The early Christian church has always believed in the empty tomb. According to the Gospels and Acts of the Apostles, the disciples of Jesus found the tomb empty three days after his crucifixion, and this event became the basis of the Christian belief in the resurrection of Jesus. The early Christian community preached the message of the empty tomb, and this belief is reflected in the writings of the New Testament and in the creeds of the early church.

Within just two months of the resurrection event (Acts 2:29-32) Peter and other eyewitness of the empty tomb started the first church in Jerusalem and preached with authority that Jesus had rose from the grave (Bauckham2017-ml, Bruce2003-ai, Bird2005-wu, Taylor1933-rl).

The First Christian Creed Supported the Empty tomb.

The 1 Corinthians 15:3-4 creed supports the empty tomb tradition by explicitly mentioning Jesus' burial and subsequent resurrection, suggesting a known tomb was found empty. Its early dating (early 30s AD) indicates the tradition was part of the foundational beliefs of the early Christian community. The creed's connection to eyewitnesses, such as Peter and James, adds credibility to the empty tomb narrative. The creed serves as a basis for the belief in Jesus' resurrection, with the empty tomb being a crucial component in supporting this belief. Overall, the language and historical context of the 1 Corinthians 15:3-4 creed lend support to the empty tomb tradition.

See More: The First Christian Creed

The Body Of Jesus Was Never Found

By AD 75, some Jewish circles were postulating that the empty tomb was the result of body theft, in an attempt to counter Christian arguments positing the resurrection. The fundamental implication in this response is the acknowledgment of the tomb being empty. This line of argumentation is believed to have roots in Jewish perspectives from around AD 30, as documented by scholars (Craig1984-pb), Stein2009-qz, Swinburne2003-tz).

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“What was in dispute was not whether the tomb was empty but why it was empty. We have no early evidence that anyone, either Christian or non-Christian, ever alleged that Jesus’ tomb still contained his remains.”

Moreover, it is significant to note that no documented instances exist of the Jewish community or Christian opponents producing Jesus's body to disprove the resurrection. This point, analyzed by scholars such (Pannenberg2004-dc, Davis1993-wv, Craig1989-gr, Evans2004-sq, Anderson1968-jz, Moreland1987-wo), boosted the reliability the Christian narrative.

In the face of these debates, the early Christian church persevered and expanded, with the uncontested claim of the empty tomb a significant factor in its growth, as detailed by scholars (Pannenberg2013-ig), Godet1887-xs, Fairbairn1882-fa).

By AD 75, some Jewish circles began proposing the theory of body theft to counter Christian claims of resurrection, acknowledging the empty tomb as a fundamental premise. However, there is no early evidence to suggest that anyone, whether Christian or non-Christian, alleged the presence of Jesus' remains in the tomb. The absence of documented instances where Jesus's body was produced by opponents further strengthens the reliability of the Christian narrative, a point emphasized by various scholars. Despite debates surrounding the empty tomb, the early Christian church continued to thrive and expand, with the uncontested claim of the empty tomb playing a crucial role in its growth, as evidenced by scholarly analysis.

See More at The Appearances Of Jesus

The belief in the empty tomb of Jesus has been a fundamental aspect of Christian faith since its earliest days. After the crucifixion, Jesus' followers reported discovering the empty tomb three days later, an event that underpins the Christian belief in Jesus' resurrection. The apostle Peter and others, having witnessed the empty tomb, began preaching in Jerusalem about Jesus' resurrection as early as two months after the event. This belief is reflected in the New Testament writings and early Christian creeds, such as the creed found in 1 Corinthians 15:3-4. Furthermore, historical evidence suggests that Jesus' body was never found, supporting the belief in the empty tomb. Therefore, the early Christian Church has consistently upheld the significance of the empty tomb as the cornerstone of their belief in Jesus' resurrection.