First Corinthians, chapter fifteen, is amazing because it contains the historical creed about the resurrection of Christ that is perhaps the reason the Church grew, and has grown to more than two billion today. Below are verses three to verse nine of the chapter.
[3]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,
[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.
[8] Last of all, as to one untimely born, he appeared also to me.
[9] For I am the least of the apostles, unfit to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God.
-St. Paul(Bible, Revised Standard Version)
Reference:
Bible, Revised Standard Version
http://quod.lib.umich.edu/cgi/r/rsv/rsv-idx?type=DIV1&byte=5230210
If you believe that perhaps there were not enough witnesses to the Resurrection, I would disagree with you because it was just the right amount to which Jesus showed himself. John Henry Newman said the following with relevance to the amount of witnesses.
ReplyDelete"It would seem, then, that our Lord gave His attention to a few, because, if the few be gained, the many will follow. To these few He showed Himself again and again. These He restored, comforted, warned, inspired. He formed them unto Himself, that they might show forth His praise. . . .
Doubtless, much may be undone by the many, but nothing is done except by those who are specially trained for action. . . . If the witnesses were to be such as really loved and obeyed the Truth, there could not be many chosen. Christ’s cause was the cause of light and religion, therefore His advocates and ministers were necessarily few. . . ."
Reference:
http://www.thecatholicthing.org/columns/2013/the-few-witnesses-to-the-