1 Corinthians 15:6
“Then he appeared to over five hundred brothers at once, most of whom remain until now, but some have also fallen asleep.”
What does 1 Corinthians 15:6 mean?
Paul is describing one of the earliest post-resurrection appearances of Jesus, and he's doing something important here: he's pointing to living witnesses. When he wrote this letter (around 53-54 AD, roughly 20 years after the crucifixion), most of those five hundred people were still alive and could be questioned. Paul is essentially saying, "If you don't believe me, go ask them yourself." The phrase "fallen asleep" was a gentle way early Christians spoke about death, reflecting their belief in resurrection rather than permanent ending. By mentioning both the living witnesses and those who had died, Paul is anchoring his testimony in reality. He's not asking people to believe something fantastic on blind faith alone, but rather inviting them to check the evidence with people who were actually there.