One way or another people sometimes make this claim while trying to deny the historicity of Jesus and the resurrection. It was just a legend. Jesus died and then legends about him arose later, and that was where we get the gospels and Paul’s letters. The problem with this is that we have eyewitnesses reports (that go back to the … Read More
21 Myths–Jesus’ Body was Stolen
One of the myths people tell to try to deny the resurrection of Jesus is that his body was stolen. Almost no scholars actually believe this, and for good reason! The death of nearly all the apostles who would have been in on the conspiracy is one of the strongest arguments against the idea that Jesus’ body was stolen from … Read More
21 Myths–Jesus Mirrors Pagan Religions
This myth is repeated a lot on the internet. I’ve heard and read all kinds of conspiracy theories (especially on the internet). Osiris. Krishna. Horus. Mithras. Dionysus. Adonis. Just to name a few. As Dan Brown, the author of The Da Vinci Code, put it, “Nothing in Christianity is original.” So how does one answer these criticisms? For one, these … Read More
21 Myths: Jesus’ Resurrection is all the Resurrection There Is
A lot of Christians in the 21st century, it seems, have lost touch with the ancient, New Testament idea of the resurrection. Many Christians are mystified by the teaching of the New Testament about resurrection, assuming that arriving in spirit in heaven is the end of blessed existence.However, ancient Judaism (Jesus and the apostles and much of the earliest church … Read More
21 Myths: Jesus is A Republican
You know you’ve heard it. Maybe you even have said it or thought it.I don’t know exactly how to explain it, but it seems that worldwide, those who take the stories of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John as literal accounts of history are more likely to find themselves on the conservative side of the political divide.That may be why evangelicals … Read More
21 Myths: Jesus was Never Crucified
Muslims and the Koran teach that Jesus was never actually crucified. They think someone else took his place and perhaps everyone was fooled into thinking they were killing Jesus. That would be one amazing miracle. Of deception. I think the reason why Muhammad couldn’t imagine that Jesus would actually be crucified may be the same reason why the Jewish religious … Read More
21 Myths: Jesus of Faith, Not of History
Myth: The Bible gives us theological insights about Jesus, but not historical ones. Some people are interested in the Jesus’ religious ideas, but deny that the Bible provides, or even intends to provide, any historical accounts about him. Are they right? Is the Bible meant to be taken seriously as a historical description of Jesus’ life and ministry? I would … Read More
21 Myths: Jesus Wasn’t Divine
So far in this series, I’ve dealt primarily with two different kinds of myths about Jesus. Secular myths–like that Jesus didn’t actually rise from the dead or that he is in agreement with other world religious teachers. I’ve also dealt with myths started by Christians–like that Jesus wants his followers to be rich or that he was an only child. … Read More
21 Myths: Jesus Was All About Love and Peace
Would the real Jesus please stand up?People who have a somewhat distant awareness of the content of the gospels end up bringing this myth to life from time to time.It’s the idea of a soft Jesus who maybe got angry once in the temple.It’s the notion that Jesus would never have actually had any hard feelings with any sin.It’s the … Read More
21 Myths: Jesus & Mohammed Taught the Same Thing
I bet you’ve heard some version of this myth about Jesus. I would guess it’s most often repeated by people who don’t really want to come to terms with the fact that claims about religious truth aren’t all equal or the same.The versions I’ve heard of this myth kind of go along these tired and cozy lines:“Well, Jesus and Mohammed … Read More
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