Story of the Roman Guards.
By Ellet Joseph Waggoner
The story which the Roman guards were bribed to circulate, that the disciples came by night and stole the body of Jesus, was so absurd that it must have materially aided the spread of the truth that Jesus had really risen from the dead. Here are some of the absurdities: 1. That Roman soldiers should be found asleep, when Roman discipline was so strict. 2. That, even if they had fallen asleep, they should all sleep so soundly that the noise of the disciples removing the stone should not awaken them. 3. That they should acknowledge that they had been asleep, if such had been the case. 4. That they should be able to tell who stole the body of Jesus, if they had been asleep at the time. 5. Body-snatchers do not usually leave things in such good order as was the case with the things in which Jesus had been buried. If the disciples had stolen the body, they would not have taken the trouble to fold up the grave-clothes. 6. It is absurd to suppose that the disciples, few in number and timid, should dare attempt to face the Roman guards, especially as they had no reason to suppose that the guards would be asleep. 7. The fact that the Jews did not apprehend the disciples, and punish them for the offense, shows that they did not believe that the body had been stolen. The tomb had been sealed, and the breaking of this would have been an additional crime, but the action of the chief priests belied their testimony. E. J. W.