Untitled Sermon (2)

Ante-Nicene Fathers 4: Fathers of the Third Century: Tertullian, Part Fourth; Minucius Felix; Commodian; Origen, Parts First and Second Chapter LVI

if we were to suppose Jesus to have died an obscure death, so that the fact of His decease was not patent to the whole nation of the Jews, and afterwards to have actually risen from the dead, there would, in such a case, have been ground for the same suspicion entertained regarding the heroes being also entertained regarding Himself

If we were to suppose that Jesus had died an obscure death, one that was not widely known to the entire Jewish nation, and then rose from the dead, it would indeed invite similar suspicions as those surrounding the tales of other heroes who were said to descend to Hades and return. This public nature of Jesus' crucifixion and the well-documented fact of His death were crucial in eliminating any grounds for such doubts. It ensured that His resurrection could not be dismissed as mere trickery or deception, distinguishing His story from those of mythical heroes