From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Jesus of Nazareth |
6th-century mosaic of Jesus at Basilica of Sant'Apollinare Nuovo in Ravenna. Though depictions of Jesus are culturally important, no undisputed record of what Jesus looked like is known to exist. |
| Born |
c 5 BC/BCE[1]
Bethlehem, Judea, Roman Empire (traditional); Nazareth, Galilee (historical Jesus)[2] |
| Died |
.^ Roman writer who lived from 20 BCE to 50 CE, who traveled to various places in the Roman Empire, including eastern portions of the empire.- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
^ This is the preface to Josephus' account of the war between the Jews and the Romans that lasted from 66 to 70 CE, resulting in the destruction of Judea.- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
^ Roman historian and philosopher who lived from 23-79 CE. He traveled throughout the Roman Empire, though mostly in the northern regions.- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
) |
| Cause of death |
Crucifixion |
| Resting place |
Traditionally and temporarily, a garden tomb located in what is now the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, Jerusalem.[5] |
| Ethnicity |
Jewish |
Jesus of Nazareth (c. 5
BC/
BCE – c.
.^ The beginning of the good news of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
^ And what is most forcible of all, He raised the dead.- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
^ And who gave him rights over the dead?
[7] Islam considers
Jesus a
prophet and also the Messiah.
[8] .^ Indeed there are several places in Josephus' other works that one would expect Josephus to mention Jesus if he had indeed been aware of him and written the Testimonium .- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
He is one of the most influential figures in human history.
.^ Some of the details of the life of Jesus are based on mistranslations of the Hebrew scriptures .- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
^ Mary, the supposed mother of Jesus, is never mentioned by Paul, nor in any canonical work outside of the Gospels and Acts of the Apostles .- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
^ The life of Jesus is a story that was created by combining elements from many other Hebrew stories to create a pseudo-proto-typical savior figure.- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
[13]
.^ New Testament; Matthew 6:14-15 we will be Judged the same as we have judged others.
^ JESUS: Where Antipas reigns, who caused John the Baptist's death.
^ The letter of 2 John is here talking about the fact that many people at the time who did preach about Jesus Christ did not regard him as having existed in flesh and blood.- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
[18][19][20][21][22][23][24][25][26][27][28][29] .^ These cultures didn't have strictly defined religious beliefs, their religions were instead more open and pertained more to ritual.- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
^ Since we are guilty through association (Matthew 18:18 ) if a member of our family rejects JESUS and HIS message, we must have minimum social contact with them.
[13] .^ A hostile reference towards Jesus is seen as the most likely type of reference that would be both authentic and independent, so this proposal has appeal to scholars who seek to maintain that this passage offers evidence for the existence of a real historical Jesus.- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
^ If we take the view of Jesus was a real person who was a teacher and the leader of a religious movement, then we could expect that this person would have produced his own writings, since other rabbis, theologians, and teachers did.- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
.^ The fragments of Phlegon's historical works that survive have led scholars to regard him as one of the least reliable and more outrageous writers of his time.- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
^ So, the story of Jesus' arrest and execution seems quite implausible at the outset, but when one considers the symbolism of the story it becomes apparent that the basis for this story is theological, not historical.- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
^ (Note: Many scholars have interpreted the cursing of the fig tree as a metaphor for Jesus' rejecting of those Jews who reject him and as a foreshadowing of his second coming and judgment.- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
[30] .^ How many readers can eschew their prejudices in regards to the labels of 'God', 'Jesus', 'Spirit' and so on remains to be experienced however.- Genesis and The Gospel of Thomas 1 February 2010 2:10 UTC tonyb.freeyellow.com [Source type: Original source]
^ Jesus however, after a lengthy selfreflection, was able to decipher the OT archetypes to himself assume the Logos archetype in 'realising' or 'discovering' what 'God' had to be.- Genesis and The Gospel of Thomas 1 February 2010 2:10 UTC tonyb.freeyellow.com [Source type: Original source]
^ In the future world God will call the princes (שריהם) of the kingdoms to account before He calls the kingdoms themselves.- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
[30]
.^ Yes, it would have been hard for the disciples to believe that JESUS came as GODS personal representative.
^ JESUS said, He who will know the father and the mother will be called the son of a whore.
^ The "miraculous signs" narrative in John shows Jesus doing many "miraculous signs", but then at the end says that even after all of this the Jews still didn't believe that he was the Son of God.- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
[31]:568-603 .^ But when the light went away, and at the same time with the light itself, the soul of the blessed virgin Mary was taken up into heaven with psalms, and hymns, and songs of songs.- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
^ Indeed his supposed bodily ascension into heaven precludes the possibility of there even being any bodily evidence for his existence, if that story were to be believed.- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
^ Cerdo and Apelles did not believe Jesus to have been born at all!- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
[31]:1091-1109 .^ Early Christian theologians believed the Gospel of Matthew to be the first Gospel that was written, and, by many accounts, the most important (of course there was disagreement among them, as there was on all doctrinal issues).- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
^ We have very little information on the mystery religions partly because many of them were secretive and partly because most of them didn't have written scriptures.- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
^ Most scholars call Didache the oldest non-canon piece of Christian literature, but just how old it is is disputed.- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
[32] .^ There are two basic views of the Biblical Jesus as a real person today, the religious Christian view and the secular historical view.- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
^ Septuagint translation of Hebrew "Mashiah" ("Messiah"=The Anointed), applied by Christians exclusively to Jesus as the Messiah.- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
^ Primarily, calling Jesus "the Messiah" is something that only a Christian would do.- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
.^ The one who has realized this, does know JESUS, GOD & THE HOLY SPIRIT and will not taste death.
^ What else is important about this passage is that it is one of the passages in the letters of Paul that would seem to establish a historical view of Jesus, however, as mentioned, this is regarded as a later addition.- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
^ So, the story of Jesus' arrest and execution seems quite implausible at the outset, but when one considers the symbolism of the story it becomes apparent that the basis for this story is theological, not historical.- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
.^ Primarily, calling Jesus "the Messiah" is something that only a Christian would do.- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
^ Matthew 27: 22 Pilate said to them, "Then what shall I do with Jesus called Messiah?"- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
.^ JESUS said, The heavens will be rolled up, and the Earth, in your presence, and he who lives as a result of HIM who lives, he will not see death.
^ The main aspect of Paul's teachings which people identify with the Jesus Christ of the Gospels is the crucifixion, so let's take a look at Paul's statements on the crucifixion of Jesus.- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
^ After his resurrection Jesus is depicted as walking around, touching people, having dinner, etc., in the Gospels, which supports a major doctrine for Christians: that they are to expect to be bodily resurrected.- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
Etymology
.^ Also, Joshua and Jesus are the same name in Hebrew.- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
^ It makes sense that an account would be written in the same language that Jesus spoke to his followers, yet all of the Gospels were written in Greek, so this idea of an original Hebrew or Aramaic Gospel had a lot of draw to it.- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
^ At least one story element here is clearly drawn from the Hebrew scriptures, the birth of Jesus in Bethlehem.- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
[39][40]:274-275 .^ The anointed one was the king.- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
^ Septuagint translation of Hebrew "Mashiah" ("Messiah"=The Anointed), applied by Christians exclusively to Jesus as the Messiah.- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
^ At least one story element here is clearly drawn from the Hebrew scriptures, the birth of Jesus in Bethlehem.- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
Chronology
.^ We now turn to Wisdom of Solomon , written some time between the 2nd century BCE and the 1st century CE. Most scholars agree that Wisdom of Solomon was written in the 1st century BCE, just shortly before Jesus was supposedly born.- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
^ John the Baptist Killed early in the Gospels, died in 36 CE according to Josephus.- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
^ This means that John the Baptist was probably killed in 35 or 36 CE, some 2 or 3 years after the latest proposed date for the death of Jesus based on the Gospels.- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
[41][42]
.^ There is also no archeological evidence to support this event either.- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
^ Prior to the Gospels there are various works that talk about Jesus in a variety of ways, but none of them provide any details about a birth, life, ministry, or death of Jesus.- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
^ No writing, graffiti, or evidence of any kind has ever been found from the period in which he supposedly lived that establishes the existence of Jesus.- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
The common
Gregorian calendar for numbering years, in which the current year is 2010, is based on an early medieval attempt to count the years from
his birth (
Incarnation). The
Gospel of Matthew places his birth under the reign of
Herod the Great, who died in 4 BC/BCE,
[43] and indications in the Gospel of Luke point to the same period, though Luke also describes the birth as taking place during the
first census of the Roman provinces of
Syria and
Iudaea, which is generally believed to have occurred in 6 AD/CE.
[44] Most scholars generally assume a date of birth between 6 and 4 BC/BCE.
[45]
.^ JESUS was not born on the 25 th of December.
^ Importantly, however, if this did actually refer to Christians in Rome in 49 CE then this reference alone would be evidence of the earliest existence of followers of Jesus in Rome.- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
^ Not only this, but the Gospel of Mark contains elements which imply that Jesus had a natural normal family and the author of Mark says nothing about a special birth.- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
[46] .^ Indeed, under the law almost everything is purified with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sins.- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
^ And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in bands of cloth, and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn.- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
^ Indeed it is ironic that Christian apologists have tried to use the fact that there is no evidence for veneration of a tomb of Jesus to "prove" the "truth" of the resurrection.- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
[46]
.^ Christus, the founder of the name, was put to death by Pontius Pilate, procurator of Judea in the reign of Tiberius: but the pernicious superstition, repressed for a time broke out again, not only through Judea, where the mischief originated, but through the city of Rome also, where all things hideous and shameful from every part of the world find their center and become popular.- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
^ The only place where the rising of the dead upon the death of Jesus is mentioned is also in the Gospel of Matthew.- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
^ All of the people mentioned above lived during the same time that Jesus supposedly lived and are prime candidates for being potential witnesses and documenters of the existence of Jesus.- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
.^ They are going to demand from Pontius Pilate the execution of the sentence.
^ We will deliver him to Pilate and we will demand the execution of Jesus.
^ Or on Pontius Pilate, the Procurator.
.^ He specifically wrote about conflicts between Pontius Pilate and Jews during Pilate's governorship of Judea.- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
^ Pilate's last year as governor of Judea was also 36 CE. .- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
^ Not only this, but he actually wrote about political conflicts between the Jews and Pontius Pilate in Judea .- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
.^ After his resurrection Jesus is depicted as walking around, touching people, having dinner, etc., in the Gospels, which supports a major doctrine for Christians: that they are to expect to be bodily resurrected.- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
^ How could an early Christian defend the doctrine of resurrection without mentioning Jesus Christ, unless he had indeed never heard of him or the story of his death and resurrection?- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
^ Indeed it is ironic that Christian apologists have tried to use the fact that there is no evidence for veneration of a tomb of Jesus to "prove" the "truth" of the resurrection.- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
Life and teachings, as told in the Gospels
.^ There is also language that is shared between the Gospels of Matthew and Luke which is not in the Gospel of Mark.- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
^ The four main potential sources for independent accounts of Jesus are as follows: .- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
^ We can also look at the works of Tacitus, which were written shortly after the Gospel of Mark was probably written.- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
[55] .^ Once a child can understand the Gospels and JESUS he can accept or deny JESUS on his or her own.
^ Sons of Man would indicate that JESUS wanted people to know the power that GOD gives HIS creation.
[Lk. 1:35][Mt. 16:16][Mk. 1:1][Jn. 3:18] .^ A few interesting things about this is that, first of all, the author of Matthew continued to build on the mistranslation in the Septuagint and secondly the passage from Isaiah isn't a prophesy about anything expected to happen in the future, it was part of a self-contained story about Immanuel - there was no prophecy for "Jesus" to fulfill.- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
^ Or don't you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death?- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
^ Jesus knew how to decode Isaiah and what had to be done to bring the 'exiled' Father into the spacetime universe in lieu of his fake image.- Genesis and The Gospel of Thomas 1 February 2010 2:10 UTC tonyb.freeyellow.com [Source type: Original source]
[56] .^ Irenaeus was writing about 100 to 60 years after the Gospels had been in circulation, and we can see that beliefs about Jesus were clearly impacted by the Gospels, but that there were a variety of beliefs as well.- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
^ What else is important about this passage is that it is one of the passages in the letters of Paul that would seem to establish a historical view of Jesus, however, as mentioned, this is regarded as a later addition.- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
^ If Philo had known about Jesus he surely would have written something about him.- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
[57]
Similarities and differences among the Gospels
.^ Anonymous "Gnostic" passion narrative similar to that in the Gospel of Mark .- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
^ There are similar passages in Matthew and Mark.
^ There is also language that is shared between the Gospels of Matthew and Luke which is not in the Gospel of Mark.- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
.^ These propositions are from point of view.- Genesis and The Gospel of Thomas 1 February 2010 2:10 UTC tonyb.freeyellow.com [Source type: Original source]
^ The fact that this was done is actually quite ironic, since the writers of these Gospels evidently viewed other Gospels as flawed, hence the reason that they created new versions.- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
^ In addition to these issues consider this problem: How are the writers the Gospels of Matthew and Luke supposed to have gotten the details of their stories?- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
[58] .^ None of the three synoptic Gospels makes an explicit reference to Christ as the Passover lamb, but the Gospel called John does.- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
^ The three other Gospels all build on the story of Mark, but they introduce theological differences.- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
.^ There is also language that is shared between the Gospels of Matthew and Luke which is not in the Gospel of Mark.- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
^ Here is exactly what the Gospel of Matthew says: .- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
^ (The dominant theory now is that Matthew and Luke both independently use Mark and a document called "Q") It also would not make sense that Luke got his information from Paul, because Paul plainly stated in his letters that he never saw Jesus, other than through visions.- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
.^ Eating the bread symbolizes the knowledge these people have of the life and immortality they enjoy by belonging to the kingdom of God made known to them by Jesus, God's child.- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
^ Now after John was arrested, Jesus came to Galilee, proclaiming the good news of God, and saying, The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God has come near; repent, and believe in the good news.- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
^ There is no evidence of any knowledge of a tomb of Jesus (empty or occupied) prior to the Gospel stories .- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
[59]
Character of Jesus
.^ Prior to the Gospels there are various works that talk about Jesus in a variety of ways, but none of them provide any details about a birth, life, ministry, or death of Jesus.- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
^ In Mark's Gospel Peter is portrayed as a fool who doesn't understand the message of Jesus, and thus him being Mark's authoritative source is unlikely at best.- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
^ The religious Christian view takes the Gospels as accurate and reliable accounts of the life of Jesus, including all of the miracles.- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
[60][61] .^ In Mark's Gospel Peter is portrayed as a fool who doesn't understand the message of Jesus, and thus him being Mark's authoritative source is unlikely at best.- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
^ John the Baptist was the real martyr but if he were martyred in the Gospels that would only draw attention away from the "ultimate sacrifice" of the main character Jesus.- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
^ Here Theophilus has laid out a doctrine that is exactly like the Christian doctrine in the Gospel of John in every way, but he does not associate "The Word" with anyone named Jesus, he just talks about "him" as a "helper of God".- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
[62] .^ The life of Jesus is a story that was created by combining elements from many other Hebrew stories to create a pseudo-proto-typical savior figure.- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
^ These are the four main odes that lead scholars to date the work after the Gospels, and perhaps it was written after the Gospels, but there are serious issues to address.- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
^ There are actually four different endings to Mark, but scholars agree that the ending most likely to be original is the shortest one, that ends with the women who had found the empty tomb being afraid and saying nothing.- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
[61]
.^ And if your testimony is true of the life, actions, and death of Jesus of Nazareth, I tell you that Death and Satan are overthrown; that the salvation of man has come.
^ "Mark" presents the killing of Jesus as the reason for the destruction of Judea.- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
^ Later in the story (Mark 9), the disciples ask Jesus about the teaching that Elijah would come before the "Son of Man", as shown below: .- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
.^ Christians have traditionally used the parallels between the story of Jesus and the Hebrew scriptures to claim that Jesus fulfilled many prophecies from the "Old Testament", but there are several problems with this claim.- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
Luke emphasizes Jesus' miraculous powers and his support for the poor, women, and Gentiles.
.^ The religious Christian view takes the Gospels as accurate and reliable accounts of the life of Jesus, including all of the miracles.- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
^ The secular historical view, which may also be held by some Christians, takes the Gospels as exaggerated accounts of the life of a real Jesus.- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
^ In other words, John uses eloquent Greek prose for the speeches of Jesus.- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
[60]
Logos
.^ The main aspect of Paul's teachings which people identify with the Jesus Christ of the Gospels is the crucifixion, so let's take a look at Paul's statements on the crucifixion of Jesus.- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
^ Compare the above statements from Philo to the opening of the Gospel of John: .- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
^ To get an idea of the extent to which this is the case we can look at one of the Gospels and identify the scriptural basis for the events in the story of Jesus.- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
[Jn. 1:1–5] .
Genealogy and family
.^ There are only two accounts of the birth of Jesus in the Gospels, one in Matthew and one in Luke.- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
^ The Gospels provide us with four accounts of the death of Jesus.- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
^ The only place where the rising of the dead upon the death of Jesus is mentioned is also in the Gospel of Matthew.- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
[65][66] .^ We can compare the passages from Didache to the Last Supper meal in the Gospel of Matthew to see the differences between the two: .- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
^ There are only two accounts of the birth of Jesus in the Gospels, one in Matthew and one in Luke.- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
[67] .^ For example, many of the changes made by the authors of Matthew and Luke deal with making Mark's account more compatible with the virgin birth story, since Mark contains story elements which infer that Jesus is the naturally born son of Joseph and Mary.- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
^ Since we are guilty through association (Matthew 18:18 ) if a member of our family rejects JESUS and HIS message, we must have minimum social contact with them.
^ It is almost universally accepted by New Testament scholars today that Mark was the first of the narrative Gospels that was written, and that Matthew and Luke are copied from it in some fashion, however this position has only been adopted within the last 200 years.- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
[69] .^ The "Star of Bethlehem" is only mentioned in the Gospel of Matthew, it isn't mentioned in Luke or any other book in the Bible.- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
^ The biggest change that the author of Matthew made to the Gospel of Mark was the addition of the virgin birth story.- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
^ The most famous and critical of these errors occurs in Isaiah 7 , which was referenced by the author of Matthew as the basis for his famous virgin birth story.- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
.^ And we will go on to love, to give ourselves entirely to one another, brother to brother, wife to spouse, son to father, in accordance with the flesh; man to friend of his choice?
^ Jesus has a biological real Father (Joseph/Panthera) and a biological real Mother (Mary).- Genesis and The Gospel of Thomas 1 February 2010 2:10 UTC tonyb.freeyellow.com [Source type: Original source]
^ T2: Matthew 1 - Isaiah 9:6: "For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders.- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
.^ And will we see Jesus reign over the Jews and the Gentiles as King David announced?
^ The Catholics held a specific view of Jesus Christ as a real live, historical, person, who was both God, the only son of God, and a fully human being.- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
^ The variety of beliefs ranged from Christ never having become incarnate at all, to Christ having entered into the body of a human Jesus, to the Catholic belief that Jesus was Christ, and that he was both human and divine.- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
.^ Have you ever heard of the conversation between David Bohm and J. Krishnamurti about these issues?- Genesis and The Gospel of Thomas 1 February 2010 2:10 UTC tonyb.freeyellow.com [Source type: Original source]
^ The author of Mark is evidently unaware of any virgin birth story, making no mention whatsoever of it, and the birth stories in Matthew and Luke are both completely different from one another, while they both contain the core of Mark.- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
^ The biggest problem with all of these other references to the Testimonium is not only that they all also come after the 3rd century, but they are all also almost exactly like what we currently have today, with the only real variation being the passage about "Christ".- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
Joseph, husband of
Mary, appears in descriptions of Jesus' childhood.
.^ In Didache we again see Jesus mentioned not as a real flesh and blood entity, but as a spiritual mediator, and the eucharist ritual in Didache makes no reference either the body or blood of Jesus.- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
^ What else is important about this passage is that it is one of the passages in the letters of Paul that would seem to establish a historical view of Jesus, however, as mentioned, this is regarded as a later addition.- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
^ All of the people mentioned above lived during the same time that Jesus supposedly lived and are prime candidates for being potential witnesses and documenters of the existence of Jesus.- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
The New Testament books of Matthew, Mark, and
Galatians tell of Jesus' relatives, including words sometimes translated as "brothers" and "sisters".
[70][71][72] Luke also mentions that
Elizabeth, mother of John the Baptist, was a "cousin" or "relative" of Mary,
[Lk. 1:36] which would make John a distant cousin of Jesus.
Nativity and early life
Adoration of the Shepherds, illustration by
Guido Reni, 17th century
.^ There is no narrative or details of a life of Jesus.- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
^ Indeed, under the law almost everything is purified with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sins.- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
^ The life of Jesus is a story that was created by combining elements from many other Hebrew stories to create a pseudo-proto-typical savior figure.- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
[55] .^ The main aspect of Paul's teachings which people identify with the Jesus Christ of the Gospels is the crucifixion, so let's take a look at Paul's statements on the crucifixion of Jesus.- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
^ Josephus did write it, but he based his information on a Gospel or another Christian source, then it is of no value in supporting the existence of "Jesus."- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
^ These are the four main odes that lead scholars to date the work after the Gospels, and perhaps it was written after the Gospels, but there are serious issues to address.- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
[73]
.^ When we trust JESUS we are trusting GOD and the HOLY SPIRIT. .
^ JESUS was not born of a virgin.
^ Those who accept JESUS, and HIS instructions, are a part of the family of the HOLY SPIRIT. They will not taste death!
In Luke, the
angel Gabriel visits Mary to tell her that she was chosen to bear the
Son of God.
[Lk. 1:26–38] .^ Joseph also went from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to the city of David called Bethlehem, because he was descended from the house and family of David.- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
^ Matthew 1: 20 But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, "Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit.- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
[Lk. 2:1-5] .^ And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in bands of cloth, and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn.- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
^ The author of the Gospel called Matthew used this mistranslation as the basis for his story about Jesus' birth, stating: .- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
^ (Note: Jesus was called a Nazorean in the gospels because he supposedly lived in a place called Nazareth, but this refers to Samson being from a Nazirite sect.- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
[Lk. 2:1–7] .^ JESUS said, The heavens will be rolled up, and the Earth, in your presence, and he who lives as a result of HIM who lives, he will not see death.
^ And will we see Jesus reign over the Jews and the Gentiles as King David announced?
^ Those who accept JESUS, and HIS instructions, are a part of the family of the HOLY SPIRIT. They will not taste death!
[Lk. 2:8-18].^ The "miraculous signs" narrative in John shows Jesus doing many "miraculous signs", but then at the end says that even after all of this the Jews still didn't believe that he was the Son of God.- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
^ And will we see Jesus reign over the Jews and the Gentiles as King David announced?
^ He had many followers both of the Jews and of the Gentiles -- he was believed to be the Christ .- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
[Mt. 2:1–12] .^ According to the Gospel of Matthew, King Herod ordered all of the male children two or younger around the town of Bethlehem to be killed when he learned of the birth of Jesus.- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
^ Matthew 2: 16 When Herod saw that he had been tricked by the magi, he was infuriated, and he sent and killed all the children in and around Bethlehem who were two years old or under, according to the time that he had learned from the magi.- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
^ At least one story element here is clearly drawn from the Hebrew scriptures, the birth of Jesus in Bethlehem.- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
[74][Mt. 2:16-17] .^ Those who accept JESUS, and HIS instructions, are a part of the family of the HOLY SPIRIT. They will not taste death!
^ When they had heard the king, they set out; and there, ahead of them, went the star that they had seen at its rising in the east, until it stopped over the place where the child was.- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
^ For they forget the commandments of the living GOD and live pleasurably in worthless luxury, and are destroyed by this angel, some to death and some to corruption.
[Mt. 2:19–23]
.^ Joseph also went from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to the city of David called Bethlehem, because he was descended from the house and family of David.- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
^ In those days Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan.- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
[Mt. 2:23] .^ The life of Jesus is a story that was created by combining elements from many other Hebrew stories to create a pseudo-proto-typical savior figure.- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
^ The fact that all three of the other narrative Gospels in the Bible are based directly or indirectly on the Gospel of Mark demonstrates the lack of other narrative information about Jesus.- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
^ If, on the other hand, Jesus really was divine and really was resurrected, and the Gospels accurately portray the events of his death and resurrection, then we should still expect to find some continuous line of veneration of the site of his burial and resurrection, but again we do not.- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
[75] .^ Pre-Gospel evidence was never appealed to, and yet, even though the defense of the humanity of Jesus began in the 2nd century, this defense began almost as soon as the Gospels were written.- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
^ So, the great source of conformation for the events following the death of Jesus is a second century writer, who wrote after the Gospels had been published, who collected bizarre tales from around the empire and collated them into even more fantastic stories.- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
[76] .^ JESUS: I was hers for thirty years.
^ Irenaeus was writing about 100 to 60 years after the Gospels had been in circulation, and we can see that beliefs about Jesus were clearly impacted by the Gospels, but that there were a variety of beliefs as well.- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
^ Could the first person who wrote a narrative about Jesus, who serves as the primary source for both Matthew and Luke, not have known about Jesus' special birth?- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
[Lk. 3:23] .^ If Mark is an allegorical story, then what is Mark about, why did the author write it, and why is it about someone called Jesus Christ?- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
^ The talk about Christ descending in the form of a dove on a "dispensational Jesus" is actually inspired by the Gospel of Mark, and many so-called heretics used the Gospel of Mark.- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
^ Another example from the beginning of Mark is the calling of the fishermen, which has a quite different meaning when you know the underlying subtext of the passage.- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
Matthew says he was the son of a tekton.[Mk. 6:3] .
Baptism and temptation
.^ The "miraculous signs" narrative in John shows Jesus doing many "miraculous signs", but then at the end says that even after all of this the Jews still didn't believe that he was the Son of God.- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
^ The Gospel account of the killing of John the Baptist by Herod portrays the reason for his execution as a moral failure of Herod.- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
^ John the Baptist came to announce the coming of our SAVIOUR JESUS, which would be a great honor for John, granted by our CREATOR to John.
.^ In those days Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan.- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
^ And so John came, baptizing in the desert region and preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins.- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
^ The letter of 2 John is here talking about the fact that many people at the time who did preach about Jesus Christ did not regard him as having existed in flesh and blood.- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
.^ And just as he was coming up out of the water, he saw the heavens torn apart and the Spirit descending like a dove on him.- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
^ I have baptized you with water; but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
^ JESUS said, The heavens will be rolled up, and the Earth, in your presence, and he who lives as a result of HIM who lives, he will not see death.
Then a voice came from heaven saying: 'You are My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased'".
[Mk. 1:10–11]
.^ And so John came, baptizing in the desert region and preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins.- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
^ Anonymous narrative story about the life of Jesus starting with his baptism .- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
[60] .^ John makes-up the scenario here of having the other individuals' legs broken (and having Jesus stabbed in the side) in order to make references to the scriptures.- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
^ The point here, though, is that John is explicitly drawing a reference to Jesus as the Passover lamb.- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
^ The writer of John refers to Jesus as the "Lamb of God" and gives the following narrative of his crucifixion and death: .- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
[60][78] .^ JESUS said, The heavens will be rolled up, and the Earth, in your presence, and he who lives as a result of HIM who lives, he will not see death.
^ Or don't you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death?- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
^ The letter of 2 John is here talking about the fact that many people at the time who did preach about Jesus Christ did not regard him as having existed in flesh and blood.- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
.
.^ Then JESUS was led up of the SPIRIT into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil, and when HE had fasted forty days and forty nights, HE was afterward an hungred.
^ The writer of John refers to Jesus as the "Lamb of God" and gives the following narrative of his crucifixion and death: .- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
^ Mark 1: 14 After John was put in prison, Jesus went into Galilee, proclaiming the good news of God.- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
[Mt. 4:1–2] .^ All of the people mentioned above lived during the same time that Jesus supposedly lived and are prime candidates for being potential witnesses and documenters of the existence of Jesus.- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
^ JESUS said unto him, It is written again, Thou shalt not tempt the LORD thy GOD. .
^ Yet, despite all this, not only does he not mention Jesus, but there is nothing in his writings to indicate that anything remarkable happened during the supposed time of Jesus.- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
.^ We can now move on to the book of Romans, where Paul mentions the crucifixion of Jesus one time in Romans 6: .- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
^ The Temptation of Jesus: T1: Matthew 4:6 - Psalm 91:11,12 T1: Matthew 4:7 - Deuteronomy 6:16 T1: Matthew 4:10 - Deuteronomy 6:13 .- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
.^ Then the devil leaveth HIM, and, behold, angels came and ministered unto HIM. .
^ Then the devil leaveth HIM, and, behold, angels came and ministered unto HIM. (Matthew 4:1-11 KJV) .
^ Then the devil leaveth HIM, and, behold, angels came and ministered unto HIM. (Matthew 4:8-11 KJV) .
[79]
.^ JESUS: Where must one go, John?
^ JESUS: Happy are you, John, that God makes you so clearly confident.
^ But the verbal testimony of Jesus was preserved in its present purity by the inner circle of whom Paul became the last, albeit followed by the 'vision of John' to 'seal' the 'testimony'.- Genesis and The Gospel of Thomas 1 February 2010 2:10 UTC tonyb.freeyellow.com [Source type: Original source]
.^ The writer of John refers to Jesus as the "Lamb of God" and gives the following narrative of his crucifixion and death: .- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
^ John the Baptist was the real martyr but if he were martyred in the Gospels that would only draw attention away from the "ultimate sacrifice" of the main character Jesus.- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
^ It's interesting that the Gospels don't give this as the reason for the death of John the Baptist, because in the Gospels it is Jesus who is killed for being the supposed political threat.- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
.^ JESUS said, Among those born of women, from Adam until John the Baptist, there is no one so superior to John the Baptist that his eyes should not be lowered (before him).
[60] .^ JOHN: Will we be more demanding than he?
^ And so John came, baptizing in the desert region and preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins.- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
^ In those days Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan.- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
[Jn. 3:22–23] [4:1–3]
Ministry
.^ The synoptics have Jesus crucified on the day of Passover, while John puts the crucifixion on the day before.- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
^ Now after John was arrested, Jesus came to Galilee, proclaiming the good news of God, and saying, The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God has come near; repent, and believe in the good news.- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
^ In those days Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan.- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
[81] .^ About the ninth hour Jesus cried out in a loud voice, "Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?"which means, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?"- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
^ Is it the case that Paul's gospel and the early teachings about "Christ Jesus" were a Jewish form of this same type of mystery religion?- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
^ As for me, GOD forbid that I should boast about anything except the Cross of our LORD JESUS CHRIST. Galatians 6:14 TLB .
[14] .^ JESUS may have been referring to John the Baptist or to HIMSELF, no matter which.
[14]
Jesus' purpose
.^ They came out of the tombs, and after Jesus' resurrection they went into the holy city and appeared to many people.- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
^ Eating the bread symbolizes the knowledge these people have of the life and immortality they enjoy by belonging to the kingdom of God made known to them by Jesus, God's child.- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
^ They said to HIM, So that he may kill it and eat it.
[Jn. 10:10]
Mark says that Jesus came to "give his life as a ransom for many";
[Mk. 10:45] Luke, that he was sent to "preach the good news of the Kingdom of God";[Lk. 4:43] and John, that he came so that "those who believed in him would have eternal life".[Jn. 3:16]Duration and location
.^ There are only two accounts of the birth of Jesus in the Gospels, one in Matthew and one in Luke.- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
^ JESUS: Where must one go, John?
^ Irenaeus was writing about 100 to 60 years after the Gospels had been in circulation, and we can see that beliefs about Jesus were clearly impacted by the Gospels, but that there were a variety of beliefs as well.- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
[83][84] .^ Then, when JESUS (or HOLY SPIRIT) finds the person worthy the following will take place, John 14:15-16.
^ JESUS traveled from one locality to another spreading the Good News of the Kingdom, not calling any one place his home.
^ On reaching Jerusalem, Jesus entered the temple area and began driving out those who were buying and selling there.- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
[85] .^ John 12: 12 The next day the great crowd that had come to the festival heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem.- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
^ On reaching Jerusalem, Jesus entered the temple area and began driving out those who were buying and selling there.- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
[85]
Disciples
.^ Mary, the supposed mother of Jesus, is never mentioned by Paul, nor in any canonical work outside of the Gospels and Acts of the Apostles .- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
^ Here Papias states that the Gospel called Mark was written by someone named Mark, and that Mark recorded his Gospel from the apostle Peter.- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
^ Some Pharisees and other Jewish leaders now arrived from Jerusalem to interview JESUS. Why do YOUR disciples disobey the ancient Jewish traditions?
None of them seems to have been a peasant (an agricultural worker). At least four are described as fishermen and another as a tax collector.
.^ Death of Jesus Accompanied by blackout of sun, earthquakes, and raising of the dead in the Gospels, no record of this by others.- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
^ The writings of Paul present Jesus Christ as a "mystery", who is being revealed by Paul and others through the interpretation of scriptures and prophetic writings.- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
.^ Give to JESUS by supporting the poor .
^ (Note: Jesus was placed in the tomb of a rich man) .- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
^ And the poor man, being provided for by the rich, prays for him, thanking GOD for the one who shares with him.
.^ Since we are guilty through association (Matthew 18:18 ) if a member of our family rejects JESUS and HIS message, we must have minimum social contact with them.
[86]
.^ In Mark's Gospel Peter is portrayed as a fool who doesn't understand the message of Jesus, and thus him being Mark's authoritative source is unlikely at best.- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
^ His disciples did not understand these things at first; but when Jesus was glorified, then they remembered that these things had been written of him and had been done to him.- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
^ Understanding Mark is the key to understanding the whole story of Jesus.- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
[87] .
Teachings and preachings
.^ Mark 1: 1 The beginning of the gospel about Jesus Christ[, the Son of God.- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
^ Irenaeus was writing about 100 to 60 years after the Gospels had been in circulation, and we can see that beliefs about Jesus were clearly impacted by the Gospels, but that there were a variety of beliefs as well.- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
^ About the ninth hour Jesus cried out in a loud voice, "Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?"which means, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?"- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
[83] .^ Could the first person who wrote a narrative about Jesus, who serves as the primary source for both Matthew and Luke, not have known about Jesus' special birth?- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
In John, he speaks at length about himself and his divine role.
[83]
.^ In those days Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan.- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
^ JESUS said, I shall choose you, one from a thousand and two from ten thousand, and they will stand as a single one.
^ JESUS said, The man old in days will not hesitate to ask a little child seven days old about the place of life, and that person will live.
[89]
.^ Of course, the whole idea that Jesus had come to earth and spread his message is not presented until the Gospels are written, some 10 to 60 years after the evangelism of Paul.- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
^ It would be inconceivable that someone would teach that Jesus were "made alive in the spirit" if he had actually been witnessed to have come back to life "in the flesh".- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
^ Sermon on the Mount: T2: Matthew 5-7 - Exodus 19...: (Note: The Sermon on the Mount {which is only in the Gospel of Matthew} refers to how only Moses was allowed up the mountain in Exodus, but Jesus brings everyone up the mountain.- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
It is one of five collections of teachings in Matthew.
[74]
.^ I am also leaving out all of the parables because I am concerned here with the supposed events of the life of Jesus, i.e.- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
.^ Therefore they will be named "The Words of Imperishability and Truth," for those who know the eternal God in wisdom of knowledge and teaching of angels forever, for he knows all things."- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
^ And it teaches us to render all things to all, "honor to whom honor, fear to whom fear, tribute to whom tribute; to owe no man anything, but to love all."- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
^ The prayers of thanksgiving are for the food and drink God created for all people and the special, "spiritual" food and drink that Christians have because of Jesus.- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
[90] .^ And so John came, baptizing in the desert region and preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins.- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
^ And we will go on to love, to give ourselves entirely to one another, brother to brother, wife to spouse, son to father, in accordance with the flesh; man to friend of his choice?
^ What else is important about this passage is that it is one of the passages in the letters of Paul that would seem to establish a historical view of Jesus, however, as mentioned, this is regarded as a later addition.- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
[91]
.^ The synoptics have Jesus crucified on the day of Passover, while John puts the crucifixion on the day before.- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
^ John is specifically drawing on this passage to craft his story, thus John has Jesus crucified on the 14th day of Nisan, whereas he is crucified on the 15th day of Nisan in the synoptics.- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
.^ Talks about the coming end of the world.- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
^ It states that the end of suffering will only come when all women stop giving birth, then the end of the world will come.- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
^ JESUS said: Blessed are the solitary and the elect for they shall discover the Kingdom from which they come, and to which they must return.
He calls on his followers to be ever alert and faithful.
.^ We need to seek the Kingdom of GOD while the flesh is alive or the following may occur.
[87] .^ Matthew 27: 22 Pilate said to them, "Then what shall I do with Jesus called Messiah?"- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
[74]
Outreach to outsiders
Table fellowship is central to Jesus' ministry in the Gospels.
[16] He and his disciples eat with sinners (who neglect purity rules)
[85] and tax collectors (imperial
publicani, despised as extortionists). The apostle
Matthew is a tax collector.
.^ Galatians 2: 15 "We who are Jews by birth and not 'Gentile sinners' 16 know that a man is not justified by observing the law, but by faith in Jesus Christ.- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
^ Jesus said, 'Woe to the Pharisees, for they are like a dog sleeping in the food trough of cows: the dog neither eats nor lets the cows eat.'- Genesis and The Gospel of Thomas 1 February 2010 2:10 UTC tonyb.freeyellow.com [Source type: Original source]
[Mt. 9:9–13] .^ They had followed Jesus from Galilee to care for his needs.- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
^ For I am come to set a man at variance against his father, and the daughter against her mother, and the daughter in law against her mother in law, and a mans foes shall be they of his own household.
^ Let us beset the just one , because he is obnoxious to us; he sets himself against our doings, Reproaches us for transgressions of the law and charges us with violations of our training.- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
.^ The disciples at Pentecost were accused of being drunk when they received the HOLY SPIRIT. Thomas has become equal with JESUS because he has drunk from the same source (bubbling spring) as JESUS. We, all have the same potential but will not be equal with JESUS, because HE is the ONE WHO died for our sins.
^ Paul is saying that ancient mysteries are being revealed and made known through prophetic writings, but why wouldn't he be saying that these things were made known by Jesus himself?- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
[85] Jesus' miracles and teachings often involve food and feasting.[16] .^ Eating the bread symbolizes the knowledge these people have of the life and immortality they enjoy by belonging to the kingdom of God made known to them by Jesus, God's child.- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
[16] In the Synoptics, Jesus institutes a new covenant with a ritual meal before he is crucified..^ Some of these supposed evidences for the existence of Jesus, and more, have been relatively recent forgeries, produced at various times from the Middle Ages through to the 20th century.- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
^ Jesus said, 'When you make the two into one, you will become children of humanity, and when you say, 'Mountain move!'- Genesis and The Gospel of Thomas 1 February 2010 2:10 UTC tonyb.freeyellow.com [Source type: Original source]
^ Indeed the Gospels themselves state many times that "scribes" were present during the various acts of Jesus, yet we have no records from these supposed scribes.- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
Transfiguration and Jesus' divine role
.^ I did not come to be the friend and companion to Peter, James and John.
^ The synoptics have Jesus crucified on the day of Passover, while John puts the crucifixion on the day before.- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
^ The fact that all three of the other narrative Gospels in the Bible are based directly or indirectly on the Gospel of Mark demonstrates the lack of other narrative information about Jesus.- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
[87] .^ The bandages were cut; we saw the living face, the eyes open, blinking; and there he was standing before us and coming towards us.
^ And when he appears, the prophet vows you will hear his terrible voice before having seen his face.
^ If its possible, my Father, make my death like the death of Elijah and of Moses and let me be spared drinking the bitter dregs of the wine youve made me drink.
.^ And a voice came from heaven, You are my Son, the Beloved; with you I am well pleased.- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
^ Jesus called out with a loud voice, "Father, into your hands I commit my spirit."- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
^ The "miraculous signs" narrative in John shows Jesus doing many "miraculous signs", but then at the end says that even after all of this the Jews still didn't believe that he was the Son of God.- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
[93] .^ If Jesus didn't really exist in the flesh, suffer, and die, reasons Basil, then we have no reason to believe in resurrection and eternal life, therefore we have to believe that Jesus existed "in flesh".- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
^ The Testimonium Flavianum is by far best explained as the full insertion of a later note, and this was the dominant view among Protestant scholars before the rise of the challenge to the existence of Jesus.- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
[93]
In Mark, Jesus' identity as the Messiah is obscured (see
Messianic secret).
[94] .^ Basically, so much of the text of Mark, Matthew, and Luke is shared word-for-word that the only explanation can be that there has been extensive copying between the texts.- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
^ This would indicate that the author of Mark is saying that they had dropped the ball, and this symbolizes a further failure of the Jews, presumably responsible for their woes.- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
^ The author of Mark is evidently unaware of any virgin birth story, making no mention whatsoever of it, and the birth stories in Matthew and Luke are both completely different from one another, while they both contain the core of Mark.- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
[95] .^ The synoptics have Jesus crucified on the day of Passover, while John puts the crucifixion on the day before.- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
^ John is specifically drawing on this passage to craft his story, thus John has Jesus crucified on the 14th day of Nisan, whereas he is crucified on the 15th day of Nisan in the synoptics.- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
^ Anonymous narrative story about Jesus, which has traditionally been ascribed to "John the disciple of Jesus".- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
[81] Here he punctuates his ministry with several miraculous signs of his authority.
.^ JESUS said, He who will know the father and the mother will be called the son of a whore.
^ Jesus called out with a loud voice, "Father, into your hands I commit my spirit."- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
^ The "miraculous signs" narrative in John shows Jesus doing many "miraculous signs", but then at the end says that even after all of this the Jews still didn't believe that he was the Son of God.- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
[63] .
Arrest, trial, and death
In Jerusalem
.^ When Thomas came back to his friends, they asked him, 'What did Jesus tell you?'- Genesis and The Gospel of Thomas 1 February 2010 2:10 UTC tonyb.freeyellow.com [Source type: Original source]
^ The synoptics have Jesus crucified on the day of Passover, while John puts the crucifixion on the day before.- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
^ We see this in several places, but one of the most notable is the scene were Jesus rebukes Peter and tells the crowd that those who will come after him must take up their cross and follow him.- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
.^ Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord the King of Israel!- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
^ If you do not listen, and if you do not set your heart to honor my name," says the LORD Almighty, "I will send a curse upon you, and I will curse your blessings.- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
^ No one is allowed to "eat or drink of your Eucharist except those who have been baptized in the Lord's name" (Did.- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
.^ Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord the King of Israel!- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
[97] .
In Mark and Matthew, Jesus is anguished in the face of his fate.
[93][99] He prays and accepts God's will, but his chosen disciples repeatedly fall asleep on the watch.
[93][99] .^ This passage is also the source for the portrayal of Jesus as crucified by putting spikes through his hands and the author of Luke's claim that Jesus proved he had been resurrected by showing the disciples the holes in his hands.- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
^ In reply JESUS said to the disciples, If you only have faith in GOD---this is the absolute truthyou can say to this Mount of Olives , Rise up and fall into the Mediterranean , and your command will be obeyed.
^ Matthew 21: 1 As they approached Jerusalem and came to Bethphage on the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent two disciples, 2 saying to them, "Go to the village ahead of you, and at once you will find a donkey tied there, with her colt by her.- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
[100].^ The synoptics have Jesus crucified on the day of Passover, while John puts the crucifixion on the day before.- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
^ In both cases John the Baptist is killed by Herod fairly early in the story, and of course before the death of Jesus.- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
^ This means that John the Baptist was probably killed in 35 or 36 CE, some 2 or 3 years after the latest proposed date for the death of Jesus based on the Gospels.- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
.^ The Jewish leaders didnt want the victims hanging there the next day, which was the SABBATH (and a very special Sabbath at that, for it was the Passover), so they asked Pilate to order the legs broken to hasten death, then their bodies could be taken down.
[63] .^ In this work, written around 75 CE, there is no mention of Jesus Christ.- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
^ There is no attestation to the existence of Jesus here.- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
^ There is no evidence of any knowledge of a tomb of Jesus (empty or occupied) prior to the Gospel stories .- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
[63] .^ When we trust JESUS we are trusting GOD and the HOLY SPIRIT. .
^ When we give the HOLY SPIRIT to those who are not committed to JESUS the following is likely to happen.
^ Those who accept JESUS, and HIS instructions, are a part of the family of the HOLY SPIRIT. They will not taste death!
[63] .^ For this reason I say, if the owners of a house know that a thief is coming, they will be on guard before the thief arrives and will not let the thief break into their house (their domain) and steal their possessions.
[101]
Betrayal and arrest
Ecce Homo (Behold the Man!) .^ If we are to take the Gospels as our guide to the life of Jesus Christ, then we must look at Pontius Pilate as the figure who solidifies the period in which Jesus must have lived.- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
Illustration by
Antonio Ciseri, 19th c.
.^ Jesus, high priest, son of Simon 7.- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
^ Jesus, high priest, son of Phabes 8.- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
^ Jesus son of the high priest Jozadak 5.- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
[102] .^ The main aspect of Paul's teachings which people identify with the Jesus Christ of the Gospels is the crucifixion, so let's take a look at Paul's statements on the crucifixion of Jesus.- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
^ Not only this, but the arrest and (very short) trial of Jesus supposedly took place at night on Passover eve.- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
^ Then, when JESUS (or HOLY SPIRIT) finds the person worthy the following will take place, John 14:15-16.
[Mk. 14:2] .^ JUDAS: He deceived me; I betrayed him.
^ JUDAS: He makes them love him; he says he belongs to no one.
^ All or part of Act One might be omitted from the second play which is about Jesus and Judas.
[Mt. 26:49-50] .^ JESUS: Peter, sword in scabbard.
^ There is another passage in Ephesians as well, however, where archon is used, and this passage makes a heavenly view of the rulers and Jesus quite clear: .- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
^ JESUS traveled from one locality to another spreading the Good News of the Kingdom, not calling any one place his home.
[103] .
Trials before the Sanhedrin and Pilate
Death
In Mark, Jesus is stripped, flogged, mocked, and crowned with thorns.
[87] .^ This then forms the antistate of the being existant; in that the 'connection' or tunnel or 'wormhole' between the state and the antistate allows the two 'realities' (say material and spiritual) to exchange information in interaction.- Genesis and The Gospel of Thomas 1 February 2010 2:10 UTC tonyb.freeyellow.com [Source type: Original source]
^ It is also significant here that Josephus is talking about disturbances in Judea, and interactions between the Romans and Jews in relation to disturbances, but makes no mention of the Roman execution of a Jewish rebel, blasphemer, prophet, or self-proclaimed "King of the Jews".- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
^ Above his head they placed the written charge against him: THIS IS JESUS, THE KING OF THE JEWS. 38 Two robbers were crucified with him, one on his right and one on his left.- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
[87] He begins to recite
Psalm 22, "My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me."
[87] He utters a loud cry and dies.
[87] .^ The trial of Jesus according to the Gospels violated all of these rules.- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
^ The fact that all three of the other narrative Gospels in the Bible are based directly or indirectly on the Gospel of Mark demonstrates the lack of other narrative information about Jesus.- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
^ The religious Christian view takes the Gospels as accurate and reliable accounts of the life of Jesus, including all of the miracles.- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
In Luke, Jesus faces his crucifixion stolidly.
[61] .^ For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; the same Lord is Lord of all and is generous to all who call on him.- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
^ Perhaps he wasn't really "the Messiah", perhaps he was not "The Son of God", and perhaps he didn't actually perform miracles and rise from the dead, but he really was a great moral teacher who traveled around Galilee with followers and got arrested by the Jews and crucified by the Romans right?- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
^ Therefore they will be named "The Words of Imperishability and Truth," for those who know the eternal God in wisdom of knowledge and teaching of angels forever, for he knows all things."- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
[88] .^ Jesus replied, "I will ask you one question.- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
^ Jesus replied, "I will also ask you one question.- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
^ When Thomas came back to his friends, they asked him, 'What did Jesus tell you?'- Genesis and The Gospel of Thomas 1 February 2010 2:10 UTC tonyb.freeyellow.com [Source type: Original source]
[88] .Resurrection and ascension
.^ The proposition that "Jesus Christ" never existed relies on much more than simply stating that we don't have evidence for his existence or that the Gospels are unbelievable.- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
^ The author of the Gospel called Matthew used this mistranslation as the basis for his story about Jesus' birth, stating: .- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
^ Death of Jesus Accompanied by blackout of sun, earthquakes, and raising of the dead in the Gospels, no record of this by others.- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
[105] .^ The fact that all three of the other narrative Gospels in the Bible are based directly or indirectly on the Gospel of Mark demonstrates the lack of other narrative information about Jesus.- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
^ There is no evidence of any knowledge of a tomb of Jesus (empty or occupied) prior to the Gospel stories .- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
^ J. M. Wedderburn attempts to find evidence for the resurrection of Jesus and the "empty tomb".- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
.^ Another mystery, why was Mary Magdalene not allowed to 'touch' Jesus on resurrection Sunday?- Genesis and The Gospel of Thomas 1 February 2010 2:10 UTC tonyb.freeyellow.com [Source type: Original source]
^ NATHAN: And is it true as Magdalene and Peter found his sepulchre empty, that we will see Jesus resurrected?
^ They came out of the tombs, and after Jesus' resurrection they went into the holy city and appeared to many people.- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
[Mt. 28:1–10] .^ On hearing of this, John's disciples came and took his body and laid it in a tomb.- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
^ Some Pharisees and other Jewish leaders now arrived from Jerusalem to interview JESUS. Why do YOUR disciples disobey the ancient Jewish traditions?
^ The soldiers therefore came and broke the legs of the first man who had been crucified with Jesus, and then those of the other.- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
[106] .
.^ Here Papias states that the Gospel called Mark was written by someone named Mark, and that Mark recorded his Gospel from the apostle Peter.- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
^ The fact that all three of the other narrative Gospels in the Bible are based directly or indirectly on the Gospel of Mark demonstrates the lack of other narrative information about Jesus.- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
^ The religious Christian view takes the Gospels as accurate and reliable accounts of the life of Jesus, including all of the miracles.- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
[108] .^ We can also look at the works of Tacitus, which were written shortly after the Gospel of Mark was probably written.- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
^ Mary, the supposed mother of Jesus, is never mentioned by Paul, nor in any canonical work outside of the Gospels and Acts of the Apostles .- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
^ Prior to the Gospels there are various works that talk about Jesus in a variety of ways, but none of them provide any details about a birth, life, ministry, or death of Jesus.- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
[106] .^ Thomas, having passed the test by refusing to compare Jesus to anything, then deserves additional Teaching which Peter and Matthew do not 'deserve' because they would not understand it.- Genesis and The Gospel of Thomas 1 February 2010 2:10 UTC tonyb.freeyellow.com [Source type: Original source]
^ Your 'receiving' a 'holy ghost' dispensation so has made you a 'blood brother' of Jesus and your 'mission' is a 'commission' to follow the Logos.- Genesis and The Gospel of Thomas 1 February 2010 2:10 UTC tonyb.freeyellow.com [Source type: Original source]
^ Another mystery, why was Mary Magdalene not allowed to 'touch' Jesus on resurrection Sunday?- Genesis and The Gospel of Thomas 1 February 2010 2:10 UTC tonyb.freeyellow.com [Source type: Original source]
[106] .
Names and titles in the New Testament
.^ Some of the details of the life of Jesus are based on mistranslations of the Hebrew scriptures .- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
^ It makes sense that an account would be written in the same language that Jesus spoke to his followers, yet all of the Gospels were written in Greek, so this idea of an original Hebrew or Aramaic Gospel had a lot of draw to it.- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
^ The Septuagint was created by Jewish scribes who translated the Jewish texts into Greek because the Jewish community outside of Judea typically spoke Greek instead of Hebrew or Aramaic.- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
[110] .^ That's not critically important here, but what is important is the fact that both "Jesus" and "James" (in their Greek and Hebrew forms) were extremely common names at the time.- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
^ First of all, we can only assume that Suetonius is talking about "Jesus Christ" by the use of the name "Chrestus", which corresponds to nothing and is not a proper Latin translation of the Greek Christos, though it is a proper Latin name.- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
.^ Also, Joshua and Jesus are the same name in Hebrew.- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
^ So, in reality Jesus and Joshua are the exact same name, or would have been the exact same name as far as Jews were concerned, because to them both of these names would have been Yeshu'a.- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
^ The Septuagint was created by Jewish scribes who translated the Jewish texts into Greek because the Jewish community outside of Judea typically spoke Greek instead of Hebrew or Aramaic.- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
.^ Pray for non-believers to accept JESUS as LORD, HE is the ONE WHO died for our sins.
^ So, in reality Jesus and Joshua are the exact same name, or would have been the exact same name as far as Jews were concerned, because to them both of these names would have been Yeshu'a.- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
^ Some of these supposed evidences for the existence of Jesus, and more, have been relatively recent forgeries, produced at various times from the Middle Ages through to the 20th century.- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
[111] Thus, the name has been translated into English as "
Joshua".
[112]
.^ "Christ" is just a transliteration of the Greek word Christos ( Χριστου ), which is a translation of the Hebrew Mashiah , which simply means anointed , or one who is anointed .- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
^ A Christian reading the work may have seen the names Jesus and James together and jumped to the conclusion that this was "Jesus Christ", and then made a note saying so.- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
^ One argument against this being authentic is that Josephus doesn't use the term Christos anywhere else, so it does not appear likely that this is original.- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
.^ The anointed one was the king.- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
^ Jewish kings and high priests were called anointed ones , and this is used many times in the Hebrew scriptures.- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
^ The Septuagint was created by Jewish scribes who translated the Jewish texts into Greek because the Jewish community outside of Judea typically spoke Greek instead of Hebrew or Aramaic.- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
[Isaiah 45:1] In Isaiah and Jeremiah the word began to be applied to a future ideal king. .^ Jesus, called The Anointed, whose name was James, and some others...- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
^ We also know that the word was used in the "Old Testament" to mean both earthly and heavenly rulers.- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
^ Indeed "Christianity", or the cult of "Jesus Christ", was just one small segment of this trend within Hellenistic Judaism.- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
.^ Here Papias states that the Gospel called Mark was written by someone named Mark, and that Mark recorded his Gospel from the apostle Peter.- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
^ The fact that all three of the other narrative Gospels in the Bible are based directly or indirectly on the Gospel of Mark demonstrates the lack of other narrative information about Jesus.- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
^ In Mark's Gospel Peter is portrayed as a fool who doesn't understand the message of Jesus, and thus him being Mark's authoritative source is unlikely at best.- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
[Mk. 8:29] .^ Mary, the supposed mother of Jesus, is never mentioned by Paul, nor in any canonical work outside of the Gospels and Acts of the Apostles .- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
^ What else is important about this passage is that it is one of the passages in the letters of Paul that would seem to establish a historical view of Jesus, however, as mentioned, this is regarded as a later addition.- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
^ This is certainly something to keep in mind when dealing with the works of Paul, but despite this, the letters of Paul are still critical as the earliest writings about Jesus.- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
These letters also show that the Messiah title was already beginning to be used as a name.[115]
.^ When Jesus says: #61: "Jesus said, 'Two will rest on a bed: the one will die, and the other will live" (compare Matthew.24.40-41); then you are to take this literally and not as some Buddhistic- or New Age metaphor.- Genesis and The Gospel of Thomas 1 February 2010 2:10 UTC tonyb.freeyellow.com [Source type: Original source]
^ Some Pharisees and other Jewish leaders now arrived from Jerusalem to interview JESUS. Why do YOUR disciples disobey the ancient Jewish traditions?
^ Prior to the adoption of Catholicism by the Roman Empire in the 4th century, there were many different beliefs about Jesus Christ.- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
[116] Géza Vermes has argued that "Son of man" was not a title but rather the polite way in which people referred to themselves, i.e. a pronominal phrase.
[116]
.^ The "miraculous signs" narrative in John shows Jesus doing many "miraculous signs", but then at the end says that even after all of this the Jews still didn't believe that he was the Son of God.- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
^ How many readers can eschew their prejudices in regards to the labels of 'God', 'Jesus', 'Spirit' and so on remains to be experienced however.- Genesis and The Gospel of Thomas 1 February 2010 2:10 UTC tonyb.freeyellow.com [Source type: Original source]
^ Now after John was arrested, Jesus came to Galilee, proclaiming the good news of God, and saying, The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God has come near; repent, and believe in the good news.- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
Before Abraham was, I am),
[Jn. 8:58] his act of forgiving sins which gave Jews an impression of blasphemy,[Lk. 5:20–21] and his statement that "I and the Father are one."[Jn. 10:30][117] However, a number of New Testament scholars argue that Jesus himself made no claims to being God.[118] .^ Early Christian theologians believed the Gospel of Matthew to be the first Gospel that was written, and, by many accounts, the most important (of course there was disagreement among them, as there was on all doctrinal issues).- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
^ There are two basic views of the Biblical Jesus as a real person today, the religious Christian view and the secular historical view.- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
^ Many of the early Christian apologists that are now considered the "correct ones" defended the belief in Jesus as both human and divine from the many beliefs that Jesus Christ was something other than this.- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
[119]
Other names and titles
.^ Within Jewish literature there were traditions, or tendencies, to reinterpret older stories and to draw references to older stories when writing new stories.- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
[116] .^ The Catholics held a specific view of Jesus Christ as a real live, historical, person, who was both God, the only son of God, and a fully human being.- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
^ One of the augments that has often been used to claim that the Gospels reflect authentic history is the recognition that, especially in the Gospel of Mark, the disciples are poorly portrayed.- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
^ Heroes were often called sons of gods in Greek and Roman stories, as well as being born from virgins, so this reading of the story fit perfectly well in that culture.- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
[116]
"Emmanuel" or "Immanuel" derives from the Hebrew name
Immanu-El, which translates as "God (is) with us" and is based on a Messianic interpretation of a verse in the Hebrew Bible,
Isaiah 7:14, "They shall call his name Immanuel".
Historical views
A series of articles on
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
This box: view • talk • edit
|
.^ Showing that the story of Jesus Christ is not based on a person in any meaningful way requires showing that the story of Jesus Christ is better explained as having developed through non-historical methods than it is through historical methods.- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
^ There are two basic views of the Biblical Jesus as a real person today, the religious Christian view and the secular historical view.- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
^ The secular historical view, which may also be held by some Christians, takes the Gospels as exaggerated accounts of the life of a real Jesus.- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
[120] .^ Irenaeus was writing about 100 to 60 years after the Gospels had been in circulation, and we can see that beliefs about Jesus were clearly impacted by the Gospels, but that there were a variety of beliefs as well.- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
^ Josephus did write it, but he based his information on a Gospel or another Christian source, then it is of no value in supporting the existence of "Jesus."- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
^ JESUS said, Whoever has come to know the world has discovered the body, and whoever has discovered the body, of that one the world is not worthy.
[121] .^ It's not really conceivable how these rituals could have been inspired by the life, deeds, and words of Jesus if the Gospel accounts are accurate, which is something that most Christian scholars will not consider, so they instead try to gloss over this issue or explain it away as having been written by confused people.- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
^ In Didache we again see Jesus mentioned not as a real flesh and blood entity, but as a spiritual mediator, and the eucharist ritual in Didache makes no reference either the body or blood of Jesus.- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
^ It makes sense that an account would be written in the same language that Jesus spoke to his followers, yet all of the Gospels were written in Greek, so this idea of an original Hebrew or Aramaic Gospel had a lot of draw to it.- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
[122][123][124] .^ There is also language that is shared between the Gospels of Matthew and Luke which is not in the Gospel of Mark.- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
^ (The dominant theory now is that Matthew and Luke both independently use Mark and a document called "Q") It also would not make sense that Luke got his information from Paul, because Paul plainly stated in his letters that he never saw Jesus, other than through visions.- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
^ Whether the Gospel of Matthew was written with the intent of portraying it as history is questionable, but is it seems that at least the Gospel of Luke was written as a historical document, even though it was based on the Gospel of Mark and other sources.- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
.^ NATHAN: There is no more death!
^ But for you there will be no resurrection to life!- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
^ The Jesus of the Gospels, then, had to have lived and been killed during this period if the Gospels are true accounts.- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
[125] .^ There are two basic views of the Biblical Jesus as a real person today, the religious Christian view and the secular historical view.- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
^ That this statement by Tacitus is not evidence for the existence of Jesus is admitted to even by Christian scholars.- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
^ A hostile reference towards Jesus is seen as the most likely type of reference that would be both authentic and independent, so this proposal has appeal to scholars who seek to maintain that this passage offers evidence for the existence of a real historical Jesus.- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
[126][127][128][129][130]
.^ Showing that the story of Jesus Christ is not based on a person in any meaningful way requires showing that the story of Jesus Christ is better explained as having developed through non-historical methods than it is through historical methods.- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
^ For those to subscribe to a secular historical view of Jesus, as a real man that is exaggeratedly described in the Gospels, why would stories of bodily disappearance be crafted around a real man?- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
^ The four now canonical Gospels became the key documents for the defense of a flesh and blood historical Jesus and we see that theology and the Gospels are the weapons used in the defense of Jesus' humanity.- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
[131] .^ For those to subscribe to a secular historical view of Jesus, as a real man that is exaggeratedly described in the Gospels, why would stories of bodily disappearance be crafted around a real man?- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
^ It is interesting that Tertullian bases many of his arguments about the humanity of Christ on Jesus' nativity, and in truth the nativity stories in the Gospels are the elements of the Jesus story that are most in question and most widely rejected as historical by scholars.- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
^ Pre-Gospel evidence was never appealed to, and yet, even though the defense of the humanity of Jesus began in the 2nd century, this defense began almost as soon as the Gospels were written.- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
[120] .^ Showing that the story of Jesus Christ is not based on a person in any meaningful way requires showing that the story of Jesus Christ is better explained as having developed through non-historical methods than it is through historical methods.- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
^ The development of the Jesus Christ story is best explained not as simply a "paganization" of Judaism, but as a part of Jewish literary tradition.- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
^ Prior to the adoption of Catholicism by the Roman Empire in the 4th century, there were many different beliefs about Jesus Christ.- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
[131]
Constructing a historical view
.^ Showing that the story of Jesus Christ is not based on a person in any meaningful way requires showing that the story of Jesus Christ is better explained as having developed through non-historical methods than it is through historical methods.- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
^ Since every potentially verifiable story element in the Gospels that is based on scriptures is not confirmed by the historical evidence, a strong case is made that events in the Bible that have a scriptural basis do not have a corresponding historical basis, thus the burden of proof is on those proposing that such events are historical.- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
^ Josephus did write it, but he based his information on a Gospel or another Christian source, then it is of no value in supporting the existence of "Jesus."- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
.^ For he says in the treatises that he has written on the governance of the Jews: At this time there was a wise man who was called Jesus.- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
^ And saying, The time is fulfilled, and the Kingdom of GOD is at hand: repent ye, and believe the gospel.
^ Nothing in the Jewish midrash of the time mentions anything about Jesus Christ or any of the events in the Gospels.- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
.^ What else is important about this passage is that it is one of the passages in the letters of Paul that would seem to establish a historical view of Jesus, however, as mentioned, this is regarded as a later addition.- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
^ About the ninth hour Jesus cried out in a loud voice, "Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?"which means, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?"- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
^ The question with this passage is, if Jesus had just been on earth and been ministering to the Jews and performing miracles in Galilee and Judea and drawing large crowds, as the Gospels claim, then why does Paul ask here if Jews cannot be blamed for not believing in Christ because they haven't heard about him?- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
.^ (Most scholars date to some time between 50 and 120 CE) .- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
^ To get a sense of this we can compare the Gospel of Mark to other historical accounts, by both Jews and Romans, that were written around the same time.- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
^ This was also written at pretty much the same time that the Gospel of Mark was probably written.- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
.^ The life of Jesus is a story that was created by combining elements from many other Hebrew stories to create a pseudo-proto-typical savior figure.- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
^ The Gospel of Mark appears to have been written in response to the conflict between the Jews and the Romans that resulted in the destruction of Judea in 70 CE. It may have been written during the war between the Jews and Romans, or shortly thereafter.- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
^ It is also significant here that Josephus is talking about disturbances in Judea, and interactions between the Romans and Jews in relation to disturbances, but makes no mention of the Roman execution of a Jewish rebel, blasphemer, prophet, or self-proclaimed "King of the Jews".- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
Descriptions
.^ JESUS: Where Antipas reigns, who caused John the Baptist's death.
^ And so John came, baptizing in the desert region and preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins.- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
^ Or don't you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death?- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
Baptism by John the Baptist
John the Baptist led a large apocalyptic movement. He demanded repentance and baptism. Jesus was baptized and later began his ministry.
.^ Some Pharisees and other Jewish leaders now arrived from Jerusalem to interview JESUS. Why do YOUR disciples disobey the ancient Jewish traditions?
^ Now after John was arrested, Jesus came to Galilee, proclaiming the good news of God, and saying, The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God has come near; repent, and believe in the good news.- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
^ So, the story of Jesus' arrest and execution seems quite implausible at the outset, but when one considers the symbolism of the story it becomes apparent that the basis for this story is theological, not historical.- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
[136] .^ Secular historians who believe that Jesus existed rely on the Gospels as essentially historical, but inflated, accounts of his life.- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
[136]Teaching
Jewish focus
Jesus preached primarily to the Jews.
[137] .^ And will we see Jesus reign over the Jews and the Gentiles as King David announced?
^ Galatians 2: 15 "We who are Jews by birth and not 'Gentile sinners' 16 know that a man is not justified by observing the law, but by faith in Jesus Christ.- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
^ Now after John was arrested, Jesus came to Galilee, proclaiming the good news of God, and saying, The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God has come near; repent, and believe in the good news.- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
[138]Arrival of the Kingdom
.^ About the ninth hour Jesus cried out in a loud voice, "Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?"which means, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?"- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
^ As for me, GOD forbid that I should boast about anything except the Cross of our LORD JESUS CHRIST. Galatians 6:14 TLB .
^ Eating the bread symbolizes the knowledge these people have of the life and immortality they enjoy by belonging to the kingdom of God made known to them by Jesus, God's child.- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
.^ Yet I have said, whichever one of you comes to be a child will be acquainted with the Kingdom and will become superior to John.
^ This means that John the Baptist was probably killed in 35 or 36 CE, some 2 or 3 years after the latest proposed date for the death of Jesus based on the Gospels.- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
^ JESUS said, Among those born of women, from Adam until John the Baptist, there is no one so superior to John the Baptist that his eyes should not be lowered (before him).
[137]
Apocalyptic sect
.^ It talks about various things that will happen on the day that God decides to destroy Israel, and then goes on to say that after God has destroyed Israel he will restore Israel through "David's fallen tent" .- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
^ NATHAN: Youve shown us that all these events had to come about; that all we witnessed in Jerusalem was announced by the prophets, and that Jesus was indeed the Messiah expected by Israel.
.^ John the Baptist came to announce the coming of our SAVIOUR JESUS, which would be a great honor for John, granted by our CREATOR to John.
^ One of the interesting subplots in Mark deals with John the Baptist.- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
^ They claim that perhaps John the Baptist was killed 4 or 5 years earlier, but the public still associated his death with the bad fortunes of Herod.- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
[139] .^ The writer of the Gospel of John also included this scene, likely based on the Gospel of Matthew, but in the Gospel of John the author corrected this problem and had Jesus ride into town on only one animal.- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
[140]
Parables
Jesus taught in pithy parables and with striking images.
[141] His preaching was marked by hyperbole and unusual twists of phrase.
[137] .^ Again, the Kingdom of Heaven is like unto a merchant man, seeking goodly pearls: Who, when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had, and bought it.
^ JESUS said, The Kingdom of the FATHER is like a man who had good seed.
^ Another parable put HE forth unto them, saying, The Kingdom of Heaven is likened unto a man which sowed good seed in his field: but while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat, and went his way.
.^ We also see here the term archon used to clearly describe a ruler "of the kingdom of the air" .- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
[137] He used his sayings to elicit responses from the audience, engaging them in discussion.
[16]Importance of faith and prayer
.^ When we trust JESUS we are trusting GOD and the HOLY SPIRIT. .
^ The prayers of thanksgiving are for the food and drink God created for all people and the special, "spiritual" food and drink that Christians have because of Jesus.- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
^ This was in accordance with the eternal purpose that he has carried out in Christ Jesus our Lord, 12 in whom we have access to God in boldness and confidence through faith in him.- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
[137] .^ If the crucifixion of Jesus were based on an observed historical event, then we should not expect that virtually every line of the crucifixion narrative comes from existing Hebrew scriptures (including themes that were mistranslated in the Greek sources that were used).- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
^ Indeed there are several places in Josephus' other works that one would expect Josephus to mention Jesus if he had indeed been aware of him and written the Testimonium .- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
^ The one who is wealthy should reign as JESUS did.
[137]
Virtue of being childlike
.^ JESUS: Where must one go, John?
^ Again, the Kingdom of Heaven is like unto a merchant man, seeking goodly pearls: Who, when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had, and bought it.
^ Thus this seal was proclaimed to them as well, and they made use of it in order that they might enter the Kingdom of GOD. .
[137]
The eschatological family
.^ What did set Christianity apart, however, was its crossover status into non-Jewish communities, where Jewish literary traditions were not understood.- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
[137]
Healing and exorcism
Jesus taught that his healings and exorcisms indicated that a new eschatological age had arrived or was arriving.
[137]God as a loving father
.^ Indeed there are several places in Josephus' other works that one would expect Josephus to mention Jesus if he had indeed been aware of him and written the Testimonium .- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
^ JESUS answered and said to him, Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is Born Again, he cannot see the Kingdom of GOD .
^ Notice that Theophilus never quotes the passage about the Word becoming flesh, and he says that God sends the Word to any place at any time, but he never says anything about the incarnation of Jesus.- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
[137][141] This teaching contrasts with the more common practice of depicting God as a king or lord.
[137]
Crucifixion
Jewish and Roman authorities in Jerusalem were wary of Galilean patriots, many of whom advocated or launched violent resistance to Roman rule.
[15] .^ The fact that all three of the other narrative Gospels in the Bible are based directly or indirectly on the Gospel of Mark demonstrates the lack of other narrative information about Jesus.- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
^ What the works of Philo, and also Justus, demonstrate is that we do have high quality sources for potential independent witnesses to Jesus, it is not as though we are lacking potential sources, but they make no mention of Jesus Christ.- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
^ It's interesting that the Gospels don't give this as the reason for the death of John the Baptist, because in the Gospels it is Jesus who is killed for being the supposed political threat.- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
[15] .^ There is also considerable doubt that the Jews would have had any reason to go to the Romans to carry out the execution, or that they would have had him crucified, since the law required death by stoning for blasphemy, which is what Jesus was supposedly charged with.- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
^ Some Pharisees and other Jewish leaders now arrived from Jerusalem to interview JESUS. Why do YOUR disciples disobey the ancient Jewish traditions?
^ Matthew 21: 12 Jesus entered the temple area and drove out all who were buying and selling there.- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
[142].^ Yes, it would have been hard for the disciples to believe that JESUS came as GODS personal representative.
^ Compare this to the passion story of Jesus in the Gospel of Matthew (or any Gospel).- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
^ Once a child can understand the Gospels and JESUS he can accept or deny JESUS on his or her own.
[137] .^ Again we get metaphor from Paul, and no indication of knowledge of a literal, historical, crucifixion of Jesus.- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
^ Some Christians have tried to claim that Tacitus would have gotten his details about the death of Jesus from the Roman archives, thereby establishing the historical reality of the crucifixion.- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
^ There is one more passage that discusses the crucifixion of Jesus, however, and that comes from 1 Corinthians 2: .- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
[137]
Religious groups
.^ We now turn to Wisdom of Solomon , written some time between the 2nd century BCE and the 1st century CE. Most scholars agree that Wisdom of Solomon was written in the 1st century BCE, just shortly before Jesus was supposedly born.- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
^ The religious Christian view takes the Gospels as accurate and reliable accounts of the life of Jesus, including all of the miracles.- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
^ From Irenaeus, writing in the 2nd century, we see that by this early time there was already a huge variety of beliefs about who or what Jesus Christ was.- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
.^ The fragments of Phlegon's historical works that survive have led scholars to regard him as one of the least reliable and more outrageous writers of his time.- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
Pharisees
Pharisees were a powerful force in 1st-century Judea.
.^ The variety of beliefs ranged from Christ never having become incarnate at all, to Christ having entered into the body of a human Jesus, to the Catholic belief that Jesus was Christ, and that he was both human and divine.- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
^ Many of the early Christian apologists that are now considered the "correct ones" defended the belief in Jesus as both human and divine from the many beliefs that Jesus Christ was something other than this.- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
^ How could an early Christian defend the doctrine of resurrection without mentioning Jesus Christ, unless he had indeed never heard of him or the story of his death and resurrection?- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
[143] After the fall of the Temple, the Pharisee outlook was established in Rabbinic Judaism.
.^ Some Pharisees and other Jewish leaders now arrived from Jerusalem to interview JESUS. Why do YOUR disciples disobey the ancient Jewish traditions?
^ JESUS said, The Pharisees and the scholars have taken the keys of knowledge and have .
[144] .^ JESUS said, If two make peace with each other in a single house, they will say to the mountain, Move from here!
.^ We are created in the image of GOD. When we accept JESUS sacrifice for our sins and choose to be obedient to HIS teachings we may be Born Again.
[Mk. 10:1–12] .
Sadducees
The
Sadducee sect was particularly powerful in Jerusalem.
.^ Those who accept JESUS, and HIS instructions, are a part of the family of the HOLY SPIRIT. They will not taste death!
^ And suddenly there shone round them a light from heaven, and they fell to the ground, and the holy body was taken up by angels into heaven.- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
^ Therefore we shall have to guard our belief in the resurrection from the same armory, whence they get their weapons of destruction.- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
.^ Josephus had every reason to portray people who were condemned under the Romans as bad people who were justly executed.- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
^ There is also considerable doubt that the Jews would have had any reason to go to the Romans to carry out the execution, or that they would have had him crucified, since the law required death by stoning for blasphemy, which is what Jesus was supposedly charged with.- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
^ So, the story of Jesus' arrest and execution seems quite implausible at the outset, but when one considers the symbolism of the story it becomes apparent that the basis for this story is theological, not historical.- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
After the fall of Jerusalem, they disappeared from history.
[146]Essenes
.^ What the works of Philo, and also Justus, demonstrate is that we do have high quality sources for potential independent witnesses to Jesus, it is not as though we are lacking potential sources, but they make no mention of Jesus Christ.- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
^ Nothing in the Jewish midrash of the time mentions anything about Jesus Christ or any of the events in the Gospels.- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
^ We can now move on to the book of Romans, where Paul mentions the crucifixion of Jesus one time in Romans 6: .- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
[147] .^ Surely a Jew from Galilee would have made at least some comment about Jesus if he existed as described in the Gospels, or anything even remotely close to the Gospels, would he not?- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
Among these scholars is
Pope Benedict XVI, who supposes in his book on Jesus that "it appears that not only John the Baptist, but possibly Jesus and his family as well, were close to the Qumran community."
[148]
Zealots
.^ JESUS knows that HE will soon be predicting the fall of Jerusalem in 70 AD. .
^ Origen also states that Josephus attributed the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 CE to the execution of James, who Origen believes is "James the Just", and he ponders why this would be the case instead of attributing the destruction of Jerusalem to the execution of Jesus himself.- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
^ JESUS referred to James as Just which would indicate that he is Born Again, therefore capable of being their leader; after the Crucifixion of JESUS. .
[149] .^ Paul specifically tells us that his knowledge of Jesus Christ has not come from any human, but has come to him directly by "revelation" from Jesus Christ himself.- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
^ It's also important to note here that Paul is discussing of "visions and revelations", which seems to be what Paul is talking about when he describes himself or others "seeing Jesus".- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
^ Does not JESUS say: He who finds himself, the world is not deserving of HIM? (Hannah) .
[150]
Christian scripture as historical texts
.^ Josephus wrote something about Jesus, but later Christians altered it.- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
^ What else is important about this passage is that it is one of the passages in the letters of Paul that would seem to establish a historical view of Jesus, however, as mentioned, this is regarded as a later addition.- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
^ Not only can Christianity be explained without a real historical Jesus at its core, but the historical facts that we do have are best explained if Jesus never existed.- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
.^ Contains sayings like those in the Gospels, but not attributed to Jesus.- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
^ Those who accept JESUS, and HIS instructions, are a part of the family of the HOLY SPIRIT. They will not taste death!
^ They came out of the tombs, and after Jesus' resurrection they went into the holy city and appeared to many people.- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
.^ The main aspect of Paul's teachings which people identify with the Jesus Christ of the Gospels is the crucifixion, so let's take a look at Paul's statements on the crucifixion of Jesus.- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
^ Is it the case that Paul's gospel and the early teachings about "Christ Jesus" were a Jewish form of this same type of mystery religion?- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
^ The traditional explanation for the origin of the Gospels has been that they were each written independently by people who were either disciples of Jesus or who received their information from disciples of Jesus.- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
[citation needed]
.^ None of the three synoptic Gospels makes an explicit reference to Christ as the Passover lamb, but the Gospel called John does.- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
^ For the majority of time Christians have believed that Matthew was written first, hence the reason that it is the first book in the New Testament.- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
^ Antiquity of the Jews, Book XX ; Flavius Josephus, 94-100 CE .- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
[151] .^ The main aspect of Paul's teachings which people identify with the Jesus Christ of the Gospels is the crucifixion, so let's take a look at Paul's statements on the crucifixion of Jesus.- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
^ Is it the case that Paul's gospel and the early teachings about "Christ Jesus" were a Jewish form of this same type of mystery religion?- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
^ The traditional explanation for the origin of the Gospels has been that they were each written independently by people who were either disciples of Jesus or who received their information from disciples of Jesus.- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
[152] .^ We can also look at the works of Tacitus, which were written shortly after the Gospel of Mark was probably written.- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
^ Here Papias states that the Gospel called Mark was written by someone named Mark, and that Mark recorded his Gospel from the apostle Peter.- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
^ Early Christian theologians believed the Gospel of Matthew to be the first Gospel that was written, and, by many accounts, the most important (of course there was disagreement among them, as there was on all doctrinal issues).- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
70 AD/CE.
[153][154][155] Matthew is placed at being sometime after this date and Luke is thought to have been written between 70 and 100 AD/CE.
[156][157]
.^ This is certainly something to keep in mind when dealing with the works of Paul, but despite this, the letters of Paul are still critical as the earliest writings about Jesus.- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
^ The works in which Paul talks about a crucifixion of Jesus are Galatians, 1 Corinthians, 2 Corinthians, and Romans.- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
^ Between the works of Paul and the writing of the four canonical Gospels several other Christian works were written.- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
.^ In this way later notes got written into the text as if they were a part of the original.- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
^ It makes sense that an account would be written in the same language that Jesus spoke to his followers, yet all of the Gospels were written in Greek, so this idea of an original Hebrew or Aramaic Gospel had a lot of draw to it.- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
^ In Greek Josephus is written Iosippus , and some people have translated this as Hegesippus while others translated it is Josephus.- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
.^ Even the spreading of the religion prior to the Gospels occurred due to apostolistic evangelism, the works of Paul and other writings are a testament to this.- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
^ New Testament; Matthew 6:14-15 we will be Judged the same as we have judged others.
^ The "Star of Bethlehem" is only mentioned in the Gospel of Matthew, it isn't mentioned in Luke or any other book in the Bible.- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
[61]
.^ It's not really conceivable how these rituals could have been inspired by the life, deeds, and words of Jesus if the Gospel accounts are accurate, which is something that most Christian scholars will not consider, so they instead try to gloss over this issue or explain it away as having been written by confused people.- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
^ As we will see when looking at the other supposed reference to Jesus Christ in the writings of Josephus, this passage is the only potential writing of Josephus that can establish his knowledge of Jesus and Christianity.- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
^ Not only can Christianity be explained without a real historical Jesus at its core, but the historical facts that we do have are best explained if Jesus never existed.- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
.^ Josephus wrote something about Jesus, but later Christians altered it.- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
^ It makes sense that an account would be written in the same language that Jesus spoke to his followers, yet all of the Gospels were written in Greek, so this idea of an original Hebrew or Aramaic Gospel had a lot of draw to it.- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
^ But all those who knew him, including the women who had followed him from Galilee, stood at a distance, watching these things.- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
[158] .^ Contains sayings like those in the Gospels, but not attributed to Jesus.- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
^ HE said, They are like little children living in a field that is not theirs, when the owners of the field come, they will say, Give us back our field.
^ The underlying meaning has moral, social, religious, or political significance, and characters are often personifications of abstract ideas as charity, greed, or envy.- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
[159] .^ One argument against this being authentic is that Josephus doesn't use the term Christos anywhere else, so it does not appear likely that this is original.- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
[159]
.^ The main aspect of Paul's teachings which people identify with the Jesus Christ of the Gospels is the crucifixion, so let's take a look at Paul's statements on the crucifixion of Jesus.- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
^ JESUS referred to James as Just which would indicate that he is Born Again, therefore capable of being their leader; after the Crucifixion of JESUS. .
^ What else is important about this passage is that it is one of the passages in the letters of Paul that would seem to establish a historical view of Jesus, however, as mentioned, this is regarded as a later addition.- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
.^ After his resurrection Jesus is depicted as walking around, touching people, having dinner, etc., in the Gospels, which supports a major doctrine for Christians: that they are to expect to be bodily resurrected.- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
^ We now turn to Wisdom of Solomon , written some time between the 2nd century BCE and the 1st century CE. Most scholars agree that Wisdom of Solomon was written in the 1st century BCE, just shortly before Jesus was supposedly born.- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
^ Contains sayings like those in the Gospels, but not attributed to Jesus.- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
[160][161]
Mythical view
.^ All of the people mentioned above lived during the same time that Jesus supposedly lived and are prime candidates for being potential witnesses and documenters of the existence of Jesus.- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
^ There are two basic views of the Biblical Jesus as a real person today, the religious Christian view and the secular historical view.- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
^ Importantly, however, if this did actually refer to Christians in Rome in 49 CE then this reference alone would be evidence of the earliest existence of followers of Jesus in Rome.- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
Among the proponents of non-historicity was
Bruno Bauer in the 19th century. Non-historicity was somewhat influential in biblical studies during the early 20th century.
.^ Mary, the supposed mother of Jesus, is never mentioned by Paul, nor in any canonical work outside of the Gospels and Acts of the Apostles .- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
^ Showing that the story of Jesus Christ is not based on a person in any meaningful way requires showing that the story of Jesus Christ is better explained as having developed through non-historical methods than it is through historical methods.- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
^ At any rate, what we get from this passage by Origen is an example of someone who was using the works of Josephus to make a defense of the reputation and legacy of Jesus Christ, and who makes no mention of the Testimonium , despite appearing to be familiar with information in book 18.- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
[167]
.^ Indeed it is the argument of those like Earl Doherty that the "rulers" which Paul speaks of are similar to those that we see discussed in works such as this, the angels who have power over the nations.- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
^ The author of Mark may or may not have been aware of the Book of Hebrews , but one can presume that the author of Mark was aware of the same symbolism that is discussed above, because this symbolism is a part of his story as well in a more subtle way.- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
^ But many of these passages are obscure, such as the casting of lots for clothing, and thus indicate that the author of John is working from one or more of the synoptic narratives.- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
.^ Showing that the story of Jesus Christ is not based on a person in any meaningful way requires showing that the story of Jesus Christ is better explained as having developed through non-historical methods than it is through historical methods.- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
^ What else is important about this passage is that it is one of the passages in the letters of Paul that would seem to establish a historical view of Jesus, however, as mentioned, this is regarded as a later addition.- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
^ The writings of Paul present Jesus Christ as a "mystery", who is being revealed by Paul and others through the interpretation of scriptures and prophetic writings.- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
.^ What else is important about this passage is that it is one of the passages in the letters of Paul that would seem to establish a historical view of Jesus, however, as mentioned, this is regarded as a later addition.- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
^ So, the story of Jesus' arrest and execution seems quite implausible at the outset, but when one considers the symbolism of the story it becomes apparent that the basis for this story is theological, not historical.- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
^ The proposition that "Jesus Christ" never existed relies on much more than simply stating that we don't have evidence for his existence or that the Gospels are unbelievable.- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
[168] The New Testament scholar,
James Dunn describes the mythical Jesus theory as a 'thoroughly dead thesis'.
[169][170][171]
Religious perspectives
.^ (Note: Many scholars have interpreted the cursing of the fig tree as a metaphor for Jesus' rejecting of those Jews who reject him and as a foreshadowing of his second coming and judgment.- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
^ To a large extent the ἄρχοντες are opponents of the people of God who are resisted by the One like a man (later the Messiah) and His allies, and who will be defeated in the last days.- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
.^ The reason for removing these sections can easily be seen, they are the parts that seem impossible for a non-Christian to have written.- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
^ Josephus wrote something about Jesus, but later Christians altered it.- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
^ If Philo had known about Jesus he surely would have written something about him.- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
Christian sects and schisms have often been defined or characterized by competing descriptions of Jesus.
.^ The religious Christian view takes the Gospels as accurate and reliable accounts of the life of Jesus, including all of the miracles.- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
^ Indeed there are several places in Josephus' other works that one would expect Josephus to mention Jesus if he had indeed been aware of him and written the Testimonium .- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
^ JESUS said, Blessed are you when you are hated and persecuted, wherever you have been persecuted, no place will be found.
Christian views
.^ After his resurrection Jesus is depicted as walking around, touching people, having dinner, etc., in the Gospels, which supports a major doctrine for Christians: that they are to expect to be bodily resurrected.- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
^ The Catholics held a specific view of Jesus Christ as a real live, historical, person, who was both God, the only son of God, and a fully human being.- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
^ Early Christian theologians believed the Gospel of Matthew to be the first Gospel that was written, and, by many accounts, the most important (of course there was disagreement among them, as there was on all doctrinal issues).- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
[172] .^ The beginning of the good news of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
^ The death he died, he died to sin once for all; but the life he lives, he lives to God.- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
^ By this reasoning, Jesus Christ had to shed real blood in order to create a new covenant.- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
.^ Just as the death which is in the flesh, transmitted to us through Adam, was swallowed up by the Godhead, so was the sin taken away by the righteousness which is in Christ Jesus, so that in the resurrection we receive back the flesh neither liable to death nor subject to sin.- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
^ We see in this the continuing development of the theme of passion narratives and atonement for the sins of a nation through the deaths of men.- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
[175] .^ The time has come for you to descend into it.
^ Various dogmas that are not found in the Gospels were developed by the emerging Catholics, such as the trinity, the doctrine of "fully human and fully divine", the "Father is equal to the Son", etc., and when the Catholics came into power within the Roman State they used their power to eliminate all of the other various beliefs about Jesus Christ, passing down only the view (which it was required to believe) that Jesus Christ had come "in the flesh", suffered, died, and bodily ascended to heaven.- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
^ JESUS said, The heavens will be rolled up, and the Earth, in your presence, and he who lives as a result of HIM who lives, he will not see death.
[179]
.^ And the first power after God the Father and Lord of all is the Word, who is also the Son; and of Him we will, in what follows, relate how He took flesh and became man.- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
^ JESUS said, The heavens will be rolled up, and the Earth, in your presence, and he who lives as a result of HIM who lives, he will not see death.
^ In making his argument, Tertullian accuses those who do not believe in bodily resurrection of having a motive to deny the existence of Christ in the flesh, but of course this only highlights his own motives for proclaiming the flesh of Christ.- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
[183] .^ Those who accept JESUS, and HIS instructions, are a part of the family of the HOLY SPIRIT. They will not taste death!
^ A person who has been Born Again can pray for another person to receive the HOLY SPIRIT and the SPIRIT will be passed.
^ Why, sir, I said, did the stones come up from the deep, and why were they put into the building, even though they had borne these SPIRITS? .
[184] .^ GOD sent John the Baptist as a witness to the fact that JESUS CHRIST is the true LIGHT. John himself was not the LIGHT; he was only a witness to identify IT. Later on, the ONE WHO is the true LIGHT arrived to shine on everyone coming into the world.
^ What the works of Philo, and also Justus, demonstrate is that we do have high quality sources for potential independent witnesses to Jesus, it is not as though we are lacking potential sources, but they make no mention of Jesus Christ.- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
^ Indeed "Christianity", or the cult of "Jesus Christ", was just one small segment of this trend within Hellenistic Judaism.- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
(See also
Nontrinitarianism)
Islamic views
Main article:
Jesus in Islam.^ JESUS said, He who will know the father and the mother will be called the son of a whore.
^ The "miraculous signs" narrative in John shows Jesus doing many "miraculous signs", but then at the end says that even after all of this the Jews still didn't believe that he was the Son of God.- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
^ Again, the Kingdom of Heaven is like unto a merchant man, seeking goodly pearls: Who, when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had, and bought it.
.^ The passage from Isaiah says that the "Lord, your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior," is the one who is with you, and that is certainly enough of a passage to arrive at the notion of the Lord Messiah being with you.- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
As such, Jesus is referred to in the Qur'an frequently as the "son of Mary" ("
Ibn Maryam").
[185][186] .^ This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen him go into heaven."- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
[185][187] .^ JESUS was not born of a virgin.
^ The "miraculous signs" narrative in John shows Jesus doing many "miraculous signs", but then at the end says that even after all of this the Jews still didn't believe that he was the Son of God.- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
^ And, as the only begotten Son and Word of God was born of His Father before centuries and times existed, and as He, in later times, descended from Heaven, was born of the Holy Spirit and the Holy ever Virgin Mary, the Mother of God, Our Lord Jesus Christ having become a man, is properly and truly God.- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
.^ JESUS said, The heavens will be rolled up, and the Earth, in your presence, and he who lives as a result of HIM who lives, he will not see death.
^ Some Christians have tried to claim that Tacitus would have gotten his details about the death of Jesus from the Roman archives, thereby establishing the historical reality of the crucifixion.- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
^ This passage is also the source for the portrayal of Jesus as crucified by putting spikes through his hands and the author of Luke's claim that Jesus proved he had been resurrected by showing the disciples the holes in his hands.- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
Islamic traditions narrate that he will return to earth near the
day of judgement to restore justice and defeat
al-Masīḥ ad-Dajjāl (
lit. "the false Messiah", also known as the
Antichrist) and the enemies of Islam. As a just ruler, Jesus will then die.
[185]
Ahmadiyya views
.^ JESUS said, The heavens will be rolled up, and the Earth, in your presence, and he who lives as a result of HIM who lives, he will not see death.
^ Or don't you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death?- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
^ Again, the Kingdom of Heaven is like unto a merchant man, seeking goodly pearls: Who, when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had, and bought it.
.^ The main aspect of Paul's teachings which people identify with the Jesus Christ of the Gospels is the crucifixion, so let's take a look at Paul's statements on the crucifixion of Jesus.- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
^ Some of these supposed evidences for the existence of Jesus, and more, have been relatively recent forgeries, produced at various times from the Middle Ages through to the 20th century.- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
^ Is it the case that Paul's gospel and the early teachings about "Christ Jesus" were a Jewish form of this same type of mystery religion?- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
.^ Those who accept JESUS, and HIS instructions, are a part of the family of the HOLY SPIRIT. They will not taste death!
^ Pray for non-believers to accept JESUS as LORD, HE is the ONE WHO died for our sins.
^ That is because they do not contain any reference to the death of Jesus.- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
[189] .^ The Catholics held a specific view of Jesus Christ as a real live, historical, person, who was both God, the only son of God, and a fully human being.- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
^ There are two basic views of the Biblical Jesus as a real person today, the religious Christian view and the secular historical view.- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
^ What the works of Philo, and also Justus, demonstrate is that we do have high quality sources for potential independent witnesses to Jesus, it is not as though we are lacking potential sources, but they make no mention of Jesus Christ.- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
.^ Didache also goes into extensive discussions about rules concerning the treatment of apostles and prophets, making no mention of disciples of Jesus, but rather apostles in general.- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
.^ John the Baptist came to announce the coming of our SAVIOUR JESUS, which would be a great honor for John, granted by our CREATOR to John.
^ Showing that the story of Jesus Christ is not based on a person in any meaningful way requires showing that the story of Jesus Christ is better explained as having developed through non-historical methods than it is through historical methods.- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
^ The Catholics held a specific view of Jesus Christ as a real live, historical, person, who was both God, the only son of God, and a fully human being.- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
.^ If I took a copy of the works of Nostradamus today I could sit down and write a story about a character who fulfills hundreds of "his prophecies".- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
^ Christians have traditionally used the parallels between the story of Jesus and the Hebrew scriptures to claim that Jesus fulfilled many prophecies from the "Old Testament", but there are several problems with this claim.- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
^ There was also a history of writing pseudo-prophetic literature that foretold and "fulfilled" prophecies within the same work, i.e.- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
Judaism's view
.^ The Catholics held a specific view of Jesus Christ as a real live, historical, person, who was both God, the only son of God, and a fully human being.- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
^ Yes, it would have been hard for the disciples to believe that JESUS came as GODS personal representative.
^ Now a person might say that these men, and those who hold a different opinion, are yet near neighbors, being involved in like error.- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
[194] .^ Christians have traditionally used the parallels between the story of Jesus and the Hebrew scriptures to claim that Jesus fulfilled many prophecies from the "Old Testament", but there are several problems with this claim.- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
.^ NATHAN: There is no more death!
^ Theres no more of anything.
^ For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; the same Lord is Lord of all and is generous to all who call on him.- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
.^ The "miraculous signs" narrative in John shows Jesus doing many "miraculous signs", but then at the end says that even after all of this the Jews still didn't believe that he was the Son of God.- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
^ Josephus did write it, but he based his information on a Gospel or another Christian source, then it is of no value in supporting the existence of "Jesus."- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
^ There is no evidence for a legitimate grave, or even knowledge of a grave, for either Jesus or Mary, and there is no sign of any discussion of a tomb of Jesus, empty or occupied, until the advent of the Gospel stories.- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
[195]
The
Mishneh Torah (an authoritative work of
Jewish law) states in
Hilkhot Melakhim 11:10–12 that Jesus is a "stumbling block" who makes "the majority of the world err to serve a divinity besides God".
[196] According to
Conservative Judaism, Jews who believe Jesus is the Messiah have "crossed the line out of the Jewish community".
[197] Reform Judaism, the modern progressive movement, states "For us in the Jewish community anyone who claims that Jesus is their savior is no longer a Jew and is an
apostate".
[198]Bahá'í views
.^ The Catholics held a specific view of Jesus Christ as a real live, historical, person, who was both God, the only son of God, and a fully human being.- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
^ The variety of beliefs ranged from Christ never having become incarnate at all, to Christ having entered into the body of a human Jesus, to the Catholic belief that Jesus was Christ, and that he was both human and divine.- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
^ The suspicion that Jesus never existed was first seriously entertained (within the past thousand years) and addressed in a scholarly fashion in the 19th century.- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
[199]
Hindu views
.^ This symbolism was, perhaps, one of the earliest and most developed parts of Jesus Christ theology among the early followers of the Christ mythos among the Jews.- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
Beliefs about him in some sects vary.
.^ The Catholics held a specific view of Jesus Christ as a real live, historical, person, who was both God, the only son of God, and a fully human being.- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
^ And a voice came from heaven, You are my Son, the Beloved; with you I am well pleased.- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
^ The soldiers therefore came and broke the legs of the first man who had been crucified with Jesus, and then those of the other.- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
.^ The "miraculous signs" narrative in John shows Jesus doing many "miraculous signs", but then at the end says that even after all of this the Jews still didn't believe that he was the Son of God.- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
^ The Catholics held a specific view of Jesus Christ as a real live, historical, person, who was both God, the only son of God, and a fully human being.- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
^ The beginning of the good news of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
.^ Others consider Him to have been manifested as a transfigured man; but they maintain Him to have been neither born nor to have become incarnate; while others [hold] that He did not assume a human form at all, but that, as a dove, He did descend upon that Jesus who was born from Mary.- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
^ This reference to a star is part of a supposed prophesy by Balaam, who was not a Jew, but who foretold good things for the Jewish people.- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
^ In addition to all this you can hear the wailings and lamentations of each of the prophets, wailing and lamenting characteristically over the calamities which will overtake the Jewish people because of their impiety to Him Who had been foretold.- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
.^ JESUS canceled the Promised Land Contract, because the Jews did not live as GOD required.
^ I say to you that this man must die, in whom Satan is contriving the destruction of Israel; and he will die, I repeat, because it is better one man die than an entire people.
^ JESUS cancelled the Promised Land Contract in Luke 19:41-44 because they would not accept JESUS as MESSIAH or HIS instructions.
Krishna Conscious people believe Jesus taught basic forms of
Karma,
Reincarnation, and Vegetarianism as supported in the
Gospel of the Holy Twelve.
.^ Yes, it would have been hard for the disciples to believe that JESUS came as GODS personal representative.
Contemporary
Sant Mat movements regard Jesus as a
Satguru.
.^ The "miraculous signs" narrative in John shows Jesus doing many "miraculous signs", but then at the end says that even after all of this the Jews still didn't believe that he was the Son of God.- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
^ Now after John was arrested, Jesus came to Galilee, proclaiming the good news of God, and saying, The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God has come near; repent, and believe in the good news.- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
^ Yes, it would have been hard for the disciples to believe that JESUS came as GODS personal representative.
Swami Vivekananda has praised Jesus and cited him as a source of strength and the epitome of perfection.
Mohandas Gandhi expressed similar views.
.^ John the Baptist came to announce the coming of our SAVIOUR JESUS, which would be a great honor for John, granted by our CREATOR to John.
^ In both cases John the Baptist is killed by Herod fairly early in the story, and of course before the death of Jesus.- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
^ JESUS may have been referring to John the Baptist or to HIMSELF, no matter which.
Buddhist views
Buddhists' views of Jesus differ.
.^ The Catholics held a specific view of Jesus Christ as a real live, historical, person, who was both God, the only son of God, and a fully human being.- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
^ T2: Matthew 28:7 - Daniel 12:2-4: "Many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt.- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
^ In Mark's Gospel Peter is portrayed as a fool who doesn't understand the message of Jesus, and thus him being Mark's authoritative source is unlikely at best.- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
.^ JESUS said, When you make the two one, you will become the SONS OF MAN, and when you say, Mountain, move away, it will move away.
^ Contains sayings like those in the Gospels, but not attributed to Jesus.- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
^ Pre-Gospel evidence was never appealed to, and yet, even though the defense of the humanity of Jesus began in the 2nd century, this defense began almost as soon as the Gospels were written.- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
[201]Sikh views
.^ NICODEMUS: And that, in any case, there will be no question of condemning him to death.
^ JESUS said, Among those born of women, from Adam until John the Baptist, there is no one so superior to John the Baptist that his eyes should not be lowered (before him).
^ JESUS: And as for me, if I think there is no necessity to die?
Jesus is mentioned in the Sikh Holy Book, The Sri Guru Granth Shaib as "
Issa" as with Allah and the Buddha.
.^ For God formed man to be imperishable; the image of his own nature he made him.- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
^ GOD, and JESUS, come first, before our earthly family.
^ But not all the relief that could come from man, not all the bounties that the prince could bestow, nor all the atonements which could be presented to the gods, availed to relieve Nero from the infamy of being believed to have ordered the conflagration, the fire of Rome.- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
.^ Other such evidences were either intentionally manufactured or inadvertently created through the eye of the beholder.- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
^ Both Justin Martyr and Tertullian made comments that compare the Christian rites to the "mysteries" of other religions.- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
^ Unlike most of the Greek and Roman religions, Christianity was highly evangelical with its claims of salvation and "truth".- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
Other views
.^ JESUS: Happy are you, John, that God makes you so clearly confident.
^ The "miraculous signs" narrative in John shows Jesus doing many "miraculous signs", but then at the end says that even after all of this the Jews still didn't believe that he was the Son of God.- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
^ John the Baptist came to announce the coming of our SAVIOUR JESUS, which would be a great honor for John, granted by our CREATOR to John.
Manichaeism accepted Jesus as a prophet, along with
Gautama Buddha and
Zoroaster.
[203]
The
New Age movement entertains a wide variety of views on Jesus. The creators of
A Course In Miracles claim to trance-
channel his spirit. However, the New Age movement generally teaches that Christhood is something that all may attain.
.^ JESUS said, Many times you desire to hear these sayings that I speak among you and you have no other from whom to hear them.
^ JONATHAN: His names Jesus; hes the son of a carpenter from Nazareth in Galilee.
.^ The period from the 2nd to the 4th centuries saw a large volume of writings about Jesus, with various anonymous writers adding many elements to the story of Jesus.- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
Garry Wills argues that Jesus' ethics are distinct from those usually taught by Christianity.
[204] .^ But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, 5 made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressionsit is by grace you have been saved.- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
^ The letter is a polemic against "godless men" who don't believe in Jesus, and it also begins to outline the concept of the trinity.- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
^ Matthew 21: 12 Jesus entered the temple area and drove out all who were buying and selling there.- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
[205] .^ Various dogmas that are not found in the Gospels were developed by the emerging Catholics, such as the trinity, the doctrine of "fully human and fully divine", the "Father is equal to the Son", etc., and when the Catholics came into power within the Roman State they used their power to eliminate all of the other various beliefs about Jesus Christ, passing down only the view (which it was required to believe) that Jesus Christ had come "in the flesh", suffered, died, and bodily ascended to heaven.- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
^ The life of Jesus is a story that was created by combining elements from many other Hebrew stories to create a pseudo-proto-typical savior figure.- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
^ Pray for non-believers to accept JESUS as LORD, HE is the ONE WHO died for our sins.
Legacy of Jesus
Pietà, Jesus' mother Mary holds the body of her dead son, illustration by
Michelangelo, 16th c.
Shroud of Turin which some believe shows the face of Jesus at the time of his burial
Concept of God
.^ The Catholics held a specific view of Jesus Christ as a real live, historical, person, who was both God, the only son of God, and a fully human being.- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
^ Here again we see a range of views about Christ, ranging from the belief that he was just a man to the belief that he was just a god.- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
^ If we take the view that Jesus was indeed God, then it would be peculiar that he was unable to write and chose to write nothing himself.- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
.^ The angels shall take them to punishment, that vengeance may be inflicted on those who have oppressed his children and his elect.- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
^ MAGDALENE: Will you come again, Master, now that we are here alone, two poor women who had only him?
^ Therefore they will be named "The Words of Imperishability and Truth," for those who know the eternal God in wisdom of knowledge and teaching of angels forever, for he knows all things."- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
.^ The suspicion that Jesus never existed was first seriously entertained (within the past thousand years) and addressed in a scholarly fashion in the 19th century.- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
Thomas Jefferson considered Jesus' teachings to be "the most sublime and benevolent code of morals which has ever been offered to man".
[208]
Concept of salvation
.^ Many people ask, "If Jesus didn't exist, then where did these stories come from?"- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
^ They came out of the tombs, and after Jesus' resurrection they went into the holy city and appeared to many people.- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
^ (Note: Many scholars have interpreted the cursing of the fig tree as a metaphor for Jesus' rejecting of those Jews who reject him and as a foreshadowing of his second coming and judgment.- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
.^ Josephus did write it, but he based his information on a Gospel or another Christian source, then it is of no value in supporting the existence of "Jesus."- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
^ This is certainly something to keep in mind when dealing with the works of Paul, but despite this, the letters of Paul are still critical as the earliest writings about Jesus.- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
^ Even the spreading of the religion prior to the Gospels occurred due to apostolistic evangelism, the works of Paul and other writings are a testament to this.- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
[209] .^ From Irenaeus, writing in the 2nd century, we see that by this early time there was already a huge variety of beliefs about who or what Jesus Christ was.- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
^ Of course not, but this isn't what the early Church fathers and Christian apologists thought, they viewed the correlations between the Hebrew scriptures (which they typically read in Greek translations) and the story of Jesus as "proof that the religion is true."- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
^ The Catholics held a specific view of Jesus Christ as a real live, historical, person, who was both God, the only son of God, and a fully human being.- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
[210] .^ The variety of beliefs ranged from Christ never having become incarnate at all, to Christ having entered into the body of a human Jesus, to the Catholic belief that Jesus was Christ, and that he was both human and divine.- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
^ Many of the early Christian apologists that are now considered the "correct ones" defended the belief in Jesus as both human and divine from the many beliefs that Jesus Christ was something other than this.- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
^ Irenaeus goes on to discuss the significance of the human nature of Jesus, which is to support the doctrine of salvation of the flesh and to fulfill scripture.- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
[210] .^ All of this makes relying on the works of Paul to build a case or to understand the early views of Jesus difficult, but not impossible.- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
[210]
Not all have agreed.
.^ Jesus replied, "I will ask you one question.- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
^ In Mark's Gospel Peter is portrayed as a fool who doesn't understand the message of Jesus, and thus him being Mark's authoritative source is unlikely at best.- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
^ (Note: Many scholars have interpreted the cursing of the fig tree as a metaphor for Jesus' rejecting of those Jews who reject him and as a foreshadowing of his second coming and judgment.- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
[211] .^ What else is important about this passage is that it is one of the passages in the letters of Paul that would seem to establish a historical view of Jesus, however, as mentioned, this is regarded as a later addition.- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
^ This is certainly something to keep in mind when dealing with the works of Paul, but despite this, the letters of Paul are still critical as the earliest writings about Jesus.- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
^ Again we get metaphor from Paul, and no indication of knowledge of a literal, historical, crucifixion of Jesus.- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
Art and literature
Jesus has been a popular subject in drawing, painting, and sculpture. He is
popularly depicted as having long brown hair and a full beard, wearing robes. He is often crucified and wearing a
crown of thorns, such as on a
crucifix.
.^ NATHAN: And is it true as Magdalene and Peter found his sepulchre empty, that we will see Jesus resurrected?
^ As already discussed, Paul also talked about others seeing Jesus Christ "portrayed" as crucified and had visions of his resurrection.- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
^ If Jesus didn't really exist in the flesh, suffer, and die, reasons Basil, then we have no reason to believe in resurrection and eternal life, therefore we have to believe that Jesus existed "in flesh".- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
He appears as the
Christ Child in Christmas nativity scenes.
.^ This is not at all unusual, indeed this was a common opinion among both Jews and non-Jews and was also expressed, though in a different way, by the Jewish writer Josephus.- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
^ During this time, however, in both Judea and in the diaspora communities, many apocalyptic and Messianic works were written, in both Semitic languages and Greek, and many different Messianic movements emerged.- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
^ The thing is that John ends up referencing many of the same passages that Mark and Matthew reference, the author just does it in a different way.- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
The figure of Jesus features prominently in art and literature.
.^ Or don't you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death?- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
^ We also know that Paul repeatedly talks about his "relationship" with Jesus Christ, having seen him after his resurrection, having received his knowledge from him, and having been revealed to him.- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
^ Prior to the Gospels there are various works that talk about Jesus in a variety of ways, but none of them provide any details about a birth, life, ministry, or death of Jesus.- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
.^ JESUS said, When you make the two one, you will become the SONS OF MAN, and when you say, Mountain, move away, it will move away.
^ Contains sayings like those in the Gospels, but not attributed to Jesus.- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
^ Didache is a highly Jewish work, which has sayings in it that are similar to those in the Gospels, but not attributed to Jesus, and it contains rituals that cannot conceivably be tied to the Gospel accounts of similar rituals or the Gospel story.- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
There are a few items purported to be
relics of Jesus, of which the most famous are the
Shroud of Turin and the
Sudarium of Oviedo.
Christian antisemitism
.^ JUDAS: Before evening.
^ The "miraculous signs" narrative in John shows Jesus doing many "miraculous signs", but then at the end says that even after all of this the Jews still didn't believe that he was the Son of God.- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
^ We now turn to Wisdom of Solomon , written some time between the 2nd century BCE and the 1st century CE. Most scholars agree that Wisdom of Solomon was written in the 1st century BCE, just shortly before Jesus was supposedly born.- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
.^ There were many different groups of Christians early on, some of them include: .- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
^ The "miraculous signs" narrative in John shows Jesus doing many "miraculous signs", but then at the end says that even after all of this the Jews still didn't believe that he was the Son of God.- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
^ Some of these supposed evidences for the existence of Jesus, and more, have been relatively recent forgeries, produced at various times from the Middle Ages through to the 20th century.- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
[212] although in the wake of
.^ There were many different groups of Christians early on, some of them include: .- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
Christianity has often been linked to European
colonialism.
[213] .^ JESUS said, Whoever has come to know the world has discovered the body, and whoever has discovered the body, of that one the world is not worthy.
^ As with other theologians who defended the humanity of Jesus, Basil provided theological reasoning to support the existence of Jesus in the flesh.- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
^ Many of the early Christian apologists that are now considered the "correct ones" defended the belief in Jesus as both human and divine from the many beliefs that Jesus Christ was something other than this.- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
[214]
Religious-political alliances
"
Constantine’s recognition of Christianity in 313 and
Charlemagne’s crowning by the Pope in 800 are similar in that both events encourage the spreading and acceptance of Christianity in the early European world."
[215] The coronation of Charlemagne led to the creation of the
Holy Roman Empire. Both the rulers and the Church benefited politically by affiliating with the Church. Christianity was spread throughout the early European world as a result.
[216]Historians say it is questionable whether Constantine truly accepted the Christian faith in a personal manner.
.^ Battle of the Frigidus, Theodosius defeats remaining pagan armies in the Empire, all of Europe now officially Christian .- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
Yet, there also were obvious benefits.
.^ He concludes that no such evidence exists and that Christians have to remain agnostic as to the historical reality of this event and continue to take it on faith.- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
^ STRANGER: Men of little faith, wasnt it necessary that the Christ die the least honorable death so that you, his disciples and all those you will convert may no longer fear those who will persecute you.
^ Well then, if we are saved by faith, does this mean that we no longer need obey GODS laws?
.^ Emperor Constantine, being the first Roman Emperor who was a Christian, urged the CHURCH to change the Sabbath and so it was changed.
^ Emperor Constantine, supposedly the first Christian Roman Emperor, believed that he could use war in the name of CHRIST. Constantine urged the changing of the Sabbath Day and the CHURCH leaders followed.
.^ It should be noted that Trajan's reply to Pliny stated that he was not to seek out Christians and that accusations against them be treated with care.- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
.^ All of these references are in works that were written after the Gospels had been written and, as with all ancient works, they come down to us through a long line of translations and hand copying.- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
^ Wherefore Mark has not erred in any thing, by writing some things as lie has recorded them; for lie was carefully attentive to one thing, not to pass by any thing that he heard, or to state any thing falsely in these accounts.- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
.^ By the 1st century CE Jews had spread throughout much of the Roman Empire, this is what is known as the Jewish diaspora.- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
[215]See also
- General topics
- Views on Jesus
- Jesus and history
|
- New Testament Jesus
- Related topics
|
Notes
- ^ Sanders says c 4 BC. Vermes says c 5/6 BC.
- ^ "Our conclusion must be that Jesus came from Nazareth." Theissen, Gerd; and Merz, Annette. The historical Jesus: A comprehensive guide. Minneapolis: Fortress Press. 1998. Tr from German (1996 edition). p. 165. ISBN 978-0-8006-3123-9
- ^ a b Sanders (1993).p.11, p 249.
- ^ Vermes, Geza. The authentic gospel of Jesus. London, Penguin Books. 2004.
- ^ Eusebius, (trans. Cameron, Averil; Hall, Stuart G.). Life of Constantine. Oxford: Clarendon Press; New York : Oxford University Press, 1999. ISBN 978-0-19-814917-0
- ^ and God incarnate
- ^ Theologian and bishop Lesslie Newbigin says "the whole of Christian teaching would fall to the ground if it were the case that the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus were not events in real history but stories told to illustrate truths which are valid apart from these happenings." Newbigin, J. E. L. (1989). "The Gospel In a Pluralist Society". London: SPCK. p. 66.
- ^ Abdulsalam, M. (19 February 2008). "Jesus in Islam". IslamReligion.com. http://www.islamreligion.com/articles/31/.
- ^ "The Gospel of John is quite different from the other three gospels, and it is primarily in the latter that we must seek information about Jesus." Sanders (1993), p. 57.
- ^ a b Funk, Robert W.; Seminar, Jesus (1998). Introduction. San Francisco: HarperSanFrancisco. pp. 1–40. ISBN 978-0-06-062978-6.
- ^ P. Parker, A Proto-Lukan Basis for the Gospel According to the Hebrews Journal of Biblical Literature, Vol. 59, No. 4 (Dec., 1940), pp. 471-473
- ^ J. R. Edwards, The Hebrew Gospel & the Development of the Synoptic Tradition, Eerdmans Publishing, 2009 pp. 1-376
- ^ a b Levine, Amy-Jill (1998). Visions of Kingdoms: From Pompey to the First Jewish Revolt (63 BCE—70 CE). New York and Oxford: Oxford University Press. pp. 370–371. ISBN 978-0-19-508707-9. http://books.google.ca/books?id=zFhvECwNQD0C&pg=PA352.
- ^ a b c d Funk, Robert W.; Hoover, Roy W.; Jesus Seminar (1993). Introduction. New York: Maxwell Macmillan. pp. 1–30. ISBN 978-0-02-541949-0.
- ^ a b c Harris, Stephen L. (1985). Understanding the Bible : a reader's introduction. Palo Alto: Mayfield. pp. 255–260. ISBN 978-0-87484-696-6.
- ^ a b c d e Crossan, John Dominic (1998). The essential Jesus : original sayings and earliest images. Edison, NJ: Castle Books. ISBN 978-0-7858-0901-2.
- ^ Examples of authors who argue the Jesus myth hypothesis:
- ^ Brown, Raymond E. (1994). The death of the Messiah : from Gethsemane to the grave : a commentary on the Passion narratives in the four Gospels. New York: Doubleday, Anchor Bible Reference Library: Doubleday. p. 964. ISBN 978-0-385-19397-9.
- ^ Carson, D. A.; et al.. pp. 50–56.
- ^ Cohen (1987). pp. 78, 93, 105, 108.
- ^ Crossan. pp. xi—xiii.
- ^ Grant, Michael. pp. 34–35, 78, 166, 200.
- ^ Paula Fredriksen (1999). Alfred A. Knopf. pp. 6–7, 105–110, 232–234, 266.
- ^ Meier, John P. (1993). 1:68, 146, 199, 278, 386, 2:726. Sanders. pp. 12–13.
- ^ Vermes, Géza (1973). "Jesus the Jew". Philadelphia: Fortress Press. p. 37.
- ^ Maier, Paul L. (1991). Kregel. pp. 1, 99, 121, 171.
- ^ Wright, N. T. (1998). HarperCollins. pp. 32, 83, 100–102, 222.
- ^ Witherington, Ben III. pp. 12–20.
- ^ Though many historians may have certain reservations about the use of the Gospels for writing history, "even the most hesitant, however, will concede that we are probably on safe historical footing" concerning certain basic facts about the life of Jesus; Cruz, Jo Ann H. Moran; Gerberding, Richard (2004). Houghton Mifflin Company. pp. 44–45.
- ^ a b Theissen, Gerd and Annette Merz. The historical Jesus: a comprehensive guide. Fortress Press. 1998. translated from German (1996 edition). Chapter 1. Quest of the historical Jesus. p. 1-16
- ^ a b c d e Grudem, Wayne (1994). Systematic Theology: An Introduction to Biblical Doctrine. Grand Rapids: Zondervan. ISBN 0-310-28670-0.
- ^ Friedmann, Robert (1953). "Antitrinitarianism". Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. http://www.gameo.org/encyclopedia/contents/A597.html. Retrieved June 8, 2008.
- ^ For instance Brown, Raymond E. (1979). The Birth of the Messiah. Garden City, NY: Image Books. p. 9. ISBN 978-0-385-05405-8.
- ^ Houlden, James L. (2005). Jesus: The Complete Guide. London: Continuum. ISBN 978-0-8264-8011-8.
- ^ Prof. Dr. Şaban Ali Düzgün (2004). "Uncovering Islam: Questions and Answers about Islamic Beliefs and Teachings". Ankara: The Presidency of Religious Affairs Publishing. http://www.diyanet.gov.tr/English/web_kitap.asp?yid=30.
- ^ "Compendium of Muslim Texts". http://www.usc.edu/dept/MSA/quran/004.qmt.html#004.157.
- ^ Brown Driver Brigges Hebrew and English Lexicon; Hendrickson Publishers 1996 ISBN 1565632060.
- ^ Fausset's Bible Dictionary
- ^
"Origin of the Name of Jesus Christ". Catholic Encyclopedia. New York: Robert Appleton Company. 1913. http://en.wikisource.org/wiki/Catholic_Encyclopedia_(1913)/Origin_of_the_Name_of_Jesus_Christ.
- ^ a b Vine, W.E. (1940). Expository Dictionary of New Testament Words. Old Tappan, New Jersey: Fleming H. Revell Company. ISBN None.
- ^ Some of the historians and Biblical scholars who place the birth and death of Jesus within this range include D. A. Carson, Douglas J. Moo and Leon Morris. An Introduction to the New Testament. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House, 1992, 54, 56
- ^ Michael Grant, Jesus: An Historian's Review of the Gospels, Scribner's, 1977, p. 71; John P. Meier, A Marginal Jew, Doubleday, 1991–, vol. 1:214; Sanders (1993), pp. 10–11; and Ben Witherington III, "Primary Sources," Christian History 17 (1998) No. 3:12–20.
- ^ Edwin D. Freed, Stories of Jesus' Birth, (Continuum International, 2004), page 119.
- ^ Géza Vermes, The Nativity: History and Legend, London, Penguin, 2006, page 22.
- ^ James D. G. Dunn, Jesus Remembered, Eerdmans Publishing (2003), page 324.
- ^ a b Catholic Encyclopedia, Christmas
- ^ Luke 3:23
- ^ Luke states that John's ministry began in the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar, when Pontius Pilate was governor of Judea, and Herod was tetrarch of Galilee, and his brother Philip was tetrarch of the region of Iturea and Trachonitis, and Lysanias was tetrarch of Abilene, during the high priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas.
- ^ Hoehner, Harold W. (1978). Chronological Aspects of the Life of Christ. Zondervan. pp. 29–37. ISBN 0310262119. http://books.google.com/books?id=6z-NcR7fVSIC&dq=CHronological+Aspects+of+the+Life+of+Christ&source=gbs_navlinks_s.
- ^ Carol A. Newsom, Sharon H. Ringe, The Women's Bible Commentary, (Westminster John Knox Press, 1998) page 381. Google Book Search preview
- ^ Theissen 1998, pp. 64–72
- ^ Theissen 1998, pp. 81-83
- ^ a b Pontius Pilate in history and interpretation, Helen Katharine Bond p. 12
- ^ Green, Joel B. (1997). The Gospel of Luke : new international commentary on the New Testament. Grand Rapids, Mich.: W.B. Eerdmans Pub. Co.. p. 168. ISBN 0802823157. http://books.google.com/books?id=koYlW6IoOjMC&pg=PR85&dq=Joel+B.+Green,+The+Gospel+of+Luke,+(Eerdmans,+1997),+page+168&ei=pd98Sa_HA5HEMf7HnaQF&client=firefox-a#PPA168,M1.
- ^ a b "The Historical Figure of Jesus," Sanders, E.P., Penguin Books: London, 1995, p., 3.
- ^ ""What the Old Testament Prophesied About the Messiah"". http://Christianity.com/Christian%20Foundations/Jesus/11541169/. Retrieved October 11, 2007.
- ^ Sanders 1993 132-143
- ^ "synoptic". Oxford English Dictionary. Oxford University Press. 2nd ed. 1989.
- ^ Carlson, Stephen C. "The Two Source Hypothesis." Aug. 20, 2009. <http://www.mindspring.com/~scarlson/synopt/2sh/index.htm>
- ^ a b c d e f g Harris, Stephen L., Understanding the Bible. Palo Alto: Mayfield. 1985.
- ^ a b c d Ehrman, Bart D. Misquoting Jesus: The Story Behind Who Changed the Bible and Why. HarperCollins, 2005. ISBN 978-0-06-073817-4
- ^ Durant, Will. Caesar and Christ. New York: Simon and Schuster. 1972
- ^ a b c d e f g h Harris, Stephen L., Understanding the Bible. Palo Alto: Mayfield. 1985. "John" pp. 302–310
- ^ Stagg, Frank (1962). New Testament Theology. Broadman Press. p. 78. ISBN 978-0805416138.
- ^ [Mt. 1:1–17]
- ^ [Lk. 3:23–38]
- ^ Joseph A. Fitzmyer, The Gospel According to Luke I–IX. Anchor Bible. Garden City: Doubleday, 1981, pp. 499–500; I. Howard Marshall, The Gospel of Luke (The New International Greek Testament Commentary). Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1978, p. 158;
- ^ Ben Witherington, "Birth of Jesus" in Dictionary of Jesus and the Gospels. Ed. Joel B. Green, Scot McKnight, I. Howard Marshall, page 65
- ^ Bienert, Wolfgang E. (2003). [9780664227210 "The Relatives of Jesus"]. in Wilhelm Schneemelcher, Robert McLachlan Wilson. New Testament Apocrypha: Gospels and Related Writings. Westminster John Knox Press. p. 487. 9780664227210.
- ^ Matthew 13:55–56, Mark 6:3 and Galatians 1:19
- ^ The Greek word adelphos in these verses, often translated as brother, can refer to any familial relation, and most Catholics and Eastern Orthodox Christians translate the word as kinsman, brethren, or cousin in this context (see Perpetual virginity of Mary).
- ^ The members of the church also addressed each other as "Brethren". http://www.jewishencyclopedia.com/view.jsp?artid=283&letter=S&search=paul#973
- ^ "Sanders, p. 3."
- ^ a b c d Harris, Stephen L., Understanding the Bible. Palo Alto: Mayfield. 1985. "Matthew" pp. 272–285
- ^ For Egypt: Matthew 2:13–23; For Tyre and sometimes Sidon:Matthew 15:21–28 and Mark 7:24–30 Only Luke tells that Jesus was found teaching in the temple by his parents after being lost. The Finding in the Temple is the sole event between Jesus' infancy and baptism mentioned in any of the canonical Gospels.[Lk. 2:41–52]
- ^ "Lost Scriptures: Books that Did Not Make it Into the New Testament," Ehrman, Bart D., Oxford University Press: New York, 2003, p. 58.
- ^ "An Intermediate Greek-English Lexicon." The Seventh Edition of Liddell and Scott's Greek-English Lexicon. Clarendon Press: Oxford, p. 797.
- ^ Early Christian accounts reflect some perplexity at Jesus being baptized, especially by a subordinate figure. See "Baptism of Christ". Cross, F. L., ed. The Oxford dictionary of the Christian church. New York: Oxford University Press. 2005
- ^ Matthew 4:1–11, Mark 1:12–13, Luke 4:1–13
- ^ "John, Gospel of." Cross, F. L., ed. The Oxford dictionary of the Christian church. New York: Oxford University Press. 2005
- ^ a b "John, Gospel of St." Cross, F. L., ed. The Oxford dictionary of the Christian church. New York: Oxford University Press. 2005
- ^ Meier 1991 vol. 1:405
- ^ a b c Introduction. Funk, Robert W., Roy W. Hoover, and the Jesus Seminar. The five gospels. HarperSanFrancisco. 1993.
- ^ "The Thompson Chain-Reference Study Bible", published December 1999, B.B. Kirkbride Bible Co., Inc.; William Adler & Paul Tuffin, "The Chronography of George Synkellos: A Byzantine Chronicle of Universal History from the Creation", Oxford University Press (2002), p. 466
- ^ a b c d e f Funk, Robert W. and the Jesus Seminar. The acts of Jesus: the search for the authentic deeds of Jesus. HarperSanFrancisco. 1998.
- ^ Luke 14:26, Matthew 10:37. Luke contains a harsher version than the saying in Matthew, as does Thomas. Funk, Robert W., Roy W. Hoover, and the Jesus Seminar. The five gospels. HarperSanFrancisco. 1993. p. 353
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j Harris, Stephen L., Understanding the Bible. Palo Alto: Mayfield. 1985. "Mark" pp. 285–296
- ^ a b c d Harris, Stephen L., Understanding the Bible. Palo Alto: Mayfield. 1985. "Luke" pp. 297–301
- ^ In John, Jesus' ministry takes place in and around Jerusalem.
- ^ 1 Corinthians 13:1–8, 1 John 4:8, Luke 10:26–28, and Matthew 22:37–40
- ^ Sermon on the Mount;[Mt. 5–7] Prodigal Son;[Lk. 15:11–32] Parable of the Sower;[Mt. 13:1–9] Agape[Mt. 22:34–40]
- ^ Matthew 17:1–6, Mark 9:1–8, Luke 9:28–36
- ^ a b c d Funk, Robert W. and the Jesus Seminar. The acts of Jesus: the search for the authentic deeds of Jesus. HarperSanFrancisco. 1998. "Mark" pp. 51–161
- ^ "Messianic Secret", Cross, F. L., ed. The Oxford dictionary of the Christian church. New York: Oxford University Press. 2005
- ^ Funk, Robert W., Roy W. Hoover, and the Jesus Seminar. The five gospels. HarperSanFrancisco. 1993. pages 72–73.
- ^ "Jesus was claiming for himself the title "I AM" by which God designates himself... he was claiming to be God."—Wayne Grudem, Systematic Theology, page 546, Zondervan.
- ^ The crowd was quoting Psalms 118:26; found in John 12:13–16.
- ^ John puts the cleansing of the temple at the start of Jesus' ministry.
- ^ a b Funk, Robert W. and the Jesus Seminar. The acts of Jesus: the search for the authentic deeds of Jesus. HarperSanFrancisco. 1998. "Matthew" pp. 129–270
- ^ Funk, Robert W. and the Jesus Seminar. The acts of Jesus: the search for the authentic deeds of Jesus. HarperSanFrancisco. 1998. "Luke" pp. 267–364
- ^ Funk, Robert W. and the Jesus Seminar. The acts of Jesus: the search for the authentic deeds of Jesus. HarperSanFrancisco. 1998. "John" pp. 365–440
- ^ Luke 22:47–52, Matthew 26:47–56
- ^ The apostle is identified as Simon Peter in John 18:10; the healing of the ear is found in Luke 22:51.
- ^ [Mt. 27:51]; Mark 15:38; Luke 23:45
- ^ Matthew 28:1; Mark 16:9; Luke 24:1; John 20:1
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l Funk, Robert W. and the Jesus Seminar. The acts of Jesus: the search for the authentic deeds of Jesus. HarperSanFrancisco. 1998. "Empty Tomb, Appearances & Ascension" pp. 449–495.
- ^ May, Herbert G. and Bruce M. Metzger. The New Oxford Annotated Bible with the Apocrypha. 1977.
- ^ Jesus' appearances in Mark were not part of the original text. See Funk, Robert W. and the Jesus Seminar. The acts of Jesus: the search for the authentic deeds of Jesus. HarperSanFrancisco. 1998. "Empty Tomb, Appearances & Ascension" pp. 449–495.
- ^ Funk, Robert W. and the Jesus Seminar. The acts of Jesus: the search for the authentic deeds of Jesus. HarperSanFrancisco. 1998. p. 491
- ^ Joel B. Green, Scot McKnight, I. Howard Marshall, Dictionary of Jesus and the Gospels (InterVarsity Press, 1992), page 442
- ^ Durant, Will. Caesar and Christ. New York: Simon and Schuster, 1944. p. 558; John P. Meier, A Marginal Jew. New York: Doubleday, 1991 vol. 1:205–7;
- ^ "Origin of the Name of Jesus Christ". Catholic Encyclopedia. Retrieved April 14, 2007.
- ^ e.g. Leviticus 4:3–5
- ^ e.g., King David 2 Samuel 23:1
- ^ Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church (Oxford University Press 2005 ISBN 978-0-19-280290-3), article Messiah
- ^ a b c d Vermes (1981).
- ^ Martin Hengel, The Son of God: The Origin of Christology and the History of Jewish-Hellenistic Religion (Wipf & Stock Publishers 2007); Robert M. Bowman, Jr., Ed Komoszewski, Putting Jesus in His Place: The Case for the Deity of Christ (Kregel 2007); Jacob Neusner, Rabbi talks with Jesus (Image 1994); Joseph Ratzinger, Jesus of Nazareth, (Ignatius Press 2008); Fernando Ocariz, Luis Mateo Seco, Alfonso Riestra, Mystery of Jesus Christ, (Four Courts Press 1994); Gerald O'Collins S.J., Christology: A Biblical, Historical, and Systematic Study of Jesus Christ (Oxford University Press 1995)
- ^ "A further point of broad agreement among New Testament scholars is…that the historical Jesus did not make the claim to deity that later Christian thought was to make for him: he did not understand himself to be God, or God the Son, incarnate."—John Hick, The Metaphor of God Incarnate: Christology in a Pluralistic Age, Westminster John Knox Press, page 27; Michael Ramsey, Jesus and the Living Past (Oxford University Press, 1980), page 39: 'Jesus did not claim deity for himself'; C. F. D. Moule, The Origin of Christology: 'Any case for a "high" Christology that depended on the authenticity of the alleged claims of Jesus about himself, especially in the Fourth Gospel, would indeed be precarious'; James Dunn, Christology in the Making, (SCM Press 1980), page 254: 'We cannot claim that Jesus believed himself to be the incarnate Son of God' and 'There is no question in my mind that the doctrine of incarnation comes to clear expression within the NT…John 1:14 ranks as a classic formulation of the Christian belief in Jesus as incarnate God.' Page xiii; Brian Hebblethwaite, The Incarnation (Cambridge University Press, 1987), page 74: 'it is no longer possible to defend the divinity of Jesus by reference to the claims of Jesus'; John A. T. Robinson, Honest to God, Westminster Press (1963), p. 47: 'It is, indeed, an open question whether Jesus ever claimed to be the Son of God, let alone God.'; Larry Hurtado, Lord Jesus Christ: Devotion to Jesus in Earliest Christianity, page 5, describes the view that Jesus made 'both his Messiahship and his divinity clear to his disciples during his ministry' as 'naive and ahistorical'.
- ^ Larry Hurtado, Lord Jesus Christ: Devotion to Jesus in Earliest Christianity, (Eerdmans, 2005), page 650.
- ^ a b Schaeffer, Francis (1968). The God Who is There. Downers Grove, Il.: InterVarsity Press. pp. 72–73. ISBN 0-8308-1947-9.
- ^ Borg, Marcus J. in Borg, Marcus J. and N. T. Wright. The Meaning of Jesus: Two visions. New York: HarperCollins. 2007.
- ^ "Pope's Book: A Lifetime of Learning". Newsweek. 21 May 2007. http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/18629516/site/newsweek/print/0/displaymode/1098/. Retrieved January 14, 2009.
- ^ Pope Benedict XVI, Jesus of Nazareth. Doubleday, 2007. ISBN 978-0-385-52341-7
- ^ Chesterton, G. K. The everlasting man. 1925, Part II, chapter II, also says that "the merely human Christ is a made-up figure, a piece of artificial selection".
- ^ "Extrabiblical references to Jesus". Extra-biblical references to Jesus and Christianity. Rational Christianity. 17 January 2006. http://www.rationalchristianity.net/jesus_extrabib.html. Retrieved December 4, 2008.
- ^ "The nonhistoricity thesis has always been controversial, and it has consistently failed to convince scholars of many disciplines and religious creeds. ... Biblical scholars and classical historians now regard it as effectively refuted."—Van Voorst, Robert E. Jesus Outside the New Testament: An Introduction to the Ancient Evidence (Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 2000), p. 16.
- ^ "The denial of Jesus' historicity has never convinced any large number of people, in or out of technical circles, nor did it in the first part of the century." Walter P. Weaver, The Historical Jesus in the Twentieth Century, 1900–1950, (Continuum International, 1999), page 71.
- ^ "about once every generation someone reruns the thesis that Jesus never existed and that the Jesus tradition is a wholesale invention", J. G. Dunn, Jesus Remembered, (Eerdmans, 2003), page 142.
- ^ "There is almost Universal agreement that Jesus lived." Bernard L. Ramm, An Evangelical Christology: Ecumenic and Historic, (Regent College Publishing, 1993), page 19.
- ^ "some judgements are so probable as to be certain; for example, Jesus really existed", Marcus Borg, 'A Vision of the Christian Life', in Marcus J. Borg and N T Wright, The Meaning of Jesus: Two Visions, (HarperCollins, 1999), page 236.
- ^ a b Cross, F. L., ed. The Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church. New York: Oxford University Press. 2005—article "Historical Jesus, Quest of the"
- ^ Meier (1991), pp. 43–4
- ^ For a comparison of the Jesus movement to the Zealots, see S. G. F. Brandon, Jesus and the Zealots: a study of the political factor in primitive Christianity, Manchester University Press (1967) ISBN 0684310104
- ^ For a general comparison of Jesus' teachings to other schools of first century Judaism, see John P. Meier, Companions and Competitors (A Marginal Jew: Rethinking the Historical Jesus, Volume 3) Anchor Bible, 2001. ISBN 0–385–46993–4.
- ^ Shaye J.D. Cohen, From the Maccabees to the Mishnah, Westminster Press, 1987, pp. 78, 93, 105, 108; Crossan, The Historical Jesus', pp. xi—xiii; Michael Grant, pp. 34–35, 78, 166, 200; Paula Fredriksen, Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews, Alfred B. Knopf, 1999, pp. 6–7, 105–110, 232–234, 266; John P. Meier, vol. 1:68, 146, 199, 278, 386, 2:726; Sanders (1993), pp. 12–13; Géza Vermes, Jesus the Jew (Philadelphia: Fortress Press 1973), p. 37.;
- ^ a b Sanders, E.P. Jesus and Judaism. Minneapolis: Fortress Press, 1987; Vermes, Géza. Jesus the Jew: A Historian's Reading of the Gospels. Minneapolis: Augsburg Fortress, 1981; Fredriksen, Paula. From Jesus to Christ. New Haven: Yale University Press, 2000.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n Vermes, Geza. The authentic gospel of Jesus. London, Penguin Books. 2004. Chapter 10: Towards the authentic gospel. p. 370-397.
- ^ Theissen, Gerd and Annette Merz. The historical Jesus: a comprehensive guide. Fortress Press. 1998. translated from German (1996 edition)
- ^ Crossan, John Dominic. The essential Jesus. Edison: Castle Books. 1998. p. 146
- ^ See Schwietzer, Albert The Quest of the Historical Jesus: A Critical Study of its Progress from Reimarus to Wrede, pp. 370–371, 402. Scribner (1968), ISBN 0020892403; Ehrman, Bart Apocalyptic Prophet of the New Millennium, Oxford University Press USA, 1999. ISBN 019–512474-X. Crossan, however, makes a distinction between John's apocalyptic ministry and Jesus' ethical ministry. See Crossan, John Dominic, The Birth of Christianity: Discovering What Happened in the Years Immediately After the Execution of Jesus, pp. 305–344. Harper Collins, 1998. ISBN 0060616598
- ^ a b c Funk, Robert W., Roy W. Hoover, and the Jesus Seminar. The five gospels. HarperSanFrancisco. 1993.
- ^ Theissen, Gerd and Annette Merz. The historical Jesus: a comprehensive guide. Fortress Press. 1998. translated from German (1996 edition). Retrospect: a short life of Jesus. p. 569-572-.
- ^ "Pharisees", Cross, F. L., ed. The Oxford dictionary of the Christian church. New York: Oxford University Press. 2005
- ^ Based on a comparison of the Gospels with the Talmud and other Jewish literature. Maccoby, Hyam Jesus the Pharisee, Scm Press, 2003. ISBN 0334029147; Falk, Harvey Jesus the Pharisee: A New Look at the Jewishness of Jesus, Wipf & Stock Publishers (2003). ISBN 1592443133.
- ^ Neusner, Jacob (2000). A Rabbi Talks With Jesus. Montreal; Ithaca: McGill-Queen's University Press. ISBN 978-0-7735-2046-2. Rabbi Neusner contends that Jesus' teachings were closer to the House of Shammai than the House of Hillel.
- ^ "Sadducees". Cross, F. L., ed. The Oxford dictionary of the Christian church. New York: Oxford University Press. 2005
- ^ Based on a comparison of the Gospels with the Dead Sea Scrolls, especially the Teacher of Righteousness and Pierced Messiah. Eisenman, Robert James the Brother of Jesus: The Key to Unlocking the Secrets of Early Christianity and the Dead Sea Scrolls, Penguin (Non-Classics), 1998. ISBN 014025773X; Stegemann, Hartmut The Library of Qumran: On the Essenes, Qumran, John the Baptist, and Jesus. Grand Rapids MI, 1998. See also Broshi, Magen, "What Jesus Learned from the Essenes", Biblical Archaeology Review, 30:1, pg. 32–37, 64. Magen notes similarities between Jesus' teachings on the virtue of poverty and divorce, and Essene teachings as related in Josephus' The Jewish Wars and in the Damascus Document of the Dead Sea Scrolls, respectively. See also Akers, Keith The Lost Religion of Jesus. Lantern, 2000. ISBN 1930051263
- ^ Joseph Ratzinger, Pope Benedict XVI, Jesus of Nazareth, p. 14
- ^ a b "Zealots". Cross, F. L., ed. The Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church. New York: Oxford University Press. 2005
- ^ "Jesus Christ". Cross, F. L., ed. The Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church. New York: Oxford University Press. 2005
- ^ "The New Testament was complete, or substantially complete, about AD 100, the majority of the writings being in existence twenty to forty years before this...the situation is encouraging from the historian's point of view, for the first three Gospels were written at a time when many were alive who could remember the things that Jesus said and did... At any rate, the time elapsing between the evangelic events and the writing of most of the New Testament books was, from the standpoint of historical research, satisfactorily short." Bruce, F. F.: The New Testament Documents: Are They Reliable?, pp. 12–14, InterVarsity Press, USA, 1997.
- ^ "There is no reason to doubt that we have in the Gospel tradition several authentic fragments of His [Jesus Christ's] teaching (albeit in Greek translation)." "Jesus Christ". Cross, F. L., ed. The Oxford dictionary of the Christian church. New York: Oxford University Press. 2005
- ^ Peter, Kirby (2001–2007). "Early Christian Writings: Gospel of Mark". http://www.earlychristianwritings.com/mark.html. Retrieved January 15, 2008.
- ^ Achtemeier, Paul J. (1991–). "The Gospel of Mark". The Anchor Bible Dictonary. 4. New York, .^ New York: Doubleday.
- Jesus - Wikiquote 24 January 2010 15:26 UTC en.wikiquote.org [Source type: Original source]
- Jesus - Wikiquote 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC en.wikiquote.org [Source type: Original source]
p. 545. ISBN 0385193629.
- ^ Meier, John P. (1991). A Marginal Jew. New York, .^ New York: Doubleday.
- Jesus - Wikiquote 24 January 2010 15:26 UTC en.wikiquote.org [Source type: Original source]
- Jesus - Wikiquote 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC en.wikiquote.org [Source type: Original source]
pp. v.2 955–6. ISBN 0385469934.
- ^ A. Harnack, The Date of Acts and the Synoptic Gospels (1911), p. 90; J. A. T. Robinson, Redating the New Testament, pp. 86–92; I. H. Marshall, Luke, p. 35; A. J. Mattill Jr., ‘The Date and Purpose of Luke-Acts: Rackham reconsidered, in Catholic Biblical Quarterly 40 (1978), pp. 335–350.
- ^ "Matthew, Gospel acc. to St." Cross, F. L., ed. The Oxford dictionary of the Christian church. New York: Oxford University Press. 2005
- ^ Meier, John P., A Marginal Jew: Rethinking the Historical Jesus, Doubleday: 1991. vol 1: pp. 168–171.
- ^ a b Funk, Robert W., Roy W. Hoover, and the Jesus Seminar. The five gospels. HarperSanFrancisco. 1993. Introduction, pp. 1–38
- ^ Kenneth Keulman, Critical Moments in Religious History, Mercer University Press, p. 56
- ^ Andrew F. Gregory, Christopher Mark Tuckett, The Reception of the New Testament in the Apostolic Fathers, Oxford University Press, p. 178
- ^ Powell, Mark Allan (1998). Jesus as a figure in history: how modern historians view the man from Galilee. Louisville, Ky.: Westminster John Knox Press. p. 168. ISBN 978-0-664-25703-3. http://books.google.com/books?id=IJP4DRCVaUMC&pg=PA168&.
- ^ Weaver, Walter P. (1999). The historical Jesus in the twentieth century. Harrisburg, Pa.: Trinity Press International. p. 71. ISBN 978-1-56338-280-2. http://books.google.com/books?id=1CZbuFBdAMUC&pg=PA71&l#v=onepage&q=&f=false.
- ^ Voorst, Robert E., Van (2000). Jesus outside the New Testament: an introduction to the ancient evidence. Grand Rapids, Mich.: W.B. Eerdmans. p. 16. ISBN 978-0-8028-4368-5. http://books.google.com/books?id=lwzliMSRGGkC&pg=PA16#v=onepage&q=&f=false.
- ^ http://www.guardian.co.uk/profile/james-g-dunn
- ^ http://www.britac.ac.uk/fellowship/elections/2006/dunn_j.cfm
- ^ Durant 1944:553–7
- ^ "…if we apply to the New Testament, as we should, the same sort of criteria as we should apply to other ancient writings containing historical material, we can no more reject Jesus' existence than we can reject the existence of a mass of pagan personages whose reality as historical figures is never questioned. ... To sum up, modern critical methods fail to support the Christ myth theory. It has 'again and again been answered and annihilated by first rank scholars.' In recent years, 'no serious scholar has ventured to postulate the non historicity of Jesus' or at any rate very few, and they have not succeeded in disposing of the much stronger, indeed very abundant, evidence to the contrary." M. Grant, Jesus: An Historian's Review, pp. 199–200. 1977
- ^ http://www.biblicalstudies.org.uk/pdf/rh/death-of-jesus_dunn.pdf
- ^ J. G. D. Dunn, The Christ and the Spirit, Volume I: Christology, (Eerdmans / T & T Clark, 1998), page 191. see also Bruce, FF (1982). New Testament Documents: Are They Reliable? InterVarsity Press, ISBN 087784691X
- ^ Herzog II, WR (2005). Prophet and Teacher. WJK, ISBN 0664225284
- ^ This section draws on a number of sources to determine the doctrines of these groups, especially the early Creeds, the Catechism of the Catholic Church, certain theological works, and various Confessions drafted during the Reformation including the Thirty Nine Articles of the Church of England, works contained in the Book of Concord, and others.
- ^ Catechism of the Catholic Church §436–40; Thirty Nine Articles of the Church of England, article 2; Irenaeus Adversus Haereses in Patrologia Graeca ed. J. P. Migne (Paris, 1857–1866) 7/1, 93; Luke 2:1; Matthew 16:16
- ^ Catechism of the Catholic Church §606–618; Council of Trent (1547) in Denzinger-Schönmetzer, Enchiridion Symbolorum, definitionum et declarationum de rebus fidei et morum (1965) §1529;John 14:2–3
- ^ Thirty Nine Articles of the Church of England, article 9; Augsburg Confession, article 2; Second Helvetic Confession, chapter 8; Romans 5:12–21; 1 Corinthians 15:21–22.
- ^ Apostles' Creed; Nicene Creed;Luther's Small Catechism commentary on Apostles' Creed; Second Helvetic Confession, chapter 9
- ^ Catechism of the Catholic Church §638–655; Byzantine Liturgy, Troparion of Easter; Thirty Nine Articles of the Church of England, article 4 and 17; Augsburg Confession, article 3; Second Helvetic Confession, chapter 9.
- ^ Apostles' Creed; Nicene Creed; Catechism of the Catholic Church §668–675, 678–679; Luther's Small Catechism commentary on Apostles' Creed; Matthew 25:32–46
- ^ Catechism of the Catholic Church §1021–1022
- ^ Apostles' Creed; Nicene Creed; Catechism of the Catholic Church §441–451; Augsburg Confession, article 3; Luther's Small Catechism, commentary on Apostles' Creed; Matthew 16:16–17; 1 Corinthians 2:8
- ^ Augsburg Confession, article 3; John 1:1
- ^ Apostles' Creed; Nicene Creed; Catechism of the Catholic Church §461–463;Thirty Nine Articles of the Church of England, article 2; Luther's Small Catechism commentary on Apostles' Creed; John 1:14, 16; Hebrews 10:5–7
- ^ Catechism of the Catholic Church §456–460; Gregory of Nyssa, Orat. catech. 15 in Patrologia Graeca ed. J. P. Migne (Paris, 1857–1866) 45, 48B; St. Irenaeus, Adversus Haereses 3.19.1 in ibid. 7/1, 939; St. Athanasius, De inc., 54.3 in ibid. 25, 192B. St. Thomas Aquinas, Opusc. in ibid. 57: 1–4; Galatians 4:4–5
- ^ Apostles' Creed; Nicene Creed; Catechism of the Catholic Church §484–489, 494–507; Luther's Small Catechism commentary on Apostles' Creed
- ^ a b c "Isa", Encyclopedia of Islam
- ^ Fasching, deChant (2001) p. 241
- ^ The Oxford Dictionary of Islam, p. 158
- ^ in India
- ^ Rice, Edward (1978). Eastern Definitions: A Short Encyclopedia of Religions of the Orient. New York. p. 7. ISBN 038508563X. .
- ^ http://reluctant-messenger.com/issa.htm The Life of Saint Issa, Nicolas Notovitch
- ^ Schäfer, Peter; Cohen, Mark R. (1998). Toward the Millennium: Messianic Expectations from the Bible to Waco. Leiden/Princeton: Brill/Princeton UP. p. 306. ISBN 90-04-11037-2. .
- ^ Günter Grönbold, Jesus In Indien, München: Kösel 1985, ISBN 3466202701.
- ^ Norbert Klatt, Lebte Jesus in Indien?, Göttingen: Wallstein 1988.
- ^ Emunoth ve-Deoth, II:5
- ^ Simmons, Shraga, "Why Jews Do not Believe in Jesus", Retrieved April 15, 2007; "Why Jews Do not Believe in Jesus", Ohr Samayach — Ask the Rabbi, Retrieved April 15, 2007; "Why do not Jews believe that Jesus was the Messiah?", AskMoses.com, Retrieved April 15, 2007
- ^ "Even Jesus the Nazarene who imagined that he would be Messiah and was killed by the court, was already prophesied by Daniel. So that it was said, "And the members of the outlaws of your nation would be carried to make a (prophetic) vision stand. And they stumbled." (Daniel 11.14) Because, is there a greater stumbling-block than this one? So that all of the prophets spoke that the Messiah redeems Israel, and saves them, and gathers their banished ones, and strengthens their commandments. And this one caused (nations) to destroy Israel by sword, and to scatter their remnant, and to humiliate them, and to exchange the Torah, and to make the majority of the world err to serve a divinity besides God. However, the thoughts of the Creator of the world — there is no force in a human to attain them because our ways are not God's ways, and our thoughts not God's thoughts. And all these things of Jesus the Nazarene, and of (Muhammad) the Ishmaelite who stood after him — there is no (purpose) but to straighten out the way for the King Messiah, and to restore all the world to serve God together. So that it is said, "Because then I will turn toward the nations (giving them) a clear lip, to call all of them in the name of God and to serve God (shoulder to shoulder as) one shoulder."(Zephaniah 3.9) Look how all the world already becomes full of the things of the Messiah, and the things of the Torah, and the things of the commandments! And these things spread among the far islands and among the many nations uncircumcised of heart. "Hilchot Malachim (laws concerning kings) (Hebrew)", MechonMamre.org, Retrieved April 15, 2007
- ^ Waxman, Jonathan (2006). "Messianic Jews Are Not Jews". United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism. http://www.uscj.org/Messianic_Jews_Not_J5480.html. Retrieved January 15, 2008. "Judaism has held that the Mashiach will come and usher in a new era; not that he will proclaim his arrival, die and wait centuries to finish his task. To continue to assert that Jesus was the Mashiach goes against the belief that the Mashiach will transform the world when he does come, not merely hint at a future transformation at some undefined time to come... Judaism rejects the claim that a new covenant was created with Jesus and asserts instead that the chain of Tradition reaching back to Moshe continues to make valid claims on our lives, and serve as more than mere window dressing."
- ^ Contemporary American Reform Responsa, #68, "Question 18.3.4: Reform's Position On...What is unacceptable practice?", faqs.org. Retrieved April 15, 2007.
- ^ Stockman, Robert (1992). "Jesus Christ in the Baha'i Writings". Bahá'í Studies Review (1). OCLC 30061083. http://bahai-library.com/index.php5?file=stockman_jesus_bahai_writings.
- ^ Beverley, James A., Hollywood's Idol, Christianity Today, "Jesus Christ also lived previous lives", he said. "So, you see, he reached a high state, either as a Bodhisattva, or an enlightened person, through Buddhist practice or something like that", Retrieved April 20, 2007
- ^ 101 Zen Stories; #16
- ^ "Mandaean Scriptures and Fragments: The Haran Gawaitha". http://www.gnosis.org/library/haran.htm. Retrieved April 20, 2007.
- ^ Bevan, A. A. (1930). "Manichaeism". Encyclopaedia of Religion and Ethics, Volume VIII Ed. James Hastings. London
- ^ Wills, Garry, What Jesus Meant (2006) ISBN 0670034967
- ^ Crossan, The Historical Jesus'; Robert Funk, The Five Gospels: What did Jesus really say? The search for the authentic words of Jesus, Harper San Francisco (1997), ISBN 006063040X; Robert Funk, The Acts of Jesus: What Did Jesus Really Do?, The Jesus Seminar, Harper San Francisco (1998), ISBN 0–06–062978–9; The Jesus Seminar, The Gospel of Jesus: According to the Jesus Seminar, Robert Walter Funk (Editor), Polebridge Press (1999), ISBN 0944344747
- ^ Sniegocki, John. "Review of Joseph GRASSI, Peace on Earth: Roots and Practices from Luke's Gospel," Collegeville, Minnesota: Liturgical Press, 2004 (repentance, forgiveness); Bock, Darrell L. "Major Themes of Jesus' life", (coming of the Kingdom of God); Brussat, Frederic and Mary Ann. "Review of If Grace Is So Amazing, Why Do not We Like It?," (grace); Hughes, F. A. "Grace and Truth", Stem Publishing 1972 (grace)
- ^ Duhaime, Jean; Blasi, Anthony J.; Turcotte, Paul-André (2002). Handbook of early Christianity: social science approaches. Walnut Creek, Calif: AltaMira Press. p. 434. ISBN 0759100152.
- ^ "The Jefferson Bible". http://www.angelfire.com/co/JeffersonBible/jeffintr.html. Retrieved April 20, 2007.
- ^ "Paul, St." Cross, F. L., ed. The Oxford dictionary of the Christian church. New York: Oxford University Press. 2005
- ^ a b c "Christology." Cross, F. L., ed. The Oxford dictionary of the Christian church. New York: Oxford University Press. 2005
- ^ Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church (Oxford University Press 2005 ISBN 978-0-19-280290-3), article "Strauss, David Frederick"
- ^ Nicholls, William. "Christian Antisemitism: A History of Hate," 1993. Jason Aronson Inc., 1995; "Mature Christianity: The Recognition and Repudiation of the Anti-Jewish Polemic in the New Testament." Norman A. Beck, Susquehanna University Press, 1985; "The Satanizing of the Jews: Origin and development of mystical anti-Semitism" Joel Carmichael, Fromm, 1993; "The Origins of Anti-Semitism: Attitudes Toward Judaism in Pagan and Christian Antiquity" John G. Gager, Oxford Univ. Press, 1983; "What Did They Think of the Jews?" Edited by Allan Gould, Jason Aronson Inc., 1991; "The New Testament's Anti-Jewish Slander and Conventions of Ancient Polemic", Luke Johnson, Journal of Biblical Literature, Volume 3, 1989; "Three Popes and the Jews" Pinchas E. Lapide, Hawthorne Books, 1967; "National Socialism and the Roman Catholic Church" Nathaniel Micklem, Oxford Univ. Press, 1939; Theological Anti-Semitism in the New Testament", Rosemary Radford Ruether, Christian Century, Feb. 1968, Vol. 85; "John Chrysostom and the Jews" Robert L. Wilken, Univ. of California Press, Berkeley, 1983
- ^ Of Revelation and Revolution, Volume 1: Christianity, Colonialism, and Consciousness in South Africa by Jean Comaroff, John L. Comaroff 1991 University of Chicago Press; A Violent Evangelism: The Political and Religious Conquest of the Americas by Luis Rivera Pagan 1992 Westminster Press; The Americas in the Spanish World Order: The Justification for Conquest in the 17th century by James Muldoon 1994 University of Pennsylvania Press; An Empire Divided: Religion, Republicanism, and the Making of French Colonialism, 1880–1914 by J.P. Daughton 2006 Oxford University Press; Contracting Colonialism: Translations and Christian Conversion in Tagalog Society Under Early Spanish Rule by Vicente L. Rafael 1988 Cornell University Press; Christians and Missionaries in India: Cross-Cultural Communication Since 1500; With Special Reference to Caste, Conversion, and Colonialism (Studies in the History of Christian Missions) edited by Robert Eric Frykenberg and Alaine Low 2003 Wm. B. Eerdmans
- ^ Conor Gearty, Doing Human Rights: Social Justice in a Post-Socialist Age; Iván A. Castro, 100 Hispanics You Should Know, p. 49-51: Fray Bartolomé de las Casas, Missionary, Human Rights Activist; Central and South American Chronology; Prospect High School Library Technology Center
- ^ a b Nosotro, Rit. "Church and State: Constantine 313 and Charlemagne 800." Hyperhistory.net Web: 19 Jan 2009. Church and State: Constantine 313 and Charlemagne 800.
- ^ Barrs, Ian. "Constantine to Charlemagne: The Medieval Church creates Christendom." Web: 19 Jan 2010 Constantine to Charlemagne: The Medieval Church creates Christendom
References
- Allison, Dale. .
- Brown, Raymond E. An Introduction to the New Testament. New York: Doubleday, 1997. ISBN 0385247672
- Cohen, Shaye J.D..^ It's not just that Paul didn't have details about the life of Jesus, many of the books in the New Testament contain no hint of information about a historical Jesus.
- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
^ Jesus and Christian Origins outside the New Testament ; F.F Bruce, 1974 .- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
From the Maccabees to the Mishnah. Philadelphia: Westminster Press, 1987. ISBN 978-0-664-21911-6
- Cohen, Shaye J.D. The Beginnings of Jewishness: Boundaries, Varieties, Uncertainties. Berkeley: University of California Press, 2001. ISBN 0520226933
- Crossan, John Dominic.
.^ JESUS said, The heavens will be rolled up, and the Earth, in your presence, and he who lives as a result of HIM who lives, he will not see death.
^ Or don't you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death?- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
^ Those who accept JESUS, and HIS instructions, are a part of the family of the HOLY SPIRIT. They will not taste death!
San Francisco: HarperSanFrancisco, 1995. ISBN 978-0-06-061671-7
Davenport, Guy; and Urrutia, Benjamin (trans.) The Logia of Yeshua: The sayings of Jesus. Washington, DC: Counterpoint, 1996. ISBN 978-1-887178-70-9
De La Potterie, Ignace. The hour of Jesus: The passion and the resurrection of Jesus according to John. New York: Alba House, 1989. ISBN 978-0-8189-0575-9
Durant, Will. Caesar and Christ. New York: Simon and Schuster, 1944. ISBN 0671115006
Ehrman, Bart. The Lost Christianities: The Battles for Scripture and the Faiths We Never Knew. New York: Oxford University Press, 2003. ISBN 0195141830
Ehrman, Bart. .
Fredriksen, Paula.^ For the majority of time Christians have believed that Matthew was written first, hence the reason that it is the first book in the New Testament.- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
^ Early Christian Writings.- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
^ Unlike the writings of the Old Testament, which cover a time span of hundreds, if not thousands, of years, the writings of the New Testament cover a very brief period of time.- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
.
Fredriksen, Paula.^ The religious Christian view takes the Gospels as accurate and reliable accounts of the life of Jesus, including all of the miracles.- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
^ The secular historical view, which may also be held by some Christians, takes the Gospels as exaggerated accounts of the life of a real Jesus.- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
^ Matthew 2: 1 In the time of King Herod, after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea, magi from the East came to Jerusalem, 2 asking, Where is the child who has been born king of the Jews?- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
.
Finegan, Jack.^ The beginning of the good news of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
^ Sadly, the early CHURCH leaders changed the original New Testament Scriptures to fit their desires.
^ Philippians 3: 12 Not that I have already obtained this or have already been made perfect; but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own.- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
Handbook of Biblical Chronology, revised ed. Peabody, MA: Hendrickson Publishers, 1998. ISBN 1565631439
|
- V. 1, The Roots of the Problem and the Person, 1991. ISBN 0385264259
- V. 2, Mentor, Message, and Miracles, 1994. ISBN 0385469926
- V. 3, Companions and Competitors, 2001. ISBN 0385469934
- O'Collins, Gerald. Interpreting Jesus. "Introducing Catholic theology". London: G. Chapman; Ramsey, NJ: Paulist Press, 1983. ISBN 978-0-8091-2572-2
- Pelikan, Jaroslav. .
- Robinson, John A. T. Redating the New Testament. Eugene, OR: Wipf & Stock, 2001 (original 1977).^ Some of these supposed evidences for the existence of Jesus, and more, have been relatively recent forgeries, produced at various times from the Middle Ages through to the 20th century.
- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
^ Now after John was arrested, Jesus came to Galilee, proclaiming the good news of God, and saying, The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God has come near; repent, and believe in the good news.- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
^ Then, when JESUS (or HOLY SPIRIT) finds the person worthy the following will take place, John 14:15-16.
ISBN 1579105270.
- Sanders, E.P. The Historical Figure of Jesus. London: Allen Lane Penguin Press, 1993. ISBN 978-0-7139-9059-1
- Sanders, E.P. Jesus and Judaism. Minneapolis: Fortress Press, 1987. ISBN 0800620615
- Theissen, Gerd; Merz, Annette (1998). The historical Jesus : a comprehensive guide. Minneapolis: Fortress Press. ISBN 0800631226.
- Vermes, Géza. Jesus in his Jewish Context. Minneapolis: Augsburg Fortress, 2003. ISBN 0800636236
- Vermes, Géza. .
- Vermes, Géza.^ Surely a Jew from Galilee would have made at least some comment about Jesus if he existed as described in the Gospels, or anything even remotely close to the Gospels, would he not?
- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
^ Secular historians who believe that Jesus existed rely on the Gospels as essentially historical, but inflated, accounts of his life.- Jesus Myth - The Case Against Historical Christ 16 January 2010 15:10 UTC www.rationalrevolution.net [Source type: Original source]
The Religion of Jesus the Jew. Minneapolis: Augsburg Fortress, 1993. ISBN 0800627970
- Wilson, A.N. Jesus. London: Pimlico, 2003. ISBN 0712606971
- Wright, N.T. Jesus and the Victory of God. Minneapolis: Augsburg Fortress, 1997. ISBN 0800626826
- Wright, N.T. The Resurrection of the Son of God: Christian Origins and the Question of God. Minneapolis: Augsburg Fortress, 2003. ISBN 0800626796
|
External links
- Religious views
- Historical and skeptical views
| Prophets in the Qur'an |
|
| آدم |
إدريس |
نوح |
هود |
صالح |
إبراهيم |
لوط |
إسماعيل |
إسحاق |
يعقوب |
يوسف |
أيوب |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| شُعيب |
موسى |
هارون |
ذو الكفل |
داود |
سليمان |
إلياس |
إليسع |
يونس |
زكريا |
يحيى |
عيسى |
مُحمد |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Persondata |
| NAME |
Jesus |
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES |
Jesus Christ (honorific); Jesus of Nazareth (traditional); יֵשׁ֣וּעַ (Hebrew); Yeshua (transliteration); Isa (Islam) |
| SHORT DESCRIPTION |
Religious figure, founded Christianity |
| DATE OF BIRTH |
c. 4 BC/BCE |
| PLACE OF BIRTH |
Bethlehem, Iudaea Province (traditionally) |
| DATE OF DEATH |
c. 30 |
| PLACE OF DEATH |
Jerusalem, Iudaea Province |
Top topics
Wikis
Facts
Misc
Christianity Portal
Search
