Is God Dead? Series: Were The Disciples Trippin’?

In the last few weeks, we have looked more closely at “swoon theories” that attempt to explain what happened to Jesus of Nazareth after His crucifixion. Specifically, we looked at the recent swoon theory offered by the critic David Mirsch. Mirsch’s theory, like all previous swoon-type theories, fails to account for the minimal bedrock facts suggested by Gary Habermas and Michael Licona. These minimal bedrock facts are facts pertaining to the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus that are; 1) broadly evidenced, and 2) acknowledged by a consensus of scholars both believers and skeptics alike. First, Mirsch’s theory fails to acknowledge that Jesus did in fact die by crucifixion. Further, given the extent of Jesus’s injuries, Mirsch fails to provide an adequate explanation of how a severely injured Jesus could have made multiple appearances to His disciples over a forty-day period. Finally, Mirsch fails to acknowledge that Paul had an experience that he interpreted to be an appearance of the risen Jesus to him. In conclusion, post haste, we set all swoon-type theories aside as invalid explanations for what happened to Jesus after the crucifixion.