"When men choose not to believe in God, they do not believe in nothing, they then become capable of believing in anything." G. K. Chesterton.   "Among these Jews there suddenly turns up a man who goes about talking as if He was God. He claims to forgive sins. He says He has always existed. He says He is coming to judge the world at the end of time. Now let us get this clear. Among pantheists, like the Indians, anyone might say that he was a part of God, or one with God: there would be nothing very odd about it. But this man, since He was a Jew, could not mean that kind of God. God, in their language, meant the Being outside the world who had made it and was infinitely different from anything else. And when you have grasped that, you will see that what this man said was, quite simply, the most shocking thing that has ever been uttered by human lips." (C.S. Lewis)

FOREWORDOf course, it's not Jesus Christ who invites you in, nor one of His very numerous worldly representatives and worthy followers, but only a very weak and bad Christian, who was once also a very doubting seeker. What I have found in my own trip is much too much for me to keep only for myself, so I will try to offer you some hints I gathered along the way, so you may then have your own trip, in which to find the sweet, nourishing fruits that I and many others thousand fold better than I, have found.This small endeavor is not intended for you, if you are a proud scholar or theologian or someone who consider he/she truly already owns the ultimate truth about Jesus Christ. This is for the modest, kind-hearted seeker of God and truth, Christian or non-Christian, believer or non-believer, young or old, for the one who truly feels the need to find a knowledge able to change his/her mind, heart and life in a deeply good way. Certainly, if you are in one of these situations, Jesus has not yet revealed Himself to you. Still, you very well know that the world is full with people who boast about being able to explain Him, represent Him and replace Him in guiding you on the right path to God. But maybe you've come to doubt or distrust these seemingly honorable representatives of Him and also the religious literature promoted by them with great  fervor. You've also seen other people who called themselves Christians, but maybe their attitude and life-style didn't impress you too much either. So you're still cautious and keep asking yourself some fundamental questions, probably  never really hoping to get those essential answers that would inspire you to genuinely  believe and trust in Jesus Christ .  You surely asked yourself and not only once:  

Well, you may just get into the boat and we'll see together what others have to say about Him. How will you be able to know if what they say is the truth? No math or other scientific approach will help you here.But when you love someone, for example, science is useless too. You have mainly your heart to discern the truth about your love and the loved one. The Christian God is Love so  Love is the key of all things, starting with the living Word of our Creator and ending with the destiny of minutest particles. And if you wonder what is the exact nature of this divine love is and if there could be considerable differences between it and the forms of human love we are accustomed with, you may already know that the answer is clearly stated in the Christian Scriptures.The divine love is the love of an infinitely loving Father… so every child who had one loving parent and every parent able to love his children must definitely have a clue about it.

Is the Christian experience valid? These and millions more believe so, and have new, much better paths  of life to back up their belief. The following testimonies of men and women from all walks of life demonstrate the amazing unity and power of Christian experience. While each one embraces a different background, profession or culture, each points to the same source of their unexpected, extraordinary inner transformation - Jesus Christ himself. Multiply these testimonies by the hundreds of thousands and you would begin to make a representation about the impact Christ has had on humanity in the past two thousand years.   

 In his famous book Mere Christianity, C.S. Lewis makes this statement later known as Lewis’ Trillema: "A man who was merely a man and said the sort of things Jesus said would not be a great moral teacher. He would either be a lunatic--on the level with a man who says he is a poached egg--or he would be the devil of hell. You must take your choice. Either this was, and is, the Son of God, or else a madman or something worse. You can shut him up for a fool or you can fall at his feet and call him Lord and God. But let us not come with any patronizing nonsense about his being a great human teacher. He has not left that open to us.”

So, was Jesus a liar or a lunatic or exactly Lord and God, as He pretended to be? Or maybe was he just a mythic figure as many still think today?

As a matter of fact, there is today more than enough historical and archeological evidence to support his existence that every reputable historian (including non-Christian ones)  agrees he was indeed, a real person.

In the days of the first Christians, there were many writings about the life of Jesus. But some had special quality--they had been written by Jesus' followers or their close friends. These gospels and letters were carefully copied by hand. Over the years, archaeologists have found thousands of manuscripts of bits of the New Testament and even some complete copies. By comparing these, we can get very close to what the New Testament writers originally wrote. Some of these copies are dated less than 100 years after the original gospel or letter was written.

For an idea of how good this evidence is, compare the New Testament with other writings that are about as old as the New Testament.

Below is a chart that compares popular ancient texts with the Bible in when it was written, the earliest copy we have, and the number of copies there are.  This information is about a decade old so the number of NT manuscripts has most likely increased by now.  This may serve as a simple illustration of a component to the textual reliability of the Bible.  

So, by examining the historical evidence relating to the Bible, one learns that there are thousands of manuscripts of the New Testament books. Therefore, we have good reason to believe that we know almost exactly what Luke, Paul and the others wrote.

Now, coming back to the Lewis Trillema and supposing that Jesus was a liar and thus a man guided by his selfish concerns. But then why would he willingly die for his claim, when he could have avoided such a cruel death with only a short confession? And, if he were a lunatic, how did he engage and easily win in complex philosophical and religious debates with his opponents or endure the torment of his betrayal and crucifixion while continuing to show a deep love for his antagonists? How was he able to perform such amazing deeds, that not only no lunatic, but no other human being ever performed before him?   

Of course, every Christian knows that Jesus declared himself the Son of God, but not many have a crystal clear idea about what should be understand by this claim of His. So, we have to examine Jesus in His relationship with God, and therefore we should associate (at least some of) the statements about Jesus, that we can find in the New Testament, with the statements about God from the Old Testament.

For, in fact, the Bible is the only book that bases its authenticity and authority on prophecy. No other books, such as the Koran, the Bhagavad-Gita, the Hindu Vedas, the Book of Mormon, the sayings of Buddha or Confucius, have the validated element of prophecy in them. There were 25 specific prophecies of Jesus’s birth, betrayal, trial, death, burial etc in the Old Testament.... These were made by different men living between 1000 BC and 500 BC (500 years apart). Yet all were perfectly fulfilled be Jesus and according to many studies, there were hundreds specific prophesies fulfilled at Jesus’s first coming .(see here 365 Messianic Prophecies of the Old Testament)

So, let’s investigate a little the characteristics of God of the Old and New Testament and those of Jesus Christ of the New Testament .

1

GOD is the only Saviour. („I, even I, am the LORD; and beside me there is no saviour." Isaiah 43:11 / „To the only wise God our Saviour...” Jude 1:12 / „God our Saviour...” Titus 2:10 / „...we trust in the living God, who is the Saviour.” I Timothy 4:10 / „God my Saviour...” Luke 1:47)

 &

JESUS is the Saviour, too. („...the Father sent the Son to be the Saviour of the world.” 1 John 4:14 / „...our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.” II Peter 3:18 / God and our Saviour Jesus Christ.” II Peter 1:1 / „...the Christ, the Saviour of the world.” John 4:42 / „...the Lord Jesus Christ our Saviour.” Titus 1:4 / „a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.” Luke 2:11 / „Neither is there salvation in any other (than Jesus): for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.” Acts 4:12 / „...salvation... is in Christ Jesus with eternal glory.” 2 Timothy 2:10)

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2

God is our redeemer. („[T]hou, O LORD, art our father, our redeemer...” Isaiah 63:16)

 &

Jesus redeemed us. („[T]the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ...gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity.” Titus 2:13-14 / „[Jesus] In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins.” Colossians 1:13)

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3 

God forgives sins. („[T]he Lord..forgiveth all thine iniquities...” Psalm 103:2-3 / "[W]ho can forgive sins but God only?" Mark 2:7)

&

Jesus forgives sins. ("Son, thy sins be forgiven thee." Mark 2:5 / Once, a paralytic man was presented before Jesus for healing - Luke 5:17-26 - and Jesus said, “Man, thy sins are forgiven thee” Luke 5:20. „And the scribes and the Pharisees began to reason, saying, Who is this which speaketh blasphemies? Who can forgive sins, but God alone? But when Jesus perceived their thoughts, he answering said unto them, What reason ye in your hearts? Whether is easier, to say, Thy sins be forgiven thee; or to say, Rise up and walk? But that ye may know that the Son of man hath power upon earth to forgive sins, (he said unto the sick of the palsy,) I say unto thee, Arise, and take up thy couch, and go into thine house. (Luke 5:21-24)

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4

God created all things, the heavens and the earth. („I am the LORD that maketh all things; that stretcheth forth the heavens alone; that spreadeth abroad the earth by myself.” Isaiah 44:24 / „In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.” Genesis 1:1)

&

By Jesus Christ were all things created. („[B]y him [Jesus] were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth... all things were created by him, and for him. He is before all things, and by him all things consist.” Colossians 1:16-17 / „All things were made by him; and without him was not anything made that was made.” John 1:3)

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5

The Word is God. („In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” John 1:1)

&

The Word incarnated is Jesus Christ. („...the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us...” John 1:14)

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6 

God is the first and the last. („I the LORD, the first, and with the last; I am he.” Isaiah 41:4 / "Thus says the Lord, the King of Israel and his Redeemer, the Lord of hosts: ‘I am the first and I am the last, and there is no God besides Me." Isaiah 44:6)

&

Jesus is the first and the last, too. (Jesus said, "Fear not; I am the first and the last, 18 and the living One; and I was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore, and I have the keys of death and of Hades." Revelation 1:17 / „I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, saith the Lord, which is, and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty.” (Revelation 1:8)

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7

God is Messiah. („...unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder...and his name shall be called... The mighty God, The everlasting Father...” Isaiah 9:6 / „And I (Jehova God) will pour upon the house of David, and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the spirit of grace and of supplications: and they shall look upon Me whom they have pierced, and they shall mourn for him, as one mourneth for his only son, and shall be in bitterness for him, as one that is in bitterness for his firstborn.” Zechariah 12:10)

&

Jesus is Messiah, too. („The woman saith unto him, I know that Messias cometh, which is called Christ: when he is come, he will tell us all things. Jesus saith unto her, I that speak unto thee am he.” John 4:25-26)

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8

God will not give His glory to another. („I am the LORD: that is my name: and my glory will I not give to another...” Isaiah 42:8)

&

God glorified Jesus. („And now, O Father, glorify thou me with thine own self with the glory which I had with thee before the world was.” John 17:5 / „But unto the Son he (God) saith, Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever: a sceptre of righteousness is the sceptre of thy kingdom.” Hebrews 1:8)

*

9

God is the 'I am'. („And God said unto Moses, I AM THAT I AM: and he said, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, I AM hath sent me unto you.” Exodus 3:14)

&

Jesus is the 'I am', too. („Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Before Abraham was, I AM.” John 8:58)

* 

10

God is the Lord. („I the LORD, the first, and with the last; I am he.” Isaiah 41:4 / Zech. 13:9 - "And I will bring the third part through the fire, refine them as silver is refined, and test them as gold is tested. They will call on My name, and I will answer them; I will say, ‘They are My people,’ and they will say, ‘The Lord is my God.’" / "And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the LORD shall be delivered: for in Mount Zion and in Jerusalem shall be deliverance, as the LORD hath said, and in the remnant whom the LORD shall call." Joel 2:32)

&

Jesus is the Lord, too. ("Paul, called as an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, and Sosthenes our brother, to the church of God which is at Corinth, to those who have been sanctified in Christ Jesus, saints by calling, with all who in every place call upon the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, their Lord and ours." 1 Cor. 1:1-2 / "for 'whoever will call upon the name of the Lord' will be saved." How then shall they call upon Him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in Him whom they have not heard?" Rom. 10:13-14 ... as also in hundreds other places from the New Testament)

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11

God is one. („Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God is one LORD.” Deuteronomy 6:4 / "But of the Son He says, "Thy throne, O God, is forever and ever, and the righteous scepter is the scepter of His kingdom." Heb. 1:8 / "GOD...hath in these last days spoken unto us by his SON...who being the brightness of his glory, and the EXPRESS IMAGE OF HIS PERSON..." Hebrews 1:1-3)

&

Jesus and God are one. („Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us.” Matt 1:23 / "For in (Jesus) dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily." Colossians 2:9 / „I and my Father are one.” John 10:30 / „He that hath seen me hath seen the Father.” John 14:9 / „For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one.” 1 John 5:7 / „No one has ever seen God, but the one and only Son, who is himself God and is in closest relationship with the Father, has made him known.” John 1:18 / „And Thomas answered and said unto (Jesus), My Lord and my God.” John 20:28 / "... Be shepherds of the church of GOD, which he hath purchased with his OWN BLOOD." Acts 20:28 / "Hereby perceive we the love of GOD, because he LAID DOWN HIS LIFE for us... 1 John 3:16 / "And they stoned Stephen, calling upon GOD, and saying, LORD JESUS, receive my spirit." Acts 7:59 / "...Be shepherds of the church of God, which He bought with His own blood." Acts 20:28 / "The Jews answered (Jesus), saying, For a good work we stone thee not; but for blasphemy; and because that thou, being a man, makest thyself God." John 10:33 (these being the main accusation against the Lord, leading to His sacrifice on the cross)

*

12

The statement from 1 John 5:7 (For there are three that bear record in  heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and THESE THREE ARE ONE.), as also Lord’s mention in Matthew 28:19 („Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.”) suggest an image of the triune being of God, as one individual entity, existing and manifesting Himself in three distinguishable forms.

*

13

About the Lord Jesus Christ as the Son of God, we can also find an explanation in the idea that He is the image of God’s person, as affirmed in the following testimonies of the apostles of the Lord:

"And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: GOD was manifest in the FLESH, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, BELIEVED ON in the world, RECEIVED UP into glory." 1 Timothy 3:16 / „WHO IS THE IMAGE OF THE INVISIBLE GOD, the firstborn of every creature.” Collosians 1:15 /  "...CHRIST JESUS...being in the FORM OF GOD, thought it not robbery to be EQUAL WITH GOD: But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross." Philippians 2:5-8 / "...CHRIST, who is the IMAGE OF GOD..." II Corinthians 4:4 / "Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus, who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. Therefore also God highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those who are in heaven, and on earth, and under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father." Phil. 2:5-11

*

14

So, we can finally summarize the previous affirmations, by pointing that, according to the Scriptures, God Javhe is the Lord and the only Lord, the Saviour and the only Saviour, the Redeemer, the Messiah, the only one Who can forgive sins, the only Creator of all things, the only Lord of all creation, the first and the last, the „I Am”, the only One having glory, the One indivisible Unity.

*

15

On the other hand, Jesus is also Lord, Saviour, Redeemer, Messiah, one Who can forgive sins, Creator of all things and Lord, the first and the last, the „I Am”, the glorified One and One indivisible with the Father.

*

16

We also know that God is the Word and that Jesus is the Word Who came in flesh, God manifest in the flesh, the image or the form of the invisible God.

*

17

Finally, according to all these previous statements and notwistanding other theological quotations or philoposophical considerations, we can simply conclude that the whole Bible clearly indicates that Jesus is God incarnate, the only God in His visible form. (in order to check some actual theological positions abot this issue, you can a: http://y-jesus.com/jesuscomplex_1.php  

http://www.jesus-is-savior.com/jesus_is_almighty_god.htm

The Deity of Jesus Christ)

From this perspective, consider also The Nicene Creed, which is the profession of faith or creed most widely used in Christian liturgy. It forms the mainstream definition of Christianity for most Christians.

We believe in one God, the Father Almighty, Maker of all things visible and invisible.

And in one Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, begotten of the Father [the only-begotten; that is, of the essence of the Father, God of God], Light of Light, very God of very God, begotten, not made, being of one substance with the Father;

By whom all things were made [both in heaven and on earth];

Who for us men, and for our salvation, came down and was incarnate and was made man;

He suffered, and the third day he rose again, ascended into heaven;

From thence he shall come to judge the quick and the dead.

 N.B.: Please consider studying The New Revelation's Great Gospel of John , and compare it to the known Gospels. The very same Jesus and the very same Gospel is to be found there. 

"In 2020, the establishment church proved itself to be impotent, inept, illegitimate, indefensible, insincere, irresponsible and irrelevant. No real Christian can stay in such a “church,” and no real Christian will. The sooner these miserable masked congregations dry up and wither away, the better! They are leading the country into the slavish shackles of antichrist.
Millions of real Christians should be nailing their own 95 Theses on the doors of their apostate churches and walking away, just as Martin Luther did. And the sooner the better!"[...]

"Make no mistake about it: 2020 was the beginning of Orwell’s 1984 and Huxley’s Brave New World. The Bible refers to it as mystical Babylon—the government of antichrist. You are witnessing the seasonal reign of antichrist as we speak.
And, no! There is no “rapture” that will appear like the 7th Cavalry in a black-and-white TV western to take Christians out of tribulation. Try telling the millions of suffering saints in persecuted countries around the world who have endured horrific tribulation for hundreds of years that America’s Christians are so special that God will not let THEM suffer tribulation but will whisk them away to Heaven instead.
The arrogance of the Western Church is both limitless and shameless.
As sure as there is a God in Heaven, these infernal masks—along with the Covid vaccines and looming digital ID tracking/control systems—are part of the antichrist Mark of the Beast. We will either submit to the authority of antichrist or we will resist antichrist and submit to the authority of THE CHRIST.
THAT is the decision you and I are making RIGHT NOW." (pastor Chuck Baldwin) 

CHRISTIAN PERSECUTION RESOURCES

  Voice of the Martyrs  - network of international organisations defending the persecuted Christians worldwide - the initial organisation was  founded in 1967 by the famous lutheran pastor Richard Wurmbrand, who testified about the trials of Christians in the communist political prisons of Romania post world war 2. Some of the VOM branches sites below...

• Canada
• Czech Republic
• Finland
• Germany
• Netherlands
• New Zealand
• Poland
• Sweden
• United Kingdom/Ireland (Release International)
• United States of America

Voice of the Persecuted - international organisation blog dealing with the persecution of Christians all over the world and "designed to bring awareness of, advocate for and assist persecuted Christians living in areas of extreme persecution".  Rescue Christians - organsation founded by one of the most remarkable ex-jihadist converted to Christianity, Walid Shoebat, dealling especially with the Middle East Christian communties  Persecution - International Christian Concern - American organisation aiming to provide assistance, awareness, and advocacy to persecuted Christians worldwide. Detailed news about issue on all continents  Christian Persecution - portal presenting news concerning Christians' persecution and suffering all over the world, as also important world news, US news and Israeli news  Open Doors USA - organisation serving persecuted Christians worldwide, founded 60 years ago and acting in three main areas: Bible & Gospel Development, Women & Children Advancement and Christian Community Restoration (including refugee support for persecuted Christians)  Christian Concern - UK based organization, dealing with a great variety of issues confronting Christianity, such as abortion, bioethics, education, employment, end of life, family, fostering, Islam, religious freedom, same-sex marriage, sexual orientation etc)  Various articles: The persecution of Christians is intensifying as anti-christian hatred sweeps the entire world
SHOEBAT.COM - activism for persecuted Christians worldwide europeinfos - The future of Christians in the Middle EastCommission des Episcopats de la Communauté Européenne  ‘Largest Massacre of Christians in Syria’ Ignored « Voice of the PersecutedOne of the worst Christian massacres—complete with mass graves, tortured-to-death women and children, and destroyed churches—recently took place in Syria, at the hands of the U.S.-supported jihadi "rebels"; and the U.S. government and its "mainstream media" mouthpiece are, as usual, silent (that is, when not actively trying to minimize matters). The massacre took place in…  BBC News - Are there really 100,000 new Christian martyrs every year?It's often claimed that 100,000 Christians are killed every year because of their faith. Earlier this year, the Vatican called it a credible number.  The Persecution Of Christians Is Intensifying As Anti-Christian Hatred Sweeps The Entire World Alex Jones' Infowars: There's a war on for your mind! Obama Judge Fines School Over Christian Prayer Alex Jones' Infowars: Jewish peer who fled Nazis is rescuing Christians fleeing Isis to repay 'debt' - Middle East - World - The IndependentA Jewish peer who fled occupied Austria as a child is funding the rescue of up to 2,000 Christians from Syria and Iraq as a way of showing his gratitude to the religion whose members saved him from the Nazis. (see also:  Sir Nicholas Winton: Humanitarian known as 'Britain's Schindler', whose efforts saved hundreds of Jewish children from the Holocaust - People - News - The IndependentNicholas Winton almost single-handedly saved more than 650 Jewish children from the Holocaust, earning the label of "Britain's Schindler". He arranged trains to carry children from Nazi-occupied Prague to Britain, battling bureaucracy at both ends and saving them from almost certain death – and then kept quiet about his exploits for half a century.)  Jewish Businessman Rescuing Yazidi and Christian Sex Slaves from ISIS – Israel Video NetworkWARNING: EXTREMELY GRAPHIC - The real war on women.  Christian Bakers Aaron and Melissa Klein Fined $135,000 Then Silenced From Discussing It ⋆ Now The End Begins : Now The End BeginsOregon Labor Commissioner Brad Avakian finalized a preliminary ruling today ordering Aaron and Melissa Klein, the bakers who refused to make a cake for a same-sex wedding, to pay $135,000 in emotional damages to the couple they denied service.  Christians Must Brace Themselves For The Coming Persecution In Obama's LGBT America ⋆ Now The End Begins : Now The End BeginsThis week's US Supreme Court LGBT decision has set up a number of situations that American Christians must be wide-awake and prepared for. One of the first casualties in the coming war will be the ostracizing of all those who will not go along with the "new normal".  Islam Critic, Imran Firasat: 'I Am Going To Die' Christian Pastor Asks Muslims To Stop Moving Land Markers For Church, Muslims Pulls Out Sword And Hack Him To Death, Throw Body In River - Walid Shoebat Historic Persecution of Christians Fox's Book of Martyrs Richard Wurmbrand's  Tortured for Christ  and Marx and Satan The Covenanters Who were the Covenanters? List of Christian martyrs - Wikipedia 

FALSE IDEAS ABOUT JESUS

 By Wayne JacksonWithout question Jesus of Nazareth is the most dominating figure in human history. Who was he? Or in the words of the Teacher himself in a question to the leaders of the Jewish community, “What do you think of the Christ?” Every intellectually reflective person must come to grips with this engaging question.The available data regarding the identity of Jesus are definitive. He is the Christ, the Son of God (John 20:30-31). Regrettably, however, there are numerous erroneous opinions regarding him in the marketplace of religious ideas.Jesus Never ExistedAs strange as it may sound, some, in their desperation to dismiss the Lord, deny that he ever lived upon this earth. This notion was advanced by a German historian named Bruno Baur, near the middle of the 19th century. In our own time, The Great Soviet Encyclopedia (Moscow, 1952), in a two-line entry under “Jesus,” states; “the name of the mythological founder of Christianity.” One scholar notes that this reveals more about the authors’ bias than their historical judgment (Metzger, 1965, 78).An apostate Pentecostal, turned-skeptic, has affirmed that he is “convinced that the story of Jesus is just a myth” (Barker, 1992, 359-360). What a woefully ignorant viewpoint. It dismisses the following lines of evidence.

1. There are thousands of copies of the Greek New Testament Scriptures (in part or in whole), some of which stand in the shadows of the apostles themselves, that testify to the existence of Jesus Christ.
2. The Jewish historian Josephus twice mentions Christ (Antiquities 18.3.3; 20.9.1). The Babylonian Talmud refers to Jesus’ trial by the Sanhedrin, and to his execution on the eve of the Passover. The prominent Jewish scholar of Hebrew University, Joseph Klausner, in his famous book, Jesus of Nazareth, had an extensive section demonstrating the Hebrew evidence for Christ’s existence (1989, 17-54). He did not dispute the matter at all.
3. There are several Roman sources documenting the historicity of Jesus. Pliny, governor of Bithynia, wrote a letter to the Roman emperor Trajan (c. A.D. 112) in which he referred to the fact that Christians gather on a certain day to worship Christ as if he were a god (Epistle X.96). The historian Tacitus, in his Annals (c. A.D. 115), comments regarding one “Christus” who was condemned to death by Pontius Pilate (XV.44). Finally, Seutonius (c. A.D. 120), secretary to the emperor Hadrian (hence one having access to official records), mentions the expulsion of certain Jews from Rome due to the controversy surrounding “Chrestus” (Vita Claudii XXV.4) — an incident which agrees with Luke’s reference in Acts 18:2.

Though he did not accept Jesus as the Son of God, Klausner exposes the arguments of those who deny that these are references to Jesus of Nazareth; he argues there is historical proof for the existence of Christ and his extensive influence in the early years of Christian history (1989, 60-62).A Spirit Being, Not FleshOut of the ancient world of the New Testament period there eventually evolved a movement known as Gnosticism. This term covered a variety of sects that advocated numerous aberrant ideas at variance with biblical truth. Many scholars are convinced that there are a number of New Testament warnings concerning the developing errors of this heresy (cf. 1 Timothy 6:20).One branch of this philosophy was known as “Docetism” — from the Greek term dokein, which means “to seem.” These heretics believed that Jesus was not a real, flesh-and-blood man; he merely “appeared” to be. This notion strikes at the very heart of the gospel. By implication, it denies such matters as: the incarnation (John 1:14),  the Savior’s resurrection (1 Corinthians 15:1-4), and  the high priesthood of the Son of God (Hebrews 2:17-18). Thankfully, this false ideology is no longer seriously entertained by any significant movement.Christ, The First-Created BeingThose affiliated with the Watchtower Society allege that the second Person of the Godhead, Jesus Christ, was not an eternal being. Instead, it is claimed, he was “the first of God’s creations … he had a beginning” (Reasoning from the Scriptures, 1985, 409).There is no basis for this fanatical theory, as the following facts reveal.

• A number of passages assert the eternality of the Word who became flesh (John 1:14). Isaiah denominates him as “everlasting” (9:6), and Micah declares that his goings forth have been “from everlasting” (5:2).
• When John affirms: “In the beginning was the Word” (1:1), he employs an imperfect tense form, which suggests “continuous timeless existence” (Bernard, 1928, 2).
• Christ is designated as “the Alpha and the Omega” (Revelation 21:6; 22:13), which expression is applied to God earlier in the same document (1:8). The phrase constitutes a “strong assertion of the true and eternal deity of Jesus Christ” (Vos, 1975, 111).

But the “Jehovah’s Witnesses” argue that since Jesus is called “the firstborn of all creation” (Colossians 1:15), and “the beginning of the creation” (Revelation 3:14), he must have had an origin in time, hence, was not eternal. The arguments are invalid.First, the term “beginning” (arche) in this text is a reference to Christ as the “first cause” of creation (Danker, 2000, 138; Thayer, 1958, 77). As Robertson noted: “not the first of creatures … but the originating source of creation” (1933, 321). In Revelation 22:13, Jesus is designated as “the beginning” and “the end.” If “beginning” means that he had a commencement, does “end” suggest that he will be terminated ultimately?Second, the term “Firstborn” does not imply an origin for the Savior. “Firstborn” is used frequently in the sense of “rank,” i.e., the “chief” (Liddell & Scott, 1869, 1400). Adam Clarke has shown that the Hebrews even referred to Jehovah, the Father, as “the firstborn of all the world” to signify the fact that he produced all things (n.d., 516). Not even the Watchtower folks contend that the Father had an origin. Long after Christ was in existence (as conceded even by the Watchtower Witnesses), a prophet announced: “I [the Father] also will make [future tense] him [Christ] my first-born” (Psalm 89:27). Obviously the term denotes rank, rather than chronological commencement.Christ Was An AngelAnother false theory of the self-styled “Jehovah’s Witnesses” is the claim that Jesus is to be identified with Michael, the arch-angel (Reasoning, 1985, 218). Considerable New Testament evidence demonstrates that Christ was not an angel. Note this irresistible logic.First, angels refuse worship (Revelation 22:8, 9). But Jesus accepted worship (Matthew 8:2; 9:18; 14:33). Jesus, thus, was not an angel. The worship of angels is sinful (Colossians 2:18). If Christ was a mere angel, he should have rebuked those who worshiped him (Matthew 14:33), yet he never did!Second, the entire first chapter of Hebrews is an argument proving that Jesus was not of the angel class. For instance, God never said to an angel: “[Y]ou are my son, this day have I begotten you” (1:5); and yet, he did make that statement of Christ. Clearly, Christ was not an angel. Too, all the angels were to worship Jesus (1:6). But one worships a superior, not an equal. Obviously, therefore, Christ was not of the angel class. For a more elaborate discussion of these erroneous ideas, as entertained by the Watchtower advocates, see the author’s booklet, Jehovah’s Witnesses And The Doctrine Of The Deity Of Christ (1979).Same Person As The FatherThose who are affiliated with the United Pentecostal Church contend that “Jesus” is merely the earthly name of God, the Father. They allege there is but one person who is God, but that “God” is represented in three manifestations — Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. The Scripture, however, reveals a clear distinction between the Father and the Son, and between the Son and the Holy Spirit.The Jews had never seen the father nor heard his voice (John 1:18; 5:37), but they had both seen and heard Christ. Hence, Christ was not the same as the Father. The person who abides in the Lord’s doctrine has both the Father and the Son (2 John 9) — both implies a plurality. One could sin against Christ and be forgiven, but not the Spirit (Matthew 12:32). Therefore, Christ and the Spirit were not the same person. This topic is discussed more fully in the author’s tract, The Biblical Doctrine Of The Godhead (1994).Jesus, A Messianic ManipulatorThough it is a rare and clearly incredible viewpoint, there are those who contend that Jesus was a first-century huckster who manipulated people into believing he was the Messiah. Hugh J. Schonfield, in his infamous volume The Passover Plot, argued this very point. He asserted that Christ “plotted and schemed with utmost skill” to feign his death and resurrection (1965, 155).Schonfield contended that Jesus labored under the illusion that he was the Messiah and so contrived to bring the “greatest conspiracy in the history of mankind” to fruition. He alleged that Christ actually did not die upon the cross at all; rather, he merely received a powerful narcotic that made  him appear as dead. Then, by a prearranged plan, he was removed unconscious from the cross by his disciples. Unfortunately, Schonfield supposed, Jesus did not anticipate that a Roman soldier would plunge a spear into his side: and so, after being taken from the cross on Saturday, “he regained consciousness temporarily, but finally succumbed” (1965, 165).Is there any evidential basis at all for this bizarre theory? Not a shred. It is inconceivable that hardened and experienced Roman soldiers would have allowed the Lord’s disciples to remove his body without carefully examining it to determine whether the victim was really dead. Schonfield’s contention does not pass the commonsense test.Then there is this curious fact. In 1959, just six years before The Passover Plot was published, Schonfield wrote a book titled, The Bible Was Right. In that production, the author contended that Jesus collapsed and “expired” after six hours on the cross. He stated that the soldiers broke the legs of the two thieves crucified on either side of the Lord, but that this was not done in the case of Christ because “he was found to be dead already” (1959, 74). Now here is an intriguing question. What great historical discovery was brought to light between 1959 and 1965, that led Schonfield to reverse his view of the Lord’s death, and to argue the “Passover plot” theory? None at all. It is perfectly clear that the real “plot” was Hugh J. Schonfield’s — and that was powered by monetary motives.A Good Man — Nothing MoreA very common view regarding Christ is that he was merely a good man, perhaps a wise philosopher, but certainly not the Son of God. Modernists claim Jesus differed from ordinary men in degree, but not in kind.For example, the late Steve Allen, the entertainer, wrote two vicious diatribes against the Bible. Though he utterly repudiated the proposition that Jesus of Nazareth was a divine being, he nonetheless had high praise for the Lord. “[A]mong human heroes, Jesus is supreme. For he not only preached but apparently demonstrated the virtues of compassion, charity, love, courage, faith, and intelligence.” Allen said Christ “approaches the ideal of perfection more closely than anyone else who has ever lived” (1990, 229). But this position is absolutely illogical, and for the following reasons.

1. No one knows anything at all about the nature of Christ except what he learns from the New Testament. As previously indicated, though one can establish the historical existence of Jesus from secular sources, there is no antique literary document, aside from the biblical record, regarding Christ’s personal character. One is thus dependent upon New Testament information — if he says anything at all concerning Jesus.
2. But there is ample scriptural evidence that Christ claimed that he was more than a mere good person. He argued that he came from heaven (John 6:48-51), that he was the Christ, the Son of the living God (Matthew 16:16-17), who shared the same nature as the Father (John 10:30).
3. If the Lord was not the Son of God, then he lied about that matter. He lied consistently and continuously. He deceived multitudes. He led many to sacrifice their very lives for the belief that he is divine. How, in the name of common sense, can one argue that anyone who acted in such a fashion was a “good man”?

One Prophet Among ManySome accept Christ as a prophet of God (Acts 3:22), but contend that he was merely one figure in a long line of divine spokesmen. According to them, he was not the greatest one, and most certainly not the last. For example, the religion of Islam speaks very highly of Jesus as a prophet, but alleges that Christ disclaimed being deity (his followers deified him), and that he never died upon the cross (Anderson, 1950, 62-63). To those of the Islamic persuasion, Mohammed was the last and greatest of the prophets.Similarly, there is the Baha’i movement, founded by Mirza ‘Mohammed in Iran (c. 1844). This apostate form of Islam proclaimed the coming a great World Teacher. In 1863 Mirza Husayn ’ Ali announced that he was that Teacher. He adopted the name Baha’u’llah (from which Baha’i is derived). Baha’i teaching asserts there has been a series of prophets, beginning with Adam. Adam’s successors were Moses, Krishna, Buddha, Zarathushtra, Christ, Mohammed, and finally Baha’i — the most important of all. But the fact is, Christ was not just one figure in a series of prophets. He is the way, the truth, and the life (John 14:6), and apart from him there is no salvation (Acts 4:12).The Strictly Benevolent ChristThere are those who sincerely believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, but they have a warped view of his nature. They entertain the notion that Jesus was a loving, compassionate character, who went about doing good, and who would never be able to bring himself to punish human beings eternally (see Smith, 2003, 165ff). These folks simply cannot fathom the fact that there is a wrathful side to Jesus.Such a concept is purely subjective and totally at variance with New Testament data. The Lord spoke clearly of the lost who are in danger of judgment and hell (Matthew 5:22). To those who attempt to plead their case after it is too late, Christ will declare: “I never knew you: depart from me” (Matthew 7:23; cf. 25:12). Jesus taught that the wicked, both body and soul, will be destroyed in hell (Matthew 10:28).The Lord described his role as the king who judges (Matthew 25:31-46). Indeed, the wicked will not be able to stand in the day of the Lamb’s wrath (Revelation 6:16,17; cf. 14:10). While one must never in any way minimize the tender, loving nature of the Son of God, it is a gross perversion of Bible doctrine to deny that he will judge his enemies (Luke 19:14, 27).ConclusionJesus himself taught that a correct belief concerning his identity is crucial. “[E]xcept you believe that I am he, you shall die in your sins” (John 8:24). One cannot repudiate the existence of Christ, pervert the truth regarding his nature, and reject the exclusiveness of his mission without suffering an eternal consequence for such folly.