4:4 Inventing Christ
Prior to 33-36 CE, when Paul started sharing his stories, there was no mention of the figure Jesus Christ nor did this savior have any known following. So where did the story of Jesus come from?
As with all great stories told over the centuries the story of Jesus has many origins and developed more and more during each retelling. What started out as Paul's imagination and personal interpretation of Hebrew scriptures eventually became the Jesus we know today through an accumulation of traits pulled from various stories and storytellers.
Age of the MessiahsPrior to 33-36 CE
Prior to the story of Jesus there were many alleged saviors believed to be the Jewish messiah predicted by Hebrew scriptures. Some were made-up figures and others were real people with their own followers. Although none of these alleged saviors were known as Jesus Christ, historians still use the terms "Christian" and "Christianity" as blanket terms to describe all early Jewish messiah cults.
Yes, the photo is from the comedy "The Life of Brian."
The Birth of Jesus ChristDuring 33-36 CE
Paul, the founder of Christianity, was the first person in history to mention anything about the figure Jesus Christ. This first mentioning did not occur until several years after the story of Jesus takes place. Also, according to Paul himself, he never met Jesus in person and did not learn about him from any other person. So where did his knowledge of Jesus come from?
Everything we know today about the character Jesus is based on, or derived from, Paul's writings. And everything Paul wrote was based on what he claims to be a “divinely guided” interpretation of religious Jewish texts.
About This Jesus...
Jesus was based on scripture
According to Paul, his knowledge of Jesus was revealed to him through a divinely guided interpretation of Hebrew scriptures instead of a historic event just 20 years earlier. The knowledge of Jesus dying for our sins, being buried, and rising on the third day is all "according to the scriptures" and "made known through the prophetic writings." Paul never mentions having any encounter with Jesus and only quotes scripture, not Jesus. He even specifically says that his knowledge of Jesus was not received from another man nor was it taught to him.
Knowledge of Jesus was exclusive
According to Paul only a chosen group were given knowledge of Jesus. Gnosticism is usually associated with a particular sect of Christians but the word itself refers to having divinely given knowledge. Paul himself, along with the others mentioned in 1 Corinthians 15:3-8, were all claimed to be gnostic. Only they received the exclusive knowledge of Jesus Christ, after Jesus' supposed death, when Jesus appeared to them just as he finally appeared to Paul which was through a divine interpretation of Hebrew Scriptures.
Jesus was not known to the public
According to Paul not a single person, other than those with divinely given knowledge in 1 Corinthians 15:3-8, was aware of Jesus' significance until Paul himself personally shared this knowledge with the public. Paul states that his knowledge of Jesus was previously a mystery and that it was kept secret since the world began. Paul even describes the future coming of Jesus as a revelation, something that will happen for the first time, and dismisses any "returning" aspect.
Is Jesus Just a Lie?
Not likely. Paul probably really did think that he was given special knowledge. Historically speaking, such behavior was pretty common in ancient times when gods where sprouting up left and right.
Didn't Paul meet Jesus' brother?
Paul probably did meet a guy named James who either had a brother named Jesus (which was very common) or that was believed to be the Jewish messiah (which was also quite common). Even if Paul did meet this James he still claims that his knowledge of Jesus did not come from another person. This obviously would include James, meaning Paul did not learning about Jesus from the alleged brother.
Didn't Paul Persecute Jesus?
Paul only persecuted the rapidly spreading belief of a Jewish messiah being revealed. He was not persecuting the belief in the specific messiah Jesus Christ as no one was even mentioning such a savior.
Didn't Paul meet Jesus on the road to Damascus?
Acts, which contains the story of a journey to Damascus, was not written by Paul. It is a story involving Paul written by a later author, likely the author of Luke. Paul himself never mentions meeting Jesus and only cites religious scriptures as his source of knowledge about Jesus.
Was Jesus a Mythical Figure?
“Mythical figures” is a term typically related to figures that are believed to only exist in a mythical realm. However, Paul believed Jesus was born of flesh & blood and once lived in the real world. Although Jesus is a myth, his story is not set in only a mythical realm.
God has a son in Hebrew scriptures?
Paul most likely based the notion of God having a son from passages like Proverbs 30:4 which asks, “what is his [God's] name, and what is his son's name”. He may have also misinterpreted Psalms 2:7-12 which refers to King David as God's “begotten” son.
Where did Jesus' name come from?
Jesus' original name in Hebrew is Yahu'shuah which simply means "Yahweh saves" or "salvation." The Hebrew word yahu'shuah is often used in the Tanach (Old Testament) and in the official Jewish daily and festival Prayer Books where it is generally translated as "salvation". Yahu'shuah (“Jesus” in English) was also a very common and generic name for the time.English = Jesus
Latin = Iesus
Greek = lesous
Arabic = Yeshuah
Hebrew = Yahu'shuah
The Jesus SequelsAfter 40 CE
Even though Jesus was not originally based on a real person later aspects were. The writers of the Gospels re-wrote the story of Jesus making it more relatable to the average person with their real world struggles. In doing so certain events, such as Jesus' birth, were now being set during recent historical events and legends derived from a regular person(s) were being incorporated into the Gospel stories.
Certain stories in the Gospels are what suggest that aspects of Jesus' life were loosely inspired by legends of an actual person or persons. Historians have dubbed this person(s) "Historical Jesus" because an actual person or name is not known. Outside of scripture there is nothing to suggest that this person(s) existed but certain scriptural writings about Jesus, such as the resurrection story, sound more like they were based on a real life regular human than being complete fantasy.
The Crucifixion & Resurrection
The image many Christians have in their heads of Jesus Christ being crucified and resurrected is likely just an exaggerated retelling of the collapsing and revival of a regular human.
Death from crucifixion normally takes several days but Matthew 27:46 says "Jesus" was taken down after only six hours and Luke 23:44-46 says he was taken down after only three hours. This suggests that the person being referred to as Jesus did not actually die from crucifixion but only appeared to be dead. Jesus was likely just subdued by liquid contained in the vinegar coated sponge which he drank from immediately before he appeared to be dead (John 19:29-30). Even Pontius Pilate in Mark 15:44 doubts that the man being crucified could already be dead so soon and the soldiers had to break the legs of the other two men to speed up their deaths before the Sabbath day.
We also know that the person referred to as Jesus was not clinically dead when taken to the sealed tomb since the herbs Joseph of Arimathea brought to the tomb were aloes. These are healing, not embalming herbs. The original Greek scriptures speak of a resuscitation, not a resurrection, and the person was simply resuscitated with the healing herbs and not resurrected from the dead as most Churches preach today. After being healed and resuscitated the man likely fled and spent the rest of his life hiding from the Romans which is why the tomb was discovered empty.
NOTE: The "ascension" to Heaven is not part of or found in any of the earliest copies of the gospels. The ascension was added to the end of Mark and Luke much later.
- 1:1 The Need To Discuss Christianity 1:2 Christianity Isn't Harmless 1:3 Has it Caused Good? 1:4 Christianity's Immoral Teachings
- 2:1 Why Christianity Can't Be True 2:2 God 2:3 Jesus Christ 2:4 Souls & the Supernatural 2:5 Why So Many Still Believe
- 3:1 Closer look at the Bible 3:2 False Claims 3:3 Contradictions 3:4 Bible Stories
- 4:1 History of the Faith 4:2 Creating the Bible 4:3 Changes & Lost Gospels 4:4 Inventing Christ
- 5:1 Living For This Life 5:2 What Godlessness Means 5:3 Atheism & Humanism 5:4 Stories of De-Conversion 5:5 Answers & Concerns
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