Jesus said, Jesus of Nazareth (8-4 before Christ - 30-33
apr. -JC ) and also called Jesus Christ by Christians ( Greek: Iesous Christos
) (Jesus comes from the Hebrew meaning God is salvation , and Christ is the
Greek translation of the Hebrew word " Messiah" ( machiakh ) , the
anointed one ) is the central figure of Christianity and is considered by
Christians to be the Messiah and the Son of God ( true God and true man, in one
person) . Catholics, Protestants and Orthodox celebrate it religiously, and even
love as God (the second person of the Trinity); other Christians celebrate the
religious currents in developing a wide variety of beliefs.
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His life
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The disciples Matthew, Mark, Luke and John were each
reported the life of Jesus in the four Gospels, which are part of the New Testament.
According to their testimony, Jesus was born in Bethlehem of
Judea. A census has been ordered by a decree from Caesar Augustus, Mary, mother
of Jesus, and her husband Joseph were compelled to leave Nazareth in Galilee to
join their village of origin. The birth of Jesus in Bethlehem perfectly
accomplishes the prophecy of Micah, and some believe that this statement would
be largely symbolic, because Bethlehem, in Hebrew the house of bread, is deemed
"City of David” where the Messiah is born. (See below for Nazareth.)
According to the Gospels of Matthew and Luke, Jesus was born
during the reign of Herod I the Great , while Quirinius was governor of Syria (
the only known time this census would take place in Year 7 before Christ ) and
died crucified in Jerusalem in the year 30 or 33, under the mandate of the
procurator Pontius Pilate. He was a carpenter (Mk 6 3).
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The canonical Gospels report:
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The virgin birth in the Gospels of Matthew and Luke Matthew
1:18-25 Luke 1:26-35. These passages are considered later than the rest of the
text by some specialists (without philological evidence) . The Gospels also
establish a correspondence between the story of the nativity and several
prophecies of the Old Testament;
The flight of Joseph, his wife and child in Egypt before the
Massacre of the Innocents, the return to Nazareth after Herod's death, (in 4 BC.),
(Mt 2:13-23);
Transfiguration with the appearance of Moses and Elijah
(Matthew 17 1-8, Luke 2-8 9 9 28-36 Mc) . The appearance of the characters of
Moses and Elijah is considered by some as highly symbolic. Moses is the founder
of a religion and Elijah at the time the most beloved prophet of Judaism. Elijah
is also deemed not to have experienced death, be ascended to heaven during his
lifetime and have to come back at the same time as the Messiah. It was also,
according to the Old Testament, the fate of Enoch.
Passion, that is to say, his suffering and death on the
cross (instrument of torture);
Resurrection found on Easter morning;
Ascension (that is to say, the removal of his body to the
sky)
The four evangelists are the link with some passages of the
prophets of earlier centuries (especially in the Book of Isaiah and the Psalms)
as an announcement of the passion and resurrection of Jesus, and his role as
Messiah.
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The Acts relating to:
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Pentecost 50 days after Easter, after which the apostles
begin intensive dissemination of his message;
The beginnings of the Church and its expansion.
Many miracles are also attributed to Jesus, essentially
healing the blind, the deaf, lepers and paralytics. In addition, several
resurrections assigned: the slave of a Roman centurion of the only son of a
widow of the city of Nain, the daughter of a man named Jairus, and that of Lazarus,
his friend, brother of Martha and Mary.
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Historical elements
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A historical reconstruction of such an old and skull from
the site where Jesus lived , by Richard NeaveLe first historian who refers to
94 Jesus is the Jewish Josephus was born in 39 AD. AD It has therefore not been
a direct witness. While most historians agree on their authenticity, writings
are disputed, because the first "original" known historian dates from
the ninth century AD. AD result of multiple iterations of copyist’s monks whose
transparency can be doubted, It should however be noted that this is the case
for almost all the ancient writers. Moreover, the historian mentions several
different Jesus, a perfectly ordinary name of the time.
To 116, in his Annals, the Roman historian Cornelius Tacitus
wrote: “[the name of Christians] comes to them from Christ, who, under Tiberius,
was delivered to death by the procurator Pontius Pilate ....”
In his Lives of the Twelve Caesars, to 120, Suetonius wrote:
“[Claude] drove the city's Jews were rising constantly at the instigation of
some Christos “This happens in 50, 20 years after the Jesus' death. In
addition, Christos and Christos are two different words, one meaning “the
anointed one" (meaning a person dedicated), the other resulting in
"good" and sometimes acting as a proper name. The confusion, however,
may not be surprising from a “pagan " author. It should be noted here that
Suetonius mentions the Jews when he mentions the Christians under Nero's reign
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Considerations on the historicity of Jesus
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The historical existence of Jesus began to be challenged in
the nineteenth century, from Renan, after a study initiated by Hermann Samuel
Reimarus in 1774. Indeed, there is no contemporary historical Jesus authentication.
Historically, the New Testament references prove nothing. Conversely,
the absence of evocations of Jesus during the first century outside of the
Gospels in no way proves that it does not exist. Palestine was a minor colony
and it is not surprising that his influence would have been enough to start (in
the meantime, executed were not entitled to the spotlight as today, even the
rebellion of Spartacus was not many echoes). Many other messiahs have finished
in the dustbin of history. Why it did not exist, would we found it useful to invent?
Why so many individuals have believed in him to the point to dedicate a
religion?
If the need for a “dying god” was felt, it was sufficient (Osiris,
Adonis, Dionysus, Attics, etc. . .), to be unnecessary to invent more. The way
Jesus is portrayed suggests he was a real character. No writer of the time no
one would bother to invent a fictional messiah remaining as vague and
contradictory about his life and his teachings and imagining disciples as
imperfect ( like Peter who denies his Master three times cowardice ) .
Contradictions and oddities abound in the Gospels, as in
most biographies of historical figures. We have seen in the absence of
biographical Paul proof of imposture of Jesus. But nobody has ever suggested
that Paul is an invention. But he knew people who had met Jesus. Moreover, one
can note the first opponents of Christianity (Roman Jews that amounts) have
never denied the existence of its founder.
Few are still those who doubt the existence of Jesus. It’s
mostly amateurs, no university function , and try to convince the public
otherwise specialists , it is the case of Paul -Eric Blanrue , consultant,
writer and screenwriter , and occasional commentator ; other names are cited as
one Patrick Dupuy which we cannot know what he wrote. Another amateur was Dr.
Couchoud which, in addition medicine and Japanese literature had as a hobby to
show that Jesus never existed. Charles Guignebert, professor at the Sorbonne,
often amusing to make fun of him and this is the notorious anti-Christian
certainly was not because his religion would have been offended: it’s very wrong,
he said, is that n ' had never managed to convince a recognized specialist
whose accession could have meaning, and he added coldly: "The enthusiasm
of incompetent does not compensate for this failure.” Although researchers are
still troubled by the obvious similarities of Christian dogma with pagan cults
of the time
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His message
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According to some theologians, the basic message of the
Gospel lies in:
The Beatitudes, (Matthew and in Luke).
Two commandments: "You shall love the Lord your
God" and” Thou salt love thy neighbor as thyself" , which constitute
an inseparable whole. Otherwise expressed in: “For he that loved not his
brother whom he has seen cannot love God whom he has not seen" (John VI:
20). Note that these commands are found in the Old Testament (Leviticus 19-18: “Thou
salt love thy neighbor as thyself”). The Mosaic Law is an indisputable
foundation of Jesus' discourse reported in the Gospels.
The injunction to love your neighbor be it his enemy.
The “Paschal Mystery” by Christians, death and resurrection
of Jesus. Preach the imminence of the Kingdom and the need for true repentance:
“Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near." (Matthew IV: 17)
The key message is certainly found in the Gospel of Luke
chapter 4 verses 18 and the 21 - a message of peace for suffering humanity ,
not only physically but also spiritually because of its decision to exclude God
his life, Jesus is renewing this link through this extraordinarily full of love
for each message.
Another formulation in the Gospel of John 3, 16: "God
so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth
in him should not perish, but has everlasting life.”
More than just a "message" Jesus is for Christians
the coming of God in humanity, with the Incarnation, the redemption of humanity
through the cross and the victory over death through the resurrection, meaning salvation.
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Religious perspectives
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Christianity
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Christ Pantocrator, mosaic detail of the thirteenth century,
Hagia Sophia, Istambul Dans the Bible, we read how humans have lost their
relationship with God (Genesis 1-3), and how God seeks to find a contact with
them. Christians and Jews believe that God is on Earth, by the prophets, dreams,
or nature (the burning bush of Moses, for example) - in other words, that God
is imminent as well as transcendent.
However, according to the New Testament, in Jesus, God took
the form of a human being, lived among men to show who God is and what His
love, His commandments, His invitation to humanity. This is the distinctive
feature of the Christian view of Jesus and, therefore, on God.
The life of Jesus and the early Christians is told in the
New Testament. The testimony of the life of Jesus is found primarily in the Gospels,
but there are also references in the writings of Paul, for example, the First
Epistle to the Corinthians. Jesus of Nazareth is often called “Jesus
Christ." The word "Christ" (Greek - equivalent of “Messiah “in
Hebrew) means “Anointed." The Israelites believed that God would send
someone to release and establish the "Kingdom of God”, a transformation
that God would become the only King of the Earth that sins are forgiven,
restored the Temple, the Romans would return Israel. They called this person
the Messiah.
According to the New Testament, Jesus was the Messiah, but
it was not the Messiah that the people around him waiting. He was very critical
of the religious authorities, ignoring the rules of the Act when Love asked,
and spent much time with the poor, the poor and the outcasts of society. He
spoke of a relationship with God, not through government, but directly. Finally,
the religious authorities have had enough, and persuaded the Romans to crucify him.
He died on the cross and then buried.
According to the Gospels, Jesus is “raised “on the third day
after his death. It is not a matter of “back to life " , as in some
mythologies , but the Israelites would one day come to the end of time, when
all the righteous pass to the other side of death, to a full life , transformed
and endless on Earth. The rest of the story begins when some women visit the
tomb and find it empty. Then this is the general chaos. Many people see Jesus
in the coming days. It is the same, but different. He eats, but also appears in
the middle of a closed room. It seems that it is “resurrected “.
The prophets had announced that someone would die for the
sins of the world, and then the resurrection means that forgiveness is
possible, and that more than one additional Prophet Jesus is God himself. For
the first Christians those who believe in Jesus his death and resurrection and
allow a restored relationship with God not by religious intermediaries but by
Jesus
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Islam
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The Quran calls Jesus Issa.
Islam considers Jesus as a major prophet unlike Christians
who regard Jesus as the incarnation of a divine person. It is neither God nor
son of God (Koran V, 17). It is praised repeatedly in the Qur'an. The Quran
says that he was born of Mary ( Koran II 87) , he is the Messiah , Mary is
mother and virgin ( Koran III 45-47 or XXI , 91 ) and is sister to Aaron (XIX ,
28) , understood as " the offspring " of Aaron. Jesus presents the
particularity to have spoken from his birth in the cradle. Jesus did not die on
the cross, but someone else was crucified in his place (" it was only a
pretense ") (Quran IV, 157), God has raised Jesus to him. This belief is
probably inspired Docetism. He confirmed the teachings of the Torah and would
have foretold the coming of Muhammad (Qur’an LXI, 6) under the name Ahmad. It
would be mounted living with God; it is he who will return to announce the
final judgment. He will not come as a prophet, but as a ruler and judge of the
community of believers, Muslim or not. He will return shortly before the Mahdi
according to Shiite belief.
The traditionalist historian Tabari (839-923) tells about
the crucifixion the next episode (regardless of texts by which the crucifixion
of Jesus, Roman punishment was carried out by the Romans)
Jews Isa dragged to a place where they had prepared a cross
to crucify him, and a great number of Jews gathered around him. They had a
leader named Yeas’, who was also among them. When they tried to attach Isa the cross,
God took their eyes and gave shape and appearance Isa Yeasef’ to their leader. [
...] When they looked, they saw Joshua fully Isa like, and they took him. He says:
I 'm Joshua. They answered: Thou liest, thou art Isa, and you are robbed you
our eyes by magic, now the magic are gone and you have become visible. He
protested in vain that he was Joshua; they killed him and tied him to the
cross.
As for Isa, God raised him up to heaven as it says in the
Qur'an: “They did not kill him and they did not crucify him, but it was only a
pretense.”(Quran IV, 156).
Tabari (The Chronicle of Solomon to the fall of the Sassanids)
In the Qur'an, the word most frequently used to describe
Christians is nasara.
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Apocryphal literature
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A number of old and new texts, which were not used in the
New Testament canon , but we have been known for several centuries already ,
show a very different vision sometimes that had some common first centuries of
our era ( or , as formerly recently, against - designs ) vies-a -vies Jesus
from the Jesus traditionally known by the canonical Gospels.
Apocryphal literature varies greatly styles and designs of
Jesus : details about his childhood and his parents ( Proto of Jacques ) , a
descent into hell ( Acts of Pilate ) , a master of esoteric wisdom or initiator
( Gospel of Thomas ) Jesus , or just a prophet ( gospel of Barnabas ) rather
envoy of God, etc. .
Textual criticism today gives us the assertion of a
documentary and / or reliability seniority often far superior to the canonical Gospels,
and in parallel, late dating (e.g., the Gospel of Barnabas is dated Middle age)
for many apocryphal writings. In terms of content, the comparison between
canonical and apocryphal gospels and apocryphal them grows the majority of
scholars to conclude that sectarian motivations developed by some and by
others, is against heresies ( the side of the Official Christianity - such as
cryptic Oracles ) or against the dominant ( the side of the divergent currents
souvents competitors them) Christianity. It should be added that the
scholarship has, for many of the writings of the apocryphal literature,
concluded that the Pseudepigrapha (sometimes very late), inspired by ancient
but often inauthentic literature (such as the Gospel of Barnabas, the Gospel of
Thomas, or - but this is disputed - the Gospel of Mary).
(En) English Resource apocryphal texts (related to the Old
and New Testaments)
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Jehovah's Witnesses
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For Jehovah's Witnesses, Jesus is the Son of God, the first
of his works, but not God himself. It is his first begotten Son of the Father.
They follow in the Arian doctrine developed in the first century.
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His name
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Jesus is a Greek transliteration of the Aramaic diminutive
Yehoshuah or Yeshua, also translated by Joshua. The word is God saves; God is salvation,
salvation, health, financial comfort.
The name Jesus is often used to refer to Jesus of Nazareth,
also called Jesus Christ.
It is certified as Barabbas1 name for the warlord released
by Pontius Pilate in the text of the Gospel of Matthew XXVII :16 -17 as a first
name for Ben Sirach , author of Ecclesiasticus , book of wisdom from the Bible.
The name is also attested and AbIeschwa means my father is easy. (Source BDB- THAYER)
In his writings, Josephus mentions several individuals named
Jesus, among which we note:
"Jesus, son of Sapphas, one of the high priests,"
governor of Idumea and also “first magistrate of Tiberias “(Jewish War, Book
II, and XX.4 XXI.3 and Book III)
Jesus , one of the high priests ( Jewish War , Book VI,
II.2) may be the same as the priest , "Jesus, son of Thebouthi " (
Jewish War , Book VI, VIII.3 )
"Jesus, son of Ananias” pronounces omens against
Jerusalem (Jewish War, Book VI, and V.3)
A "Jesus, son of Josedec, the high priest” contemporary
Darius (Jewish Antiquities, Book XI, III.1)
Jesus, son of the high priest Onias, who Hellenized the name
Jason, a contemporary of Antiochus Epiphanies (Jewish Antiquities, Book XII, V.10)
1. The ecumenical translation of the Bible says “many
manuscripts omit the word to Jesus Barabbas.”
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Nazareth
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For many historians, Jesus, known as the “Jesus the Nazarene,"
was born around the year 6 BC. BC in Nazareth the Gospels often cited in the
Hellenized form Nazara. The “Nazareth “(Nazarene, in Greek) is the man from the
village of Nazareth. In the Gospels, Jesus is also referred to as “Nazarene."
This term is rappoche the Hebrew nazir, sober, hermit means a man bound to God
by a special promise. A bypass neser, descendant offspring is less convincing.
Nazarenes appears the name under which the early Christians
are known, the Roman power is then considered as a Jewish dissent likely to
disturb public order. A passage from the Acts of the Apostles reports that some
Tertullus accuses the Apostle Paul in these words (Acts XXIV, 5):
We have found this man a pestilent fellow, and a mover of
sedition among all the Jews throughout the world, and a ringleader of the sect
of the Nazarenes.
The term was used by the emperor Julian the Apostate on his deathbed:
“You won, Nazarene!”(Julien tried to restore after Constantine, the worship of
the ancient Roman gods).
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