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Q: Matthew 28:17 reports that some doubted, even when they saw and worshiped Jesus after the resurrection. If they werent sure, how could we ever be?
A: The text does not explicitly say what the target of the doubts of some of the disciples was. They see Jesus, and they worship Him -- but some doubted (Greek edistasan).
It's clearly implied that they doubted Jesus' resurrection. What else would they have doubted? Also, keep in mind that their doubt is specified before Jesus approached them, so by this account they hadn't yet seen the risen Jesus. (Contrast this with Jesus revealing himself in Jerusalem in Luke's account, as opposed to in Galilee in Matthew's version.)
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This is the same word that Jesus used to describe Simon Peters disposition after Peter had attempted to walk on water (and momentarily succeeded) in Matthew 14. After plucking Simon out of the waves, Jesus asked him, Why did you doubt? (edistasas) I dont think the doubts held by some disciples in Matthew 27:17 consisted of questions like, Did Jesus really rise from the dead? any more than Peters doubt consisted of questions like, Is Jesus really walking on water?.
That's not a very good comparison. There is absolutely nothing in the account of Peter on the water indicating that he doubted that it was Jesus walking on the water. However, it does clearly state that Peter feared the waves, and that is clearly what is implied by Jesus' comment about his doubts.
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The doubts seem to have been about the new direction in which their lives seemed to be going -- how safe was it going to be to follow Jesus now that He had been found guilty of both blasphemy and sedition? In other words, the sentence could be paraphrased this way: When they saw Him, they worshiped Him, but some were having second thoughts.
No, that is not at all what the doubts in Matthew 28 seem to be. Jesus had not yet approached them, and some of them doubted that it was him in the distance, plain and simple.
As such, your referencing this thread in the Easter thread does nothing to resolve the contradiction discussed there.
Take care......
"As for the truth, it seems like we just pick a theory." -- Emily Saliers of Indigo Girls
