In about 56 AD, St Paul writing to the Christians of Corinth, made his position very clear. Someone had been suggesting that the dead cannot be resurrected and did that matter? This , was his response:
‘If there be no resurrection of the dead, then is Christ not risen; and if Christ be not risen, then is our preaching vain, and your faith also.’
The creeds still require the faithful to declare their belief that Jesus died, was buried, descended into hell, and on the third day rose again. Paul explains that the requirement is reasonable: provided the dead can rise, there can be no reason to suppose Jesus did not do so. In fact if He didn’t, the good Saint adds, ‘then we are of all men are most miserable.’
In my anguish... 