https://pca.st/q8v85kyr https://pca.st/ic5h8f7l
Obviously, accurately looking at the real history of Jesus is hard. Accurately telling the story of any influential figure of that age is hard enough, but the fact that a large percentage of the world believes in his divinity complicates it even further.
Did Jesus exist?
- Most scholars seems to believe yes. Several non-biblical sources mention him, and it seems the most likely explanation due to Occam’s Razor
Historical context
- Born in Nazareth
- The culture that he grows up in is one of deep skepticism/a “culture war” against the nobles, rich, Romans/Greek, “inner city” people
- You can see this a little bit in his teachings
- The culture that he grows up in is one of deep skepticism/a “culture war” against the nobles, rich, Romans/Greek, “inner city” people
- For most people, the lines between reality and the divine were quite blurry
- Jesus is not unusual in this time as someone claiming divine authority
Rough idea of the figure
- Charismatic, intelligent, memorable figure
- Intentionally compares himself to the messiah
- Rides in on a donkey
- Inherits a lot of the teachings from John the Baptist
- By Occam’s Razor a lot of the sayings and teachings that are ascribed to Jesus are probably loosely accurate because they seem relatively coherent. if it wasn’t Jesus then there must have been some other charismatic figure who retroactively created those teachings