Little Details Prove the Bible
To add to our commentary, "Evidence of Christ's Resurrection," published 4/27/2003, there are more details in John 20:1-9 that are interesting to note in regards to the Resurrection. A closer look at the details shows that they lend credibility to the Bible's accounts of the resurrection.
John 20:1-9 says that Peter and John ran to the tomb, that John ran faster than Peter and arrived at the tomb before Peter, but that John stopped outside, and that Peter was the first to go inside the tomb.
These details might seem inconsequential, at first. But take a second look. From the accounts of the four Gospels, we know certain things about John and Peter. John was very young, much younger than Peter. Peter was impulsive, boisterous and often fearless.
The details about John and Peter, which are sprinkled throughout the four Gospels, are consistent with the details in John 20:1-9. John ran faster than Peter, because John is much younger than Peter. And Peter was a fisherman, so he might have been a strong man, but not necessarily a man fast on his feet. So it makes sense that John outran Peter.
Another point to consider is that John stopped outside of the tomb. This also fits the details of what we know about John. Because he was very young, he might not have known what to do. He ran faster than Peter to the tomb, but once he got there, he stopped outside of the tomb and looked inside.
Peter, however, arrived at the tomb after John, but went into the tomb before John. This too makes sense, after all, Peter was an impulsive, take-charge kind of guy. It makes sense that while John stopped and paused, Peter would barge right in.
These details are easy to overlook. But they reveal something important about the Gospels, as well as the whole Bible. They reveal that the Bible is remarkably consistent. The little details in part of the Bible fit nicely with details in another part of the Bible. The details in John 20:1-9 provide evidence that the Resurrection was real, that it really happened.
When people tell the truth, seemingly unimportant details can become very revealing, because they fit in with other, previously known details. But liars often are caught when they provide details that don't match up with other known details.
In fact, that's how police detectives interrogate crime suspects. They keep asking the suspect questions until the suspect says something that doesn't line up with the truth, something that doesn't match up with other known details.
That's why people always say that lying is difficult, because you have to get the story straight the first time, and you have to remember every detail of your story. And the details of your story have to add up each time you tell it.
This is what trips up liars, they don't provide details that mesh with all of the other details. And that's what is fascinating about the Gospels, the way their details mesh with each other. The Gospels are true. The details help prove it, as does the fact that no one would have bothered to be a Christian if Jesus had not really been resurrected. The Resurrection is absolutely essential to Christianity. If the Resurrection did not happen, then there would not have been a second generation of Christians.
Another interesting fact from the verses of John 20:1-9 is, there are three different occasions Peter and John are mentioned looking into the tomb. In the Greek language of the text, there are three different words that give three different meanings to the words of "looking" or "seeing". All three of these words, Blepo, Theoreo, and Eido are used in verses 5 through 8.
In verse 5, John quickly looks into the tomb, and the Greek word Blepo is used. Blepo means "to look at" or "to look upon," which fits John quickly looking in the tomb, but not fully understanding what he was seeing.
In verse 6, Peter goes into the tomb and looks at the wrapping, and he sees the head cloth off to the side. The Greek word Theoreo is used here which means "to behold" or "to view attentively." And this word fits the verse, as Peter did not look quickly as John did, but studied the scene, as indicated by the fact he saw that the head cloth was rolled up to the side.
In verse 8, John then enters the tomb, and he saw and believed. The Greek word Eido is used here, which means "to discover" or "to get knowledge of." And this fits the verse perfectly, as John discovered, and came to the knowledge, that a great miracle happened – that Christ had risen.
It is also important to note that when John and Peter looked into the tomb they knew instantly, by the powerful evidence of the empty hardened linen wrapping, that a miracle had taken place and Christ had risen, even before they understood the scripture, that He must rise from the dead.
All of these little details in the Bible give credibility that these events really did happen, and that the Bible really is the true Word of God.
By George Konig
www.konig.org
May 11, 2003
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