The Christ: A Critical Review and Analysis of the Evidences of His Existence

Chapter 110: 98

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About This Book

A skeptical, systematic critique argues that the Christ of the New Testament is a constructed myth rather than a reliably attested historical person. It assesses the silence of contemporary writers, the anonymous and late character of the gospels, and the contradictions within infancy narratives, ministry accounts, crucifixion, and resurrection reports. The author evaluates the moral portrait and teachings attributed to the figure and traces parallels with older pagan religions and divinities as possible sources of the myth. The conclusion asserts that supernatural claims lack sufficient historical support and that veneration rests on literary and theological fabrication rather than firm documentary evidence.

98

Had John been cast into prison when Jesus began his ministry?

Matthew: He had.

John: He had not.

Matthew says that immediately after his temptation, and before he began his ministry, “Jesus had heard that John was cast into prison” (iv, 12). Then “he departed into Galilee; and leaving Nazareth, he came and dwelt in Capernaum” (12, 13). “From that time Jesus began to preach” (17). This was the beginning of his ministry.

According to the Fourth Gospel, Jesus had called his disciples; had traveled over Galilee and Judea; had baptized (iii, 22); had performed miracles (ii, 1–11, 23; iii, 2); had held controversies with the Jews (ii, 18–21; iii, 1–21); had attended the Passover (ii, 13–23); had purged the temple (ii, 13–16); and after all these things “John was not yet cast into prison” (iii, 24).