1 Corinthians 15:6

then he appeared to above five hundred brethren at once, of whom the greater part remain until now, but some are fallen asleep;

'then' -'refers to. sequence of events placed in chronological order.' (Willis p. 530)

'above five hundred brethren at once'. Matthew 28:7. (Mark 14:28)

'at once' -'at one time' (NASV). 'Can hardly be explained except as an attempt to emphasize the reality and objectivity of this appearance.' (Fee p. 730)

'the greater part remain until now' -most of them are still alive. This letter was written about 25 years after the appearance just mentioned.

Points to Note:

1. In the First Century,. great number of witnesses to the fact that Jesus had been bodily resurrected existed and could be consulted.

2. 'The implication from this statement is this: if you doubt my word, go investigate the witnesses for yourself.' (Willis p. 531)