Matthew 28:13 Question

  • Thread starter Thread starter Hope1960
  • Start date Start date
Status
Not open for further replies.
H

Hope1960

Guest
Based on this Scripture, how are we to know for certain that Jesus’ guards didn’t fall asleep, pass out or had been bribed?
 
You can be assured that the guards were all executed upon delivering the news to Pilatus.
The Romans did not conquer their Empire by lax discipline. Abandoning their post was a major offense.
 
Matthew 28:11-15 RSV - 11 While they were going, behold, some of the guard went into the city and told the chief priests all that had taken place. 12 And when they had assembled with the elders and taken counsel, they gave a sum of money to the soldiers 13 and said, “Tell people, ‘His disciples came by night and stole him away while we were asleep.’ 14 And if this comes to the governor’s ears, we will satisfy him and keep you out of trouble.” 15 So they took the money and did as they were directed; and this story has been spread among the Jews to this day.
First the chief priest believe they and wanted to protect them from trouble. I am confident they were asleep because they fainted from fright at what they saw. Also they were Levite temple guards, not Romans. Pilate said you have a guard–they already had men who could do guard duty.
 
Why would you think they were? Life is full of empty allegations.

500 testified to the risen Lord.
 
Based on this Scripture, how are we to know for certain that Jesus’ guards didn’t fall asleep, pass out or had been bribed?
If the guards had truly been asleep or unconscious, the chief priests wouldn’t have needed to bribe them.

11 They had not finished their journey, when some of the guards reached the city, and told the chief priests of all that befell. 12 These gathered with the elders to take counsel, and offered a rich bribe to the soldiers; 13 Let this, they said, be your tale, His disciples came by night and stole him away, while we were asleep. 14 If this should come to the ears of the governor, we will satisfy him, and see that no harm comes to you. 15 The soldiers took the bribe, and did as they were instructed; and this is the tale which has gone abroad among the Jews, to this day. (Matt 28:11-15, Knox)
 
You can be assured that the guards were all executed upon delivering the news to Pilatus.
They didn’t deliver the news to Pilate. The men on guard at the tomb weren’t Pilate’s Roman troops, they were Temple security personnel.

62 Next day, the next after the day of preparation, the chief priests and the Pharisees gathered in Pilate’s presence, 63 and said, Sir, we have recalled it to memory that this deceiver, while he yet lived, said, I am to rise again after three days. 64 Give orders, then, that his tomb shall be securely guarded until the third day; or perhaps his disciples will come and steal him away. If they should then say to the people, He has risen from the dead, this last deceit will be more dangerous than the old. 65 Pilate said to them, You have guards; away with you, make it secure as you best know how. 66 And they went and made the tomb secure, putting a seal on the stone and setting a guard over it. (Matt 27:62-66, Knox)
 
They did accept them. It’s in verse 15 in the passage I quoted in my post you’re replying to here.
 
Um, no. If they had already come to tell the authorities that there was no body, how could they accept a bribe for the disciples to ‘take the body’ that was no longer there?
 
Um, no. If they had already come to tell the authorities that there was no body, how could they accept a bribe for the disciples to ‘take the body’ that was no longer there?
What does verse 15 mean? And Bartholomew8 says the guards were bribed. So does a Scripture.
 
Last edited:
It means that after the soldiers came to the elders and said, “Hey guys there is nobody there”, the elders thought it over, said, “If we have the soldiers tell the people, “The disciples of Jesus came and took away the body, that’s why it is missing, no ‘resurrection’”, then we’ll have an ‘explanation’ for the missing body. And just to be fair, we’ll give the soldiers MONEY to lie and say the disciples took the body. That is called a bribe but hey, we don’t want people thinking this Jesus actually DID rise from the dead, right?”
 
It means that after the soldiers came to the elders and said, “Hey guys there is nobody there”, the elders thought it over, said, “If we have the soldiers tell the people, “The disciples of Jesus came and took away the body, that’s why it is missing, no ‘resurrection’”, then we’ll have an ‘explanation’ for the missing body. And just to be fair, we’ll give the soldiers MONEY to lie and say the disciples took the body. That is called a bribe but hey, we don’t want people thinking this Jesus actually DID rise from the dead, right?”
But the guards and elders knew that the tomb was empty and they knew that the disciples didn’t take the body, correct?
 
Based on this Scripture, how are we to know for certain that Jesus’ guards didn’t fall asleep, pass out or had been bribed?
If you’re based on Scripture, why do you have this question?

Matthew 28 :1 After the sabbath, as the first day of the week was dawning, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary came to see the tomb. 2 [c]And behold, there was a great earthquake; for an angel of the Lord descended from heaven, approached, rolled back the stone, and sat upon it. 3 His appearance was like lightning and his clothing was white as snow. 4 The guards were shaken with fear of him and became like dead men.
 
Last edited:
how are we to know for certain that Jesus’ guards didn’t fall asleep, pass out or had been bribed?
Ok, let me rephrase. How do we know for certain that Jesus’ guards didn’t fall asleep (admittedly that’s hard to believe) or pass out from drugs or drink?
 
You seem to be asking whether we have some other source for the information about the guards and what they saw, apart from Matthew’s Gospel. Is that it? The answer is no, we don’t.
 
Last edited:
Ok, let me rephrase. How do we know for certain that Jesus’ guards didn’t fall asleep (admittedly that’s hard to believe) or pass out from drugs or drink?
If the disciples had taken the body wouldn’t at least one of them have recanted under torture?

If the body had been moved by the Jews or Romans then they could have easily refuted the Resurection.
 
Know ‘for certain’? How do you know ‘for certain’ that we live in a ‘real’ world and not in some computer-generated simulation, Hope?

How do you know that Patrick Henry made a speech about “give me liberty or give me death?” Because the words were recorded? How do you know that somebody didn’t distort them, or make them up?

How CAN you find a final answer if there is absolutely nothing that you are willing to take as ‘true’ without demanding that everybody else prove it 'couldn’t have been 100% wrong?"
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top