The strongest evidence I see for the existence of Jesus as a historical person is the existence of the Christian church. The new religion of Christianity suddenly appeared in the first century AD. Where did the ideas of this new religion come from? It makes sense that there was, in fact, a teacher who taught the ideas of the new religion.
Proving that the Incarnation and the Atonement are true is a much more difficult undertaking.
Greetings
@PloverWing the
Christian Religion was established around 325AD, Jesus talked with people way before that, and soon after the Apostles wrote about him, and in their writings they all were very careful NOT to establish any Organized Religion, which was NOT his purpose for coming. Actually he mocked the Religion of the Jews, the very ones he came into to abolish, and did away with Religion and their meaningless practices and traditions. He called the
Religious Pharisees hypocrites.
The Catholic Religion (c. 4 BC – c. AD 30) eventually, with the help of the pagan gods worshipping
Emperor Constantine created a new
Religion which they called
"Christian" which they adapted into the
Catholic Church, keeping most of their gods and statues, and renaming them by the names off the Apostles, Mary and so on as time went by. By this time, they confiscated most of the Scriptures from the heavily persecuted
early church of God established by Christ Himself
.
There was no "Christian Religion" before that, and no True Disciple of Christ would have created one after that either. The mention of the word "Christian" in the Bible appears only 3 times, and none referring to any Religious Organization, but name calling the disciples.
Here:
Acts 11:25 Then Barnabas departed for Tarsus to seek Saul. 26 And when he had found him, he brought him to Antioch. So it was that for a whole year they assembled with the church and taught a great many people. And the disciples were first called Christians in Antioch.
It was the citizens of Antioch, where Paul was converting a lot of disciples there, started to call those converts "Christians", a type of mild mocking, like we would call a group or a person:
"goody-two-shoes".
Acts 26:27 King Agrippa, do you believe the prophets? I know that you do believe.”
28 Then Agrippa said to Paul, “You almost persuade me to become a Christian.”
29 And Paul said, “I would to God that not only you, but also all who hear me today, might become both almost and altogether such as I am, except for these chains.”
King Agrippa used the mock-label "Christian" in his address to Paul, where you can almost hear the gentiles present laughing as he said that. And next here you will see that this 'name calling' was taking toll on the Believers, and the New Antioch converts!
1 Peter 4:
Suffering for God’s Glory
12 Beloved, do not think it strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened to you; 13 but rejoice to the extent that you partake of Christ’s sufferings, that when His glory is revealed, you may also be glad with exceeding joy.
14 If you are reproached for the name of Christ, blessed are you, for the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you. On their part He is blasphemed, but on your part He is glorified.
15 But let none of you suffer as a murderer, a thief, an evildoer, or as a busybody in other people’s matters. 16 Yet if anyone suffers as a Christian, let him not be ashamed, but let him glorify God in this matter
No Believer would consider being called a "Disciple of Christ" shameful, but being mocked by being called a Christian (Goody-two-shoes), now that an get old real fast.
goody two-shoes:
noun
The definition of a goody two shoes is a person who always does everything right and always follows the rules, so much so that it becomes annoying.
An example of a goody two shoes is a person who always sits in front, waves her hand to answer every question in class and tattle tales on people on the playground
