Master of Christian History Lesson # 2

Answers to Questions lesson # 2

1.    How do we know that Jesus Christ is a historical person and what are the historical evidences?

The gospel writers Luke (1:1-4) and John (20:30-31) made known that Christianity is a historical religion. Christianity cannot be apart from the Christ of history. The great Roman historian Tacitus (A.D. 55-A.D. 117) associated the name and beginnings of Christianity with "Christus" who in the Emperor Tiberius' reign was executed under the judgment of Pontius Pilate, the Procurator. Lucian (c. A.D. 125-c. A.D. 190) around A.D. 170 wrote a satire on Christians and the Christian faith. Lucian wrote that Christ was crucified for starting a new cult. He also wrote that the Christians believed that Christ taught them that they were brothers and ought to obey His laws. He further mocked them for bowing down to a crucified sophist.

These witnesses by the pagans are greatly important as historical evidence because they come from cultured Romans who generally mocked Christianity. On this foundation, in addition to the Bible which is also a historical writing, Christ did historically exist.

Flavius Josephus (c. A.D. 37-c. A.D. 100), a rich Jew who attempted to defend Judaism to the cultured Romans in his writings, mentioned Christ. He mentioned James the brother of Jesus who was assumed to be Christ. Josephus thought of Christ as a man of wisdom who was condemned to die on a Roman cross by Pilate. Josephus was not friendly toward Christianity. As such his mentioning of Christ garners more historical importance.

Other Evidence

Numerous apocryphal gospels, acts, epistles, and apocalypses are founded upon the historical existence of Christ. Inscriptions and pictures of the dove, the fish, the anchor, and many other Christian symbols in the Roman catacombs offer evidence to the belief in a historical Christ in addition to the existence of the Christian calendar, Sunday as the day of Christian worship, and the Christian church itself.

2.    What makes the personality and character of Jesus Christ special?                                

Holy Scripture offers some points on the personality and character of Jesus Christ. In reading the Gospels, Jesus has a profound originality. When Jewish and other authorities quote others as authorities for sundry statements, Jesus basically gave the phrase "I say." These occurrences in the Gospels show Jesus' original, creative thought which amazed the people of His day (Mark 1:22; Luke 4:32). Jesus' genuineness is very apparent in the scriptural record. Jesus was the only person on earth that had nothing to hide and could be completely Himself (John 8:46). The Gospels also bear witness to Jesus' balanced character. There was no excess in Jesus' character. This can only be sufficiently explained by the historical account of Jesus' Virgin Birth.

 

3.    How does Christ's person and work constitute the beginning of Christianity?

The awe-inspiring importance of Christ's personality is not separate from His work.

The death and bodily resurrection of Jesus Christ, along with His character, work, and teachings, constitute the beginning of Christianity.

Rev. Dr. John W. Hyland
Universal Life Church