THE HISTORICAL CHRIST

HOSTILE TESTIMONY

Nero fabricated scapegoats—and punished with every refinement the notoriously depraved Christians (as they were popularly called). Their originator, Christ, had been executed in Tiberius’ reign by the governor of Judea, Pontius Pilatus. But in spite of this temporary setback the deadly superstition had broken out afresh, not only in Judea (where the mischief had started) but even in Rome (A.D 115)

“As the Jews were making constant disturbances at the instigation of Chestus, he expelled them from Rome”. “Punishments were also inflicted on the Christians, a sect professing a new and mischievous religious belief”

This is the course that I have adopted in the case of those brought before me as Christians. I ask them if they are Christians. If they admit it, I repeat the question a second and a third time, threatening capital punishment; if they persist, I sentence them to death

“The christians, you know, worship a man to this day – the distinguished personage who introduced novel rites, and was crucified on that account… you see, these misguided creatures start with the conviction that they are immortal for all time, which explains their contempt of death….”

TESTIMONY AMONG THE JEWS

And there arose about this time Jesus, a wise man, if indeed we should call him a man; for he was a doer of marvelous deeds, a teacher of men who receive the truth with pleasure. He led away many Jews, and also Greeks. This man was the Christ. And when Pilate had condemned him to the cross on his impeachment by the chief men among us, those who had loved him at first did not cease; for he appeared to them on the third day alive again, the divine prophets having spoken these and thousands of other wonderful things about him: and even now the tribe of Christians, so named after him, has not yet died out.

THE WITNESS OF EARLY CHRISTIAN WRITERS

“He was condemned: He was crucified in reality, and not in appearance, not in imagination, not in deceit. He really died, and was buried, and rose from the dead.”

THE WITNESS OF THE NEW TESTAMENT WRITERS

II PETER 1:16 16 We did not follow cleverly invented stories when we told you about the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eyewitnesses of his majesty.

I JOHN 1:1-2 1 That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked at and our hands have touched—this we proclaim concerning the Word of life. 2 The life appeared; we have seen it and testify to it, and we proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and has appeared to us.

1 In my former book, Theophilus, I wrote about all that Jesus began to do and to teach 2 until the day he was taken up to heaven, after giving instructions through the Holy Spirit to the apostles he had chosen. 3 After his suffering, he showed himself to these men and gave many convincing proofs that he was alive. He appeared to them over a period of forty days and spoke about the kingdom of God.

I CORINTHIANS 15:1-8

WHAT A.D. ACTUALLY STANDS FOR IS “ANNO DOMINI”. TRANSLATED MEANS “In the year of the Lord”

JOHN 8:24 24 I told you that you would die in your sins; if you do not believe that I am the one I claim to be, you will indeed die in your sins."