised from the dead when the Lord comes back from His place at the right hand of the Father. Here again we will notice in the list of martyrs the number of women who died as martyrs - once again witnessing to the truth of the resurrection by giving up their lives for the glory of God and the Lord Jesus Christ!
The Apostles and the male disciples initially did not believe. But thanks to the witness of the women, we had a special reason to believe that the Resurrection was truly factual. Once again we say that if the Resurrection was a mere invention, the evangelists would not have made women as first witnesses to such a significant event and if the Resurrection was not real, the martyrs, women among the very first among them, would not have given up their lives hoping for their own resurrections when the last trumpet is finally sounded [see 1 Corinthians 15: 52-55]!
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