Source: “On the Resurrection: volume 1”: Evidences, 2024 by Gary Habermas Published by B&H Academic Brentwood, Tennessee.
The_Disciples__Experiences.mp4
Apostolic Testimony Minimal Facts.pdf
10. Minimal Fact 2- The Disciples’ Experiences.mp3
This podcast argues for the historical reliability of the disciples' experiences of Jesus's post-crucifixion appearances, asserting that this is a "minimal fact" widely accepted by critical scholars, including many skeptics. The author emphasizes that the earliest Christian message, or "homologia," centered on Jesus's death and resurrection, which was communicated through pre-Pauline creeds and sermon summaries. Paul's conversion experience and his investigative meetings with key apostles like Peter and James in Jerusalem provide particularly strong, early, and eyewitness-linked evidence. The text also highlights the significance of multiple independent sources and embarrassing details within the accounts as further indicators of their historicity.
The belief in Jesus's resurrection is often viewed as the quintessential leap of faith, a tenet of Christianity seen as entirely separate from the domain of historical inquiry. For many, it exists in a realm of belief that cannot be touched or tested by the tools of critical analysis.
But what if the historical bedrock is stronger than most people assume? Historians of antiquity work with a set of well-established facts about the life of Jesus. Among the best-evidenced of these—ranking alongside his crucifixion and his core message of the kingdom of God—is the fact that shortly after his death, his followers had experiences that led them to proclaim he had appeared to them alive. This isn't a theological claim; it's a historical data point that commands widespread critical attestation.
This article explores four of the most surprising, counter-intuitive, and well-evidenced "minimal facts" about the disciples' experiences that historians generally agree upon, regardless of their personal beliefs. This is not an argument for faith, but an examination of the historical record that even the most critical scholars acknowledge.