Chuck Colson went home to be with the Lord on Saturday, April 21. Before coming to faith in Christ, Chuck had been known as the White House’s “Hatchet Man.” He received this moniker as he was known to be a tough political operative while serving as Special Counsel to President Nixon. Ultimately, he was implicated in efforts to cover up the administration’s connection to the Watergate scandal. This led to his eventual imprisonment for seven months.
It was amid this scandal that a friend gave Chuck Colson a copy of C.S. Lewis’s Mere Christianity.1 This book was used by the Lord to bring about his conversion. During his time in jail, Chuck developed a real love for his fellow prisoners. Out of this came the ministry which would serve as his legacy: Prison Fellowship.2 At the time of this writing, Prison Fellowship is ministering in some 1,300 correctional facilities nationwide and has programs in 110 different countries.3 More than 14,000 volunteers regularly participate in these efforts.4
Chuck Colson went on to author at least 30 books. He also founded BreakPoint, a daily radio broadcast ministry that provides Christian commentary on the day’s news. It’s the commentary he gave during the March 29, 2002 broadcast that I would like to focus on for the remainder of this article:
“I have been challenged myself many times on the resurrection. My answer is always that the disciples and five hundred others gave eyewitness accounts of seeing Jesus, risen from the tomb. But then I’m asked, “How do you know they were telling the truth? Maybe they were perpetrating a hoax.”
My answer to that comes from an unlikely source: Watergate.
Watergate involved a conspiracy to cover up, perpetuated by the closest aids to the President of the United States—the most powerful men in America, who were intensely loyal to their president. But one of them, John Dean, turned state’s evidence, that is, testified against Nixon, as he put it, “to save his own skin”—and he did so only two weeks after informing the President about what was really going on—two weeks! The real cover-up, the lie, could only be held together for two weeks, and then everybody else jumped ship in order to save themselves. Now, the fact is that all that those around the President were facing was embarrassment, maybe prison. Nobody’s life was at stake.
But what about the disciples? Twelve powerless men, peasants really, were facing not just embarrassment or political disgrace, but beatings, stonings, execution. Every single one of the disciples insisted, to their dying breaths, that they had physically seen Jesus bodily raised from the dead.
Don’t you think that one of those Apostles would have cracked before being beheaded or stoned? That one of them would have made a deal with the authorities? None did.
You see, men will give their lives for something they believe to be true—they will never give their lives for something they know to be false.”5 – Chuck Colson, BreakPoint Broadcast – March 29, 2002
Chuck’s reference to the 500 eyewitnesses who saw Christ after He had risen from the grave is from 1 Corinthians 15:3-8. Paul goes on to say that everything he believed about Christ stands or falls on His bodily resurrection from the dead. The resurrection confirms everything Christ claimed about Himself and His purpose. This was the stance of the early disciples and continues to be the stance of the body of Christ to this day.
We know from history that Roman governors presented the apostles and other early disciples with a choice: If they would renounce Christ as God, their lives would be spared. This is a quote from a letter sent by Pliny the Younger to Emperor Trajan. At the time, Pliny was governor of Bithynia:
“Meanwhile, in the case of those who were denounced to me as Christians, I have observed the following procedure: I interrogated these as to whether they were Christians; those who confessed I interrogated a second and a third time, threatening them with punishment; those who persisted I ordered executed…
Those who denied that they were or had been Christians, when they invoked the gods in words dictated by me, offered prayer with incense and wine to your image, which I had ordered to be brought for this purpose together with statues of the gods, and moreover cursed Christ–none of which those who are really Christians, it is said, can be forced to do–”6
– Pliny, Letters; 10: 96–97
Pliny makes it clear that in order to be spared, those being persecuted just had to renounce Christ. (Furthermore, it’s quite telling that he admits that true believers in the Lord could not be made to renounce the Lord.)
Historical records tell us what happened to the apostles and a number of the early disciples. Almost all of the apostles were martyred, or suffered imprisonment, for refusing to deny Christ. This information was compiled from the writings of several historians (both early church and otherwise), including Hippolytus, Eusebius, Josephus, and Irenaeus.7
What Happened to the Twelve?
Andrew was crucified on an olive tree in Achaia (Greece) – Hippolytus
Bartholomew was whipped and crucified upside down in Allanum (Armenia / southern Georgia) – Hippolytus
James, the son of Alpheus, was stoned to death in Jerusalem (was first thrown off a 100 ft Temple pinnacle) – Hippolytus
James, the son of Zebedee, was run though with a sword under Herod – Acts 12: 2 (also Hippolytus and Eusebius)
John was banished to the Greek Isle of Patmos, but later was released due to old age and died at Ephesus – Hippolytus
Matthew (Levi) appears to have died from a sword wound received in Ethiopia – numerous sources
Peter was crucified upside down near the present location of the Vatican – Hippolytus
Philip was crucified in Hierapolis (Turkey) – Hippolytus
Simon the Zealot apparently died of old age after taking a lead role in the Jerusalem meeting – Hippolytus
Thaddeus (a.k.a. Judas the son of James) was martyred in Kara Kalisa (Parthia / Iran) – Hippolytus
Thomas was thrust through with a spear at Calamene (India) – Hippolytus
Matthias, the Apostle chosen to replace Judas (see Acts 1: 26), was stoned (and then possibly crucified or beheaded) – Eusebius
What Happened to the Lord’s half-brothers, James and Jude?
James, the Lord’s brother, was stoned by the Jews in Jerusalem – Josephus
Jude, the Lord’s brother, was shot with arrows under decree of Trajan – Eusebius
What Happened to Paul?
Paul was beheaded along the Ostian Way outside of Rome under Nero – Irenaeus
What Happened to Others?
Mark was dragged by horses through the street in Alexandria, Egypt – Numerous Coptic Sources
Luke may have been hung in Greece, although this is not conclusive
Stephen was stoned to death in Jerusalem – Acts 7: 54 – 59
Barnabas was stoned most likely on Cyprus (although some sources say Thessalonica)
There are a number of proofs that the resurrection of the Lord took place. But there is perhaps none more profound than the witness of those who went to their deaths proclaiming a risen Saviour. In the words of Chuck Colson, “You see, men will give their lives for something they believe to be true—they will never give their lives for something they know to be false.”
On April 21, 2012, Chuck Colson was added to the list of eyewitnesses of the risen Christ.
Endnotes
1. http://bit.ly/JtxH7U
2. http://bit.ly/JCZ4JY
3. http://bit.ly/JtxH7U
4. ibid
5. http://bit.ly/JFy7ED
6. http://bit.ly/KLJEDt
7. http://bit.ly/L3PT27
Additional sources:
http://bit.ly/L10nAb
http://bit.ly/Ml4mwr
http://bit.ly/JTAWDO (PDF file)
http://bit.ly/LbXLFb
http://bit.ly/KPK9fS
http://bit.ly/Kg39Qu
http://bit.ly/K7Q8ea
To learn more, please visit the Christian Evidences website at: www.christianevidences.org and join the Christian Evidences Facebook group at: facebook.com/christianevidences