Paul Meets Muhammad: A Christian-Muslim Debate on the Resurrection by Licona Michael R

Author:Licona, Michael R. [Licona, Michael R.]
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
ISBN: 9781441243133
Publisher: Baker Publishing Group
Published: 2006-02-01T00:00:00+00:00

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9

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Discussion Period: Part Four

Moderator: Let’s bring this back on topic and go back to the spear and the meaning of piercing. Paul, what do you have to say regarding Muhammad’s contention that John probably only meant that the soldier prodded Jesus with his spear as though to wake him?

Paul: I saw many crucifixions in my day and I can assure you that while on a cross, Jesus would not have been able to find a comfortable position in which he could fall asleep! I agree that the Greek word employed by John can mean “to prod.” However, it can also mean “to stab” in such a way that you intended to kill. Josephus uses it in this manner in reference to the killing of a soldier.[1] And we have Quintilian, a Roman historian from the first century, saying that the executioner can bury the crucified dead once they have been pierced.[2] Thus I think it is clear that the best meaning to adopt for John’s use of piercing Jesus after he had died on the cross is as Quintilian used it.

Moderator: Let me ask you one more question concerning crucifixion, Paul. Something remains troubling to me in relation to your view that Jesus died. Before I ask it, I want you to know that I am not trying to be unfair or biased against the Christian position in prying into these issues. The fact is that you presented the position that Jesus rose from the dead and thus you bear a greater burden of proof in this debate than Muhammad. If this was a debate titled “Is the Qur’an the Word of Allah?” then Muhammad would have a greater burden of proof than you. But that’s not our topic. You have chosen to say that Jesus rose from the dead and thus Christianity is true and Islam is false. So you shoulder a heavier burden of proof to show that Jesus rose from the dead than Muhammad does to show that he did not. All we need is reasonable doubt and you cannot walk away as the victor of this debate. I’m sorry, that’s the way debate works.

As for my question, Paul, I think this issue of the death of Jesus is crucial in this debate. The issue of professional medical opinions has come up this evening. In your opening statement, you claimed that when a victim was crucified, the cause of death was usually asphyxiation. I think there may be a problem with that assessment. But before I mention it, would you describe for us how a person on a cross would have died of asphyxiation?

Paul: Imagine you have had a rather large spike nailed through your feet and one through each of your hands.

Moderator: Hold on a minute. Studies on cadavers have revealed that a person’s hands cannot support the weight of a person. So if the nails had been inserted in the palms as you are suggesting, the weight of the body would not be supported by the hand, and the nail would tear through it.

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