[Part 1: The Invisible Man] [Part 2: Life as God in Galilee] [Part 3 : Teaching / promises]
The New Testament tells the crazy story by the son of God, can bring people from death, itself dies and is resurrected. And at the end of the world comes back, and defeated the armies of Satan.
Where does the strange stories?
From God, say Christians. He has even written so in his new book! Because the Bible is for Christians a revelation of Almighty God, a "revelation of divine truths."
"disclosure, and breaking up (opening) of something previously hidden. In religious parlance, the word revelation often revealing divine truths or divine will."
(Wikipedia)
The problem with this revelation of history: The stories of the New Testament and the ideas and concepts behind it, it was all even before. None of this is really new. But why should God tell his followers, who knew what anyway?
Now you can believe that God the New Testament, the people has revealed, and the devil has parts depreciated and previously published, as many of the early church fathers have said.
Or maybe Christianity has simply picked up ideas and concepts from other religions - but that would be absurd ...
"9 What is it that happened? That is what will happen afterwards.
What is it that you did? That is what you will do afterwards;
happens and nothing new under the sun.
10 something happens, like this one might say: See, this is new?
It is been already of old time, which was before us. "
(Ecclesiastes 1:9-10)
MAN, GOD is!
The Bible says that the Virgin Mary pregnant by the Holy Spirit. Jesus Christ is therefore to be simultaneously human and divine. This idea is far from as new.
was, for example, Alexander the Great (356-323 BC) referred to his lifetime of Thank as a son of Zeus - even though he was the Pharaoh of Egypt actually officially revered as the son of the sun god Amun.
the Roman emperor Augustus (63 BC - 14 AD) it also called "son of God." Some of his contemporaries were him even for a living god, although he said after his death by the Roman Senate officially and legally became a god .
Jesus also referred to in the Bible as the Son of God and God
"This is the beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God" (Mark 1:1)
= / = "I and the Father are one." (Jesus in John 10:30)
Similar figures are found in most cultures. But there
in the mythology of the ancient Greeks it equal masses of figures, which have a divine and a human parent, for example, Achilles, Heracles (Hercules), Orion, Asklepios, Minos, Perseus, and Orpheus.
Even in the tradition of the Bible, Jesus is not the first and only son of God, nor the only figure whose divine father and her mother is human.
"4 In those days, the giant on Earth, and also after that, received when the sons of God to the daughters of men, and this gave birth . They are the heroes who of old, the men of fame have been. "
(Genesis 6:4)
Y TU MAMA TAMBIEN
Many of these characters that emerged from such a man / god-mixed marriages, were conceived miraculously, without the sex was in the game . begins
For example Perseus , a demigod of Greek mythology. His story so that the king Acrisius predicted by an oracle that he was murdered one day by one of his grandchildren. Fearing he locks his only child, the yet unmarried and childless Dana, in a dungeon
where it is still being pregnant -. and that of Zeus, who appears in the form of a shower of gold from this. strange connection goes out then Perseus.
the good way, very often Zeus had sex with human women. As with the impregnation of Mary in the Bible, the women here are never asked their opinion and consent.
magical beliefs of gods exist in other pre-Christian myths. One example is found in the religion of Zarathustra, the first in Persia in Created millennium BC. In the Avesta (a collection of sacred texts), a savior named Astvatereta announced who is to come to earth to destroy all evil and the harmony of the world with a benevolent creator God (Ahura Mazda) to restore.
This Saviour is to be conceived by a virgin bathes in a lake in which the seeds of the religion's founder Zoroaster was preserved in a magical way. This legend is found in the Yashts whose development time was probably 559-330 BC.
The Aztec twin gods Quetzalcoatl and Xolotl should have also had a virgin mother. They are those nice guys:
Even some historical figures told a birth by a virgin after as emperor Augustus, Alexander the Great or Plato.
HAS THE DEVIL YOU SAY!
noticed these similarities are of course also the early Christians. Several of the founders of the Christian Church (the "church fathers" - they are unüberraschenderweise all male) mention these parallels in their writings.
church father Saint Origen wrote, for example in the 2nd Century in his defense of the new religion "Contra Celsus" about it. He cites examples of alleged virgin birth of Greek mythology (Dana, Melanippe, eye and Antiope) and mentions the rumor that Plato's mother was also born in the virgin been. He is of the opinion that this was not to be considered, since these are all just made up stories so and only Christ was truly born of a virgin. [Read here , Chapter 37]
church father Tertullian said in his Santa "process objections to the heretics" that the devil had simply copied the Bible boldly - in earlier writings. With this view he was not alone there - and other church fathers such as St. Justin Martyr or Saint Irinaeus represented in their writings, this strange position (you can read in chapter 21 of his first Apology, here online).
To find out where the devil, this rascal, had all his fingers in the game, we go now on a journey through the exciting world of pre-Christian mythology ...
IF YOU MEET THE BUDDHA, KILL HIM!
believe Buddhists as well as historians in the rule that the founder of Buddhism, Siddhartha Gautama, was a historical person. But they are quite divided over when to have lived.
BC While eastern Buddhists of a birth date in 949th go (some, however, also of 878 BC.), The Northern Buddhists believe that he was 881 BC. born. Western historians date his Birth to 623 BC., 563 BC., 491 BC. or 480 BC.
Because really convincing historical evidence for his existence, however, are missing, it is quite possible that it has not given him. At the Buddhist doctrine does not change anything. Therefore it does for most of his followers not really matter whether there were ever really a historical Buddha.
Undeniably there is a mythological figure, "Buddha" be of the following in the speech is.
This fabulous Buddha has no earthly father. His mother, Queen Maya becomes pregnant by him, it is said after they are in a dream had united with a white elephant.
Already few days after Siddhartha's birth, one is forecasting him that he would be a great spiritual teacher. In the Bible there is an episode that is detected in the few days old as a future savior Jesus - Luke 2:25-32 .
At this point, both stories make a big leap in time to Siddhartha and Jesus, about thirty.
The mythological Buddha is said to have started at age 29 to seek his path to enlightenment - about the same age at which Jesus is baptized and his Mission begins.
Jesus and Siddhartha have companions, which also had its first student sind.Siddhartha five companions, Jesus twelve.
Both numbers have symbolic meanings important in the particular tradition. It is twelve o'clock, according to Torah Hebrew tribes, founded by the sons of the Jewish patriarch Jacob. In Buddhism there are five rules (silas) for proper moral behavior.
grows, the young Prince Siddhartha of the legend after well guarded in the royal palace, until one day he is confronted with a trip for the first time in his life with old age, sickness and death. At that moment he canceled every luxury and lives from now on in modest circumstances.
The rejection of material wealth, he tells the biblical Jesus who says:
"23 And Jesus looked around and said to his disciples, How hardly shall they that have riches enter into the kingdom of God! ;
24 The disciples were amazed at his speech But Jesus answered again and said to them, "Children, how hard is it for them that them that trust in riches, into the kingdom of God. !
25 It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man into the kingdom of God. "
(Mark 10:23-25)
first practiced Siddhartha an extreme form of fasting, during which he allegedly eat only one grain of rice a day. He fasts until he nearly dies of starvation. At that moment he realizes that this extreme is not the way to enlightenment is.
The biblical Jesus makes a similar development. At the beginning of his Career, he fasted for forty days (Matthew 4:2 ), then no more. He calls his disciples to even clearly not in his presence to fast (Matthew 9:14 ). Since he also at many places in the Bible drink wine, Jesus is certainly not an ascetic.
Siddhartha recognizes that the right way not in abundance can still be found in completely giving up all worldly things, but exactly in between.
He has now settled on this golden middle path and give up the fast, he left his very last big test Gefährten.Die before the climax of the story that follows, must be our mythical hero contest alone.
In the Bible, Jesus also leave of his disciples -. Just before the climax of the Christ story, the crucifixion (Matthew 26:56)
The now completely left to its Siddhartha sits down under a Bodhi tree and meditated up to his enlightenment. But to reach those who still must pass the tests of the demon Mara .
Mara in Buddhism embodies evil incarnate. The tests, therefore, to remember Christ's temptation by Satan in the Gospel of Matthew (Chapter 4 )
Mara sent his beautiful daughters to meditating, Siddhartha to seduce him and distract him from his spituellen to enlightenment. Even Satan
first temptation in the Bible has to do with the satisfaction of physical drives as he tries to persuade the fasting for 40 days Jesus to bring magic into bread, which for some reason would be bad.
consist Of course, Jesus and Siddhartha these tests - by setting to behave as is characteristic for them and their followers, Jesus quoted from the Bible and Siddhartha meditated just keep stoic, mentally and emotionally isolated from the earthly world. The next
Mara rushes an army of demons on the meditating under a bodhi tree Siddhartha. But does not respect the demons. She therefore can not harm their arrows and they turn into lotus flowers.
can testify to the grand final Mara his demons that he did not and Siddhartha have the right to enlightenment. "Who can testify for you?" Mara asked Siddhartha.
Since echoes a voice from the earth, the claims to be a mother earth and to witness Buddha.
is defeated Mara and Siddhartha experiences his enlightenment. He is now a Buddha. Although it as an enlightened being this world could now leave for ever, he still leads a very long life to help other people on their way to enlightenment.
brings as a demonstration of his amazing abilities Buddha a corpse back to life. (- Like Jesus in the Bible it does.) Similarly, Siddhartha walked on water , well as one of his followers. (In the Bible Jesus and his disciples Peter walk on water - Markus 6:45 )
The Buddha died in old age of natural causes - although there are several assassination attempts on him was, by his treacherous disciple Devadatta .
For those who are too young to remember the glory years of the Buddha, is It is good news. There will be future a new Buddha on earth. Some Buddhists believe even said that he dwells among us already.
Most modern Christians have their own personal version of Jesus Christ: Peace-loving, compassionate, patient, understanding and gentle, he should have been. This has to do with the biblical Jesus very little, and sounds much more like the Buddha.
Only he is in their ideas hold no Indian (and not a man from the Middle East), but a white European with long hair.
HARE KRISHNA
Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna HARE HARE
Krishna was supposed to be the same God, but also a physical being of flesh and blood, and in 3228 BC to Hindu faith. have been born.
In portraits he is usually depicted as an ordinary man, if even with the blue (for normal people rare) skin color.
However, there is also a legend in which Krishna reveals his true, divine form.
Krishna is an avatar (a physical manifestation) of the god Vishnu.
In many Hindu faiths is part of the Hindu Trinity Vishnu ("Hinduism" is a Western term that refers to many different Indian religions): Brahma is the creator, Shiva the Destroyer and Vishnu the preserver.
There were (and are) but also Hindu monotheists, the Vishnu for the one and only God and keep his fleshly form of Krishna on earth.
Many pictures show Krishna with his beloved Radha. This image is a symbol for a principle called "Bhakti".
"Bhakti (Sanskrit, f., dedication, love) called in Hinduism in the wider sense of love for a personal God, and in the strict sense, the practice of worship that emphasizes emotional turning to a personal God." (Wikipedia)
from this love to a personal God, namely, Krishna says the Bhagavad-Gita ("Song of God"), the bible of Krishnaisten. was Posted they probably 400-100 BC (and not, as the Hindu tradition claimed to 3138 BC).
similarities to Christianity are hard to deny. Krishna appears in this text not as a common road God, as one of many - He is the source of all existence.
Nothing that exists can be without him, he claims. Modesty is not just the guy. He says:
. "Furthermore, Ajuna oh, I am the generating seed of all existence there is no being, animate or inanimate, that can exist without me."
(Bhagavad-Ghita 10:39 )
"Of all creations I am the beginning and the end and the middle, O Arjuna."
(Bhagavad-Ghita 10:32 )
Sounds familiar somehow ...
"13 I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last. [...]
16 I Jesus have sent mine angel to such a witness to the communities. "
(Revelation 22:13,16)
As Jesus said Krishna, that he is the way to the kingdom of God.
"Only by devotional service can one understand me as I am, highest person of the Godhead. And when one is aware of such surrender completely to me, you can enter the kingdom of God."
(Bhagavad-Ghita 18:55 )
"6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way and the truth and the life: no man cometh unto the Father except through me."
(John 14:6)
Jesus / Krishna promises his followers eternal life.
"O son of Kunti, declare it proudly that my followers will never pass away."
(Bhagavad-Ghita 9:31 )
"10 Jesus answered and said unto him: [...]
16 For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life. "
(John 3:10; 16)
course there are differences: for example, Krishna said, all religions lead to God (Bhagavad Ghita 7:22-23), while Jesus teaches that all go to hell, denying him ( Luke 12:9 ) .
Indian influences on Christianity are not as improbable as it may sound, perhaps. In pre-Christian Times there have been cultural exchanges between the Mediterranean and India.
Some of today's India was in the fourth century BC to the empire of Alexander the Great. For this clash of cultures created new cultures, such as the Greco-Buddhism .
Greco-Buddhist art: the Buddha and Heracles
But you have to look to India not to find similarities in other cultures to Christianity, which has left the devil there common as .
COME OUT IN THE DAYLIGHT
Jews do not believe in a Life after death. The "sky" of the Old Testament is not a place to spend the people's souls their lives after death, but the abode of God and his children. Sometimes Satan comes also to visit.
The idea of a spiritual heaven evolved the way until centuries later than the Bible - With "Angel" actually meant simply that is what is above us.
The belief in an eternal, blissful life after death, as a reward for good moral behavior, however, was not invented by Christianity.
One of the oldest religious texts of humanity The Egyptian Book of the Dead . It was settled, and contains graves of magic formulas that will help you journey into the afterlife.
Of these texts, which are provided with illustrations, and of grave inscriptions, we learn how the ancient Egyptians may have life, after giving his life.
after the ancient Egyptian belief must connect people to their deaths before a court and held accountable for their earthly life justice. The dead man must swear to have committed certain acts 42 not : for example, murder, blasphemy, cruelty to animals and theft. It weighs Anubis, a god with the head of a jackal, the heart against a feather from.
Is the heart heavier than the feather, the deceased was lying in his confession and now has to die a second, final death. Is the heart but just as heavy as the spring or lighter, he is rewarded with eternal life in heavenly harmony.
who is not the test, the expected terrible agony, because in this case from Ammit, the eater, a deity with a crocodile skull, was eaten.
first believed the Egyptians that only the pharaoh had died after such a journey before him. were inscriptions with helpful spells for the odyssey it for at least 2400 BC. in Pharaonic tombs, the so-called Pyramid Texts.
From about 2000 BC, was the conviction that this was the fate of all people and there was the Book of the Dead.
The term "Egyptian Book of the Dead is a modern term, however, the original title of the text translates as something like" stepping out into the daylight. "
HELL IS OTHER PEOPLE
All people who are not allowed into heaven to do, according to the Gospels (in German as "glad tidings") for all ages terrible agony.
This idea we do not find among the Egyptians. It is true that here people punished after death for iride misconduct by giving them eternal life with the gods is denied and they will gefresssen of an ugly beast that looks like a mixture of crocodile, lion and hippo.
But then had the nightmare to an end. The Egyptians knew no hell and never-ending suffering.
this country, one thinks of the term "hell" most of the Christian version. Nevertheless, many believe that good people go to heaven and bad go to hell. But that's not what the Bible tells us. Which makes clear that all men are sinners - No one is good.
"20 Because there is no man so righteous on earth that he do good and not sinful. "
(Ecclesiastes 7:20)
"9 What to say we now? Do we have an advantage? None at all. For we have shown above, that both Jews and Greeks are all under sin ,
10 as it is written: "There is none that is righteous, no not one ."
11 There's not that it understands, there is none that seeks God.
12 you have departed and all all become unprofitable. There is not that doeth good, no, not one is good . "
(Romans 3:9-12)
With " nobody is "no one actually meant. Sun Jesus says of himself that he is not good. (question is, why then should he be a role model for us.)
"18 But Jesus said unto him, What do you call me good No one is good that is God ?."
(Mark 10:18)
Although all people are sinners, do not come all to hell. So sinners are in hell or in the sky. The selection criterion for this has absolutely nothing to do with whether we are good or bad (- as they are all bad).
The difference between eternal bliss and endless torment has to do solely with the true faith, and all attempts to be a good person, are completely useless. This
Picture of heaven and hell comes mainly from the letters of Paul (eg Romans 3:21-23 ). The Jesus of the Gospels provides additional requirements for the sky next to the Glauben.Die majority of Christian churches (particularly Protestant), however, ignores Jesus' position and is based entirely on Paul (and not only on this point). Probably yes because God was on their faith and Jesus the son of Paul only something like a guy ...
According to this principle ( "sola fide" ) is one such as Adolf Hitler in the sky when he is baptized, until his death a member of the church and believe in Jesus - what was true in Hitler's way, everything.
Certainly in the hell did Gandhi, however, has not believed in Jesus.
This kind of hell have actually invented the Christians and the Muslims accepted.
But there were already Christians before the hellish place of punishment in other myths. Also in the Hindu version of hell - Naraka - really quallvoll atone for his mistakes. However, non-Hindus not to hell if they were decent people. Such there is in Hinduism, in contrast to Christianity. In
Naraka must also not stand forever, but, depending on the severity of the debt for a very long time.
Buddhism after its split from Hinduism Presentation "Naraka" taken over.
This is a place, Avici in which one a trillion years, so it must pay 10,000,000,000,000,000,000 years. If you kill his parents, for example, or a Buddha.
But any limited number of years, even a trillion, are nothing compared to the Christian suffering all ages. The Buddhist and Hindu hell is a harsh, but changing behavior and purifying punishment after they got another chance at redemption. Nakara therefore more like the Catholic idea of Purgatory (Purgatorio).
THE HORROR! THE HORROR!
A place of eternal punishment for earthly sins, was already in pre-Christian times of Tartarus.
This was in ancient Greek mythology, a certain part of the Underworld (Hades). came into the underworld after the then Greek religion in general, all people after her death, which in itself was not that bad. Unless you were a very bad person and it was thrown into Tartarus, where you had to suffer eternal agony.
The most prominent residents of this place is Sisyphus, push there in great pain a rock up a hill, while respecting the rock rolls down again before reaching the summit. You can read the whole thing in Homer's epic "Odyssey" which was written in the 8th century BC and is based on legends that are probably even more older.
According to Plato's "Phaedo come those offenders for all eternity in Tartarus, who" have done many unjust and unlawful killings, or else that is related to the.
HE IS (published in BC "The State", 380.) RESURRECTED
The myth of He , read in Plato's "Politeia", involves the view that some people for their actions suffering of the earth in the afterlife for all eternity. The
Krieger told his friends in it, what happens after death: Some go into a beautiful sky, others are punished tenfold for their earthly sins. Certain people, such as murderers and tyrants may leave this place of punishment never.
How does he know all this?
Well, according to legend, he died on the battlefield and return only 12 days later from the realm of the dead.
TO HELL AND BACK
The central Christian idea of a god who dies and rises again, is not unique - it is not even unusual. This category of deities was often with the changing of the seasons associated with.
The ancient Greeks symbolized the death and resurrection of nature with the Demeter / Persephone myth .
The young Persephone and her mother Demeter were the central mysteries Eleusinian goddesses in a secret cult of the initiated, which arose around 1500 BC is.
The legend begins when Persephone by her uncle Hades, the god of death and the underworld in just this is kidnapped.
A family drama takes its course now - Persephone's mother is her brother, Zeus, Overlord of the gods to convince them that her daughter get out of the realm of their common brother Hades. So the gods will
commissioned Hermes by Zeus, Persephone back to her mother.
But even Zeus, chief of the gods can not pick up certain rules completely. One of these rules is that someone in the underworld something to eat or drink, may never return from there.
forces Hades Persephone to eat a few pomegranate seeds. Persephone may indeed leave the realm of the dead, it is now but every year for a few months to return.
Whenever her daughter go to the underworld must be - the Greek idea of "dying" - is her mother Demeter, goddess of fertility, so very sad that nature is barren. Up again in the spring Persephone returns from the dead and the world awakens to new life.
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more, no longer as popular gods, who returned from the realm of the dead into the realm of the living were eg
- Innana (Sumerian goddess worship since the early 4th millennium before Christ),
- Ishtar (Babylonian version of the Innana, from the 3rd or early 2nd millennium BC),
- Osiris (Egyptian mythology)
- Proserpina (Roman adaptation of Persephone )
- Izanagi (Japanese mythology)
- Zalmoxis ( Thracian deity)
- Adonis (Greek mythology)
- Balder (Norse mythology)
- Jarilo (Slavic mythology) and
- Andriamahilala (Aboriginal mythology Madagascar)
BIRD IS THE WORD
The Church of St. Clement's father used to describe the death and resurrection of the phoenix.
This is a fabulous bird that Clemens has, however, for a really existing being who dies every 500 years and is resurrected. Saint Clement knows more.
" Consider means the wonderful character that occurs in the eastern areas, which in the (areas) to Arabia, there are (there) is that is a bird, the phoenix this. present in only one copy, lives five hundred years If it is the end nigh and he must die, it builds a nest of frankincense and myrrh and other spices;. then when the time is fulfilled it enters and dies . But if the rotten meat, creating a worm that feeds on the moist secretions of the dead animal and gets wings. Then, become strong, he assumes that Nest, which are the bones of the previous (bird), and that supporting it traverses (the route) from the Arab country after Egypt to say to the (city), the Heliopolis. And on the day when all see it, he flies to the altar of Helios, it sets (there) down and return again. The priest now look into the time tables and find that he has come to complete the five-hundredth year.
Let it be for such large and admirable, if the creator of the resurrection of all who have piously served him in good faith will bring about the confidence, where he shows us even by a bird its lofty promise? "
( First Epistle of Clement )
The" First Epistle of Clement, "from which this text was considered in the 5th century as scripture, so divinely inspired, it has finally then but not made in the Bible.
Nevertheless, there is apparently a bird. Because Clemens was Pope, and therefore infallible, he can not even lie ...
AND IN THE END ...
The End of the World , Day of Judgement and the belief in the appearance of an "anointed" (Aramaic "Messiah", Greek "Christos") are already in Judaism was very important ideas.
is new to the Christian version of Jewish apocalypse, the fight between good and evil, Jesus against Satan. This battle will be decided according to the Book of Revelation at the end of human history. Only then Satan is defeated and the good wins.
Throughout Christian history - particularly in the Middle Ages - the devil plays in the theology of the Christians, an important and influential role. This is not Judaism Sun
Satan is indeed also in the Old Testament, but only in name, the same figure.
He is there not even approach a worthy opponent for God and not for all the evil in the world responsible. In the
Hebrew thought the world was Yahweh, the Creator of all things, and therefore source of all evil (Isaiah 45.7 , Amos 3.6 , Lamentations 3.37). Satan kills in the entire Old Testament, only 10 people - and with the permission of God.
God kills contrast, about 24 million people .
And yet the idea originated from the mythological battle between good and evil not only in the first and second century with the New Testament.
Such a battle is the central motif in the old Babylonian religion. There is a Creator of all good (Ahura Mazda) and one for evil (Ahriman), which provide an eternal struggle.
some point, however, it was believed that the good will win but. Previously published, however, a Savior, who is born of a virgin.
Even the ancient Egyptian religion is such a mythical battle was very present. Here fought set of infertility, of darkness and evil embodied in themselves, to Horus, a sun god who also represented fertility and the good.
An interesting twist in the good-vs.-evil story brings the story of Ragnarok, the twilight of the gods in Norse mythology. There triumph after the battle that is not good over evil ...
the son of the god Odin nightmares plague. Odin rides so the gates of hell "Hel". There is a wise woman buried by Odin's magic is brought back from the dead.
you told him what the dark dreams: You are prophecies of the end of the world, Ragnarök.
In this epic battle thunder god Thor, the protector of the people from the demonic Fenriswolf murdered. Fathers gods Odin dies by the poison of the Midgard Serpent.
The sun is black, the world is on fire and the stars fall from the sky.
After the fight, almost all the gods, good and evil, dead, dying
Also, all people - Except two.
But from the chaos rises a new world. The only two surviving humans, Lif and Lifthrasir testify, new people and inhabit - similar to the Biblical figures Adam and Eve - the new world of incest affected offspring. Romantic, is not it ...
WHAT'S NEW, PUSSYCAT?
we take but briefly all the important places of Jesus' life under the microscope. All properties and stories that make up the figure of Jesus Christ, it was in previous Mythologies of the Mediterranean.
But again, in order:
- The announcement of Jesus' birth by an angel
... very similar to the announcement of Samson's birth by an angel in the Old Testament. (Judges 13:3 )
- The virgin birth
Been there, too, see above.
- Jesus was God and man
Who does not? Such figures are in many mythologies.
- baptisms baptize, baptize
According to the new Testament, Jesus is baptized by John the Baptist in a river. Then suddenly the sky opens up, the voice of God heard from heaven and declared that Jesus was his beloved Son.
"13 Then Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan to John, to be baptized by him. [...]
16 And when Jesus was baptized, went up straightway out of the water: and lo, itself did heaven on above him and he saw the Spirit of God same descending as a dove and. about him coming .
17 behold, a voice from heaven down saying, 'This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.
(Matthew 3:13; 16-17, see also Mark 1:11, Luke 3:21-22)
This report from the beginning of the trip on behalf of the Lord recalls from the beginning of the book of Ezekiel the Old Testament. Reported here Ezekiel (Ezekiel also) from his first encounter with God, which marks the beginning of his mission.
"1 it came to pass in the thirtieth year, on the fifth day of fourth month, when I was among the captives by the river Chebar that the heavens opened and I saw signs of God .
2 was issued on the fifth day of that month (it was the fifth year of the captivity of King Jehoiachin)
3 the word of the LORD of Ezekiel, the son of Buzi the priest, in the land of the Chaldeans by the river Chebar, and the hand of the Lord came there about him . "
(Ezekiel 1:1-3)
- Heal the world
Most of the miracles described in the Bible of Jesus were miraculous cures.
These reports are similar stories that were established in religious fables of the time long ago.
An example from Greek mythology, Asclepius , god of medicine and healing, his staff now an international symbol for pharmacies.
Asklepios is said to have had a divine father and mortal mother and pulled through the land to heal people. He is, however, be some time has gone too far and the dead back to life.
Since this is a disturbance of the natural Order, Zeus kills him, his grandfather, summarily with a lightning strike.
- The Exorcist
Many of the exorcisms in the Gospels are at the same miracle cures. It was believed that the blind, mute and mentally disabled were possessed by devils and demons. There
exorcism is not in the Old Testament, but in by far the older religions of the Babylonians and Egyptians, who also suspected a relationship between illness and possession.
- The zombie-maker
In the New Testament Jesus brought three people back of death, including a child.
Both the prophet Elijah (1 Kings 17:21-22), as well as his successor Elisha already have done it before (2 Kings 4:32-35).
tells us at least, the Old Testament. Perhaps the prophets, but even claimed the children were dead and actually have something else done ... Judge for yourself
:
"32 And Elisha came into the house, behold, the boy was dead on his bed
33 He. went inside and locked the door and prayed for them both to the MR
34 and climbed up and lay down on the child and put his mouth on the child's mouth and his eyes on his eyes and his hands on his hands and spread over him so that the child's body was warm.
35 He stood up and went in the house here once, and therefore went up and and spread over him. The boy snorted seven times. did afterwards on the boy's eyes "
(2 Kings 4:32-35)
Elisa brings even after his own death, others to life
In 2 Kings. 13:21 a corpse, which touched Elisha's bones back to life. So he can make zombies with no spells and rituals. The very impressive, but leaves a doubt whether the ritual was with the child really necessary, or took place only to Elisa's private pleasure.
- The miraculous multiplication of bread
accomplished The prophet Elisha (Elisha also) are also already in the Old Testament (2 Kings 4:42-44).
- Style of the storm
The report from the New Testament in which Jesus can disappear a storm by the storm "threatens" (Mark 4:39), has similarity to a story from the Book of Jonah on (Jonah chapter 1).
Even the Old Testament prophet Elijah (also Elijah) was able to manipulate the weather (1 Kings 17:1, 1 Kings 18:45).
- Sandpiper
In the New Testament Jesus runs on water. The legendary figure from Greek mythology Orion the could also - In any case, according to the Greek poet Hesiod (c. 700 BC).
- Strahlemann
A miracle which is described in three of the four Gospels is the Transfiguration (or Transfiguration) of Jesus. This
he goes up the mountain begins to glow, "like the sun" (Matthew 17:2) and the voice of the Lord echoes "from a cloud" (Matthew 17:5). In the book of Exodus Moses
talks to the Lord who comes from a cloud (Exodus 34:5), on a mountain. Then his face began to shine (Exodus 34:29).
- death and rebirth
yes Can everyone! See above ...
- Ascension
Jesus was "lifted" and went to heaven. Who invented it? ..
Right! Also, Elijah is gone to heaven ... (2 Kings 2:11).
- Comeback
the end of the world is Jesus wiederkehren.Genau like - you probably already suspect it - our good old friend, Elijah. (Malachi 3:23)
ECHO
What was really revolutionary in Jesus? A lot of Christians say: His attitude to the poor and the call for charity. Not his miracles, but his teachings.
But even they are not revolutionary.
"20 And he lifted up his eyes on his disciples and said, Blessed be ye poor: for the kingdom of God is yours."
(Luke 6:20)
times Raise your eyes on this place from the "instructions of the Amenemope" , an ancient Egyptian text, the BC 1300-1075. The result is:
"God prefers that honors the poor, against the man who worships the wealthy."
is also famous for Jesus' commandment that we to love one's enemies.
"44 [...] Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, pray for them, so you and persecute "
(Matthew 5:44 b)
But I say: that's old hat. following Sumerian inscription is from the year 700 BC:
"your opponent do no evil; your reward offenders with good"
For Jews, it is in the face of the Old Testament, but truly revolutionary that my enemies hate suddenly no longer want and not to respond with violence to violence - as God has been ordered to clear ...
"38 You have heard that there is said: "eye for an eye , tooth for tooth."
39 But I tell you, that ye resist not evil: but, as someone gives you a blow on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also dar. "
(Matthew 5:38-39)
It is said a rather vague wording of Jesus Who did she say
"13 And the Lord spoke to Moses, ?. [. ..]
20 to pity pity eye for eye, tooth for tooth , as he has injured a man, one should do it again "
(Leviticus 24:13, 20).
Allegedly is but Jesus ! God, He tells us so actually, I said. "eye for an eye," now I say the opposite
Can he choose times
" 43 You have heard that said is : "You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy."
44 I But I say: Love your enemies , "
(Matthew 5:43-44a)
In the Old Testament is indeed - as correctly recognized by Jesus - almost always recommended to hate his enemies, but only close .
The only constant of the Bible is that there is any point to a contradiction.
"17 Rejoice of the case, not your enemy, and your heart is not happy about his misfortune "
(Proverbs 24:17)
" 21 thine enemy be hungry, feed him with bread, if he is thirsty, give him water to drink "
(Proverbs 25:21)
One of the most important teachings of Jesus is the" golden rule ":
. "12 all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, that ye do them well."
(Matthew 7:12)
This is very often a good moral law.
For masochists, so people who do that to them is painful, but probably not. Even a convicted criminal could this rule, according to his Judges urge him not to jail. Finally, he will not even go to jail. This example is from Immanuel Kant, who reworked the golden rule, the categorical imperative and intellectually watertight made.
But the golden rule has not invented Jesus. The Book of Tobit, which developed in the second century BC and part of the Bible of the Catholics and Orthodox (but not the Protestants and Jews), includes a nearly identical rule
" 15 What's the matter even hated, the mute and not to another! "
(Tobit 4:15)
One finds the golden rule, but even earlier: eg Confucius, the ancient Egyptians or Thales, a Greek philosopher of the 7th century BC and many more.
DEJA VU
All these similarities of Christianity to other previous religions as no surprise when the Christian religion as a melting pot of ideas popular at that time understood. (The two most important influences, Judaism and the ancient Greek culture, we will examine in more detail later parts of this series.)
Such an approach makes the existence of a historical, human model for Jesus Christ is not impossible, but at least unnecessary.
If you try the many parallels to Christianity be denied from earlier cultures, one must argue not only against many historical evidence, but also against the arguments of many of the early church fathers, the founders of religion.
The founder of Christianity did not claim to preach something radically new. The church father St. Justin wrote to 150 AD:
"And when we say that the word, the firstborn of God was conceived without sexual union, and that He, Jesus Christ, our teacher, was crucified, died, was resurrected and ascended to heaven, then we say anything other than what you think of those that you think are the sons of Jupiter. "
(St. Justin Martyr, " First Apology ", Chapter 21)
He cites examples from the Roman and Greek mythology and explains the parallels through the influence of Satan A rather abstruse theory. Why the hell is Satan so what
he hopes that if you? part of the story does not matter, you will not read the Bible more, because it's more exciting is not?
can And do not mind and God must helplessly mitanschauen how to fulfill its copyright?
The whole vicious theory seems quite adventurous and will not be as good as Christianity.
who will still believe that Christianity is radically new, thus argues that lie church fathers such as Justin, Tertullian or Irinaeus construct and similarities where there are none, then to smash their devil-theory.
But such a lie would probably help a little to spread Christianity, which was ultimately the job of these men. What should be the motivation for such action, certainly not with the faith of these men would have been compatible?
shows viewed Rational us this church fathers in their works that proclaim the opinion that Christianity is really nothing new, about as old as Christianity itself
Well, you never know: Maybe it was after all the devil ...
But I would not put my money on it.
___________________________________________
SERIES: "THE MYTH OF JESUS"
[Part 1: The Invisible Man]
[Part 2: Life as God in Galilee]
[Part 3: Administration / promises]
>> [Part 4: On the Shoulders of Giants]
[Part 5: Deconstruction]
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