The Real Jesus (DVD) Myth #5 (7 of 10)

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http://forerunner.com/realjesus/part1.html

Myth #5: The Gospels contradict one another and contain fiction

Jennings: "Scholars don't take everything that they read in the New Testament literally because there are four different and sometimes contradictory versions of Jesus' life." [08:30]

Yes, there are differences in the Gospel accounts. Let's begin with the first obvious difference that seems to concern Jennings so much -- the story of Jesus birth. First, there are different genealogies of Jesus. The Jews knew that the Messiah was to come from the house of Judah and specifically must be a descendant of David. Up to this point, Matthew and Luke agree with one another.

There could be several reasons why Matthew and Luke contain different genealogical accounts. The church historian Eusebius, writing in the early fourth century, records that separate genealogies appear for the following reason. Jesus had both a biological mother, Mary, and a legal (but not biological) father, Joseph. Matthew records Jesus' genealogy by "law" through his adoptive father, Joseph, and Luke records the genealogy of "nature" through his biological mother, Mary. According to Eusebius' Ecclesiastical History, Julius Africanus, a third century church father, explained this alleged contradiction in his Letter to Aristides (Eusebius, Ecclesiastical History, book I, chapter 7).

[CONTRAST JENNINGS' FOLLOWING CLAIMS WITH COMMENTS BY APOLOGIST J.P. HOLDING]

Jennings: "The Gospels give different versions of what happened on the day that Jesus was baptized ... " [48:40]

Jennings: "Historians differ about what happened a the Last Supper. Some people think His whole speech about the Body and Blood was added by the Gospel writers." [1:37:10]

Jennings: "The Jewish leaders take Jesus to Pilate and pressure him before he will pass the sentence. Many historians don't believe it." [1:44:40]

Jennings: "Jesus is not an heroic figure at all until He gets into the hands of all the people who are going to write and embellish him." [1:46:50]

Category:

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Tags:

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• Jesus
• apologetics
• Christ
• Christianity
• orthodox
• orthodoxy
• Christology
• J.P.
• Holding
• Pontius
• Pilate

[tifforo1]

Which of the three explanations covers the part where Matthew 28 has angels telling Mary what happened to Jesus, while John 20 has Mary saying she didn't know what happened to him?

[jcr4runner]

@tifforo1 All three. The two accounts include events that occurred at different times in a different context. Each includes information the other leaves out. And each is told from the eyewitness perspectives of different people.

It is possible to create a chronological harmony of the four post-resurrection accounts in which everything agrees.

1. Mary went and told the disciples the tomb was empty.

2. Then other women were at the tomb and the angels told them what happened.

[tifforo1]

@jcr4runner

Based on Matthew, Mark, and Luke, it really is not plausible that Mary would be as unaware of what had happened as John has her when she says "They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we do not know where they have laid him." There is nothing in the synoptic gospels to indicate that Mary Magdalene left before the angel(s) explained what had happened - ESPECIALLY if you consider Mark 16:9-11 to be legitimate verses (those verses are disputed).

[jcr4runner]

@tifforo1 The plausible way to understand it is with a harmony of the verses written side by side. It's very simple.

If you presuppose the Resurrection didn't happen, then it is all implausible. You suppose the "synoptic" Gospels ought to be "more harmonized" than the later John.

If you suppose that it did happen, then the accounts can be harmonized with no contradictions. You will presuppose that John was an eyewitness (as he claims) and the other writers were hearing it from eyewitnesses.

[jcr4runner]

@tifforo1 On the first day of the week (Sunday) the stone is moved. The three woman are at the tomb. Mary Magdalene runs to tell Peter.

Peter arrives at tomb while the two women were still at the tomb (Mk 16:1).

Two men (or angels) appear. One angel speaks. The two women leave the tomb to tell the other disciples. They see Jesus and He speaks to them.

Then Mary returns. Jesus and Mary speak. She is alone with Jesus. She clings to Jesus. He tells her to go tell all the disciples.

[Riverfrog72]

concerning Love your enemy as you quoted form Mathew 5:44.

The Word in the Original Greek(not Latin) is:

agapao--To love (in a Social or Moral sense).

I think your just repeating something you have heard from someone without knowledge of the Text. The New Testiment wasn't written in Latin and has nothing to do with Buddhism.

It makes perfect sense to Love your enemies. One doesn't pick his own enemies they come against you without your effort and you should love them not retaliate.

[gbologa]

Totally agree with your comment!!!

[celioabatti]

Is JESUS GOD? Lets see what the BIBLE has to say; God Jhn 1:1; Mat 1:23; Isa 40:3 Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever Hbr 1:8 The Mighty God Isa 9:6 The Everlasting God Isa 40:28 The True God 1Jo 5:20 My Lord and my God Jhn 20:28 God my Saviour Luk 1:47 Over all, God blessed for ever.Amen Rom 9:5 God manifest in the flesh 1Ti 3:16 Our God and Savior 2Pe 1:1 The great God and our Saviour, Jesus Christ Tts 2:13 Emanuel, God with us Mat 1:23

[jcr4runner]

@jcr4runner I should also add that the order of events is listed chronologically in 1 Cor. 15:4-7 as well and this fits the Gospel accounts. So we have FIVE accounts that corroborate each other.

Each account proceeds in order, but each has parts that the others leave out.

It's not possible to make a harmony in so small a space here. It's best done in five columns. If you are really OPEN to searching it out, you will see it is not only possible, but also plausible and likely.

[jcr4runner]

@tifforo1 I've listed the order of events. I simply don't agree with what you maintain. It's clear hat Mary Magdalene leaves and returns at different times than the other women. If you don't agree, explain where I must be wrong.

Have you ever looked at a harmony of the Gospels with chronological events listed side by side? It all fits.

The fact that the Gospels are so different in their perspectives and yet still may be harmonized is one of the strongest evidences that this is factual history.

[comali2212]

There's no fake Jesus, for the fake Jesus to be a myth.

A fake myth that captured people for thousands of years! C'mon, gimme a break!! Lol

[humanistheart]

@jcr4runner " the Law " And you base that on what? And no, mary's lineage is never given, and jospeh was not the blood father. The prophicy clearly stipulates the SEED of david, as in blood descendant. So no, even the fictional bible fails to present jesus as a messiah.

[humanistheart]

@jcr4runner First of all, in the time when the messianic prophicies were made, lineage was traced through the father. But by the time christians claim jesus existed, it had been changed to the mother, due to the rape of jewish women from conquerors, such as the assyrians, the babylonians, or the romans. Mary's lineage is never given and joseph wasn't a blood relation, so no, not even the bible depicts jesus as descended from David.

[tifforo1]

@jcr4runner

Matthew 28 has the angel outside the tomb telling "the women" (the two Marys) what happened - while they were still standing in front of the tomb immediately after the stone was rolled away. The angel invites them to "see the place where he lay", implying that they haven't gone in yet when he tells them these things. Mark 16 and Luke 24 state that a group of women including Mary Magdalene entered the tomb, were told of the ressurection, and "told all these things to the apostles."