Section 12
From hiding to martyrdom
The disciples went from frightened denial to public proclamation in weeks, and many died for the claim.
Mark records the disciples fleeing at the arrest, Peter denying Jesus three times, the group hiding from authorities. Within weeks they were preaching publicly.
James the son of Zebedee was killed by Herod Agrippa around 44 AD (Acts 12). Stephen was killed (Acts 7). Peter killed in Rome ~64 to 67 AD. Paul killed in Rome ~67 AD. James the brother of Jesus killed in Jerusalem ~62 AD, recorded by Josephus.
People die for sincerely held beliefs. They do not die for known lies. The transformation is the strongest single argument that they sincerely believed what they preached.
Some of the apostles even went to the point of being martyred for their faith. They certainly weren’t martyred for what they knew was a lie.
J. Warner Wallace (former cold case detective), Cold Case Christianity, 2013.
By the numbers
- James (son of Zebedee) killed
- ~44 AD
- James (brother of Jesus) killed
- ~62 AD (Josephus)
- Peter and Paul killed
- ~64 to 67 AD
Strongest counter position
A skeptic can grant sincerity but argue the belief was based on hallucination or cognitive dissonance. The behavioural argument closes the "they made it up" alternative; sincerity, not truth, is what it establishes.
What this does not prove
Not every detail of every traditional martyrdom story is historically secure. The well attested ones are: James (Acts 12), James the brother of Jesus (Josephus), Peter, Paul.
Citations
- Mark 14:50, 14:66 to 72.
- John 20:19.
- Acts 2, 7, 12.
- Josephus, Antiquities 20.9.1.
- Sean McDowell, The Fate of the Apostles, 2015.
Goes deeper