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When Jesus came into the world the leaders of the Roman Empire tried to
find him to kill him. They didn’t doubt who he was, but they did fear
that he was going to take over their position of power, showing that
they didn’t understand the reason for his birth. The Jews didn’t believe
for any number of reasons that he was the Messiah; yet neither group
doubted his existence since they saw him and talked to him.
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Peter wrote of Jesus beginning in [1 Pet 1:20] Who verily was
foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in
these last times for you, [1 Pet 1:21] Who by him do believe in God,
that raised him up from the dead, and gave him glory; that your faith
and hope might be in God. Jesus was planned before the world was
created (foundation in the verse means a laying down and establishing,
in a sense pre-planned), which incidentally is testimony for the
existence of God, giving a lie to the theory of evolution. (It strains
credulity to believe that Jesus is a product of evolution. (See article
God and Evolution
on this site.)
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Thomas had to feel the wounds Jesus received while on the cross to make
sure of who Jesus said he was. [John 20:24] But Thomas, one of the
twelve, called Didymus, was not with them when Jesus came. [John 20:25]
The other disciples therefore said unto him, We have seen the Lord. But
he said unto them, Except I shall see in his hands the print of the
nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and thrust my hand
into his side, I will not believe. [John 20:26] And after eight days
again his disciples were within, and Thomas with them: then came Jesus,
the doors being shut, and stood in the midst, and said,
Peace be unto
you. [John 20:27] Then saith he to Thomas,
Reach hither thy finger, and
behold my hands; and reach hither thy hand, and thrust it into my side:
and be not faithless, but believing. [John 20:28] And Thomas answered
and said unto him, My Lord and my God. [John 20:29] Jesus saith unto
him, Thomas, because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed: blessed are
they that have not seen, and yet have believed. There is direct
testimony that Jesus did exist and did suffer on the cross.
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When people doubt the existence of Jesus and say he is a myth or that
the things he did are mythical, they are confronted with many problems,
one being that they put themselves in a position of calling Jesus (and
the apostles) a liar(s). It is one thing to call someone a liar and
quite another to prove it. Paul said in II Thessalonians that Satan
would cause delusions: [2 Thessalonians 2:9] Even him, whose
coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying
wonders, [2 Thessalonians 2:10] And with all deceivableness of
unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love
of the truth, that they might be saved. [2 Thessalonians 2:11] And for
this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe
a lie: [2 Thessalonians 2:12] That they all might be damned who believed
not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness.
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If one can deny the existence of Jesus, then it is easy to believe that
sin is a lie and that God’s constraints on behavior are only so much the
meandering of weak minds that are unable to conduct their own lives. If
those beliefs are true, then Jesus died for no reason, suffering a
horrible death, and that then makes the entire body of belief
questionable. Consequently, that means that those who had anything to do
with the production of the scriptures were involved in perpetrating a
lie to the extent that all historical record of the religious world
necessarily is based on a lie about Jesus and who he was and what he
came to do and did do.
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What is interesting is that those who claim that God, Jesus, the gospel,
and the truth of sin are fantasies, are the ones who are violating the
scriptures. They are validating the scriptures all the while thinking
that they are refuting them. Paul wrote: [Rom 1:18] For the wrath
of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and
unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness; [Rom
1:19] Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for
God hath shewed it unto them. [Rom 1:20] For the invisible things of him
from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the
things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they
are without excuse: [Rom 1:21] Because that, when they knew God, they
glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in
their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened. [Rom 1:22]
Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools, [Rom 1:23] And
changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to
corruptible man, and to birds, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping
things. [Rom 1:24] Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness
through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonour their own bodies
between themselves: [Rom 1:25] Who changed the truth of God into a lie,
and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is
blessed for ever. Amen. If Jesus didn’t exist, then none of what
Paul wrote would be true.
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And if Jesus didn’t exist, then why did the apostles and the other
followers risk their lives and die to perpetuate a lie? The answer is
obvious.
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© 01-06-2006 DEC
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