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Author Topic:   Divinity of Jesus
Theodoric
Member
Posts: 9202
From: Northwest, WI, USA
Joined: 08-15-2005
Member Rating: 3.4


Message 424 of 517 (518133)
08-04-2009 7:17 AM
Reply to: Message 422 by Peg
08-04-2009 4:39 AM


Re: WOAH!
I think you need to learn the definition of contemporary.

Facts don't lie or have an agenda. Facts are just facts

This message is a reply to:
 Message 422 by Peg, posted 08-04-2009 4:39 AM Peg has replied

Replies to this message:
 Message 430 by Peg, posted 08-05-2009 5:35 AM Theodoric has replied

  
Theodoric
Member
Posts: 9202
From: Northwest, WI, USA
Joined: 08-15-2005
Member Rating: 3.4


Message 427 of 517 (518272)
08-04-2009 9:19 PM
Reply to: Message 426 by jaywill
08-04-2009 9:20 AM


Re: WOAH!
Now are you going to take a stand that no Jesus of Nazareth ever lived ?
I find no compelling evidence for the existence of Jesus CHrist. Maybe if someone could provide some I would reconsider.
Again, I ask, do you or does anyone have any extrabiblical, contemporary evidence for the existence of Jesus Christ.
Was Wells right now or right then concerning Jesus's having lived?
What does Wells or his position have to do with anything. Why is he the ultimate authority on anything. Wells does not believe in your Jesus Christ.
quote:
However, Wells still argues that Paul's Jesus was "a heavenly, pre-existent figure who had come to earth at some uncertain point in the past and lived an obscure life, perhaps one or two centuries before his own time."
Source
I do not see how you feel Wells is some sort of support for your position.
So take a position that Jesus never lived if that's what you think you know.
That is where the evidence leads me. Show me some non-biblical contemporary evidence to change my mind.

Facts don't lie or have an agenda. Facts are just facts

This message is a reply to:
 Message 426 by jaywill, posted 08-04-2009 9:20 AM jaywill has not replied

  
Theodoric
Member
Posts: 9202
From: Northwest, WI, USA
Joined: 08-15-2005
Member Rating: 3.4


Message 428 of 517 (518273)
08-04-2009 9:29 PM
Reply to: Message 425 by jaywill
08-04-2009 8:43 AM


Re: WOAH!
Norman Giesler provides me this list of persons in the New Testament, including Jesus who were mentioned in non-Christian writings or confirmed by archeological sources:
Jesus - Josephus, Tacitus, Pliny the Younger, Phlegon
Thallus, Suetonius, Lucian, Celsus, Mara Bar-Serpion,
The Jewish Talmud
Agrippa I - Philo, Josephus
Agrippa II - coins, Josephus
Ananias - Josephus
Aretas - Joephus
Bernice (wife of Agrippa II) - Josephus
Caesar Augustus - Josephus (Giesler says "and others")
Caiaphas - ossuary, Josephus
Claudius - Josephus
Dusilla (wife of Felix) - Josephus
Erastus - inscription
Felix - Tacitus, Josephus
Gallio - inscription
Gamaliel - Josephus
Herod Antipas - Josephus
Herod Archelaus - Josephus
Herod the Great - Tacitus, Josephus
Herod Phillip I - Josephus
Herod Phillip II - Josephus
Herodias - Josephus
Herodias's daughter (Solome) - Josephus
James - Josephus
John the Baptist - Josephus
Judas the Galalean - Josephus
Lysanius - inscription, Josephus
Pilate - inscription, coins, Josephus, Philo, Tacitus
Quirinius - Josephus
Porcius Festus - Josephus
Sergius Paulus - inscription
Tiberius Caesar - Tacitus, Suetinius, Paterculus, Dio Cassius
Josephus
How the hell is this evidence for Jesus Christ? Again show me non-biblical contemporary source for Jesus or maybe some archaeological evidence.
There was a book we read in grade school called Johnny Tremain. There are a lot of historical characters in the book. Samuel Adams, John Hancock, Paul Revere, Thomas Gage, Joseph Warren to mention a few.
Since they are real people, that lived in the real city of Boston, am I to assume everything in the book is now true. Am I to assume that Johnny Tremain was a real person. This is exactly what you are saying in your argument. Just because the bible uses real places and real people does not by itself make it true or mean all of the characters existed. There need to be independent sources. We have them for the Herods and other people on your list. We do not have it for Jesus.

Facts don't lie or have an agenda. Facts are just facts

This message is a reply to:
 Message 425 by jaywill, posted 08-04-2009 8:43 AM jaywill has replied

Replies to this message:
 Message 435 by jaywill, posted 08-05-2009 10:02 AM Theodoric has replied

  
Theodoric
Member
Posts: 9202
From: Northwest, WI, USA
Joined: 08-15-2005
Member Rating: 3.4


Message 434 of 517 (518321)
08-05-2009 8:10 AM
Reply to: Message 430 by Peg
08-05-2009 5:35 AM


Re: WOAH!
Does Josephus say anywhere he met any of the followers of this Christ?
Do you know anything about the life of Josephus?
He didn't start his writing until 70-74. That is approx 40 years post Jesus. His supposed writing of Jesus is c. 90. This is 60 years post Jesus. If everyone heard of jesus and christians, why does he not mention anything about Jesus and his followers accept these two brief passages?

Facts don't lie or have an agenda. Facts are just facts

This message is a reply to:
 Message 430 by Peg, posted 08-05-2009 5:35 AM Peg has not replied

  
Theodoric
Member
Posts: 9202
From: Northwest, WI, USA
Joined: 08-15-2005
Member Rating: 3.4


Message 437 of 517 (518333)
08-05-2009 11:43 AM
Reply to: Message 435 by jaywill
08-05-2009 10:02 AM


Re: WOAH!
Who has made any claim of conspiracy? The lines you claim from Josephus do not fit into the context of the lines before and after. Why would an observant Jew refer to anyone as the Christ. Why does he not mention Jesus and his followers anywhere else even though he chronicles all of the history of the Jews and many of the jewish sects that existed prior to the destruction of the temple?
If you want me to believe that the writings of Josephus was edited with an insertion to make it look like he refered to a non-existent person, then I think you should start a conspiracy theory that the dozen other people mentioned in the New Testament by Josephus writings were also forgeries.
Why does the fact that Josephus mentions people that are mentioned in the bible mean that everyone mentioned in the bible is real. The other people you listed have other contemporary sources for their existence. That by questioning one does not mean that all need to be questioned. There are other sources to look at for them. Your whole argument there is ludicrous and asinine.
Again I ask do you have any non-biblical contemporary evidence for the existence of Jesus Christ? Yes or no?
I had to help a highschool kid do a report on the Holacaust. We got from the library of fil footage of the most horrible scenes of the Holacaust. It was no doubt propoganda. But I believe that it was propoganda based on truth.
There are thousands of eyewitness testimonials to the holocaust. We have firsthand documentation form the people that perpetrated it, those that suffered and those that liberated the camps. It is ludicrous to think that the two situations are at any way analogous. We have NOTHING in the way of first hand documentation for Jesus Christ. Here is a very important point. The Gospels were not written by the people they are attributed to. The first attributions were in the middle of the first century. Primarily by Iranaeus. Therefore there is no evidence at all that they were first hand accounts. There is much evidence showing they are not firsthand accounts.
Holocaust film=Propaganda?
If it were not so off-topic I would love to hear your explanation for that.
I see a dozen references to Jesus from non=biblical writers.
Anything contemporary? How about within first 25 years of his supposed death.
I that is skeptic land you've been busy raising the "questionable" objection with all of them.
You might want to read you posts before you post them. You have a lot of sentences that make no sense. Relax a little and read before you hit submit.

Facts don't lie or have an agenda. Facts are just facts

This message is a reply to:
 Message 435 by jaywill, posted 08-05-2009 10:02 AM jaywill has replied

Replies to this message:
 Message 438 by jaywill, posted 08-05-2009 6:04 PM Theodoric has replied

  
Theodoric
Member
Posts: 9202
From: Northwest, WI, USA
Joined: 08-15-2005
Member Rating: 3.4


Message 439 of 517 (518405)
08-05-2009 7:24 PM
Reply to: Message 438 by jaywill
08-05-2009 6:04 PM


Re: WOAH!
There is a reference to the daek day on which Jesus died. There is an explanation that it could not have been a solar eclipse.
And Matthew added an earthquake. Funny how there is no Roman documentation of this. The skies darkening and an earthquake certainly would have merited a mention somewhere. The only reference at all is the gospels. Again this is something else that as no nonbiblical, contemporary evidence
Do you have irrefutable proof that your father and mother are actually your biological parants?
Maybe they lied. Maybe your birth certificate was forged. Maybe the hospital records are questionable. Maybe a DNA sample would be flawed. Maybe your parents are mistaken. Maybe they gave your mother the wrong baby who was a relative of your mother. Maybe you mother lied to your father. Maybe your father lied to you. Maybe the nurses conspired and deceived the medical doctors. Maybe they have never told you the truth. Maybe they don't really know.
Do you have irrefutable evidence that your mother and father are your real biological parents? You don't really know who your real biological parants are.
WOW!!! Your arguments have gone from the sublime to the ridiculous. Evidently you cannot defend your postion so you make some lame ludicrous argument that has nothing to do with anything.
Evidently you are trying to make some lameass point that at times a person needs to have faith. Nope, don't think so. If you want me to believe this guy existed I am going to need some real world evidence. Not a book of fables.

Facts don't lie or have an agenda. Facts are just facts

This message is a reply to:
 Message 438 by jaywill, posted 08-05-2009 6:04 PM jaywill has replied

Replies to this message:
 Message 444 by jaywill, posted 08-06-2009 10:59 AM Theodoric has replied

  
Theodoric
Member
Posts: 9202
From: Northwest, WI, USA
Joined: 08-15-2005
Member Rating: 3.4


Message 443 of 517 (518458)
08-06-2009 8:16 AM
Reply to: Message 440 by slevesque
08-05-2009 11:50 PM


Re: WOAH!
The Jesus Myth is to Historians what creationism is to scientists.
Ridiculous. Creationism has no evidence. It is based on faith and faith alone. Jesus Mythicists use reaearch and actual documentatio to come to the conclusion. Are you saying that the mythicist have a preconceived idea and no evidence to back it up? If you read any of their work you will see that is based on copius amount of research and evidence. Creationism has no research and no evidence, other than the bible.
Again I want you to show me non biblical contemporary evidence for the existence of Jesus Christ. Can you do that?
All you have to defend this view is a professor of German and a student with a Bachelor's degree in history, who are the two major proponents (not the only one, but the major ones with any university studies on the subject)
Historians have tended to stay away from biblical studies. Jesus is so ingrained in society many have not thought to even consider such a view. I keep hearing from you christians that the vast majority of scholars believe Jesus existed. What is the education background of these scholars? Divinity scholars and/or degrees in some sort of biblical or religious studies. They are all religious and heavily indoctrinated. Of course they are going to believe their religion. This does not make them correct. Read their arguments. Historically, they are based on the flimsiest of evidence.

Facts don't lie or have an agenda. Facts are just facts

This message is a reply to:
 Message 440 by slevesque, posted 08-05-2009 11:50 PM slevesque has not replied

Replies to this message:
 Message 449 by jaywill, posted 08-07-2009 8:06 AM Theodoric has replied

  
Theodoric
Member
Posts: 9202
From: Northwest, WI, USA
Joined: 08-15-2005
Member Rating: 3.4


Message 445 of 517 (518516)
08-06-2009 11:39 AM
Reply to: Message 444 by jaywill
08-06-2009 10:59 AM


Re: WOAH!
Sextus Julius Africanus wrote in the 3rd century. He is the only reference to this writing form Thallus. We do not have the original so have no idea what was truly written. Doesn't it seem strange that the only references are from christian writers? There is no original source to consult.

Facts don't lie or have an agenda. Facts are just facts

This message is a reply to:
 Message 444 by jaywill, posted 08-06-2009 10:59 AM jaywill has replied

Replies to this message:
 Message 446 by jaywill, posted 08-07-2009 7:18 AM Theodoric has not replied

  
Theodoric
Member
Posts: 9202
From: Northwest, WI, USA
Joined: 08-15-2005
Member Rating: 3.4


Message 450 of 517 (518681)
08-07-2009 8:50 AM
Reply to: Message 449 by jaywill
08-07-2009 8:06 AM


Re: WOAH!
In the last analysis my faith rests not on the wisdom of man but on the power of God.
You reinforce what I have been saying all along. Evidence means nothing when compared to faith. Since you have faith you do not need evidence.
Anyway, it has occured once to my knowledge that an expert on Logal Evidence came as an unbliever in the Gospel to explore the testimony of the resurrection of Christ as to how it would stand up in a law court. He ended up believing in Christ and that the evidence presented in the Gospels would be admissable in a modern court.
Is this an anecdote? Do you have a reference?
I have read some F.F. Bruce. I would not call it flimsy. Norm Giesler does not come accross to me as flimsy. Others recommended to me like Benjamin Warfield are highly regarded.
I am talking evidence you are talking argument. Two different things. I know the evidence they know. There are only so many pieces in this puzzle. You believe in their argument because of your faith. I look for evidence.
Norm Geisler is not a good source for subjective historical research.
quote:
Dr. Geisler has been a leader in the defense of the Inerrancy of the Bible and was a founder of the International Council on Biblical Inerrancy which produced the famous “Chicago Statement” (1978) that has been a standard in the field ever since. He also was a witness in defense of teaching creation along side of evolution in the public schools at the famous “Scopes Two” trial in Little Rock, Arkansas in 1981.
Source
As for Warfield, a lot has changed in historical scholarship and archaeology since the first of the 20th century. We have a lot more to consider than he did. These men you mention are all very conservative christians. Of course their writings will be supportive of a physical biblical jesus. The purpose of their studies and lives is to spread this belief.
This does not change or alter the evidence or lack of evidence.

Facts don't lie or have an agenda. Facts are just facts

This message is a reply to:
 Message 449 by jaywill, posted 08-07-2009 8:06 AM jaywill has not replied

  
Theodoric
Member
Posts: 9202
From: Northwest, WI, USA
Joined: 08-15-2005
Member Rating: 3.4


Message 452 of 517 (518685)
08-07-2009 8:55 AM
Reply to: Message 451 by Peg
08-07-2009 8:52 AM


Re: It's not contemporary
I have no doubts about who wrote the gospels.
What do you base this on? Any evidence?

Facts don't lie or have an agenda. Facts are just facts

This message is a reply to:
 Message 451 by Peg, posted 08-07-2009 8:52 AM Peg has not replied

  
Theodoric
Member
Posts: 9202
From: Northwest, WI, USA
Joined: 08-15-2005
Member Rating: 3.4


Message 455 of 517 (518741)
08-07-2009 3:36 PM
Reply to: Message 454 by jaywill
08-07-2009 3:30 PM


Re: WOAH!
I wasn't born believing in the Divinity of Christ Huntard. Nor was I brought up in Sunday School all my life.
I got subdued and persuaded one day in the privacy of my living room. It was the end of a long road of wrestling with the matter of what to do with God. I really had no thought of Jesus. But I spoke His name I suddenly felt like a flushed toilet. Years of crap in my heart and mind came flooding out and Jesus came rushing in.
How does you personal "revelation" have anything to do with the divinity of christ?
Because you had some sort of episode that is proof?
Just more mumbo-jumbo and apologetics. Nothing new.

Facts don't lie or have an agenda. Facts are just facts

This message is a reply to:
 Message 454 by jaywill, posted 08-07-2009 3:30 PM jaywill has replied

Replies to this message:
 Message 468 by jaywill, posted 08-09-2009 5:32 PM Theodoric has not replied

  
Theodoric
Member
Posts: 9202
From: Northwest, WI, USA
Joined: 08-15-2005
Member Rating: 3.4


Message 462 of 517 (518794)
08-08-2009 9:58 AM
Reply to: Message 461 by slevesque
08-08-2009 5:14 AM


I have no doubt a Jesus existed. There were probably thousands in Palestine in the time frame of the biblical Jesus. Some of them may have been itinerant preachers too. This in no way means your biblical Jesus existed. By saying Jesus is a myth does not in anyway state that there is no historical basis for any of it.
The Jesus myth is an amalgamation of things. Some loosely based on facts, but a myth nonetheless. None of my arguments have been that no one named Jesus existed, my argument is the Jesus of the bible is a myth.
I was meaning it in the sense that the Jesus in the Gospels was a historical person, even though you cannot prove of course that he was as depicted in the Gospels.
Exactly. And why should I believe in a something no one can give me any proof for.

Facts don't lie or have an agenda. Facts are just facts

This message is a reply to:
 Message 461 by slevesque, posted 08-08-2009 5:14 AM slevesque has not replied

  
Theodoric
Member
Posts: 9202
From: Northwest, WI, USA
Joined: 08-15-2005
Member Rating: 3.4


Message 467 of 517 (518896)
08-09-2009 10:02 AM
Reply to: Message 465 by Peg
08-09-2009 7:18 AM


Re: It's not contemporary
Papias is an interesting resource for you to use. He wrote so late it is difficult to see how you can claim he had any first hand knowledge. We have very little evidence of his date of birth. Probably 60-65. Eusebius put is writings at about 110 and later.
As for Papias' thoughts on Matthew. I think it is very reasonable that he was referring to a different work.
quote:
As for Matthew, he made a collection in Hebrew of the sayings and each translated as best they could
History of the Church 3:39:15
Matthew is not just a collection of "sayings". Also, it seems to be quite evident that MAtthew was written in Greek, not Hebrew or Aramaic. I think you even may have made a comment before about the gospels being written in Greek.
Then there is the Muratorian Fragment of the 2nd century. It the confirms that the book of Acts was written by Luke for a man named Theophilus. These early christians would have been fairly well aquainted with each other and they also were in close contact. If a letter was being delivered, it was done so by hand and the deliverer knew where the letter came from and who it came from. This is why these early christians knew who wrote the gospels.
How does this help you?
quote:
The fragment is a seventh-century Latin manuscript bound in an eighth or seventh century codex that came from the library of Columban's monastery at Bobbio; it contains internal cues which suggest that it is a translation from a Greek original written about 170 or as late as the fourth century.
This is from the same link that you provided. The fragment does no confirmation at all. It is simply a list that the books that writer believed were canonical.
As for the second part of your paragraph, I have no idea how you think that is relevant or adds to the strength of your argument. There is no fact there at all.

Facts don't lie or have an agenda. Facts are just facts

This message is a reply to:
 Message 465 by Peg, posted 08-09-2009 7:18 AM Peg has not replied

  
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