Alternative Resurrection Theories

Contributing writer: Alin Patularu

It’s not every day that people who have been dead for 3 days rise up to life. The resurrection of Jesus is an extraordinary miracle that has no real natural explanation. Because of this many theories have been proposed to explain away the supernatural essence of the resurrection of Christ. In this article we’ll put these theories to the test and learn that, the only reasonable explanation of the evidence we have is, that Jesus Christ actually, physically rose from the dead.

The Swoon Theory

What is the Swoon Theory?

The swoon theory proposes that Jesus did not actually die on the cross, but merely swooned, or passed out. Jesus appeared dead and was buried in a tomb, but in reality he was still alive. So the man the disciples saw was not actually the resurrected Jesus, but the resuscitated Jesus.

Why the Swoon Theory Falls Short

This theory is by far the most improbable of them all. It totally neglects all the facts surrounding the crucifixion of Christ and the competency of Roman executioners. The circumstances leading up to and including the execution of Jesus leave little room for doubt, Jesus was undeniably dead when He was taken off the Cross.

To start, Jesus was scourged before having to carry His Cross outside the city to be crucified. Roman scourging was a barbaric act wherein a criminal was beaten “half to death” with a short whip made with multiple leather thongs knotted with bones that would latch onto the flesh of the victim and cause maximum punishment. It was not uncommon for victims of scourging to die before they ever got to the cross.

Once Jesus was flogged, He was given a cross and marched up hill to the place of His death. He was nailed to the cross, bleeding profusely and barely clinging on to life, He only lasted 6 hours on the cross. This is important to note, because typically victims could hang on the cross for many days before dying. The blood loss from the scourging must have been particularly bad, considering Jesus only lasted 6 hours on the cross.

And if that was not enough, Jesus heart was pierced through with a spear to insure that He was really dead. (John 19:34) Roman executioners were no rookies to death. They were professional killers, to propose Jesus did not die is to ignore the professional proficiency of His killers. They killed people for a living, they knew when someone was dead!

It would take more faith to believe that Jesus of Nazareth “passed out” on the cross, lost the amount of blood He did, had his side pierced, was buried for 3 days later, “woke up”, rolled away a heavy stone and fought off the guards outside His tomb! The Swoon Theory is astronomically improbable given the evidence we have.

The Hallucination Theory

What is the hallucination theory?

The hallucination theory is self-explanatory, it proposed that all the post crucifixion appearances of Jesus were simply hallucinations. In this way the resurrection of Jesus was just a deception in the minds of the disciples.

Why the hallucination theory falls short

This theory may be more plausible if Jesus only appeared to a small number of people at one time under very specific circumstances. But the biblical record tells us that Jesus appeared to hundreds of people, many different times, at many different times and in many different places. He was touched by the disciples, He walked with the disciples, He even ate real food with the disciples.

It wasn’t as if the resurrection appearances of Jesus were immediately received as truth by even the disciples. Many of them were skeptical and wanted more proof. Thomas said he would not believe it unless he put his hand in the spear wounded side of Christ. (John 20:25) These were skeptical men who, even if they seen a hallucination, wouldn’t believe it until they could physically verify it.

That’s exactly what we see Christ doing in His resurrection appearances, proving without a doubt, that it is actually physically HIM. Wilbur Smith reminds us that Jesus’ appearances satisfy the proof most people demand, “The very kind of evidence which modern science, and even psychologists, are so insistent upon for determining the reality presented to us in the Gospels regarding the Resurrection of the Lord Jesus, namely, the things that are seen with the human eye, touched with the human hand, and heard by the human ear,”(1) are exactly the ways in which Jesus’ disciples experienced him post-resurrection.

The hallucination theory contradicts everything we know about hallucinations. Psychiatrists assert that:

Only certain kinds of people have hallucinations. These are usually high-strung, highly imaginative, and very nervous people. In fact, usually only paranoid or schizophrenic individuals have hallucinations. But Christ appeared to many different types of people. His appearances were not restricted to people of any particular psychological make up.
Hallucinations are linked in an individual’s subconscious–to his particular past experiences and this was certainly not a part of any past experience.
Hallucinations are usually restricted to when and where they occur. They usually occur in a nostalgic atmosphere or in a place of familiar surroundings which places the person to a reminiscing mood.
They occur in people when there is a spirit of anticipation or hopeful expectation. The historical record shows no such anticipation existed. They were prone to disbelieve even after they were told of the resurrection.

For further study see, Evidence That Demands A Verdict, p. 257f, and The Resurrection Factor, p. 82f.

Even if they did all hallucinate, all that one would need to do to stop the Christian movement is present the body of Jesus. The Church had no lack of enemies, but yet this obvious refutation of the resurrection claim was never undertaken. Why? Because even the enemies of Christ knew, His body was gone.

For these reasons, the hallucination theory falls short and must be rejected.

The Spiritual resurrection theory

What is the Spiritual resurrection theory?

The spiritual resurrection theory asserts that the resurrection of Christ was not physical, but spiritual. Jesus’ body remained in the grave, but His Spirit was resurrected. The bible only offers us a story of a physical resurrection as an illustration so we can understand the spiritual nature of it all.

Why the Spiritual resurrection theory falls short

This theory is easily refuted by the reality that the body of Jesus was not in the tomb. The theory is literally refuted by that one fact.

But there is more. The women who were going to anoint His body with spices were shocked when they went into the tomb and found it empty. She ran to Peter and said, “They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we do not know where they have laid him.” (John 20:2) If the resurrection was only spiritual, then the body would have still been in the tomb and Mary Magdalene would not have been so urgent to find where they laid Him.

Spirits do not eat. (Luke 24:30) Spirits do not have flesh and bone. (John 20:27) The Spiritual resurrection theory falls short and must be rejected.

The Theft Theory

What is the Theft Theory?

The theft theory simply says that someone, whether the disciples, the Romans, the Jews etc, stole the body of Jesus and then the disciples claimed that He rose from the dead because the body was gone.

Why the Theft Theory Falls Short

One needs to ask who would steal the body?

The Romans wouldn’t steal the body. They had a vested interest to insure the body of Jesus remained in the tomb. The last thing Pontius Pilate needed was any more problems in Jerusalem. Besides, unsealing a tomb would have meant certain death for the guards.

The disciples could not have stolen the body of Jesus for many reasons. For one, they were all scattered after the resurrection and some were even in hiding. Two, there is no way they could have overcome the guards and rolled the stone away without being found out. The guards themselves testified to the Chief Priests that Jesus had been risen from the dead and there was nothing they could do about it. The Chief Priests bribed them and told them to spread the lie that the disciples stole the body and not to worry about the governor, they would satisfy him and keep them out of trouble. (Matthew 28:11-15)

Not only that, but Jesus is said to have appeared to over 500 people. If the body was stolen by a small group, then only they would be spreading the resurrection myth. Instead we see hundreds of people testifying that they themselves saw Jesus alive.

It is also hard to believe, that the disciples would steal the body and then fabricate a story wherein they are viewed as cowards who went into hiding after the crucifixion of their master. Who then doubted multiple times the resurrection they claim to be proclaiming and make themselves look like faithless buffoons. And then these same con men would go so far as to give their own lives to keep the lie alive. People die for what they sincerely believe all the time, but no one gives up their lives for something they KNOW is a lie. Keeping this conspiracy alive had literally no benefits. No money, no power, no influence only hardships, persecution and isolation.

For these reasons the theft theory falls short and should be rejected as not adequate to explain the empty tomb.

The Unknown Tomb Theory

What is the Unknown Tomb Theory?

This theory says that the disciples didn’t actually know where the tomb of Jesus was. The theory asserts that those who were crucified were thrown into a pit and not given the dignity of a formal burial.

Why the Unknown Tomb Theory Falls Short

This theory totally ignores the historical record of Jesus’ burial. Joseph of Arimathea, a rich man, gave his tomb to Jesus and had Him buried there. The tomb was not in a secret location, everyone knew where it was. The women watched Jesus body go into the tomb and the Romans set guards and a seal on the tomb.

To assert that the tomb was unknown is to ignore all the evidence we have and thus must be rejected as an inadequate explanation of the events surrounding Jesus’ death and resurrection.

Conclusion: He’s Alive!

The only adequate explanation of all the evidence we have is that, Jesus is actually alive and the testimony of the Apostles is true.

The ball is in your court now, what will you do with the reality that Jesus is alive? We encourage you to repent (turn from your sin) and place your faith in the living God. He is alive and because He is alive you can trust every word that He has said!