» Resurrection faith

The entire New Testament was written from the perspective of the resurrection. Indeed the resurrection may be called the major premise of the early Christian faith.

The early Christians believed that Jesus foresaw both his death and his resurrection. The Gospels were written not to record the words and deeds of a great teacher. They were written because their authors believed that the Jesus whom they had known could not be conquered by death but was still alive.

They believed that the real mission of Jesus could be understood only when viewed through the eyes of the resurrection faith. According to Acts, the resurrection was the primary message of the earliest Christians. It is the basic presupposition of the New Testament epistles. The cornerstone of the entire New Testament is the resurrection.

If this faith is not founded on fact, the message of the entire New Testament rests on a fallacy.

George Eldon Ladd, “I believe in the resurrection of Jesus”, 42-3.