THIS is why it’s worth the time to read N.T. Wright’s big books.
On the first 300 pages of his book, defining Resurrection in antiquity:
Many studies of the resurrection have begun by examining the accounts of the Easter experiences in Paul and the gospel, subjecting those accounts to detailed traditio-historical analysis. This puts the cart before the horse. Such analysis is always speculative; until we know what resurrection meant in that world, we are unlikely to get it right. This is not just a matter of seeing the big picture ahead of the little details, though that is important too; it is about knowing what we are talking about before we begin to talk about it.
-N.T. Wright, The Resurrection of the Son of God, p.30
Language has evolved a heck of a lot in 2000 years. Watch out.
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