Answers to the Freedom From Religion Foundation's Quiz

Answers to Dan Barker's 30 Questions

Dan Barker is an atheist who used to be a pastor.  Dan is currently an employee for the Freedom From Religion Foundation (FFRF).

Dan has composed something called the "Easter Challenge."  He has asked the public (specifically, Christians) to answer 17 questions about the Easter account and to give a biblical chronology of it without omitting any scriptures.  Dan Barker also wants a believer to show how the events surrounding Easter can be harmonized.  You can see this challenge here: http://www.ffrf.org/lfif/stone.html.

I've written a book called "The Skeptic's Annotated Bible: Corrected and Explained," that gives answers to over 3,000 Bible difficulties.  Therefore, I was able to answer 7 of these questions with my book.  The others were answered by using simple logic and sound hermeneutics.  If you'd like to see some of these hermeneutical guidelines, then please go here: http://jcsm.org/Education/hermeneutics.htm.

The gospel accounts are very straightforward.  They are quite interesting and revealing.  However, they are not and do not claim to be exhaustive accounts.  We get some different details from each account.  This is not a problem, though, and Dan admits this.  He simply wants to know how they can be harmonized and true.  Below are my answers to his challenge.

Lastly, instead of only giving an Easter chronology, I've given an entire post-resurrection chronology.  I've taken every verse from Easter onward and put them into the proper, chronological place.  This has required verses from all four gospels and even some verses from Acts.

I hope Dan Barker enjoys how I have met his "Easter Challenge."  It was my pleasure to answer all of his questions and provide a chronology of the post-resurrection accounts.  To God be the glory.

The Chronology of the Post-Resurrection Accounts

1) Matthew 28:2 - There had been a great earthquake and an angel of the Lord had descended and rolled back the stone and sat on it.

2) Matthew 28:3 and 4 - The angel’s countenance was like lightning and his face like snow and the guards shook and fell to the ground as dead.

3) John 20:1-2 - Mary M. came to the tomb while it was still dark and saw the stone rolled away. She ran and came to Peter and one other disciple and told them the news.

4) Matthew 28:1 - As the day was dawning, Mary M. and the other Mary came to see the tomb.

4) Mark 16:1 - Mary M., Mary, and Salome bought spices and came to the tomb.

5) Mark 16:2-4 - Very early in the morning, after the sun had risen, they came to the tomb.

5) Luke 24:1-3 - Very early in the morning, they and certain other women came to the tomb with spices and found it empty.

6) Matthew 28:5-7 - The angel speaks, tells the women not to be afraid, and tells them Jesus was crucified and rose from the dead. The angel also tells them to tell the disciples that He is risen and would meet them in Galilee.

6) Mark 16:5-7 - They found the stone rolled away, enter the tomb and see a man with a white robe (an angel) sitting in the tomb. He tells them that Jesus has risen and that He would meet them in Galilee.

6) Luke 24:4-8 - The women went in the tomb and found two men in clothes that gleamed like lightening (angels). One spoke and told them that Jesus had risen.

7) Mark 16:8 - They fled from the tomb; amazed and fearful and said nothing about the experience.

8) Matthew 28:8 - The women left with joy and fear and ran.

9) Mark 16:9-11 - Jesus appeared to Mary M., so she told the disciples, but they did not believe.

10) Matthew 28:9-10 - The women run into Jesus. He tells them to avoid being afraid and that He would meet them and the brethren again in Galilee.

11) Luke 24:9-11 - Mary M., Joanna, Mary, and the other women went to the eleven and told them what happened. The disciples doubted, though.

12) Luke 24:12 - Peter ran to the tomb and found it empty.

12) John 20:3-10 - Peter and the other disciple ran to the tomb. They discover that the stone is rolled away and Jesus is not there and they leave.

13) John 20:11-17 - Mary (which we see in verse 18 is actually Mary M.) wept outside the tomb. Two angels were there and one spoke with her. Mary voiced her concern about the body of Jesus being missing and Jesus appeared to her. She thought He was the gardener, but was eventually convinced that it was the risen Christ.

14) Mark 16:12-13 - Jesus appeared to two disciples. They told the rest and they did not believe.

14) Luke 24:13-32 - Jesus appears to two men on the road to Emmaus. He listens to them talk about the One who died and rose from the grave. He dines with them and reveals Himself to them, then He disappears.

14) Luke 24:33-35 - The men returned to Jerusalem and told the eleven and some other disciples how Jesus appeared to them and was alive.

14) John 20:18 - Mary M. told the disciples what she saw and what happened.

15) Acts 1:4-5 - Jesus tells them to wait in Jerusalem for the Holy Spirit.

15) John 20:19-25 - Jesus appeared to them. He showed them His body and proved He was the risen Christ. Thomas was not present and did not see Jesus, so he doubted.

16) John 20:26-29 - Eight days later, Jesus appeared to Thomas and proved to him that He was the risen Christ.

16) Mark 16:14-18 - Jesus appears to the eleven, rebukes their unbelief, and encourages them to do great things in His name.

17) Matthew 28:11-15 - The religious elders paid the guards to have them say the disciples stole Jesus’ body.

18) John 20:30-31 - It is written that Jesus did many other miracles in the presence of His disciples that were not recorded.

19) John 21:1-24 - Jesus meets some disciples in Galilee; fulfilling the angelic, prophetic message given at the tomb. He eats some fish and restores Peter.

19) Matthew 28:16-17 - The 11 disciples went to Galilee and met Jesus.

20) Matthew 28:18-20 - Jesus gives the Great Commission to His disciples.

21) John 21:25 - It is written that Jesus did many other things in the presence of His disciples that are not recorded by the author of John.

21) Acts 1:1-3 - Jesus walked the earth for 40 days after His resurrection.

21.5) Luke 24:36-49 - Jesus revealed Himself to them. They were frightened and Jesus showed them His hands and feet. Jesus ate some fish with them and told them a few things. Jesus summarized His mission and what He did. He told them to wait in Jerusalem until the Holy Spirit comes.

22) Mark 16:19-20 - After His earthly, post-resurrection mission was accomplished, He ascended to Heaven.

22) Luke 24:50-53 - Jesus led His disciples near Bethany, blessed them, and ascended to Heaven.

Answers to Dan Barker's Questions

What time did the women visit the tomb?  Who were the women?

John does not say that only one woman visited the tomb.  John records Mary Magdalene's visit to the tomb (in the dark).

Matthew 28:1 reports that Mary Magdalene and the other Mary were visiting the tomb at dawn.

Mark reports that Mary Magdalene, the other Mary, and Salome were visiting the tomb while the sun was rising.

Luke uses the word "they" and does not indicate who was visiting the tomb.  He only indicates who told the account to the disciples.

These accounts do not contradict.  First, there can be no argument from silence.  With this in mind, there are no conflicting stories, only separate accounts.  In order for a true conflict, one author would need to say that one of the women listed, in one or more of the gospels, was not there.

If we take these accounts literally and assume each author knew exactly who was where at all times, then Mary Magdalene went to the tomb first.  Next, the other Mary joined her.  Immediately thereafter, Salome joined them.  After this, they returned and told the disciples what had happened.

Was the tomb open when they arrived?

Luke does not record all of the events that Matthew records.  For instance, he does not record the conversation with the angel.  However, this is simply an omission.  In this passage, Matthew records more details than Luke.

Since Matthew was writing about this story after it had happened, Matthew 28:2-4 likely happened before the women arrived.  He simply explained some of the events that preceded their arrival.

Who was at the tomb when they arrived?  Where were these messengers situated?

John records that Mary saw two angels (no sex mentioned), in white, sitting in the tomb.  Matthew mentions a conversation with a different angel - a male angel that was sitting on the stone (outside the tomb).  Mark records a young man sitting in the right side of the tomb.  Luke records two, male angels inside the tomb.

These are all complementary stories.  None of them contradict each other.  John and Luke record two, male angels inside the tomb.  Mark only records one of them because only one spoke.  Matthew records a conversation with an angel that was outside of the tomb.  This doesn't contradict any of the other accounts - it complements them.

What did the messenger(s) say?

This is a moot point.  It has already been established that there were several angels.  Conversations can easily be harmonized, so for the purpose of this paper, it doesn't matter what was said.

Did the women tell what happened?

Mark 16:10 and 13 clearly state that these women told the rest about Jesus' resurrection.  Verse 8 simply indicates their first reaction.  Nonetheless, Mark tells us (two verses later) that they told the disciples.

Where did Jesus first appear to the disciples?

Neither Luke 24, Mark 16, John 20 or Matthew 28 use the word "first."  Therefore, it is impossible to argue that one claimed their recorded appearance of Jesus came first.

There is a large difference between a Bible writer omitting a particular event and that Bible writer claiming that a particular event occurred before another event written by a different Bible writer.

Did the disciples believe the two men?

Some obviously believed and some obviously didn't.  There are no passages that say everyone believed or everyone disbelieved.

What happened at the appearance?

Matthew, Mark, and Luke agree about the appearance.  John simply omits the reprimand.  An omission isn't a contradiction or even a problem, especially because we are talking about an entirely different historian.

Did Jesus stay on earth for a while?

The book of Acts indicates that Jesus stayed on the Earth for 40 days after His resurrection.  This doesn't contradict any other accounts.  Some of the gospels mention a few days that He had been on Earth.  None of them say that He was only on the Earth for a single day.  In fact, none of the gospels remotely imply this.

Where did the ascension take place?

The Mount of Olives is adjacent to Bethany.  Therefore, it is no problem that Luke mentions Bethany and Acts mentions the Mount of Olives.  I've been there and even today, they are extremely close together and could easily be considered the same area.  The gospels that omit the ascension do not create a problem because omissions are quite normal.

What was their purpose?

The women came to the tomb with spices.  This is confirmed by two, gospel records.  Matthew omits the spices.

John simply records Jesus' anointing, with Nicodemus' spices, before they placed Him in the tomb.  The women either didn't know He had been anointed or they wanted to anoint Him, again.  According to the scriptures, they were hoping that someone could roll back the stone, so they could anoint Him.

When Mary returned from the tomb, did she know Jesus had been resurrected?

Matthew, Mark, and Luke record Mary's conversations after she realized Jesus had been resurrected.  John 20:2 is a moment where she saw the empty tomb, in the dark, left, and ran into Peter.  In John 20:11, we see that Mary returned to the tomb directly afterwards and finds that Jesus was resurrected.  Therefore, all of the accounts are true and consistent.

When did Mary first see Jesus?

Mary saw Jesus after she ran into Peter and the other disciple, but before she returned to the rest of the disciples.

Could Jesus be touched after the resurrection?

The question shouldn't be, "Could Jesus be touched after the resurrection?"  The question should be, "When did Jesus allow people to touch Him?"  At one point, He told Mary not to touch Him.  At another point, He let Thomas touch Him.  In Matthew, the disciples worship and hold Him at His feet.

There are no contradictory statements in the gospels.  They are very congruent.  Jesus obviously didn't want Mary to touch Him, but He allowed Thomas to touch Him and the worshiping disciples to touch Him.

After the women, to whom did Jesus first appear?

None of the biblical accounts are mutually exclusive when they specify which person or people Jesus met directly after the women.  Therefore, it is impossible to tell.