Historical Proof of Christ's Existence

Originally posted by clearlight
No one doubts there was some guy called jesus or whatever alive at the time but so what? What proof is there that this man died and rose again on the third day and that he died for our sins so we could be saved and that he was the son of God? None whatsoever. And there never will be.

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No one doubts there was some guy called jesus or whatever alive at the time but so what? What proof is there that this man died and rose again on the third day and that he died for our sins so we could be saved and that he was the son of God? None whatsoever. And there never will be.
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As Christians who claimed to have met Jesus, we have had to after such an experience consider His words and the whole teaching of the New Testament. Such words include the experience of those who have gone before.

First, John records how Jesus said that after His resurrection He would manifest Himself to men in particular but the world would not know Him:

"He who has Ny commandments and keeps them, he is the one who loves Me; and he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will manifest Myself to him." (John 14:21)

Here Jesus taught that He would manifest Himself to the one who loves Him. If we begin by praying "Lord Jesus, Lord I love you." He will manifest Himself to you from within you.

John continues this line of questioning and Jesus' responses:

"Judas, not Isacariot, said to Him, Lord, and what has happened that You are to manifest Yourself to us and not to the world?

Jesus answered and said to him, If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word, and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make an abode with him." (John 14:23)

The Father and the Son as the Divine "We" will come to the one who loves Jesus and make an abode within them. In this way, though the world does not experience this, the lovers of Jesus experience it. God is in the Son. And the Father and the Son will come to the lover of Jesus in the Holy Spirit and impart the Triune God into them to make them His living abode.

In this way He will manifest Himself to His followers, one at a time, so to speak, while the world in general, right beside them, does not know Him.

This difference between the lovers of Christ and the general world is seen here also:

"If you love Me, you will keep My commandments.

And I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Comforter, that He may be with you forever, even the Spirit of reality, whom the world cannot receive because it does not behold Him or know Him, but you know Him, because He abides with you and shall be in you." (John 14:16-17)

This Person, "another Comforter" will be with the discples forever. This "another Comforter" the world does not behold or know. So it is no wonder that the worldly unsaved retort :

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"What proof is there that this man died and rose again on the thtird day and that he died for our sins so we could be saved and that he was the son of God? None whatsoever. And there never will be."
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This is the speaking of the world. But if some worldly one begins to let himself love Jesus, just by reading about Jesus, and he opens his heart, exercises his praying spirit, the "another Comforter" who is Jesus in another form, would come to him.

The "another Comforter" is just Jesus Himself coming in His pneumatic form as "the Spirit of reality".

He was WITH the disciples as the physical Jesus. He will be IN the disciples as the Holy Spirit, the "another Comforter", the Spirit of reality. It is proved that the "another Comforter" is Jesus Himself in the 18th verse.

Look carefully at verse 17 and 18 together:

" ... the Spirit of reality, whom the world cannot receive, because it does not behold Him or know Him; but you know Him, because He abides with you and shall be in you.

I will not leave you as orphans; I am coming to you." (John 14:17,18)

Jesus Christ was WITH the disciples. He will come to them, not leaving them as forsaken orphans. He will come to them, and to us who love Him, and He will be IN us. The world around does not know or behold this unusual Person. But the lovers of Jesus had Him WITH them, and He shall be IN them.

The God infused MAN Jesus will come to the lovers of Jesus and make an abode with them, and manifest Himself to them. The world around does not experience this until ones from the world come to love Him and receive Him.

"Yet a little while and the world beholds Me no longer, but you behold Me; because I live you also shall live.

In that day you shall know that I am in My Father, and you in Me, and I in you." (.19,20)

Before the physical second coming of Christ, down through the centries, Christ has come to this and that lover of Him, and manifested Himself to them by making an abode within those who love Him.

So Paul adds his revelation too - "the last Adam became a life giving Spirit" (1 Cor. 15:45)

Christ became a God giving, divine life giving Spirit.

Originally posted by r99pawn77
A myth has been circulating for some time that there is no proof of Christ's existence. That is not true.

In an earlier post I asked for sources that actually provide evidence for what is under dispute. Yet it seems nobody is forthcoming with sources. It seems to me that the myth holds some validity.

The only records of Jesus' existence we have are:
1. Records by Christians who had not met Jesus.
2. Records by non-Christians referring to the existence of Christians.