Why Paul Taught Jesus Rose the Third Day

Why Paul Taught
Jesus Rose the Third Day

Prepared by
Elder Dwight Burford
hisworkmanship.net
August 12, 2025, Printing
[pdf copy]

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 This is a study letter on the timing of the resurrection of Jesus Christ based primarily on Old and New Testament scriptures preserved in the Bible.  From a review of the relevant passages of scripture, the following diagrammatic timeline has been drawn.

The diagram above shows that Jesus fulfilled the law of Moses perfectly.  It also shows that Jesus was cut off midweek according to the prophet Daniel, and that after spending three full days and three full nights according to the sign of Jonah, Jesus rose late on the third day.  The details that justify placing each date on this timeline as shown are outlined in the section titled, “On the Third Day,” starting on page 9 of the printed version of this study.

Addressing Divisions and Contentions

Paul, the disciple and Apostle of Jesus Christ, addressed the divisions and contentions that had arisen among the members of the church at Corinth by imploring them all to speak the same thing.  He identified their carnal walk as men as the reason for these divisions and therefore called upon them to live by faith in the power and wisdom of God revealed in the cross of Christ rather than by the wisdom of men.[1]

I Corinthians 1:10-11 – Now I beseech you, brethren, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you; but that ye be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment.  For it hath been declared unto me of you, my brethren, by them which are of the house of Chloe, that there are contentions among you.

I Corinthians 1:17-19 – For Christ sent me not to baptize, but to preach the gospel; not with wisdom of words, lest the cross of Christ should be made of none effect.  For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish, foolishness; but unto us which are saved, it is the power of God.  For it is written, I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and will bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent.

I Corinthians 3:1-3 – And I, brethren, could not speak unto you as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal, even as unto babes in Christ.  I have fed you with milk, and not with meat; for hitherto ye were not able to receive it, neither yet now are ye able.  For ye are yet carnal; for whereas there is among you envying, and strife, and divisions, are ye not carnal, and walk as men?

Some of the members in Corinth had caused division among them by asserting their disbelief in the resurrection and in denying Jesus had risen from the dead.[2]  Paul therefore called all the members there to an unwavering belief in the resurrection of our Lord and of all men.[3]  In advocating for belief in the resurrection, Paul declared Jesus rose from the dead on the third day.

I Corinthians 15:1-9 – Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand, by which also ye are saved if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain.  For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; and that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures; And that he was seen of Cephas [Peter], then of the twelve; After that, he was seen of about five hundred brethren at once; of whom the greater part remain unto this present, but some are fallen asleep. After that, he was seen of James, then of all the apostles. And last of all he was seen of me also, as of one born out of due time.  For I am the least of the apostles, that am not meet to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God.

Why did Paul make a point of declaring Jesus Christ rose from the dead on the third day?  How was Paul certain Jesus rose on that specific day?  Did he truly believe the timing of Jesus’ resurrection was essential to the Christian faith?  This study letter addresses these questions and other related questions based primarily on scriptures preserved in the New Testament of the Bible.[4]

By the Revelation of Jesus Christ

Unlike the many disciples who testified of the resurrection, Paul was not a follower of Jesus Christ at first.  Rather, he persecuted Jesus’ disciples before his conversion to Christ, which occurred sometime after Jesus rose from the dead.[5]  How then would Paul have known the exact day Jesus arose in relation to His death and why would he care about the timing of this particular day in the history of the world?

Two statements in I Corinthians 15:3,4 reveal how Paul received his knowledge of the timing of Jesus Christ’s resurrection and how and why this knowledge was particularly significant to him.  They are:

• I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received.
• He [Christ] rose again the third day according to the scriptures.

Statement 1:  In making the first statement listed above, Paul declared his knowledge of the timing of the resurrection of Jesus Christ was delivered to him.  But who exactly delivered this knowledge to Paul?  Was it delivered to him by one or more of the apostles or disciples who were with Jesus in His ministry?  Or did Paul receive this knowledge from prophecies recorded in the Old Testament?  By reviewing what Paul wrote earlier in his first letter to the Corinthians, we learn the Lord Himself delivered this specific knowledge to Paul.

Previous to addressing doubts about the resurrection in Corinth, Paul had addressed the divisions that had arisen there regarding the sacrament of the Lord’s Supper.[6]  Paul had striven to resolve these schisms in the body of Christ by delivering to them the instruction he had received of the Lord on this topic.

I Corinthians 11:23-26 – For I have received of the Lord that which also I delivered unto you, That the Lord Jesus, the same night in which he was betrayed, took bread; And when he had given thanks, he brake it, and said, Take, eat; this is my body, which is broken for you; this do in remembrance of me.  After the same manner also he took the cup, when he had supped, saying, This cup is the new testament in my blood; this do ye, as oft as ye drink it, in remembrance of me.

Notice the similarity in the wording of these two scriptures:  “I have received of the Lord that which also I delivered unto you” in I Corinthians 11:23, and “I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received” included later in I Corinthians 15:3.  From the similarity of these two phrases, one may conclude that Paul did not need to repeat “I have received of the Lord” in the latter of these two verses because he had already identified the Lord as his instructor in the former of these two passages.

A verification of the conclusion in the previous sentence comes from Paul’s letter to the members in the church at Galatia.  In that letter, Paul certified the gospel he preached was given to him through the direct revelation of Jesus Christ, not by the testimony or witness of any man.

Galatians 1:11,12 – But I certify you, brethren, that the gospel which was preached of me is not after man.  For I neither received it of man, neither was I taught it, but by the revelation of Jesus Christ.

Because he was determined to deliver to the Corinthians only those gospel principles he had been taught by the revelation of Jesus Christ, Paul preached the same gospel to the Corinthian saints that he preached to those in Galatia.  After all, Paul had warned the saints at Galatia to stand against anyone, including himself, who preached another gospel.

Galatians 1:6-8 – I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel; which is not another; but there be some that trouble you, and would pervert the gospel of Christ.  But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed.

Although Paul did not necessarily address all the same gospel principles in his letters to the Corinthians and the Galatians, he verified to the Corinthians he was declaring the same gospel there as elsewhere.  He did so by writing in I Corinthians 15:1, “I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you,” before he wrote “I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received” in I Corinthians 15:3.

Remember, Paul had been called to preach the gospel of Jesus Christ among all nations, which he consistently did as evidenced by what he wrote in his many letters to the saints in various locations.  An example of this consistency has been preserved in his letter to the saints in Rome.

Romans 1:1-7 – Paul, an apostle, a servant of God, called of Jesus Christ, and separated to preach the gospel, (which he had promised before by his prophets in the holy scriptures,) concerning his son Jesus Christ our Lord, which was made of the seed of David according to the flesh; and declared the Son of God with power, by the Spirit according to the truth through the resurrection from the dead; by whom we have received grace and apostleship, through obedience, and faith in his name, to preach the gospel among all nations; Among whom ye also are called of Jesus Christ; Wherefore I write to all who are in Rome, beloved of God, called saints; Grace to you, and peace, from God our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ.

Statement 2:  Now consider Paul’s second statement listed at the beginning of this section from I Corinthians 15:3,4, that what he taught about the resurrection of Jesus was according to the scriptures.

Prior to his conversion, Paul (then called Saul) wrote that he had studied the scriptures under Gamaliel, a doctor of the law, one who was well known and respected by all the people at Jerusalem.[7]  Regarding his studies there, Paul stated he had been taught according to the perfect manner of the law of the fathers.

Acts 22:3 – I am verily a man which am a Jew, born in Tarsus, a city in Cilicia, yet brought up in this city at the feet of Gamaliel, and taught according to the perfect manner of the law of the fathers, and was zealous toward God, as ye all are this day.

Clearly, Paul knew and understood the scriptures, having been taught them by a prominent scholar in Jerusalem.  Paul was therefore qualified to state with confidence that Jesus rose the third day according to the scriptures.[8]  Even so, Paul assured the Corinthian saints that he had relied upon the revelation of Jesus Christ when teaching them that their Lord rose the third day.  For, as discussed above, this teaching was based on what Paul had received from the Lord.

Paul’s testimony of Jesus Christ began with Jesus appearing to him on the road to Damascus sometime after Jesus’ death and resurrection.  At that time, Jesus called Paul to His work of reconciling mankind unto God[9]—a work for which he was told he would suffer and did suffer.[10]  In preparing Paul for this work of suffering, Jesus taught him about Himself and the principles of His gospel, all of which Paul affirmed are found in the prophecies preserved in the Old Testament of the Bible.[11]

To further verify the conclusions stated above, Paul wrote that he had spent three years ministering in Damascus and in Arabia after his conversion and before returning to Jerusalem.[12]

Galatians 1:17-20 – Neither went I up to Jerusalem to them which were apostles before me; but I went into Arabia, and returned again unto Damascus.  Then after three years I went up to Jerusalem to see Peter, and abode with him fifteen days.  But other of the apostles saw I none, save James the Lord’s brother.  Now the things which I write unto you, behold, before God, I lie not.

Thus, it cannot be said Paul gained his knowledge of the timing of Jesus’ resurrection from the other apostles, even though he spent fifteen days with Peter—the apostle listed first in Matthew’s account of the gospel of Jesus Christ—when he returned to Jerusalem.[13]  Paul also saw James, the Lord’s brother, but he did not meet with the others who had been called before him by Jesus Christ to be His apostles.  Paul had already received his testimony of the resurrection by revelation.

Upon meeting with Peter, Paul found he was not alone in teaching that Jesus rose the third day.  For Peter, too, had seen his risen Lord and declared the same timeline of His resurrection when preaching the gospel of the kingdom.  For instance, Peter affirmed to Cornelius and his household that Jesus rose from the dead on the third day.

Acts 10:39-41 – And we are witnesses of all things which he [Jesus] did both in the land of the Jews, and in Jerusalem; whom they slew and hanged on a tree; Him God raised up the third day, and showed him openly; Not to all the people, but unto witnesses chosen before of God, even to us, who did eat and drink with him after he rose from the dead.

Of truth, in the mouth of two or more witnesses every word of truth is established, especially when judging between differing beliefs and traditions as Paul was doing in his Corinthian letters.[14]

II Corinthians 13:1-5 – This is the third time I am coming to you.  In the mouth of two or three witnesses shall every word be established.  I told you before, and foretell you, as if I were present, the second time; and being absent now I write to them which heretofore have sinned, and to all other, that, if I come again, I will not spare; since ye seek a proof of Christ speaking in me, which to you-ward is not weak, but is mighty in you.  For though he was crucified through weakness, yet he lived by the power of God.  For we also are weak in him, but we shall live with him by the power of God toward you.  Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves.  Know ye not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates [i.e. castaways, those who are rejected]?

In summary, by stating “I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received,” Paul certified Jesus taught him that He had risen from the dead on the third day following His crucifixion.  For Paul was an eyewitness of his risen Lord, as were many others,[15] and the Lord Himself taught Paul about the timing of His resurrection.  Paul also certified that his teaching on the resurrection was in harmony with the scriptures by stating Jesus rose from the dead according to the scriptures.

The Sign of Jonah

To which scriptures in the Old Testament was Paul referring when he wrote Jesus Christ rose the third day according to the scriptures?  Recall how Jesus cited the sign of Jonah (also spelled Jonas) when asked by the scribes and Pharisees for a sign confirming His authority and teachings.  Jesus answered them by saying He would be in the heart of the earth the same amount of time Jonah had been in the whale’s belly.

Matthew 12:34 – An evil and adulterous generation seeketh after a sign; and there shall no sign be given to it, but the sign of the prophet Jonas; for as Jonas was three days and three nights in the whale’s belly, so shall the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.

Mark 8:12 – Verily I say unto you, There shall no sign be given unto this generation, save the sign of the prophet Jonah; for as Jonah was three days and three nights in the whale’s belly, so likewise shall the Son of Man be buried in the bowels of the earth.

Luke 11:30,31,33 – When the people were gathered thick together, he began to say, This is an evil generation; they seek a sign, and there shall no sign be given them, but the sign of Jonas the prophet.  For as Jonas was a sign unto the Ninevites, so also shall the Son of Man be to this generation.  … The men of Nineveh shall rise up in the day of judgment with this generation; and shall condemn it; for they repented at the preaching of Jonas; and, behold, a greater than Jonas is here.

Paul was originally trained as a Pharisee[16] like those who had sought a sign from Jesus before having Him condemned as a blasphemer.  Paul had also persecuted Jesus’ disciples as one of these Pharisees.[17]  As such, would not Jesus have also taught Paul, as He did the other Pharisees, about the sign of the prophet Jonah, and how this sign recorded in the scriptures foreshadowed Him spending three days and three nights in the bowels of the earth, just as Jonah had spent three days and three nights in the belly of the whale God had prepared?[18]

The Son of Man Shall Rise the Third Day

Besides citing the sign of Jonah, Jesus Christ declared on numerous occasions that He would rise the third day following His death.[19]  Here are a few of these instances beginning with how Jesus outlined the timing of His death and resurrection for His disciples.

Matthew 16:22 – From that time forth began Jesus to show unto his disciples, how that he must go to Jerusalem, and suffer many things of the elders, and chief priests, and Scribes, and be killed, and be raised again the third day.

Mark 9:28 – And he taught his disciples, and said unto them, The Son of Man is delivered into the hands of men, and they shall kill him; and after that he is killed, he shall rise the third day.

Luke 18:31-33 – Then he took the twelve, and said unto them, Behold, we go up to Jerusalem, and all things which are written by the prophets concerning the Son of Man, shall be accomplished.  For he shall be delivered unto the Gentiles, and shall be mocked, and spitefully entreated, and spitted on.  And they shall scourge and put him to death; and the third day he shall rise again.

Jesus also told those who questioned His authority that He would raise up the temple of His body in three days after they destroyed it.

John 2:18-21 – Then spake the Jews and said unto him, What sign showest thou unto us, seeing thou doest these things?  Jesus answered and said unto them, Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.  Then said the Jews, Forty and six years was this temple in building, and wilt thou rear it up, in three days?  But he spake of the temple of his body.

Soon after Jesus’ death on the cross, certain of these religious leaders remembered His words and told Pilate of how Jesus had said, “After three days I will rise again.”  Consequently, they asked Pilate to have the sepulcher (tomb) where Jesus had been buried secured until the third day.

Matthew 27:64,65 – Now the next day that followed the day of the preparation, the chief priests and Pharisees came together unto Pilate, saying, Sir, we remember that that deceiver said, while he was yet alive, After three days I will rise again.  Command therefore, that the sepulcher be made sure until the third day, lest his disciples come by night, and steal him away, and say unto the people, He is risen from the dead; so this last imposture will be worse than the first.

As noted in the previous section, Paul declared to the saints in Corinth that Jesus taught him this same timing of His resurrection, that Jesus rose from the dead on the third day.  But how could Jesus teach that He would rise the third day while also saying He would be in the grave three days and three nights?  This question is addressed in the next several sections.

The Sign of a Fulfilled Law

Jesus Christ testified before His death and resurrection that not one jot or tittle would pass from the law of Moses until He fulfilled all the law.

Matthew 5:19,20 – Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets; I am not come to destroy, but to fulfill.  For verily I say unto you, heaven and earth must pass away, but one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, until all be fulfilled.

Luke 16:17-20 – Then said Jesus unto them, The law and the prophets testify of me; yea, and all the prophets who have written, even until John, have foretold of these days.  Since that time, the kingdom of God is preached, and every man who seeketh truth presseth into it.  And it is easier for heaven and earth to pass, than for one tittle of the law to fail.  And why teach ye the law, and deny that which is written; and condemn him whom the Father hath sent to fulfill the law, that ye might all be redeemed?

As shown in this section, Jesus rising the third day from the dead was the most significant part of His fulfillment of the law of Moses.  It will also be shown here that His fulfilling the law was the most consequential sign of Jesus’ Messiahship.  For after He rose on the third day according to the law,[20] Jesus showed Himself to many, thereby confirming He fulfilled all that had been written about His suffering and His work of redemption in the law of Moses as well as in the prophets and in the Psalms.

Luke 24:43-47 – And he said unto them, These are the words which I spake unto you while I was yet with you, that all things must be fulfilled which were written in the law of Moses, and in the prophets, and in the Psalms, concerning me.  Then opened he their understanding, that they might understand the scriptures, and said unto them, Thus it is written, and thus it behooved Christ to suffer, and to rise from the dead the third day; And that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem.  And ye are witnesses of these things.

The law had been given for Jesus to fulfill as the basis on which He would atone for our sins.[21]  As such, the law has forever memorialized the atoning work of Jesus on the cross.  It also showed that He alone is caring enough and capable enough to intercede for us throughout eternity.[22]  Thus, at His name every knee shall bow, and every tongue shall confess that He is Lord.[23]

Said another way, the law was not an impediment to the redeeming work of Jesus Christ.  Rather it was the legal instrument by which Jesus met the demands of divine justice so He might lawfully offer mercy to all people who repent of their sins and come to Him with a broken heart and a contrite spirit.

Psalm 34:18 – The Lord is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart; and saveth such as be of a contrite spirit.

Psalm 51:17 – The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise.

Matthew 11:29,30 – Then spake Jesus, saying, Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.  Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart; and ye shall find rest unto your souls; for my yoke is easy and my burden is light.

To all individuals who come to Jesus Christ in true humility, He promises to become one with them by way of His new covenant so they all may be coinheritors of the riches of His glory.[24]

Isaiah 57:15 – For thus saith the high and lofty One that inhabiteth eternity, whose name is Holy; I dwell in the high and holy place, with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones.

Romans 8:1-4 – There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.  For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death.  For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh; That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.

Romans 8:14-17 – For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.  For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption; whereby we cry, Abba, Father.  The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God; And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together.

Thus, it is written of Jesus, He was sent by the Father to save and to raise up everyone in the resurrection of the just who steadfastly believes in His name.[25]

John 5:26-31 – For as the Father hath life in himself, so hath he given to the Son to have life in himself; And hath given him authority to execute judgment also, because he is the Son of Man.  Marvel not at this; for the hour is coming, in the which all who are in their graves shall hear his voice.  And shall come forth; they who have done good, in the resurrection of the just; and they who have done evil, in the resurrection of the unjust.  And shall all be judged of the Son of Man.  For as I hear, I judge, and my judgment is just; For I can of mine own self do nothing; because I seek not mine own will, but the will of the Father who hath sent me.

John 10:11-18 – I am the good shepherd; the good shepherd giveth his life for his sheep.  And the shepherd is not as a hireling, whose own the sheep are not, who seeth the wolf coming, and leaveth the sheep, and fleeth; and the wolf catcheth the sheep and scattereth them.  For I am the good shepherd, and know my sheep, and am known of mine.  But he who is a hireling fleeth, because he is a hireling, and careth not for the sheep.  As the Father knoweth me, even so know I the Father; and I lay down my life for the sheep.  And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold; them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold, and one shepherd.  Therefore doth my Father love me, because I lay down my life, that I might take it again.  No man taketh it from me, but I lay it down of myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This commandment have I received of my Father.

Accordingly, Jesus told Martha before raising her brother Lazarus from the dead:

John 11:25,26 – … I am the resurrection, and the life; he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live; And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die.  Believest thou this?

To bring about the resurrection, Jesus first had to die and then be resurrected from the dead according to the law and the prophets.

John 3:14-17 – And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up; That whosoever believeth on him should not perish, but have eternal life.  For God so loved the world, that he gave his Only Begotten Son, that whosoever believeth on him should not perish; but have everlasting life.  For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.

John 12:23,24 – And Jesus answered them, saying, The hour is come, that the Son of Man should be glorified.  Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone; but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit.

Romans 8:31-34 – What shall we then say to these things?  If God be for us, who can prevail against us?  He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?  Who shall lay anything to the charge of God’s elect? It is God that justifieth. Who is he that condemneth?  It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us.

This is why Jesus began with Moses when opening the scriptures about Himself to Cleopas and his companion while walking with them on the road to Emmaus (as discussed in a subsequent section).[26]  Jesus came into the world to fulfill the law justly, and He has done so by dying and then rising from the dead on the third day as outlined in the next section.

On The Third Day

To fulfill the law of Moses, Jesus had to meet certain appointments on specified dates given in the law.  Those dates of particular relevance to the present discussion on the day of Jesus’ resurrection include:

• The 14^th day of the first month as described in Numbers 9:1-3, which stipulates the time when the Passover feast was to be observed.
• The 15^th day of the first month as described in Leviticus 23:6, which stipulates the timing of the feast of unleavened bread.

Both dates are included in the timeline of Jesus’ death and resurrection outlined in this section and are included in the diagram at the end of this section.

Why is a detailed outline of Jesus’ death and resurrection necessary?  Today there are individuals and churches who maintain Jesus died on a Friday before sunset and then arose early the following Sunday morning to explain how He rose on the third day.  But this timing does not explain Jesus’ prophecy that He would be buried in the earth three days and three nights just as Jonah was in the belly of the whale for three days and three nights.  Neither does placing Jesus’ death on Friday agree with all that is recorded in scripture about the final week of His life in the world.

The timing of the two prophecies cited above—Jesus’ third day prophecy and His three days and three nights prophecy—are reconciled by establishing a timeline of specific calendar events that took place during the week Jesus was buried and resurrected.  These two prophecies are also reconciled by applying God’s definition of a “day” to the timing of these events, i.e., a “day” begins at evening and extends to the next evening.[27]  The following outline is based on this information and on the scriptures describing the events leading up to Jesus’ resurrection:

1. Passover, an annual feast day, was observed by Jesus and His disciples at least a few days prior to the weekly sabbath.[28]
   • The Passover observance was set by the annual calendar of events for the children of Israel and was to be observed on the 14^th day of the first month.[29]
   • It was not connected to a specific day of the week relative to the weekly sabbaths.
   • It began at sunset and continued to the following sunset.[30]
   • Jesus observed the Passover with His disciples early the same day He was buried.[31]
2. The first day of the feast of unleavened bread, an annual feast, was observed after Passover but before the weekly sabbath.[32]
   • Its observance was set by the annual calendar of events for the children of Israel, and it was to be observed on the 15^th day of the first month[33] immediately after the day the Passover feast was observed on the 14^th day of the same month.[34]
   • It was a “high day” that was also a sabbath day of rest (i.e., in addition to the weekly sabbath rest).
   • It was preceded by a preparation day that coincided with the day Passover.
   • It occurred at least two days prior to the weekly sabbath because a preparation day for the weekly sabbath was also observed in which work was also not to be done on this day of rest.[35]
   • Jesus was buried just before the sunset at the start of this “high day” sabbath, not just before the weekly sabbath.[36]
3. A weekly sabbath of rest was observed on the seventh day of the week.[37]
   • As prescribed in the law, the seventh day of the week began at sunset at the end of the sixth day of the week and extended to the following sunset.[38]
   • The day before the weekly sabbath was a preparation day, during which certain woman prepared spices to properly bury Jesus (which had been done in haste only a few days before).[39]
4. Mary Magdalene traveled to the tomb very early the first day of the week following Jesus’ burial, that is, sometime after sunset on the weekly sabbath day of rest.[40]
   • She was alone and arrived while it was still dark.
   • When she arrived, Mary found the tomb empty and went to tell the disciples.
   • After the disciples came and then left, Jesus appeared to Mary while she was alone at the tomb; she thought He might be the gardener until He called her by name.
   • She tried to hold Jesus, but He told her not to because He had not as yet ascended to the Father.
   • Jesus then told Mary to go tell His brethren He would meet them soon, but that He would first ascend unto my Father and your Father, and to my God and your God.
   • Mary then left the garden as instructed.
5. At the rising of the sun on the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene came again to the tomb, this time with Mary the mother of James and with Salome.[41]
   • All three women saw that the stone that had sealed the tomb was now rolled away.
   • They also saw angels who told them Jesus was risen and was not there.
   • While they were going to tell the disciples, they met Jesus on the way and held Him by His feet.[42]
   • Thus, Jesus had apparently ascended to His Father between the time Mary Magdalene first saw Him at the tomb (when He told her not to hold Him) and the second time she saw Him when she held His feet along with the other two women.[43]

The sequence of these events establishes a timeline for counting the number of days Jesus was in the tomb, with each day starting at sunset and ending at the next sunset:

1^st night & 1^st day:            The day of the feast of unleavened bread.

2^nd night & 2^nd day:           The preparation day for the weekly sabbath.

3^rd night & 3^rd day:           The weekly sabbath day of rest.

As shown in the outline above, each of the gospel accounts in Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John give various details pertaining to when Jesus actually died and rose from the dead.  However, not all these accounts give the same level of detail or provide the same information regarding each event outlined above.

For Jesus to have fulfilled the sign of Jonah,[44] He would have had to spend three full days and nights in the tomb without spending only part of one day or part of one night.  This would mean Jesus rose at or verily nearly at sunset at the end of the third (3^rd) day depending upon when exactly He was initially laid in the tomb.  Also, if Jesus had arisen after sunset following that third day, He would have spent part of a fourth night in the tomb since He was buried before sunset three days earlier.

Another thing to consider is that Mary Magdalene likely rested the full day of the weekly sabbath as required.  She could have then begun her journey to the tomb soon after sunset at the end of the third (3^rd) day Jesus was in the tomb, that is, on Saturday after sunset.  This would have placed her at the tomb after dark but before sunrise on the first day of the next week, as we are told in the gospel accounts and as outlined above.

A diagram of the timeline outlined above is provided in the chart on the next page.[45]  This diagram shows the prophesied number of days leading up to the resurrection of Jesus on the third day.  It also accounts for the time between when Jesus observed the Passover feast (just prior to His death) and when Mary Magdalene first found that the tomb was empty sometime after the weekly sabbath but before sunrise the next day.[46]

It is also worth noting in the chart that, based on scripture, Jesus was not buried on a Friday just before sunset.  Instead, it shows He was buried on Passover, the 14^th day of the month, which was the preparation day for the feast of unleavened bread that took place the next day on the 15^th of the month.

As you consider the chart below, recall also how Jesus said the prophets spoke of Him.  Daniel was one such prophet, and he identified the timing of the Messiah’s death by saying the Messiah would be cut off midweek when confirming the covenant for one week.[47]  A subsequent study letter[48] focuses on how Jesus was cutoff midweek of the final week of the seventy weeks prophecy recorded in the ninth chapter of Daniel.  In that study, it will be shown the Messiah would die midweek, both in terms of a week of days and in terms of a week of years as Daniel prophesied.

Daniel 9:24-27 – Seventy weeks [of years] are determined upon thy people and upon thy holy city, to finish the transgression, and to make an end of sins, and to make reconciliation for iniquity, and to bring in everlasting righteousness, and to seal up the vision and prophecy, and to anoint the Most Holy.  Know therefore and understand, that from the going forth of the commandment to restore and to build Jerusalem, unto the Messiah the Prince, shall be seven weeks, and threescore and two weeks; the street shall be built again, and the wall, even in troublous times.  And after threescore and two weeks shall Messiah be cut off, but not for himself; and the people of the prince that shall come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary; and the end thereof shall be with a flood, and unto the end of the war desolations are determined.  And he shall confirm the covenant with many for one week; and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease, and for the overspreading of abominations he shall make it desolate, even until the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate.

Daniel’s prophecy is referenced here to confirm that Jesus not only fulfilled the sign of Jonah, but He also fulfilled other prophecies.  Therefore, this current study has been written to encourage belief in our risen Lord by placing trust in all that the prophets had written about Jesus Christ rising from the dead on the third day after being in the grave for three days and three nights.[49]  The timeline on the previous page shows how this indeed happened.

Therefore, as you review the chart, please remember how, by studying prophecy, Daniel was able to determine the length of time he and his people would be in captivity.

Daniel 9:7-10 – … I Daniel understood by books the number of the years, whereof the word of the Lord came to Jeremiah the prophet, that he would accomplish seventy years in the desolations of Jerusalem.  And I set my face unto the Lord God, to seek by prayer and supplications, with fasting, and sackcloth, and ashes; And I prayed unto the Lord my God, and made my confession, and said, O Lord, the great and dreadful God, keeping the covenant and mercy to them that love him, and to them that keep his commandments; We have sinned, and have committed iniquity, and have done wickedly, and have rebelled, even by departing from thy precepts and from thy judgments; Neither have we hearkened unto thy servants the prophets, which spake in thy name to our kings, our princes, and our fathers, and to all the people of the land. O Lord, righteousness belongeth unto thee, but unto us confusion of faces, as at this day; to the men of Judah, and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and unto all Israel, that are near, and that are far off, through all the countries whither thou hast driven them, because of their trespass that they have trespassed against thee.

As this study has shown, we too may learn the true timing of the events leading up to Jesus’ resurrection by prayerfully studying the scriptures.  If there remains confusion and divisions over when Jesus actually rose, such contentions will likely be caused by unbelief and denial similar to that which Paul addressed in I Corinthians 15:1-58, where he declared Jesus rose the third day.

Ought Not Christ to Have Suffered These Things

Jesus Christ appeared to many of His disciples on or after the day of His resurrection, not just to Paul at a later time.[50]  For instance, on the first day of the week after His resurrection, Jesus joined two of His disciples as they walked to Emmaus, a short distance from Jerusalem.  According to Luke’s record, their eyes were holden, or covered, that they could not know him at first.  Until their eyes were eventually uncovered, Jesus seemed to them to be a stranger in Jerusalem.[51]

As Jesus began walking with these two disciples, He asked them what they were talking about and why they were sad.[52]  To which one of them, whose name was Cleopas, replied:

Luke 24:17-20 – … Art thou a stranger in Jerusalem, and hast not known the things which are come to pass there in these days?  And he said unto them, What things?  And they said unto him, Concerning Jesus of Nazareth, who was a prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people; And how the chief priests and our rulers delivered him to be condemned to death, and have crucified him. But we trusted that it had been he who should have redeemed Israel.  And besides all this, today is the third day since these things were done.

From Cleopas’ statement, today is the third day, it appears he and his companion also remembered how Jesus said He would rise the third day.[53]  As such, they apparently anticipated seeing Him that day.  But they had not as yet seen Him, or so they thought.  Further to their dismay, earlier that morning certain women of their company reported that Jesus’ body was no longer in the tomb where He was buried and that they also saw angels who announced Jesus was alive.

Luke 24:21-23 – Yea, and certain women also of our company made us astonished, who were early at the sepulcher; And when they found not his body, they came, saying, that they had also seen a vision of angels, who said that he was alive.  And certain of them who were with us, went to the sepulcher, and found it even so as the women had said; but him they saw not.

Understandably, Cleopas and his companion were perplexed by all that had transpired over the past several days concerning Jesus’ arrest and death, especially since they had not yet seen Him and, thus, they were sad as Jesus observed.  After Jesus listened to their lamenting conversation about His death and disappearance, He chastised them for their unbelief in all that the prophets have spoken, saying, “Ought not Christ to have suffered these things, and to enter into his glory.”

Luke 24:24-26 – Then he said unto them, O fools, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken!  Ought not Christ to have suffered these things, and to enter into his glory?  And beginning at Moses and all the prophets, he expounded unto them in all the scriptures the things concerning himself.  And they drew nigh unto the village whither they went; and he made as though he would have gone farther.  But they constrained him, saying, Abide with us; for it is toward evening, and the day is far spent. And he went in to tarry with them. And it came to pass, as he sat at meat with them, he took bread, and blessed, and brake, and gave to them. And their eyes were opened, and they knew him; and he was taken up out of their sight. And they said one to another, Did not our hearts burn within us, while he talked with us by the way, and while he opened to us the scriptures? 

Notice how Jesus continued ministering to these two disciples by expounding unto them in all the scriptures the things concerning Himself, beginning with what Moses had prophesied about Him.  We may therefore conclude that Jesus spoke to them about the sign of Jonah (and three days and three nights He would be buried) just as He had prior to His death.

Notice also how it was only after Jesus had broken bread with Cleopas and his companion in the evening that they recognized Him.  Jesus had broken the bread (word) of life for them as they walked together by expounding unto them all the scriptures concerning Himself.  Then, when Jesus blessed and broke bread at the evening meal, their eyes were uncovered and they knew Him.

By expounding to them all things concerning Himself in the scriptures and by His blessing and breaking bread when they dined together, Jesus connected these two events for them.  That is, Jesus showed them they must live by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God[54] by teaching them to believe all that the prophets had said about Him.  For He is the Word of God, the bread of heaven, and thus His words are His spiritual flesh and blood upon which we all must feast to have eternal life.

John 1:13-16 – He was born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.  And the same word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the Only Begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.  John bear witness of him, and cried, saying, This is he of whom I spake; He who cometh after me, is preferred before me; for he was before me. For in the beginning was the Word, even the Son, who is made flesh, and sent unto us by the will of the Father. And as many as believe on his name shall receive of his fullness. And of his fullness have all we received, even immortality and eternal life, through his grace.  For the law was given through Moses, but life and truth came through Jesus Christ.  For the law was after a carnal commandment, to the administration of death; but the gospel was after the power of an endless life, through Jesus Christ, the Only Begotten Son, who is in the bosom of the Father.

John 6:33-35,63 – For the bread of God is he which cometh down from heaven, and giveth life unto the world.  … I am the bread of life; he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst. … It is the Spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing; the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life.

I John 1:1-3 – Brethren, this is the testimony which we give of that which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, of the Word of life; (For the life was manifested, and we have seen it, and bear witness, and show unto you that eternal life, which was with the Father, and was manifested unto us;) That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with us; and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ.

That I May Know Him and the Power of His Resurrection

From his conversion to the end of his life, Paul earnestly pursued fully knowing Jesus as the Christ.  However, Paul did not just seek to know his Lord.  He sought to know the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings for the intent of being made conformable to Jesus’ death and the newness of His life in order that he might thereby attain unto the resurrection of the just.[55]

Romans 6:3,4 – Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death?  Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death; that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.  For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection; Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin.

Philippians 3:8-11 – Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord; for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ, and be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith; That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death; If by any means I might attain unto the resurrection of the just.

Romans 8:16-23 – The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God; And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together.  For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be named with the glory which shall be revealed in us.  For the earnest expectation of the creature waiteth for the manifestation of the sons of God.  For the creature was made subject to tribulation not willingly, but by reason of him who hath subjected it in hope; Because the creature itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God.  For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now.  And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body.

The timing of Jesus’ atonement for sin and His conquering death through being resurrected the third day were thus highly important to the hope Paul had in the resurrection.  For Paul truly believed Jesus when He said He rose from the dead at the appointed time (the third day), and thus he trusted he too would rise from the grave by the power of God at the appointed time and thereby be with Jesus Christ forever.[56]

Acts 13:33-39 – God hath fulfilled the same unto us their children, in that he hath raised up Jesus again; as it is also written in the second psalm, Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten thee.  And as concerning that he raised him up from the dead, now no more to return to corruption, he said on this wise, I will give you the sure mercies of David.  Wherefore he saith also in another psalm, Thou shalt not suffer thine Holy One to see corruption.  For David, after he had served his own generation by the will of God, fell asleep, and was laid unto his fathers, and saw corruption; But he, whom God raised again, saw no corruption.  Be it known unto you therefore, men and brethren, that through this man is preached unto you the forgiveness of sins; And by him all that believe are justified from all things, from which ye could not be justified by the law of Moses.

I Corinthians 15:50-57 – Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; neither doth corruption inherit incorruption.  Behold, I show you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed.  In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the sound of the last trump; for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.  For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality.  So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory.  O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?  The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

More concisely stated, Paul trusted that because Jesus rose on the third day, i.e. at the time appointed by the Father, he too would rise at the specified time in the resurrection of the just.

Recall how it was with glory and power that the resurrected Christ first revealed Himself and His sufferings to Paul as Paul traveled to Damascus in his pursuit of persecuting the body of Christ (the church).  In that moment, a light from heaven shone brightly and gloriously around Paul, and he fell to the earth.

Acts 9:3-5 – And as he journeyed, he came near Damascus, and suddenly there shined round about him a light from heaven; And he fell to the earth, and heard a voice saying unto him, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? And he said, Who art thou, Lord? And the Lord said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest; it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks.

Acts 22:6-8 – And it came to pass, that, as I made my journey, and was come nigh unto Damascus about noon, suddenly there shone from heaven a great light round about me.  And I fell unto the ground, and heard a voice saying unto me, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? And I answered, Who art thou, Lord? And he said unto me, I am Jesus of Nazareth, whom thou persecutest.

Acts 26:12-15 – Whereupon as I went to Damascus with authority and commission from the chief priests, at midday, O king, I saw in the way a light from heaven, above the brightness of the sun, shining round about me and them which journeyed with me.  And when we were all fallen to the earth, I heard a voice speaking unto me, and saying in the Hebrew tongue, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks.  And I said, Who art thou, Lord? And he said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest.

Our heavenly Father had given Jesus both the power to lay down His life and to take it up again to reconcile the world to Himself by His divine justice and mercy.[57]  By this very same glory and power, Jesus appeared to Paul to reconcile him to His heavenly Father, based on His atoning merits and the power of His resurrection.

Romans 6:5-11 – For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection; Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin.  For he that is dead to sin is freed from sin.  Now if we be dead with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him; Knowing that Christ being raised from the dead dieth no more; death hath no more dominion over him.  For in that he died, he died unto sin once; but in that he liveth, he liveth unto God.  Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord.

I Thessalonians 4:13-18 – But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope.  For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him.  For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that they who are alive at the coming of the Lord, shall not prevent them who remain unto the coming of the Lord, who are asleep.  For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God; and the dead in Christ shall rise first; Then they who are alive, shall be caught up together into the clouds with them who remain, to meet the Lord in the air; and so shall we be ever with the Lord. Wherefore comfort one another with these words.

Then, when it was Paul’s time to depart from this earth, I am confident Jesus brought him home to His Father according to his hope and confidence in the words of Jesus.[58]  For the power to which Paul held fast was the same power Jesus spoke of to His eleven disciples (apostles) in a mountain in Galilee after He was raised from the dead the third day.[59]

Matthew 28:17-19 – Then the eleven disciples went away into Galilee, into a mountain where Jesus had appointed them.  And when they saw him, they worshipped him; but some doubted. And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.  Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost; teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, unto the end of the world. Amen.

Jesus’ power is comprehensive and only His Father in heaven could have given Him all power in heaven and earth—by which Jesus subsequently revealed Himself in a glorious way to many people.  By this same power, Jesus will raise all who are just in the resurrection of the just, that is, all who live by faith on His name and who live by faith in His Father’s sanctifying words.[60]  This is why Paul clung to the faith of Jesus Christ during his life of ministry for Him.

Galatians 3:20 – I am crucified with Christ; nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.

Romans 7:19 – For I know that in me, that is, in my flesh, dwelleth no good thing; for to will is present with me, but to perform that which is good I find not, only in Christ.

This is also why Paul preached by the Spirit of God with power in his time and why his words recorded in the New Testament of the Bible still come with power to this day.  For only by the Holy Spirit of truth could Paul have preached the word of God with power for Jesus Christ’s sake.

I Thessalonians 1:5 – For our gospel came not unto you in word only, but also in power, and in the Holy Ghost, and in much assurance; as ye know what manner of men we were among you for your sake..

I Corinthians 2:4,5 – And my speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of man’s wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power; that your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God.

Every Man Shall Receive His Own Reward

As shown in the foregoing sections, Paul was one among many who chose not to continue to harden his heart against the word of the Lord.  Rather, Paul chose to believe the gospel of Jesus Christ and to declare the same to the world—including declaring that Jesus had truly risen the third day.  For Paul had become so persuaded of the gospel that he declared:

Romans 8:38,39 – For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

I, for one, believe Paul faithfully spoke the word of God for Christ’s sake in his generation, and therefore his testimony and instruction have remained with us to this day.

II Corinthians 4:13-15 – We having the same spirit of faith, according as it is written, I believed, and therefore have I spoken; we also believe, and therefore speak; knowing that he which raised up the Lord Jesus shall raise up us also by Jesus, and shall present us with you.  For we bear all things for your sakes, that the abundant grace might, through the thanksgiving of many, redound to the glory of God.

I Corinthians 3:5-14 – Who then is Paul, and who is Apollos, but ministers by whom ye believed, even as the Lord gave to every man?  I have planted, Apollos watered; but God gave the increase.  So then neither is he that planteth anything, neither he that watereth; but God that giveth the increase.  Now he that planteth and he that watereth are one; and every man shall receive his own reward according to his own labor.  For we are laborers together with God; ye are God’s husbandry, ye are God’s building.  According to the grace of God which is given unto me, as a wise master builder, I have laid the foundation, and another buildeth thereon. But let every man take heed how he buildeth thereupon.  For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ.  Now if any man build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble; Every man’s work shall be made manifest; for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man’s work of what sort it is.  If any man’s work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward.

Although his words have been preserved in the Bible, I also believe Paul yet suffers persecution as he did in his day[61] by people wresting and changing his words preserved in the New Testament.  This has been done by errant preaching, teaching, and interpretation.  It also includes wresting his words in various translations of study and interpretive Bibles, all of which have caused divisions in the body of Christ today—even more divisions than those Paul addressed in Corinth.[62]

The fact that there are still Christians who doubt or deny the resurrection of Jesus Christ on the third day, as there were in Corinth, attests to this conclusion, that Paul’s words and instructions to the body of Christ still suffer abuse today.  Even so, I am confident that everyone who yet believes Paul’s report of Jesus Christ (including that Jesus rose the third day) are not moved away from the truth of the resurrection, just as Paul was not moved away from the gospel of Jesus Christ by the many persecutions and trials he suffered during his lifetime.[63]

While harm may have come to Paul’s testimony of Jesus Christ, Paul’s affirmation that Jesus Christ rose the third day nevertheless yet stands today as a pillar of truth, just as it did when he declared the cross and resurrection to the saints in Corinth and elsewhere.

I Timothy 3:16 – The pillar and ground of the truth is, (and without controversy, great is the mystery of godliness,) God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory.

Paul freely gave all that he received from the Lord to everyone who would hear him preach and teach the gospel.[64]  In opposition to Paul, there we those who served mammon (wealth) and who withstood Paul, and even persecuted him, for delivering the message of the free gift of salvation.[65]  It appears they were troubled that Paul was not a hireling like them, as one who labored for money.  Still Paul did not covet the wealth of others.  Since his death, hirelings have used his words by reframing them to suit themselves for gaining a following for profit and prestige.[66]

Can anyone who has persecuted or yet persecutes Paul say they are as noble as he?  Have any of them been willing to suffer as he suffered for Abraham’s Redeemer?[67]  Who can say that Paul did not truly take up his cross and follow Jesus?  To those who would dismiss Paul and his ministry, I would say be very careful.  For only those who have truly followed the footsteps of Jesus like Paul had will be accounted worthy to abide with Jesus in the kingdom of God.

Matthew 10:31-35 – For I am come [Jesus said] to set a man at variance against his father, and the daughter against her mother, and the daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law; and a man’s foes shall be they of his own household.  He who loveth father and mother more than me, is not worthy of me; and he who loveth son or daughter more than me, is not worthy of me.  And he who taketh not his cross and followeth after me, is not worthy of me.  He who seeketh to save his life shall lose it; and he who loseth his life for my sake shall find it.  He who receiveth you, receiveth me; and he who receiveth me, receiveth him who sent me.

Mark 10:19-22 – Then Jesus beholding him, loved him, and said unto him, One thing thou lackest; Go thy way, sell whatsoever thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven; and come, take up the cross, and follow me.  And the man was sad at that saying, and went away grieved; for he had great possessions.  And Jesus looked round about, and said unto his disciples, How hardly shall they that have riches enter into the kingdom of my Father!

Luke 9:23-26 – And he said unto them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me.  For whosoever will save his life, must be willing to lose it for my sake; and whosoever will be willing to lose his life for my sake, the same shall save it.  For what doth it profit a man if he gain the whole world, and yet he receive him not whom God hath ordained, and he lose his own soul, and he himself be a castaway?  For whosoever shall be ashamed of me, and of my words, of him shall the Son of Man be ashamed, when he shall come in his own kingdom, clothed in the glory of his Father, with the holy angels.

In fine, Paul knowingly took up his cross and followed Jesus because he was fully persuaded that to him all the promises of God would be fulfilled, including that of being raised in the resurrection of the just at the appointed time.[68]

Acts 24:14-16 – But this I confess unto thee, that after the way which they call heresy, so worship I the God of my fathers, believing all things which are written in the law and in the prophets; And have hope toward God, which they themselves also allow, that there shall be a resurrection of the dead, both of the just and unjust.  And herein do I exercise myself, to have always a conscience void of offense toward God, and toward men.

II Corinthians 1:20 – For all the promises of God in him are yea, and in him Amen, unto the glory of God by us.

Today, If Ye Will Hear His Voice

Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord while it is yet Today will be saved.[69]  Not only this, they will be given more light and truth as they live by faith in His words, as did Paul.[70]  Thus, each of us may receive truth line upon line from God through the words of Jesus, that is, if we receive them by faith.  If we fail to do so, by rejecting Him and His words by unbelief and the hardness of our minds and hearts, then that which we have received will be taken from us.[71]

Luke 8:18 – Take heed therefore how ye hear; for whosoever receiveth, to him shall be given; and whosoever receiveth not from him shall be taken even that which he seemeth to have.

For thus it is written:

Romans 10:8-18 – But what saith it?  The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart; that is, the word of faith, which we preach; that if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.  For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.  For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed.  For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek; for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him.  For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.  How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher?  And how shall they preach, except they be sent? as it is written, How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things!  So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.  But I say, have they not heard?  Yes verily, their sound went into all the earth, and their words unto the ends of the world. But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Esaias saith, Lord, who hath believed our report?

Hebrews 3:7-15 – Wherefore as the Holy Ghost saith, Today if ye will hear his voice, Harden not your hearts, as in the provocation, in the day of temptation in the wilderness; when your fathers tempted me, proved me, and saw my works forty years.  Wherefore I was grieved with that generation, and said, They do always err in their heart; and they have not known my ways.  So I sware in my wrath, They shall not enter into my rest.  Take heed, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living God.  But exhort one another daily, while it is called Today; lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin.  For we are made partakers of Christ, if we hold the beginning of our confidence steadfast unto the end; While it is said, Today if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts, as in the provocation.

II Corinthians 3:17,18 – Now the Lord is that Spirit; and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.  But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord.

By choosing to receive Jesus, we too may receive power over death and the grave from the Father,[72]  but only if we choose to grow up in Him whereby we may take nourishment from the meat of the gospel as Paul sought to give to the saints in Corinth.  For such truth is given to whosoever is willing to receive of His fullness.[73]  This is why the apostles have admonished us to receive the engrafted word, who is Jesus Christ, by believing on His words and becoming doers of the same.[74]

How Long Halt Ye Between Two Opinions?

In the foregoing study, Old and New Testament scriptures pertaining to the resurrection of Jesus Christ on the third day have been reviewed and outlined.  This review shows that Paul was justified in challenging the saints in Corinth for the divisions that had arisen among them because of their differing beliefs about the resurrection of Jesus Christ, including the disbelief and denial some of them had expressed concerning the resurrection.

This review also provides a valid reason for Paul imploring the saints in Corinth to all speak the same thing about the gospel.  He was justified in doing so because his counsel has been shown in this study letter to be consistent with the words of Jesus Christ and with what has been written in the scriptures about Jesus and His resurrection.

But is Paul’s teaching on the resurrection relevant and justifiable today?  Are there yet divisions regarding the resurrection present among the many churches claiming the name of Christ?  If there are, should the members of the church of Jesus Christ again be admonished to all teach the same thing concerning the gospel, and the resurrection in particular?

I am sure the reader of this study can attest to the fact that there are divisions among the many Christian churches today regarding the resurrection of our Lord, including with respect to its timing.  For some teach Jesus rose in less time than Paul stated, such as on the second day.  Yet others maintain Jesus did not rise at all or that His resurrection is not relevant today.

But I stand with Paul on the timing and relevance of the resurrection, that Jesus truly rose the third day so we might have hope in the resurrection as did Paul.  I also thus affirm with Peter that we have a lively hope in Christ through His resurrection from the dead.

I Peter 1:3-5 – Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you, who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.

I Peter 1:18-21 – Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers; but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot; who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you, who by him do believe in God, that raised him up from the dead, and gave him glory; that your faith and hope might be in God.

Oh, that no one would be without hope in these latter days, but that everyone would come to have a glorious hope in the resurrection of Jesus Christ as described in scripture and as manifested by the Holy Spirit of God.[75]  It is to this end that this study letter has been written, that everyone may have a sure hope in the resurrection.

For as this study has shown, Jesus truly kept His appointments according to the law of Moses and in fulfillment of the prophecies concerning Himself in the prophets and Psalms.  Therefore, may we no longer be a people divided in our hope by holding to differing opinions like those that lead to divisions in the body of Christ in the days of Paul.  Neither may we be divided as in the days of Elijah when the children of Israel halted between two opinions about who to follow.

I Kings 18:21 – And Elijah came unto all the people, and said, How long halt ye between two opinions? if the Lord be God, follow him; but if Baal, then follow him.  And the people answered him not a word.

Can any of us remain lukewarm on this issue regarding the timing of the resurrection Jesus Christ?  Would it be wise to do so, given the following counsel from our Lord?

Revelation 3:15-22 – I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot; I would thou wert cold or hot.  So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spew thee out of my mouth.  Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked;  I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eye salve, that thou mayest see.  As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten; be zealous therefore, and repent.  Behold, I stand at the door, and knock; if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.  To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne.  He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.

Given this and other admonitions like it, we all would be wise to believe in the resurrection of Jesus just as it occurred as recorded in the scriptures.  This will require turning from traditional beliefs and from walking according to the wisdom of the world.

Thankfully, Paul chose to follow Jesus Christ by believing He rose from the dead as He said He would.  Do you believe the testimony of Paul and those of the many other eyewitnesses of Jesus Christ who have testified He rose according to God’s appointed timing stipulated in the law of Moses and in the prophets?

The day of preparation for Jesus Christ’s return is fast coming to a close.  In preparing for His return, may we all therefore remove the leaven of traditional and unscriptural beliefs from our lives and our worship of the Lord according to His words.

I Corinthians 5:7,8 – Purge out therefore the old leaven, that ye may be a new lump, as ye are unleavened.  For even Christ our passover is sacrificed for us; Therefore let us keep the feast, not with old leaven, neither with the leaven of malice and wickedness; but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.

I Corinthians 15:20-22 – But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the firstfruits of them that slept.  For since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead.  For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive.

The time is now to arise and receive the testimony of Jesus that has been preached throughout the ages.  Unto such who receive the testimony of Jesus are all the promises of God given and fulfilled.

Romans 13:11-14 – … for now is our salvation nearer than when we believed.  The night is far spent, the day is at hand; let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armor of light.  Let us walk honestly, as in the day; not in rioting and drunkenness, not in chambering and wantonness, not in strife and envying.  But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to gratify the lusts thereof.

II Corinthians 1:20 – For all the promises of God in him are yea, and in him Amen, unto the glory of God by us.

Revelation 20:6 – Blessed and holy are they who have part in the first resurrection; on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years.

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[1] I Corinthians 1:17-31, 2:2-5, 3:3-6, 4:7, 11:18-26, 15:1-58, etc.

[2] cf. I Corinthians 1:11-17 & I Corinthians 15:12-26 with III Nephi 5:30-43 & III Nephi 12:29-35

[3] cf. I Corinthians 15:1-58 with I Corinthians 1:10-17

[4] Note: New Testament scripture references are from the Inspired Version (IV) of the Bible as linked in each reference.

[5] e.g. Acts 26:1-26 with Acts 9:1-22 & Acts 22:1-21

[6] cf. I Corinthians 11:20 with I Corinthians 11:23-26

[7] cf. Acts 5:34-40 with Acts 22:3 (see also https://biblehub.com/greek/1059.htm)

[8] I Corinthians 15:3-9

[9] Acts 26:2-23 with II Corinthians 5:17-21 & I Timothy 2:1-6

[10] Acts 9:10-16, Acts 9:22-25, Acts 20:22-27, Acts 21:10-14, Acts 23:12-15 & Acts 26:13-23 with Matthew 16:25-30; see also II Corinthians 12:6-10 with II Corinthians 11:23-33 & Galatians  4:13-16;

[11] e.g. II Timothy 3:15-17 with Romans 15:3,4 & Hebrews 1:1-4; see also Luke 24:24-26 with Acts 3:24 & John 5:40,41

[12] cf. Acts 9:19-26 with Acts 26:14-20 & Galatians 1:17-20

[13] Matthew 10:2 with Matthew 4:16-18, Matthew 16:14-20Acts 1:15-17, Acts 2:14-42, etc.

[14] cf. II Corinthians 13:1 with Deuteronomy 19:5, Matthew 18:16, II Nephi 12:59 & D&C 6:13b

[15] Acts 9:1-22 with Matthew 28:1-19, Mark 16:1-21, Luke 24:1-52, John 21:1-31, Acts 1:1-12, I Corinthians 15:1-10, etc.

[16] Acts 23:6 & Philippians 3:5

[17] Acts 7:58 & Acts 9:1,2 with Acts 8:1-3, Acts 22:3-5 & Acts 26:9-12

[18] cf. Luke 11:30-33 with Jonah 1:17, Matthew 12:33,34 & Mark 8:12

[19] Matthew 12:34, Matthew 16:4, Matthew 17:22, Matthew 20:17, Matthew 27:64.65, Mark 8:12, Mark 9:28, Mark 10:34, Luke 9:22, Luke 11:30,31, Luke 13:32-36, Luke 18:32-34, John 2:18-21 with Acts 10:40 & I Corinthians 15:4

[20] cf. Revelation 21:1-5 with Isaiah 43:19, Isaiah 65:17 & Isaiah 66:22; see also Hebrews 8:7-13 with Galatians 4:4-6

[21] cf. Deuteronomy 18:13-22 & Hebrews 10:1-18 with Matthew 5:19-21 & Acts 3:22-26; cf. Luke 16:20, John 13:10, etc.; cf. Isaiah 59:12-21, Jeremiah 31:31-34 & Ezekiel 37:1-28, etc.; cf. Romans 5:6-21  with II Corinthians 5:21

[22] Hebrews 7:24 with Romans 5:6-11, Galatians3:13,14, etc.; see also Acts 4:10-12 with Philippians 2:1-11

[23] cf. Isaiah 63:3 with Revelation 19:11-16 7 and Isaiah 45:23 with Philippians 2:11

[24] John 17:1-26 with Romans 8:14-17

[25] Jeremiah 31:31-34 & Hebrews 8:7-13 with Luke 19:10

[26] Luke 24:24-26

[27] Genesis 1:8,11,17,21,24,33

[28] Matthew 26:12-16, Mark 14:10-15 & Luke 22:7-16 with Mark 15:46-51 & Luke 23:52-57

[29] Exodus 12:16-33 with Leviticus 23:5 & Numbers 9:5

[30] Exodus 12:6 with Genesis 1:8,11,17,21,24,33

[31] Mark 15:46-51 & Luke 23:52-57 with Matthew 26:12-16, Mark 14:10-15 & Luke 22:7-16

[32] Mark 14:10 & Luke 22:7 with Leviticus 23:6

[33] Leviticus 23:6 with Matthew 26:13

[34] Exodus 12:18 (Exodus 12:1-21) with Luke 22:7-16

[35] Luke 23:52-57

[36] Mark 15:46-51 & John 19:31-42 with Matthew 26:2-4, Leviticus 23:5-7 & Luke 22:1-7

[37] Luke 23:52-57 with Mark 15:46-51

[38] Exodus 12:16-33 with Exodus 20:8-11 & Leviticus 23:1-44

[39] Luke 55-57

[40] John 20:1 with John 20:10-18

[41] Mark 16:1-4 with Mark 15:51

[42] Matthew 28:1-9 with John 20:17

[43] Matthew 28:1-9 with John 20:1 & John 20:10-18

[44] Jonah 1:17 with Mark 8:12

[45] See also https://youtu.be/BjQ2VcIHW1Y, https://youtu.be/EmtyYqq11Qc & https://youtu.be/qyPS3o8_3WA.  Note:  by referring to these few videos I am not endorsing the various teachings of the organizations they may represent.  Rather I am showing how individuals from different Christian backgrounds and religious beliefs have come to similar conclusions regarding the timing of Jesus’ burial and resurrection.

[46] Luke 21:7-20 with John 1:29-37, John 20:1 & I Corinthians 5:7,8

[47] Daniel 9:20-27.  To understand the prophecy given to Daniel in these verses in its proper context, it is essential to view the prophecy in light of what Daniel was concerned about and had been praying about just before receiving the vision, which is recorded in Daniel 9:1-19.

[48] See Why the Book of Mormon is the New Covenant, Part 5 – The Seventieth Week of Daniel

[49] See Mark 8:33.

[50] Matthew 28:1-19, Mark 16:1-21, Luke 24:1-52, John 21:1-31, Acts 1:1-12, I Corinthians 15:1-10, etc. with Acts 9:1-22

[51] Luke 24:29-31 with Luke 24:17-20

[52] Luke 24:16,17

[53] It appears Cleopas and his companion may have confused the timing of the third day as they had become confused about other things pertaining to Jesus.  Or Luke’s record may have been corrupted over time as described in I Nephi 3:155-180.  For Jesus truly walked with them after rising on the third day after his burial as shown above.

[54] cf. Matthew 4:3,4 & Luke 4:3,4 with Deuteronomy 8:2,3

[55] cf. John 17:1-3 with Philippians 3:8-11

[56] cf. I Corinthians 15:12-58 with Romans 15:13,14 with Psalm 49:15

[57] cf. Isaiah 53:9-12, Romans 5:6-11, Romans 1:16,17, II Corinthians 4:5-7, etc. with John 1:11-18 & John 10:17,18; see also John 3:16,17 with I John 2:1-3, I Timothy 2:1-4 & II Peter 3:9

[58] cf. Romans 8:38,39 with John 6:37-39, John 10:29, II Timothy 4:6, John 14:6, II Corinthians 4:14 & II Corinthians 5:8-11 (Revelation 22:11,12), Philippians 1:6, etc.

[59] cf. I Thessalonians 1:5 with Romans 16:25, I Corinthians 2:4-5, I Corinthians 6:14, Ephesians 3:7, Colossians 1:9-11, etc.

[60] John 17:17 with John 12:49,50 & John 14:10-12; cf. John 14:6 with John 1:14-18

[61] In his day, there were many individuals and groups of individuals who opposed Paul and his ministry; e.g. Acts 20:28-32, Acts 23:12-15, Philippians 1:12-30, II Timothy 4:14-18, Titus 1:10-16, etc.

[62] e.g. I Corinthians 1:10-11, I Corinthians 2:12,13, I Corinthians 3:1-3.  Of late, wresting of Paul’s letter and words has occurred by way of various study Bibles, like the Scofield Study Bible, and by the proliferation of the many modern interpretive Bibles, as they may be called.

[63] Acts 20:24 & II Corinthians 11:23-31 with Philippians 2:20-23, etc.

[64] cf. Matthew 10:7, Luke 6:38, Romans 8:32, etc. with Matthew 6:24-39 & I Timothy 6:10

[65] e.g. Acts 16:16-24 & Acts 19:24-27

[66] cf. Acts 20:33 & I Corinthians 9:18 with John 10:7-18; see also Philippians 4:9-20 with Matthew 6:19-39 & I Timothy 6:3-19

[67] cf. Romans 4:1-25 & Galatians 3:26-29 with Isaiah 29:32, John 8:56 & Hebrews 11:8-19

[68] cf. Romans 8:38,39 with I Corinthians 6:14 & II Corinthians 1:20-22, II Corinthians 4:13,14, Ephesians 2:4-7, Philippians 3:4-21, etc.

[69] Romans 10:13 with Joel 2:32

[70] Romans 8:28 & Romans 10:8-16 with John 6:37-40

[71] It is also important to note how the Father gave power to Pilate and to those who delivered Jesus to Pilate, beginning with Judas, to carry out certain actions against Jesus with respect to His crucifixion.  This power was given to them from our heavenly Father for Jesus to atone for the sins of the world and thus fulfill His plan of salvation for all of humanity. John 19:10-14, Matthew 26:11-12,17-21,28,44-47 with Matthew 27:3-10 (Zechariah 11:10-14)

[72] James 1:16-22 with Matthew 4:12-16, John 8:12, John 12:35,36, etc.; see also Acts 9:3-5, Acts 22:6-8 & Acts 26:12-15 with II Corinthians 4:5-7

[73] Romans 1:1-7 with John 1:11-18

[74] James 1:16-22 with John 1:11-18 & I Peter 1:13-25

[75] Colossians 1:26-29 with Acts 23:6-9