2. Evidence for the Man Who Is Jesus
He never wrote a book
He never held an office
He never went to college
He rarely visited a big city
He never travelled more than two hundred miles
From the place where he was born…
His friends ran away
One of them denied him
He was turned over to his enemies
And went through the mockery of a trial
He was nailed to a cross between two thieves
While dying, his executioners gambled for his clothing
The only property he had on earth.
When he was dead
He was laid in a borrowed grave
Through the pity of a friend
[Yet] All the armies that have ever marched
All the navies that have ever sailed
All the parliaments that have ever sat
All the kings that ever reigned put together
Have not affected the life of mankind on earth
As powerfully as that one solitary life
5. External Confirming Evidence: Mara
Bar Sarapion
Mara Bar Sarapion. Stoic Philosophers ca. 73 A.D.
What else can we say, when the wise are forcibly dragged off by
tyrants, their wisdom is captured by insults, and their minds are
oppressed and without defense? What advantage did the
Athenians gain from murdering Socrates? Famine and plague came
upon them as a punishment for their crime. What advantage did the
men of Samos gain from burning Pythagoras? In a moment their
land was covered with sand. What advantage did the Jews gain
from executing their wise king? It was just after that their
kingdom was abolished. (70 A.D. destruction of Jerusalem)…But
Socrates is not dead, because of Plato; neither is Pythagoras,
because of the statue of Juno; nor is the wise king, because of
the "new law" he laid down
6. External Confirming Evidence: Mara
Bar Sarapion
Wise Man.
Was Oppressed by tyranny and not
allowed to defend himself.
Executed.
Shortly after this destruction came to
people (sack of Jerusalem 70 A.D.)
His Teaching continues.
7. External Confirming Evidence: Tacitus
Tacitus. Calgacus. One of Rome’s Most Notable Historians.
64 A.D. Rome aged 8.
Consequently, to get rid of the report, Nero fastened the guilt and
inflicted the most exquisite tortures on a class hated for their
abominations, called Christians by the populace. Christus, from whom
the name had its origin, suffered the extreme penalty during the
reign of Tiberius at the hands of one of our procurators, Pontius
Pilatus, and a most mischievous superstition, thus checked for the
moment, again broke out not only in Judæa, the first source of the
evil, but even in Rome, where all things hideous and shameful from
every part of the world find their centre and become popular.
Accordingly, an arrest was first made of all who pleaded guilty;
then, upon their information, an immense multitude was convicted,
not so much of the crime of firing the city, as of hatred against
mankind… set alight and were crucified.
8. External Confirming Evidence: Tacitus
From Judea.
Christus = Messiah.
Executed under Pilate during reign of Tiberius
(14-37 A.D).
Followers were numerous and persecuted.
Called Christian by the Crowd. (Acts 11:26
Crowd called them Christians. “The Way” Luke’s
account comes from earliest stratum of Christian
history.)
9. External Confirming Evidence:
Pliny the Younger
Pliny the Younger. (Pompeii) Governor of Bityhina- Pontus,
North-West Turkey. Letter to the Emperor, 112 A.D.
others more, and a few more than twenty years ago ) [92 A.D.]
They affirmed the whole of their guilt, or their error, was, that they
met on a stated day before it was light, and addressed a form of prayer
to Christ, as to a divinity, binding themselves by a solemn oath, not for the
purposes of any wicked design, but never to commit any fraud, theft, or adultery,
never to falsify their word, nor deny a trust when they should be called upon to
deliver it up; after which it was their custom to separate, and then reassemble, to
eat in common a harmless meal [remembrance meal]… I forbade the meeting of
any assemblies… [and put] two female deacons to the torture, who were said to
take part in their religious rites: but all I could discover was evidence of an
absurd and extravagant superstition… [this religions is found in] persons all
ranks and ages, and even of both sexes. In fact, this contagious
superstition is not confined to the cities only, but has spread its infection
among the neighbouring villages and country. Nevertheless, it still seems
possible to restrain its progress. The temples, at least, which were once
almost deserted, begin now to be frequented; and the sacred rites, after a
long intermission, are again revived; while there is a general demand for
the victims, which till lately found very few purchasers.
10. Confirming External Evidence:
Pliny the Younger
Persecution and Ethics:
1 Peter 1 “For it is God’s will that by doing good
you should silence the ignorant talk of foolish people…
Show proper respect to everyone…it
is commendable if someone bears up under the pain of
unjust suffering because they are conscious of God…To
this you were called, because Christ suffered for
you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in
his steps. “He committed no sin, and no deceit was
found in his mouth.” When they hurled their insults at
him, he did not retaliate; when he suffered, he made no
threats. Instead, he entrusted himself to him who judges
justly.”
11. Confirming External Evidence:
Pliny the Younger
Acts 19 About that time there arose a
great disturbance about the Way. A
silversmith named Demetrius, who made
silver shrines of Artemis, brought in a lot
of business for the craftsmen there…[saying]
this fellow Paul has convinced and led astray
large numbers of people here in Ephesus and in
practically the whole province of Asia. He
says that gods made by human hands are no
gods at all. There is danger… that our trade will
lose its good name
12. Confirming External Evidence: The
Talmud
It was taught: On the Eve of Passover they hung Yeshu the Notzri.
And the herald went out before him for forty days [saying]: ‘Yeshu the
Notzri will go out to be stoned for sorcery and misleading and enticing
Israel [to idolatry]. Any who knows [anything] in his defence must
come and declare concerning him.’ But no one came to his defence so
they hung him on the Eve of Passover- Munich Talmud manuscript of
b.San.43a. Dr David Instone-Brewer
13. Confirming External Evidence:
Non-Christian Writers:
Messiah figure, thought by his followers to be a
divinity.
He was executed (perhaps unfairly).
His execution happened sometime around 20-40
A.D.
He has followers who carry on his message.
Many people just a generation removed from
this were so convinced of it that they were
prepared to undergo torture.
15. Confirming Internal Evidence: The
Criteria of Embarrasment
Jesus' own family did not believe him and even questioned his
sanity (Mark 3.21).
Jesus was rejected by people in his hometown and couldn't perform
many miracles there (6.2-5).
Some thought Jesus was in collusion with, and even possessed by
the devil (3.22, 30).
Jesus' healings weren't always instantaneous (8.22-25).
Jesus' disciples weren't always able to exorcise demons (9.18), and
Jesus' own exorcisms weren't always instantaneous (5.8-13).
Jesus seemed to suggest that he wasn't good (10.18).
Jesus associated with people of ill-repute and gained a reputation of
being a glutton and a drunkard (2.15-16).
Jesus often spoke is explicit and culturally shameful ways (3.31-35).
The disciples are often dull, obstinate and cowardly (8.32-33, 10:3537, 14:37, 50).
The women were the first to discover Jesus' tomb while the men
were hiding in fear (16.1-8).
17. Confirming Internal Confirming: Erastus
Romans 16:23: “[Paul writing from Corinth to Christians in Rome
says] Gaius, who is host to me and to the whole church, greets you.
Erastus, the city treasurer, and our brother Quartus, greet you.”
“Erastus for his aedileship (a person who is responsible for the
maintenance of public buildings) paved this at his own expense.”
18. Confirming Internal Confirming: Erastus
“a deeper examination of the issue here,
however, it is hoped that this question [the
frequency of the name Erastus] can now
be laid to rest. A comprehensive search
of the available electronic databases and
major print corpora reveals…only two, or
perhaps three, individuals bearing this name are
attested in all of Greece, in all of the first century
AD.”- Timothy Brookins: The (In)frequency of the Name ‘Erastus’
in Antiquity: A Literary, Papyrological, and Epigraphical Catalog
19. Confirming Internal Confirming: Titles
Luke’s Gospel and Acts of the Apostles :e.g.
consuls, proconsuls, legates, asiarchs, praetors,
lictors. All different and apt to change.
Oxford Colleges: The Provost of Oriel College,
the Master of Balliol, the Rector of Exeter, the
President of Magdalen, Warden of Nuffield,
Deans of Christ Church.
20. Confirming Internal Confirming:
Graeco-Roman Titles
Luke depicts the town clerk in Ephesus mentioning the
“consuls”
Junius Silanus assasinated >> Helius and Celer.
Luke calls the magistrates of Philippi praetors, but it should
be duumvirs!
Cicero on colony of Capua "Although they are called
duumvirs in the other colonies, these men wish to be called
praetors”.
Luke calls the Thessalonican chief magistrates politarchs a title that is not found in
any classical literature, but has been found in inscriptions from Macedonian towns.
In Luke 3 he talks about Lysanius the tetrarch of Abilene.? Confused with Lysanius
ruler of Chalcis?: two Greek inscriptions found that reveal the existence of "Lysanius
the tetrarch".
23. Confirming Internal Confirming: Oral
Tradition
The Holy Spirit would help them
to
remember what Jesus had taught them
(John 14:26).
People’s role as witnesses, teachers and
preservers of the story about Jesus:
Matthew 10:17, Mark 6.11, 13.9-13; Luke
9.5; 21:12; 22:71; John 1.7-8, 15,19, 32,
34.
24. Confirming Internal Confirming: Oral
Tradition
Luke’s Gospel “Since many have undertaken to set
down an orderly account of the events that have been
fulfilled among us, just as they were handed on to us by
those who from the beginning were eyewitnesses
and servants of the word, I too decided, after
investigating everything carefully [to write this work about
the Lord]
Paul 1 Corinthians “For I handed on to you as of first
importance what I in turn had received: that Christ died
for our sins in accordance with the scriptures, and that
he was buried, and that he was raised on the third day in
accordance with the scriptures, and that he appeared to
Cephas, then the twelve.”
25. Confirming Internal Confirming: Oral
Tradition
Papias of Hierapolis (70 A.D. –
155 A.D.) “And if by chance anyone who
has been in attendance on the elders
should come my way, I inquired about the
words of the elders – [that is,] what
Andrew or Peter said, or Philip, or Thomas, or James, or
John or Matthew or any other of the Lord’s disciples, and
whatever Aristion and the elder John, the Lord’s
disciples, were saying. For I did not think the information
from books would profit me as much as information from
a living and surviving voice.”
26. Confirming Internal Confirming: Oral
Tradition
Colossians “For I bear him [Epaphras] record, that he
hath a great zeal for you, and them that are in Laodicea,
and them in Hierapolis.”
27. Confirming Internal Confirming: Oral
Tradition
Epictetus 115 A.D. “what kind of tyrant, or
guards, or swords in the hands of guards can
any more instil fear in the breast of such a
man? Therefore, if madness can produce this
attitude of mind toward the things which have
just been mentioned, and also habit, as with the
Galileans, cannot reason and demonstration
teach a man that God has made all things in the
universe?”
28. Confirming Internal Confirming: Oral
Tradition
Stephen E. Young “Jesus Tradition in the Apostolic Fathers Their
Explicit Appeals to the Words of Jesus in Light of Orality Studies ”
2011
29. Confirming Internal Confirming:
Incidental Coincidences
Simon (to whom he gave the name Peter),
James son of Zebedee
and his brother John (to them he gave the name
Boanerges, which means “sons of thunder”)
Andrew
Philip
Bartholomew
Matthew
Thomas
James son of Alphaeus
Thaddaeus
Simon the Zealot
and Judas Iscariot
32. 1.Simon
2.Joseph
Simon Peter
James son of
Zebedee
Rank 1
Rank 11
3.Lazarus
4.Judas
Andrew
John Boanerges
Not ranked
Rank 5
5. John
6. Jesus
Philip
Bartholomew
Rank 62
Rank 50
7. Ananias
8. Jonathan
Matthew
Thomas
Rank 9
Not ranked
9. Matthew
James Son of
Alphaeus
Rank 11
10. Manaen
11. James
Thaddaeus
Simon the Zealot
Rank 39
Rank 1
12. Annas
Judas Iscariot
Rank 4
33. Confirming Internal Confirming:
Incidental Coincidences
John’s Gospel: “Seeing that a large crowd was coming toward
him, Jesus said to Philip, “Where are we to buy bread, so that
these people may eat?
John’s Gospel: "Now Philip was from Bethsaida, the city of
Andrew and Peter"
Luke Gospel "On their return the apostles told him all that
they had done. And he took them and withdrew apart to a
town called Bethsaida"
34. Confirming Internal Confirming:
Incidental Coincidences
Matthew tells story of people coming to
Jesus “when it was evening,” without
explaining why they waited until the
evening.
Mark doesn’t say it was the evening but
mentions that “it was the Sabbath,” and
that’s why the sick waited “till evening” to
come to Jesus in Matthew’s version.
35. Confirming Internal Confirming:
Incidental Coincidences
Matthew: "Then they spit in his face and
struck him with their fists. Others slapped
him and said, “Prophesy to us, Messiah.
Who hit you"
Luke: They blindfolded him and
demanded, "Prophesy! Who hit you?"
36. Confirming Internal Evidence: Other
Areas
Impossible Faith ( a dying, crucified
Messiah and God?!)
Aramaic rhythm and parallelisms.
James, the Lord’s brothers conversion.
![Evidence for the Man Who Is Jesus
He never wrote a book
He never held an office
He never went to college
He rarely visited a big city
He never travelled more than two hundred miles
From the place where he was born…
His friends ran away
One of them denied him
He was turned over to his enemies
And went through the mockery of a trial
He was nailed to a cross between two thieves
While dying, his executioners gambled for his clothing
The only property he had on earth.
When he was dead
He was laid in a borrowed grave
Through the pity of a friend
[Yet] All the armies that have ever marched
All the navies that have ever sailed
All the parliaments that have ever sat
All the kings that ever reigned put together
Have not affected the life of mankind on earth
As powerfully as that one solitary life](data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7)