Christological Argument - Argument From The Resurrection

Argument From The Resurrection

See also: Arguments for the existence of God and Christology

Another argument is that the Resurrection of Jesus occurred and was an act of God, hence God must exist. William Lane Craig advances this, based on what he says are four historical facts about the Resurrection: 1. After his crucifixion, Jesus was buried in a tomb by Joseph of Arimathea; 2. On the Sunday following the crucifixion, Jesus’ tomb was found empty by a group of his women followers; 3. On multiple occasions and under various circumstances, different individuals and groups of people experienced appearances of Jesus alive from the dead; 4. The original disciples believed that Jesus was risen from the dead despite their having every predisposition to the contrary. In light of these, he goes on to say the best explanation is that God raised Jesus from the dead.

Islam counters this by offering a disproof of the underlying premise, that Jesus ever was crucified. Islamic texts categorically deny the crucifixion and death of Jesus at the hands of the Jews. The Qur'an states that the Jews sought to kill Jesus, but they did not kill or crucify him, although a likeness of it was shown to them. Tradionalists believe that Jesus was not crucified but instead, he was raised alive unto the heavens. This raising is understood by them to mean bodily ascension, while some Qur'anic scholars, such as Muhammad Asad, while cross referencing the text consider it is mean being raised in honour:

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“That they said (in boast), "We killed Christ Jesus the son of Mary, the Messenger of God";- but they killed him not, nor crucified him, but so it was made to appear to them, and those who differ therein are full of doubts, with no (certain) knowledge, but only conjecture to follow, for of a surety they killed him not:- Nay, God raised him up unto the himself; and God is Exalted in Power, Wise.”

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According to some Muslim traditions, Jesus was replaced by a double; others suggest it was Simon of Cyrene, or one of the disciples such as Judas Iscariot. Some others view it as Jesus surviving the crucification. A minority of commentaries of Ismaili or rationalist (falāsifa) leaning affirmed the crucifixion by arguing that Jesus' body had been crucified, but his spirit had ascended. However, this interpretation was generally rejected, and according to the Encyclopedia of Islam, there was unanimous agreement amongst the scholars in denying the crucifixion, despite famous Muslim apologist Shabir Ally have demonstrated that it is possible that Jesus was not crucified at all. Modern commentators such as M. Hayek interpret the verse to say that the crucifixion "seemed thus to them" .