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<\/a><\/p>\nAtheist anti-theist Jonathan M. S. Pearce is the main writer on the blog,<\/span>\u00a0A Tippling Philosopher<\/em><\/a>.\u00a0His\u00a0\u201cAbout\u201d page<\/a>\u00a0from his former site states: \u201cPearce is a philosopher, author, blogger, public speaker and teacher from Hampshire in the UK. He specialises in philosophy of religion, but likes to turn\u00a0his hand to science, psychology, politics and anything involved in investigating reality.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n He has encouraged me to visit his site and offer critiques. Before he departed his former site at Patheos, he wrote under<\/span> a post dated 12-14-21<\/a>: \u201cI even need to thank the naysayers. Some of them have put up with a lot of robust pushback and still they come. Bravery or stupidity \u2013 it\u2019s a fine line. But they are committed, and there is something to be said for taking that commitment into the lion\u2019s den. Dave, you are welcome at my new place. Come challenge me. All the best to you and thanks for your critiques of my pieces. Sorry I couldn\u2019t get to more of them.\u201d <\/span><\/p>\n Again, at his new site (under a post dated 1-27-22<\/a>), after a vicious attack by a commenter, calling for me and indeed all<\/em> Christians to be banned, Jonathan offered an honorable and principled refusal:<\/span> \u201cI do welcome disagreements because I don\u2019t want [my blog] to [be] just an echo chamber. As long as it is good faith . . . someone like Armstrong does give me ammunition for some of my pieces! As long as they aren\u2019t trollish.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n His words below will be in<\/span> blue<\/span>.<\/p>\n *****<\/p>\n This is a reply to one statement in his post<\/span>, \u201cWhy Matthew\u2019s guards at Jesus\u2019 tomb are so important\u201d<\/a> (1-27-22), and some related earlier comments.<\/span><\/p>\n Paul says absolutely nothing about the Empty Tomb even though he would have had good reason to do so.<\/span><\/p>\n This is untrue:<\/span><\/p>\n Acts 13:29-31<\/strong> [RSV] [Paul preaching: see 13:16] And when they had fulfilled all that was written of him, they took him down from the tree, and laid him in a tomb. [30] But God raised him from the dead; [31] and for many days he appeared to those who came up with him from Galilee to Jerusalem, who are now his witnesses to the people.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n To summarize:<\/span><\/p>\n 1. He was in the tomb (dead): Acts 13:29.<\/span><\/p>\n 2. \u201cBut\u201d [pregnant with meaning] God raised Him (13:30).<\/span><\/p>\n 3. He appeared to His disciples for many days (13:31).<\/span><\/p>\n 4. In order to appear to His disciples, He obviously had to depart the tomb.<\/span><\/p>\n 5. Therefore, the tomb (His tomb) was empty, and Paul taught this, contrary to what Jonathan claimed.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n Paul also stated three times that Jesus (by analogy to us in baptism) was \u201cburied\u201d (i.e., in a tomb, which is how they do it in Israel) and then raised again (thus implying \u2014 by simple logic \u2014 the empty tomb):<\/span><\/p>\n Romans 6:4-5<\/strong> We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, so that as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life. [5] For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n 1 Corinthians 15:3-7<\/strong> For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received, that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the scriptures, [4] that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the scriptures,\u00a0[5] and that he appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve. [6] Then he appeared to more than five hundred brethren at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have fallen asleep. [7] Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles.<\/span><\/p>\n Colossians 2:12<\/strong> and you were buried with him in baptism, in which you were also raised with him through faith in the working of God, who raised him from the dead.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n So that is four times that Paul referred to the risen Jesus departing from His tomb (which then became \u201cempty\u201d), whereas Jonathan claimed<\/span> \u201cPaul says absolutely nothing about the Empty Tomb.\u201d<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n Jonathan had written about 1 Corinthians 15 on 6-21-21<\/a>:<\/span><\/p>\n Paul just said \u201cburied\u201d which is ambiguous; It could have been an earth burial, or burial in a tomb or communal mausoleum.<\/span><\/p>\n On 1-31-21<\/a> he opined:<\/p>\n It is generally agreed that Paul was the earliest writer in the NT (c. 50 CE, approx 20 years after the crucifixion). Paul has no mention of an empty tomb; Just Jesus was \u201cburied\u201d.<\/span><\/p>\n And <\/span>on 6-8-21<\/a>:<\/p>\n Paul never mentions a tomb, just saying Jesus was \u201cburied\u201d which is an ambiguous term (could be earth grave or tomb).<\/span><\/p>\n Again,<\/span> on 11-10-21<\/a> he reiterated:<\/span><\/p>\n The phrase \u201che was buried\u201d\u00a0<\/em>is ambiguous, and does not necessarily imply an entombment.<\/span><\/p>\n Well, we know that Paul meant \u201ctomb\u201d from Acts 13:29. Isn\u2019t cross-referencing wonderful?<\/span><\/p>\n He elaborated<\/span> on 12-9-21<\/a>:<\/p>\n [T]he Gospels, . . . argue against Paul for a re-animated corpse resurrection. Of course, Paul\u2019s claims from 1 Corinthians and elsewhere explain why he doesn\u2019t mention an empty tomb anywhere \u2013 because there would be no empty tomb as the earthly body would remain in situ. The Gospels fundamentally contradict Paul precisely because they are an overt counter-argument against Paul\u2019s theology . . .\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n See Acts 13:29.<\/span><\/p>\n Lots of revising to do! I\u2019m sure Jonathan wouldn\u2019t want to promulgate demonstrably false claims.<\/p>\n Um. Where is there mention of an empty tomb? <\/span><\/p>\n Acts 13:29-31.<\/p>\n A criminal, especially one accused of the highest form of crime as Jesus was, would never have been afforded an honourable burial in a tomb given that this was against Jewish law since the criminal could not be buried next to the righteous. I assume you must know all of this, of course. If not, don\u2019t be afraid to read my book on the subject.<\/span><\/p>\n Now you move onto quibbling about Jesus in a tomb. I already dealt with this issue at length:<\/span><\/p>\n Pearce\u2019s Potshots #52: No Tomb for Jesus? (Skeptical Fairy Tales and Fables vs. the Physical Corroborating Evidence of Archaeology in Jerusalem)<\/a> [11-10-21]<\/span><\/p>\n Wow, you are being willfully disingenuous. Please show me where Paul mentions the empty tomb or any of the narrative the gospels include about the empty tomb. You are being really dishonest here and skating close to the mark.<\/span><\/p>\n ***<\/p>\n Contributor Lex Lata joined in the discussion in the combox:<\/p>\n Now Acts (a book Paul did not write) 13:29 does quote Paul as preaching that \u201c\u1f14\u03b8\u03b7\u03ba\u03b1\u03bd \u03b5\u1f30\u03c2 \u03bc\u03bd\u03b7\u03bc\u03b5\u1fd6\u03bf\u03bd\u201d\u2014\u201cthey placed [JC] in a tomb\u201d\u2014before he was raised from the dead and seen by many. Putting aside the creative license we know authors of antiquity routinely and understandably employed when transcribing purported speeches, let\u2019s assume Paul did in fact refer to entombment. Acts 13 is still devoid of the various and varying Empty Tomb details we see in the three Gospels that contain them.<\/span><\/p>\n Acts 13:31 (RSV) has a little detail: \u201cfor many days he appeared to those who came up with him from Galilee to Jerusalem, who are now his witnesses to the people.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n 1 Corinthians 15:5-7 has more: \u201c. . . he appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve. [6] Then he appeared to more than five hundred brethren at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have fallen asleep. [7] Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n The \u201cmore than five hundred\u201d aspect is not found in the Gospels, so he has added something to the narrative.<\/span><\/p>\n Paul is under no moral, logical, or \u201cliterary\u201d obligation to replicate all that the Gospels have about the empty tomb. They already covered that. Paul did mostly systematic theology, not recounting of events.<\/span><\/p>\n Knocking him for that is yet more of the silly argument from silence. I say that Paul stated pretty much what he should have been expected to say, given his purpose in his writing. The epistles were written for theological instruction and exhortation, not to reiterate the facts of the life of Jesus that Christians were already well familiar with.<\/span><\/p>\n ***<\/p>\n Practical Matters<\/em><\/strong>: Perhaps some of my 3,900+ free online articles (the most comprehensive \u201cone-stop\u201d Catholic apologetics site) or\u00a0fifty books<\/a>\u00a0have helped you (by God\u2019s grace) to decide to\u00a0become Catholic<\/a>\u00a0or to\u00a0return to the Church<\/a>, or better understand some doctrines and\u00a0why<\/em>\u00a0we believe them<\/a>.<\/p>\n Or you may believe my work is worthy to support for the purpose of apologetics and evangelism in general. If so, please seriously consider a much-needed financial contribution. I\u2019m always in need of more funds: especially\u00a0monthly<\/em>\u00a0support. \u201cThe laborer is worthy of his wages\u201d (1 Tim 5:18, NKJV). 1 December 2021 was my 20th anniversary as a\u00a0full-time Catholic apologist<\/a>, and February 2022 marked the 25th anniversary of my blog.<\/p>\n PayPal donations<\/a>\u00a0are the easiest: just send to my email address: apologistdave@gmail.com. You\u2019ll see the term \u201cCatholic Used Book Service\u201d, which is my old side-business. To learn about the different methods of contributing, including 100% tax deduction, etc., see my page:\u00a0About Catholic Apologist Dave Armstrong \/ Donation Information<\/a>.\u00a0Thanks a million<\/em><\/strong>\u00a0from the bottom of my heart!<\/p>\n ***<\/p>\n Photo credit:<\/span> <\/strong>Ulrich Berens<\/a> (5-24-16)<\/span> [Flickr<\/a> \/ CC BY-NC-SA 2.0<\/a> license]<\/p>\n ***<\/p>\n Summary<\/em>: Atheist Jonathan MS Pearce has claimed five times in print that St. Paul never mentions Jesus\u2019 \u201cempty\u201d tomb. Wrong!: as I prove, with four Bible passages from Paul.<\/p>\n<\/body><\/html>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Atheist anti-theist Jonathan M. S. Pearce is the main writer on the blog,\u00a0A Tippling Philosopher.\u00a0His\u00a0\u201cAbout\u201d page\u00a0from his former site states: \u201cPearce is a philosopher, author, blogger, public speaker and teacher from Hampshire in the UK. He specialises in philosophy of religion, but likes to turn\u00a0his hand to science, psychology, politics and anything involved in investigating […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2331,"featured_media":62535,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[124],"tags":[4121,4129,12966,1043,258,522,212,1472,1473,525,524,1633,10724,15494,4107,13495,13498,15668,13261,1347],"class_list":["post-62534","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-atheism-agnosticism","tag-a-tippling-philosopher","tag-alleged-bible-contradictions","tag-alleged-resurrection-contradictions","tag-anti-theism","tag-atheism","tag-atheist-biblical-exegesis","tag-atheist-christian-discussion","tag-atheists-the-bible","tag-atheists-theology","tag-bible-contradictions","tag-bible-difficulties","tag-biblical-skeptics","tag-empty-tomb","tag-jesus-resurrection","tag-jonathan-ms-pearce","tag-new-testament-critics","tag-new-testament-skepticism","tag-paul-jesus-empty-tomb","tag-resurrection-contradictions","tag-resurrection-of-jesus"],"yoast_head":"\n\n
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