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

Chapter 76: 65

Open in WeRead

Explore more books like this:

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.

65

Jesus was subsequently taken to Nazareth. Why?

Matthew: “That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, He shall be called a Nazarene” (ii, 23).

The Bible contains no such prophecy. Fleetwood admits that “the words are not to be found” in “the prophetical writings,” and Farrar says, “It is well known that no such passage occurs in any extant prophecy” (Life of Christ, p. 33). The only passage to which the above can refer is Judges xiii, 5. Here the child referred to was not to be called a Nazarene, but a Nazarite, and Matthew knew that “Nazarene” and “Nazarite” were no more synonymous than “Jew” and “priest.” A Nazarene was a native of Nazareth; a Nazarite was one consecrated to the service of the Lord. Matthew likewise knew that this Nazarite referred to in Judges was Samson.