People Who Didnt Like Jesus

1
People Who Didnt Like Jesus

• What ancient non-Christian sources said about
  Jesus

2
The Current State of Jesus Studies in Scholarship

• Scholars today, even skeptical ones consider the
  Gospels to be the primary sources about Jesus.
• Scholars also consider what non-Christians in
  antiquity had to say about Jesus.
• What we are trying to do is see what we can prove
  that Jesus did with a high degree of certainty.

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Principle of Unsympathetic Reports
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Principle of Unsympathetic Reports
In the eyes of a historian, information about
Jesus in the Gospels that is also attested by His
enemiesor those unsympathetic to Himis more
certain to be truethan those attestedonly by
His friends.
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Principle of Enemy Attestation
If John Adams wife claimed that he had a great
deal of integrity, we might listen. However,
when Alexander Hamilton, a man who despised
Adams, wrote a letter attacking him and yet still
admitted that he possessed a great deal of
integrity, we may be certain that Adams was a man
of great integrity, because even his enemy
admitted it.
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Cornelius Tacitus

• c. AD 56-120
• Considered greatest Roman historian
• Held a series of important administrative posts
  in the Roman government
• c. AD 116 wrote Annals which covers AD 14-68 and
  Histories which covers AD 69-96

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Consequently, to get rid of the report, Nero
fastened the guilt and inflicted the most
exquisite tortures on a class hated for their
abominations, called Christians by the populace.
Christus, from whom the name had its origin,
suffered the extreme penalty during the reign of
Tiberius at the hands of one of our procurators,
Pontius Pilatus, and a most mischievous
superstition, thus checked for the moment, again
broke out not only in Judaea, the first source of
the evil, but even in Rome . . .
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After naming several tortures and executions
handed out to Christians by Nero, Tacitus
continues . . .
Hence, even for criminals who deserved extreme
and exemplary punishment, there arose a feeling
of compassion for it was not, as it seemed, for
the public good, but to glut one man's cruelty,
that they were being destroyed. (Annals 1544)
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Tacitus was not only a non-believer, he was a
hostile witness

• He referred to Christianity as a most
  mischievous superstition.
• He referred to Christians as criminals who
  deserved extreme and exemplary punishment.

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What we know about Jesus from Tacitus

• The time of Jesus execution was
• during the reign of Tiberius
• under Pontius Pilate
• Christianity was checked for the moment
• Then broke out again in Judea-its origin
• It spread even to Rome

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Flavius Josephus

• c. AD 37-100
• Not a Christian
• Became court historian for Emperor Vespasian
• Wrote Jewish War (AD 75-80) and Jewish Histories
  (early 90s)

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Now, there was about this time Jesus, a wise
man, for he was a doer of marvelous deeds a
teacher of such men as receive the truth with
pleasure. He drew over to him both many of the
Jews, and many of the Gentiles. When Pilate, at
the suggestion of the principal men amongst us,
had condemned him to the cross, those that loved
him at the first did not forsake him, and the
tribe of Christians, so named from him, are not
extinct at this day. (Ant. 183)
13
Although Josephus did not appear hostile toward
Christianity,he rejected Jesus
Origen reported on two occasions that Josephus
did not accept Jesus as the Messiah (A.D. 230)
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What we know about Jesus from Josephus

• Jesus was considered a wise man
• Jesus performed works that awed crowds
• Jesus attracted Jews and Gentiles to himself
• Pilate crucified Jesus at the suggestion of the
  Jewish leaders
• Christianity continued after Jesus death

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On the eve of the Passover, Yeshu was hanged. .
. . he has practiced sorceryand enticed Israel
to apostasy.
Talmud(2nd-4th Century)
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The Sources Behind the TalmudWere Negative
Toward Jesus

• Says that Jesus practiced sorcery
• Says that Jesus enticed Israel to apostasy

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What we know about Jesus from the Talmud

• Jesus was crucified
• Jesus crucifixion was on the eve of the Passover
• Jesus performed deeds that appeared miraculous
• Jesus attracted Jews to follow him
• Jesus teachings differed from those of the
  Jewish leaders of the time

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Just by these 3 non-Christian sources, we can
establish . . .

• Jesus performed deeds that appeared miraculous
• had followers who were Jews and Gentiles
• was crucified
• at suggestion of Jewish leaders
• on eve of Passover
• by Pontius Pilate
• during reign of Tiberius
• Christianity stopped for a short period
• then spread first in Judea where it started then
  out into the world

19
Just by these 3 non-Christian sources, we can
establish . . .

• Jesus performed deeds that appeared miraculous
• had Jewish Gentile followers
• was crucified
• at suggestion of Jewish leaders
• on eve of Passover

20
Just by these 3 non-Christian sources, we can
establish . . .

• by Pontius Pilate
• during reign of Tiberius
• Christianity stopped for a short period
• then spread first in Judea where it started then
  out into the world

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If Jesus was such a profound person, why didnt
more people write about Himduring His lifetime?
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• Many ancient works, including those of Roman
  historians contemporary with Jesus, have almost
  completely perished.
• Time lags were typical of Roman historians in
  antiquity. Even Christians didnt write
  biographies of Jesus until a minimum of 20 years
  after His death. Moreover, 1st-Christians thought
  Jesus returning very soon, so no need to write
  for posterity.
• Roman writers seem to have considered
  Christianity an important topic only when it was
  perceived as a threat to Rome.

23
Tiberius Caesar was the Roman Emperor at the time
of Jesus ministry and death. How many authors
wrote of him within 150 yearsof his life?
10
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How many authors certainly wrote of Jesus within
150 years of His life?
42
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It should be very encouraging to us when we
discover that what was revealed to us through the
Gospels is being confirmed through historical
studies.