Is the New Testament authentic and trustworthy? I believe it is.
I recently read that 1 Corinthians 15:3-5 was part of a creed dating back to within a few years after the death of Jesus Christ. Listen to the words of this creed: “What I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, and that he appeared to Peter, and then to the twelve.”
This creed was passed on by oral tradition. In the first century memorizing things was common. Paul wrote it down in this epistle so that it would be preserved. The four truths in this creed are foundational to the Christian faith: Christ died as predicted, He was buried, He was raised as promised, and He was seen. Those are the historical facts. Paul adds the spiritual – Christ died for our sins. There was a glorious purpose in His death.
Paul makes it clear Christ died by pointing out that He was buried. You don’t bury people unless they are dead. Affirming that He was raised on the third day affirms what Jesus promised, even using Jonah’s experience as an illustration of God’s plan.
These historical experiences were predicted in the Scriptures. The Bible was always the basis of authority. God keeps His word. And if you have questions about all of this, remember, Jesus Christ was seen by many individuals over a period of forty days, some of whom were still living when this epistle was written. Doubters could check out the accuracy of the claim by asking these eye witnesses.
Believe in these verified truths and you will be saved.
