Proof of Resurrection

Speaking at a recent conference at Trinity School of Ministry in Ambridge, Pennsylvania, Michael Gorman observed that Paul’s summary of the gospel tradition follows an alternating rhythm: Paul first refers to an event in the gospel account, then cites proof of that event. Jesus died; the proof of His death is that He was buried. Jesus rose; the proof of His resurrection is that He appeared alive to many.

Gorman then proceeded to lay out a neat comparison of 1 Corinthians 15 with Paul’s baptismal exhortation in Romans 6:

As Gorman put it, we are baptized into the gospel announcement, conformed baptismally to the shape of the gospel story. And that means that confession of the creed—Jesus died, was buried, rose—must be a more-than-verbal confession. It’s a confession in life.

Both passages mention Jesus’ death, burial, and resurrection, and both cite evidence of the resurrection of Jesus. The evidence differs, though. In 1 Corinthians 15, Paul cites the evidence of eyewitnesses. In Romans 6, the proof of resurrection doesn’t come from eyewitness testimony but from the ongoing life of the baptized. As Gorman noted, the fact that believers present their bodies as “weapons” of God’s justice is a continuing confirmation of the resurrection. No eyewitnesses of the resurrection remain, but we do have continuing evidence of the power of the living Christ in the lives of the baptized.