Did Jesus initally want to create a religion after him or St Paul took it up to him?

Question

Is it true that when he died, he had about 50 followers?

Answer 1

I believe most certainly he had a small tent of disciples and there is much evidence that he was from the Essene sect, ut it transcends evidence and provides proof if one doesn't negate reason or investigation. Essene were and is the ONLY sect that had anything remotely similar to Jesus movement, whereas the Pharisees, Sadduces, and scribes where completely different and apparently he spoke out against their ignorance, but never mentons a bad thing about the essene. He HAD to hae come from one of the sects, and the Essene held similar concepts and the gospel of John hold similar framework (although the modern gospel of john is highly suspect through corruption).

Dead Sea Scroll expert Prof. John Allegro in is book, The Dead Sea Scrolls and the Origins of Christianity, he writes: “It is a fact that the Qumran Library has profoundly affected the study of the Johannine writings and many longheld conceptions have had to be radically revised. No longer can John be regarded as the most Hellenistic of the Evangelists; his gnosticism, and the whole framework of his thought is seen now to spring directly from a Jewish sectarianism rooted in palestinian soil, and his material recognized as founded in the earliest layers of Gospel traditions.”

“Biblical scholars were not disturbed by what they found in the Dead Sea Scrolls because they had known all along that the origin of Christianity was not what was commonly supposed to have been” (quoted by Millar Burrows in More Light on the Dead Sea Scrolls).

Prof. John Allegro the findings“...may upset a great many basic teachings of the Christian Church. This in turn would greatly upset many Christian Theologians and believers. The heart of the matter is, in fact, the source and originality of Christian doctrine” (August 1966 issue of Harpers Magazine).

And yes Jesus/Yeshua never said he had come to create another religion, he clearly said he didn't come to destroy the law but to fulfill and that our righteousness must exceed those of the pharisees and scribes.

Regardless an interesting thing was once said under the heading of Jesus and Paul, the Encyclopedia Britannica writes: “In calling Paulinism 'Christocentric', one raises the question as to its relation to the Gospel proclaimed by Jesus... how far he unconsciously modified the Gospel by making Christ its subject matter rather than its revealer.... Paul... put all into so fresh a perspective as to change the relative emphasis on points central to the teaching of Jesus, and so alter its spirit. A school of writers, by no means unappreciative of Paul as they understand him, of whom W. Wrede may be taken as example, answer that Paul so changed Christianity as to become its 'second founder' - the real founder of ecclesiastical Christianity as distinct from the Christianity of Jesus. They say, 'either Jesus or Paul' it cannot be both at once’”.

Answer 2

Its pretty clear that the opinion of most biblical scholars is that after Jesus' death, there was a small subsect of judaism that followed the teachings of the Rabbi Yeshua. Saul - later St-Paul -converted it into the idea that it was message applicable to all of mankind. Well except for women and homosexuals but you know what I mean.

Answer 3

i don't know how many followers he had when he died, but jesus did not want to create a religion after him. he specifically told his disciples, many times, to not tell people about the miracles he performed and the things he did. i can't really get into what jesus DID come to do, because that is based on personal belief, but i don't think creating a religion was one of them. a lot of evidence suggests jesus may have BELONGED to a religion or religous sect such as the Essenes, which would also make him trying to start a religion based on him improbable. anyone trying to point people to God or the Truth is not trying to draw attention to him/herself.

Answer 4

Jesus came to save the Jews and the Gentiles. He came to save the world. All of us!

Jesus didn't bring a new religion. He brought the teachings of His Father, the living God. The God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.

We are followers of Jesus because He is the Messiah. Through Him, we are allowed access directly to God the Father.

When Jesus died, there were hundreds of followers. 500+ saw Him ascend into heaven.

When Paul died, he had no followers. However, he preached and taught about Jesus the Christ and when Paul died, there's were thousands of Christians. (Christians = followers of Christ)

Answer 5

Paul gave the world knowledge of Jesus Christ that we wouldn't have of him otherwise. He was converted by the experience he had when Jesus appeared to him on the road to Damascus and he wrote as one of the most fervently devoted believers in history and we wouldn't have most of the new testament without his letters.

Answer 6

The bible does not say how many followers.
At one point large crowds followed Jesus, numbering in the 1,000's. Then he fed him. All depends on definition of followers.

The religion was started by Jesus, not Paul 10 years after J.C.'s life. Jesus told people he is the way, the truth, and the life.

he told people if anyone would want to follow him, then they would have to pick up their own cross

Answer 7

Jesus repeatedly asked people to "follow me". He wanted us to follow his example and serve Him. I am not sure how many people were actually following Him at the time of His death. But most hoaxes don't grow in numbers after the death of the leader. Christianity did grow because of the Holy Spirit, which Jesus said would come after His death to be our Helper.