Claim 4 of 12 · Case 10 · Islam
The belief in a resurrected, divine Jesus is not a later invention by Paul, because a creed he quotes predates his letters and the first apostles endorsed his message.
One claim from the free evidence repository at apologetics.pro.
This answers the objection that Paul hijacked a simple prophet’s message and turned Jesus into God. Paul’s letters are among the earliest Christian writings, and in one of them he quotes an even older creed about the resurrection that he says he received. He also met with the original apostles, who affirmed his message. So the resurrection belief goes back to the very beginning, not to Paul’s imagination.
The full case is made in Historical Jesus, claim 4 (the belief that Jesus rose predates Paul’s letters); this claim keeps only what is specific to this audience.
Backed by 2 pieces of evidence
Paul, First Letter to the Corinthians, chapter 15
If the creed is older than Paul, then Paul cannot be its inventor. This directly refutes the claim that resurrection belief was a late development and shows it was already being recited by Christians almost immediately after the events.
Paul, Letter to the Galatians, chapters 1 and 2
The endorsement of the first apostles is the second half of the answer. It closes the door on the idea that Paul quietly replaced the real message, since the people who actually knew Jesus signed off on what Paul preached.