Jesus - real or not?
By redeemed1
@redeemed1 (7)
November 3, 2008 4:15pm CST
Many people throw about the idea of Jesus being " just a story ". history (roman and jewish), outside of the gospels state that there was a man named Jesus who walked and talked just as the bible describes. For this man to be punished, tortured, mocked and strung up on a cross, just out of his own making seems ludicrous to me. why would a "normal" man put himself through this to take other's punishment from God? Only a man strenghtened by God (and in part God),could go through this. I am a believer(who struggles in my walk admittedly), but cannot explain why a normal man would do this.
Any thoughts?
5 responses
@dorothyDauphinee (534)
• United States
3 Nov 08
we know that a man named Jesus really existed because we can read of him in the complete works of Josephus who was a roman historian alive at the time and who wrote of him completely apart from the scriptures!
@taurus54 (317)
• Philippines
5 Nov 08
dorothy,I disagree with your research;
Such is the celebrated reference to Christ in Josephus. A more brazen forgery was never perpetrated. For more than two hundred years, the Christian Fathers who were familiar with the works of Josephus knew nothing of this this passage. Had the passage been in the works of Josephus which they knew, Justin Martyr, Tertullian, Origen an Clement of Alexandria would have been eager to hurl it at their Jewish opponents in their many controversies. But it did not exist. Indeed, Origen, who knew his Josephus well, expressly affirmed that that writer had not acknowledged Christ. This passage first appeared in the writings of the Christian Father Eusebius, the first historian of Christianity, early in the fourth century; and it is believed that he was its author. Eusebius, who not only advocated fraud in the interest of the faith, but who is know to have tampered with passages in the works of Josephus and several other writers, introduces this passage in his "Evangelical Demonstration," (Book III., p.124), in these words: "Certainly the attestations I have already produced concerning our Savior may be sufficient. However , it may not be amiss, if, over and above, we make use of Josephus the Jew for a further witness."
1 person likes this
@taurus54 (317)
• Philippines
5 Nov 08
Everything demonstrates the spurious character of the passage. It is written in the style of Eusebius, and not in the style of Josephus. Josephus was a voluminous writer. He wrote extensively about men of minor importance. The brevity of this reference to Christ is, therefore, a strong argument for its falsity. This passage interrupts the narrative. It has nothing to do with what precedes or what follows it; and its position clearly shows that the text of the historian has been separated by a later hand to give it room. Josephus was a Jew--a priest of the religion of Moses. This passage makes him acknowledge the divinity, the miracles, and the resurrection of Christ--that is to say, it makes an orthodox Jew talk like a believing Christian! Josephus could not possibly have written these words without being logically compelled to embrace Christianity. All the arguments of history and of reason unite in the conclusive proof that the passage is an unblushing forgery.
1 person likes this
@Princecaspian (225)
• Norway
6 Nov 08
So did a major religion evolve just out of peoples imagination?
Jesus Christ (PBUH) was prophet as was Moses(PBUH).He never claimed divinity.Infact It is mentioned in the Bible:
My father is greater than I(The Bible John 14:28)
I can of mine own self do nothing(The Bible John 5:30)
@katb28 (225)
•
22 Dec 08
hi there jesus also said i and the father are one the father is in me and i in the father on top of that jesus is described as being the word and the and the bible states in the beging was the word and the word was god and the word was with gad there are many places were jesus divinity was confirmed in the bible these are just a couple.
@goldenapple951 (455)
• United States
3 Nov 08
The answer to your question is "love"
He's as real as your heart that beats at this moment
@Hyakkimaru (436)
• Philippines
4 Nov 08
Yes, Jesus really exist.
If you have a friend who is to be punished, and you love that friend very much. I think you will do the same as Jesus did. or Would you agree letting yourself put into penalty for the sake of your love ones? Isn't that wonderful? Isn't that we something to be proud?. For me even though I have sinned so many times to Jesus. He's always there for me. waiting always to knock on his door and to say sorry. Jesus is always ready to forgive our sins. Jesus always loves us no matter what.
