The 1 Corinthians 15 creed
Death, burial, resurrection, and appearances — dated to within a few years of the cross.
On a napkin
- 1Paul received a creed: Christ died, was buried, was raised, and appeared.
- 2Scholars date it to 3–5 years after the crucifixion, not to a legend decades later.
- 3It names Cephas, the Twelve, five hundred, James, and Paul himself.
- 4This is not ‘what the church later wished had happened.’ It is the earliest Christian claim.
Say this
The resurrection was not a rumor that grew in the dark. The creed Paul received was already circulating while hostile witnesses were still alive.
“Christ died for our sins… he was buried… he was raised… he appeared to more than five hundred brothers at one time.”