Christ’s tomb was found empty on the third day following his death. This is difficult to explain, to say the least, yet there are existing theories on alternatives to his resurrection which attempt to explain this.
How could a beaten, tortured, and crucified man who was laid by others in a tomb, with the entrance covered by a large stone and a Roman guard standing watch, simply disappear?
The Swoon Theory: This theory suggests that Jesus did not actually die on the cross but instead fell into a coma or “swoon” state. According to this theory, he was then taken down from the cross and later revived in the tomb. However, this theory has been largely discredited due to the fact that Roman soldiers were experts at executing people and would have ensured that Jesus was truly dead before taking him down from the cross.
The Hallucination Theory: Some skeptics argue that the post-resurrection appearances of Jesus were not real but were instead hallucinations experienced by his followers. However, this theory does not explain how multiple people could have had the same hallucination at the same time, and it also does not account for the empty tomb.
Stay tuned for Part 3 of 6 for Empty Tomb Theories – Part 2
Richard Bahr 