Is There any historical evidence that proves Jesus of the Gospels ever existed.?
Discussion
51 comments
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Tacitus, Josephus and many other historians of the day wrote about Jesus/his discipels.
The shcolary consensus among historians and NT scholars today is that denying Jesus life and death by crucifixion is like being a flat earther. Bart Earhamn himself says Jesus death is one of the more sure facts of history.
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“Romans had to have a reason to crucify a person. There had to be a criminal charge. There could be lots of charges – runaway slaves, brigands, insurrectionists, all could be crucified. So why was Jesus crucified? The Gospels tell us, and in this particular case, there are very good reasons for thinking what they say is right. Jesus was crucified for calling himself King of the Jews.
There are several points to make that, taken altogether, suggest this is historically what actually happened. First, all the Gospels agree that at Jesus’ trial this is what Pontius Pilate accused Jesus of, based on what the governor had learned from the Jewish authorities. Second, this is the charge that is written against Jesus on the placard over his head on the cross – again, in all our accounts.” – Bart Ehrman
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Here’s an agnostic, non-christian, new testament scholar’s perspective on Jesus:
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Heaps of evidence. Read the book case for christ he expains all the evidence
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Good grief. How about our calendar? BC and AD
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I have always found it curious when someone wants “outside” evidence. Why? The more you read the bible, the more easily you can see the fingerprints of the Holy Spirit from start to finish. So much so that an outside source seems spurious at best.Whether it is in support or denial of the bible. In short, if you don’t trust the bible, you have bigger issues that the histocracy of Jesus. However, yes there are extra-biblical sources: Josephus Flavius while his books were altered, most serious scholars agree he did indeed write about Jesus before any changes where made. The Jewish Talmud mentions Jesus as a sorcerer, ironically enough. Cornelius Tacitus, a pagan Roman historian. Pliny, a Roman Governor, had to ask Trajan how to deal with Christians. Something that should not be overlooked, every Apostle, save John, was killed in service to Jesus. At anytime any one of them needed only admit what they were doing was a fraud, and they would have been on their merry way never to be seen or heard of again. It is nearly impossible justify to yourself a reason to die for something you know to be a lie. For 11 people to maintain that lie and all willing go to their deaths in the the most horrific way? Unthinkable. These thoughts are just the tip of an iceberg of reasons to believe the biblical accounts.
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This has been academically settled for about 200 years. Short answer… yes, plenty. No reasonable secular historian will discount “Historical Jesus” it is the “Christ of faith” that many discount.
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How about the Gospels. Why is it so hard to remember that the Bible is evidence of His existance
It is the only complete evidence of His existence -
Let me ask you this… how many witnesses does it take today to witness a legal wedding? Answer is two. How many witnesses are needed to sign a last will and testament? Answer one.
Next how old are the four gospels? About 2000 years old. So I would think the gospels do qualify as an ‘ancient historical document’, and almost all historians agree with this.
So we can safely say the gospels are historical documents.
Now there are 4 gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John). So now we have 4 eye witnesses recording what they saw happen in history 2000 years ago. Twice as many witnesses to the fact Jesus walked this earth than what is needed for a modern legal wedding. And what we see is the four gospels each written by a different author, were also written in different locations, and at different times. So this rules out collusion. Thanks to the work of J Warner Wallace, we also know that forensically the four accounts are true eyewitnesses testimonies.
So this should be sufficient evidence that Jesus of the gospels did exists. However if you want non biblical references. Read Aeneas Tacticus, Gaius Suetonius Tranquillus, Titus Flavius Josephus, Mara bar Serapion, or Gaius Plinius Caecilius Secundus. All non biblical historians, all had a reason to not want Jesus to be real, and all said he was.
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Is there any evidence that the world and everything in it even your memories didn’t come into existence 5 minutes ago
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There are literally no credible historians (either a believers or a non believers) who doubt the existence of Jesus of Nazareth… Plus, the gospels and Paul’s epistles are some of the earliest accounts ever of any historical character ever… Plus, Jesus is mentioned in the writings of Josephus (the most importantl Jewish historian at the time, and arguably ever) and Tacitus (the well known Roman historian) to name a few… Add, the explosion of Christianity in the Roman empire in the first 2 centuries of christianity…
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Yes, the gospel themselves are reliable documents.
Even if you want sources other than the gospel, there are.
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Here is a short 4-minute video compilation of secular scholars who believe Jesus existed.
https://www.facebook.com/353442225151609/posts/531942370634926/?vh=e&d=n
I myself am also an atheist, but I agree Jesus of Nazareth existed as a historical figure. I think the best evidence for Jesus is in the letters of Paul.
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Of course if one BELIEVES that Alexander the Great and Julius Ceasar, whose lives were written centuries after their death by people who did not know them personally, then how much more Jesus, whose life was written by four eyewitnesses just a few years after his resurrection.
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Read the book: The Historical Reliability of the Gispels.
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Yes, see: The Historical Jesus, by Gary Habermas.
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The New Testament is the best evidence for the existence of Jesus Christ. The New Testament is a collection of historical documents that have been proven reliable and trustworthy by many non-christian historians. The Old Testament documents are also verified, trustworthy, and dependable and point to his coming.
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Yes! If you really want to know get the book, The case for Christ by Lee Strobel. He is a Chicago Tribune reporter who didn’t like it when his wife was saved so he went to Europe and investigated the life of Jesus to prove her wrong. He gives you what he found based on many archives. He is one of many who have investigated the life of Jesus outside of the Bible. C. S. Lewis was an atheist until he investigated. There are too many to mention.
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We have more evidence that Christ existed than we do the Caesars. You don’t have to agree with His teaching but it’s not reasonable to deny His existence.
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Josephus, tasitus is a good place to start.
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There are non-Christian sources such as Babylonian Talmud, Josephus, Tacitus, Pliny the Younger and Lucian that prove existence of Christ and Christianity
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There are churches still in existence today (e.g The Coptic Church of Alexandria founded by Mark the Apostle) that were founded by His disciples
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All the gospels are historical documents. Also Josephus Account
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Should there be any reason to doubt the testimonies of those who knew him when he was on this Earth and of those who witnessed the resurrection?
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Josephus.
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Grace Charis
We know about Jesus Christ’s existence from the gospel accounts in the Bible. But our knowledge of Christ’s existence is doubly confirmed when hostile non-Christian historical sources affirm Jesus’ existence.
This article depicts the process followed by historians to determine the existence of the historical Jesus and the wealth of information from the non-Christian sources that reveal a striking similarity to the gospel narratives of Jesus Christ.
Read more…
https://rajkumarrichard.blogspot.com/2020/02/reasons-for-existence-of-historical.html
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Read the book Case for Christ of Lee Strobel.It has all the answers and yes history writers like Tacitus refer to Jesus
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Even Bart Erhmann says the historicity of Jesus is undeniable. In fact there is far more evidence for Jesus than any other figure in ancient history, it’s not even close.
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History doesn’t work in “proofs”. In fact, proof is a mathematical term, not a scientific or historical term. No proof could ever be argued because history doesn’t deal in logical certainties. So no, there isn’t a “proof” of Jesus or any other historical figure.
If you’re asking if there is sufficient evidence to treat Jesus of Nazareth as an historical figure, then absolutely. In fact, I’d challenge anyone to find 3 ancient historical or NT professors at accredited universities who deny the existence of Jesus.
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The historicity of an ancient/historical figure has to do largely with manuscript analysis. The interesting fact is that documentation of anyone in ancient history is based on copies of original documents as the originals do not exist. The analysis amounts to the manuscript comparisons: how many copies and what percentage of the agreement there is. And there are often just a few copies that do not appear until hundreds of years after the original. This is common. Sometimes there are just a handful of copies and sometimes there are a substantial # of copies and the point of agreement among the manuscripts indicates the accuracy to the original. Interestingly, Aristotle’s Dictum was that if you only have one manuscript, you give it the benefit of doubt for its claims unless there is contradictory evidence within the manuscript or of extant material from the same period that contradicts its claims. For the NT books, there are at least 12,000 complete and partial manuscripts, the most documented evidence for any ancient sources, that have over 99% agreement. The first NT manuscripts show up about the first 2 centuries after the originals. Pretty astounding. I highly recommend Josh McDowell’s Evidence That Demands a Verdict for one of the best sources on this subject.
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When there is a trial in the court, the judge or jury only needs one witness for whatever case. Grace Charis
“For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received, that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, and that He appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve. After that He appeared to more than five hundred brethren at one time, most of whom remain until now, but some have fallen asleep; then He appeared to James, then to all the apostles; and last of all, as to one untimely born, He appeared to me also. For I am the least of the apostles, and not fit to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. But by the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace toward me did not prove vain; but I labored even more than all of them, yet not I, but the grace of God with me.”
1 Corinthians 15:3-10 NASBA
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I would say…
Other than the writings of Cornelius Tacitus, Suetonius, Pliny the Younger, the Jewish Talmud, Flavius Josephus and a whole host of other non-Christian historians over the following several hundred centuries…
No.
There’s no evidence outside the Bible whatsoever.
Carry on.
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Man where have you been, that has been proven time and time again for many many years, there is all kinds of evidence and most of it comes from outside the Bible just goggle it
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There is plenty of evidence. People don’t die for things they don’t believe in. Each one of the apostles brutal murders is fact… in fact, even atheist historians agree that Jesus is true and historic
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Yes. Ancient historians of the time and afterward. The Jews wrote quite extensively about him to convince their people that Jesus was NOT the Messiah by writing how Mary committed adultery with a known Roman soldier, that Jesus was his bastard child, that the disciples stole Jesus’ body, and tried to explain away Jesus’ miracles and resurrection appearances. In trying to explain all these things while denying Jesus as a Messiah authenticates Jesus’ existence, his miracles, his being the son of Mary and brother to her other children, his crucifixion, his death, his empty tomb, and that there were many purported resurrection appearances!
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What do you mean by evidence?
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Did you really ask that question?
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Ugh, goggle it.
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If I’m not wrong, the works of Josephus document the existence of Jesus…
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Yes, the gospels themselves are historical documents
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Josephus – Antiquity of the Jews talks of Jesus and John the Baptist. Roman historian and senator Tactitus referred to Jesus, his execution by Pilate, and the existence of Christians in early Rome in a page of early work: Annals. Pliny the younger, the Roman governor of Bithynia and Pontus wrote a letter to emperor Trajan around 112 AD and asked for counsel on dealing with Christians. Jesus is also talked about in the Quran. Lucian of Samosata who was a Greek write wrote about him. And then there’s obviously the gospels and his disciples who have their lives for him.
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Yes absolutely, Lee Strobel and many others have clearly shown that Jesus is an extremely well attested historical figure
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I recommend The Case for Christ by Lee Strobel.
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To give a clue about how much evidence is out there. This guy, who is an authority on evidence just on the resurrection of Christ has already written 20 books on the subject. The book he is writing now is the NEW evidence. It is 5,000 pages long. I sum times can’t handle a book more than 300 or 400 pages long. But I would love to meet someone who read his previous 20 books and can still read this new one. It’s mind baffling to me how much evidence there is for something that happened that long ago.
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Read the book
COLD CASE CHRISTIANITY
A book written by a former atheist who became a Christian when He studied the historical evidence for CHRIST. -
yes; the Gospels are proven historically reliable documents.
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A witness from the Holy Ghost is the only way we can know Jesus Christ suffered and died for our sins.
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