This is the second part of the “Empty Tomb” theories.

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 Legend Theory: Some skeptics argue that the story of Christ’s resurrection was embellished over time as it was passed down through oral tradition. However, this theory does not account for the fact that the resurrection accounts were written down and circulated within decades of the events themselves, while many eyewitnesses were still alive to verify them.

The Naturalistic Explanation: Some suggest there must be a naturalistic explanation for the resurrection, such as a previously unknown medical condition or natural phenomenon. However, this theory requires evidence that has not yet been discovered, and it also raises questions about why such an event would have occurred only once in history and not been replicated since.

The Conspiracy Theory: As for the last theory we’ll cover in this series, is that the disciples of Jesus conspired to fake his resurrection in order to gain power and influence. However, this theory does not account for the fact that the disciples were largely uneducated and unlikely to be able to pull off such a grand conspiracy, nor does it explain why they would be willing to die for a lie.

Stay tuned for Part 4 of 6 on the Eyewitness Accounts and the Disciple Transformation.