Most of us have heard someone say, “Just have faith.” Sometimes it sounds like faith means believing something whether there’s evidence or not. But when I read the apostle Paul’s words, I see something very different. He doesn’t ask us to ignore hard questions. In fact, he puts Christianity’s central claim on the table and says, in effect, “If this isn’t true, then none of this matters.”
If Christ Has Not Been Raised
“And if Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is your faith.”
— 1 Corinthians 15:14 (NIV)
Those are remarkably honest words.
Paul wasn’t asking people to build their lives on wishful thinking. He understood that the entire Christian faith stands or falls on one historical event: the resurrection of Jesus Christ. If Christ remained in the grave, then the message the apostles preached was empty, and faith itself would have no foundation. In fact, when Paul wrote, “If Christ has not been raised,” he put Christianity’s central claim on the table and said, in effect, “If this isn’t true, then none of this matters.”
Before considering the eyewitness testimony, it’s worth asking another question: Who did Jesus claim to be? If you’ve never explored His powerful “I Am” statements, you may enjoy reading Why This Doesn’t Read Like a Made-Up Story, where I reflect on why Jesus’ own words continue to stand apart.
If Christ Has Not Been Raised: Why Eyewitnesses Matter
That leads to another question worth considering.
The men who claimed to have seen the risen Christ didn’t simply tell the story once and move on with their lives. They continued proclaiming it despite imprisonment, beatings, rejection, and persecution. History provides strong evidence that several of the principal early witnesses—including Peter, Paul, James the brother of Jesus, and James the son of Zebedee—were willing to suffer and, in several cases, die rather than abandon their testimony. While the details surrounding some of the other apostles come from later church tradition and are less certain, there is no historical evidence that these witnesses later admitted they had invented the resurrection.
People have died throughout history for beliefs that turned out to be mistaken. But common sense tells us there is a profound difference between dying for something you mistakenly believe is true and dying for something you know you invented. That doesn’t answer every question, but it is a distinction that deserves honest consideration.
Looking at the Evidence
That distinction is important because it gets to the heart of how we evaluate testimony. During my years in the fire service, decisions often depended on eyewitness accounts. Honest witnesses can remember details differently or misunderstand part of what they saw. But that’s very different from someone deliberately inventing a story.
That distinction comes to mind when I read 1 Corinthians 15. Paul wasn’t asking people to trust a clever idea or an inspiring philosophy. He was pointing to an event he believed had been witnessed by real people. If they knowingly made it up, Christianity falls apart. If they were telling the truth, then everything changes.
The Question That Remains
Paul was willing to let the truth of Christianity rise or fall on the resurrection of Jesus. The first witnesses spent the rest of their lives standing by what they claimed they had seen, even when it came at great personal cost.
That doesn’t remove every mystery, but it does leave us with an honest question:
If the resurrection were a fabrication, why would those who claimed to witness it spend the rest of their lives suffering for something they knew was false?
More Straight Talk on Faith
Want More Real-Life Faith?
Looking for more straight talk about faith—without the sugarcoating?
If you’re searching for real-life encouragement and honest faith, check out my book, YOUR HOUSE IS ON FIRE: Christianity… From a Firefighter’s Perspective. It’s a short, straightforward read—something I wrote for regular folks, maybe especially guys, who want a no-nonsense look at faith that applies to real life. I often think of it as my own “tract”—just a simple way to point people to hope and honor God.
If it rang true for you or made a difference in your life, leaving a quick review on Amazon may help someone else who’s looking for the same kind of hope.
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