I’ve no idea what Jesus of Nazareth was or wasn’t.
Or you have some idea. But have heard enough that you don't care for it.
Of course with far far less skepticism you believe probably about Socrates, Alexander the Great, or Tiberius Caesar.
I think it is the CONTENT of His life which presents more of a concern.
The New Testament is the most copied writing in ancient history.
You have more ground to believe the reliability of that record then you have for
the reliability of manifold ancient records you accept without batting an eye.
It is what Jesus said and the authority with which He lived and said what He did which have concern about debunking by one means or another.
I think one has to be careful how one hears.
When you read the Bible it is not healthy to only hear words that are against you.
God is not the enemy.
I’m judging you on your presentation of God, you should rely leave Jesus out of it
How can I leave Jesus out of it. The Word became flesh. God was incarnated and finally revealed as the Man Whom God became in Jesus Christ.
Christ is the climax of all God showing man about Himself.
How can I leave Christ out of it when He's the center and circumference of the
divine revelation?
because no matter how you paper over the cracks their is such a disjoint between the supposed teachings of Jesus and the Old Testament it’s like claiming parentage of Snow White for Cruella Deville.
I think your generation has been put into a drunken stupor of over entertainment.
There is little sober minded thinking on many things simply because millions of big kids have OD-ed on comics, fiction, special effects, Disney, video and computer games, Pixar, Photoshop, Marvel, Hollywood sequels and prequals and spoilers.
Sober thinking on spiritual issues of the priorities of life and relationship to God is downed under the billion dollar entertainment industry. Some of you guys I think are only expecting a list of credits to be rolled down on a screen on the day you die.
Its tragic.
@sonship saidActually, the Argos catalog has overtaken the Bible in being the most printed book in history.
The New Testament is the most copied writing in ancient history.
There's probably a lesson lurking in that.
@sonship saidThe New Testament is probably the most copied book in ancient history because those clever Romans decided that adherence to it would make a useful political tool for cobbling their crumbling empire back together and to a large extent they pulled it off. Do you really believe that the truth of a book can be judged by the number of copies someone makes of it.
@kevcvs57I’ve no idea what Jesus of Nazareth was or wasn’t.
Or you have some idea. But have heard enough that you don't care for it.
Of course with far far less skepticism you believe probably about Socrates, Alexander the Great, or Tiberius Caesar.
I think it is the CONTENT of His life which presents more of a concern.
The Ne ...[text shortened]... y expecting a list of credits to be rolled down on a screen on the day you die.
Its tragic.
Lots of good stuff in the bible for a violent patriarchal regime, it’s almost like it was purposefully edited for the job at some high level conference or something. 🤷🏻♂️
@kevcvs57
That is wild conspiracy thinking.
The Romans tried to stamp out the "sect" because the Christians were considered atheists to their gods. When the attempt to persecute only caused the faith to spread, the spiritual enemy of the truth changed tactics. He then WELCOMED the new faith and attempted to dilute it by mixing it with all manner of pagan belief.
Constantine sought to make the Christian faith the religion of the state, a far more damaging insidiousness then the persecutions.
Behind the politics is the unseen spiritual battles of Satan and his hosts against Christ and His people. It is not flesh and blood that the church wrestles with. It is spiritual powers. There are also spiritual powers over whole nations.
The fierceness of persecution was the catalyst to influence the letters and gospels to copied so much. We owe the persecutions for the frequency with which scribes copied the texts of the New Testament documents. It backfired on the enemies of the church.
Your conspiracy theories require more leaps of "faith" then just taking face value what the New Testament records.
It also is elitist. Only those who know all about Roman politics can get the truth about life and the world. Invariably when skeptics like you come up with conspiracies which people must master before they know the most important things about life, you end up concocting an elitist and narrow path restricting most of the world.
Whereas Christ's word is "Whosoever believes in Him might not perish but have eternal life"
You elitists always want to make it so that only those with post doctorates in biology or Roman history can know the truth. The Good News is open. Your "truth" is elitist and shutting out most of the world but a tiny few specialists of academia.
@sonship said“ That is wild conspiracy thinking.
@kevcvs57
That is wild conspiracy thinking.
The Romans tried to stamp out the "sect" because the Christians were considered atheists to their gods. When the attempt to persecute only caused the faith to spread, the spiritual enemy of the truth changed tactics. He then WELCOMED the new faith and attempted to dilute it by mixing it with all manner of pagan belief.
...[text shortened]... "truth" is elitist and shutting out most of the world but a tiny few specialists of academia.
The Romans tried to stamp out the "sect" because the Christians were considered atheists to their gods. ”
Yeah until they didn’t though and that’s when the post Constantine Roman Empire started morphing into the Holy Roman Empire.
I know you prefer heresay to common sense facts but the Romans in the east and west completely controlled Christianity until the reformation and the rebellions against the Church of Rome as if to prove my point England’s Henry viii wrested the power of the church from Rome and claimed it for himself. Religion and raw political power politics have always been very easy bed fellows and still are. Rule by Devine right was something that was conferred upon Kings by the Popes for more than a millennia. The Bible must be seen in that light. These are everyday facts not conspiracy theories. The only conspiracy was between church and state or more generally church and power.