When I was reading this passage about six months ago, I had a pair of elders stop by, as my wife, was affraid for my spiritual welfare.
This passage came up as one I had questions about.
Mat 27:50-54 Jesus, when he had cried again with a loud voice, yielded up the ghost.
And, behold, the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom; and the earth did quake, and the rocks rent;
And the graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints which slept arose,
And came out of the graves after his resurrection, and went into the holy city, and appeared unto many.
Now when the centurion, and they that were with him, watching Jesus, saw the earthquake, and those things that were done, they feared greatly, saying, Truly this was the Son of God.
The elders said ..in verse 53 where it speaks of those how arose out of the tombs.......(this reads different in NWT) it meant that those form the centurion guard where those who came out from the tombs......
oddly enough my father asked a circuit oversser this question as well. He repiled ....its a poorly written scripture.........which of course begs the question.....is there a list of them?.......
of courseall three faithful men of the WTBTS org missed this one POINT
it says AFTER HIS RESSURECTION...........
Now we know Jesus mentioned prior to this, that those in the tombs would here his voice and come out.
Also in Peter it talks about preaching to the spirits in prison:
For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit:
1Pe 3:19 By which also he went and preached unto the spirits in prison;
1Pe 3:20 Which sometime were disobedient, when once the longsuffering of God waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was a preparing, wherein few, that is, eight souls were saved by water
and paul talks about the one who Acended Descended first to the lower parts.......
Eph 4:7 But unto every one of us is given grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ.
Eph 4:8 Wherefore he saith, When he ascended up on high, he led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men.
Eph 4:9 (Now that he ascended, what is it but that he also descended first into the lower parts of the earth?
Eph 4:10 He that descended is the same also that ascended up far above all heavens, that he might fill all things.)
so who are these that came out?
anyone?