The Bible Difficulties and Answers Podcast

Tuesday Contradictions: Matthew 9:23-25–Was Jesus Really the First to Rise? Resuscitations vs Resurrection

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This episode examines the question: if people were raised from the dead before Jesus, how can the New Testament call him the "first" to rise? Lance Smith walks through examples from the Old and New Testaments—Saul and Samuel, Elijah and Elisha, Jairus’ daughter, Lazarus, and the saints after Jesus—to clarify the difference between temporary resuscitation and Jesus’ unique, permanent resurrection.

Using passages like Matthew 9:23–25, Acts 26, and 1 Corinthians 15, the episode explains the theological meaning of "firstfruits" and why Jesus’ resurrection guarantees future glory for believers.

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  1. Skeptics Annotated Bible: https://www.skepticsannotatedbible.com/contra/first.html 
  2. MacArthur, John. The MacArthur Study Bible: New Living Translation. Thomas Nelson, 2006. Available at: https://www.thomasnelson.com/p/macarthur-study-bible/ 
  3. Bar, Shaul. "Resurrection in the Old Testament: Belief or Not?" Old Testament Essays 24, no. 1 (2011): 1-17. https://scielo.org.za/pdf/ote/v24n1/01.pdf 
  4. Yates, Gary E. "The Motif of Life and Death in the Elijah-Elisha Narratives and its Theological Significance in 1 Kings 17 - 2 Kings 13." Liberty University Digital Commons. https://digitalcommons.liberty.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1011&context=lts_fac_pubs 
  5. Goeman, Peter. "Full List of Resurrections in the Bible." PeterGoeman.com. https://petergoeman.com/full-list-of-resurrections-in-the-bible/ 
  6. McLatchie, Jonathan. "The Firstfruits Feast and the Case for the Resurrection." JonathanMcLatchie.com. https://jonathanmclatchie.com/the-first-fruits-feast-and-the-case-for-the-resurrection/ 
  7. "Christ—the Firstfruits." Apologetics Press. https://apologeticspress.org/christthe-firstfruits-783/ 
  8. Craig, William Lane. "Is There Historical Evidence for the Resurrection of Jesus? The Craig-Ehrman Debate." Reasonable Faith. https://www.reasonablefaith.org/media/debates/is-there-historical-evidence-for-the-resurrection-of-jesus-the-craig-ehrman 
  9. Craig, William Lane. "Old Testament Prophecies of Jesus’ Resurrection." Reasonable Faith. https://www.reasonablefaith.org/writings/question-answer/old-testament-prophecies-of-jesus-resurrection 
  10. "What does it mean that Jesus is the firstborn from the dead (Colossians 1:18)?" GotQuestions.org. https://www.gotquestions.org/firstborn-from-the-dead.html 
  11. Katz, David. "Gehazi and the Miracle Staff of Elisha." Jewish Bible Quarterly. https://jbqnew.jewishbible.org/current-issue/gehazi-miracle-staff-elisha/ 
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