#eyewitnesses

"There weren't any witnesses to Jesus' resurrection. None. At. All.

Despite Jesus foretelling that he would rise on the third day after his death, not one of his disciples showed up to witness it. Not. A. One.

And when the women visited the empty tomb, expecting it to contain a corpse, and reported back to the Eleven Amigos, here's their response:

"But they did not believe the women, because their words seemed to them like nonsense." (Luke 24:11)"

-- Robert Conner

None of the characters in the bible actually behave as if any of this is real.

If Beyoncé announced that she was going into a hospital and three days later she'd emerge with a new nose, they would need police and crowd control to manage the fans and paparazzi camped outside to be the first to see it.

Greetings from Peter (1 Peter 1:1-2)

1 Simon Peter, a servant and apostle of Jesus Christ, to them that have obtained a like precious faith with us in the righteousness of our God and Saviour Jesus Christ: 2 Grace to you and peace be multiplied in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord;

Make Your Calling Sure

3 seeing that his divine power hath granted unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that called us by his own glory and virtue; 4 whereby he hath granted unto us his precious and exceeding great promises; that through these ye may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped from the corruption that is in the world by lust. 5 Yea, and for this very cause adding on your part all diligence, in your faith supply virtue; and in your virtue knowledge; 6 and in your knowledge temperance; and in your temperance patience; and in your patience godliness; 7 and in your godliness love of the brethren; and in your love of the brethren love. 8 For if these things are yours and abound, they make you to be not idle nor unfruitful unto the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9 For he that lacketh these things is blind, seeing only what is near, having forgotten the cleansing from his old sins. 10 Wherefore, brethren, give the more diligence to make your calling and election sure: for if ye do these things, ye shall never stumble: 11 for thus shall be richly supplied unto you the entrance into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.

Remember These Things

12 Wherefore I shall be ready always to put you in remembrance of these things, though ye know them, and are established in the truth which is with you. 13 And I think it right, as long as I am in this tabernacle, to stir you up by putting you in remembrance; 14 knowing that the putting off of my tabernacle cometh swiftly, even as our Lord Jesus Christ signified unto me. 15 Yea, I will give diligence that at every time ye may be able after my decease to call these things to remembrance.

We were Eyewitnesses (Matthew 17:1-13; Mark 9:1-13; Luke 9:28-36)

16 For we did not follow cunningly devised fables, when we made known unto you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eyewitnesses of his majesty. 17 For he received from God the Father honour and glory, when there came such a voice to him from the excellent glory, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased: 18 and this voice we ourselves heard come out of heaven, when we were with him in the holy mount.

“Nowhere do the four gospels ever claim to be the work of eyewitnesses, nor do they read like first-hand accounts; quite the opposite, in fact.

Who really wrote them, and when and where, are all unknowns.”

-- David Fitzgerald

The anonymous author (3) of Luke opens their entire treatise by describing the subsequent text as their research into what people (2) believed based on what supposed-witnesses (1) told them.

If you’ve been keeping track, this is at least third-hand “testimony,” aka hearsay, and all of it Xian, not independent. That is, the author of Luke doesn’t even claim it’s an eyewitness account.

And then proceeds to plagiarize Mark anyway.