Jesus the Christ: Man or Myth

This section just contains really awesome quotes and real life accounts of Jesus Christ in actual real-life in your face history.

 

Before we start though its important to note that this idea that Jesus never existed is only a recent concept of only the last 2 or 3 hundred years. Before that the authenticity of the Bible account of Christ existing as a real figure in history and in secular non-Christian circles as well was never an issue.

 

In fact, looking at ancient figures in history there is a lot more evidence for Jesus existence than any other figure in antiquity

 

When you look at the four Gospels alone, there are over 19,368 citations by the church fathers from the late first century on. Hard to compare that with any other ancient documents cuz virtually the entire New Testament could be reconstructed from quotations from the gospels. Dude this is a powerful argument around the fact that the Gospels were in existence before the MIDDLE of the first century, while some eyewitnesses (including John) were still alive.

 

Looking into the life of Christ, through the eyes of other people…you find out some really wonderful things about Jesus Christ aka Yeshua aka the game changer and world breaker. Check these out below about this Wonderful, Councellor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father and Prince of Peace.

 

Christ wasn’t a myth but dude was the real deal. The historical evidence to back this up is just too awesome for words. A lot of these are also content that shows Christianity was a wide spread explosion in the Roman empire in just 30 years after  Christ’s death. Again, its awesome…these are eyewitness accounts, not just historians looking back years later.

 

After reading a few summaries below, check out some cool videos on the topic as well if you want to go deeper.

 

Cornelius Tacitus (55-120 AD), “the greatest historian” of ancient Rome For instance, the Roman historian Tacitus, writing in about 115 A.D., records the events surrounding Emperor Nero in July of A.D. 64. After the fire that destroyed much of Rome, Nero was blamed for being responsible found in (Bettenson, p. 2). Here is a direct quote and here’s whats so cool about this quote….its not flattering! He needed a scapegoat and needed to play politics. Classical misdirection…so our modern day poiticians havent invented a single tactic. Nothing new under the sun. Christianity is described as a pernicious superstition. This is one method of proof known as “Embarassment” – where someone reluctant admits something about another when your ideas are in total opposition to each other. Its clear not only was Cornelius not Christian but he really looked down on maybe even was prejudiced against Christians. Check this out.

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. Hence to suppress the rumor, he Falsely charged with the guilt, and punished Christians, who were Hated for their enormities. 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. Accordingly, an arrest was first Made of all who pleaded guilty; then, upon their information, an Immense multitude was convicted, not so much of the crime of Firing the city, as of hatred against mankind

Most scholars agree that this isn’t a forgery. Furthermore the anti-christian tone is too strong for it to be biased because Tacitus was Christian or sympathized with Christians. Also most scholars agree that Tacitus was not only accurate but that he was very meticulous in his writings. Conclusion: when your enemy is flattering its even more believable don’t you think?

 

Flavius Josephus (37-97 AD), court historian for Emperor Vespasian. He was Jewish so he wasn’t a Christian ‘sympathizer’ either. Some scholars even refer to his work as a little Bible. The early church saw Josephus as “a kind of fifth gospel” and a “little Bible” [Feld.JosJes, 317], because his writing was literally like a New Testament Gospel appendix. Lots of little anecdotes and incidents not quoted in the Bible but historians agree happened.

“At this time there was a wise man who was called Jesus. And his conduct was good and he was known to be virtuous. And many people from among the Jews and other nations became his disciples. Pilate condemned him to be crucified and to die. And those who had become his disciples did not abandon his discipleship. They reported that he had appeared to them three days after his crucifixion and that he was alive; accordingly, he was perhaps the messiah concerning whom the prophets have recounted wonders.” (Arabic translation)

 

Josephus, writing for the Roman government in the 70’s A.D. records some incidental things regarding Christ and the church. He confirms that John the Baptist died at the hand of Herod (this same incident is recorded in the gospels) as well as the death of, “The brother of Jesus, who was called Christ, whose name was James. . . he delivered them to be stoned” (Josephus, Antiquities of the Jews, Book XVIII, ch. V, p. 20; Book XX, ch. IX, p. 140 ).

 

Pliny the Younger, Roman governor of Bithynia in Asia Minor around 112 AD. Now he’s writing to his emperor about all the trouble Christians are causing him and he cites their origin as being called Christians because they followed and worship Christ.

So he writes to the emperor in 106 AD about the trials he conducted against Christians. Pliny explained that he forced Christians to “curse Christ, which a genuine Christian cannot be induced to do.”

Sidebar…the tortures they had to go through?!!! The pain and abuse…but like he says, the real Christians, no matter what he did to them wouldn’t give in and curse Christ. Some pictures here. Apologies PG13 coz they’re graphic and intense but realistic.

He also described their actions and practices. Check out this quote:

They affirmed, however, that the whole of their guilt, or their error, was, that they were in the habit of meeting on a certain fixed day before it was light, when they sang in alternate verse a hymn to Christ as to a god, and bound themselves to a solemn oath, not to any wicked deeds, but never to commit any fraud, theft, adultery, never to falsify their word, not to deny a trust when they should be called upon to deliver it up.

Emperor Trajan, in reply to Pliny.

You observed proper procedure, my dear Pliny, in sifting the cases of those who had been denounced to you as Christians. For it is not possible to lay down any general rule to serve as a kind of fixed standard. They are not to be sought out; if they are denounced and proved guilty, they are to be punished, with this reservation, that whoever denies that he is a Christian and really proves it–that is, by worshiping our gods–even though he was under suspicion in the past, shall obtain pardon through repentance. But anonymously posted accusations ought to have no place in any prosecution. For this is both a dangerous kind of precedent and out of keeping with the spirit of our age.

Also, In about 112 A.D. the Roman governor of what is now northern Turkey wrote to Emperor Trajan regarding the Christians in his district: Found in (Bettenson, p. 3)

 

Gaius Suetonius Tranquillus, aka Suetonius, (AD 69 – c. AD 122) a Roman historian. Suetonius is one of three key Roman authors who talks about early Christians, the other two we’ve already covered, Pliny the Younger and Tacitus. Two really interesting quotes about Christ and Christianity

As the Jews were making constant disturbances at the instigation of Chrestus, he expelled them from Rome.

Check this out in Acts of the Apostles we’ve have a matching story. In Acts of the Apostles (18:2)  “And he found a certain Jew named Aquila, a man of Pontus by race, lately come from Italy, with his wife Priscilla, because Claudius had commanded all the Jews to depart from Rome: and he came unto them”

Awesome isnt it! See the Bible once again proves to not just be some story but historically accurate.

Here’s the second quote.

In Nero 16 Suetonius lists various laws by Nero that he created to help maintain law and order in Rome. Again we have a mention of Christians causing ‘trouble’. Check it out. He states:

“During his reign many abuses were severely punished and put down, and no fewer new laws were made: a limit was set to expenditures; the public banquets were confined to a distribution of food; the sale of any kind of cooked viands in the taverns was forbidden, with the exception of pulse and vegetables, whereas before every sort of dainty was exposed for sale. Punishment was inflicted on the Christians, a class of men given to a new and mischievous superstition.

 

Mara bar Serapion: was a philosopher from the Roman province of Syria. He wrote in Syriac to his son, who was also named Serapion. The letter is believed to have been written sometime after 73 AD but before the 3rd century, and most scholars date it to shortly after AD 73 during the first century. The letter is an early non-Christian reference to the crucifixion of Jesus.

This letter contains the following passage:

What advantage did the Athenians gain from putting Socrates to death? Famine and plague came upon them as a judgment for their crime. What advantage did the men of Samos gain from burning Pythagoras? In a moment their land was covered with sand. What advantage did the Jews gain from executing their wise King? It was just after that their Kingdom was abolished. God justly avenged these three wise men: the Athenians died of hunger; the Samians were overwhelmed by the sea; the Jews, ruined and driven from their land, live in complete dispersion. But Socrates did not die for good; he lived on in the teaching of Plato. Pythagoras did not die for good; he lived on in the statue of Hera. Nor did the wise King die for good; He lived on in the teaching which He had given.

Again lets break down the awesomeness of this letter.

Jesus isn’t mentioned by name. “Wise King” probably does not refer to Jesus. There were many messianic pretenders at the time; Mara Bar-Serapion could be referring to one of them….Wait for it.

How do we know that the Serapion letter isnt referring to any of those pretenders? The letter sets out seven distinct criteria describing this Wise King, and none of those pretenders filled all seven descriptions of a person who:

• Was executed;
• Was possessed of wisdom;
• Was executed just before the Jews’ kingdom was abolished.
• Was executed before the Jews were dispersed;
• Was executed by the actions of the Jews;
• Lived on in the teaching that he had given;
• Was referred to as a “king.”

Booyah. It’s really clear that this passage is about Christ.

 

 

 

The Jewish Talmud, The Babylonian Talmud is a commentary on Jewish laws composed between A.D. 500-600 (Neusner/Green, 69) There’s a really cool section about Jesus’ death. The Tractate Sanhedrin (43a) :

“On the eve of the Passover Yeshu was hanged. For forty days before the execution took place, a herald went forth and cried, ‘He is going forth to be stoned because he has practised sorcery and enticed Israel to apostacy. Anyone who can say anything in his favour, let him come forward and plead on his behalf.’ But since nothing was brought forward in his favour he was hanged on the eve of the Passover.”

Here’s why its cool

1) It says Christ was hanged – a reference to the crucifixion. From a legal standpoint, the Jews couldn’t execute a person by stoning, for the Romans since they were conquerors and occupiers of Israel had taken from them the option of implementing capital punishment by themselves(see John 18:31John 18:31
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WP-Bible pluginb); so the jews were required to go through the Roman legal system for executions, and for a non-Roman, that meant crucifixion.

“Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us; for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangs on a tree” (Galatians 3:13Galatians 3:13
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WP-Bible plugin; cf. Deuteronomy 21:23Deuteronomy 21:23
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WP-Bible plugin). Remember biblically hanging on a tree or crucifixion is a curse in jewish thinking. They wanted Christ to be cursed of God. Damned to hell literally.

2) It says Jesus practised sorcery: which is admission to the miracles of Christ. Whether they believe its sorcery or through the power of the Holy Spirit the point is something extraordinary or miraculous or magical happened. Remember the Pharisees accused Jesus of using the power of devils whenever He performed an exorcism. So it worked! They just werent willing to admit it was the power of God. Like alot of people today. No matter what evidence you provide, some people just wont believe.

3) It speaks of apostasy – meaning, Jews were being converted away from Judaism into a new religion. Christianity. And it doesnt say a few people, it says Israel. Meaning Christ’s ministry was having a nation-wide upheaval impact.

4) The Passover: This timing, was a perfect fulfillment of the imagery of the Old Testament that made the Passover lamb a “type,”, of the atoning death of the Jesus(see John 1:29John 1:29
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WP-Bible plugin; 1 Corinthians 5:71 Corinthians 5:7
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WP-Bible plugin). The Lamb that takes away the sins of the world.

 

Phlegon, born about 80 AD, as reported by Origen (185-254 AD), mentioned that Jesus made certain predictions which had been fulfilled

 

Acts of Pontius Pilate, reports sent from Pilate to Tiberius, referred to by Justin Martyr (150 AD) Historians questioned the accuracy of the accounts surrounded Pontius Pilate’s crucifixion of Jesus. Later it was discovered that Pilate had been appointed by a man named Sejanus who was plotting to overthrow Caesar. Sejanus was executed along with many of his appointees (Delashmutt, Sejanus, p. 55, 56). What this demonstrated was that Pilate was in no position to get in trouble with Rome. The Jews had him in a tight place. If word returned to Rome that Jerusalem was in rebellion, Pilate would be the first to go. The gospel account was confirmed as accurate.

 

Lucian: The Passing of Peregrinus or The Death of Peregrinus is a satire/play by the Syrian Greek writer Lucian. Like a Shakespeare from back in the day during the Roman empire. He creates the lead character, the Cynic philosopher Peregrinus Proteus, who becomes Christian for a while then takes advantage of their generosity and eventually burning himself at the Olympic Games of 165 CE.

The play is one of the few Classical pieces/novels/plays that contain explicitly mentions Christians or Christianity.

 

 

Here’s a quote from the play:

 

 

 

Will Durant, himself not a Christian, wrote concerning Christ’s historical validity,(Durant, The Story of Civilization, vol. 3, p. 555). And again, “That a few simple men should in one generation have invented so powerful and appealing a personality, so lofty an ethic and so inspiring a vision of human brotherhood, would be a miracle far more incredible than any recorded in the Gospels” (Ibid., p. 557).

 

Remember to check out the cool video archives section to get more info on this topic