Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP
Path: utzoo!utgpu!water!watnot!watmath!clyde!rutgers!topaz!christian
From: christian@topaz.UUCP
Newsgroups: mod.religion.christian
Subject: Re: More Questions on Christianity
Message-ID: <9751@topaz.RUTGERS.EDU>
Date: Mon, 2-Mar-87 05:59:04 EST
Article-I.D.: topaz.9751
Posted: Mon Mar  2 05:59:04 1987
Date-Received: Tue, 3-Mar-87 21:06:48 EST
References: <9530@topaz.RUTGERS.EDU>
Sender: hedrick@topaz.RUTGERS.EDU
Organization: Cal Tech
Lines: 20
Approved: christian@topaz.UUCP
Summary: Multiple appearances vs conflicting versions of the Ascension

The gospel of John tells us that there were several appearances that
Jesus made after His Resurection.  I believe that what is perceived
as conflicts in the four gospels (in the details of His appearances
and the location of His ascension) is a result of accounts of seperate
appearances.

Accounts of the Ascension (in the gospels) are found only in Mark and Luke.
Luke is quite specific in saying where Jesus led the apostles before
the Ascension (Bethany).  Mark, however, starts a new paragraph after
describing an encounter with the risen Christ, saying, "So then,
after the Lord had spoken to them, He was received up into heaven,
and sat down at the right hand of God."

I believe the phrase "after the Lord had spoken to them" means after
all the appearances that Jesus made to them.  This could easily mean
some time other than the appearance described in the preceeding paragraph.

Dave Bilitch
California Institute of Technology
dhb@bek-mc.caltech.edu, ...!cit-vax!bek-mc!dhb